Rumour 2024 Rumours and Speculation (Rumours total 25, last 28th August)

[El Doederino]

Hinge is the 8th ranked player in his position this year and above the likes of Saad, NVM, Tom Stewart and Maynard and only just below Blakey. Hinge was starting to push into the elite territory for his position last year and has well and truly gone to that level this year.

Elite interceptor and also elite by foot, but sure, just a role player…

He had a poor couple of pre season games, not sure how you’ve confused that with form in the real stuff.

Keays has also been an elite pressure medium forward for nearly 2 seasons now and is just coming off one of the best games by a player this season. How is he not elite in that role?

“Elite in his role” you say? So a role player then.

 

[119others]

I'll concede "role player" is more appropriate than "depth", but lets not pretend that Keays wasn't everyone's favourite whipping boy along with Murphy, Ned etc only a few games back, and Hinge wasn't drop-worthy at the start of the year.

But picks from high 20’s to rookies include:

Worrell
Soligo
Murray
Hinge
Taylor
Keane
Nank
Butts
Dowling
Keays
ROB

And CC as a rookie a decade ago

Surely it’s hard to criticise his second round picks onwards. Many many bargains and of he above lot Soligo, Murray, Hinge and Worrell also capable of AA squad over coming years IMO

His first round picks - esp the 2 years debated over and over - are certainly more questionable AND more valuable

 

[119others]

“Elite in his role” you say? So a role player then.

Cmon man surely it isn’t as black and white on the spectrum as elite OR role player.

 

[FR0GGY]

Hasn’t Rankine been starting mid? He is clearly our most talented player. This old trope of Laird and Crouch is getting boring.

Try Dawson, Soligo and Rankine

Going back to the Brisbane game, laird and crouch (when played) were still both high up in CBA’s
These are the last 4 games they both played.
And without crouch laird is still in the top 1 or 2 (not including the ruck) for cba (except for Sydney and one other)

 

[El Doederino]

Cmon man surely it isn’t as black and white on the spectrum as elite OR role player.

Is Bontampelli elite in his role, or just elite?

 

[119others]

Hinge's first few games he was a liability. Which is my point. We need to draft and recruit players who are going to be considered the best in their positions if we're going to actually win a flag, which neither Keays or Hinge are. Murray could be, but he's a long way off yet.

I actually agree with you Hinge was horrid in the pre season games and first few games and IIRC I agree with you many thought he could be dropped as his kicking skills had deserted him.

But “recruit players who are going to be considered the best in their positions” - isn’t that the AA team you are selecting. No team has ever had leagues best player in their respective positions - it’s just not possible. It’s about having as many guns, decent quality and lifting the quality of you bottom 4-5 players so they don’t become a weak link in big games.

 

[119others]

Is Bontampelli elite in his role, or just elite?

He is both

 

[Captain Furious]

So he ****ed up the Dawson and Rankine deals did he?

I'm sure he did his best to. Not giving him a ton of kudos for getting 2 Crows supporters who wanted to come home. Still gave up 1st rd picks for both of them, not like he negotiated some incredible deal. Think most of the people on this forum could've managed that one.

 

[El Doederino]

He is both

I don’t think anyone would ever qualify calling Bontampelli elite with “in his position”. It was a rhetorical question.

My point is this (which it appears everyone agrees with but doesn’t want to admit it), if we find another 2 players like Keays and Hinge with late or rookie picks or as DFA’s, then we might go up a few spots on the ladder. We might have a few more feel good wins against Essendon and St Kilda. We are good at finding those. But we won’t compete for a flag.

But if instead we used the next 2 first rounders to find players who have a career that actually justifies their selection at the top end (which we have been terrible at), that’s when we’ll compete. I reckon Hamish gets off lightly because of these rubies in the rough he finds, even though every time we send him to a diamond mine he comes back with charcoal.

 

[spenze]

Hasn’t Rankine been starting mid? He is clearly our most talented player. This old trope of Laird and Crouch is getting boring.

Try Dawson, Soligo and Rankine

Still think Crouch and Laird would be getting a 30% return on CBAs, no risk.

 

[119others]

Going back to the Brisbane game, laird and crouch (when played) were still both high up in CBA’s
These are the last 4 games they both played.
And without crouch laird is still in the top 1 or 2 (not including the ruck) for cba (except for Sydney and one other)

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Ok thanks but I don’t see Crouch and Laird as the 2 main mids - now or going forward. Happy to bookmark and review next year.

