Well I'm yet to see someone suggest a player who deserves a spot in our side ahead of our current group of forwards.

Do you have anybody in mind??

No unfortunately I don't perhaps Watts will upsize to that sort of player or we may get lucky with recruiting.However I fear that until we can include a bigger player in our forward structure it will hold us back

Some of the suggestions in this thread are laughable.

Ben McKinley? What a terrible idea. The guy is crap. Absolute crap. Comparing him to PJ does neither player any service.

John Anthony? Over-rated to the highest order. Knows how to kick for goal, and that's it. Can't mark, can't run, doesn't get enough of the ball, doesn't apply defensive pressure, has the wrong temperament.

Mitch Clark? Another over-rated player who managed one good year, but his AA selection was on the back of the rest of the competitions rucks being so-so. Plus he's a bit of a dirty scrag.

Tom McMamara is on our list and is a much more likely prospect than either of those three. So is Jack Fitzpatrick.

In all seriousness -- Patrick Veszpremi.

I'm pretty sure he'll end up in Victoria next year, it's just a matter of where.

I think he'd be handy.

When I think of Veszpremi, I think of Maric. Supposedly talented, but hasn't shown it since being drafted. Don't they play a similar role as well?

Edited August 18, 201015 yr by titan_uranus

When I think of Veszpremi, I think of Maric. Supposedly talented, but hasn't shown it since being drafted. Don't they play a similar role as well?

Sort of, except I rate Veszpremi a far greater talent than Maric. Four goals and two Brownlow votes in his fourth game against the Lions was a fair display.

Veszpremi's issue is whether he can 1) get fit enough to fit into the Swans' system or 2) find a club - probably in Melbourne - that better suits the way he wants to play.

On the surface, that doesn't sound promising but I am far more certain that Veszpremi will enjoy a substantial AFL career than I am about Maric's prospects.

The issue with trading is that value for money is often not received. Particularly in terms of players who are 25+

Clubs don't want to let their young talent go and some crazy prices have been paid for older players.

Consider - Jolly, 29 - first round pick

Burgoyne, 26 - two first round picks

McLean, 24 - first round pick

etc

When there's probably a chance of picking up a player who could play 200+ games or has the talent of a Grimes or Jones, it's not worth trading those picks away at this stage, particularly for midfielders.

Trading is not useful when the premiership window is not yet open. Wait at least another year before we worry about trading.

The only situation in which we should consider trading is if the recruiting staff thought that a player like Tom Lynch from St Kilda was a real talent but is surplus to St Kilda's current requirements in having a crack at the flag and could do with a player of ours or just wanted to pick a particular player from the draft that was likely to be around by a pick of ours but not theirs. I'm not suggesting that we should trade for Lynch as I don't know enough about him, but that's the only sort of player that we could do with trading for.

The only situation in which we should consider trading is if the recruiting staff thought that a player like Tom Lynch from St Kilda was a real talent but is surplus to St Kilda's current requirements in having a crack at the flag and could do with a player of ours or just wanted to pick a particular player from the draft that was likely to be around by a pick of ours but not theirs. I'm not suggesting that we should trade for Lynch as I don't know enough about him, but that's the only sort of player that we could do with trading for.

I'd prefer the other Tom Lynch. We're a shot at picking him up with our first round pick this year.

The thing is that since Bailey has taken over he has been trying to get a gun player to the club Judd,Ball,Burgoyne to a lesser extent Warnock and Davey we have the money and players will start wanting to play for the MFC because we are on the rise and wil playing finals in the next few years, I think we will chase a gun at this years trade period.

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I think a really relevant point is that this is the first time in probably at least 20 years that we are in a position to actually entice a senior player from another team to come to us.

- we've finally got first class facilities. I reckon Judd (and others) took a look at junction oval and ran in the other direction.

- We've got salary cap room from front loading contracts big time. According to Tim Harrington in the round 22 Whiteboard wednesday, the strategy has partly been done with the idea to potentially attract a guy from another club to fill a hole in our list

- We're widely considered, for good reason, to be an up-n-coming team that will be having a sustained period of succeess over the next 5-10 years

I'd love to get another ruckman, any quality midfielders or a big forward... however i think our best bet is to continue drafting 18 year olds this year and next.

I would only be looking to trade someone from another club in 2-3 years, when we are in the top 8 pushing for top 4. Reason being is that in 2-3 years we'll know exactly which holes we have on our list. Atm we have talent all over the field and we're still unsure which of these will 'make it' and which won't.

Collingwood brought in Jolly and Ball this season, after 2-3 seasons of being top 4, and it has really taken them to another level. I think that model is the best way to do it... once you're already pushing for top 4 and know you need 1 ruckman and 1 inside mid to complete you're team for example.

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I think a really relevant point is that this is the first time in probably at least 20 years that we are in a position to actually entice a senior player from another team to come to us.

Do we bite the bullet with someone who has 200 AFL games to their name, 29 years and arguably out of form this season ?

And, more importantly, for what in return ?

