02-01-2023, 04:00 AM
(02-01-2023, 12:33 AM)crashlander link Wrote:Unfortunately, Harf had to go. Over the last couple of years we've started the season very slowly, only being really competitive after losing two or three games. Our fitness levels have not been good enough and our game style required players we no longer had.
That said, he wasn't a bad coach when we had the cattle. In his 1st 2 seasons we were challengers.
Our new coach, whoever it might be, at least will have the full year to get the players he/she wants and the time to develop them. Harf didn't have any time to develop the last for the last season and it showed. Having a full timer will probably help that.
I'm not sure whose fault our lack of fitness was, but we really have to work on that. We can't run out of juice in last quarters like we did in the last couple of seasons.
Fitness thing comes down to a couple of simple things that are both out of his control.
1. Injuries.
2. List size.
With only 30 on the list and 21 playing each week, you don't have much leeway on who to select. You either play injured players, or play 18yo kids fresh of the draft. Either way, you are playing a player that is not up to AFLW fitness standard. If you lose a few battle hardened bodies every year, which we we doing year on year, you can't simply replace them......especially when one happens to be AFLW MVP, or AFLW leading goalkicker etc.
I feel for Half. He could clearly coach as he got us into a GF. But he's been pushing **it up hill since.
Given we don't have a CBA, a season length, season start, draft date or anything, perhaps its in his best interests to go now and we try and use this 'dead' time to set up the AFLW side of things for the long term.