My top targets:

Houston: Perfect to slot at HB and allow rivers to progress into a full time mid, smooth mover and elite kick.

Parker:  Perfect replacement for Brayshaw, love the way this guy plays footy, and dangerous when he goes fwd.

Cumming:  Same as Houston just not as silky, really like the way he plays though.

Rachelle:  fantasy, but kid will be a superstar.  If there is a chance.

Hobbs:  Good young mid, would be a great addition to our future midfield, an upgrade on Sparrow.

Sheil:  adds pace and linebreaking to our midfield, kicking not the best no but he adds an element to our midfield that is lacking.

Tom Campbell:  Just delisted by the Saints, Perfect back up for Max who can play AFL level if needed.

Others to consider:

Lucosius, Bergman, Davies

11 hours ago, Travy14 said:

My top targets:

Houston: Perfect to slot at HB and allow rivers to progress into a full time mid, smooth mover and elite kick.

Parker:  Perfect replacement for Brayshaw, love the way this guy plays footy, and dangerous when he goes fwd.

Cumming:  Same as Houston just not as silky, really like the way he plays though.

Rachelle:  fantasy, but kid will be a superstar.  If there is a chance.

Hobbs:  Good young mid, would be a great addition to our future midfield, an upgrade on Sparrow.

Sheil:  adds pace and linebreaking to our midfield, kicking not the best no but he adds an element to our midfield that is lacking.

Tom Campbell:  Just delisted by the Saints, Perfect back up for Max who can play AFL level if needed.

Others to consider:

Lucosius, Bergman, Davies

Macrae over Parker

Rachelle seems like a [censored], don't need another on our list 

Ladhams would be better suited for us than Campbell

HBF for Suns could be available with Noble and D Rioli landing. Joel Jeffreywould be great

Houston - Don't want to give up 2 1st rd picks. Rather go to the draft.

Macrae, Parker, Shiel - No. Getting players on the decline has been terrible for us in the past 3 years.

Peatling, Hobbs, Davies - Yes. Young players who have shown ability and could be prised from their club.

I have no real knowledge of Brandan Parfitt or whether he is any good or not but he is on the move and fits the age demographic for our needs

https://www.zerohanger.com/out-of-favour-midfielder-reportedly-on-the-move-afl-trade-news-154543/

4 minutes ago, reynolds46 said:

I have no real knowledge of Brandan Parfitt or whether he is any good or not but he is on the move and fits the age demographic for our needs

https://www.zerohanger.com/out-of-favour-midfielder-reportedly-on-the-move-afl-trade-news-154543/

Would be handy depth I think.

Seb Ross delisted

Sam Day from gold coast also delisted, would offer a rookie life line for cheap depth 

Parfitt anyone ?

 

CAT TO LEAVE... BUT NEW HOME UNCERTAIN

Geelong onballer Brandan Parfitt is expected to leave the Cattery at season’s end, but whether he locates a new home isn’t certain.

The 26-year-old has played 130 games since debuting in 2017 and was a part of Geelong’s 2022 premiership after being called up late for an injured Max Holmes, and he is eligible for unrestricted free agency this year.

Parfitt has managed just nine senior games in each of the past two seasons and reportedly doesn’t have a contract offer on the table from the Cats.

However, while a departure seems imminent, a destination for Parfitt is less clear.

“He looked for a new home,” Herald Sun journalist Jon Ralph told Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle on Tuesday night, before reeling off a couple of potential landing spots.

 

 

Brandan Parfitt - any interest ? 

26yo  inside/outside mid  

Always seemed to be very good when I saw the Cats. Not sure if it’s injury or poor form that meant he was on the outer at Cattery. 
 

 

2 hours ago, reynolds46 said:

I have no real knowledge of Brandan Parfitt or whether he is any good or not but he is on the move and fits the age demographic for our needs

https://www.zerohanger.com/out-of-favour-midfielder-reportedly-on-the-move-afl-trade-news-154543/

 

1 hour ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

Would be handy depth I think.

He goes ok.  Yes to handy depth player.  Pretty good on the clearance & pressure side.

I'd also consider trying to prize Shiel out of the Bombers if we can grab him on a 2 year deal for more depth.

Shiel still has some wheels, a good tank and can hit the odd target coming inside unlike our present mids and is open to offers.

The #brandpetracca fiasco won't help our cause in any such discussions right now though most likely but in many ways this also means we need to be more aggressive than usual given the cap space.

Even if Tracc is held to his contract there's no g'tee he'll get back to Tracc of old in 25.  Same with Clarry.

Need to go super hard to correct the recent poor trades, as well as giving the team and our weary supporter base a new look and some hope coming into the pre-season.

Edited August 28, 2024Aug 28 by Demon Dynasty

19 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Brandan Parfitt - any interest ? 

26yo  inside/outside mid  

Always seemed to be very good when I saw the Cats. Not sure if it’s injury or poor form that meant he was on the outer at Cattery. 

as an inside mid he doesn't win enough contested football

as an outside mid he doesn't use it cleanly

he's too slow to play the nibbler role as a push-up half forward

i think there's a reason he's always on the outer at the puddy tatts - he's classique 'good, ordinary' and too good for vfl, not good enough for permanent afl

...yet he's available as an unrestricted free agent which obviously holds appeal...

