Deespicable

Draft is live on Kayo from 7pm - both nights. It's been really interesting to see how much variance pre-draft prognostications have this year and clearly clubs are busy handing out misinformation to AFL journos because it may assist their chances of getting the player they want. To me it's pretty clear that there are seven elite midfielders and one exciting tall - who are the so-called cream of the draft - although there are plenty more players who may end up being bargain buys after that. Of the seven mids - that figure includes Ashcroft (Brissy) and Lombard (Suns), wile Tauru is clearly an excitement machine - albeit a flawed one at this stage with his kicking skills. Of the five available mids all have potential flaws - Langford (pace), O'Sullivan (poor 2024 output), Smith (size and scoring ability), Draper (kicking skills) and Lalor (injury prone). But I reckon given North is clearly into Tauru (the fact that they are willing to consider a fall to pick 4 with Adelaide tells you that), then we have an interesting decision to make on our pick 5, as there will be two gun mids left and Richmond will want whoever is left at pick 6. As I said in my original rant, I still think the Tigers are mega keen on Jagga Smith - I suspect they have been playing the game of seeing whether other clubs are deadset keen on him to determine if they can get him at pick 6 or not. And i still believe that if we are keen on him then we should take him at pick 5 - obviously if North didn't go Tauru, then I'd take hime before Smith - as I reckon we need excitement and unpredictability that he provides in the air, more than anything else. But in the most likely scenario we get a choice of Langford or Smith and hopefully Armstrong with pick 9. I've watched enough of Armstrong's video and he clearly is an elite kick and his agility rating is high, which means that we will just have to drill him hard on tackling and pressure. If we do get a choice of Langford or Smith, then I'd hope our interest in Smith is such that we can illicit Richmond to offer us picks 6 and 23 for 5 (ie Smith) - thereby giving us Langford, Armstrong and another slider - or should the Saints throw a spanner in the works and take Armstrong, give us Langford, Allan or Travaglia and the best tall slider - I still really like what I saw of Jonty Faull. Langford will not provide us with pace, but he still looks almost a complete player - a great mark, a lovely clever kick and courage. He has a huge tank, so as long as we have pace around him, he will do fine. As stated earlier, I suspect Carlton has just given out the misinformation of being interested in Draper to reduce O'Sullivan interest and ensure he gets to pick 3. The Crows in return are mooting moving to pick 2 in return and going for O'Sullivan - but I suspect that's just a tite-for-tatt play - they are both comfortable with O'Sulllvan (Carlton) and Draper (Adelaide) I reckon because they are both exciting players based on what they've shown thus far. The biggest unforeseen spanner in the works now would be if the Tigers took Jagga at No.1, leaving Lalor to fall. I hope we have done our homework on him as well just in case of this eventuality as he could also fall to 5. He looks a ripper, but once clubs have a fixation on a certain player, it's hard to get them to reconsider their pre-draft night rationale.

Huge chance he gets through to No.5 if Richmond uses its No.1 pick on Sam Lalor as many are now predicting. If they do, North will go Tauru as they don’t want Smith because they already have enough quality small mids. The Blues are committed to O’Sullivan and the Crows want Draper which leaves us deciding between Smith, Langford and Armstrong. In that scenario, if we want Smith then the Tigers will offer us either picks 6 and 23 to get Smith or picks 10 and 11 and to be honest I think I’d make the trade. But I would also be happy with just taking Smith - there is no doubt he can play.

Thanks for this and yes I agree it's not a great advertisement for him - but it's worth looking at other videos of him as well as my understanding is that he got injured early in the GF and that may have affected his poise under pressure and increased his quick panic releases. As I said in my opener, if Smith fell to pick 5, then it would be hard not to go him, unless we really loved the counter offer from the Tigers. Smith and Tauru would be the dream draft, but I can't see it happening.

