Lil_red_fire_engine

Assuming his body checks out this could be a smart potential trade. Good age For us and would not cost alot. Fills a role we have a spot for in the back 7 and has speed, carry and a left footer.

Agree he has had an excellent career. However he’s out of contract and with Daniher on the way I would suggest it would be hard to hold the Big O out for the number 1 spot as there will be less room forward.

I know he is RFA next year but look at the rumoured requests from Dodorio for Saad who is out of contract. There is no way Essendon will accept anything with any form of reason to pry him out when contracted.

Add to this the lack of exposed form this year of players and you are better to load up and have 4-6 picks in the 30-60 range than have 2 picks 10-29 range.

We need more outside run options. We should be trying to attract both Smith and Phillips and even then there is room for a player like Baker if he is good enough. At worst he offers a back up under injury.

Has ridiculous straight line speed but struggles to find enough ball and I am unclear what role he would play. Would not be against it based on low price and attributes but would be disappointed if we picked him up and did not recontract Hunt and Bedford. I would hope if we were talking to Saints we would target Sinclair or the other Phillips.

Langdon is pinpoint in comparison, granted I think he also improved markedly over the season. I dont see the point of gaining territory if it just comes straight back over your head.

So we should hold someone to there contract with one more year even though he does not appear to be in our best 22 plans. Rather than let at his choice be traded to a club that say they want him there and for a longer commitment. Remind me which one is the right thing to do for a player your club respects? If this is what Jetta wants then this is a good outcome for player and club.

A big no from me. Is a massive gut runner but is possibly the biggest butcher by foot in the AFL. Particularly on the money he is on.

A 30 year old on his decline with one top 10 B&F finish in three years who finished the second half of the year out of our best side Vs A 24 year old coming into his prime with 2 top 6 finishes inn three year who lost his spot due to injury. I know they need to clear some space but surely it will cost us more than Jetta?

Get him to where he wants to go. I would not re-sign him. He will not suddenly become a consistent best 22 player. We have too many of similar type and he does not offer positional flexibility.

I will support Smith getting 3 years if that’s what it takes to get him across. I suggest money wont be high. He will clearly be in our best 18 next year. I would suggest unlikely being we don’t really have up and coming outside quality that it would be unlikely he is not in our best 22 year 2. With a smaller coaching fraternity having him on list at Casey even at year 3 and even back half of year two to develop our outside talent as the last player on your list would not be a bad spend still. He is of good character, a successful environment and as others have mentioned came to AFL late and is a type of player and body type that are durable to an older age.

He and Brown should be our top 2 targets. Need vs value for likely cost is the best match in my opinion.

He can run in 100m if it means he kicks it straight. In fact he can do whatever and look however he wants on field if he has his 4th 60+ Goal season. As an opposition player I have always found him annoying due to his quirks. I’ll embrace them if they are ours. As long as his knees (allegedly what was physically challenging him) face the test he should be our number 1 target based on a balance of need vs likely cost. Brown as the main man deep with Weid and LJ with room to roam. Petty can develop as a swing man with no pressure. Then we need to find us some more run and polish at the right price and let’s go.

Unsure if this will surprise others as much as it did myself but Browns contested mark % stacks up against most of the key power forwards. I have always thought of him primarily as a leading mark (which would straighten us up). He also averages the highest “frees for” of key forwards.

I suggest Savage we could pick up for a late pick or DFA as I think would likely be delisted and is out of contract. Witherden is in contract so would be subject to his want to move and Brisbane’s want to retain him.

I would argue Langdon had a bigger impact than Oliver this year and was not surprised by his higher B&F finish (Viney I am less confident though). Oliver seems to be at that age where he is impatient and frustrated but has not recognised he is coming into the years where he should not be following the pack but leading the way and dragging others along with him. We are coming into the year where this should be Oliver, Trac and Lever’s team, they should be setting not following the culture. They are not the kids anymore they should be showing what is the expected levels of training, focus, game day performance, not just theirs but those around them. The penny dropped for Trac (who seemed just as frustrated a year ago) and I suspect the penny will drop for Oliver in 2021. I would under no circumstances trade him this year whether he openly states he wants out or not.

I would argue Langdon had a bigger impact than Oliver this year and was not surprised by his higher B&F finish (Viney I am less confident though). Oliver seems to be at that age where he is impatient and frustrated but has not recognised he is coming into the years where he should not be following the pack but leading the way and dragging others along with him. We are coming into the year where this should be Oliver, Trac and Lever’s team, they should be setting not following the culture. They are not the kids anymore they should be showing what is the expected levels of training, focus, game day performance, not just theirs but those around them. The penny dropped for Trac (who seemed just as frustrated a year ago) and I suspect the penny will drop for Oliver in 2021. I would under no circumstances trade him this year whether he openly states he wants out or not.

Other than him being a first round pick how well do you know his game and where does he fit into our needs? Me personally I dont know it well, he may increase our overall talent but I dont feel like he solves anything for us. I dont see his exposed form at GWS being any better than Sparrow this year who I suggest is a similar player.

You need to have a look at their lists though and ask who would be paying big money to based on their output pre this year? StKilda do not have any superstars in my view and have paid overs to balance their side. At some point they will need to pay King, Clark and Gresham what they are worth as they become the players you would expect. Brisbane paid for Cameron and Neale and likely have Andrews and McCluggage on increasing deals based on worth but where else on their list would be splashing big cash? Carlton up to this year you would pay Cripps plenty but the rest have been good players in decline or unfulfilled talent with low to middling salaries. They have now spent ridiculous overs on flashy bit players in McGovern and Martin and appear to be paying overs for Williams and Saad. They have locked away Weitering now but based on improvement and they will need big deals for Walsh, McKay but not much else for the rest (heaven forbid Curnow gets fit and reaches potential). We are rightfully paying top money for Trac, Gawn, Oliver, May and Langdon but likely have too much money tied up in Lever (unless we front loaded), Tom and possibly Brayshaw and Harmes (granted maybe deal length balanced amount) based on output. We clearly wanted to prioritise Viney over the open market. My assumption on player payments is we have not got the balance right between paying the top 8-10 what they deserve (a lot) and balancing the payments on role players and up and coming talent. I think Brisbane have got it the most right but would much prefer out strategy than StKilda and particularly Carlton which I think will burn them when they need to put the finishing touches on their list.

People need to stop thinking of Preuss as whether he is best 22 and think of him as a quality 2nd option in a position with low coverage. This is not like saying he is our 10th best mid, 8th best forward. If Gawn went down early in the season you are not going to throw second year LJ into the ruck for a year. He has significantly more value on our list as risk mitigation than being considered for a player in contract. If he goes this will not be to do him favours this will be because the deal works well for us. With potentially 3+ clubs in need if he leaves I am confident it will be for an important part of our list management puzzle whether player or pick(s) that support the overall picture.

Agree he’s what we needed but If its with a Jack Martin or Mitch McGovern size deal they can have him.

Great news. The most preferred outcome was to have him sign. In saying that it feels one year too long and if five was the difference between staying and going I would have rolled the dice and stood firm on 4. I cant see with the way he plays and his prior foot issues him being valuable in year 5.

You are comparing a team that won two finals and then got shown up to a team that fell into finals and then lost a close encounter. Either way are you saying you would prefer a coach who minutes after losing a final pretty much states he does not believe in a large chunk of their team or the style that got them there?

I think 16 minute quarters and trying to maintain continuity had a lot to do with it. I had no issue with not playing Harmes as a tagger until we decided to start using Melksham as one late in the year.