DeeSpencer

It's the kicking and physicality that impressive me. If he can run = key forward. If he can't = potential intercept 3rd tall defender

The Toumpas comparisons with Parish are silly. In 3 or 4 preseasons and I actually think Parish after beginning his career on a wing or back flank will end up like Nathan Jones, despite coming from a completely different body shape and skill set. Our skipper is about 180cm, wins his share of ball at the contest, covers the ground and links up well and is an underrated kick on either foot. 3 or 4 preseasons from Clayton Oliver and he could be Luke Parker, even a Patty Dangerfield or a Jake Stringer (with a greater midfield v forward mix). I like the risk.

Just looking at the video: McDonald Grimes Bugg A tall slim figure that could be Oscar Mc Stretch Melksham 3 defenders - Garland, Dunn, Jetta coming in together. Harmes Wouldn't have been fun in this wind. Unless someone happened to be there I don't think we'll ever know detailed results from this one.

I'd give 13 and 26 a rest for a year. 27 - Oliver. Put him in between the McDonald brothers, good country lads. 33 - Weid - next to Buggy and Grimes 34 or 40 - Mitch King - we've had a couple of good ruckman play in that number recently 38 - Hulett - in between Vanders and Jetta, a couple of tough units The live rookie pick can have 48 or 49.

Give them a ruckman each, bounce it and see who gets more touches from the hitouts. Anyway, I don't really care. There's plenty of room for both. Just got to get Dom back on track and I'm confident he will be. I'm in no hurry to add Brayshaw, Petracca and Oliver to our centre square rotations on anything more than a casual basis. Jones and Vince, then Viney and Tyson and after that Vanders probably deserves first crack at some midfield minutes. If the youngsters are ready then we can always move Jones or Vince out. The Dogs did that this year with Boyd but we might be a year or two from that.

Not at all. But it's why I like that we have these kids in now to push those guys not to replace them right away. If we waited a couple of years then Dawes and Pedersen would be truly past it and we'd be either playing kids or having to find mature replacements who would either cost a bit in a trade or potentially be repeat Tom Gillies types.

That's true, but the trade off even if they are average they usually get a second chance. Along with longer contracts the AFLPA should push for a greater pay scale for the early round picks. If they are good they get it though, play 22 games and you go close to earning 200k due to all the match payments. Play no games and you get 70k or whatever it is.

He played 11 games and was in the best 8 times. That's a great sign. Seems one of those players who will make others better by doing all the little things. Was in Murray's leadership group as well.

Clayton 'Clarry' 'The Hamburglar' Oliver. Love it.

Currie and Gorringe look like they are half way out of the AFL. I don't like their long term prospects. The opportunity cost of taking one of those types on is you are very unlikely to get the next Goldstein or Sam Jacobs. Developing your own might be a 1 in 30 chance of a player that good but at least you are in with a chance! Zac Smith is slightly different. He has a chance to become legitimately good. But he did cost twice as much as Mitch King, and would've been more if Gold Coast had any bargaining power. Plus he lost his physicality and needs to find it again. Next year we can swap Spencer out for a mature back up like a Curry or Gorringe all the while Mitch King will be finished year 1 of the 5 year process. By the way a lot of rucks took 5+ years to become consistently good but still played the odd decent game when given a chance early. They often just can't compete against the leagues 5 or so elite ruckman or play out a long string of games, but that's true for most positions.

If both Gawn and Spencer go down then I think we just make do with a combination of King's and Frost/Pedersen. If we were confident in a mature ruck who would be good enough to be a long term back up I don't think we would've taken Mitch King. Judging from clubs trading the likes of Giles and Curry and North keeping Daw I think the state leagues are pretty bare this year. Heck teams were apparently in to Jamar.

O'Kearney just has no AFL traits. I can't see us being interested. He's without a position in modern AFL. I'd go wing/half back for sure. Parsons' looks a nice type for a needs based selection. Greg Clark could be an option. I like him as a tall outside runner. If he does have top line endurance then running up and down the wing at that size would make a nice bail out kick even if he doesn't have particularly great pace or skills. Reuben William, Thomas Glen, Sam Murray seem likely types. Some combination of athleticism and skills seems right, just a matter of finding someone who has as much as both.

Interesting. Wouldn't do it personally, poor Morabito has just missed too much time. 3 AFL games in 5 years. Gawn never had a patch like that. Plus whilst he was starting to look like a future star Morabito only had the 1 year of senior football.