How it may work out – the top 15 picks and the potential phone call that will rock Tim Lamb Dees stance on draft night Having agreed to give up next year’s top pick, there’s no doubt in my mind (and I’d say any sane person’s mind) that the directive from Tim Lamb to JT will be to draft both the best tall and the best mid/small fwd with picks 5 and 9. I mean last year we chose a pacey mid (Caleb Windsor) at the expense of the best mobile forward (Nate Caddy) and we backed that up with another promising mid/small forward in Koltyn Tholstrop. We’ve also already given priority to a every-ready back-up mid (Harry Sharp) over a classy but untried back-up tall (Wade Derksen). And we’ve offloaded talls Adam Tomlinson and Josh Schache, so there’s clearly room on the list now for another tall. Based on videos I’ve seen, it’s hard not to be excited by the exploits of the Striking Viking Alix Tauru – who has an incredible leap and is only just getting used to playing as a forward after spending his early days as an intercept defender. And dare I say it, but his Nic Nat leaping style is something we need more than anything to spark the lads up at training. There’s nothing quite like an exciting teenager to take your mind off the club’s problems. As to our other get, it will be interesting to see whether the rise of HokBall means we will want the quickest livewire mid/small to go with the big. I have no doubt JT was planning to take Murphy Reid, although his fear at missing out on Tauru probably means we will most likely miss out on Reid and have to look for the next best player left – and from what I’ve seen so far, on video, I’m actually tipping that JT’s love of the west means he will take Bo Allan with that pick. Here’s how I see it unfolding and some of the big dilemmas facing clubs, primarily Richmond. 1 Jagga Smith (Rich) There’s been a lot of talk lately that the Tigers are more interested in Sam Lalor with pick 1, but that option defies belief. Smith is a livewire, small clever mid – an even better version of the clever Murphy Reid you might say – and he starred in the Tigers VFL side in two of his three games that he played this year. He’s trained with them and they love him. To risk losing him would be a big, big call, but it’s possible given North, Carlton and Adelaide won’t take him (they have other priorities), leaving us as the only potential spoilers at pick 5 before the Tigers pick 6. If North don’t take Tauru at 2, then JT would face a tricky decision on whether to pass on Smith as well if he fell that far and get Tauru at 5, but if they do take Tauru, then my tip is that we will go with Smith and add Armstrong, Shanahan or Jonty Faull. Whilst in a more logical world, I have Tigers taking Smith at 1 and North taking Lalor at pick 2, if the Tigers decide they want to be risktakers and try and get both Lalor and Smith and go Lalor with pick 1, then I reckon North then goes Tauru and we will have to decide if we take Smith or Reid at five, which we should until … the phone rings on draft night. Tim Lamb then advises his team that the Tigers are willing to offer us picks 10 and 11 for pick 5. They may also offer up pick 11 and their first rounder for 2025 – which is a likely top three pick, which would be even more tempting. Lamb would have an interesting call to make in that eventuality. But I’m tipping the Tiges will go the more orthodox route and make Jagga their No.1. And if they do, then the phone call remains a figment of my imagination. 2 Sam Lalor (NM) Unlike Smith, Lalor has a bit of size about him at 188cm (6ft1in) and he’s shown he can be both the tough mid and the clever leading forward (that crunching pack mark for Vic Country that is on almost every video of him was a super highlight). He also has more goal sense than most of the other mids – he kicked seven on return from injury at APS level. He’s been compared to Dusty (hence why Tiger fans rate him) but I reckon he’s more in the Matthew Larkin in his prime mould – similar vision and awareness, although he’s a better mark than Larkin ever was. Being a bigger mid/fwd, it means the Roos will like him