old55

He dominated against Casey towards the end of the season. But I doubt he'd be gettable - he, McDonald and McLean are the logical Buddy and Reid replacements - both of whom let them down at the pointy end this year.

Reads happy to go to WC in Perth. Wonder about Western Sydney?

I agree the time is now and I think with the addition of Grundy, return of TMac and rise of JVR we're OK for tall forward targets over the next two years. There's no better options currently on the market unless you want to offer McStay 6 years. Ideally we'll draft a KPF prospect and line up a big FA or trade for 2025 so we can continue the Dynasty through to the end of the decade.

That's really great thanks Luci, do you have the data for Hibbo and Rivers?

You might be waiting a while I think. I doubt we're going to change to attacking through the corridor to an open forward line. I think we're doubling down on being stoppage based with the acquisition of Grundy.

2022 Copeland Trophy Top 10 1. Jack Crisp 291 votes (E.W. Copeland Trophy) 2. Scott Pendlebury 276 votes 3. Darcy Moore 269 votes 4. Jeremy Howe 266 votes 5. Steele Sidebottom 265 votes 6. Patrick Lipinski 259 votes 7. Nick Daicos 258 votes 8. Josh Daicos and Brayden Maynard 249 votes 10. Jordan De Goey 231 votes Pendlebury (35yo at the start of next season), Howe (33yo next June) and Sidebottom (32yo at the start of next season) in the top 5. Could be a short lived Collingwood resurgence ...

I really enjoyed watching Jayden play and there was always a spark of excitement when he took off on a run or teamed with Lingers with linking handballs up the wing. I'll miss him in red and blue and wish him all the best in the west. But I think it's the right decision by the club. I think the club has decided that Jayden is not the lock-down defender we need and are going forward with Hibbo and Joel Smith sharing the role over the next two years, with Joel Smith re-contracted with an increased offer over that period to ward off Sydney. Hibbo and Joel will both be cheaper and shorter than Jayden's offer at West Coast. We need to free list spots and salary cap over the next two years and we have a set of fringe players that we don't want to contract beyond that period. Those looking for value in the compensation pick - likely to be 3rd round 51 - will be disappointed but that's not the goal.

With Max and Grundy next year, and TMac and Ben Brown will play a fair amount of footy too, we're well set for the tall target inside 50 who won't be outmarked. Add Fritsch and JVR and we have a full complement of tall forwards over the next two years. We need to be looking 3 years down the track to the 2025 season. Draft a KPF this year (my intuition is we're trying to move up the order to do so) and position ourselves for a big fish trade, e.g. Naughton, at the end of 2024 by freeing salary cap.

I wish they'd appointed Hird

Daniher, Hipwood, Gunston - not exactly robust.

Do we really want to offer Jayden more than 2 years, that's the question. WC will be offering at least 3 years and that's what we need to compete with. We have Smith for 2 years and Hibberd for 1 year - we probably believe we can get a full season out of them combined in the role.

Joel Selwood can take over as AFL Football Ops manager and keep the Geelong benefits flowing.

We need to keep Weid next year. He'll play 2nd ruck games when Max or Grundy are out rested or injured. We're not going to entice a better back-up ruck option to join us behind those two. We need to draft a ruck prospect.

Josh Dunkley wins the Dogs B&F, Aaron Naughton 3rd. Strange times.

Talented but problematic and available - Lachie Hunter and Sydney Stack - we probably don't want to go there ...

The Lions biggest weakness is having Zorko as captain - surely they change this.

Maybe Port want someone who is guaranteed to be there later - say Harry Barnett - ruckman from SA rated at 20 by Cal Twomey.

That would make sense

That dilutes their McStay FA compensation and hurts them with picks and points for Dunkley and the 2 F/S.

The Lever trade was 10 + F1st for Lever and 35 (plus steak knives both ways) and Demonland thought WE got ripped off there. That's the benchmark for this trade.

You've got Out: Pick 11 twice, which is confusing the deal

Every year at least one very good player will be out of contract. AFAIK Luke Jackson is the first one, that we wanted to keep, to leave. You'll have an unhappy time if you stress over every case.

Any interest at all in Jackson Nelson as a lockdown defender, Hibbo replacement? Delisted by WC, 26yo, 100 games, has some size at 187cm, reputed hard trainer and good character.

This makes sense. There's no way it's Bowes and 7 for salary dump straight up, the Suns will want something useful in next year's draft back. Last year it was Brodie + 19 for 2022 2nd (31) (and steak knives). Similar would be Bowes + 7 for 2022 19 - late 1st from a good team, early 2nd from a battler, and steak knives to smooth it out to around the value of 19.

This sounds like a good idea, and they did similar last year with Brodie. 7 + F1st for Jackson and 32