3 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

Did you watch this season?

One of our major issues is that our midfield is neither better nor deeper than Brisbane’s…nor Collingwood’s, Carlton’s, GWS’, or Port’s. 

Bollocks.

Leaving aside the fact that clarry missed half a season, a starting midfield of maxy, oliver, tracc, viney with Gus and sparrow as back up is the best midfield in the afl. 

Just look at the annual midfield award, the brownlow, tracc didn't win it because viney got 24 votes and before he got injured Oliver got votes.

Leaving aside the ruck, our best 4 mids collectively got 60 votes (with our best missing half a season).

By way of contrast Neale got 31 votes of the 47 votes their best 4 mids got (noting Ashcroft missed half a season - it says something aboot the lions midfield though that a first year player pllled the second most votes for a mid).

And the pies had 63 votes, but daicos got probably aprox 20 of his 28 votes playing at half back flank. 

Port got 64 votes between rozee, butters and Horne Francis. But whilst all three are super impressive they are still young and in oliver and tracc we are talking about, what, 7 AA selections between them, god knows how many best and fairest (6?) and both already are considered amongst the best mids of the modern era.

And on top of all that we have the best ruck of the modern era, and the best ruck in the AFL to feed our mids.

Our whole game is based around the relative strength of our midfield in the sense that it allows us to play one less at stoppages to either put ahead of the ball in an attacking spot or an extra behind the ball. I'm pretty sure we are the only team that sets up this way.

By contrast the pies and lions bring an extra to stoppages.

Despite have less players at stoppages we were still sixth in the AFL for clearances, just behind port and ahead of the blues (whose game plan revolves around winning clearances) and the pies (who bring extras up).

In fact I would argue we were over invested in pure mids and need a better balance - more like the lions and pies with more outside distributors.

So no issue losing JJ. 

Edited October 8, 20231 yr by binman

Anyone got any actual rumours?

Paging @goodwindees

Surely Ben Brown will retire... hardly got on the field these last two years

10 minutes ago, Ugottobekidding said:

Surely Ben Brown will retire... hardly got on the field these last two years

He is going on again..

It was mentioned on the B&F thread that one of our Demonlanders had a chat with BBB and he said that he was looking forward to going around again in 2024. However with Grundy, Hibberd, Harmes, JJ, Dunstan & Deakin Smith leaving there would be plenty of cash for a payout if that is what the FD desired or needed to free up  an extra spot.!!

2 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

Did you watch this season?

One of our major issues is that our midfield is neither better nor deeper than Brisbane’s…nor Collingwood’s, Carlton’s, GWS’, or Port’s. 

Yes and too inside biased other than Tracc.

Although Clarry at his best is not top shabby exiting stoppages either.  Just this season he was a bit off in this area imv.

Hopefully we can land a pacey outside mid with skills to boot in this draft.

Bring Kozzy in for a fair chunk of mid minutes as well.  Possibly Rivers?

The other aside to this is if Howes can come in at some point and have an impact off HB, then Rivers 'might' be capable of taking one of the wings.  Or even Howes himself.  He started his career at Casey here.

As solid as Hunter is defensively, we are really lacking some attacking run, fast ball movement and deep and/or accurate kicks inside 50 off that wing.

While plenty of room for improvement as he's about 50/50 atm, Howes also has the ability to hit short targets.

Edited October 8, 20231 yr by Demon Dynasty

2 hours ago, binman said:

Bollocks.

Leaving aside the fact that clarry missed half a season, a starting midfield of maxy, oliver, tracc, viney with Gus and sparrow as back up is the best midfield in the afl. 

Just look at the annual midfield award, the brownlow, tracc didn't win it because viney got 24 votes and before he got injured Oliver got votes.

Leaving aside the ruck, our best 4 mids collectively got 60 votes (with our best missing half a season).

By way of contrast Neale got 31 votes of the 47 votes their best 4 mids got (noting Ashcroft missed half a season - it says something aboot the lions midfield though that a first year player pllled the second most votes for a mid).

And the pies had 63 votes, but daicos got probably aprox 20 of his 28 votes playing at half back flank. 

Port got 64 votes between rozee, butters and Horne Francis. But whilst all three are super impressive they are still young and in oliver and tracc we are talking about, what, 7 AA selections between them, god knows how many best and fairest (6?) and both already are considered amongst the best mids of the modern era.

And on top of all that we have the best ruck of the modern era, and the best ruck in the AFL to feed our mids.

Our whole game is based around the relative strength of our midfield in the sense that it allows us to play one less at stoppages to either put ahead of the ball in an attacking spot or an extra behind the ball. I'm pretty sure we are the only team that sets up this way.

By contrast the pies and lions bring an extra to stoppages.

Despite have less players at stoppages we were still sixth in the AFL for clearances, just behind port and ahead of the blues (whose game plan revolves around winning clearances) and the pies (who bring extras up).

In fact I would argue we were over invested in pure mids and need a better balance - more like the lions and pies with more outside distributors.

So no issue losing JJ. 

Nah. Sorry. We went out in straight sets two years in a row. Therefore our midfield's [censored], our defence is horrendous and we fluked a flag. It's just pure luck that we constantly win CP and are one of the strongest stoppage teams even with the best contested player in the league missing 10 games.

Baby out, bathwater etc. Demonland at its finest. What world are some posters living in?

We actually got better without Clarry, so I concur with the last part. We need more balance in our midfield or at the very least more goals from our midfield.

But Clarry, Trac, Viney and Gawn as a starting midfield is easily the best in the league. FMD.

