DeeSpencer

I’d be surprised if we don’t use a top 30 pick on a midfielder this year given we’ll likely take 3 or more picks in that range. But Im also not too worried by depth at the moment. If Gus needs time away then that changes things but we can wait until at least the trade period to know more about that. I can see a promotion of some of our maturing players to the level of playing 5-10+ games a year. Laurie - Dunstan Taj - JJ Howes - Harmes And then a fresh wave of kids coming in behind those guys to have a taste of afl footy if they are ready.

There’s another thread that has the list of names but it’s slim pickings. I’m sure I’ve forgotten some. If it’s Lynch it’s an early second, maybe a first if the Tigers pay a big chunk of his wage. If it’s Chol it’s probably a late second and the Suns pay his salary down to match his talent. If it’s Casboult then a good salary but no trade cost (free agent) If it’s Jacob Koschitzke then pick 60 and a 1 year deal with incentives. Id give a pair of 3rd rounders and 2 years on solid pay to Jack Buller (contracted). Id give a 3rd rounder and 2 years to Buku Khamis because he has swing man potential Lachie Gollant (contracted) - late second rounder, decent contract. Elliot Himmelberg - 4th rounder, 1-2 year deal

As long as it’s not silly money then I’d be fine with it. Maybe our initial offer was 330. Maybe the best he can get now is 360. I’d counter with 375 and if he stays for that then that’s fine by me. If the other teams offer 400 and get us a 2nd rounder then at least we haven’t lost him for nothing. Obviously all those numbers are made up but there’s a way to try to make sure we get compensated without blowing the bank. Teams with cap space will compete with each other and pay overs to preserve their draft hands. Apart from St Kilda, who might have to trade for him to preserve their Gresham compo. Heck if we really want to game the system and he picks Sydney then we could pay 200k pa of Grundy’s salary, have the Swans pay 200k pa extra for JJ and see if we can get an end of first rounder for him. That would be brilliant.

The reports say we want him to stay. So of course we offer him as much as we can afford to drive his price up. I’d even offer a fraction more than we’d ever want to offer just to inflate the market. The number of teams interested show how in demand free talent is. We have to be part of boosting that contract dollar and hopefully getting 2nd round compo.

Jefferson’s a 2025 prospect at best. Need someone, anyone to bridge the gap between the 2 main guys and Schache and the broken old fellas

3 centre bounce attendances. Hard to make an impact as a one paced mid playing in the half forward Death Valley

I’m not sure that’s true, we offer a fat contract that nets us a second rounder if anyone offers the same. If he was traded it would probably be for a 3rd. Teams will consistently pay overs for free agents because they don’t cost a pick. Classic examples include Adam Tomlinson, Mabior Chol and Rory Atkins

Pies and GWS who I’d have last because I’m not fully buying the Hogan resurgence - kicking still suspect, but in great marking form at the moment. Very much agree Mihocek is underrated, but JVR has all the same traits. Petty and JVR can both clunk marks and contribute on the ground, if they can play together consistently they’ll improve rapidly. Agree on what’s around the Pies guys but with Fritsch, Pickett, Tracc and soon to be McAdam we’ll have dangerous forwards. We need a playable second ruck, we need a depth tall back up. If we spend 2-3 first rounders on guys who make the ball move better up the field (be they mids, backs or half forwards) the tall forwards will have a lot easier time of it.

No, I like the look of him. Wouldn't be offering crazy money but far more than the Swans have got him on the books for and whilst I wouldn't straight swap him for Grundy I'd throw in a couple of 3rd rounders. We have to find a way to get someone!

I think he's been unlucky. The only unused sub is really unlucky. We should've had more foresight and got him on. To then play nearly a full season on the wing before getting injured and dropped for finals is unlucky. Carried a big load and wasn't rewarded. I had no issue with it, he tired at the end of the year and got injured. But unlucky. And then all those games he did play on a wing in '22 and as a rotational player in '21 took away from him developing his craft by playing as a full time mid in the VFL. Even this year he played 5 VFL matches, averaged 33 touches and a goal but spend most of his time in the senior side filling gaps. He hasn't been given a full run of VFL matches to really hone his inside game, yet alone take that form to AFL level. That's the reality of life in a good side and doing his job, but there's a lot of untapped potential in JJ if he can start winning his own ball at AFL level.

No.

Jack Buller was a Swans midseason draftee who kicked 22 goals in 8 VFL games. Big unit. Unfortunately he immediately extended his contract for a year before he made his debut. Swans really leveraged him. Rumour was he was going to play WAFL finals? Can we put a fat contract to him and try to force the Swans hand in the Grundy deal?

All aboard the Teakle Train

One things for sure, he knows where the points are

I'd have GWS 4th. Hogan beating up on bad Saints and Power* defenders is starting to overrate him. It's the strength of Petty and JVR together that will see them flourish IMO. Unless the deal was great I'm not that keen to pay for Tom Lynch's physical decline and injuries.

No idea where he's been but that's a first round pick, maybe even top 10. Sign me up.

Mihocek and McStay Hogan and Ricciardi Daniher and Hipwood Curnow and McKay I think they can easily be better than 2 out of 4 as soon as next year and not too far from the Brisbane and Carlton combinations that are amongst the best in the league. Unless we get one of the 5 or so genuine stars of the comp we need depth and particularly someone who can go in the ruck to take the load off JVR.

He’s an option but we need one more genuine tall in case Petty or JVR are both out.

We’d be in the prelim if we had Lord over T Mc the last two weeks. But I cant see Port giving him up with their current tall forward. Would be like us giving up JVR

Hawkins - won’t happen, can try. Riewoldt - not for me, he’s done. We need a fit, physical, agile role playing back up to JVR and Petty. Doesn’t have to be a world beater.

Thanks for saying it so I didn't. He barely had the coaches trust as a ruck/forward. He didn't have it as a forward/ruck. The SCG and full time ruck will both suit him perfectly and Sydney are desperate, but John Longmire's going to lose his freaking mind at some of the stuff he does if he doesn't change his ways.

He isn't a good kick. Poor decision maker with the ball, but a good competitor. I would've tried him as a pressure forward in the last 6 or so weeks just to see if he could thrive in a new role, but (assuming AMW gets another contract) we do have plenty of players in that role.

They do need to replace Lycett and probably Dixon who can't be trusted to be healthy, so it's not that crazy. It would also mean at least 1, if not both of Hayes and Teakle are on the trade block.

I don’t like the decision but I do have faith that if Disco can string an uninterrupted preseason together he’ll get first (and many) chances.

No and not saying he will be he couldn’t have had a worse first year unfortunately.