because Wardlaw, McKercher and Sheezel aren’t big-bodied like him. The Roos should also be considering Harvey Langford, for exactly the same reason – he has size (190cm) and a thumping left foot kick which is a point of difference for their mids, but his lack of raw pace may see him slide a bit. As stated earlier, if the Tigers take Lalor then the Roos may decide to take the big gamble and go with Tauru at pick 2 – a player they apparently like the look of as well, but two months ago he was rated a likely second-rounder at best, so the risk factor is there. The other possibility is that the Tigers offer up picks 10 and 11 for pick 2 – meaning they are guaranteed Lalor and Smith. Would the Roos take it, given they could then go two quality talls or a mid/tall combo. I reckon they should, but most clubs don’t as they are inherently conservative for fear of ramifications. 3 Levi Ashcroft (Bris) The Tigers won’t bid on him at No.1 because they need the marketing power of keeping the No.1 label, so it’s then up to North or the Blues to hold the premiers accountable. The Roos did bid on Will Ashcroft back in 2022 and Jed Walter in 2023, so I reckon the Kangas might pass on him this time as he isn’t what they require position wise. And if that’s the case, the Blues will definitely bid on him to keep the Lions honest – especially given they are also in the same window. 4 Finn O’Sullivan (Carl) The Blues have already given up picks 12 and 14 to get this pick and it’s no secret they want him – Carlton always goes with the footy bloodlines and being Sam Walsh’s cousin will have Lygon St salivating. They will be a little scared that the Tigers will snare him at pick 1, but his VFL form for them, aside from two neat goals, wasn’t exactly exceptional. He did however stand out at testing, so everyone is aware he has upside and he will start as a classy, quick half forward for them, which is what they crave right now. 5 Sid Draper (Adel) Have a look at his highlights video and you know the guy is quick, smart and strong, although he still needs to work on his kicking prowess – he has a bit of the Clayton Oliver’s about him with his preference to handball. But as SA skipper, he seemed more aware of the importance of using his line-breaking ability at the carnival and his pace is top tier. The Crows will consider the best midfield bull in Harvey Langford, but I’m tipping they go local – big ramifications if they don’t and he turns out a gun. 6 Alix Tauru (Melb) As stated above, JT will be told to take a big as a priority and if Tauru is still around because North overlook him, then I reckon we have to take him here. The Saints will surely take him as one of their two picks if we don’t. He still looks a bit like a dear in headlights with his goalkicking routine, but I’m sure with good training from Chocco and our new forwards coach, he will get into good habits. And if he can’t find the goals, he’s a walkup start as an intercept defender in the James Sicily mould down the track (May and T-mac are not exactly young). And the best thing, for those of you fearful of another Jack Watts or even Matt Jefferson is that he loves tackling. I suspect JT had been thinking of using this pick for Murphy Reid, but solving our tall problem should be the priority. The proviso on this is what happens if Jagga Smith is still on the table or North gambles on the striking viking at pick 2. If North does go Tauru, one of Lalor or Smith will also still be around, and if it’s Smith I reckon that phone call from the Tigers may be made to us. And Tim Lamb better be ready. 7 Harvey Langford (Rich) With Lalor and O’Sullivan gone, the Tigers will turn to their attention to a player who they have trialled in the VFL and one who finished the season for Dandenong Stingrays like he was Marcus Bontempelli. He’s a powerful extractor with a booming left-foot and being bid-bodied will compliment Jagga Smith, who is the exact opposite. He’s also got a huge tank, but the only doubt about him in this modern HokBall world is that he lacks pace. But Patty Cripps doesn’t have pace either and he’s the best in the game. 8 Isaac Kako (Ess) You have to assume Essendon had inside word that the Saints would bid on him, otherwise their decision to give up pick 9 to us is bizarre. I doubt he is better than Murphy Reid, but he certainly has pace and leads up well. He also has that dynamic Kozzie-type aggressive style, so he should make an impact in a couple of seasons. 