Rumour 2024 Hypothetical trade and FA Thread

[Strapping Young Lad]

2024 Picks



2025 Picks

 

[HawthornHawk]

Everyone here will be doing cartwheels when Baz lands.
He is a star.

Especially our coach

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Ginnivan ??
Long planned ??

Yup, we encouraged him to head to the races pre-GF.

 

[Blackhawk42]

If there is no room in the team for Ward now, there certainly won't be with Smith at the club.
We have to be considering this.
No point wasting the kid at VFL when he is clearly too good for that level.

Find him a home, use the trade capital and keep our draft pick/s.

What happens if Smith and Day get injured?

Ward would back himself to improve anyway. Would anyone be really shocked if he's replaced one of Nash or Worpel within 2 years? Young, first round draft pick and a pure mid. We haven't seen the best of him yet.

 

[ahhhhhh]

What happens if Smith and Day get injured?

Ward would back himself to improve anyway. Would anyone be really shocked if he's replaced one of Nash or Worpel within 2 years? Young, first round draft pick and a pure mid. We haven't seen the best of him yet.

I would be shocked if he replaced Nash or Worpel unless he can become an inside beast.

 

[CaptainWorpedo]

I would be shocked if he replaced Nash or Worpel unless he can become an inside beast.

Ward will get rotations in the middle. Just need him to have a second position to break into the team sooner rather than later. I reckon he could be more than handy on a forward flank or off a HBF.

* We have a couple of retirements coming up over the next 3-12 months

 

[ahhhhhh]

Ward will get rotations in the middle. Just need him to have a second position to break into the team sooner rather than later. I reckon he could be more than handy on a forward flank or off a HBF.

* We have a couple of retirements coming up over the next 3-12 months

Yeah, I agree. I just don't think he's going to displace Nash or Worpel as they play vital roles.

 

[MrPremiership]

Everyone here will be doing cartwheels when Baz lands.
He is a star.

Yep, can't believe the stuff I'm reading here.

Baz is a genuine star and the missing piece to our midfield mix.

 

[RoughysMullet]

Surely we throw some coin at Bont?

Looking at him on 360 clearly the Dogs aren't paying him enough , he has had to take a gig as a weed dealer/ lead singer of an Indie band to supplement his income .

You’d be shitty if you were Bont - dogs handing out multi million deals to injury prone hacks like Naughton whilst you’re there carrying the team on your shoulders year after year for peanuts…

 

[Bugs1977]

If there is no room in the team for Ward now, there certainly won't be with Smith at the club.
We have to be considering this.
No point wasting the kid at VFL when he is clearly too good for that level.

Find him a home, use the trade capital and keep our draft pick/s.

Our list is in a different position but worth it's keeping in the mind when we did what you're suggesting with Josh Kennedy who couldn't crack into our (at the time) premiership team. We let he and Ben McGlynn make there way to the Swans unopposed which wether you like it or not JK came back to haunt us on many occasions.

Ward hasn't even endured the fight to break into the team that JK and by all reports isn't asking for a move and is willing to fight his way into our best 22. JK wanted a change of scenery and in his defence he was stuck behind multiple premiership players and pushed for the move in which looking back on his career wasn't a bad decision for him. I always thought if he persisted a year longer that he'd eventually take Brad Sewell's postion and that he was very close in doing so.

If JK was pushing for a change of scenery then the conversation will definitely be had and as you say trying to re-coup as much trade capital as we can for him could definitely be an option but until then there's absolutely nothing wrong with him fighting for his spot like everyone else and when the opportunity comes I'm sure he'll take it with both hands.

 

[RoughysMullet]

If he wants whimsical success, getting a big paycheck with his boyhood team, wonderful.

I have enough anxiety trying to fit all of our midfielders in as is!

Hard to believe less than 2 years ago we traded Titch and jaeger - our midfield cupboard looked completely bare.. now it’s our biggest strength- with quality mids playing at Box Hill

Massive recruiting effort and development of players by the club…

 

[SSSSSS]

Forget about best 22.

These days with the amount of player injuries it's been about cultivating a strong best 30.

I'm not one who is so easily prepared to flick talented young players for magic beans when they could very easily be long term pieces for us.

 

[GerryLewis]

McDonald is 5 years in, when will he become an absolute ripper? I think he is and will always be, a solid citizen only.

He's currently in year 3 and he's played over 50 games. Likely the most from his draft class playing arguably the toughest spot on the ground, high half forward. I think we can all be very bullish on where Connor's going.

 

[suburb whispers]

He's currently in year 3 and he's played over 50 games. Likely the most from his draft class playing arguably the toughest spot on the ground, high half forward. I think we can all be very bullish on where Connor's going.

Connor or Logan?

 

[GinniAndTonic]

Are we one of the clubs with a massive offer to Harley Reid

 

[Hawkspot]

Are we one of the clubs with a massive offer to Harley Reid

There’s 18 clubs with massive offers for Reid, include Tassie in it too. Imagine the offer Tassie (AFL ambassador type stuff) will give him if he shows any interest in returning home.

No point considering him an option until his next contract.

 

[Brant]

He's currently in year 3 and he's played over 50 games. Likely the most from his draft class playing arguably the toughest spot on the ground, high half forward. I think we can all be very bullish on where Connor's going.

Wrong McDonald.

 

[2008wasoverDEW!]