I'd rather trade for a 20 year old ruck (202cm) for next to nothing, who was the eagles third pick in the rookie draft in 2007, promoted to the senior list after two years and has been been making progress playing well at WAFL for Perth, whilst watching Cox & Naitanui go at it; waiting for his break.

Then again, I wouldn't settle for a ruck.

Edited August 18, 201015 yr by High Tower

Disagree. Jamar can't ruck 100% of the game, and you lose valuable clearances if you don't have a good back-up ruckman.

Ruckman are still critical in the modern game. This week PJ had a bad week, and we lost several key clearences all over the ground when he was in the ruck. It cost us several goals, including the winner to Shaun Burgoyne.

PJ is probably not the answer, but that shouldn't stop us from making it a priority to finding a very good back up ruckman.

I watched PJ closely at the weekend

We lost important clearances not because he didnt win the hit outs Jones Trengove and Jnr were beaten to the ball a number of times loose and un marked Hawk midfielders roved the ball directly and our setups were again very poor

I get very tired of posters blaming our rucks when even when we are winning hitouts we are still smashed in the clearnaces. Have a look at the stats

If PJ had have won the ruck contest it wouldn't have been an issue.

Our mids wouldn't have to beat theirs to the footy because he should've been forcing the ball down their throats against hawthorn's non-existent ruck division.

Totally Agree with the idea of a play for Cox

Firstly as everyone knows he's a proven gun, who would be the much more "athletic midfield" type ruckmen, who can be a very damaging option up forward. The pairing of Cox and Jamar, would cause havoc in the Ruck. With them resting in the forward line.

Mitch Clark sounds good, still like the idea of David Hale, not sold on Cox. Think the end is nigh for big Dean.

If we do go for a mature age player, whether by trade or through the draft it seems the consensus is they must be large and be capable of playing ruck and forward.

I agree that it is PJ's spot that is most obviously improvable in the short term.

If PJ had have won the ruck contest it wouldn't have been an issue.

Our mids wouldn't have to beat theirs to the footy because he should've been forcing the ball down their throats against hawthorn's non-existent ruck division.

Ah no the thing that stood out to me was the amount of times Hawk players were allowed to take front position at stoppages giving them first grab at the footy. Lost count the amount of times I yelled out to get in front.

The pairing of Cox and Jamar, would cause havoc in the Ruck.

For how long?

Ah no the thing that stood out to me was the amount of times Hawk players were allowed to take front position at stoppages giving them first grab at the footy. Lost count the amount of times I yelled out to get in front.

That contributed too, but regardless of positioning he was useless against a ruck duo we should have dominated.

Jack Darling. Just the way he moves and his presence on the ground. really like the look of him. i'm hoping max gawn will take the position of johnson in the side in the next year. lucas cook is the other bloke i'd have a look at if jack is unavailable.

Jack Darling. Just the way he moves and his presence on the ground. really like the look of him. i'm hoping max gawn will take the position of johnson in the side in the next year. lucas cook is the other bloke i'd have a look at if jack is unavailable.

Read my mind.

(...or my posts)

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Way too old and we would have to give up HEAPS to get him. Which seems pointless because we have a Sandilands in the making with Max Gawn. For the meantime, there is the Jamar/Johnson combination who are quality ruckmen and also valuable as tall forwards.

How about Chris Knights from Adelaide, he is a 24ish year old foward with a strong body that is yet to re-sign and is from Vic. He would give us good coverage till our current skinny (but still growing) fowards have enough time to mature and could be a direct replacement for green when he pulls the pin in a few years time. Any thoughts???

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No No No No No No No No No

Trade in a 29 year old bloke on the decline for what possible benefit.

You cannot be serious!

Way too old and we would have to give up HEAPS to get him. Which seems pointless because we have a Sandilands in the making with Max Gawn. For the meantime, there is the Jamar/Johnson combination who are quality ruckmen and also valuable as tall forwards.

Agreed. We currently have Jamar / Johnson / Gawn / Fitzpatrick / Spencer / Newton. Newton will be gone at the end of the year but the others will remain. There is plenty of coverage for rucks at the moment.

How about Chris Knights from Adelaide, he is a 24ish year old foward with a strong body that is yet to re-sign and is from Vic. He would give us good coverage till our current skinny (but still growing) fowards have enough time to mature and could be a direct replacement for green when he pulls the pin in a few years time. Any thoughts???

Still not keen on giving up our draft picks and players for another medium sized flanker/on baller. We have many of these at the moment.

As one other poster has said, we are better off waiting a couple more years before we start looking at trading in players to fill holes. We need to give our kids time to gel and prove themselves and then when it is time for a serious assault on the top 4 that is when you look at trading players in to fill holes.

Sorry I was not aware that he was only a little fella in terms of AFL any way. I agree that we need to give our current foward line time to develop but at the same time we do need someone that can constantly chip in with a few goals similar to green as he prob wont be around for more then a couple of years. Although he does seem to be getting better with age history has it that when you hit thirty things start to slow down and injuries kick in, I just feel we need another foward currently in the system and if knights is only small like you say then I am open to ideas.