Rumour 2024 Hypothetical trade and FA Thread

[Mercy Seat]

Our 3peat team had about 10 players rolling through the midfield. Sammy, Hodgey, Burgoyne, Lewis, Rough, Poppy, Punk, Cyril, Sewell (pre retirement), Shiels. The list goes on. We shouldn’t be limiting our rotations via 4 or 5 players. This will change as we improve as a team (a very young team with so much growth to come) and the youngsters get more games under their belt.

Ward has shown he can play wing and through the middle. Huss has shown he can play a bit forward, I reckon we’ll see the likes of Newk spend time up forward for stints and Day can go back or even pinch hit up forward, I’ll add Mackenzie who has shown he can distribute at half back. I think there’s a bit of versatility there which we’ll see in due course.

Not sure why many here are purely focusing on Nash, Newk, Day etc playing purely as mids. Good midfields have depth and also changes the mix up which can bother other teams by making it hard to adjust constantly playing against different rotations.

Ward and Huss aren’t going anywhere. We need to keep this young group together as the players mentioned are both young and clearly talented.

I see plenty like in Ward and Huss, however, I think part of the challenge with giving them game time at the moment is that there is no obvious second position for them to own in the seniors. Day was able to transition out of defence, Croc is playing more of an HFF role which will eventually include more midfield minutes, Frenchy is able to play mid and high half forward, etc. Ward has shown he can play outside, but with Mass playing so well and now CJ back in the team, that role isn't really there for him this year.

 

[Lickmesocks]

I'd say of that list only Shiels, Sewell, Lewis and Mitch were centre square mids during 3 peat. Hodge and Burgoyne mostly half back, Rioli and bruest forwards, and Hill and Smith were specialist wingman.

Lewis would also occasionally go on the wing. And Sewell was pushed out by 2014 by langford.

Bruest, Rioli, Hodge, Burgoyne, Roughhead occasionally took a centre bounce but mostly just went back to their positions after it or spent only small patches.

The suggestion with Ward is he needs to either be a winger or inside mid to get a regular game. Currently as specialist wing we have CJ and Dambrosio and Morrison in 2's. Weddle a chance for that position.

As an inside Mid he's behind Newcombe, Day, Nash, Worpel. Macdonald and Mckenzie are in the side but not getting a lot of mid minutes.

You need 8-10 players rotating through the middle. I have been to a few training sessions and Burge and the fitness team are working with him hard on his running and we are seeing glimpses at VFL level. He still could be much more than just an inside mid at AFL level.

Mitchell said he is a work horse and a very driven individual. When the coach says that we need to listen. If he needs to spend another 3-4 weeks waiting for his opportunity then let’s play the patience game.

When you go down the bottom and pick a kid so high in the draft, we need to stick with him!!!

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

We can offer battle more than the saints ever could

Would we even need to though?

Saints are going nowhere fast. We’re on the up with the second youngest list in the comp.

As Lloydy said, there’s an opportunity to join a club that is soon going to open up their premiership window that could last 5-6 years… we won’t need to offer the world.

 

[KermitJagger]

I see plenty like in Ward and Huss, however, I think part of the challenge with giving them game time at the moment is that there is no obvious second position for them to own in the seniors. Day was able to transition out of defence, Croc is playing more of an HFF role which will eventually include more midfield minutes, Frenchy is able to play mid and high half forward, etc. Ward has shown he can play outside, but with Mass playing so well and now CJ back in the team, that role isn't really there for him this year.

I think Ward certainly has better second position potential than Hus. I think Hus could be a gun but it'll have to be at another team where he can be the engine, he'd be an exceptional get for Collingwood.

If Ward plays good enough footy he could secure a spot on the bench, but he plays his best footy in the middle and we've got some incumbents who are going to be awfully hard to move for the next half decade at least.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

It has taken us a long bloody time to get to this point where we have good, young midfield depth. I am not exactly keen to just go trading those who currently sit a bit behind the others. In a year or two perhaps Ward and Huss are absolutely killing it and Nuke starts plateauing a bit and they surpass him. Perhaps Worpel goes to Geelong. What if one of our inside midfielders picks up a long term injury. Both players are 19 and 20 and can get a good development at Box Hill like many before them have if they aren't quite good enough to crack the first 22. We absolutely need the depth and coverage at the moment and are in no position to just allow other clubs to pick off our developing youth.

 

[KermitJagger]

It has taken us a long bloody time to get to this point where we have good, young midfield depth. I am not exactly keen to just go trading those who currently sit a bit behind the others. In a year or two perhaps Ward and Huss are absolutely killing it and Nuke starts plateauing a bit and they surpass him. Perhaps Worpel goes to Geelong. What if one of our inside midfielders picks up a long term injury. Both players are 19 and 20 and can get a good development at Box Hill like many before them have if they aren't quite good enough to crack the first 22. We absolutely need the depth and coverage at the moment and are in no position to just allow other clubs to pick off our developing youth.

