DeeSpencer

Williams came on towards the end of the year. Not the biggest but a good leap and started winning more taps. Not the most skilled or biggest ball winner but can follow up. Was a forward as a junior so he does have some forward craft but he’d be a second ruck who can play forward. Not exactly a forward/ruck but he’d be a strong body and leap at the ball forward if we are lucky. I liked Jamieson in his draft year when he was Jacko’s back up. Athletic running wingman. Hasn’t done much of anything at afl level so far. Would very much be a back up and a roll of the dice.

In a full season only twice did he crack double digit disposals and only twice did he crack double digit hit outs. He’s a cautionary tale for the midseason draft

We might poach Aiden Begg from them who’s a handy young ruck. I think they see Frampton as primarily a KPP. McStay and Moore have injury issues. Howe and Cox aren’t young. But yes, I certainly hope we have a plan

To me he looked tired. A lot of disposals that narrowly missed the mark. The national champs is the real finals for these kids, that’s where you cement a draft range. After that he’s played 6 League games including finals that would’ve taken a big physical toll. To ask him to go back to the well and dominate a Colts grand final when he’s hardly played in that side for most of the year isn’t easy. Still looks the closest thing I’ve seen to Bont and a genuine weapon as a midfielder. Plus you’ve got the luxury of developing him on a back flank until he’s physically ready.

Our wings are just about done, Gus might have to go back outside. Viney should be eased back from a full time role soon. Tracc will be a forward sooner than later. And there’s no guarantees backs or forwards can be mids. Pies have Nick Daicos. Port have JHF. Brisbane have Ashcroft(s). Sydney have Errol. Geelong took a mid top 10 last year. And we need run and class. I think it has to be best available. If that lines up with a need then so be it, otherwise there’s no position where an elite player wouldn’t help us. Maybe a one dimensional contested mid wouldn’t be perfect but there’s no one like that in contention as far as I know.

North are having 9 first round picks over a 3 year stretch and Larkey is happy there. He’s not going to move. They’ll improve next year, win at least 10 games if not play finals in 2025 and be a finals lock from then on. Plus what are North going to do? Draft Nate Caddy and hope in 3-5 years he’s good? They’d be mad to get rid of a key forward just for more picks when they’ve had a stack and got more coming.

I reckon Ralphy’s got his wires crossed on this one. The Saints surely want a decent pick for Gresham and Shiel is worth nothing given his age, injuries and salary. Unless there’s no market at all for Gresham and the Bombers have to pay him massive overs I’d expect the Saints to hold on to the good pick and hand Essendon a lesser one. Either way, it’s the height of all dodgyness and the AFL need to stamp it out. (Unless we can do something similar if JJ and Grundy both pick Sydney and we can pay some of Grundy’s contract in return for the Swans boosting JJ to buy us good compo).

What’s a big move? Trading for pick 1? Trading for pick 4? Targeting a key forward (feels like we’ve covered them all. But I’ll add a name if we’re just taking wild guesses , Riley Thilthorpe)? How about trading for midfield class? Can we convince Tim Kelly and his partner to come give Victoria another go and play finals rather than rebuild at 29? Can we convince Zach Merrett that Essendon aren’t going anywhere? Richmond need picks to kickstart a rebuild, what if we offer the world for Shai Bolton?

Ben’s played 14 - 17 - 22 - 0 - 20 games in his career. Pretty good for a young key forward.

Things went bad in 2019 for Tommy, the only game he looked himself in sure him injure his knee. Didn’t get better in 2020. We tried to dump the salary after that. Played some good games in 2021 but really it was half a good year out of the last 5.

Of course not! They’ll trade both of them and then there’s nothing to review!

Lack of forwards and lack of backline run play a major role, but at the end of the day our mids are poor kicks and we need them to be at least borderline ok. Not a giant improvement but noticeable change. 1. Gawn: kick less. He simply has to play to his strengths and weaknesses and not try to be the hero. He can dish off handballs like most rucks do. 2. Viney: time to make him a heavy defensive half forward rotation player. Not quite Taylor Adams but close to 50/50 forward mid assuming we have our best side to pick from. 3. Petracca: Tracc’s always going to be risk reward. Again, more half forward. Big targets will help him. Keep grinding away at the goal kicking at hope it changes. 4. Clarry. The biggest challenge because we need him playing on ball and getting 30+. A left foot would be a good idea. Getting more run in to the side so he’s got handball options and can get it on the run himself would both help. Do some technique work with Choco. Stay healthy, don’t end up in hospital mid year! The important question is who’s going to fill the midfield minutes. Obviously can’t just be Gus, Sparrow (or shudder even Harmes if he stays), that’s lateral at best. I’d use all of Salem, Rivers, ANB, Pickett, Laurie, a taste of Bowey, McVee, Howes, some Woey, some Chandler over summer plus draft picks. Give everyone a run and see how it goes.