Edited October 8, 20231 yr by Binmans PA

51 minutes ago, Demon Dynasty said:

Yes and too inside biased other than Tracc.

Although Clarry at his best is not top shabby exiting stoppages either.  Just this season he was a bit off in this area imv.

Hopefully we can land a pacey outside mid with skills to boot in this draft.

I’d like to see Clayton Oliver have a change of roles which allows him to be released into more space. 
IMO he would be even more damaging and it should allow him to use the ball better as well.

if Ben brown thinks he has something good left to give, great. He’s contracted and entitled to a shot. But if round 8 comes and he hasn’t got himself onto the park, I hope he vacates a list spot for a mid season draft. 
 I fear for Caseys fortunes next year as it’s very hard to play the Melbourne pressure game with 6 talls crammed into the forward line. 
190+ forwards on the list for 2024:

brown (200 cm) 

fullarton (200)

Schache (199)

petty* (197)

jefferson (195)

Mcdonald (194)

Van Rooyen (193)

smith* (192)u

add to this Verrall and Farris White as VFL  ruckmen.

Prior to starting this comment I hoped to draft Nate Caddy, now I can’t see how that would be reasonable.  bbb Tmac and Schache have a year to run. 

* can play back but what they showed as a forward is worth persisting with 

Adams officially requested a trade to Sydney.

Goodwindees has well and truly established themselves, alongside chookinperth, with genuine itk status.

 

I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve!

10 minutes ago, Nascent said:

Adams officially requested a trade to Sydney.

Wow i read this as  jed Adams and my heart skipped a beat .But its Taylor Adams so who cares

Sydney are cleaning up well so far in this trade period.

2 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Sydney are cleaning up well so far in this trade period.

jordon and hamling as free agents, and still need to bring in adams via a trade

so that's two very good 31 year old free agents with a history of injury concerns on three year deals plus a 23 year old classique good ordinary inside mid

i dunno if i'd call it 'cleaning up' - more getting their business done early

4 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Sydney are cleaning up well so far in this trade period.

Who have they got so far that's anything more than a standard meat and potatoes footballer? Adams and JJ couldn't get games with their respective sides at vital points of the year.

Can I just say that the bloke here who broke the Taylor Adams to Sydney rumour two weeks before the media deserves some credit. Keep them coming!

.

2 minutes ago, Norm Smith's Curse said:

Can I just say that the bloke here who broke the Taylor Adams to Sydney rumour two weeks before the media deserves some credit. Keep them coming!

.

who was it?

2 minutes ago, Binmans PA said:

Who have they got so far that's anything more than a standard meat and potatoes footballer? Adams and JJ couldn't get games with their respective sides at vital points of the year.

Adams had a great second half of the season and would’ve played in the GF not for his Hammy. 
We all know JJ was down the pecking order. 
They’re not jets but I wouldn’t scoff at what the Swans have managed so far. 

17 hours ago, Great Northern Summer said:

His first six kicks in his career were all free kicks in a match against us at the MCG from memory. Not one of them should have been paid - all dropping the shoulders. On that basis, it's against my principles to take him on :-)

Yep he's one of the worst for it. 

6 minutes ago, Binmans PA said:

Who have they got so far that's anything more than a standard meat and potatoes footballer? Adams and JJ couldn't get games with their respective sides at vital points of the year.

Adams only missed due to injury. He is a premiership player right now had he not got injured and Jordon still played 17 games in a top 4 team, so no reason he can't be a different player under the Longmire season.

Adams still has plenty of good footy ahead of him and he fits an immediate need straight away.

They get Grundy who's still absolutely AFL standard and a good one.

Stark difference to us adding Fullerton who's just a a worser version of Schache.

Adams has a history of hammies and is ageing. He fits the Swans need for an inside mid though. Could go either way. 

Adams is VC at the pies? 
 

Guess being a have not is a real tough one. Wonder if Nobel will leave also. 

Grundy was poor for us this year. He could not provide an attacking or defensive element to the team or his game. He just wanted to work to his strengths and that is purely around the ball as a ruck/midfielder. 
 

When I say attacking, I mean as a marking target moving forward from anywhere on the field, and he was poor providing a defensive element on the last line of defence. His ability to read the ball in flight is average….. His ability to work hard was questionable at times too. 
 

Grundy is a very good player, not a great player. The Swans will miss Hickey for his aggression and ability to work hard. 
 

Just now, Demonsterative said:

Grundy was poor for us this year. He could not provide an attacking or defensive element to the team or his game. He just wanted to work to his strengths and that is purely around the ball as a ruck/midfielder. 
 

When I say attacking, I mean as a marking target moving forward from anywhere on the field, and he was poor providing a defensive element on the last line of defence. His ability to read the ball in flight is average….. His ability to work hard was questionable at times too. 
 

Grundy is a very good player, not a great player. The Swans will miss Hickey for his aggression and ability to work hard. 
 

horse is gonna be hoarse from all the yelling he does at poor old dean cox when grundy is standing in the middle of the scg not pushing forward nor back

14 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Adams only missed due to injury. He is a premiership player right now had he not got injured and Jordon still played 17 games in a top 4 team, so no reason he can't be a different player under the Longmire season.

Adams still has plenty of good footy ahead of him and he fits an immediate need straight away.

They get Grundy who's still absolutely AFL standard and a good one.

Stark difference to us adding Fullerton who's just a a worser version of Schache.

So Sydney are doing better than us because two of their three imports couldn't get a game for us? Grass is always greener. 

Edited October 8, 20231 yr by Binmans PA