LR9 Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 (edited) The Dads: Bolton, 37 (August), Colosimo, 33, Gray, 31 (October), Thompson, 30 (September), Fred, 33 (August), Macallister, 30, Grella (maybe?), 33 (October) 24-29 bracket: Gerhardt, 27, Marrone, 25, Tadic, 25 (August), Germano, 24, Williams, 24, Kalmar, 24. 23 - 21 bracket: Dugandzic, 22, Mebrahtu, 22 (August), Redmayne, 23, Hoffman, 23. Under 21s: Nil. Going, Gong, Gone: Babalj, 19, Hamill, 19, Good, 19, Behich, 21 Some youth policy we have going on here. All 17 players (+ Vinny) are 22 or older, 7 over 30 and just 6 in that prime 24-29 bracket. Just some food for thought. Edit: Average age of 27.5, oldest in the league. Edited July 22, 2012 by LR9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadete Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 Inb4 Heart Flogs moaning about "The JVS Vision". 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw1739 Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 Don't we have to have three U-21s in our senior squad to comply with FFA rules? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big_papa_g22 Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 Macallister turned 30 in May. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borris Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 So 17 players , will be hoping to boost a few younger players to the playing squad (What is the playing squard size?) and that will bring the squad avg down. dont mind a few older players as it add experience. The 24-29 bracket: looks promising if Williams decides to play this season and loss a few kilos, as well as the new signings. Youth is a concern, but hopefully as mention above we boost a few of the younger player ( or keep Eli, Aziz and Curtis) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Braveheart Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 Vrankovic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR9 Posted July 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 Vrankovic? Ha, nice one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
perthheart Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 under21 youth is in theory the easiest to sign up. As they are kids looking for a break. Seems right to me that we would shore up the experienced spine of our team first before others move in then fill up the squad with some emerging talent. Seems we've been trialling a few young guys and taking a proper look at them to see if they can make the grade. Would expect that average to drop with our last few signings. I doubt even JD would have expected all four of our 21's at the end of last season to be moving on before the start of this season. Still may not happen anything could happen with Behich and Good still. So far we have only definitely lost 2 of them and we look to have that Vrankovic kid lined up to replace Hamill already. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR9 Posted July 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 Good is gone, his passport is just being processed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heart_fan10 Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 the main thing is that we don't lose behich IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 Now that we have our core group signed the rest of our players will be youngsters. Hopefully Behich doesn't go. I must say I'm not overly confident about the new season. Positives of our squad are it's versatility and that half our squad will be in that 22-28 age bracket where players peak. However, I think we lack that bit of quality both down back and up front that you need to set yourself apart from the other teams. Depending on injuries, I think 4th-7th is a realistic expectation of where we'll end up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murfy1 Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 (edited) Some rather messy thoughts of mine: Average age On the pitch: = 28, left side of slash = 25.36 right side of slash Average age including the bench: = 26.73 ---------David Williams 24/Golgol Mebrahtu 22-----=-Josip Tadic 25---------Mate Dugandzic 22--------- -----------------------------Matt Thompson 30/Nick Kalmar 24----------Fred 33----------------------------------- ------------------------------------Patrick Gerhardt 27/Jonathan Germano 24---------------------------------- Aziz Behich 21------Steven Gray 31/Patrick Gerhardt 27------Simon Colosimo 33----Michael Marrone 25 ---------------------------------------------Clint Bolton 37/Andrew Redmayne 23----------------------------------- BENCH (assuming team left of the slash is fielded) Andrew Redmayne 23 Golgol Mebrahtu 22 Nick Kalmar 24 Jonathan Germano 24 RESERVES Dylan Macallister 30 Jason Hoffman 23 NOT INCLUDING David Vrankovic 18, who it appears we have signed and the possible signings of: Jacob Poscoliero 22 Vince Grella 33 I'm not worried about the age of the squad at all. The forwards are rather young, which is the most important thing IMO. The midfield is young enough, with Gerhardt, Kalmar and Germano balancing Thompson and Fred. The central defensive pairing is old, but I honestly don't see us playing Gray and Colosimo often. It appears we'll play Gerhardt and Colosimo more. Also, like Good from last season, I can easily imagine Vrankovic playing many games paired with Colosimo, Gray or Gerhardt. Bolton's age skewers the average age significantly. But a goalkeeper's age isn't important at all IMO. I also agree that we'll promote/sign young players after making all other signings. And the fact that we managed to sign Vrankovic, by all reports a real promising young player, gives me the belief that we'll sign or promote a few players aged 18 to 21 who can do a job. I am a believer in Heart's youth policy, and while we are currently lacking quality youth after selling Babalj, Good and Hamill I believe the club will rectify that very soon. Edited July 23, 2012 by Murfy1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LR9 Posted July 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 Did you have fun spending an hour and a half on that 'analysis'? