Opinions on Crows Recruiting and James Fantasia

[The_Bay_Boy]

Myself and many of my friends and family believe that dispite the crows having much success last season and in previous seasons, the crows recruiting has often had many problems. I guess this goes back on recruiting boss James Fantasia.

just interested on what peoples opinions are on past crows recruits and on James Fantasia.

Myself, as a crows fan dread the off season recruiting and tradeing time as we can often pick up some dud players.

I hope fantasia doesn't recruit any dud's for next season.[/i]

[Dog_ger]

To have foresight on who is going to make it as an AFL footballer..? At one stage they were going to check your genetic string, remember? Glad that didn't eventuate..! There's no sure thing is there...? To be good at one level lower than AFL doesn't necessarily mean you can step up to the next level..?

[Rik E Boy]

The Cows had success last season?? Silly me, I thought that the Swans won the premiership last year. The Cows had a fantastic run with injury until Huddo went down and all it took from there to lose (at home) to a fragile St Kilda side was the suspension of the captain.

Your lot will go backwards next season I believe because no team has two years of medical room luck like that.

regards,

REB

[Booney]

There are two massive problems down at Cowland,first off,James Fantasia is living off the fact he has been there from day one,and guys like Ruccuitto,Edwards,Goodwin,McLeod are all part of his reign.The second and most deep seated problem I think is John Reid,one of those blokes who would be on a panel that would review his position at the club,no one can ever question or doubt him.

Fantasia is lucky that the Angwins of the world have dissapeared into obscurity.

[The_Bay_Boy]

Hey Rik E Boy...

Yeah even though the swans won the premiership,
making a prelim final, to be minor premiers and for neil craig a first time AFL coach.... I'd call that a pretty good season.

Success is not always rated on who won the flag that year

[Rik E Boy]

Wrong again Bay Boy. Winning the flag is the ONLY measure of success. Who is rated the great club, Port Adelaide or Glenelg?? To accept anything short of the flag as a successful season will lead you down the track of my beloved Cats and other sides such as Melbourne or St Kilda.

Even Craigy himself might say that there were plenty of positives but I reckon he'd agree that winning the flag is the only true measure of success. Ask any Cat fan mate, 2nd counts for bugger all. We were three or four games away from being the 'team of the 90's' but no one remembers our efforts to get to the granny or to the finals, only the fact that we didn't bloody win.

Yes, the Cows had a good year, but not a successful one. Next year it will get tougher as you won't be flying under the radar of too many. Craigy got the respect back, but not the cup.

regards,

REB

[stan]

It will be interesting to see how the cows do go. They will be the hunted, not the hunters anymore. And a proven fact is with a bit of pressure put on them, and they crumble. Expect plenty of it next season. Remember its very easy to see that the cows run forward of the ball. great if you keep hiting targets......but what about that pressure........does strange things to people............

[SBR]

Wrong again Bay Boy. Winning the flag is the ONLY measure of success. Who is rated the great club, Port Adelaide or Glenelg?? To accept anything short of the flag as a successful season will lead you down the track of my beloved Cats and other sides such as Melbourne or St Kilda.

Even Craigy himself might say that there were plenty of positives but I reckon he'd agree that winning the flag is the only true measure of success. Ask any Cat fan mate, 2nd counts for bugger all. We were three or four games away from being the 'team of the 90's' but no one remembers our efforts to get to the granny or to the finals, only the fact that we didn't bloody win.

Yes, the Cows had a good year, but not a successful one. Next year it will get tougher as you won't be flying under the radar of too many. Craigy got the respect back, but not the cup.

regards,

REB

Alot of what you said REB is true, and is possible to happen.

But think about it, all these people who said Adelaide were going to finish bottom in 2005, we finished up the other end of the ladder. You can put it down in your own mind as we acheived "nothing" this season, but fact is we overacheived, and i'd much rather do that than finish bloody bottom.

