Lord Travis

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Ashcroft back to back Norm Smiths by age 21 is pretty incredible. Lions have been handed two Ashcroft brothers and Fletcher as father son. Played a big part in their premierships.

He spent his early career in covid times and couldn't break into a midfield that had the likes of DeGoey, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Daicos x 2, Crisp etc. With a fresh chance, he could make it at another club. I really liked him in his draft year and was hopeful we'd draft him. He performed midfield at underage level and his key strength was his disposal skills. He was one you'd want as the kick inside 50. It hasn't worked out for him at Collingwood, but he's only 23 and could be had for nothing as a delisted free agent. Worst case, he'd add midfield depth. Best case, he becomes the player he promised to be pre-draft - a classy midfielder. Should chase him IMO.

AFL is in the worst state it's ever been. The draft is so compromised it may as well not exist anymore. It's absolute dogsh*t seeing so much of the top end of the draft linked to academies every year. It feels like in 2-3 years time, Gold Coasts entire team will be top 10 picks and they'll beat every team by 10 goals every week. How are clubs stuck at the bottom without the academy or big club status meant to compete? Their good players are either demanding trades to top clubs despite being contracted or leaving as free agents to the top clubs too. We're stuck at a point where if you aren't Geelong or a big club like Collingwood, you either live off academy talent or you struggle in the bottom half of the ladder for eternity.

I'm so jealous this isn't us playing tonight. I'd kill to watch us win finals at the g. 2018 feels like a life time ago now. 2018 was the best time I've had at the footy. We were the most attacking team in the league and winning those finals with 90,000+ at the G was such a great experience. I'll always be thankful for 2021, but it wasn't the same.

I'm not sure he's capable anymore. He's just had another baby so he'll be lucky to even get sleep and make it to training at this point!

That was four years ago now sadly. We are lacking now that Trac, Clarrys and Viney aren't able to I lose anymore.

For all this talk of "modern footy", contest Is still king. Hope we don't over adjust to a game style that doesn't stand up in finals and is already on the way out IMO.

Dangerfield has been incredible tonight. We lack strong leaders like him on field who can just impose themselves physically. Viney was that player years ago, but those days are long gone.

I dispute this heavily. Just because he never got to Brownlow/MVP levels he could've, doesn't mean he wasn't a good player over a long period. He wasn't really up and down, and he was most definitely a big game player. He was amongst our best in nearly every final he ever played in for us. (Ignore my username) On McAdam, I doubt we'll see him play seniors again. Two games in two seasons and he's still not even fit heading into preseason number three as a 30 year old who has never got through a season before. He was a poor trade and isn't part of our future plans. Another Lamb special!

That's a shock if true. He'd put them immediately into flag contention IMO despite not being the incredible player he once was. All they need is a competent gorilla stopper, no need for intercept or rebound. Baffling they wouldn't chase him when he'd be low cost in both salary and trade required given his age.

100% agree with this. Winding up with Laurie instead of Holmes was a killer. Same with trading a fortune to get up but then wind up with Tholstrup. There's trading into the first round and then there's trading into the first round... There is a big drop off point in most drafts, and we've botched judging it multiple times now. Trading into the first round twice and landing Laurie and Tholstrup has set us back considerably IMO. Unless we can trade up and get into the top 5-10 where there is always obvious and undeniable quality, then it's a strategy that has failed us and needs to stop.

Understand why we'd look to move him on if there's any takers. Surely a club in contention like the Bulldogs would want him for 1-2 years. Their poor KP stocks have arguably cost them a serious tilt at a flag again this year. They'd be mad not to bring May in IMO. There's other clubs like North that would be desperate for him too. Doubt we'll get anything more than a 3rd round pick, but it's about building for future not. Our tall defender stocks for next season will look like Turner, Lever, Petty, Howes, Adams, Derksen. Pretty well stocked in that area.

Steven May was prior to those mentioned and came across in the 2018 trade period. Agree he would be the biggest acquisition we've had this decade so far. He'd give us 8-10 years of good football like Langdon will, and has versatility to perform to a high standard as a ball winning midfielder or flanker at either end. Big yes to this trade!

