- May 1, 2016
- 29,711
- 58,028
- AFL Club
- Carlton
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- #8,226
Alright.
I don't do this much, but it's become pretty clear that we need to come up with some alternatives for KPD. I do not think that Young is a never option - for all that he's looked poor when played alongside Weitering, he's been more than fine in Jacob's absence - but if Jacob goes down and Young truly isn't up to it, we need other options. So, find below a series of different players out of contract over the next two seasons*:
2024
Emerson Jeka, 22, 198cm, Geelong
Denver Grainger-Barras, 22, 194cm, Hawthorn
Jacob Blight, 22, 196cm, Richmond
Dougal Howard, 28, 199cm, St Kilda
Harry Arnold, 25, 196cm, Sydney
2025
Josh Draper, 20, 197cm, Fremantle
Leek Aleer, 22, 193cm, GC
Charlie Ballard, 24, 197cm, GC
Josh Gibcus, 21, 196cm, Richmond
Tylar Young, 25, 197cm, Richmond
Arie Schoenmaker, 19, 194cm, St Kilda
Will Edwards, 21, 197cm, Sydney
I'd like to highlight two for this season, and three for next year.
Dougal Howard might be 28, but needs must when the clock's ticking. He's been a leader for them down back, and has been heralded by St Kilda and around the comp for being able to perform when it's hot. He's possibly a little slow, but he's a true key defender and could potentially take the monsters which would free up Jacob to be more aggressive. He'd slot straight in and more or less make a difference from day dot.
Denver Grainger-Barras went in the first round of 2020, as pick 6; the bogeyman pick, so there's a buyer beware there. Still, he was heralded as the best KPD prospect in the draft pool since Jacob himself, so dominant was his U18's. For whatever reason - unprofessionalism, fitness, the demands of an AFL lifestyle - he's not gotten much runtime for Hawthorn under Mitchell - who has preferred Frost and others over him - so he'd absolutely be worth a look to see if the change of club and a change of mindset could spark something in him. The thought of playing in finals almost immediately might also appeal. Of this list, he's got the biggest risk/reward IMO; if he's not up to it and Mitchell's Hawthorn are fair in their assessment, he's a wasted trade target, but if he is that's our backline sorted for 10 years.
Josh Draper played a ****ing good game against Charlie early in the season for three terms, holding him and competing brilliantly. There's not all that many 20 year olds who can do that, and he was 19 at the time. He's got good speed, is tall enough for genuine KPD, and is used to playing second fiddle to a dominant KPD in Pearce. He'd be a spectacular get, as he's very young and has plenty of time to develop with us; there's also that Freo have been excellent talent scouts, and their backline's stacked. If he's getting games this young, he's a prospect.
Charlie Ballard is someone GC would be ****ing crazy to let go, so it amazed me that he was even allowed to be 18 months away from being out of contract. It could be out of sight out of mind due to playing for GC, but he's genuinely an intercepting machine. He's the player that Caleb Marchbank has threatened to be when fit, and in all honesty would immediately enter our 22 - this year or next year - and have arguably the most impact. He's also a good player to have with your back to the wall.
Leek Aleer won't be leaving GWS, but imagine if he did. Imagine his athleticism as both a KPD adjacent and a rebounder. He's quick, he's got an amazing leap, and he's a smart footballer; I can remember a game early in the season in which he gave a free kick away and his opponent rubbed it in his face only to have it spur him to being a wall for the entire second half. He mightn't be as immediate an in as the others - although, he really might; we're not all that deep - but he'd add dimensions to our defense that we lack at present in that while Saad and Boyd are fast, we do not have someone who can successfully spoil someone like Charlie Cameron, Elliott or Howe when they choose to leap. Aleer would provide that in spades.
*Player contract data taken from Footywire. If it's wrong, it's not my fault and don't at me.
I don't do this much, but it's become pretty clear that we need to come up with some alternatives for KPD. I do not think that Young is a never option - for all that he's looked poor when played alongside Weitering, he's been more than fine in Jacob's absence - but if Jacob goes down and Young truly isn't up to it, we need other options. So, find below a series of different players out of contract over the next two seasons*:
2024
Emerson Jeka, 22, 198cm, Geelong
Denver Grainger-Barras, 22, 194cm, Hawthorn
Jacob Blight, 22, 196cm, Richmond
Dougal Howard, 28, 199cm, St Kilda
Harry Arnold, 25, 196cm, Sydney
2025
Josh Draper, 20, 197cm, Fremantle
Leek Aleer, 22, 193cm, GC
Charlie Ballard, 24, 197cm, GC
Josh Gibcus, 21, 196cm, Richmond
Tylar Young, 25, 197cm, Richmond
Arie Schoenmaker, 19, 194cm, St Kilda
Will Edwards, 21, 197cm, Sydney
I'd like to highlight two for this season, and three for next year.
Dougal Howard might be 28, but needs must when the clock's ticking. He's been a leader for them down back, and has been heralded by St Kilda and around the comp for being able to perform when it's hot. He's possibly a little slow, but he's a true key defender and could potentially take the monsters which would free up Jacob to be more aggressive. He'd slot straight in and more or less make a difference from day dot.
Denver Grainger-Barras went in the first round of 2020, as pick 6; the bogeyman pick, so there's a buyer beware there. Still, he was heralded as the best KPD prospect in the draft pool since Jacob himself, so dominant was his U18's. For whatever reason - unprofessionalism, fitness, the demands of an AFL lifestyle - he's not gotten much runtime for Hawthorn under Mitchell - who has preferred Frost and others over him - so he'd absolutely be worth a look to see if the change of club and a change of mindset could spark something in him. The thought of playing in finals almost immediately might also appeal. Of this list, he's got the biggest risk/reward IMO; if he's not up to it and Mitchell's Hawthorn are fair in their assessment, he's a wasted trade target, but if he is that's our backline sorted for 10 years.
Josh Draper played a ****ing good game against Charlie early in the season for three terms, holding him and competing brilliantly. There's not all that many 20 year olds who can do that, and he was 19 at the time. He's got good speed, is tall enough for genuine KPD, and is used to playing second fiddle to a dominant KPD in Pearce. He'd be a spectacular get, as he's very young and has plenty of time to develop with us; there's also that Freo have been excellent talent scouts, and their backline's stacked. If he's getting games this young, he's a prospect.
Charlie Ballard is someone GC would be ****ing crazy to let go, so it amazed me that he was even allowed to be 18 months away from being out of contract. It could be out of sight out of mind due to playing for GC, but he's genuinely an intercepting machine. He's the player that Caleb Marchbank has threatened to be when fit, and in all honesty would immediately enter our 22 - this year or next year - and have arguably the most impact. He's also a good player to have with your back to the wall.
Leek Aleer won't be leaving GWS, but imagine if he did. Imagine his athleticism as both a KPD adjacent and a rebounder. He's quick, he's got an amazing leap, and he's a smart footballer; I can remember a game early in the season in which he gave a free kick away and his opponent rubbed it in his face only to have it spur him to being a wall for the entire second half. He mightn't be as immediate an in as the others - although, he really might; we're not all that deep - but he'd add dimensions to our defense that we lack at present in that while Saad and Boyd are fast, we do not have someone who can successfully spoil someone like Charlie Cameron, Elliott or Howe when they choose to leap. Aleer would provide that in spades.
*Player contract data taken from Footywire. If it's wrong, it's not my fault and don't at me.
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