DeeSpencer

The next step down from a token pick is us having to give one, and I think that's genuinely in play if Tomlinson has signficant money attached to him. I don't want Bruce either. But I do want a key forward. And as we search the entire country looking for one I'm not sure we'd do any better than Bruce. Yes he looked absolutely cooked, but he was good in 2021.

I still don’t see how Tomlinson has any positive trade value. He was that bad this year and even his Casey play looked so limited (output was good but it didn’t look good) that I think it will cost a pick to move him. Just thinking out loud here but does a Tomlinson for Josh Bruce straight swap make sense? We don’t need Tomlinson. Dogs don’t need Bruce. Neither of them recovered well from ACL’s last year. Both might turn it around with a fresh start.

There’s no elite tap work with Grundy. He’s as predictable as Max. Although with fresher legs for centre bounces. Just an example but the ‘19 semi final they lost to GWS was the most mind numbing display of tap work I’ve ever seen, as Mumford continually bodied Grundy in to the same hit outs over and over again. Getting Gawn out of centre bounces will be a positive, if he doesn’t pluck it from the ruck or slot it down a midfielders throat Max becomes a liability in there. Otherwise there’s not much from the ruck contests I’m actually excited about. The ruck is the ruck, unless you’re Nic Nat or terrible it doesn’t matter.

I agree. Eddie Langdon’s bounce totals took a massive dive this year, he clearly wasn’t running it nearly as much either. Theres 2 big factors: 1. No bounce off half back. The winger should get the ball via hands or in so much space they have to take it on. 2. No Tom McDonald at chf hitting up. Not to say that JJ doesn’t have to improve. You can’t be as risk adverse as he was this year. But he was a product of a slow system. JJ’s run and link by hand was very strong in 2021. He’d often be involved multiple times in the same chain.

He got dropped because he didn’t touch it for a half and hasn’t looked any good apart from when he played on Tomlinson and Lever. The Swans are developing him slowly and he’ll be ok, but he’s not really the answer. Reckon he might come in to the 22 still as well. Not sure Reid’s across the line either

When GC gave up pick 21 with Will Brodie they got Freo’s 2022 2nd round pick back. That will be mid 30’s now but Im sure the Suns were hoping it would be 25-32. They expected a small downgrade in a pick that they could shuffle back a year. Unless Bowes is on completely stupid money there’s no way he comes with a free pick 7 alone. GC are trying to spread their list talent out over a few years so they don’t have to pay the 3rd and 4th years overs for 2 guys they draft this year (will get a top pick for Rankine) whilst also paying King, Anderson etc. My guess is the Suns will say to Essendon pick 7 and Bowes, (possibly with a late pick thrown in) for your future first. That’s still a deal Essendon should take. Or Hawthorn. We’d probably offer our future first for pick 7 but the Suns wouldn’t be keen on that.

I don’t think lockdown is the best use of Hunt’s abilities though. His best defensive traits are his size and ability to cover a lot of ground to win the ball back both up the ground and covering off deep. When he came back in to the side in his best role he helped our backline start winning the ball back more aggressively up the ground. Goodwin talked about that with the Freo win. The question might be does he win and use the ball well enough to always hold his spot in the side in that role. Especially because he’s competing with Rivers, Bowey and Salem for a half back spot and our backline don’t move the ball to the open side to use Hunt’s pace. Apart from years and $$$, Hunt might be weighing up his role. If he stays with us the lockdown defender is likely to be his role. If he leaves he might walk in to a more suitable role at another club.

I'd like to know who you have in mind because I don't see it with any of our young defenders. Ie. Deakyn Smith and Judd McVee. McVee played some better games late in the year but he's very vanilla. With Hunt gone we'd be even more reliant on an ageing Hibbo and having very little to cover any injuries to the first picked 7 defenders. If we lose Hunt I think we'd have to spend a pick on a proper replacement (very much a good idea anyway) as well as sign someone short term Losing Hunt's only a good idea if we've got someone useful lined up and if he fetches a draft pick worth the risk of shedding depth.

We've seen Hunt in that role before and despite his excellent pace he doesn't read the play as a forward, doesn't change direction and doesn't have the tank. It's a different form of running. You can't just pick names out of a hat to replace what ANB brings no matter how much you dislike his deficiencies.

Tom McDonald and JVR both showed off their ability to win the ball in the ruck and snap. Strong key forwards doing a Hawkins seem more effective than rucks in that situation. Grundy has the ability to it but I can't remember it being a great part of his game. Same goes for Max. He grabs it just fine, but it's pretty easy to smother in the 7 seconds it takes for him to get boot to ball.

A lot depends on Tom McDonald, JVR and Turner. If the first 2 are ready to go then I doubt we move Petty, we'll have faith in Tom and Jacob. If Turner doesn't have a good summer then I doubt we'd risk it either, can't drastically weaken the backline just in hope. Here's an idea: What if we don't want to move Petty at the start of the year and instead we throw Turner forward? No idea what his forward craft is like but he seems willing and he looks a decent tackler. If the plan is less about finding top quality forwards and more about just needing fresh talent who can do the dirty work then he might not be too bad.

The report was for the Indigenous players stories. Hawthorn were then to investigate, but chose to hand over to the AFL. It's a little unfortunate it's public news now rather than giving that time but I'd expect the justification from the ABC is that Hawthorn had it for 2 weeks and didn't seem to be starting much of an investigation or getting on with supporting the ex players.