Disagree on most points. IMO he did start well and showed footy smarts with and without the ball. He struggled as the year went on though. He showed decent agility and ability to work his way in and through traffic, though he isn't overly quick. I don't expect him to play AFL seniors next year, but he's depth and insurance in a position we're low talent in (outside Kozzy, who is moving more midfield now also). In terms of list spot, we've already turned over a fair few with more to come. We've delisted the other 3 rookies. Signing him as the fourth on lowest possible wage won't impact our list at all. Sinnema will come to us via NGA onto senior list regardless of Henderson re-signing.

It's a hard pass on that sort of coin. I don't mind him as a player and think he could add something to our team, but not keen on him at that wage for that long.

With Spargo leaving and Kozzy shifting further into the midfield, this signing is insurance policy for smaller forward depth. Hendo appeared to start well last year. Hopefully he can build on that and have an impact. Seems a smart player, but probably limited long term.

This is a massive part of the solution in my view. Free agency was the big rock that started the landslide. It was supposed to give opportunity to all, so bottom clubs could over-spend a little to get quality talent in to help them rise back up. The opposite has happened - quality players are leaving bottom clubs, often taking a pay cut, for the top teams. Footballers get paid such a huge wage that losing a small bit of cash doesn't matter. Imagine making 1.5 million vs 1.2 million over 3 years. That is essentially the average wage of an AFL player and what's happening. Now imagine you get to play in a winning team most weeks and in front of huge crowds and have more opportunity post-career. That or you get an extra bit of cash but have to rock up to a negative environment where you get flogged harder, have to travel further to work, have worse facilities, lose every week, play infront of smaller and more hostile crowds, and have less opportunity post career. That difference in wage is meaningless, and it's obvious why it's happening. It's amazing most of the smaller unsuccessful clubs like North and St Kilda are even alive at this point. The same teams are always at the top and it's killing the league. Free agency rules need to be updated so the top 4-8 teams cannot have incoming free agents. If they can't entirely block that, then the top 4-8 teams need to pay a hefty premium that will actually impact them, something like 50% additional wage. That way if a star player like say Kozzy left where he's getting paid 12 million over 9 years, that then becomes 18 million, and gets indexed to TPP cap, so could wind up over 20 million etc. In essence, top clubs need to be significantly impacted, or barred entirely, when it comes to free agents for the good of the game. If anyone has the argument that players deserve more etc they can get stuffed. Most players get paid obscene amounts of money and would be working menial low paying jobs if they weren't born taller than average. They get paid more to run around and play sport than doctors who save lives and actually help the world. They are already better off than they need to be and should have less power, not more.

Richmond have come for Chaplin. They're his old club. Wouldn't be surprised if he moves after so long at the Dees. Watch this space.

Possibly the most stale final four in modern times. Footy is in a pretty dire place at the moment. Probably more rule changes to come and ruin the game further. It's getting really tough to keep watching at this point.

It's actually bullish*t how good Will Ashcroft is. The kid can do it all on the biggest stage and is still only 21 years old. Getting access to superstars like him and Nick Daicos completely changes a club.

I'm surprised with the result but very excited to have a new senior coach locked in. Welcome to the club Kingy! Let's hope success follows you!

They've got Rowell and Anderson - both superstar midfielders. Even Touk Miller has been squeezed out into a part time mid and part time flanker. Flanders broke the club record held by the GOAT Gablett Jnr for disposals last season and finished third in their best and fairest at 22 years old. Flanders would be a great get for us. That's obvious to anyone who watches football. Instantly improves our midfield and versatile enough to play/rest on flanks at either end too. Question is how do we get it done? He's worth a first rounder, which we don't have. A future first may be a top 5 pick, and that's too much...

23 year old who kicked 58 goals this season. He's Port's number 1 forward, young, and is contracted for another two seasons after signing extension. He would cost us draft currency we don't have, and that's if he was even interested. We've tried before and been rejected. No chance this happens this year sadly.

Went through a divorce, so yes was impacted. Hardly financially hardship though, he's loaded. He got half of cash from a house sold for nearly $14 million... Add that to all the money he's made throughout his playing career, coaching career, and media gigs, as well as other investments... he's doing more than ok. Money isn't a factor in his decision. He wants to coach because he's driven, loves the sport, and wants a premiership.