I'll update this as the list changes come in. And after trade week. But I thought I'd get some things down on paper and see where we are at and what we need to bring in.

FB: Hibberd   Oscar  Jetta
HB: Lever   Frost  Salem
C;  Fritsch   Brayshaw  #####
HF:  Spargo  ?Hogan    Petracca
FF: #####   T Mc  Melksham
Foll: Gawn   Oliver  Viney
Int: ?HBF,  ?Forward/Wing, Harmes, Vanders

I've left Frost and Oscar in because I don't think we are getting May and we have to back them in.

Depth: ANB, Hannan, Stretch, Baker, Maynard, Wagner, Jones, Lewis, Hunt, J Smith, ?Garlett, ?Tyson

Key defenders: Frost, Oscar, Petty, ??Keilty
3rd tall: Lever, J Smith
Back pockets: Jetta
Flankers: Hibberd, Salem,Hunt,  ?? Lewis, Wagner

Inside mids: Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw, Harmes, Maynard
Outside mids: Fritsch, ??Tyson, ??Jones, Stretch, Baker
Ruck: Gawn, ??Preuss

Mid/forward: Petracca, Vanders

Key forwards: T Mc, ??Hogan, Weideman
3rd tall: Melksham
Flankers: Spargo, ANB, Hannan
Crumbers: ???Garlett

 

We need to find a quality outside mid from somewhere (no idea who) but that's the obvious standout apart from the organics growth of the list.

I think we need reinforcements on all 3 lines.

A gun key defender would be nice but probably won't happen. So at least adding more flanker depth would be handy. 

Forward line needs to work out the plan for Hogan and then find some crumbing and pressure players. Go get a Rioli!!!

Midfield just add some depth ball winners and then find the solutions on the wing. The wing desperately needs changes.
 

Can we just draw breath until after tomorrow !

The midfield were belted today and that's both our strength and probably the area where we can find the most natural improvement.

Harmes showed what a big summer can do.

Time for Brayshaw, Oliver, Petracca to do the same. And Viney and Vanders getting healthy.

Those 6 guys I named can probably get 140 touches a game pretty easily. They had 141 combined today. If they improve their 2 way running and clean up their skills it will make the life a lot easier for the rest of the side.

For Clarry it's finding room to kick the ball more. For Brayshaw it's finding the kicking efficiency he badly needs to improve. Petracca it's two way effort and being cleaner under pressure, plus his goal kicking.

Best 22

Jetta     J.Smith   Salem

Hibberd Frost   Lever

Brayshaw  Harmes Vanders

Hannan  T. Mcdonald Fritsch

Melksham Hogan  Weideman

Foll: Gawn, Oliver, Viney

int: Spargo, Hunt, petracca, ANB

 

Included: Hunt (confident he'll have a big pre-season).

Left out: Oscar McDonald (i prefer joel smith)

I would like to see us try to draft an exciting “magical” crummer. We have Garlett but he had a poor year, who knows what he’s going to bring next year. We have Spargo and Hannan but truthfully I down know what Spargo is going to be long term and Hannan is more of a mid sized forward. 

We just don’t seem to have someone at the moment that gets the fans on the edge of their seat when they’re around the ball (maybe aside from Oliver, but he’s a midfielder). I also noticed there wasn’t anyone getting front and centre even when the ball went to ground. 

hannan is good. spargo will be okay but if he is going to succeed he needs to kick the goals that he missed today. Same as weideman. what ws up with his missed snap today

3 minutes ago, Pates said:

I would like to see us try to draft an exciting “magical” crummer. We have Garlett but he had a poor year, who knows what he’s going to bring next year. We have Spargo and Hannan but truthfully I down know what Spargo is going to be long term and Hannan is more of a mid sized forward. 

