bing181

Suspect it will take longer than a year. Though with the emphasis on rebuilding around younger players, I personally think we're looking at 5 or 6 years before we're seriously contending again.

I wouldn't count on it. (But who knows ...)

I suspect that Dezi Freeman can.

We're actually paying him to play elsewhere. Maybe think about what kind of situation you would need for such an outcome.

Interesting that we took him while Ollie Greeves was still available.

Going on the injury reports, could be a while before we see him.

Only boggles the mind if you take a superficial view Add Johnson to your KPFs, Mihocek will be there for your couple of years, and we have White arriving. Not sure how many key forwards you think we should have? For the rest, we need small forwards, though adding them also frees up Kozzie for more on ball time, just as adding defenders frees up the likes of Rivers, Windsor and Lindsay to play more mid.

Matthews plus Pickett puts pressure on Mentha, Henderson, McAdam, even Chandler.

Apart from anything else, it shows how much more homework clubs and recruiting teams do on draftees than random or not-so-random track watchers.

Can take a mark it seems: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_ZzdfovObC/

Charlie Spargo replacement ...

Tom Matthews (Gippsland Power, small forward) The athletic forward was lauded for an enormous pre-season and a big start to 2025 earned him selection in the Vic Country squad at the U18s National Championships. Remarkably, though, he did all that with a PCL knee injury, suffered early in 2025 which meant he hardly trained, working hard just to get himself on the park on Saturdays. Eventually, the injury worsened and he featured in only half a game after early game - a wildcard round final for Gippsland where he showed his point-of-difference - forward 50 pressure - on a treacherous day for footy. The stymied year was highlighted by a four gaul outing in a Vic Country trial game against the Young Guns in May. Draft range: Late-rookie https://www.zerohanger.com/out-of-sight-out-of-mind-nine-injured-prospects-on-afl-draft-radar-170173/

I suspect it's because of the evenness of the draftees after the first couple and outside of the Academy and F/S picks. And given that evenness, that clubs are drafting for need.

Does it matter if he was, at least in part? Both will benefit, and as such, the club will benefit.

Yes, especially noticeable when all the male presenters have such perfect elocution.

Especially as that has never ever happened in the past.

Plenty of unknowns in all that. Henderson with a full pre-season under his belt and a different game plan, McAdam over his injuries and with his head in the right place, Mentha with a year in the system? Dovaston isn't Watson, and Pickett isn't Pickett, though hard to see either of those aligning with our current picks in any case. Dovaston tested really well, so could be a player, though not sure if it'll be for us.

This being the Pick 37 thread, how many of those were picks in the 30's? Though that's not what I said is it. I said "most kids drafted", which is a pool of around 70 players, more than a few of which will never even play a game. Cherry picking.

Of course you would. Meanwhile, in the real world, where most kids drafted hardly make the grade yet alone make a difference in their first season ...

Nairn will go first round, whether it's us or someone else. He's not going to be there in the 30's, or even the 20's.

We added 2 small forwards last year, Henderson and Mentha. We apparently have another coming next year as an Academy pick. We also have McAdam coming back from injury. Sure, none of those might be able to establish themselves in the short term, but nor would a first year draft pick.

Foxfooty: “Overall you probably would’ve expected an easier draw for a bottom-six team that should be taking a step backwards given its aggressive trade strategy.”

Thankfully.

"Nairn is shaping as an early call and is in the sights of Melbourne with its top-10 selections. Other clubs in the teens, such as the Giants and Crows, would also look at him if available."

They do. But they're not the only parties involved here. At least in internal circles, who's meeting who, who's said what to who, it gets around. Then there are the player agents ...