Fat Tony

This may be a two stage deal for GWS and we will slide to pick 4.

I had a bet on Dusty for the Norm Smith this year and so I watched him pretty closely in the Grand Final. Without having the stats, he appears to run less than any midfielder in the competition. He starts in the centre bounce and only ever really runs forward. Obviously he is full throttle when the ball in nearby. The best thing about how the Tigers use him is that he plays as the deepest forward, almost like a traditional full forward. As much as Petracca needs to improve his tank, I would actually like to see him cover less distance in a game and conserve his energy a bit more so he can have greater intensity at the contest.

Varcoe would add pace and class to a side that lacks decent small forwards and wingers. He would come at zero cost in terms of draft picks and modest salary. He would also come with the benefit of a one year deal, whereas pick 88 gets two years. I would be less inclined to go for Varcoe if we land Elliott.

Varcoe and McIntosh are the two I would go after. I’m sure our salary cap is tight. Both would come cheaply and be best 22.

I think Tomlinson is a downgrade on Jones on the wing. He’s slow and can’t chase or tackle and doesn’t get enough of the ball.

It would be pick 11 more likely if they go this way (after the 10 non-finalists).

My guess is the AFL have been testing the waters on what to give GCS and leaking to the media.

Good summary 55. I don’t see Viney anywhere other than the midfield. I think he was ok this year and he will be much better for a preseason. And i fear Jetta is finished. I’m also not sure if Weideman has the agility required, but we really need to persist. I feel Joel Smith could be a solution on a wing or forward.

Of the list you provided, Betts, Cyril, Elliot, Ryan and Cameron all have/had the ability to get off the ground and take a hanger. Breust is also good in the air. McDonald Tipungwuti, Papley and Willie Rioli are all very good/good players, but my point is that recruiting small forwards without the ability to take a high mark rarely pays off at AFL level.

I think we could do with a small forward but on the proviso that we don't draft anymore midgets. All AFL players need to be able to compete in the air these days, so I would look very sceptically on anyone sub-180cm. And even then they need a leap. Players like Petracca, Hannan and Hunt are small forwards in the AFL and all are 186cm+.

Crows will want Petty in return, who I wouldn't want to see go.

The difference between McIntosh and Stretch, Kennedy Harris, Spargo etc is that he is actually big enough to compete and win one-on-one contests, which is vital on the wing.

His goal kicking was much improved this year. Levi could be Earl Spalding in reverse. Is he a free agent?

I agree with all of this but he should have played on Friday night to give us a target. It was the stupidest decision Goodwin has made all season.

Always

I would love to know the reason why we dropped Hunt, our second highest goal kicker, and picked two midget forward pockets. Particularly when we have no key forward/relief ruckman.

Good analysis 55. What are your thoughts on targeting Ellis instead as a FA?

Justin Westhoff would be worth considering if Port move him on. Paul Puopolo might get cut from the Hawks. Both would cost a low salary and nothing in draft picks.

Ellis fills our need for outside run and is a free agent. As much as Brad Hill is a much better player, the smarter play would be to keep our picks and target Ellis. Langdon is a younger version of Ellis, but would cost a draft pick. in terms of priority I prefer Ellis, Hill then Langdon.

Nothing like it.

With the season shot I feel we need to continue experimenting with our list a little with an eye to next season. The last two weeks we have gone with two ruckmen in the same side and I think it is already clear that neither are good enough as forwards to go with in our best 22 over the long term. Harrison Petty has been pretty good as a target in both games as a forward, but he looks more natural to me in defence given his lack of pace. As such, I hope we play Steven May as a forward for the rest of the season. We already know May is a gun defender but let's see if he can be the solution in our forward line alongside TMac for 2020. This is our biggest weakness and, while we all want Sam Weideman to take the next step, we need to see if May can actually give us a better return as a forward. Personally, I think our backline already has good depth with Frost, Lever, Jetta, Hibberd, Salem, Hore, Jones, OMac and Petty. While May obviously makes the defence better, he is potentially more value at the other end.

I hope we play May forward. We know he is a gun defender but let's see if he can be the solution in our forward line along side TMac for next year. Our backline has enough depth with Frost, Lever, Jetta, Hibberd, Salem, Hore, Jones, OMac and Petty. I also would like Lever to play on the second best key forward rather than be given the easy task. It is pretty clear that Preuss is a ruckman and not a forward, so I think he needs to be dropped.

I know our season is cooked but the decision to play Preuss is not a good one IMO. McGovern will have a field day on him and we need all the run we can get on the big Alice Springs ground.

I would push Jones back to cover Jetta's absence in defence. He is not a wingman and now that he has been pushed out of our centre midfield, he will provide more as a small defender IMO. Stretch to come in as Jetta's replacement. Garlett should come into the side for Spargo. We need to bring in another true key defender to play on Riewoldt and Lynch. Oscar or Petty need to come in (partnering with Frost) for either J Wagner or Hore. (Probably Hore out based on pace.) Lewis is past it and we need to inject some more run. Lockhart should come in for him and play a wing role. Neal-Bullen for Preuss if he is not fit. There are other players out of form like Hibberd and Fritsch but I think we have to let them work through it. C Wagner also lucky, but we are thin for options at Casey. But the biggest change we need to make is to our defence and being less aggressive in pressing the ball carrier. The Tigers are fast and will kill us if we over commit. Up forward the key issue is we need better contests from TMac and Weideman.

At the margin, the rule change will help the weaker teams. Last year we kicked more behinds than the opposition and we were then able to get repeat entries inside our 50. This year it will be easier to take the ball the other way.