Lets pick/trade for Youth!

[Brettstigers]

Here is a simple and oft touted theory for you and fairly topical given trade week is a coming. Lets continue picking youth and forget about trading for 23 - 29 year olds!

The sins of the past have dictated that we have an unbalanced playing group admittedly. Given that no club in their right mind releases players of any quality in the age bracket we are missing (unless they are damaged in some way and unless we trade away our future) why don't we just roll with it and continue to bring quality youngsters into the playing group , particularly through the rookie system, and let the new playing group at Richmond mature together.

Watts is an example of what I consider to be a good trade - 20 years of age so for a tall he is still four years away from his peak but he is a couple of years in front of a fresh faced draftee. We appear to have a reasonable structure at the moment so why don't we simply do it hard for 12 - 24 months to get the experience into the youngsters and then reap the benefits when they all mature together. Look at WC they are going to dominate for years because of the relative youth of their team. We will get more value potentially going young than we ever will trying to import established players.

Your thoughts?

 

[meltiger]

Look at WC they are going to dominate for years because of the relative youth of their team. 

Only if they get a forward line

 

[Rosy]

We will get more value potentially going young than we ever will trying to import established players.

Your thoughts?

Whilst that makes sense it doesn't take into consideration the fact we've gone for youth the last couple of years. We have a heap of speculative kids on our list who may or may not make it.

We need some strong bodies and footy experience to bring them through the ranks otherwise they'll be flogged and possibly lose confidence and belief.

I'm happy to get a couple of recycled players to fill the spot till the kids take the next step.

I agree the rookie list should be for kids though.

 

[MG]

It's the type of recruiting policy direction we want to head but you can't be inflexible. As Rosy says you dont want to flog the junior players. By having just kids will help the TPP, but in 3 years time, nos. 2, 7, 12, 17, 39 may be/ will be past their best. Its unfortunate we don't have more 22-26 years olds on the list, so trading smartly for some will help the club. But we certainly don't want hacks. `In Greg and Terry We Trust.' This might be the year to trade as next years under age group is supposedly much better than this year.

I think everyone agrees we need to fully utilise the rookie system.

 

[Brettstigers]

I think you mioght have missed the point slightly. I agree that in a happy universe we could redress our imbalance and pick up 2-3 22-26 year olds and march on to a glorious future.

In reality however I honestly don't believe that is going to happen without entering into some very uneven trades or picking up players which are hacks. Clubs just don't release good players in this age bracket. That is the point. Look at Soloman as a case in point, forget for a second that he got badly njured in 2005, he was a very good player that we really had a tilt at, offered very big dollars and still missed out. That is the type of deal you have to offer for non-hacks in this age bracket.

As for in GM we trust well lets just say I don't necessarily subscribe to the Miller is everything (Board Member, Football Manager, Recruiting Manager or any other position that he wants to hold this week) camp. I actually think that the results of this years trade and draft will go along way to deciding how much glow there actually is in GM's halo. T'will be interesting to watch.

This thread is all about suggesting that we shy away as a club from uneven trades to redress the age gap and go for maximising talent and value at the club. Which means retaining our draft picks for the best kids available. Player for Player we can do till the cows come home and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[the claw]

It's the type of recruiting policy direction we want to head but you can't be inflexible. As Rosy says you dont want to flog the junior players.  By having just kids will help the TPP, but in 3 years time, nos. 2, 7, 12, 17, 39 may be/ will be past their best. Its unfortunate we don't have more 22-26 years olds on the list, so trading smartly for some will help the club. But we certainly don't want hacks. `In Greg and Terry We Trust.' This might be the year to trade as next years under age group is supposedly much better than this year.

I think everyone agrees we need to fully utilise the rookie system.

you are already seeing the folly in getting nos 7 and 17 with early picks.especially when the club knew or should of known that they would be to old by the time we managed to put a half decent list together.

 

[Gazza68]

I dont see we have to trade our first three picks this year, trade our under performers for picks. If we can then use these to pick up a couple of the younger players that are homesick, so be it. Otherwise pick up another kid or two in the draft & keep moving in the right direction.