We just don’t seem to have someone at the moment that gets the fans on the edge of their seat when they’re around the ball (maybe aside from Oliver, but he’s a midfielder). I also noticed there wasn’t anyone getting front and centre even when the ball went to ground. 

toby bedford will bring the speed and defensive intensity you want from a small forward, and he'll come on the list as our next generation academy selection, but he's not a 'crumber' per se

currently i'd say in terms of rough 'positions' we have:

key forwards: hogan, tom mcdonald, weideman, tim smith
small forwards: spargo, kent, anb, bugg, garlett
mid-sized marking forwards: melksham, hannan, balic
hybrid mid-sized forwards / midfielders: petracca, vandenberg
midfielders: jones, harmes, viney, brayshaw, tyson, oliver, stretch, maynard, kennedy harris
ruck: gawn, king, filipovic
rebound defenders: salem, lewis, hibberd, vince, hunt, fritsch, baker, mckenna, wagner, joel smith
key defenders: lever, frost, o mac, petty, keilty
small defenders: johnstone, jetta
spare parts key position utility: pedersen

key areas we seem to lack a fair bit of depth to me are ruck and small defender, which is why i'm understanding of being interested in preuss and a bit surprised we're not being mentioned re nick newman, but perhaps they see him more as a rebounder

who knows with the likes of these currently uncontracted players will do:

• vandenberg
• pedersen
• kent
• keilty
• johnstone
• kennedy harris
• filipovic
• king
• mckenna
• tim smith
• bugg

vince and balic have retired, kent and tyson (who has a year remaining on his contract) have been mentioned multiple times this year in  the media re being traded to a new club for a fresh start

of those uncontracted i would like to keep these guys on the list in 2019:

• vandenberg
• kent
• kennedy harris
• tim smith

and who knows with keilty - we all want to see him stick around cos his brother is a rad dude, but perhaps there's another club crying out for a key back that could do with someone such as him to cover key defender gaps - a gap that we don't appear to have with four players ahead of him for senior selection, and all bar frost younger than him i think? - and he might take that opportunity

main areas of concern in terms of depth appear to be:

• ruck
• small defenders
• small forwards 
• potentially midfield

why the latter two categories? garlett was awful this year, and if bugg goes as an uncontracted player, then we have two - both of who played today and neither are what i think of as goalkicking small forwards, more defensively minded players

and if we trade away tyson (best 22 majority of the year) and jkh (depth) goes, there's not much there beyond the first five of oliver, viney, harmes, brayshaw, and jones, who is certainly not the player he once was

 

We need to improve in ALL areas.

AFL footy never sleeps... nor does it stand still.

 

Speed and marking strength + small forwards. and improved depth to vulnerable areas.

Best 22 I love it.

 

B: Lever, Frost, Jetta

HB: Salem, O.McDonald, Hibberd

C : Fritsch, Oliver, Brayshaw

HF: Petracca, Hogan, Neal-Bullen

F: Melksham, T.McDonald, Weideman

FOLL: Gawn, Viney, Harmes

IC: Jones, Hannan, Vandenberg, Preuss

 

Casey

B: J.Smith, Keilty, Lewis

HB: Hunt, Petty, Wagner

C : Kennedy Harris, Stretch, Baker

HF: Kent, T.Smith, Spargo

F: Garlett, Draft Pick, Walker

FOLL: Bradtke, Maynard, Draft Pick

IC: Johnstone, McKenna, Draft Pick, Draft Pick

 

Let Lewis rot in the 2's and Tyson must be traded.

 

Our midfield needs fixing, both Jones and Lewis are passed it, plus with Vince going we need fix this area; Hogan and Lever will improve the side when injury free.

Not sure who we can go after as we have late picks in this years draft; does any body know if we are able to trade picks from next year draft?

 

 

I get the feeling the Dees will be listening to trade offers to try and push closer to a flag. The list is damn close to winning one. We may part iwth a player or two that we will be unhappy about.

I think Garlett, Kent, Hunt, Stretch, JKH will be talked about, and there will be more talk about Tyson and Hogan given they have been linked to move rumours already.

Out depth will take a hit this year with Bernie and likely Pedo moving on.

10 hours ago, Dr.D said:

Best 22

Jetta     J.Smith   Salem

Hibberd Frost   Lever

Brayshaw  Harmes Vanders

Hannan  T. Mcdonald Fritsch

Melksham Hogan  Weideman

Foll: Gawn, Oliver, Viney

int: Spargo, Hunt, petracca, ANB

 

Included: Hunt (confident he'll have a big pre-season).

Left out: Oscar McDonald (i prefer joel smith)

Like it.

