interesting debate. I agree with Elwood and others, our list is suffering from abysmal recruiting and trading over the last ten years (we have been awful at drafting since it was introduced). Although I would have thought DP would have had a good idea of where we were at. We won the spoon the season before he came on, and most of our good players were ageing and injury ridden. I think in his first year DP was admirable in preaching about not looking in the rearview mirror. Now though he seems far too ready to blame draft penalties. The penalties are hurting us a bit now but not big time. We should have Wells Goddrad Tenace and a few lesser picks. Wells is a gun but might struggle at this stage in a crap side and the other two are okay. The penalties will really affect us in a few years when we might be a few players from the finals or beyond that a few players from a flag. At the moment DP knows our problems are from the late 90s and he should stop always making excuses.
I liked his positive comments after the last few games. No use bagging guys for lack of ability, get into them for lack of effort.
Re leaders, abviously our lack is a legacy of bad draft decisions that have left us with few players between 23-28. I think Kouta has been outstanding as an on field leader this year. He doesn't have the luxury of either a good team or being able to be rested like Vossy and yet I think he has led from the front. We lack leaders, but we're not the only club who has faced that and I presume DP is developing leaders at present. If Kouta retired tomorrow, I'd make Barney captain for a few years, hopeully T Bird will have developed in that time and has got over his current penchant for screaming at team mates every time his opponent gets it.
I think a lot of our younger players have stalled and DP must take some responsibility for that. Also he seems to be very rigid and lack imagination. We never seemto have set plays or surprise or outsmart the oppo. He needs someone else on staff too. A young, bright, ambitious lateral thinking assistant to develop strategies etc. i don't like Sheedy but part of his success is built on being positive and communicating that to the group and getting sharp assistants to develop strategies he can take credit for (Like Neal Daniher in 93).
DP and the club have a hard road to hoe. We can't keep sacking 20 playesr a year, and our list is no good. But we have a core of young players and the capacity of DP to develop these players as a unit and get and develop good talent thru the draft will be his legacy as much as what he did at North. I doubt he'll still be there when we challenge next for a flag, but he has 3 more years to turn us into a team. I hope for the rest of the year he tries things. Put Prenda at CHF and tell him to present, compete, present compete and again. Try and isolate Red one out near goals. Throw Livo up forward sometimes. May not work but who cares. maybe he'll get a few kicks, get a goal, feel good about himself.
re rejects - DP had no choice. Remember we weren't allowed to trade for high picks either and Bannister was top 10 in b&f last year McGrath has been serviceable. Bowyer (who is only 22) and Clarke set a great example in the 2s. Scotland has talent but has gone backwards this year. DPs challenge is to get all the list to play at their best, whatever that is, and at present that's not happening.
In terms of leaders, DP is our primary leader, he has to take the presure, develop confidence in the group, turn them into a team. Tough job, but that's why he's on a big contract.
PS
Quote:
so I'll remind you that Fev and Houlihan were at the crossroads before Pagan arrived.
I think they may have turned the car around CB and arrived back at those damned crossroads
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