Lukosious should be on our radar. Proven AFL tall who is on the outer. One of the best kicks in the league and were crying out for good kicking skills. Was brilliant down back a few years ago and could be a cheap option to give us drive off half back if we push Rivers and others into the midfield in future. Alternately, kicked 40 goals last year and even this year in a down year kicked 23 from less games. Could shift Petty back to defense where he belongs. Luko would give us more than Petty and a few others up forward in terms of scoreboard impact.

If we can get him for one of the bunch of second or third round picks we have, I'd be all for it. Just turned 24 this month so plenty of footy ahead of him. 

4 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

Lukosious should be on our radar. Proven AFL tall who is on the outer. One of the best kicks in the league and were crying out for good kicking skills. Was brilliant down back a few years ago and could be a cheap option to give us drive off half back if we push Rivers and others into the midfield in future. Alternately, kicked 40 goals last year and even this year in a down year kicked 23 from less games. Could shift Petty back to defense where he belongs. Luko would give us more than Petty and a few others up forward in terms of scoreboard impact.

If we can get him for one of the bunch of second or third round picks we have, I'd be all for it. Just turned 24 this month so plenty of footy ahead of him. 

I'm keen on Lukocious  as well, great kick, can play both positions still young all ticks. Obviously Hardwick isn't a fan, he was great last year and played some great games this year

4 hours ago, SthSea22 said:

Macrae over Parker

Rachelle seems like a [censored], don't need another on our list 

Ladhams would be better suited for us than Campbell

HBF for Suns could be available with Noble and D Rioli landing. Joel Jeffreywould be great

Macrae offers nothing, slow mid that can't kick more than 25m.  Parker much better option.

Rachelle I think needs some strong leadership, which I think our senior players show in Max, Viney and Lever.

Yeh id be happy with Ladhams, we just need something capable at AFL level for a couple of years.

They only signed JJ last year on a 4 year deal, think they really rate him.  I don't actually see Noble being best 22 at GC as a half back

Am I the only one who does not want to give away draft picks? 

We know full well what happened when we were down the bottom when GC and GWS came into the competition - it killed us. 

If we can get 6-8 quality draft picks in the next 2 years we will be very well set age demographic wise when Tassie come into the comp, and set us up for sustained success. Now is the time to draft in my view.

Trac likely leaving, plus ANB, should give us the equivalent of 3 top 12 picks, and a few second rounders perhaps (over the next few years).

We need talent - speed, skill and toughness.  

Trac has screwed the chances of attracting other players potentially - if that's the case let Jason Taylor and team do what they do best. 

I still think we could get a Luke Parker type in addition to this, to cover some depth in the midfield and another great leader and coach to nurture our younger players. 

Morris reporting that Suns have told Lukosius he can explore a trade. A certain upgrade on Billings

2 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Brandan Parfitt - any interest ? 

26yo  inside/outside mid  

Always seemed to be very good when I saw the Cats. Not sure if it’s injury or poor form that meant he was on the outer at Cattery. 
 

 

If he has no contract infront of him, then we could nab him as a delisted free agent, so no draft picks required in a trade. I'd be all for that. He'd be a midfield depth upgrade at worst, and lord knows we need to replenish our midfield depth big time. He's played some good footy in years gone by too and has a bit of pace and smarts about him.

On our midfield, it's gone from our biggest strength to our biggest weakness. We need both stars and depth at this point. Our midfield from our 2021 premiership team is in a sad state a few years on:
Gawn - Contracted, ageing and on the decline
Jackson - Gone
Oliver - Contracted, shadow of what he was and hopefully returns to his best next season onwards
Petracca - Gone?
Viney - Contracted, ageing and on the decline
Brayshaw - Gone
Neal-Bullen - Gone
Langdon - Contracted, performing his wing role
Harmes - Gone
Sparrow - Contracted, hasn't come on and is depth
Jordon - Gone

Currently on our list we've added Windsor, Laurie, Billings, Hunter, Woewodin and no AFL level rucks to the midfield since. Pretty sharp drop off considering you'd ideally be an attractive destination to play for when you're successful...

Edited August 28, 2024Aug 28 by Lord Travis

Just now, Lord Travis said:

If he has no contract infront of him, then we could nab him as a delisted free agent, so no draft picks required in a trade. I'd be all for that. He'd be a midfield depth upgrade at worst, and lord knows we need to replenish our midfield depth big time. He's played some good footy in years gone by too and has a bit of pace and smarts about him.