9 Murphy Reid (StK) I reckon the Saints will be jumping to get their local Sandy lad who has that touch of Gryan Miers about him. That’s a shame because we would definitely take him if he fell to our pick 9 (which will most likely slide to pick 11 or even 12). If JT’s intel is that the Saints aren’t into Tauru then I reckon we will flip and take Reid at pick 6. 10 Harry Armstrong (StK) With Jack Steele 29 next month and more of a lockdown player, the Saints will consider Josh Smylie, but I suspect a few clubs are wary of his low-tackle count and Ross and Smylie would clash big time I reckon. And Matteas Phillipou showed good signs late in the year and is a player earmarked for the guts, so another tall option up forward for the Saints would be smart. Armstrong’s high agility rating also would help their confidence as that was Nate Caddy’s strength as well last season. Armstrong looks a classy kick, but I didn’t see too many hangers in his highlights. But he’s quick on the lead, so that’s not crucial anyway. Being another Sandy kid helps the Sainters community appeal as well! 11 Leo Lombardo (GC) This guy is freakishly quick and agile and has high skills, but he’s a tad small – a bit like Caleb Daniel in his heyday. He looks to me like a cash cow for your SuperCoach teams next year and will play round 1 for the Suns barring injury. The Saints should have bidded on him to ensure the Suns lose their two second rounders before their third rounder. But I suspect if they bid on Kako they may not want to go again for a player they don’t get, so I reckon it will be left up to bid on him with our next pick. JT loves smalls like him anyway, although the Suns will match our bid in a flash. 12 Bo Allan (Melb) One of Reid, Smith or Lombard would have been the perfect player to combine with Tauru and solve most of our shortages and help counter Hokball. But alas, I doubt that will happen. Allan is the last of the players who I reckon are certainties to be high-quality impact players and being from WA, it’s a happy recruiting ground for JT. He’s a tall left-foot mid who moves really well and is a decent kick and he’s tough enough to play in the middle as well as off half-back where he will play for us for at least a couple of seasons until he’s ready to go inside. He reminds me a lot of Adelaide’s Jordan Dawson. He’s already had a taste of big games having been handy in the WAFL grand final and as captain of WA ticks all the boxes. In fact he’s so good a prospect, that if the Tigers did come knocking for our pick 5 in exchange for picks 10 and 11, I think I’d have to say yes because we still would get him. 13 Luke Trainor (Rich) Having set up their midfield with Smith and Langford, the Tigers surely will look at long-term bigs and Trainor is regarded as the best tall defender. You’d have to think West Coast at pick 15 would want a replacement for Barrass at their pick if the Tigers don’t pounce here. 14 Jobe Shanahan (Rich) He’s got a bit of the Michael Roach’s about him and is a very accurate kick. Given his size, I reckon the Dees would also be considering him, but Tauru is more exciting. I really like the look of Jonty Faull as well, but Shanahan’s games at VFL for Essendon won me over. As a footnote, if we did accept Richmond’s pick 5 trade offer in my imaginary world, then we’d take Allan, Shanahan and have a decision to make on Travaglia or Hannaford. 15 Xavier Lindsay (WC) I reckon West Coast would be a little [censored] that we took Bo Allan and Trainor would have been the right fix for their post-Barrass defence. I can’t see them going Faull or Hannaford, and McQualter will want clever ball movers and Lindsay is a bit of a Christian Salem freak with his precise kicking and will most likely start on the wing or half-back for them.

