One thing that I feel a lot of us agree we don’t have is a genuine small forward who chases, has pace, and a little x-factor. 

So what are our options that people know if either in the draft, in the VFL/SANFL, or poaching from other clubs? 

Some options at other clubs that have been linked to trades are: Shai Bolton, Dan Butler, Sam Gray, Tom Papley, Eddie Betts, Jamie Elliott, McDonald-Tipungwuti & Brandon Matera.

My Top 5 from those would be:

1. McDonald-Tipungwuti

2. Tom Papley

3. Shai Bolton

4. Dan Butler

5. Sam Gray

Not sure about the state leagues but surely there would be some decent options. Everyone else seems to find them except us.

Not a whole lot on the drafting front for where out picks will fall

Weightman and Taylor potentially, unless we opt for the Serong route at 3

Trade options could include 

- Jamie Elliot 

- Dan Butler

i'm stuck

Apparently Sam Gray wants to explore his options elsewhere. He has to be worth a look

Elijah Taylor, Cody Weightman if we trade down pick 2/3 for 2 picks and pick up one of the Tigers overflows or Sam Gray on the cheap 

Kysiah Pickett

I'd be all over Sam Grey and Dan Butler. both would provide some pressure and forward half tackles, both have speed and both are goal kickers and would cost little or nothing to get

Surely we couldn't go through another off season without addressing the glaring crumbing issue in our forwardline? Particularly, now that Jeffy has gone.

35 minutes ago, Patches O’houlihan said:

I'd be all over Sam Grey and Dan Butler. both would provide some pressure and forward half tackles, both have speed and both are goal kickers and would cost little or nothing to get

Absolutely. Sam Gray or Dan Butler. And cheap !!

28 minutes ago, A F said:

Surely we couldn't go through another off season without addressing the glaring crumbing issue in our forwardline? Particularly, now that Jeffy has gone.

I wouldn't count on it AF.  We have been devoid of a genuine top line goal kicking small forward since the Wiz.  A lifetime ago in AFL years.

We are Melbourne!  We prefer inside plodding mids who rarely take a contested mark and love a hail mary. 

Don'y know about you, but seeing the high ball sailing through the air towards the goal square with 2 talls, a medium and Max or Pruess all going up together and no crumber, is enough to get my nether regions all hot n sweaty.

Let's just keep doing more of that like the last 3 years or more eh

#raisehell  #lucifer'sloincloth

I would be chasing Brent Daniels or Zac Langdon from the Giants.

I think GWS would be more inclined to hears offers for Langdon. Daniels is a keeper!

Pick 3 & 20 to GWS for Pick 12, 14 & Daniels?

or

Pick 39 for Zac Langdon

8 hours ago, A F said:

Surely we couldn't go through another off season without addressing the glaring crumbing issue in our forwardline? Particularly, now that Jeffy has gone.

I would suspect there has been an' in principle agreement' with someone(a few someones) for sometime to fill the small forward void, hence the delisting notified straight away. 

Mahoney/Goodwin have a history of getting their trades done, early and with minimum of fuss due to very good relationship building over a long period of time.

Edited August 27, 20196 yr by Engorged Onion

54 minutes ago, Engorged Onion said:

I would suspect there has been an' in principle agreement' with someone(a few someones) for sometime to fill the small forward void, hence the delisting notified straight away. 

Mahoney/Goodwin have a history of getting their trades done, early and with minimum of fuss due to very good relationship building over a long period of time.

And overpaying...

Best time of the year isn’t it if you have missed out on September action. I read Sydney will be asking for 2 first rounders in return for Papley. 

Can only be true if Dodoro has landed a new job at the Swans.

Edited August 27, 20196 yr by Dee Zephyr

5 minutes ago, SPC said:

And overpaying...

Yeah, I thought someone may suggest that. 

Agreements are made within clubs one year about a players whilst assessing who may also fit their list demographic in future years. This is also contingent on contractual status of said players in future years (or the current year). 

I'll be clear - deals for one player where there appears to be 'overs' paid, is more of a payment upfront to get something down the line, be it one, two or three years, if an in principal agreement is made with player still on the list of the club.

The AFL market place operates inside a vacumn, you cannot be screwing another team over, because literally the AFL will not allow for that. AND there may be some years before you cash your initial down payment. 

 

Sam Flanders.

Not sure why people are keen on Dan Butler, he's no better than what we already have.  

10 hours ago, A F said:

Surely we couldn't go through another off season without addressing the glaring crumbing issue in our forwardline? Particularly, now that Jeffy has gone.

We did pick up both Corey Wagner and Jay Lockhart in the supplementary draft period last year, while there not traditional crumbers they both have the ability to play that role. While I still think we need other options in this area, with an AFL pre-season that goes for more than 14 days Lockhart could fill that role.

28 minutes ago, Red and Blue realist said:

We did pick up both Corey Wagner and Jay Lockhart in the supplementary draft period last year, while there not traditional crumbers they both have the ability to play that role. While I still think we need other options in this area, with an AFL pre-season that goes for more than 14 days Lockhart could fill that role.