FB: Hibberd, Frost, Jetta

HB: Hunt, Lever, Lewis

C : T. McDonald*, Brayshaw, Harmes

HF: Petracca, Hogan*, Melksham 

FF: Hannan, Weideman, Spargo

FOLL: Gawn, Oliver, Viney

INT: Fritsch, Jones, Neal-Bullen, Salem

*Note that both these two I expect to rotate forward & through the midfield in order to allow us to play three tall forwards.

Depth: VANDENBERG  (unlucky not to be in my 22, but main victim of fitting in 3 tall forwards), TYSON (only to play as an inside mid), JOEL SMITH (mid sized defender), O. MCDONALD  (tall defender), STRETCH (outside mid), KENNEDY-HARRIS/KENT (small fwd/wing), WAGNER (half back), KEILTY (tall utility Pedersen role).

Draft Lockhart and some other good outside user types. Recruit a 2nd ruck, trade out Garlett, entertain offers for Tyson.

Make Viney sole captain and make a big push for Kelly in the 2019 trade period. That just about covers it all I think....

Edited September 23, 20186 yr by MadAsHell

Stretch and Kent were both best 22 for a while this year stretch especially could take a step next year

I've gone from seemingly one of the few Tyson defenders on DL, to now convinced it's time to offload him elsewhere while we can still get some reasonable value. Especially after yesterday's performance on top of the last month or so.

The alternative is that he get's around McCartney to change his game over the pre-season (ala Harmes) or he languishes in the Casey twilight zone

I have been thinking about this a heap in the past 24 hours. Especially on the wing which is clearly an area we lack. I have been trying to find someone from another club we could get to get the ball on the outside and deliver inside 50. 

Then it dawned on me, we have him, he played there at the start of the year and was brilliant until Lever went down. 

Christian Salem. 

Beautiful kick, good break away speed, tackles like a champ. I feel if we can find a half back flank player to replace him (maybe Fritch, maybe Hunt) and can move him to play in the forward half of the ground we are instantly a better team. 

I think this trade period isnt going to be that exciting for us as we are going to rely on natural improvement, rather than quick fixes. 

We need players who can kick the football well.  Time for Salem to step up and get into our midfield.

Spargo, great first year we only get a lot better can't kick far but can hit targets.

Jetta Frost Lever

Hibberd Omac Hunt

Salem Viney Harmes

Petracca Tmac Melksham

Weiderman Hogan Garlett

 

Gawn Oliver Brayshaw

Spargo, Fritsch, AVB, Kent

 

To me that side based on current players gives some balance between grunt and speed

52 minutes ago, deesrule said:

Stretch and Kent were both best 22 for a while this year stretch especially could take a step next year

Let's hope Stretch breaks into the team and stays there on merit in 2019.

Not sure about Kent and even less sure about Garlett.

5 hours ago, Dee-licious said:

I have been thinking about this a heap in the past 24 hours. Especially on the wing which is clearly an area we lack. I have been trying to find someone from another club we could get to get the ball on the outside and deliver inside 50. 

Then it dawned on me, we have him, he played there at the start of the year and was brilliant until Lever went down. 

Christian Salem. 

Beautiful kick, good break away speed, tackles like a champ. I feel if we can find a half back flank player to replace him (maybe Fritch, maybe Hunt) and can move him to play in the forward half of the ground we are instantly a better team. 

I think this trade period isnt going to be that exciting for us as we are going to rely on natural improvement, rather than quick fixes. 

You may be onto something here.

A potential cheap replacement for Salem off half back could be Pittard from Port?

Edited September 23, 20186 yr by MadAsHell

2019 recruits 

Lever. Hogan. Kent. Stretch. Hunt. Fritsch  

Each will add to our end of 2018 prelims team. 

I wouldn’t mind betting young baker will have a massive pre season and have a serious crack at locking in a best 22 spot next year. I really like him as a player 

I would expect Petty and Baker to step up. However I think J.Garlett has reached his "best before" date. Jones won't last long if he loses his captaincy. Hunt and Petracca need to work their backsides off. Preuss would be very handy and a good relief for Gawn. We  get an "a" grade mid. 

The fact that some people are leaving Jones and Lewis out of their 22 are pretty embarrassing