DeeSpencer

Do mids get the ball to wingers much these days? Rarely at centre bounces. Maybe less so at around the ground stoppages where the winger often covers the back. Backlines that win the ball get it to wingers folding back. May had an instant connection with Langdon. And forwards that create pressure so hack kicks go to the waiting wingmen too. The biggest appeal to Smith could be that second scenario. Langdon either marked or had the ball running inside 50 enough times to kick 10+ goals this year. He finished with 2 goals 8.

Freo had very little bargaining power and they knew it. He wasn't going back. Apart from maybe a cursory meeting with the bombers Langdon only ever had interest in joining us and it was pretty clear why, we backed the truck up to get him. Still 200k cheaper than Brad Hill.

Langdon and Tomlinson rumoured to be 700k and 500k, that's your big fish. We shouldn't be pushed up against the cap but we should be planning to try to move salary out to allow us the freedom to make good early offers to our players before their contracts run out. Otherwise if we bring too many expensive players in we end up under the pump to sign our own guys who then become more expensive.

It is a serious problem though. We've never been able to play 2 rucks and even in a number of games gone in with just 1 key forward because the coaches have been so keep to get defensive pressure on. No other team plays 2 big non tackling forwards with any success, why would we be any different? There's a good chance the solution would see one of them dropped to the 2's. The other question is whether Brown is in his prime any more. It's hard to be entirely confident one way or another. He's been close to 3 goals a game in his career at Docklands, but average 2 a game at the MCG.

Because the vast majority of player movements are organised well ahead of time and then haggled over during the trade period. 14 teams are done for the year and there's already 40+ names lined up https://www.afl.com.au/news/515946/trade-period-state-of-play-who-s-going-who-s-undecided

Anything inside 40 would be huge, an upgrade from a pick 60 in to the 45-50 range seems more likely to me. If we were to get a player out of GWS we probably would've heard about it by now.

His game sense/craft certainly needs work, he gets a little lost and isn't the best at the contest, but you'd take those flaws for someone with natural ability to run the ball and a penetrating kick. The biggest flaw in his game is he's an outside runner without a good tank. It's a fundamental problem. It seems he was working hard at it last summer but ended up with groin issues. So a step backwards rather than a step forward. This is the summer to show he can take a big step forward. If he's not running at least with the experienced midfield types by the end of summer he won't make it.

Will be interesting to see what comes of the revenue sharing model. If 7 are successful at pulling out of the broadcast agreement then the players could lose a huge chunk of shared revenue if they are guaranteed a percentage not a set amount. My guess is big Nicho heads to the safer waters of steady business rather than sport

For a stretch of 9 games until we started playing every 4th day in tropical cyclones he did. And when he had a capable player complimenting him in Jackson or even Tommy in a few games he looked very good. When Preuss - who can’t move, or Mitch Brown - who leads up beautifully but is gutless under a high ball - paired with him he struggled to find his role. If Brown takes Weid’s position and forces him in to a different spot he’ll struggle.

I thought Langlands showed a bit as an outside runner last year. So hard to know with no VFL this year.

Cardinals, Rams, Colts

Firmly in the belief that he's a far better fit with what we've got than Brown. He's the Jack Darling to Weid's Josh Kennedy. (Jackson gets to be Oscar Allen and Fritsch a poor mans Liam Ryan too. Chuck in some pressure smalls and rotate the mids and you've got a really balanced forward line.) Weid made plenty of good key defenders look silly for a large stretch of the season when the ball was delivered quickly and to advantage and the best way to do that is to have hard working forwards who create turnovers in dangerous spots and allow for quick entries. And a reliable lead up player who can split a pack at half forward or on the wing so Weid doesn't have to do it all. Mihocek would lead up at CHF to contest and also does a nice job leading back in with the ball as well.

I'm not saying don't play a second tall, I'm saying don't have 2 big men who aren't all that mobile and will end up competing for 1 role in the side. Darling and Oscar Allen are great athletes who complement Kennedy. The Saints can play King alongside a 2nd ruck because he's a great mover and Membrey is the same height as Fritsch, just a beefer version of a medium marking player. Riewoldt's losing his mobility and struggling to impact most games now but for a long time he was one of the best movers and great defensively. If we get Brown I hope I'm wrong but I'd be backing in Weid and focusing on younger tall forwards who have more versatility in their game.

