Star? Or star quality attributes??

[droversdog65]

Another off season thread to stave off the boredom.

Does a team need stars on every line to win the flag? Or is it enough to have 3 or so stars with a mixture of players with suitable star quality attributes - role players if you will with that extra cache of quality in some aspect or other that there position can exploit?

Look at that '10 team of ours without rose coloured glasses and it seems to me they 'sort of' fit the latter description.

Stars

Jolly, Didak, Swan and Pendlebury and perhaps Reid you would put solidly in the 'star' category because of their all round mix of high quality attributes.

Almost

Ball, Beams, Thomas, Heater, Johnno, Browny would be solidly just behind them - all highly talented players but not quite the value to the team (supposedly) as the 'stars'.

Role fillers

Well the rest really, there wasn't a passenger in that team that I can think of. The thing that got us over the line with that team was that a number of first year players that were elevated held onto their spots and produced whilst some 2nd and 3rd year players found their stride.

I'm not going into specific players but I believe it's possible for the 'star studded' sides of the competition to be outproduced by an astutely trained, managed and coached playing group that isn't star studded.

[September Zeros]

Well it's the age old 'team of champions' vs 'champion team' discussion isn't it?

In which case give me the champion team every day of the week.

[droversdog65]

True SZ but I think with today's coaching and player management practices it can become more commonplace than previously.

I'll put a case forward here - and I've argued it previously on other forums at other times.

I believe that if the AFL made it a conditon of their 'equalization' funds policy that those 'struggling' teams invested those funds in improved coaching, management and ancillary staff we wouldn't have the need - as a competition to play this nationwide merry go round of sending players here, there and everywhere.

[stui magpie]

How many role players did Hawthorn have in their team last year and look what they did to the superstars at the Bondi Billionaires.

You need to have some quality, no doubt about it, but ideally the quality still needs to be prepared to get blue collar.

[droversdog65]

Total agreement stui, as I've been saying for years - improve coaching and administration. Build the foundation of infrastructure and solid technique and with the normal few 'stars' there is no need for this expensive, dislocating and annoying merry go round of 'the draft'.

As usual the AFL are busy swimming upstream backward.

[VicParkTragic]

I think the 10 team also benefited from who wasnt in the team. Remember we had O'Bree, Medhurst, Fraser, Lockyer running around in the VFL but always pushing for selection. In other words a deep list contributes by pushing the blue collar players.

[stui magpie]

The one thing i'd change about 2010 if I could would be to have Fraser in the team. He earned that flag as much as anyone there on the day.

[droversdog65]

No argument VPT without 'pressure' from below there is no incentive - barring self - for constant improvement.

In the last few years we have experienced the other end of the stick with injury and illness cutting swathes through player availability season long - add to that defections and large movements of coaching, ancilliary and medical staff and you have recipe for chaos. Unlike many I see it as a lasting tribute to the club and playing list that we have been able to perform as well as we have under almost unbelievably trying circumstances for 3 unbroken years of sh1t luck.

[HAL]

Gee. Who is incentive - barring self - for constant improvement?

[droversdog65]

Mmmm stui I always did like Josh but he came along at EXACTLY the wrong time. He was rated a No 1 draft pick because the then current buzz word was 'mobile ruckman' - which is what he was - as 2nd ruck for around the ground but NOT a first ruck, his frame was just too light.

Like you I feel he earned a flag playing virtually his entire career with his slight frame carrying the heavy burden of the ruck with Malthouse adamantly refusing to chase a top ruck partner.

Add to that the galvanising effect Jolly and Ball had upon the onball division and it's hard to find a place for Josh.

[droversdog65]

PASS hal - its just too easy lol

[droversdog65]

PASS hal - its just too easy lol

[droversdog65]

OOPS

[HAL]

Oops. Too much data.

[HAL]