When they say assist in that context it means answer the questions, not be the one asking them.

I can’t find Spargo’s numbers but Chandler ran a 3.06 20m sprint which isn’t good. Spargo’s got good agility and a faster footy brain, his first few steps would be quicker. The big different between them is Spargo’s best attributes have translated to afl footy. Chandler hasn’t had the same opportunities but the stuff he does at VFL level - marking, kicking goals, bursting through tackles - hasn’t showed up.

Chandler is - relative to position as a small forward - slow. If he was even close to Bedford’s pace he would be a quality afl player.

Brown played some excellent VFL footy off half back as a smart, skilled distributor this year, but his combination of lack of size and not much speed doesn’t really appeal. I don’t think he’d hold up on a wing. Chugg’s a fairly unremarkable half forward, I think we’ve got enough of those as is.

Do I think there’s a bunch of people of a certain race or otherwise inventing bad things to get compensation - not at all. Do I think if someone preparing a report rings up players C and D and said this is what happened to player A and B, then it’s possibly player C throws in his story of a relationship breakdown and puts it on the club. They’d only by the billionth person alive to blame their work for a relationship struggling. The clubs version of the same story might be the player was in the middle of a nasty relationship breakdown. The club did what they thought was right by offering a place to stay, a new phone to avoid harassment and advice to the player to focus on their career. In my initial post I already said some of this is indefensible. And if the most horrific stuff is true - and I have no reason to doubt it - that alone is probably all she wrote for certain individuals. But perhaps even more damning is the suggestion it was a prolonged and targeted behaviour not just a couple of isolated incidents over 15 years. Ie, it was a culture. And for that to be the case the investigation needs time to examine a bunch of cases.

The abortion stuff is indefensible, as is the nature of the ways they went about undermining relationships. And if it was purely for Indigenous players and not the rest then that’s unacceptable too. Otherwise I imagine the coaches came at it from a point of view that it’s really hard to maintain a successful relationship with someone long distance and do the work needed to have a long afl career. Even more so if you add kids at a young age. I’m a little skeptical of some of the details. It might well have been that some players used the club as a defence for their desire to break up. Then found themselves delisted and went back to their old relationships and put the blame on the club. I know that’s pretty cynical but don’t tell me it’s implausible. Will be interesting to see what the burden of proof becomes and the split of former hawks

It’s also a bogus stat, there’s no way Tomlinson only had 2 marking contests a game, so most of them aren’t deemed one on ones, including contests that are really one on ones with a pair of flankers also at the drop. Giving up a mark on the lead or failing to control your opponent in a pack situation can be just as important.

I don’t think you’d delist a player this early in the process if you wanted to commit to them as a rookie. Usually those delistings come later and/or with an announced caveat. Phil Davis got the delist but rookie announcement.

Correct. Geelong also role out De Koning, Henry, Kolo, Stewart. In their case they rely on Stewart and Duncan for rebound as well as being happy moving the ball methodically from the back half. May could take up a more offensive role. And whilst he won't ever kick it like Stewart at his best Jake Lever provides drive too. Petty and Turner have a lot of untapped offensive potential. It wouldn't be my plan A but it would be something I'd consider.

Salem has been a consistently good player since 2017 and slowly got better and better up until last year. The idea that he was awful this year isn’t really true. I thought he got sharper as the year went on and whilst lacking a little run he was fine towards the end of the home and away season. He then played finals like an underdone player who has missed a chunk of training, had sore groins and couldn’t handle the intensity. Shouldn’t have played the second final. If he’s looking fit when they come back from preseason then I don’t see the need for doom and gloom.

Neale, Dunkley, McCluggage, Rayner, Berry, Lyons, Zorko, Bailey, Ashcroft, Answorth, Ah Chee, Dev Robertson and possibly Tunstill are all ahead of him and can’t all play in the same midfield. The Lions will need cap space and draft picks. Someone will shake out. 400k less cash is a big reason why Clubs mostly get it right but key defenders is one spot they can miss. Stephen Gilham, Zac Dawson and Ryan Gardner (as a mid season draft pick post playing for the dogs VFL) are 3 who were snapped up quickly and played in grand finals. I think McMahon would be worth a good look at the tape and some train on time.

Oh yeah, Disco Turner and his 7 possessions a game is really going to be the answer to replacing Salem who was All Australian worthy last year, our best player to quarter time in the grand final and our calmest ball user down back. Don’t get me wrong, Turner’s a player, we might have to try 4 talls next year to give him more time. But speed, skill and run and carry are still the biggest priority. Salem played like a guy who had a seriousness injury then got groin soreness due to overuse after a long lay off. Every indication is he should bounce back next year.

Turning preseason in to a full extra game is not adding nothing for players. Veterans often skip preseason or play a half. Benches are longer. Coaches and fitness staff always demand match conditioning to help with game plans and to PREVENT injuries. Preseason is important, it’s just not good tv but it isn’t designed to be. It’s for the fans of individual clubs. Also the magic round works for the nrl because it’s a Sydney based comp with a couple of teams in Brisbane and elsewhere. Fans rarely ever have to travel. The AFL is a proper national comp and fans either in one or over two seasons have the chance to go to QLD, NSW, SA, WA and even NT or Tas. If they’re really lucky they can go to Geelong in winter too! This would be selling out the common fan for more money that the league executives use to justify their salaries. Franky it’s disgusting.