On our midfield, it's gone from our biggest strength to our biggest weakness. We need both stars and depth at this point. Our midfield from our 2021 premiership team is in a sad state a few years on:
Gawn - Contracted, ageing and on the decline
Jackson - Gone
Oliver - Contracted, shadow of what he was and hopefully returns to his best next season onwards
Petracca - Gone?
Viney - Contracted, ageing and on the decline
Brayshaw - Gone
Langdon - Contracted, performing his wing role
Harmes - Gone
Sparrow - Contracted, hasn't come on and is depth
Jordon - Gone

Currently on our list we've added Windsor, Billings, Hunter, Woewodin and no AFL level rucks to the midfield since. Pretty sharp drop off considering you'd ideally be an attractive destination to play for when you're successful...

gawn on the decline? huh??

viney the same...

probably two of the top - and most consistent - performers in 2024

2 minutes ago, whatwhat say what said:

gawn on the decline? huh??

viney the same...

probably two of the top - and most consistent - performers in 2024

Gawn's 33 next season. His body is breaking down with more injuries now and his impact on games is diminishing.

Viney just had his worst season in about 6-7 years and is 31 next season. Had a few good games this year, but he's rapidly in decline. No way to argue that. The fact he was one of our most consistent performers in 2024 is a reason we finished 14th this year.

We just don't have the cattle in the midfield to be competitive. 12th for clearances. 9th for contested possessions. 16th for ball movement. Our midfield is below AFL average in every single stat. 

30 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

If he has no contract infront of him, then we could nab him as a delisted free agent, so no draft picks required in a trade. I'd be all for that. He'd be a midfield depth upgrade at worst, and lord knows we need to replenish our midfield depth big time. He's played some good footy in years gone by too and has a bit of pace and smarts about him.

On our midfield, it's gone from our biggest strength to our biggest weakness. We need both stars and depth at this point. Our midfield from our 2021 premiership team is in a sad state a few years on:
Gawn - Contracted, ageing and on the decline
Jackson - Gone
Oliver - Contracted, shadow of what he was and hopefully returns to his best next season onwards
Petracca - Gone?
Viney - Contracted, ageing and on the decline
Brayshaw - Gone
Neal-Bullen - Gone
Langdon - Contracted, performing his wing role
Harmes - Gone
Sparrow - Contracted, hasn't come on and is depth
Jordon - Gone

Currently on our list we've added Windsor, Laurie, Billings, Hunter, Woewodin and no AFL level rucks to the midfield since. Pretty sharp drop off considering you'd ideally be an attractive destination to play for when you're successful...

I'd say we've added Rivers, Tholthrop and potentially McVee to our midfield stocks this year... 

Darkest before the dawn i say :)

1 hour ago, WiseDeeMan said:

Am I the only one who does not want to give away draft picks? 

We know full well what happened when we were down the bottom when GC and GWS came into the competition - it killed us. 

If we can get 6-8 quality draft picks in the next 2 years we will be very well set age demographic wise when Tassie come into the comp, and set us up for sustained success. Now is the time to draft in my view.

Trac likely leaving, plus ANB, should give us the equivalent of 3 top 12 picks, and a few second rounders perhaps (over the next few years).

We need talent - speed, skill and toughness.  

Trac has screwed the chances of attracting other players potentially - if that's the case let Jason Taylor and team do what they do best. 

I still think we could get a Luke Parker type in addition to this, to cover some depth in the midfield and another great leader and coach to nurture our younger players. 

Totally agree. Trade Tracc, he wants out. Now is the time to load up on first round draft picks. Get 3 quality midfielders this year. We need leg speed and kicking skills. Maybe use our later picks for some recycled players, especially a ruckman. The worry is Richo saying we would be wrong to go young, they still think the P Window is open. Maybe losing Tracc will change the hierarchy’s thinking? 

26 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

Gawn's 33 next season. His body is breaking down with more injuries now and his impact on games is diminishing.

Viney just had his worst season in about 6-7 years and is 31 next season. Had a few good games this year, but he's rapidly in decline. No way to argue that. The fact he was one of our most consistent performers in 2024 is a reason we finished 14th this year.

We just don't have the cattle in the midfield to be competitive. 12th for clearances. 9th for contested possessions. 16th for ball movement. Our midfield is below AFL average in every single stat. 

gawn had two injuries this year, from memory - both impact injuries

he was, by some margin, the best ruckman in the league

7 minutes ago, Earl Hood said:

Totally agree. Trade Tracc, he wants out. Now is the time to load up on first round draft picks. Get 3 quality midfielders this year. We need leg speed and kicking skills. Maybe use our later picks for some recycled players, especially a ruckman. The worry is Richo saying we would be wrong to go young, they still think the P Window is open. Maybe losing Tracc will change the hierarchy’s thinking? 

I am somewhat in this camp if Trac is hellbent on leaving and something can get done, it could help us fix our biggest issue which is footskills and leg speed. Trac’s foot skills are poor and he’s not overly quick, so if we swapped him out for players who are and keep Clarry and Viney as the bulls it could workout. We can also bank some salary to go hard at Harley Reid as well.

Edited August 28, 2024Aug 28 by DistrACTION Jackson

I hope we are having a good look at Jack Lukosius! 

7 minutes ago, Earl Hood said:

I hope we are having a good look at Jack Lukosius! 

Jack Watts with a bit more courage.  Not a lot, just a bit.

Edited August 28, 2024Aug 28 by Gator