I’m sure Gus does what is needed to be good, but maybe it’s a few too many of his special onions on some snags after the 100’s. Needs to be rock hard fit and a running machine like his brother or Trav Boak to be his bes

Weid’s thing and Brown’s thing are the same thing! Come up to a flank to crash a pack when needed, otherwise be a big target inside 50. We don’t need 2 guys doing the same thing

Do people think Burgess only trained Petracca last season and didn’t bother with the other 44 on the list? The penny dropped with Tracc and he got fitter, all Burgo did was provide the same program he did to the rest of the club (individually tailored of course). No matter who’s running our fitness department it’s up to Gus to do the work and earn the coaches trust that his speed, intensity and endurance demands centre square time. Unfortunate a crook foot is not the ideal starting point

I’m not suggesting he is on the market, I’m saying we need to draft guys like that given Saad and Williams are off the table. The only trades I’d be making this year would be for cheap fringe improvement players. Save up for a run at Josh Kelly or Merrett next year

Port, Geel, Richmond all have one focal point key forward in Dixon, Hawkins and Lynch. The secondary talls - Marshall, Stanley and Riewoldt - rarely touch the ball. Weid and Brown just won’t work. Let’s stick with Weid, use our cap space and draft capital finding guys who can run, kick and pressure to create scoring chances. Zak Butters, Mitch Duncan, Shai Bolton - that’s what we need.

Weid puts together a great stretch of football before the crazy fixturing tires him out and we go replace him with Broken Ben Brown. Weid will end up at Casey before finding success at another club in 2022.

Might've been on Oscar but the stats show Riewoldt kicked 4 and Hawkins kicked 5 the 2 weeks before Gawn went down. I remember Tom being Tom, lots of intercept marks, getting a heap of the ball, but turnovers and getting caught out for mobility and smarts. There's no doubt the ruck and forward role rejuvenated him. Even late in 2016 Roos would swing him forward - because the forward line needed him but also to give him some freedom. Tom was the main man in 2018. The idea that he needed Hogan was a myth. He did just as well with Weid in the side late in the year. His mobility is poor as a forward. I don't see how it gets better down back unless we use him as a Harry Taylor type player and make sure our pressure is consistently great and that our wingers are always back to provide get out kicks like the Cats wingers are. Personally I don't think we'll ever want to play like that so we don't want a big immobile CHB. We want hard charging Tom at CHF. Who might not be able to change directions but can always be a threat on the lead and can crash a pack. His marking has been shot for 2 years, that's another reason not to risk him down back.

Dawson was like a slightly smarter, better positioned and touch slower version of Frosty. Could make plenty of blunders but he'd make you earn your kick one on one. When left to try to defend a man and the ball at the same time Oscar wilts and fails to get to the contest. Just can't read the play physically or mentally quick enough. I've often thought if we could send him to the Germans back in the day and load him up with meth he'd be a chance to show a bit of intensity. Unfortunately ASADA wouldn't approve.

Zac Dawson was a good athlete who built strength and became a very good defensive player even with limited skills. Oscar's never shown any kind of athleticism and hasn't improved his defensive ability. The camera work likely obscures some of stuff Oscar does well but too many times he'll be in good position with his opponent and just led to the ball. If you can't compete you aren't even going to make it.

Not sure why the two compare. With a lack of better options I think Smith is worth one last shot as a developmental defender. Tom was once a developmental defender who became a good one, then trailed off. He reinvigorated himself as a key forward and for his sake I can hope he can find that form again. I think he's a slim chance to find his form again as a forward, I think he's very unlikely to do so down back.

Exactly right. Apart from killing us with turnovers he was struggling for mobility when the ball hit the deck and his confidence to hold position was poor too. The ruck/forward role when Gawn went down and then the key forward role in 2018 really rejuvenated him. But I’m very concerned his issues are mental and physical.

Billy Frampton - future 4th Darcy Cameron + 62 = 56 Zac Smith - 58 Pittonet + 61 = 54 + 63 Andrew Phillips + 61 + 72 = 57 + 70 Thats last years ruck bingo. How you’ve go from that to a former pick 11 in a super draft is beyond me. Not to mention Caldwell has to be interested in us and we have to be interested in him and there’s no evidence of that.