DeeSpencer

He can rent Max’s old food truck and film TikTok’s on the way to Casey! Im not buying it’s an issue. I am buying that he saw our crowds of 15,000 against GWS and Port and said bugger coming back to play for these quitters. As fans we quit faster than the players did!

Be interesting to time up the travel time from Tracc’s place in an inner south east suburb to Carlton 4 days a week (35-60 minutes), vs to Gosch’s 2 days (15-25 mins) and Casey 2 days (45-1hr). Net result would be negligible.

I’d like to see evidence of his character is anything but fine, obviously that would be a factor. Our list is now in a different stage desperately needing to replace Gus, Nibbler, JJ (never replaced) as well as Hunter and effectively (if not entirely) Billings too. You can’t replace that kind of experience - and what should be 10+ list changes - just with kids. Of even with valuable players traded for picks. I’d have easily a dozen list changes which means picking up guys for nothing. I’d first focus on younger players keen for a second chance and state leaguers but there’s probably going to be at least 1 more dodgy veteran pick up.

Hunter was, but we didn’t see what was plain for all to see that he was spent, hence why the Dogs were pushing him out to begin with. Billings was always a myth.

I realise how low the bar is set but we’ve picked up Hunter and Billings the last two years it really can’t get any worse. For all his faults Zak might actually put his head over the ball. But yeah, he’s very low down an already ordinary list.

Brayshaw (veteran mid/wing) Peatling, Zak Jones, Setterfield, Nathan O’Driscoll JJ (defensive mid) Alex Davies, Sam Berry, Will Brodie, Finn Macrae, Parfitt, Phillips ANB (defensive forward) - Owies, Wicks, Matt Guelfi BBB - Tom Lynch! Membrey? Hibberd (back pocket) - Sean Lemmens, Ethan Hughes We’ve got to do some serious shopping at the discount bargain bin this year and try to beef up our depth. Obviously not many good players out of contract at this time of year so it won’t be great options but we need to grab up to 5 guys just to replace the experience we’ve lost. And if we can do it without burning too many picks we can get quality through the draft and inject them in to the side when they’re ready.

Trainor, Shanahan and Armstrong all look like guys you’d take in the top 10. If the state of our midfield and recent/future draft picks were different I’d be open to any of them.

My point is: Key forwards don’t need to be good at pressure. Their job is to jump at the ball and crash packs and they only need to do token amounts of pressure to defend their rival key backs. As a medium forward who doesn’t have the structural role of a pack crasher Fritsch has to defend his smaller running opponent. He has to be compared to similar medium forwards. Hayward, Ollie Henry, Rayner for instance. He does play deeper forward and a different role to those guys so I get the numbers won’t be the same. But the eye test of a guy who is so lazy to chase and an awful tackler is pretty clear.

Very roughly and I’ll change my mind 1000 times as we get more info and footage: Langford O’Sullivan Lalor Reid or Draper Smith I wouldn’t rule out a tall either, although the academy kid last year on the back of JVR and Jeffo makes a tall forward unlikely, you’d have to be completely in love with the pick.

O’Sullivan seems the standout athlete for mids with run and some decent pace, Draper the most zip, Lalor the power burst, Jagga Smith the clean link running. It’s very tricky because they all have different strengths and weaknesses.

He’s fantastic at getting first hands at the stoppage but I’m not convinced by what he does when he gets hands on the pill. When Langford gets hands on something happens. And outside the contest Smillie seems below par. Smillie reminds me of the bad Oliver games (this year and others) where purely getting the ball without any momentum or power in the legs doesn’t help you. But he could also be Cripps or Tom Green or the good Oliver who turn that first possessions in to drive.

If that was the logic we should keep Ben Brown, he’ll play the next 100! Lynch has a bad knee, but I don’t think it’s BBB level bad. A hammy injury this year might be related but you’d at least have hope it’s just bad luck and the good news is he was back training I believe, they just had no incentive to rush him back. If it was 2021 and we had the games best midfield and backline I’d be stoked about the plan to get a few games in to him early in the season, put him on ice through winter and fire him up around late July for a finals run. Thoroughly less enthused about that plan now.