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Footballism Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 Nothing wrong with our players ages at all. Would not consider 24-29 as peak age, I think players peak a little later on average, probably around 27-30. You probably want to have and average first team age around that figure too with a good mixture of experience and youngsters. You will practically never win a league with a team full of under 30s. Re our 'youth policy,' I think the way we have handled our squad over the first two years and leading into this season is the best way to do things in a salary cap league, especially as we are not rich enough or arrogant enough to demand a title every year. Developing/promoting youngsters, then sell for profit, then build a team that can challenge for a title and repeat. I don't think you can realistically do both at the same time. If we don't win the title this year I could see all those over 30s going and focus being put back on developing youth for a few years. Anyway, I have faith in JD and JA and their long term goals for this club. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sash Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 (edited) Another thing to consider might be the club's plans for combining NYL and senior training. While the senior squad is getting older, we also seem to be removing some of the separation between the NYL team and the seniors. While on the one hand, the senior squad is older and more experienced than before, it will be balanced by combining the youth team at training and giving the kids better training and coaching. This should mean the kids are better prepared to step up if needed, as well as giving the coaches a better look at them. More experience available on match day and better coaching and training for the youth players might be seen as an overall win-win. The only problem could be the danger of our better youth players being pinched before we get them onto senior contracts, like Goodwin. Edited July 23, 2012 by Sash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herman Cain Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 We also want all of the senior squad to be ready for first team football when required. Last year was pretty unusual in having four 18-20 year olds who were completely capable of starting. It shouldn't be surprising that the squad is full of senior players with the youth team being the place for youth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sash Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 (edited) Last year was pretty unusual in having four 18-20 year olds who were completely capable of starting. True. When you look at Babalj, Good and Hamill, it will probably be a long time before we have a group of teenagers of that quality again. Edited July 23, 2012 by Sash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ando Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 The peak for footballers is approx 28-34. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jw1739 Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 AFAIK a lot of that squad comes off contract at the end of 2012-13. Bolton, Colosimo, Gray, Germano, Fred, Kalmar, Thompson. So it's not as if we are burdened with the older players if we want to release them when the time comes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heart_fan10 Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 I'd only keep Germano and Kalmar out of those players coming off contract IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 I'd only keep Germano and Kalmar out of those players coming off contract IMO. No Fred ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jake Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 Retain Germano, and then Kalmar and Thompson only if they have good seasons. Then, maybe Fred on a year by year if he can keep injury free. Whatever, Tadic is gonna be a monster this year and collect golden boot. The task will be to keep him beyond one year after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heart_fan10 Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 No Fred ? would he be able to go another season after this? Would love to have him, only if he is fit enough. I'm hoping that Bresciano will be signed next season though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 Matt Thompson is a quality player. Played out of position in the first season and at the start of last season. He was at less than 100% fit in the second part of last season and his performances suffered as a result. Only speculating but he could have been a silent victim of the JVS youth policy. Look forward to him having a great season in midfield (more derby goals?) and hopefully he will get another contract after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeartFc Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 Well done to the visitor flog (hobbes) who copied and pasted the average age of the squad in the 'f off heart' thread on Tasmanianvisitors.net. Using rival a source for information which isnt even correct, could walk into a job at the hearld scum with those skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadete Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 Matt Thompson is a quality player. Played out of position in the first season and at the start of last season. He was at less than 100% fit in the second part of last season and his performances suffered as a result. Only speculating but he could have been a silent victim of the JVS youth policy. Look forward to him having a great season in midfield (more derby goals?) and hopefully he will get another contract after that. More like an obvious victim amongst many others... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sash Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 You mean the youth policy which has been the club's greatest success and the thing we've done better than probably any other A League club and the thing that's making us more sustainable and why someone like Vrankovic would pick us instead of his hometown club and the thing that will probably provide us with most of our 24 - 30 year old's down the track? Absolutely Thompson was a victim of being played out of position. But at the beginning of last year it was in preference to, yes that's right, having two teenage CB's - the basis of all the 'too much youth' arguments. The fact that Good/Colosimo and Hamill/Madaschi were the preferred pairings also seems to have no effect on the argument. Now I'm probably going to be painted as a JVS apologist when I also think that he made mistakes, like trying to play Thompson out of position. But the thing is, why does this discussion get raised so often? There's a new coach and a bunch of new players. Can we finally just get over it with our respective opinions accepted? Otherwise the same arguments will keep going around and around in circles. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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