DeeSpencer

Essendon will either trade 22 up ahead of a Davey bid or out to picks in the 30/40’s is my guess. But yes, 37 won’t move far if at all

That’s fair. I’d say Geelong (unachievable for everyone else), Coll, Rich, Port and Brisbane probably go in to next year with a stronger best 30 to pick from. Of course Rich, Port and Bris are now in debt a first rounder, whilst we are 2 picks in the positive. How much does a best 30 matter? Our top 7 are still very good. I like our middle 7. And our bottom 7 can all play and many of them are young. Plus who knows with the next guys after that, I didn’t predict ANB, Spargo, Sparrows impact in 2021 but they were physically ready, and certainly not Bowey (who wasn’t but was good enough) The state of our tall forwards, the lack of polish of our flankers (2 areas we made peripheral moves to help fix btw), the lack of action to turn the list over and the reality that all our good young players who were on the list to start 2021 played in the 2021 flag are the things that concern me list wise. None of it can’t be overcome. They won it in 2021 with a similar list they can win it again. But we haven’t gone chips in for the trade period.

One day you’ll understand there’s a difference between feelings and analysis. I am optimistic. There’s a lot of reasons to believe our best 25 +/- some surprise improvements can achieve success. As it currently sits my analysis of the list is we’ve got a solid core, we’ve got some areas of concern that we didn’t do too much to fix, we’ve got a bunch of development prospects most of which probably need at least 12 more months but our mature depth options are a bit lacking. Improving our draft hand, making a couple of improvements that might be really good but didn’t cost the earth and staying in contention seemed to have been the aim. Overall that’s better than last year and I’m ok with staying around the mark list wise with some bigger moves next year (draft and trade).

They refused Port’s request for an exemption due to AFL bylaw: 16.6b) Will this move help the Geelong football club

Freo trade Logue for North’s future 2nd. Freo then had 2, so could send us one. Many clubs have done so previously. In 2019 we traded Frost and a F4 for a F2. Then traded a F2 for Langdon and a F4. As we were neutral on future picks we could then trade our F1 to North for the Pickett pick.

T Mc and BB are now injured by default until proven otherwise. I’ll believe they aren’t when I see reports of them training fully. Turner should nudge down the door. But if he gets injured or loses form we’ll have to rely on guys I don’t want to rely on. In 12 months time our talls could be looking far healthier. Even more so if we trade or draft one this year or next which I’m sure we will. But we went for Grundy to replace LJ and now have to rely on things going right this year.

Casey had injuries mostly to kids. Smith and Turner missed but Casey is super strong down back. Daw retired and McDonald/Melksham slotted back in for finals with Weid rucking. We had a very healthy run of afl injuries. Or at least of afl injuries that didn’t prevent guys playing. How often was our official injury list more than 5? Maybe early in the year. Our first choice depth afl players from outside the premiership 23: Dunstan, Weid, Melk, Smith, Bedford, Hunt, Tomlinson really didn’t have to play much and/or are now gone and/or are no more exciting heading in to 2023. The only depth players I am excited for next year are JVR and Turner. Maybe a faint hope that Chandler gets some speed and composure. Howes at 4-1 to be ready for serious afl footy too. Anyone else feel any differently about any individuals?

If Petty goes forward it looks shaky very quickly.

Some of its opinion, some of its indisputable. You roll out Tomlinson, Buntine, White, Munro, Dunstan, Mitch Brown, Melksham, Baker, Ellison and Weid or Daw in the ruck then you’re going to beat up on a bunch of plumbers.

We’ve made an exchange of Jackson for Grundy that might give us marginal to moderate short term improvement. We’ve added Hunter for Hunt and Bedford. Not a bad move but we now have to replace some half back and small forward depth. Significant bounce backs: Lever, Salem, Late season Gawn and Langdon, McDonald, ?Tomlinson ?BBB Can they find another gear: Brayshaw, Harmes, Sparrow, JJ, Chandler, Spargo, ANB Natural improvement: Bowey, Pickett, Rivers, JVR, Turner (JJ, Sparrow, Chandler) Surprise improvement candidates: Petty as a fwd, pick 13, Schache, J Smith, Howes, Laurie, Woey, Nizard Areas for concern: lockdown back, tall back/tall forward (if Petty goes forward), mid/fwd class, mid/fwd depth.

Nothing. VFL results are largely determined by injuries, VFL listed players and age of your AFL list. We had very few injuries, we had the strongest core of VFL players for an afl side and whilst our list isn’t old a good bulk of guys who played in the VFL players were veterans.

Essendon said they’d consider moving it but don’t want to go too far down the order. Which is pretty much what every club says every year. We’d have to make them a crazy offer to go down to 13. I’d be shocked if they moved below 7 and likely not at all

I’m sure you’re joking but we aren’t changing our draft plans based on Le Shach! I have no issues drafting skinny talls, but if you’re skinny you need to be a special athlete and I’m not sure Jefferson has the speed, height or leap to make up for a thin frame.

It’s a shortening to make it rhyme. Not a misspelling. Schache Attack doesn’t make any sense. Schache Attacky seems too gimmicky. But you might want to hold off just in case we go with Schache down backy or unless it’s a Casey banner

FB: Hibberd May Lever HB: Salem Turner Bowey C: Brayshaw Petracca Langdon HF: Hunter JVR ANB FF: Pickett Petty Fritsch Foll: Grundy Oliver Viney Int: Gawn, Rivers, Harmes, Sparrow 5/Sub: Spargo or JJ Wait and see what they do with Gus. I’d like to see a lot more rotations between the wings, on ballers and half forwards. Keep it unpredictable. Use Harmes where we need speed, Brayshaw where we need contested ball and Hunter where we need skill. Against certain teams they will be very different combinations. Gus back and Bowey wing can also be a consideration in games.

Oskar Baker? Chandler who’s just a guy and not a wing 4 touches in the grand final Howes 8 touch Laurie The honest but young and limited Woey Who are these talented players we have at Casey who can provide what Hunter can?

Freo only had the one future first. So no need to clarify. They had a pair of 2nd rounders. They had their own and they had North Melbourne’s special pick from the Logue trade. So in the interest of some clarity they specify the second round pick is the one tied to Freo’s ladder position

WHO IS TRAINING AT YOUR CLUB? Melbourne: Max King, Hudson Garoni 👀👀👀👀🤣

From 7 you can have Mitch and Tom on 7 plus I believe

Tim Lamb’s general vibe to me was, well I guess Schache is an ok replacement for Weid. Not a lot of enthusiasm

Hunter and Langdon would actually be too small and outside for a wing rotation for my likings. I’d use at least one of JJ, Harmes and Gus on the wing and have Hunter play half forward and 3rd winger if he was super fit and defensively switched on. Would even consider some on ball time, possibly post centre clearance with Tracc. We need skilled kickers on the inside not just the outside. But it does let us shuffle players forward, back and on ball

That’s our man

Future 3rd would do it for Hunter.

37 makes Weid expendable and whilst there’s still some chance he goes on and makes himself a career it was very unlikely at Melbourne. Part of good list management is knowing when to let a player go for their own sake and to keep the managers happy. If Weid goes on to have success and is a fair minded person he’ll probably regret not doing it sooner but he’ll also be thankful we gave him the chance to do so in 2023.

I’m not saying it will happen but softness is one thing you can fix. Schache was a baby at Brisbane and traded to the Dogs before he really failed. He’s now failed at the dogs and genuinely on his last chance. Clarry’s one of his best mates Choco is choco Troy Chaplin just won assistant coach of the year and if I was Goody and Co I’m giving Chappy a special summer project.