I agree in general but in complete fairness, we've picked off other clubs developing youth. It's just the way of the sport. Clubs need to make a mandatory number of changes and player movement is one way to satisfy those changes.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

I agree in general but in complete fairness, we've picked off other clubs developing youth. It's just the way of the sport. Clubs need to make a mandatory number of changes and player movement is one way to satisfy those changes.

Which is fine - but I think there are easily some players that are expendable before we consider letting Ward or Huss go out of kindness. We have them both contracted beyond this year where they knew what was ahead of them. We are starting to see the light after a bloody hard rebuild - I really don't want to see a couple of potential guns go play at their peak elsewhere if they could be doing it for us.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Outside of the post about a proposed package deal for Smith, did anyone actually say we should trade Ward? Unless I did a "boys look" I missed it.

The reality is Ward may feel the need to look elsewhere for greater opportunities, or he may be approached by other clubs (no doubt it will be happening anyway), should he still find himself in the same position at the end of the season. Never mind with the potential inclusion of Smith, who is hungry for midfield time. Which is all true.

I'm hopeful that this won't happen, as I believe Ward will develop into a quality player for us. Hustwaite is in a similar position, but would be behind Ward based on VFL form.

Clubs will be approaching their managers. It's just the nature of the game.

 

[KermitJagger]

Outside of the post about a proposed package deal for Smith, did anyone actually say we should trade Ward? Unless I did a "boys look" I missed it.

The reality is Ward may feel the need to look elsewhere for greater opportunities, or he may be approached by other clubs (no doubt it will be happening anyway), should he still find himself in the same position at the end of the season. Never mind with the potential inclusion of Smith, who is hungry for midfield time. Which is all true.

I'm hopeful that this won't happen, as I believe Ward will develop into a quality player for us. Hustwaite is in a similar position, but would be behind Ward based on VFL form.

Clubs will be approaching their managers. It's just the nature of the game.

For sure, I'd love to keep every promising youngster we have but the nature of the game is that players - particularly the more talented ones - need opportunity. It happened with Kennedy before, it'll happen again.

 

[Ned Ryerson]

Outside of the post about a proposed package deal for Smith, did anyone actually say we should trade Ward? Unless I did a "boys look" I missed it.

One poster said if the Bulldogs said Smith's price was Ward and a second rounder who would say no. I think that kicked off the Ward conversations.

 

[rei154]

Wardy is also a rusted on Hawks supporter.
Even if another club came and offered more money and opportunity, he doesn't strike me as the kind of character who wants to be a big fish in a small pond, but would rather be a cog that helps a well-oiled machine claim several flags, even if it means fighting for 5-10 games a year.

 

[Judd2Sewell]

Wardy is also a rusted on Hawks supporter.
Even if another club came and offered more money and opportunity, he doesn't strike me as the kind of character who wants to be a big fish in a small pond, but would rather be a cog that helps a well-oiled machine claim several flags, even if it means fighting for 5-10 games a year.

I think well run clubs like Geelong and Collingwood would be the danger. They'll need to start replacing their midfield veterans as soon as the end of this season.

 

[Alsmypal]

Josh Ward and our second round pick for Baz. Who says no?

I’d spew up if we did this

 

[KermitJagger]

Wardy is also a rusted on Hawks supporter.
Even if another club came and offered more money and opportunity, he doesn't strike me as the kind of character who wants to be a big fish in a small pond, but would rather be a cog that helps a well-oiled machine claim several flags, even if it means fighting for 5-10 games a year.

If the right club comes knocking, I don't think you could guarantee a player wouldn't move - doesn't matter how rusted on they are. Going back to Kennedy, bloke was both a rusted on Hawk and a third generation father son.

If well run, frequently successful clubs like Geelong or West Coast come knocking, who knows?

 

[RoughysMullet]

Speaking of strange stuff, what on earth happened to Will Phillips?

Outstanding player at the Chargers - alongside Rowell and Anderson if you don't mind - and now looking to be delisted by all accounts.

What on earth happened to this former Pick 3 with such a reportedly high ceiling?

I know he had Glandular Fever, but that should be well and truly behind him surely.

The concensus on the Norf board is that he is unmotivated, unfit and really hasn't had a fair shot under Clarkson - not getting a run of games.

That does sound a bit familiar - Clarkson and his favourites - but delisting the guy seems a bit extreme.

That's the word though.

Not suggesting we pick him up, but this seems a stratospheric fall from grace for a guy touted as a genuine star mid at one point.

Thoughts?