Inside mid: Jones, Vince, Viney, Tyson, Vanders*, Brayshaw, Petracca*, Oliver, Bugg* ANB*, Michie, Harmes*, Trengove Outside mid: Stretch, Newton, Watts*, ANB*, Lumumba*, Grimes*, Matt Jones Tall back: Dunn, T McDonald, O McDonald, Frost*, Hulett* Medium back: Garland, Lumumba* Small back: Salem, Jetta, Melksham, Bugg*, White, Grimes*, Terlich Tall forward: Hogan, Dawes, Weideman, Hulett* Medium forward: Watts, Petracca*, Vanders*, Smith Small forward: Garlett, Kent, JKH, Harmes*, Kennedy, Hunt Ruck: Gawn, Spencer, Mitch King Forward/ruck: Pedersen, Max King, Frost* Plenty of versatility. Depth in the midfield allows us to stack the forward line with mids who are dangerous forward and have plenty of in game rotations. Developing those mids and then moving Vince to half back/wing and Jones either forward or back as well will be vital. A super hard running wingman would be priority number 1. After Strech it's really a collection of sub optimal options for playing on the wing. That's ok due to rotations but if we want to improve ball movement we do need someone who can gut run and run and carry the ball. A good third tall defender to take over from Garland/Dunn would be priority 2. More class off half back to free up Salem would be priority number 3.

That's all they need to be. You get ok prospects in and develop them well and if they make it, great, if not we could get good depth. It's just silly for us a young team not to have a good core of young talls developing, and now replacing Jamar and Fitzy with these 2 and Weideman provides that.

The thing that makes me feel comfortable with Oliver is: - As a prospect he's really raw. Heaps to work on with the body and developing his game But - His production is there. It's not just half a season, it's most of the season, winning the league B+F, playing 2 solid VFL games. The bolter narrative is ridiculous. From those who watch TAC he's been well in the first round calculations for a large part of the year and just kept getting better and better. Then turned up to draft camp looking like an AFL footballer (or an 18 year old one).

Yeah MAX King (that will get annoying) is an ok size, although that photo is generous. Where he lacks is endurance. How does Mitch go in this regard? Do we know a 3km time? The other problem for Max King is he's always last in the running because everyone we have now is fit! 3 young talls should help fill in the gaps between 2nd last and Max King. Then they can all work together to build size and endurance.

I think the comparisons to Cripps - Draft bolter - Great inside - Tall and pale Are a bit lazy. Cripps is amazing at clearances. He's as good as any in the AFL. Oliver is a very good clearance mid at TAC but we don't know much else yet. Cripps is very good at accumulating the ball around the ground through work rate, but that's about all he does away from stoppages. I see agility, skills, marking (Cripps is a good mark due to his size, not for his size) and a burst of speed from Oliver that I rarely see from Cripps. I'm not saying he's as good as Cripps. We will be lucky if that's true. But I think he's much different to Cripps despite the similarities. Maybe a cleaner Dane Swan or a slower Dangerfield. There's a bit of Luke Parker about him and a bit of Robbie Gray.

I'd go for a pure wingman. I think it's the position we lack the most. We can flood the forward line with spare inside mids.

This might be sacrilege or stupidity but I think he could be better than Jesse under a high ball/pack situation. Jesse is amazing one on one (or even one on two) and working an opponent over in space, plus down right brilliant for a tall for when the ball is on the deck and in contested situations. But he throws himself a bit wildly at pack situations. Weideman seems to have long arms and nice balance in the air. If he basis most of his game on Hogan and develops against men the same way (if not at the same astronomical rate) and is even 3/4's as good as Hogan at most things he'll be a gun. But his pack marking could be even a step above. His set shot routine at this stage is also much better!

Ran 12.4 beep test last week, so he might not be super fit but he is running. Has been running for a while actually.

And Spencer. And if it's not the case they would've have earnt it because there will be options and competition! What a thought.

Skills say AFL. If he has the body and athleticism - he'll need to out run and be quicker than his opponents at his size - then he could make it. Either way we now have in the young player spots: Key back: McDonald, McDonald, Frost Forward: Hogan, Weideman, Hulett Ruck: Gawn, King, King That's a nice balance. It's the right amount of depth and competition for spots that will help hopefully produce some good footballers.

Highlights video scene by scene: - Strong mark back with the flight - Gathers a clearance against 3, firm handball to the loose man - Positions well for a handball up, snaps a goal quickly under pressure - Marks a kick out 30m from goal, bursts and shimmies through to the middle of the ground, launches inside 50 on a quick breakaway - Clearance - Loose ball get, spots up a man inside 50 - Clearance - Clearance on the move, weave, snap goal - Contested mark - Loose ball get, step, left foot spot up kick - Contested mark inside 50, taking the ball at the highest point - Loose ball get, pause, laughs at opposition, runs round, kicks inside 50 that leads to a goal - Beastly tackle - Clearance - Handball receive, turns, trips, bounces up and handballs to a runner I'm at 2:06 and I've seen enough. Any more and I'll turn in to Osilik

Mitch seems very raw and athletic, compared to Flynn anyway who we bid on and is 10kg heavier and more physical. Really though it's hard to be disappointed when we've got someone in line so we can finally get rid of Spencer!