You've pointed out a lot of the "bad" recruiting desicions which Fantasia has made in the past, but damn there's been a lot of good ones. Our veterans of today and past, are all examples, and we have two premierships to our case because of them. We've got a lot of good youth coming through the ranks, and we're only really short down forward, which we've got a few youngsters which we'll eventually and have already begun with one such as Hentschel, to develope down there.

2005 a wasted season? I think not, top of the ladder, our all time winning streak, prelim final. Just didn't bring home the flag, which of course, is what everyone wants.

Knights, Van Berlo, Hentschel, Reilly, Mattner, Skipworth, Doughty, Bock, Rutten I can all see futures at the club. Jercho and Bode are fifty-fifty, which in my opinion isn't bad, whilst recruiting to come for this season.. hoping to fill in some gaps.

It's easy to say at the moment, nope there'll be too much pressure to handle next year, but fact is the boys are capable, and it's in their own hand.

[spell_check]

I'm going off the topic here, but is Adelaides'&Port Powers' run in the top half of the AFL ladder good for the SANFL Competiton (and its' crowds)?

[Dog_ger]

It's not about the SANFL anymore. The CROWS and the POWER is big business. Looks like there is enough profit to keep the SANFL afloat if no-one goes to SANFL games....! SANFL don't worry too much about it..?

[stan]

Well thats one way to look at it dog_ger.

[spell_check]

That would be the view point of those stuck up middle aged people who turned their back on the SANFL because it's "inferior".

[SBR]

That would be the view point of those stuck up middle aged people who turned their back on the SANFL because it's "inferior".

Agree Spell, i also loath people who have done that.

I myself am a big Crows supporter, but believe me.. i went to 21/23 of Sturt's games this year, plus the all bar the South Preseason match. The SANFL needs all the supporters it can get, and Sturt is my football life, right along side Adelaide.

When deciding to attend a match it will always be...

Sturt > Crows

[westside]

Fantasia has been a bit of a mixed bag. He's rarely drafted a gun in the first round, however he's pulled off some big time heists with late picks/pre season draft (such as Goodwin and Hentschel).

[Rik E Boy]

Sorry Essbee but I don't recall every saying anything about Fantasia's recruiting or anything about 2005 being a 'wasted season' for the Cows. I would call it a good season, the foolish would deem missing a grand final after capturing the minor premiership a successful one.

Another thread hijack proudly sponsored by bastards incorporated.

regards,

REB

[spell_check]

When deciding to attend a match it will always be...

Sturt > Crows

That would be the same for me, but replace Sturt with Eagles.

[SBR]

Sorry Essbee but I don't recall every saying anything about Fantasia's recruiting or anything about 2005 being a 'wasted season' for the Cows. I would call it a good season, the foolish would deem missing a grand final after capturing the minor premiership a successful one.

Another thread hijack proudly sponsored by bastards incorporated.

regards,

REB

I got the gist of what you were saying, but the way you came across in your other post it looked asthough you were deeming it as a wasted season... glad that you don't

REB What do you reckon about Fantasia, would be interesting to know from an opposition supporter?

Here's to an interesting 2006.

[the joker]

have people changed what they have think about James fantasias recruiting now.
he had some bad first round picks like Watts, and angwin.
but as you look at the crows list now has got a lot of good players mid to late in the draft like Graham Johncock (67),David Mackay (48), ivan Maric (40), Chris Knights (56), Robert Shirley (67), Ken Mcgregor (75) although he is not in the side at the moment. then you have Porplyzia, Goodwin,Hentschel all pre season picks. and the Rookies like all australian Rutten, all australian this year Nathan Bock,Doughty and griffen.

[spell_check]

Looking at "View my posts", no wonder I couldn't remember posting in this thread!

[Footy Smart]

I have just read that Rhys Shaw and Alan Didak have been told they wont be at the Collingwood Football Club nest season. From what i have seen of Rhy Shaw he is quick finds the footy and capable of breaking lines.

Would he be worth looking at by the Crows????

The reason i pose this is we lack midfield pace and struggle getting the footy into the forward lines quick. He could be a temp replacement for mcleod until petrenko etc develop enough to take a half back postion.