I suspect JT felt the draft top end extended to about pick 15 (including Ashcroft and Kako) and as a result we were heavily into getting pick 13 from the Suns, but they were considering a few options. When Tim Lamb realised Essendon would be willing to part with pick 9 - thereby negating any Kako early bid worries, they were willing to offload provided a club could stump up enough points - which we did via getting Adelaide's third rounder in exchange for our future one. The Crows were very generous and helpful this draft period - probably felt guilty for the McAdam deal! As to why we needed pick 9 - it gives us the chance to draft both the best mid/fwd still available (O'Sullivan, Lalor or Reid) and also the best tall options (Striking Viking or Harry Armstrong). And that in turn with Windsor and Tholstrop should help secure our future beyond this current down cycle. Yes it means both the Sharp and Derksen deals may not go ahead - although we still have pick 49 so at least one of them will get done.

I'm a bit tired of reading about Zak Butters on this year's draft thread - not sure why some threaders feel compelled to go off-track. But I certainly would be interested in what Demonlanders think we, or rather Jason Taylor, should do with pick 5 this year and I'll open it up by giving my 50 cents worth. Last year I was somewhat bullish about Nate Caddy and I have a player in mind this year that I know will be howled down by some of you. Before I get to him, let's make a few things clear, so you know the off-track spoilers when you appear. The following three players - Jagga Smith, Harvey Langford and Sid Draper - will be gone by our pick and Levi Ashcroft is a Brisbane bound father-son. At present it is unclear whom North will take with pick 2, they'd like to offload for two top 10 picks but Saints aren't interested, but I suspect they will be forced to consider upgrading tall forward Harry Armstrong or taking Finn O'Sullivan, both of whom impressed at the Combine. I have six players in the mix for us, so please let me know which one you think we should or will take. The six are: Finn O'Sullivan - Injured a lot this season, he's a clever 182cm midfielder who is classy enough to play forward and, as was shown at draft combine, has huge leap potential, is quick and has a tank. He played a couple of games for Richmond VFL and didn't dominate like Jagga, but he was pretty handy. My view: He's got great athletic ability and he could be a Harry Sheezel type, but I'm not sure he's who we want. Harry Armstrong - Injured early in the year, he's a genuine key forward (195cm). He came back and kicked plenty of goals for Sandy, including four in the grand final and five in the U18 game against Vic Country. He's a thumping left-foot kick. My view: He's the best credentialled big forward, but I am not sure he's an aggressive enough pack mark. His did well in agility test, the same test that Nate Caddy fared well at last year, so he's worth considering. Sam Lalor - A midfielder./forward with a touch of Dusty about him at 187cm, he's precise with his kicking and can mark well in packs - he kicked seven for Geelong Grammar one game. Got injured again late in year, but his highlights are mighty impressive. My view: As with O'Sullivan, he could be a superstar, but with no combine testing, I reckon he's a risk at such a high pick. But I'd take him in a flash if he fell to pick 13, assuming we get that pick. Josh Smillie - Rated the likely No.1 pick early this season, he racked up big numbers in the midfield for Eastern and at times has a touch of Jason Horne-Francis about him, but he was unable to cope with the extra quality around him in the Vic Metro games. My view: He's 194cm and I can't help but think he's an early developer who has beaten up the little boys, but is now struggling a little at the higher level and I suspect he may lack a bit of pace. He didn't make the top 10 in any of the combine lists, so any info here on his actual athleticism would help me. I did like the way he looked as a long-kicking defender in one Vic Metro game - so he may still make it, but for me i wouldn't risk him at pick 5. Murphy Reid - Only 180cm, but as with Gryan Miers, he makes up for his lack of size with smarts and a clever mix of chip kicks and overhead handballs. Missed the combine testing with an ankle injury, but I suspect he would have rated highly on athleticism. My view: If you like Hokball, then you have to rate this guy highly and I reckon JT will pull his name out at pick 6 (Ashcroft should go at pick 2). And as with Caleb Windsor over Nate Caddy, he'd be a very good choice, but not my choice I'm afraid. Alix Tauru - The striking viking with Swedish background wasn't on anyone's lists until recently, so I decided to have a look at his tapes and see whether he was worthy. He is 193cm with the biggest leap in the draft and had impressed as an intercept defender until Gippsland Power's coach decided to try him forward. His kicking isn't AFL level yet, but there's nothing wrong with it - he just looks like a shocked defender in front of goals at the moment. But he leads well (I suspect he's fairly quick) and he flies like Isaac Heeney. He also likes to tackle - which separates him from any Jack Watts comparisons. My view: He's the most exciting player in the draft and he fits our main requirements - being a tall who can assist JVR. And if he can't understand forward craft, then he's a sure thing down back as a long-term replacement for May or Lever. He may not be as impactful as Erling Harlaand, but if JT thinks his personality is OK, then he's the one I'd take at No.5 and he will bring the excitement we need. Let me know your view - I know some DLers actually go to the CL games - and here's hoping we snaffle pick 13 as well to give JT more chances.

