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Who I'd like to see us target

Deez Man
in Melbourne Demons

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Posted

A player I'd love to see the Dee's aggressively pursue is Izak Rankine of the Gold Coast Suns. After going at pick 3 behind Sam Walsh and Jack Lukosius in the 2018 'super draft' Izak Rankine hasn't delivered on his freakish potential... yet. Many experts had Izak as the number 1 pick in that draft with some saying he could even become the best player in the competition.

Izak didn't feature in the 2019 season due to persistent hamstring and hip injuries. He had to wait until the 2020 season to debut after missing a full year of footy and has to be forgiven for only showing us flashes of brilliance in what was a quiet debut year as a forward in a struggling team. 

Watch: 2020 Highlights

Izak didn't come on the way many expected he would in 2021 and in some respects appeared to have gone backwards. It is easy to forget that he is playing as a small forward in a team that finished 16th and came into the season having only played 12 AFL games. Despite having a poor year, there were still many moments that Izak was doing things that very few players can do.

Watch: 2021 Highlights

Izak is contracted until the end of the 2022 season and if the Suns have another poor year then Izak will be viewed as one part of the out of contract group that are seen as gettable (King, Lukosius, Rankine). While I'd love to see us make a play for King, he would cost 2 early first rounders which we simply won't be able to come up with. Rankines worth will be much harder to quanitify, the Suns might just let him go for a mid to end of first rounder if he doesn't perform in 2022 and the dee's would be able to find a way to get that done if that is the case. The big danger is that Izak has his breakout year this year and drives his price up or starts enjoying playing for Gold Coast.

Reasons why we should pursue him:

  • He has the talent to be a top 10 player in the competition
  • He's only 21
  • We'd likely be getting him for less than he's worth
  • Paired with Kozzie Pickett we'd have the two best small forwards in the game for the next 8+ years
  • A great match for both parties with the Demons being the perfect system for him to realise his potential

Reasons why we shouldn't pursue him:

  • His attitude has been questioned and might not have the application required to realise his potential
  • He has apparently expressed interest in returning to Adelaide though this is unconfirmed
  • If he has a breakout year and becomes the elite talent many think he can become, then his price may become too high

This opportunity reminds me a lot of when GWS were trying to give away Toby Greene for a packet of crisps or when Richmond couldn't get a pick to satisfy them for Dustin Martin. Not that they are shopping him around, but there is potential to get one of the games brightest young talents for an absolute bargain and I hope the Dees are doing everything they can to get him. The two SA clubs will be circling like vultures and as one of the best run clubs in the country I expect us to be too.

 

 








 

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    If I remember correctly the two SA clubs warned GC that he would return to SA if they selected him. I think they said they would just take him back when his contract expired.

    Maybe they were correct and he just won't play outside his State.

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    We don't need to take punts on questionable players anymore. 

    SA clubs haven't been beating a path to his door either. Says it all.

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    I know we have Weid and Daw but I think that maybe a big young full forward is something we should consider. I think there has been a " Shortage" of them in the draft. 

    Given the ages of Tmac and Bbb, looking ahead for continued success in five years time we should probably address this.

    Edited by leave it to deever

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    • Haha 1
    9 hours ago, Deez Man said:

    Reasons why we shouldn't pursue him:

    • His attitude has been questioned and might not have the application required to realise his potential

    End of discussion

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    • Like 5

    Plays for the glory of himself. We are all about team first, the complete opposite of what Rankin is. Crows and Power are welcome to him.

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    Hard pass, no thanks. 

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    •  

    1 post, I'm starting to smell a player manager or Rankine himself posting this. 😂

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    3 minutes ago, Ham said:

    1 post, I'm starting to smell a player manager or Rankine himself posting this. 😂

    Haha well if it is Rankine or his manager posting, then they got their answer pretty quickly from us!

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    Unbelievably talented but, sadly, undeniably lazy on the field.
    Hope he can turn it around, but he has so far wasted his opportunities.

     

     

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    Are we talking about the same super-talented 21 year old Izak Rankine? Who has really flourished playing for the Gold Coast who started their career there, maybe Miller? Can’t believe people would pass on him if the opportunity came up. 

    Edited by Ethan Tremblay

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    • Like 2
    3 hours ago, Ham said:

    1 post, I'm starting to smell a player manager or Rankine himself posting this. 😂

    I agree. 1 post and that is it. A pitch to be wanted. 

     

    Personally I reckon he is a dud. Soft as butter, selfish and not overly footy smart at all. 

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    As a rookie to see if he has the character in our environment.  But in his current environment, he looks like a player that has not clicked to what is required beyond talent. 

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    10 hours ago, Ham said:

    1 post, I'm starting to smell a player manager or Rankine himself posting this. 😂

    I’m just disappointed I didn’t think of this first and create a thread about the club targeting me…

    ’Pros - will be cheap.

    Cons - no turning circle, no left foot, …and he’s 43’

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    • Haha 5

    An oppo player I'd love of similar ilk to Rankine, but who is already mature and deliving on his potential is Charlie Cameron. 

    The bloke basically carries the whole Lion's forward line.  Watched him closely from behind the goals when the Lions thrashed Geelong at the Gabba this year and he's simply a player that knows where the balls going, when to time his run and go for it, has the athletic traits to get it and commands the respect of the opposition's best defender.  His efforts tearing a realitively inexperienced, but capable Joe Smith a new one and keeping the Lions in the final against us were evidence of that.

    I'd love to see what he could do with a bit more freedom playing in a forward line that also had the likes of Fritsch, Kossie, Nibbler/Spargo, T Mac/BBB/Weid.

    Highly doubt he is anything like gettable for us though and I haven't really considered where he fits in age wise, just a bit of a fantasy pick, based on loving watching the guy play.

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    10 hours ago, The heart beats true said:

    I’m just disappointed I didn’t think of this first and create a thread about the club targeting me…

    ’Pros - will be cheap.

    Cons - no turning circle, no left foot, …and he’s 43’

    Should post that on the Geelong site. Might get an offer.

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    • Like 1
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    21 hours ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

    Unbelievably talented but, sadly, undeniably lazy on the field.
    Hope he can turn it around, but he has so far wasted his opportunities.

     

     

    You are probably correct. However, playing with champions - under the tutelage of champion coaching around our Club - may make all the difference with this young fella. 

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    11 hours ago, The heart beats true said:

    I’m just disappointed I didn’t think of this first and create a thread about the club targeting me…

    ’Pros - will be cheap.

    Cons - no turning circle, no left foot, …and he’s 43’

    So,  you're on Geelong's recruitment radar?

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    19 minutes ago, Deemania since 56 said:

    You are probably correct. However, playing with champions - under the tutelage of champion coaching around our Club - may make all the difference with this young fella. 

    There has never been a shortage of clubs believing that they will be the one, that their strong wonderful culture will be the game changer, that this wastrel prodigal son can be reformed for the better. Most times the player continues doing what they did at the previous club. There are of course exceptions (Ablett Sr comes to mind) that make the risk/reward enticing.

    That's why clubs will beat down the door to have a crack at de Goey this year.

    At Melbourne now, the base criteria seems to be appetite for the contest, every contest. Skill flaws can be overcome, as can diet and training. But you don't get in the door if you don't already have the number one requirement. That's why we don't have a Watts and we don't have a Hogan.

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    • Like 2
     

    Only Gold Coast Suns player I'm interested in is Mac Andrew. Hopefully the culture up there doesn't stunt his development

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