let’s work out just WHAT IS TANKING.

Just what does constitute this ‘overwhelming’ evidence?

There’s a lot of opinion by fans. But – - most fans are biased, ignorant, out of touch, misguided and one dimensional.

I still wonder – - –

is it tanking for Port Adelaide to save Chad Cornes from possible further injury – - he’s carrying about 3 ailments requiring surgery. So, he’s now sent off early in preparation for next year. This year – - they’ve given up!!! They’re tanking.

Or are they.

If you get too pedantic about it all, Essendon have been tanking most of the year, but – - – now, having got full games into a lot of young players – - out comes Essendon and win 5 or the last 6 and – - they have a whole lot more momentum going into next year than some 18 yr old number 1 draft pick that may take 4-5 years careful nurturing to become a ‘match winner’.

I reckon this tanking stuff is a little overblown.

I still don’t reckon Carlton had any real say in it last year – - once Nick Stevens and Cameron Cloke had gone down, they had no ruck, no ‘star midfielder’ – - simple as that. Even this year, it took them 6 wks to settle in and start looking likely – AND THAT WAS WITH JUDD too.

What HAS been learned in recent times is that a focus on the rookie list can produce as many top quality players as a focus on the number 1 and 2 draft picks.
A club like North Melbourne illustrates that bottoming out isn’t critical in rebounding to top 4 contention…….

……winning a premiership…..well, in a 16 team competition, the best you can really do is aim for the 2nd last week of the season, and, then, luck might just happen.
Heck, even Geelong are the result of about a 8-10 year list development – including traded players such as Cam Mooney and Brad Ottens.

Actually, we should do that – - look at the drafting record of the Geelong team last year vs perhaps St.Kilda who seemed to ‘tank’ to gain access to Goddard, Riewoldt and Kosi. (again though, I’m not sure that St.Kilda had the quality to do anything about it, they simply had hung on to the carrot of ’97 perhaps a couple of years too long).

The prioty system is not perfect, but the concept I think is good as it stops one team dominating year in year out and combined with the salary cap prevents the richest clubs from buying a premiership. You just have to look at the soccer competitions in Europe to realise how boring it is for the same teams to be dominating every team, particulalry when you support a lesser team.