Except, Josh has three years left (at best). Love him, but no thanks.

The young blokes at GWS and GCS are the ones we should be chasing. Offer two long-term contracts: Hogan $1 mill and Shiel $1 mill. I'd pay Tommy Mac very well too. That will set us up though.

I'll take those three years in a heartbeat, AF!

I'll take those three years in a heartbeat, AF!

Fair enough. I guess I'd prefer a longer term prospect.

Does anyone think Ty Vickery could be a pure ruckman?

Yeah that's what we need, an inconsistant player who can't get a game at Richmond.

Toiges supporters don't even rate him.

Who are we delisting/trading come years end?

Trick is not to look for 'targets' so much as it is to examine gaps, and analysis of who has surfeit of players in those roles, and what they would want to improve their list.

It's quid pro quo.

We need:

- running from half back and through midfield

- midfielders with ball winning ability and pace

- ruck strength

- push up forwards who can impact midfield as well

- depth

- possibly a secondary key forward

In short, our list is pretty average.

Who would we WANT to be in our side in as little as three years time?

Certainties:

Hogan

N Jones

Salem

Viney

Brayshaw

Tyson

T McDonald

Jetta

Expected:

Stretch

Kent

Frost

Petracca

Garlett

ANB

vandenBerg

Howe

Possibly:

Watts

Toumpas

Dawes

Gawn

Newton

JKH

O McDonald

Retired, delisted etc:

Lumumba

Trengove

Mckenzie

Dunn

Cross

Garland

Pedersen

Michie

Vince

Riley

Hunt

Grimes

White

Spencer

Bail

M Jones

Terlich

King

Fitzpatrick

In short, there's a helluva lot of gaps to fill going forward.

My target is September

So I can forget about it and go on holiday overseas

Damaging youngish midfielder. Especially one talented at breaking lines and moving the ball forward. (line up your favourites, but not a $1m/year player please.)

Competent ruck. Doesn't have to be a world-beater but needs to be able to create something positive once in a while. (Luenberger most obviously)

A little extra tall defence depth, over time. (Tayte Pears at no cost this year, for example.)

A hardworking medium forward/midfielder. (I believe they're called 'Ryan O'Keefe type player', traditionally. Or on here, 'That player Rohan Bail can't be and Jack Watts is not'.)

We need footballers with a brain.

The DH's we have you would think they have never played football in their life.

So give me another 5 players that can jump, mark, kick both feet, run fast. Hit targets with foot and either hand.

All of this to be done under pressure.

They must also be able to tackle. Also have a bit of mongrel.

That should give us the nucleus of a good team.

Am I asking too much.

Definitely need to get a good ruck man. Whether that's a trade for Gorringe or pick up Leunberger as a FA we are dying for one!

After that it is mids, mids and more mids. Would like another good half back runner as well.

If we can build a strong midfield now we can then chase another big forward once Dawes is done. We don't need a gun forward as we've already got one in Hogan. Will just need to get a big guy who can ruck a bit and split a pack.

We need true quality. A lack of class has killed us for years and continues to do so. A couple of players on the periphery at other clubs may be handy pick-ups eg. Ben Newton, but I'm convinced we need to target a couple of true A-graders to make the difference that we need. Otherwise the gains we make (if any) will be incremental rather than substantial. A quality ruckman who can actually kick the ball, a couple of skilled big-bodied midfielders and another strong forward threat are the orders of the day. The time has come. I'm sick of seeing our club bullied by interstate teams on our home ground.

Damaging youngish midfielder. Especially one talented at breaking lines and moving the ball forward. (line up your favourites, but not a $1m/year player please.)

Competent ruck. Doesn't have to be a world-beater but needs to be able to create something positive once in a while. (Luenberger most obviously)

A little extra tall defence depth, over time. (Tayte Pears at no cost this year, for example.)

A hardworking medium forward/midfielder. (I believe they're called 'Ryan O'Keefe type player', traditionally. Or on here, 'That player Rohan Bail can't be and Jack Watts is not'.)

