Jjrogan

Been bullish for the past 3 seasons but least confident heading into 2024. My main concern is that we are relying on 2 young key forwards with less that 50 goals between them. Essentially rookies. There's a lot of talk of how they make natural progress but so do other teams young key defenders. Really hope McAdam can grab a few and Fritsch is fully fit. Our marking depth inside 50 is shallow.

Apart from McVee spending more time up the ground (I've been on this bandwagon since R2 last year so still hoping), the player I'm most excited about is McAdam. I think he will be one of the recruits of the year. He brings a different skill set to our f50 and his marking ability is going to surprise a few. Already on pre season snippets you can see him leading into small pockets of space and finding gaps. We've been desperately needing another forward who leads up at the ball, reads the flight and can beat his opponent one on one. Generally speaking we were too short up forward last year. I say he'll kick 40 goals with a few bags of 4 or 5.

Since 2020, when Petracca has more than his season average for score involvements 2020 (more than 6) 5 wins 2 losses 2021 (more than 8) 11-0 2022 (more than 8) 10-1 2023 (more than 8) 8-1 In a nutshell, if Petracca plays an above average game and turns his possessions into scores we win. If he kicks well we go into God mode (see end 2021) Of course, one could argue it's the forwards output as much as the kicker but if there's one wish I have for next year is he has an up year in terms of his kicking. Only Bont and Martin come close (and not even that close) to his importance in converting midfield possession to where it matters.

For me it's not his height but his reading of the ball in the air (admittedly just from these highlight packages). Fyfe was a beast in contested marking for a mid. Average nearly 1.4 per game across his career. Cripps is 0.6, Yeo is 0.7, Bont 0.7, even Hird was barely 1. This kid is not as tall but appears can take a contested mark and has x factor Very unique.

Fyfe went from a skinny gangly teenager to beast mode in about 3 years. If this kid puts on similar size he will be a weapon in this competition. All aboard!!

+ 500k I'd say overall

Ya. It's incredibly rare that player improve their kicking to a significant degree even if they want to. The muscle memory is too far engrained once they enter the AFL. Like a golfer who has to de construct his whole swing. I can't think of many players that went from horrible kicks to great ones just through training and practice. I can think of countless that remained awful, despite training their butts off I'm sure. Jobe Watson became a very good kick over one off season but he was never that bad.

Talented youngster. Poor man's Lachie hunter. Will help Casey's percentage. Upgrade on Harmes for about the same price if possible. Yeah, go on.

Norf have 2 end of first. Reckon WCE will get a priority also. Will be some f/s and band 1,2 and 3 compo. We finish too 4 and this pick is likely late 30s,early 40s. Go home Justin, you're drunk. Said it before, this is like Peter Vardy all over again. I hope McAdam is as fun to watch.

He's definitely got a few tricks and he can play out of a the square also. Sure he's a bit lazy (I'll put him in the top 5 match day whipping boy status) but right now I'd give up some defensive forward intensity for a guy that can snag 3 creative goals from nowhere. 47 is a great price.

Serious question, why do people think is this way unders? A future 2nd would be spotted around 27-29. Sydney will most likely be mid table. And we have a third rounder as change. Do people value next years pick as worthless less cause the competition may not be around, there'll be no draft so we'll lose it? Ok maybe not that serious.

Putting together tea leaves here. To me, the market is valuing Reid roughly A top 5 pick + A 5-10 pick + A 10-15 pick (Typically pick 1 is worth just the 6 and 11, buts he's presumably better than the average pick 1 so fair enough. ) An offer of 6 + 11 + our future 1st is right around the mark if slightly unders. However norf have a better hand but no way they send over 2 and 3 imo, that's over. They will have to split pick 3.... For our 6 and 41 and maybe a swap of future 2nds v 3rds. I'd be happy going to the draft with pick 3 and 11 and keeping our f 1st.

death ride Sydney @adonski ?

Does any of this give James Jordon pause for thought? Asking for a friend.

To be fair, it appears to be have been confirmed by list managers that we are open to offers, so the club putting out statement he is a required player would be a little perplexing. Joining the dots, we made the first move here.

There were games early in the season when it was amazing the Doggies got close to winning with Lobb in their team. He was beyond dreadful. Having said that, his back half of the season was passable once his fitness was AFL standard. On a positive note, he would definitely unite Demonland at least once a month as the match day whipping boy.

It's Peter Vardy all over again. He was fun to watch. Yeah, go on.

I believe virtually everything I read, and I think that is what makes me more of a selective human than someone who doesn't believe anything. David St. Hubbins

Yup, it gets tiresome. Accordingly, I consider this year's Brownlow winner to be Toby Greene. Dude got within 11 votes carrying an entire team on his back from a HFF.

Various posters are saying the midfield are fine to the extent they are blanking JG on his suggestion that we try different personnel. Please don't label me an extremist, it's a ridiculous assertion given my post clearly was the exact opposite of that. It literally spells out there must be doubt re personnel as much as there is doubt re personnel in the forward line. If we kept changing the midfield but not the forwards I would be equally perplexed as to the logic.

Part I don't get is even if you believe it's just the forwards and our midfield is fine. Surely there has to be some doubt? None whatsoever? Really? We've tried different forward set ups, kinda worked, kinda didnt?? Why didn't we even try some different midfield set ups by putting in for a quarter some better users. Put Clarry forward for a quarter to see if his generational ground ball game helped create chances. Hmm maybe? Is our system sooo fragile that it would have fallen apart. You're trying to make an AA ruckman a forward, but you cant have Salem, Bowey or McVee take a centre bounce and get on the end of a Trac forward handball. Lol. Carry on, same input, same result in the likely result here

This is right. For yet another season we have the usual clanger kings in the middle. 3 of the top 13 clanger players are Demons. It just amazing the free pass they get in all this. Yes, I get the notion that contested midfielders create clangers but this is the point. It's our entire midfield. We are simply not balanced with enough good kickers, vision and decision makers. The problem isn't the forwards (ok we kicked awful for goal and with some luck our finals 5 games look very different). We could have Wayne Carey on a lead 10 metres in front of his opponent and I have no confidence any of our midfield would hit him on the full. Until this changes it will be more of the same. We were crazy efficient during the end of 2021 but for all of the usual culprits this was a statistical anomaly. Definition of insanity having the same blokes in there and expecting different results imo.

Yessss!!! Growing up, I'd love to watch the wrestling and in Royal Rumbles every wrestler would come in at spaced intervals. Just when you thought it was quiet a new entrant emerged. :)

It might. In isolation BBB is a better fwd option than Grundy if fit. Frankly, any two of BBB, Grundy and TMac is going to be like having two Titanics inside forward 50. BBB at least can draw a free and can kick from 45 accurately but in not sure he can last a full game. I'd still pick Grundy cause we need the extra midfielder right now. We are thin and if we beaten around the ball it will get seriously ugly.

This thread jumped the shark many pages ago. Sit back and enjoy it. It's up there with match day threads!