Hard to believe that the boy who wore spectacles in games as a 16yo and then worked at Thorold Merrett sports store in the city has been gone for 10 years now. He just was poetry out on his wing and I still think he should have made the Team of last Century on a wing with Doug Hawkins his only real rival - Keith Greig won two Brownlow's but was never as good.

I reckon the most interesting draft trade (outside of what we do) is North Melbourne with pick 2. Given they have spent all their high picks in past three years on mids - Phillips, Wardlaw, Sheezel, McKercher and Duursma, they now find themselves staring down taking another one, unless they can somehow trade with the Saints (picks 7 and 8 - Battle) or Freo (picks 10 and 11) and get two picks of slightly less value. Last year the deal would be done easily, but this year with very little between the likely top 10, both St Kilda and Freo would be reluctant to give up two picks - the Dockers will have to give one away anyway for Bolton. So North, who would love to get two talls rated in the 6-15 category (eg: Armstrong and Trainor) in exchange for pick 2 - are stuck with deciding whether they take Langford (tall left foot mid) or O'Sullivan (classy mid/fwd Sheezel style) unless a club makes a nice but somewhat bizarre deal with them.

Whilst I was initially surprised we are even thing of bringing in a soon to be 33-year-old three-club ruckman in Tom Campbell, I have tempered my feelings somewhat after checking his file. Firstly he is regarded as a great clubman - won Saints award in 2023 - and we need that sort of person. Secondly he had a super final two months in VFL once he returned from injury - on stats by far the best VFL ruckman during that period torching Southport's mature age prospect Brayden Crossley and Willy's Tom Downie and pretty much breaking even with Essendon's Nick Bryan. As I've stated elsewhere, we need a high-quality mature-age VFL standard tapman to be our back-up for a Gawny injury whilst we wait and see if Will Verrall develops into an AFL quality ruck. At the end of 2025 season we should know if Will is going to step up to that level - he's nowhere near yet but another big pre-season may make all the difference. Aside from Campbell I would have said the other options via the rookie draft were Crossley, Norwood's Margarey Medal winner Harry Boyd or even Coburg's Cooper Keogh - the latter of whom rarely takes a mark, but can tap. As a result Campbell is probably a better option for the one-season back-up quick fix.

Like others I haven't ever seen him play, so thanks for videos from his pre-GWS days and he does look the goods - but so do many that have junior video highlights. But a quick look at his numbers in the VFL for the Giants tells me that he is a moneyball pick of the highest order - potentially a pick that will save Tim Lamb's job. How many forwards take 12 marks and have 25 disposals - as he did in a loss to Willy. The week before he was quieter in a 50-point loss but still kicked a couple. The week before it was 17 disposals and two goals in a one-point loss, although he did have a shot at a matchwinner. He was prominent against us the week before - 19 disposals, five marks, three tackles. That's a lot of disposals for a tall. His height is somewhere between 194cm and 197cm - that's tall and he can play back-up ruck - tick. He can kick it a long way based on the videos and with both feet - tick. He is still only 23 - that's way better than drafting/trading in players who are at end of career such as Membrey or Taberner and given that he has been in the system for two years is ready to play AFL - tick. He can play both down back and up forward, which means if jnjuries happen to our ageing tall defenders, he can be sent there or Petty can. He is from a club that boasts the best talls - Taylor, Buckley, Cadman and Hogan - tick - which explains why he didn't get an AFL gig. He has at least one mate at club already - AMW - and apparently has family in Melbourne - tick. If anyone has any major doubts then let us know - he may not have high tackle numbers but nor do many talls. So what do we give up for him? I'd say we'd have to give up our second rounder or the pick we receive from Adelaide for ANB - any deal involving our pick 5 should be immediately shut down. And given that he looks ready to play, the length of his contract should be three years, just in case he struggles with the extra expectations of playing AFL. I'd imagine he is on somewhere between 200-250K at present, so his deal should come with a new $400-$450K salary. To me, it's the first good trade news we've had since Ed and Ben.