That sounds like Vanders to me. He just needs to improve his disposal.

If ( as I suspect) we are still in the bottom quartile at year end, we will not be able to attract any big fish.

Fortunately we have a smart recruiting team at the club today, who have sifted through the chaff and found some real gems.

So expect to see a similar sort of approach again this year.

Listening to the OX on SEN today he highlighted one of those that might be prised loose...Mark Bliclavs from Geelong.

Geelong have Hamish McIntosh, Dawson Simpson, Rhys Stanley and Mitch Clark all in rucking roles.

IF they attract Dangerfield back they will be absolutely up against the salary cap, if they aren't there already, and probably needing to move

someone out to create space.

And the one thing we DO need is a mobile, young ruck type, who can actually play football.

OX said he would throw a bucketload of money at him, and I would have to agree.....

Hmm, seems everyone has their chips on a star midfielder. If we could find someone else who can (or at least WANTS to) kick goals, that'd be good

Most star mids can kick goals.

Callum Sinclair is perfect for us. He can play as a number one ruck, as permanent forward or as a forward/ruck.

He would be a great get.

Blicavs would be great but there's no way Cats will want to lose him.

Blicavs would be great but there's no way Cats will want to lose him.

They didn't want to lose Mummy to the Swans/Roos either.

We need true quality. A lack of class has killed us for years and continues to do so. A couple of players on the periphery at other clubs may be handy pick-ups eg. Ben Newton, but I'm convinced we need to target a couple of true A-graders to make the difference that we need. Otherwise the gains we make (if any) will be incremental rather than substantial. A quality ruckman who can actually kick the ball, a couple of skilled big-bodied midfielders and another strong forward threat are the orders of the day. The time has come. I'm sick of seeing our club bullied by interstate teams on our home ground.

Need more Salems Stretches brayshaws vineys

They didn't want to lose Mummy to the Swans/Roos either.

Cats becoming the news Dees,

We lost Simmonds & Jolly.

They can loose Mummy & Blicvas.

I would target blokes at the tail end of their careers, at and around the 30 year old mark. Lasts years biggest would've been Malceski although at this stage he's not as effective in a currently poor team as the Suns are. But looking at a clear number one player of this age bracket for mine, would be Sam Mitchell. He's still incredibly fit and having huge influence in the Hawks team. I get the desire to bring in a gun like Shiel on big bucks, I can see equally as much credit in going for an older A grader on a decent contract with probably more salary than he was previously on at his current club.

I still think we've got a great core of under 22 - 23 year old mids that will deliver under some extra guidance from someone like Mitchell. Bringing in blokes like Shiel may begin to starve the other blokes of opportunity and we end up in GWS situation where these young fellas start looking elsewhere.

Jack Hannath.

After being dropped, Josh Kelly responded with 39 touches, 12 tackles and a goal.

Jeepers. I know it's only neafl, but still!

I would love Kelly. Based upon our current ladder position, I don't even know if pick #4 would get the job done. Kid is a jet.

He's not like O'Rourke who couldn't get a game at GWS and is now struggling at Hawks, and went for pick #19.

Yeah that's what we need, an incostinant player who can't get a game at Richmond.

Toiges supporters don't even rate him.

Did you mean incontinent Ethan?

Jeepers. I know it's only neafl, but still!

I would love Kelly. Based upon our current ladder position, I don't even know if pick #4 would get the job done. Kid is a jet.

He's not like O'Rourke who couldn't get a game at GWS and is now struggling at Hawks, and went for pick #19.

Yeah, pretty good effort considering it was against Sydney's reserves.

Sticking 12 tackles and kicking a goal is a good sign - regardless of how many touches he got.

I don't know if pick 4 will do the job, but if he states that he wants to leave, we might be able to get a deal done.

*Not that he has ever stated he is unhappy at GWS, but I guess if he sees a handful of mids ahead of him - he might make an early call.