It seems some people undervalue opposition players, and often overvalue our players. Baz, if he comes across, would comfortably be one of the best players on our list. He also has the potential to be a top 10 player in the game.

Despite his draft position, Ward is currently not performing to the standard we expect. That does not mean he's a BUST, as he's still young and developing. For now he's a depth player on our list that needs to improve his game before surpassing other senior mids. He's aware of this, but he's got time on his side and a willingness to learn.

 

[KermitJagger]

It seems some people undervalue opposition players, and often overvalue our players. Baz, if he comes across, would comfortably be one of the best players on our list. He also has the potential to be a top 10 player in the game.

Despite his draft position, Ward is currently not performing to the standard we expect. That does not mean he's a BUST, as he's still young and developing. For now he's a depth player on our list that needs to improve his game before surpassing other senior mids. He's aware of this, but he's got time on his side and a willingness to learn.

I think we get a lot of the opposite as well though, complete overvaluing of opposition players as though they'll come in and completely transform some part of our team. Assuming Battle will come in and play full back, calling Baz a potential top 10 player in the game. Don't get me wrong, Baz is a good player, but by objective measures he's seen as a good, exceptionally hard working but not altogether too damaging midfielder. I would honestly take Day and Newcombe ahead of him.

He's certainly not on the level of the experienced guns like Heeney, Bontempelli, Petracca, Daicos or I'd say even any of the young guns making a name for themselves like Day, Newc, Anderson, Warner, Serong and the like.

 

[hawkheart]

On Wardy, at the 'Inside The Huddle' function last night at the MCG, Sam said he expected him to be a 200-game player and (Sam) was desperately trying to figure out a way to get him in the side. The context was how tight it is right now for spots.

 

[TheFourPillars]

On Wardy, at the 'Inside The Huddle' function last night at the MCG, Sam said he expected him to be a 200-game player and (Sam) was desperately trying to figure out a way to get him in the side. The context was how tight it is right now for spots.

I don't know why ppl doubt this

 

[kazzooka]

That is assuming Ward doesn't improve though, just because he is not best 22 at the moment does not mean he can not be going forward. He is not worth enough at the moment to worry about maximising value, you hold him and bank on him developing. If that never eventuates so be it.

I agree with this. He at the moment has shown he's okay at AFL level on the wing but not a specialist wingman and probably won't make a career at it. He's best suited to be a hard running inside mid but not up to that level yet. He's doing very well at it in the VFL now and will get another chance at it in the AFL soon enough. At the moment every midfielder is available for selection, that isn't going to last forever and he's probably the first one in if we have an injury/suspension loss of form. When he gets his chance this year or next he could make himself undroppable.

 

[scrim reaper]

Don't get me wrong, Baz is a good player, but by objective measures he's seen as a good, exceptionally hard working but not altogether too damaging midfielder. I would honestly take Day and Newcombe ahead of him.

He's certainly not on the level of the experienced guns like Heeney, Bontempelli, Petracca, Daicos or I'd say even any of the young guns making a name for themselves like Day, Newc, Anderson, Warner, Serong and the like.

I see what you're getting at but his 2021, especially the finals series has shown that he is capable of pushing that kind of level.

Given an inside role I would say his playstyle is pretty comparable to Warner, line breaking speed, tackle breaking, insane work rate etc. Smith is also a decent finisher around the sticks (on both feet) and knows when to avoid getting sucked into the contest and position himself as the outlet.

His kicking issues are also overblown, he is a long, penetrating kick, he can keep kicks low inside 50 on both feet. Has a tendency to sometimes overkick the footy but its not the loopy, inviting pressure type kicks, it's a bullet that goes over someone's head or wide which is imo pretty fixable (James Worpel prime example), and often a symptom of the pace he plays at. Over time he will find the balance of speed needed to escape away and hit targets consistently.

I'm not saying he doesn't have flaws but I think if he can recapture his 2021 form, and add an extra 10% of that, then we have a serious player on our hands.

Also his entire super marketable brand is pretty dependent on him being an elite player on a good team, so he has ample motivation.

 

[kazzooka]

Wrong McDonald.

Believe it or not we don't have any McDonalds on the list. 2 MacDonalds though.

 

[Iceman!]

I think we get a lot of the opposite as well though, complete overvaluing of opposition players as though they'll come in and completely transform some part of our team. Assuming Battle will come in and play full back, calling Baz a potential top 10 player in the game. Don't get me wrong, Baz is a good player, but by objective measures he's seen as a good, exceptionally hard working but not altogether too damaging midfielder. I would honestly take Day and Newcombe ahead of him.

He's certainly not on the level of the experienced guns like Heeney, Bontempelli, Petracca, Daicos or I'd say even any of the young guns making a name for themselves like Day, Newc, Anderson, Warner, Serong and the like.

I think Smith was projecting to be on a similar level to a lot of those players, yes his kicking isn't great but you could say the same about a lot of stars over the years. He looked like he could be come that damaging inside/out line breaking mid that could hit the scoreboard. He stagnated at the Dogs and has since been injured. So i think it somewhat depends if you give him any slack in the act i think the Dogs have slightly misused him and i genuinely believe Bevo is a hack of a coach.

Whether Smith ends up hitting top 10 i don't know but i do think he could have seasons where he plays at that level at a minimum.

 

[wahawk]

Believe it or not we don't have any McDonalds on the list. 2 MacDonalds though.

2 Macs
1 Mack
1 Mc