Pats Cowboys Eagles

I should save myself time and find a post from another thread. But the gist of it is: Pros: - Perfect size, shape. Going to be a very big unit - Without knowing testing numbers seems a very good, maybe even great athlete - Gets to good positions, racks up the ball - Exceptional with the ball on the deck especially by hand Cons - Just doesn't win enough aerial contests. Gets out marked and lets the ball get over the back too frequently for an elite prospect I wouldn't completely dismiss him, he's still a good prospect, but I wouldn't be sold on him going top 7. More 8-12.

Putting Essendon’s odd list building to the side, McKay is a rare talent who can produce so much more. And he’s free. He’s always going to get a 25% + bump for being free! In terms of free agents netting first rounders he’s less suspect that Joe Daniher leaving Essendon having barely played for a few years. And maybe even Gresham. Not to mention the Motlop end of first rounder. It’s a completely stuffed system that needs to be changed with far more free agents and more restricted free agents that see teams match and trade if they don’t want to lose someone. Do that and list decisions get made based on best use of cap space and the salary cap evens the comp out. Then you can say goodbye to compo. The compo is the cap space. In this situation North either match and tell Essendon to come up with a top 10 pick or they let him walk and spend 700k on players they rate higher.

I understand they very much suggested Jackson but I find the idea they had an experienced club CEO working a lesser job and got him over to a job he could do is some amazing handout a bit confusing. No one ever says the AFL lines up SHocking to be Geelong’s CEO. I’ve never seen any evidence that they lined up Roos apart from that they guaranteed our debt loans which they do for all clubs. And of course they wanted an experienced premiership coach to take on the gig. The thing I don’t understand is Roos came to us with a strategy not to rely on high picks and to add leadership, culture and then let the young talent develop. Clarkson’s come to North and has openly admitted he couldn’t coach a team of scrubbers and his desire to coach was reignited when he saw Wardlaw play. Now, instead of building a side with 8-10 great young players and some veterans and role players he’s gone to the AFL and wants a handout to get 2, 3, 4, 5???? more elite kids?

GC will trade out of 4, so that’s the big target for getting 2 highly rated guys. But will GWS, Geel, Ess, Adel trade out of 6-9? History says it’s very uncommon. If the Suns trade from 4 to 10 they might then go from 10 to 13 with us. Do we trade to get 5 and 10 if we can’t get 4 and 5? Possibly, but by draft night 10 is 13+ and that’s usually not worth moving for. One player from the elite group and then target a few picks across the draft is what I’d do if the Suns don’t deal with us

Good 3rd tall option but hasn’t been healthy enough to count as a reliable depth and could easily be needed at the other end. I’d put him down as Melksham replacement but still need at least 2 ready to go options to replace Grundy, BBB and T Mc.

Well, he will be a Melbourne player by then! And surely we aren’t getting a 28 year old to play in the 2’s. Plus the Pickett suspension. Question will be what role he plays and how he fits with Fritsch, 2-3 talls, possibly Joel Smith and smalls. Could easily play round 1 and be dropped for round 2. But I do like the idea of him playing the small deep forward role that Kossie played in finals. That frees up Fritsch and Pickett to do more up the ground in a variety of roles.

Yes but that’s what North did for a decade and when they made hard calls they made too many and didn’t pay up picks or cap space to bring in any help. it was clear they cut too deep. One of the best arguments for North getting priority picks is the draft being messed by other sides, but you can’t give North too many or you’ll just pay that pain forward to other sides

That’s what I’m hearing, I also expect he’ll decline but I haven’t heard any details

Completely unsubstantiated by hearing we’re having a dip at Hawkins.

The Suns help was way over the top but it was justified as they were pretty much starting again from scratch as was not reigning in their academy by now. It’s a huge slap in the face for clubs like St Kilda, Freo, Essendon who haven’t won stuff all in years that North are getting spoon fed an easy path back to finals. Doesn’t guarantee more than that but they now have an easy way to build a consistently finals side. And these picks will help them for a decade, that’s the problem. Any help for bad teams should be based on helping them go from awful to just ok. North have barely tried to do that, they’re still stripping away veterans and not making aggressive moves for mature talent. Where’s the Vince or Tyson trades to actually get better now not in 3 years time?

Sheezel, LDU are proven. Simpkin’s very good. Wardlaw’s proven to have great talent. Tarryn Thomas is a freakish talent and they don’t deserve to benefit if they can’t turn him around. If they can’t make a good midfield out of those 5 they’re not going to do it with more talent. And thats already allowing for Phillips and Powell not being much chop so far but both are at least useful and could be trade assets if they wanted to get more picks in. It’s crazy to give them future picks when they have the ability to trade future picks right now. There’s no reason to give them more talent and allow them bonus picks to trade. Especially in to future years. Give them what they got last year to bring in Logue and tell them to trade extra picks if they need to.

He’s like Tomlinson if he played midfield. Hard pass