manny100

We will trade Clark if he wants to go to the club of his choice. Swap for Labamba would be ok. Otherwise would be looking say 30+ given his injuries. What we really need is pick3 for Frawley!!!

If we get a compo pick don't rule out a trade with GWS or Swans. Despite what the Swans say Mitchell will be offloaded for the right deal. Swans get a gun mid in Heeney this year and another gun mid in Mills - and Dunkley next year. No one in their right mind would not give up a pick 3 or 4 for a guy who cannot crack it for a regular senior game. Mitchell and another player, say Rohan would probably be about right. The Swans would get Heeney and Durdin (they need a young developing gun key back). Anyway trading/drafting season should be entertaining regardeless.

Stretch a bargain 3rd Rounder. He is very quick and with Barry is an alternative to Blease who may not be around much longer. Toumpass is a different type of player and not as fast. The top teams are adding express pace, eg, Hill and Smith, Rohan and Jetta. The way the Lions are going we may well get pick 3. Petracca will go top 2 so that leaves us with a tall.

I agree best available at our picks. Luckily Brayshaw or Petracca should be available. Usually bottom teams are so ordinary kids that play outside struggle big time. Usually those kids that are already strong, talented and win their own ball do better at least early, eg Wines, Dunstan. Generally the very early mid picks distribute the ball well which is where bottom teams usually fail. That is why Roos is trying to build our mid area up with bigger body mids. Win contested ball and use it well - helps forwards.

Saw the draft analysis by Wallace as well. 85% success rate for inside mids makes sense. The top 10 go to the lower clubs where it helps if you can get your own ball. The early insiders can win there own ball plus dispose ok. That is why Roos is desperate to build the midfield with class inside mids who can get the ball to outsiders and KPP's. No doubt if he was there we would have picked Wines. No knock on Toump its just that the Team needed insiders way more than outsiders at that time. I expect Brayshaw or Petracca to be drafted at year end (if available at our pick).

Jordan Lewis on 'Future Stars' said Petracca had trained at the Hawks and that he was a quicker version of John Kennedy.

In the absence of wins drafting possibilities at least provides us with a much needed distraction. Looks like bottom 1-3 for us even with Dawes, Jamar, Garland and Gawn in. Best available for me whether its a tall or mid. I think we will get a priority which most likley will be mid first round or end of second round. If Frawley goes then a pick after our first as compo. If Carlton finish in the bottom 3 watch them heave Gibbs out the door to get an early compo pick. The other clubs will not be happy if both us and Carlton get an extra pick early as compo - compromises the draft again - one reason which will push any priority pick we get closer to the end of the first round. If Frawley does go we would not recruit a free agent as we would lose our early compo pick. Last year some other clubs wrote to the AFL demanding that no priority be given last season due to us having a good list but not developing it properly, ie we already have the cattle. I do not think the AFL can ignore a poor finish again.

This year will be very interesting. Plenty of talls and we will likely get a top 3 or 4 pick. I do not see a problem picking up a young tall at our first pick. We do not know the long term prognosis for Clark, whether Fitzy will develop into a good player. What if Frawley goes. Hogan has to resign. If you later trade talls get you get more - one reason I suspect GWS has loaded up on them. Plus this is a rare draft - loaded early with talls. GWS will be looking to trade again into another early pick. It helps balance their list age profile with quality as a bonus (from a very early pick). So we have options with our first pick. Plus Stretch as a bonus 2nd rounder as a mid/forward.