Very different situation. The Suns needed that money off their cap, they were bursting. Richmond can easily afford to pay Lynch. The questions are: - Do they feel they owe Lynch the right to go play for a contender (or at least a not totally full rebuild club)? - Do they feel Lynch has benefit as a leader or is he just taking up time in the medical room and not connected with the young guys coming through? - Will they pay 500-800 of the deal to save 700-1M? That’s not an insignificant saving even with their cap not needing it. That’s a huge chunk of front loading on someone like Noah Balta, which then lets you pay top free agent money to anyone coming in down the track. Yze so far has seemed very benevolent to his older players and keen to turn the page quickly. I don’t think Richmond will just give Lynch up and pay a fat chunk of his salary, but I expect they’d actually pay 500-700 to move him on if they can snag a future 3rd rounder or something and bring in a young tall. The better the pick the more they’d pay.

Tell our CEO who’s yapping about needing a key forward. Petty back. A mature key forward to cover Jeffo/Disco would be ideal. If Richmond can swallow 5-750 of his 1.5 it’s worth a try if we can fix the midfield and flankers with some speed, skill and aggression

He didn’t have the tank for half back, he was never getting picked to play on ball this year. Half back was a good way to get him in the side given our lack of depth. Also got him an easy 25 touches a week at Casey. I hope he’s training as a mid/forward over summer.

One bad bomb to begin with. 4 of the other 5 inside 50 kicks shown hit the forwards in the hands. I’ll take 4 out of 6.

He might not have Pendles’ class or Bont’s boot but he’s in the same height and strength and has plenty of penetration on his left foot. A better overhead mark than Pendles and maybe even better overhead for his age than Bont. Is he a great athlete - probably not. Is he the most precise with his skills no. But he racks the ball up, dominates at stoppages and creates a lot of scores. To me he’s the pick 1 aside from Ashcroft. I really liked his vfl game. Because he did find it a bit hot early. But he started to find more space and make some really good inside 50 kicks as well as show his ability to break from packs and cut through traffic.

Ok let me put it this way. I suspect he’ll be at least 20% better than Laurie and at least 20% worse than Gaz Jnr. Somewhere between one of the best of all time and a vfl player! Where he fits on that continuum time will tell. Athletic testing and evaluating his scope will be crucial.

It might be the greatest junior highlights package I’ve ever seen. It’s bonkers. But it’s also just highlights, and I have doubts on some of the kicking especially where he loops it to space. That won’t work in afl footy. Right now I’m saying he could be Ablett Jnr, could be Bailey Laurie!

Pendles class hides how good and strong at the stoppages he is and his size is vital to that. But you’re right, if you’re really good size/athleticism doesn’t matter as much.

He’s insanely classy but I’m just not sure he’s got enough pace to get anything like Daicos comparisons. I can see Caleb Serong comparisons with the quick hands. I’d like him, but I think we need someone who can really run or can dominate the contest. Ideally both!

Bad? It’s bloody brilliant. 2019 everything went wrong. Jackson, Pickett and Rivers were premiership players 2 years later. Whilst I’m not expecting that kind of turnaround a pick 6 is lovely. That could be an Oliver level player, could be a Windsor, could be traded for Steve May. Biggest downside is we don’t have our second rounder and have to beg the Crows for it back.

Jason Taylor when Richo and Lamb try to trade it for another 28 year old with no hamstrings.

The eagles haven’t tried a priority pick yet. But I don’t think they’d get a top 5 pick.

Well I was proven wrong, I thought the Saints Saintliness would see them throw it. We might have to give Jack Higgins a statue and pick up Zak Jones. I mean, Jones fits nicely in our spent midfielder recruiting pattern of the last two years anyway so we’ll probably get him. Then add a few extra bucks for that handball and smother.