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I'm overseas for work guys. Not much Internet where I am. Back in a few more days

This season is pretty much over.

I probably would have liked to have seen us CT Hong Kong, normaled Indonesia and maybe jagged the win in both? then TIE Macau to build up enthusiasm again. anyways. i know. hindsight.

Unfortunately a loss like that given we played 2-3 zone as well against their LI, I guess goes to show how far off our players were this year. I think our defence is pretty good, but offensively, we suck LOL

Brogan at SF as well... i dunno. we had plenty of guards with proficient GS - maybe play one of them at SF? sorry im not trying to sound critical im just voicing possible alternatives for point of discussion.

on the flip side, from what i can see most managers of the good players have been progressing the training and managing GS not too badly, especially this week - so I dont think we could have really asked for much more from the guys.

Since our U21 season is essentially over I will be clearing out the squad and making room for the new guys this week.

Thanks to all those who trained hard during the season. Drawing Hong Kong, Philippines together in the group was just too much to ask.

Harry is looking forward to his new team mates.

2/18/2013 10:30:00 PM 15 Australia U21 -- 52 Macau U21 Hong Kong
2/25/2013 10:30:00 PM 59 Kazakhstan U21 -- 15 Australia U21 Hong Kong

You know I have strongly supported both you and Leeroy. I think you are clearly one of the best BB minds around and a fantastic coach. But I strongly disagree with what both of you have done in this regard. It is too late, the deed is done and it doesn't even affect me but I still want to state my opinion.

While there is two real games left I think it is a horrible and unfair decision to toss out the U21 players. Two reasons.
First it hurts Australia. We lose games (enthusiasm one and a weaker team) that we could have won losing prestige and international rankings, this can have a real effect when seedings are done putting us in a worse pool in later seasons.

Second it is grossly unfair on the managers of the 21 year olds. They spend four seasons training their players to be on the U21 team and often only get a handful of meaningful games. Don't they deserve to have the chance to see out the season? Once the real games are over and it is just scrimmages then I agree, clean house and give the new squad a few test matches, but not while we still have two real games to go.

Great coach, good season, but I disagree with this decision, I'm sure the owners of the U21s will agree with me, this hurts. Sure the owners of the 20s will be excited but they have their chance next season when they are not on one enthusiasm and against guys a season older then them.

Im actually ok with this decision. Lets break it down.

We had this situation last season where leeroy promoted the 20 year olds to play the scrimmages and dead-rubbers. I was a winner then because Lawrie got U21 games.
Now im a loser, because he will probably get dumped.

actually... most days im a loser anyways... but i digress.

I think the manager of the U21 team needs to do what is best for the team, as i stated last season with Leeroy.
Going with what Yoda said above, maybe last season what Leeroy did wasnt the right thing, i cant remember the schedule. given the above about what Yoda said, maybe we lost games we didnt have to?

Given that we have games against much lesser opponents - and if iwen can make sure we win against them playing the 20 year olds, then hopefully what yoda says doesnt play out - rankings/etc will not be affected.

so from a team perspective with that point, iwen is the coach and needs to make a decision about this. maybe not toss out all current u21's. maybe just the dud ones LOL but do so with the teams best interest. Playing a 20 year old who isnt quite up to scratch but will be this time next season - i dont see this as good for the team.

Which brings me to my next point - Australia. Not just U21. but Australia. some of the current crop of players will become Aus Nat team members, and having that extra "Experience" (and i mean - the player stat) will make them a better player now - which makes training easier and hopefully a better Aus National Team in the future as well as competition for spots, healthy transfer market etc etc etc etc blah blah blah

Maybe its a simple case of dumping all guys with potential lower than MVP? Which would maybe give you the chance to blood future MVP and above 20 year old potential, AND then also keep existing guys AND win the next 2 games. Huzzah!

As a side note iwen - thanks for the notice that you are going to dump the guys - as a suggestion for future, it would be ideal if like, 1 weeks more notice was given - the time of the season means that some of the users may have still been trying to get their players into good gameshape for you whilst potentially risking league games.... - now ur gonna dump them - so yer... Hey i guessed you would do this after the HK loss, but some prior notice would have been nice. But thanks for the notice now :)

So a Summary:
- Dump only non-high potential players.
- Pick only high potential players.
- User high potential players to win next few games
- Give a little earlier notice of potential dumping plans. If we were dating, id like some prior notification that given set circumstances, id be dumped. You would probably wanna konw if, i was a woman, who used to a man right? So yer.

Good luck for the rest of it.
PS: im a man
PPS: Ive always been a man
PPPS: Keep Lawrie in the team please.

been watching the u21 this season, not commenting, just learning. And I gotta say I agree with yodabigs comments. Seems like a kick in the guts to the trainers that they are dropped with 2 games to go. Give the 21yr olds the experience they deserve.

Enjoyed watching this season, hoping to have 2-3 trainees contending for the side in a season or twos time

I don't mind it to be honest as well - especially if blokes that got cut now were bought in as 20yos because the same process was followed last season.

I do it with Cymru every year as i want to encourage the managers of the 20yo's to keep up the training.

We've always done this for seasons which were essentially over.

I could let them play two more games or give next seasons crop 2 games worth of experience and try some new things instead.

Agree to give more notice next time. Next seasons crop will be culled early too if we get knocked out early.

If anything, seeing your 20 year old in the team would motivate you to train harder.

Just need to make a point here about Rylance.

He is in the team now and is the best shooter of next seasons U21 crop. In fact he would be the 2nd best shooter and 3rd best defender if he was in this season's team right now.

As always, I allow others to offer lineups for games and will continue doing so, even if it means Rylance isn't in the team. (Provided the tactics make sense and I agree with the methodology)

Always feel free to pull me up for favoritism if you like. I will happily justify if required.

Last season we had one game left against USA U21. After a horrible season with game shape and a majority of unruly managers who would not listen to my pleas for good Game Shape I decided to promote the 20 year olds. I don't know if you guys remember last seasons crop, but it wasn't grand.

I see no problem with what I did considering 80% of the teams managers did not deserve to have another U21 game, for the ones that did I said thank you to all.