DeeSpencer

We’ve lost ground, including a traditional footy area but will continue to gain population as the outer SE booms. The challenge is turning that population in to footballers. To speak frankly there might be not much point trying to get footballers out of Asian migrants. Our best hope for a strong academy is to tailor as much of it as we can to the Sudanese kids.

I believe the club has had a little bit of a readjustment with the way they value WA players. Maybe not forever but at least in this rebuilding time. I think Nairn has more upside than Farrow anyway so fine by me.

One thing that I think is a positive for Latrelle is he played 3 games for Norwood under 18’s in 2023 and he had: 15 disp, 2.2 goals 18 disp, 1 goal 14 disp, 2.1 goals So if you average that out it’s 16 disposals, 1.6 goals. Thats with a late December birthday and without continuity of footy. Plus who knows what he was up to with his personal life. If he continued that form across a full season (and had all the talent and highlights) he would’ve been drafted high in 2023.

I think King wants players who express themselves with playing. That’s been the Geelong way. And the Hawks way. And there’s certainly been some Swans (more recently than the Roos era) who fit that bill too. I also think the cultural clean out might’ve been to make sure we’re bringing young guys with a bit of spunk in to the right place. Room for them to make their own mistakes but not be led astray.

Am I watching the same clips as everyone else? I watched the futures games and the champs vs Allies and he had about 10 handball turnovers in both and didn’t complete a handball more than 50cm

I believe we nominated him before the draft which means he’s now automatic, it gets read out as a pick just for the sake of it.

Let’s see him play an afl game before we assume he’s got the Spargoat covered. That said, it’s not what he does with the ball that excites me compared with Charlie. I want to see flat out speed and aggressive tackling. That’s something injuries took out of Spargo’s game and our forward line aside from Kozzie really lacked.

Mihocek will make more difference than any draft pick or anyone else available. And I’m happy to buy all shares in Kentfield especially if he gets through preseason. Trelly P is here to play right away if he has a good summer and he’s going to put speed on the ball. The lack of midfield reinforcements is more concerning but aside from a few Tracc throw back games we didn’t lose much.

Brisbane snag Koby Evans, that’s why they are the best, they’ll fix his injuries. Eagles mad to not match.

Brisbane’s? I reckon every premiership team since Cyril at the Hawks in 08 had great small forwards, including our side in ‘21. If we want Pickett on ball, and the flexibility to run Chin on the wing we need at least 2 new ones.

Can never have enough good small forwards!

Based on what’s left I’d take Max Kondo and just stack a strength on a strength with medium defenders. Build the wall back there and worry about the midfield next year.

CDT played exceptional footy in the Coates league last year, hence he came in to the year a number 1 pick fancy. Robey is a bit of gamble on a limited sample size with no champs. But he ticks a lot of boxes in terms of character and work rate. If a SANFL ressies player who hasn't stuck in the elite system isn't a gamble then I don't know what is?

We're getting a bit off topic here (sorry for the people who dislike that) but I do wonder if the funneling of Indigenous players in to NGA's rather than just putting that money in to state league clubs hurts players. Port NGA seemingly did nothing for Pickett. Where as if those resources were with Norwood he might've stuck around for more than 3 matches in 2023. And the SANFL and WAFL clubs have 100 years of connections to their regional zones And in Victoria I really wish the Coates leagues clubs would align with VFL standalone clubs (or reform the VFA) and actually have a clear pathway for guys who miss out. There's some for alliances, Geelong to Geelong, Eastern to Box Hill, Oakeligh to Port, Dandenong to Frankston but largely it's up to the kids to make it and without reserves or a history in that organisation they have to find a way to star at local footy just to get a good look in the VFL most of the time.

Whilst that looks great in hindsight I think the track record of plucking guys from obscurity across most clubs is poor, they need to go through the grades. In this case Latrelle needed to live and settle in Adelaide away from home in Tumby Bay. If you want to identify an error it was not getting Isaiah Dudley last year as a train on player. Matching without trading to get more picks in - which would’ve cost them at least a future 2nd - would’ve given their first rounder next year a points deficit. Adding a points deficit to probably an early first round pick is a bad bad decision. Really they made their decision with the trade up and selection of Sharp that Sweid was on the table if he went in the first round. They came up 1 pick short!