Looking like a huge bust- reminds me a bit of Jonathan O’rourke - a few injury problems, too small, great junior career but just can’t make the step up to the big time…

That Covid draft is looking like a shocker really - we’re not immune to it either with the Denver pick…

 

[wahawk]

Look what you’ve done tl92

 

[Judd2Sewell]

It will be interesting to see how Sydney handle a similar situation. Once Mills is back they will at the least have to fit in all of - Heeney, Mills, Warner, Gulden and Rowbottom in the same midfield.

They'll also have Parker, Adams and Jordan, three prominently inside midfielders, likely playing very small midfield roles. Papley spends time running through the midfield too.

Plus they have three youngsters in Cleary, Sheldrick and Mitchell vying for midfield time.

Of that group of five main midfielders I would say all bar Rowbottom actually excel in other areas of the field.

For us to be able to fit all the options we have in our coaches need to help develop viable secondary roles for Newcombe, Worpel and Nash. Especially the latter two.

We know Moore is an elite HFF and we know Day can play in defence, though I think we would be much better off with him playing forward. We saw how damaging he could be over the last two games when he's leading out of the F50.

We also know Smith can play HFF and on a wing. Same too with Mackenzie, which is an area of his game he is currently developing. We can see the improvement there already.

If we can get the other three to really contribute in other areas of the field then I don't see why we couldn't have Ward, Smith and MacDonald also running through the middle to varying degrees.

 

[RoughysMullet]

So sick of the Ward whipping boy conversation - he’s a talented 20 year old still learning the game and trying to fit into our midfield that has been going really well the last 5 weeks- give it some time…

 

[Judd2Sewell]

So sick of the Ward whipping boy conversation - he’s 20 year old still learning the game and trying to fit into our midfield that has been going really well the last 5 weeks- give it some time…

C'mon, who is making him out to be a whipping boy?

The overreactions to legitimate discussion points on here never ceases to amaze me.

 

[wahawk]

So sick of the Ward whipping boy conversation - he’s a talented 20 year old still learning the game and trying to fit into our midfield that has been going really well the last 5 weeks- give it some time…

I’m over the conversation too but I think you are reading too much into it.
I don’t think anyone is whipping him

 

[Gut Runner]

Why on Earth would you get rid of Ward.

6 weeks ago our midfield was absolute garbage. When the current players put together a full season then you could state we have strong depth.

We haven't beaten anyone above 11th on the ladder. YES, it looks like we have turned the corner but to think you'd let a youngster go just because we have had a good run is premature.

Wait until this midfield group wins a final together to be making decisions like that.

 

[H00t]

You need 8-10 players rotating through the middle. I have been to a few training sessions and Burge and the fitness team are working with him hard on his running and we are seeing glimpses at VFL level. He still could be much more than just an inside mid at AFL level.

Mitchell said he is a work horse and a very driven individual. When the coach says that we need to listen. If he needs to spend another 3-4 weeks waiting for his opportunity then let’s play the patience game.

When you go down the bottom and pick a kid so high in the draft, we need to stick with him!!!

While I think being able to rotate more players through the middle is a positive. Nothing says we need to be able to rotate lots of players through.

It’s no surprise we play our best footy when Nash, Worps, Jai and Day take pretty much every centre bounce. Moore and Mackenzie are good when the above need a break or to change things up.

Dees won a flag with 3 mids taking 90% of the centre bounces together.

Just need to be able to have a mid group that can compete all game no matter how many rotations.

 

[HeHateMe]

I don't understand why we would consider trading someone like Ward. We should have enough draft currency to get deals done for any potential trade such as Smith if he comes.

We don't really need the extra draft capital for the draft, no point moving on a 20 year that's shown he can play at the level for an 18yr old. I guess it will depend who the target was, like if it was to move upto a Harley Reid that's a different story.

Maybe in a few years if we top up the list and it doesn't work out and we need to reset you would have to have a hard look at everyone. But right now I don't get it.

 

[Books]

C'mon, who is making him out to be a whipping boy?

The overreactions to legitimate discussion points on here never ceases to amaze me.

OH COME ON. People get amazed at anything these days. Fair Dinkum, if one more person gets amazed I will spew up!!!

 

[hawkinoz]

One poster said if the Bulldogs said Smith's price was Ward and a second rounder who would say no. I think that kicked off the Ward conversations.

I proposed a straight swap for Smith prior to this and looking at how passionately fans see the value of Ward, this seems like a more fairer trade IMO.

Again, I don't want to trade Ward but if Smith is coming, then quite likely one of Ward or HH will look at offers.

If they do, what is the fair trade is the question. Both are contracted. On a potential basis I rate HH bit higher than Ward.

HH & 2nd rounder for Smith is also a fair trade in my books, ideally with a 3rd rounder coming back.

PS : I am also happy to take the view that Ward and HH are not up for trade and so no point discussing. Is that the popular view.