What gets me with Tim Lamb is that he doesn't seem to be across things and has made some major howlers since 2021 when he was feted as our guru along with JT? In June 2022 he agrees to a seven-year extension for Oliver. Yes he was worth big money based on four B&Fs and being one of the games greats and I am sure his manager wanted that length of deal, but we have since read that Oliver had infuriated teammates by that stage already - Gawn and Goody have alluded to this with comments about him becoming a better person this year in the wake of his public shaming. I don't expect Lamb to know all of Oliver's personal life, but I am sure the players knew he was having issues. I get that long deals are all the rage, but at what point is a list manager expected to read the tealeaves and offer just a five-year extension - that is also a very long period of time and doesn't have the same potential to cripple a club for so long? We only recently found out Lachie Hunter was actually given a three-year deal when he signed in Nov 2022 - yes we got him for a pittance and yes he gave us a left-foot wingman that we needed but yes he had some significant personal issues that should have raised red herrings when it came to length of deal. Would his manager have said no to a two-year deal - highly unlikely given we were one of the few clubs willing to take him and his salary on. In the same draft year of 2022 he added a bargain - Josh Schache - who the Dogs were happy to offload for all his talent after realising that he was a nice bloke, but not quite tough enough for the current high-pressure game. The move was somewhat understandable given we'd just lost Jackson and decided we couldn't afford paying the Weid big money anymore with Grundy coming in, but it showed a lack of awareness about where the game was heading. I don't have any major problem with us signing Jack Billings for two years. Yes Billings was a risk because the game's intensity may have moved past him. But his skill level and the fact that he cost us nothing, but his money outlay, meant it was worth a risk. Collingwood wanted him too. Billings may well have been more of JT's call anyway, given he liked him as a junior, but Lamb would have had the final say. But last year Lamb added two more years to the contracts of both Jefferson and Adams. I can sort of understand Jefferson because we are locked in on his potential, even it fails to materierlise, but two more for Adams? What has he shown so far to warrant it and which club is keen on luring him. If he doesn't make major inroads next year, we will be looking to delist him early. On top of that there are now nine former Demons - Jackson, Hogan, Bedford, Harmes, Howe, Baker, Jordon, Wagner, Grundy - playing seniors for other clubs with ANB about to join them. That's a lot of exodus without nailing much in return via the list manager - so far only Langdon and Ben Brown (before injury got him again in 2022) have been good additions. It is for that reason myself and others here are very wary with what Tim Lamb does and my series on our draft/trade periods highlighted that while JT has shown himself to be an astute judge, sadly the same cannot be said of Lamb. We enter another trade period hopeful of wise calls - but names will come up and I am wary of Lamb's decision making. Tim Membrey's name has been mentioned and yes the 30-year-old is coming to the end of his career and the Saints will be happy to move him on. He is a lovely kick, but he is only 188cm tall and has always struggled to be that target down the line. He is a third tall and leads well - the same role that Turner is playing and Fritter can play if needed. If we are so desperate to add an out-of-contract tall forward, wouldn't we be better to look at someone like Freo's Matt Taberner who is of a similar age (31) but is actually 197cm tall and whilst he might end up injured a lot of the time like Brown, he at least he can play the down the line role when fit. He kicked five in the WAFL prelim final. Matt Kennedy and Matt Owies name's are being mentioned here now as well. But both are being allowed to go because they are not quite quick enough for the modern hokball era. I'd be happy with either providing us more depth, but the Blues will want a second rounder for them and I'd rather we use that on a kid as JT is more likely to get it right. Clancy Dennis will be around that pick, not to mention possibly Ollie Hannaford. Young is one we should consider given his height, but I think he, like Schache, is regarded as being too nice to make it.

Ok, that's 38 plus the three as yet unsigned players on our list that will lose ANB. I have a minimum six must have picks via this year's drafts/UFA scenarios and ideally seven or eight and I am sure that JT would have similar aspirations to add that many. I just hope Lamb hasn't stuffed up the numbers again.

Thanks for Hannaford video Chaser J and yes based on that game he will definitely be drafted. And given the rise of HokBall - he should be very much in JT's thinking. He was a lot quieter today in the PF, but will be well worth a watch next week along with Jonty Faull in the GF.

I have stated before that Caleb Daniels had the best highlights package of any U18 player I have seen and he has shown he can have an impact with his clever kicking at the heart of his skillset. But he is now 28 and lost some of his zip and there is now way he can play like a Nick Watson and nor does he have his passion for tackling. Essentially he is another pick up like Jack Billings, someone who has great skills and smarts but no longer has the intensity required for the current game. If Tim Lamb thinks he is worthy, then we know he's not. Enough said.

In terms of sides for 2025, I will stick with my view that we need someone to provide drive and pace from down back - and the only player in the Jordan Clark/Nick Blakey mould on our list is Caleb Windsor. The loss of Kozzie for the first three weeks means that we can also trial Bowey forward. My other switch is that I'd give Kynan Brown a decent go at making the grade and start him on the left-side wing. Other than that, I have no surprises, although Oliver has been left out at this stage because he has to show he can still lay a tackle before playing. B: McVee May T.Mac HB: Windsor Lever Salem C: Langdon Rivers K.Brown HF: Petracca Petty Chandler F: Bowey Fritsch JVR Ru: Gawn Sparrow Viney Int: Turner (fwd), Tholstrup (fwd/mid), Moniz- Wakefield (def), No.5 pick (mid), Woewodin (sub) Emerg: Howes, Laurie, Sestan