Gator

This is where you're going wrong. At the end of 2018 Port finished 10th. At the end of 2019 Port finished 10th again. This year they finished 1st at the end of H&A. I dare say you wouldn't have envisaged them winning the flag this year. AND they may not, but clearly they're right in the thick of it. Or Brisbane who were out of the 8 a couple of years ago and bottom 4 very recently. Things can change very quickly, especially when there are very few great teams. Who'd have thought the ageing Cats when they trudged off the MCG in 2018 after a loss to Melbourne would be in another prelim. I thought they were old and cooked two years ago, but here they are. To suggest a team with AA quality players in Gawn (2nd best ruck in the comp), Oliver (best young inside mid), Petracca (AA), and May (top 3 key defender), plus some quality support cast, can't win a flag in the next two years in a competition with barely a standout team is folly and the view of a myopic thinker. It won't take much to turn this team into a top 4 contender.

I let list managers concern themselves with the terms. As a supporter I've never worried about how long someone gets, but obviously others do. I just want a better team. Smith on an opposite wing to Langdon makes us better. That's all I care about. He's got the Kade Simpson type of frame and he played till he was 36. We could win a flag next year (some might think it's impossible but I don't) and a guy like Smith would be of benefit in that quest. And unlike others, I don't rate Baker at all. Yes, he kicked a couple of good goals, but in general his skills are nothing more than ordinary and he's on the soft side. He won't be a regular in any best 22 moving forward.

Look mate, I don't really care if we get him or not, but I'm not particularly swayed by the analysis of the football Einsteins on here. We need another key forward and this guy averaged over 60 goals per year prior to 2020 and he's available pretty cheaply. If the club thinks they can benefit from him in his prime then it makes sense to me. Of course, I could try and overthink it and rationalise why it won't work, but I've got better things to do... I just want to get better. I can't imagine he makes us worse.

Sorry, you wanted 2019 too...

Hate him on a cellular level.

This is simply not true. I'm somewhat ambivalent about Brown, but if Clarkson suddenly wanted him I bet the attitude would change around here. If it was at the end of 2019 and he was wanting out of North there'd be a different sentiment. Weideman covers a lot of ground and with good coaching the two can play in the same half. Here's some brief highlights of just 2018 and he gets many goals where he's not hit lace out on a long lead, including a lot in general play.

I remember lauding CAC on draft day for this pick. Joking... Not sure if old-timers will remember my ignominy ? A good ordinary footballer who won't be remembered with terribly much emotion by either clubs supporters I suspect.

I see there's a new resident i-diot. (Shocked i-diot is censored - or am I)

Just what I said.

A truly horrible team.

I'm sure it won't happen, but Merrett is worth far more than a straight swap for Brayshaw.

Salem reached the top speed for a Melbourne player on the field in 2020. But I agree he doesn't look anything above pedestrian. Salem has played on a wing before, but plays his best footy behind the ball, which is easier and he does it effectively.

It was a joke, kid.

This makes sense, we nearly always end up with the dud brother.

Unlike Jack to run from a contest.

Petty is a better player. We know he can also play forward, but I see him long-term in defence. He could be a terrific key defender.

Great post @Axis of Bob I think we all can be guilty of concentrating too much on a player's limitations and not their strengths. Out of interest, in doing this research did you ascertain why (or form any conclusion) we were often so poor at clearances despite having the dominant tap ruckman ? It didn't always matter, as we often won games, but lost the clearances, including centre clearances. And it was despite having the number clearance player for the year - Oliver. Either Max wasn't using it correctly, or one or two of those stoppage mids were getting beaten. Anyway, don't want to create more work for you, it's just whether you'd formed a view.

Interesting point. Knowing his history one wonders whether clubs could be reticent from a libel perspective.

But I think there were a couple of picks in the 40s involved (Neal-Bullen & Billy Stretch).

Merrett is a gun. I'd love to get him, but it's obviously unlikely. His disposal was always exceptional, but it has dropped off recently. I've seen enough to know it's far from an issue. A happy mind would fix things pretty quickly. Brayshaw is an interesting trade proposition. To get Merrett you'd do it in a heartbeat. I've not pined over a single player that's left us recently (including Howe), because I've known what you're going to get. Brayshaw is the one player that would have me nervous. Why ? Because I'm not sure what he could become. He has the natural talent to be elite. For me it's above the shoulder with Angus. If the penny ever truly drops he could come back to make you regret trading him. But for a player of Merrett's quality you'd definitely take the gamble. With Merrett you're certain what you're getting and he'd add exactly the polish we lack.

I'm keen. If we disregard this year and look at his three previous years then we can see that he's averaged around 23-24 disposals per game, had elite ''metres gained'[ and kicked 36 goals from a wing. He also 'regularly gets on the park playing 66 games, which I've learnt to value. In his last year at Port - 2018 - he finished top 5 in their B&F and I compared his stats that year with Ed Langdon's from 2019 (Freo) and they were almost identical with Polec probably just edging him. If his heads right I think he's a good fit.

He wasn't as professional with his standards as he should have been at St Kilda and list sizes will be reducing. I can't see anyone throwing him a lifeline, but I could be wrong.

The top 20 highlights the problem with the season. 13-20 in particular. Too much was left to too few.

This doesn't make sense to me. He's finally unlocked much of his potential with a breakout AA season and he considers Goody a ''Father figure''. He's also very grateful to Burgess, who got him fitter than he's ever been. He loves his teammates, especially Salem and Oliver. I don't dismiss out of hand everything I read on here, but I'm going to dismiss this one. It doesn't add up.

Reading this thread I understand why Dan Andrews has a 62% approval rating for the way he's handled the pandemic.