Lil_red_fire_engine

I suggest we are also looking at our centre square crew for first bounce tomorrow morning.

Have not read any of the thread to not be biased. I reckon it will be something like. Surprise Packet - Jackson will come on a lot quicker than anyone thought and show he is more a forward/ruck than ruck/forward Surprise Packet 2 - Spargo will show the natural footy player he is now that his body and preseasons will let him do what his brain sees he should. Whipping boy - Tomlinson. Will get games most of year and no one will understand why as they praise May and Lever dominating.

They did not take their chances in the first and third and then got beaten up around the ball as the bigger bodies of the dogs took their toll. Hore missing was a massive loss in those conditions. I felt they tried to play Mithen more forward to cover the loss but it didnt work.

I dont. Though I will back that being we have never put him there the club either feel the same or rate more highly his value out of the back half. My personal view is he does not have the tank or natural want to push up and back to meet the requirements of the role. I also think he is one that reads the ball better with the ball coming at him. I understand that some would love him kicking the ball inside 50 which he could do more as a high half forward. However I do think his best value continues to be off half back.

We used to play picks too early to get games into them and I am sure that killed some careers. Now I dont think we hold players back now I think we reward good preseasons and then post that make youngsters earn their spot when they are ready. It’s hard to say we hold players back when last year Pickett, Jackson and Rivers in a similar fashion to Port with Rozee, Butters, Duursma. Jordon and Sparrow have been unfortunate that they have been behind some quality mature mids. Petty and Chandler were injured most of last year.

I am always interested in those that want Salem on a wing. What makes people think he is suited to a wing? Don’t we think that 2 years ago when we tried 10+ players there and no on suited there is a reason he was not one of them.

We have next to no maturity of talls other than M Brown with BB and Weid having delayed starts. We have no mature ruck coverage. We have enough developing players now. We need a mature tall body or two just in case. Daw fits as a ruck if needed and defensive tall either directly or to allow more forward flexibility with Petty or May (not that I would swing him).

Can he play ruck?

Its a no for me because of the risk. Its also a no because I dont think our club should be encouraging the return of such players regardless of what medical advice has occurs. But its also a no for me because there is no consistent exposed form that he is actually any good.

Yes. Nothing they showed made me think that’s who we were looking at with those two picks.

So you think 1 of 2 untried 18/19 year olds who were not drafted would be slotted in round 1 and make the difference? How many slots do we have available and what would stop us listing one now? This is not preferred but better these happen now than half way through the season if they occur. Or we could just not be conservative and grind them both in the ground for round 1 and have them useless 3 rounds in? .Lucky we retained TMac and he is in good shape. Lucky we retained M Brown. I wonder if they look at pivoting Petty forward?

Great vision. I love the pessimists looking to read in and criticise. Goody doesn’t look happy WTF. Goody does not know these players it is not his job to. Goody should not control who we get and its comforting to see he doesn’t. Goody may not have a natural like for smaller statured players but do you think he’s not excited getting the 2 best forward of centre kicks in the draft? Holmes did not appear to be in the picture at those two picks. I suggest we did not expect Carroll to be there but we looked for the best dynamic to go with what the list requires and based on the 2 we had already picked. I also love a bit of speculative with high upside rather than a solid potential. Taylors comment that “this kid could explode” is exactly what I wanted to here.

2019 is factually shown why we were poor. The number of days missed of preseason as well as games missed by best 22 players in season due to injury does not lie. How we ended up with so many needing surgery, nursed through or playing underdone and whether we had a game style and team selection that considered this is up for question. 2020 there was no excuse. Everyone was under trying conditions. Every team had to pivot to some extent. We had games we did not show up for. We had games where we were on. Through the swings and round abouts of it all we were not good enough to qualify for finals. 2021 I am sure will throw up challenges of varying sorts. However we have lost no one from our best 18. All other than Jones, Hibberd, Melksham and Jetta should not be in career decline. We have some 2nd -3rd year kids in Pickett, Jackson, Rivers, Petty, Spargo, Jordon, Sparrow who should bring more quality to our 19-25 range than those we have shed. Them you possibly have a breakout of one of the three (four) newbies in Bowey, Laurie, Rosman and possibly Farmer to inject some first year energy or speed that we have historically lacked. This is before you include the value of Yze and Choco who both may be bigger recruits than Brown when he get on the field. 2021 holds no excuses.

If Petty’s development and form is as hot as I think it sounds I would not be surprised to see Petty and Tomlinson take the main defensive posts with Lever as the third up and May to take the most dangerous small forwards inside 50 ie: Cameron, Walters, Tip, Ryan. He has the speed, smarts and agility for it as well as ability dominate in the air and/or offer further support against the big forwards. It also frees him to play a more attacking role in forward transition.

I must agree we set ourselves a team and style to grind over teams with a battering ram, high endurance style in 2020. That was taken away from us with shortened quarters and even still only our own mental fragility in Cairns has us miss the finals by a slender margin. Assuming a good run with injuries and the natural development of the list and the connection between them with game style it is not an unreasonable call.

The decision making and pressure execution on a wing is very different to back and forward. Other than starting there and drifting forward a few times in 2019, Toms ability on a wing is as known as Rosmans’ at AFL level.

Hunt has looked good at times forward and has looked good at times back. Definitely more opportunity for him down back I would suggest if we are going taller/smaller rather than medium size forward. I still dont think though you can have him and Hibberd in the same back 7 being they are both distance rather than accuracy players.

Could you not argue the same for your position? When has Hunt or Salem proven they are capable of playing the wing at any time? We have one person who has shown he can play above average - elite wing in Langdon and one in Tomlinson who has shown at GWS he can play it to an AFL average level. Everyone else has no proven consistent level demonstrated.

I have a suspicion Langdon is in the leadership group. Watching the Captain’s Run podcast, Brayshaw and Gawn were talking about how Langdon has taken Rosman under his tutelage and is getting more involved with other players. To which Gus said not surprising since he’s moved ...... i probably cant say that can I. To which Gawn said no.

I think there is wanting to play another role and being capable to play it. I would suspect Harmes was all for it at the start of 2019 but was not capable and lost all confidence. I sense from that interview he maybe also struggled in the hub (amplified by poor form I suspect). Of course then its natural that he be excited to get back to where he has played his best footy.

No rush to fill the spot. Other than maybe Hibbo I dont feel any of this is disrupting our likely start back 7.

There is no way that I can see that Brayshaw will have the kilometres in the legs compared to other players. I will be very surprised if he is there in the first month let alone round 1. Hibberd likely but I either way I feel Hunt will skip in front of him for a half back flank.

If we have low injuries surely we only take someone short term if Deakyn or Kobe actually show significant development. Otherwise are we not best to sit and wait and see how players who missed drafting perform in feeders comps and load on two mid year rather than wait until next years draft.

Maybe best I include a midfield :) Lever May Lockhart Rivers ATom Salem Langdon Oliver TMac Petracca Weid Spargo Pickett Brown Fritsch Gawn Melksham Viney Hunt Jackson ANB Jordon Laurie Smith Sparrow

Adjusting based on recent training reports and what I think we’ll see. Lever May Lockhart Rivers ATom Salem Langdon Oliver TMac Petracca Weid Spargo Pickett Brown Fritsch Hunt Jackson ANB Jordon Melksham Smith Sparrow My assumption that Brayshaw, Hibberd and Petty will not be 100% ready to roll round 1.