Fatui Attata wrote:[You're a smart man, Faves.
You're a bad judge of intelligence Mugwamp.
History shows that premiership windows are made by patiently accumulating talented young players and bringing them together at the right age with the right experience at the right time. They aren't made by trading youth for 29 year old stars with behavioural issues.
Geelong needed a ruckman with whatever personality Brad Ottens came with when they gave up precious draft picks to the tiges for him. An obvious hole to fill. Like we have up forward now. Horses for courses. Fevola could be more to us than what Ottens has been to Geelong's Premiership success. And that's alot!
Did we get rid of Didak over his behavioural problems? No. What about Swan and his assault charges? Might win the Copeland this year. They have stayed focussed and turned their behavioural problems around. Fevola was pathetic. Swan was pissed and helped bash a poor guy. Perspective needs to be kept here.
Leaving aside my IQ testing abilities, Ottens was 25 when he was acquired for the cost of a surplus midfielder with injury problems and pick 16. If you'd offered me a 25 yo (ie just short of peak age) ruckman when we delisted Richards, I'd have said fine - because that is consistent with my original post about flags being built nowadays by timing talent to mature at a similar time.
If they want Rusling and pick 16 for Fevola, I guess we'd have to consider it... and even then I'd probably oppose, but the discussion here supposes trading off high quality young talent for a 29yo.
I think the behavioural debate is secondary to the price we'd have to pay in youth for age. I cannot think of a team that has bought a premiership by buying in aged players since Carlton in 97 or so. Maybe that makes your case, but I think Diesel Williams was a champion where Fevola's just a good player, and I just don't see him making that much difference.
It appears from today's Age that every other club is making the same judgement and no-one's lining up to buy, though that may change.