31 minutes ago, old dee said:

Is he a good player?

Don't know but what i do know is the best we can offer is JVR with an average of 1 per game. Our best and i am not sure we would classify him as a KPF is Melksham with an average of 1.7 per game. Sadly Melksham is at the end. God knows who we look to for the future.

My point really is that in footy these days whilst of course it's important to have good forwards the days of needing multiple gun key forwards are gone.

As evidence of that, on paper, it would be hard to argue against the proposition the Crows and Dogs have the best forward lines in terms of big key forwards. No surprise both are one and two for most points scored in the home and away seasons.

Neither team will win the flag this season.

By contrast the four remaining teams have decent forward lines but only the Cats and the Lions have what would be considered a traditional big key forward, and in both cases only one.

The hawks have Chol (and Gunston who is more medium) the Cats have Neale and Cameron (but Cameron is really a flanker), the Pies Mihochek and the Lions Morris.

As you note we have JVR who yes had an average year, though was in much better form in the last few games. Yes, he only averaged a goal a game this year, but he averaged 1.4 a game in his first two seasons (for a career average of 1,3) which is super impressive.

I think JVR, who turned 22 in April, is a gun and will fulfil his potential. And we have Kentfield waiting in the wings who I'm pretty bullish about.

Which is not to say we shouldn't consider trading in another key forward just that we shouldn't bother with trying to land a gun like say Mckay and commit too much of our salary cap for a key forward. I'd rather we target a player like Mihochek.

In addition, not being stacked with KPFs the remaining four teams have another thing in common - they ARE stacked with gun kicks with wheels who can play as an outside mid/forward and/or half back flanker. Thinks Mccluggae, Bailey, Daicos, Amon, Hardwick and Holmes.

We most definitely are not stacked with such players, which is one reason why keeping McVee is a priority and i expect them to focus on trying to land such players in the upcoming draft and trade periods.

27 minutes ago, binman said:

My point really is that in footy these days whilst of course it's important to have good forwards the days of needing multiple gun key forwards are gone.

As evidence of that, on paper, it would be hard to argue against the proposition the Crows and Dogs have the best forward lines in terms of big key forwards. No surprise both are one and two for most points scored in the home and away seasons.

Neither team will win the flag this season.

By contrast the four remaining teams have decent forward lines but only the Cats and the Lions have what would be considered a traditional big key forward, and in both cases only one.

The hawks have Chol (and Gunston who is more medium) the Cats have Neale and Cameron (but Cameron is really a flanker), the Pies Mihochek and the Lions Morris.

As you note we have JVR who yes had an average year, though was in much better form in the last few games. Yes, he only averaged a goal a game this year, but he averaged 1.4 a game in his first two seasons (for a career average of 1,3) which is super impressive.

I think JVR, who turned 22 in April, is a gun and will fulfil his potential. And we have Kentfield waiting in the wings who I'm pretty bullish about.

Which is not to say we shouldn't consider trading in another key forward just that we shouldn't bother with trying to land a gun like say Mckay and commit too much of our salary cap for a key forward. I'd rather we target a player like Mihochek.

In addition, not being stacked with KPFs the remaining four teams have another thing in common - they ARE stacked with gun kicks with wheels who can play as an outside mid/forward and/or half back flanker. Thinks Mccluggae, Bailey, Daicos, Amon, Hardwick and Holmes.

We most definitely are not stacked with such players, which is one reason why keeping McVee is a priority and i expect them to focus on trying to land such players in the upcoming draft and trade periods.

JVR a gun at this stage is a bit of an over statement. I do hope he comes good, but a gun is Logan Morris who in his second year is kicking bags of 3-4 quite regularly and he doesn’t really have a partner in crime either.

Nate Caddy in a side riddled with the worst injury list in recent history is also playing better than JVR.

I love the bloke but he is one season away from yet another failed forward player for mine. Has to have a huge 2026 and kick 40 plus to persist with . 16 goals as a 3 Rd year KPF is nowhere near good enough.

Is there any chance of us ever picking up a decent free agent? (So we don't have to give up draft capital).

We got nothing after 2021 (except for Dunstan!) yet after Brisbane's recent flag they're about to get Allen and Draper (after they previously got Daniher for nada).

After 11 years of free agency it seems the best we've ever bought in is Tomlinson, who was only a decent role player.

If you believe everything you read online, MFC and Steven May have mutually parted ways

The same gossiper has linked Trac and the Suns, although without much confidence

And also noted Charles 'SparGod' Spargo will net 3rd band free agency compensation

Edited 21 hours ago21 hr by adonski

6 minutes ago, adonski said:

If you believe everything you read online, MFC and Steven May have mutually parted ways

Have heard this, sounds like a done deal (in terms of him not being at the club next year being a certainty).