I think Lockhart is potentially good enough as a role playing half forward but he's no crumber. Wagner isn't good enough IMO although a hard trier.

12 minutes ago, A F said:

I think Lockhart is potentially good enough as a role playing half forward but he's no crumber. Wagner isn't good enough IMO although a hard trier.

I was about to type in here that I felt Corey Wagner had the ability to hit the scoreboard a little, and was thus worth persisting with for another season, but then I looked it up and he only kicked 6.  I feel like he kicked way more than that.

Regardless, finding ourselves a pure small forward who can crumb a pack, kick a goal and put some pressure on is a massive need for our side.  We might need to get creative in finding one, but hopefully we can do it.

10 minutes ago, A F said:

I think Lockhart is potentially good enough as a role playing half forward but he's no crumber. Wagner isn't good enough IMO although a hard trier.

Yeah I think Lockhart can become the equivalent of Sam Gray or Butler, neither are true crumbing forwards, more half forwards. We managed a prelim with Hannan, ANB, Kent and Spargo running as smaller pressuring half forward and Trac, Melk and AVB as the taller half forward options, so we might not need an out and out crumber, but a bit more luck given of those only Trac had a decent season, others were injured or out of form.

1 hour ago, grazman said:

Sam Flanders.

 

Not sure why people are keen on Dan Butler, he's no better than what we already have.  

Butler has speed, that’s why

24 minutes ago, Wiseblood said:

I was about to type in here that I felt Corey Wagner had the ability to hit the scoreboard a little, and was thus worth persisting with for another season, but then I looked it up and he only kicked 6.  I feel like he kicked way more than that.

Regardless, finding ourselves a pure small forward who can crumb a pack, kick a goal and put some pressure on is a massive need for our side.  We might need to get creative in finding one, but hopefully we can do it.

The issue for players like Wagner and Lockhart is that they are not good enough to be the number 1 small forward.

But if you have an above average small forward they can really provide valuable support and so be one important players.

11 hours ago, Rusty Nails said:

I wouldn't count on it AF.  We have been devoid of a genuine top line goal kicking small forward since the Wiz.  A lifetime ago in AFL years.

We are Melbourne!  We prefer inside plodding mids who rarely take a contested mark and love a hail mary. 

Don'y know about you, but seeing the high ball sailing through the air towards the goal square with 2 talls, a medium and Max or Pruess all going up together and no crumber, is enough to get my nether regions all hot n sweaty.

Let's just keep doing more of that like the last 3 years or more eh

#raisehell  #lucifer'sloincloth

I think Jeff was legit small forward who had years of 40 goals plus for us, to me that's a genuine crumber / small fwd.

 

but yeah we desperately need a dynamic game changing fwd, will be very interesting to see how much we value it now that Jeff has retired. The ones we have are not dynamic, Bedford is a mile off it, Chandler is a work in progress but needs to have year of VFL where his goal kicking just kicks the door down.

 

45 minutes ago, Demon3 said:

think Jeff was legit small forward who had years of 40 goals plus for us, to me that's a genuine crumber / small fwd

100% agree. Need a genuine match winning small forward who can bob up and kick more than just a few snags a game. 40+ a year type should be the aim which we arent going to get through the draft. Also needs to apply decent pressure in the forward half unlike Garlett who picked and chose his moments. Club should hopefully be asking around about one of those types.

Our “Small Forwards”:

Hunt - 21 2019

Hannan - 22 in 2017 and 2018

One of these 2 would be 1 of our 2 smaller forwards but neither really has that ground level prowess and are more lead up mark type players. Purely on form alone I’d be going with Hunt as part of the best 22

Inexpensive but on the market (at least according to the media pundits)

Dan Butler in 2017 had 30 goals playing 23 games

Sam Gray the last 2 years has had 20 goals but 28 in 2017

Lewis Taylor is around the 18-20 goal mark but has reached his peak - definite pass

Shai Bolton - still a bit unproven but looks a terrific pressure player and could be a 20-30 goal a year player

All would cost next to nothing (albeit for good reason) but I’d say Butler is probably the pick of the bunch and I doubt he would warrant more than a 3rd rounder - has proven to kick goals amongst that Richmond small forward pack of Rioli, Bolton, Castagna, Higgins etc.

 

Bigger Fish who could be on the move:

Tom Papley - have seen him linked with Carlton and the Roos and both would be willing to pay more for him but for the sake of it had 24 last year and 37 this year

McDonald Tipungwuti - don’t see him leaving the Dons in all honesty and is attracting interest from the Dogs who again would have way more money to pay him but is around that 30+ goal a year mark.

Others:

Jack Petrucelle - have heard no mention of him leaving but was heavily linked to us during his draft year and would be just what we need

Ben Long - saw his name come up at some point this year linked to us but I think he may have received a contract extension?

Both would be in that 25-30 range now but could be worth the look

Tippa would be ideal if we split up pick 3 and gave Essendon one of the mid-firsts