15 minutes ago, adonski said:

If you believe everything you read online, MFC and Steven May have mutually parted ways

The same gossiper has linked Trac and the Suns, although without much confidence

And also noted Charles 'SparGod' Spargo will net 3rd band free agency compensation

Link Donksi?

Have seen a couple of allusions here and there but not the direct source

1 minute ago, demoncat said:

Link Donksi?

Have seen a couple of allusions here and there but not the direct source

There is a poster on a very popular footy forum (other than Demonland of course) who seems to get exceptional mail

DM if you want the link

Maybe the dogs or north threw big bucks at May

He is well past his best so I wouldn't begrudge him extending his career

18 minutes ago, adonski said:

Now that is interesting, suggests (sadly but not surprisingly) that Windhager is dead in the water. Would think Collingwood is his preference, hard to see him going to Essendon or Melbourne given the potential for us both being bottom four next year.

Us chatting about Simpkin suggests Trac is almost certainly exploring an exit.

You could not possibly dump that much $$$ into another mid with Trac still there.

5 minutes ago, BW511 said:

Us chatting about Simpkin suggests Trac is almost certainly exploring an exit.

You could not possibly dump that much $$$ into another mid with Trac still there.

Agreed, very good point. Not sure he's really any sort of an upgrade on CP5 either. Personally would be much happier seeing CP5 out, Windhager in (if I was choosing a replacement mid).

Something in me says the moment we get another club to give May a two year deal, mcvee signs a new deal.

Also call me crazy but if Trac goes to the crows, any chance we can prise out that Neal Bullen lad? Really think he has something we could use.

Dees in discussions to trade back into the 1st rd

1 minute ago, Demons11 said:

Dees in discussions to trade back into the 1st rd

We've never seen a draft we didn't like

Just now, adonski said:

We've never seen a draft we didn't like

2027 might be the one.

1 minute ago, Redleg said:

2027 might be the one.

True

17 hours ago, Demons11 said:

Dees in discussions to trade back into the 1st rd

Why? I thought this was a dud draft? If there is someone they want better be sure of getting him else it is Max Holmes all over again.

42 minutes ago, Fritta and Turner said:

Why? I thought this was a dud draft? If there is someone they want better be sure of getting him else it is Max Holmes all over again.

100% agree with this. Winding up with Laurie instead of Holmes was a killer. Same with trading a fortune to get up but then wind up with Tholstrup.

There's trading into the first round and then there's trading into the first round... There is a big drop off point in most drafts, and we've botched judging it multiple times now. Trading into the first round twice and landing Laurie and Tholstrup has set us back considerably IMO.

Unless we can trade up and get into the top 5-10 where there is always obvious and undeniable quality, then it's a strategy that has failed us and needs to stop.

3 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

100% agree with this. Winding up with Laurie instead of Holmes was a killer. Same with trading a fortune to get up but then wind up with Tholstrup.

There's trading into the first round and then there's trading into the first round... There is a big drop off point in most drafts, and we've botched judging it multiple times now. Trading into the first round twice and landing Laurie and Tholstrup has set us back considerably IMO.

Unless we can trade up and get into the top 5-10 where there is always obvious and undeniable quality, then it's a strategy that has failed us and needs to stop.

While I generally agree, it’s a bit early to write off Kolt

Laurie instead of Holmes though? The stuff of nightmares

18 hours ago, adonski said:

We've never seen a draft we didn't like

Our list management strategy is based off the reality of being a smaller club without a proper home base. This is a huge reason why we've struggled to land players.

Instead, we look to draft our elite talent in as we know it's unlikely that we'll land a big fish.

IMO, we need to add one or two more elite young talents in the next two years to Windsor, Lindsay, Langford and others. The draft is the way.

21 minutes ago, demoncat said:

While I generally agree, it’s a bit early to write off Kolt

Laurie instead of Holmes though? The stuff of nightmares

But you'd agree that Kolt is not of the Langford, Lindsay and even Windsor class?

1 minute ago, Adam The God said:

But you'd agree that Kolt is not of the Langford, Lindsay and even Windsor class?

Clearly not on his output over his first two years, but who knows where he’ll be two years from now

I do agree that we overpaid to trade for that pick though - every chance we still could have drafted him while using those second round picks on a Logan Morris or Joel Freijah

Something I hope were more cognisant of in the future

30 minutes ago, demoncat said:

While I generally agree, it’s a bit early to write off Kolt

Laurie instead of Holmes though? The stuff of nightmares

Holmes was taken with pick 20, Bowey at 21, Laurie at 22.

Am I missing something here?

I don't mind the overpaying, I think we just made the wrong pick. But it is what it is.