I see Soligo consistently in there (and was subbed out at half time vs Weagles), Rankine up there and even Rachele one game. Don’t really have much else to say besides the well worn “playing Crouch and Laird as our main mids” since Rankine and Soli has emerged, and esp next year with Crouch 30 ish and Laird at times being primarily moved out of the midfield in some recent games

Dawson, Rankine and Soligo are our 3 main mids going forward. Hopefully Curtin joins them and we have some other decent back up with Rachele and yes Laird and Crouch

 

[GreyCrow]

Tex must be getting desperate

Another text message to the Rumour file on Triple M

Tex to Port 'squawk '

 

[FR0GGY]

Ok thanks but I don’t see Crouch and Laird as the 2 main mids - now or going forward. Happy to bookmark and review next year.

I see Soligo consistently in there (and was subbed out at half time vs Weagles), Rankine up there and even Rachele one game. Don’t really have much else to say besides the well worn “playing Crouch and Laird as our main mids” since Rankine and Soli has emerged, and esp next year with Crouch 30 ish and Laird at times being primarily moved out of the midfield in some recent games

Dawson, Rankine and Soligo are our 3 main mids going forward. Hopefully Curtin joins them and we have some other decent back up with Rachele and yes Laird and Crouch

Interesting soligo has made way for taylor and berry the last couple of games.
I don’t see any way we can play crouch laird and berry (imo just 1 of them is needed) so it will be interesting to see who misses out.
Are you thinking they miss out or are shuffled?

 

[119others]

I'm sure he did his best to. Not giving him a ton of kudos for getting 2 Crows supporters who wanted to come home. Still gave up 1st rd picks for both of them, not like he negotiated some incredible deal. Think most of the people on this forum could've managed that one.

Rankine was fair value at the time IMO (very good value in hindsight) and Dawson was an absolute steal at a VERY late first rounder when Sud was pushing for our Rachele pick (and could have made things harder for us if PSD threat didn’t exist)

 

[WaynesWorld19]

Hinge is the 8th ranked player in his position this year and above the likes of Saad, NVM, Tom Stewart and Maynard and only just below Blakey. Hinge was starting to push into the elite territory for his position last year and has well and truly gone to that level this year.

Elite interceptor and also elite by foot, but sure, just a role player…

He had a poor couple of pre season games, not sure how you’ve confused that with form in the real stuff.

Keays has also been an elite pressure medium forward for nearly 2 seasons now and is just coming off one of the best games by a player this season. How is he not elite in that role?

I've heard Kane Cornes / Healey discussing Hinge as a potential AA Squad selection this year ......rough start with disposals efficiency, but has been very good for quite a while now

 

[ABAB]

I can't believe people are still talking about giving Melbourne a 1st - for this year, next year or any year. Unless they're paying his entire salary - which would defeat the purpose - there should be zero chance that we would give them a premium pick. If anything a premium pick would come our way.

Can't criticise the club for rolling over and getting reamed on deals when we're calling for silly stuff like this.

Oliver ain't Bowes lol. If it's a salary dump then we will need to give a 2nd rounder and not get pick 7 like Geelong received.

 

[119others]

Interesting soligo has made way for taylor and berry the last couple of games.
I don’t see any way we can play crouch laird and berry (imo just 1 of them is needed) so it will be interesting to see who misses out.
Are you thinking they miss out or are shuffled?

Personally think Soli is running out of steam a little after his first full season as a mid. Stats are down in the last handful of games but mainly effectiveness just slipped from the first half of season IMO

Agree with you re playing those 3. Crouch isn’t back yet and if a Berry is threatening to leave to Saints we need to keep playing him (I assume we need to keep him)

So assuming all 3 were available, Berry plays, Crouch over Laird and Laird either rested (managed), or sub or hbf at best.

Your view Froggy?

 

[119others]

I don’t think anyone would ever qualify calling Bontampelli elite with “in his position”. It was a rhetorical question.

My point is this (which it appears everyone agrees with but doesn’t want to admit it), if we find another 2 players like Keays and Hinge with late or rookie picks or as DFA’s, then we might go up a few spots on the ladder. We might have a few more feel good wins against Essendon and St Kilda. We are good at finding those. But we won’t compete for a flag.

But if instead we used the next 2 first rounders to find players who have a career that actually justifies their selection at the top end (which we have been terrible at), that’s when we’ll compete. I reckon Hamish gets off lightly because of these rubies in the rough he finds, even though every time we send him to a diamond mine he comes back with charcoal.

Our last 4 early picks have been:

TT
Rachele
Rankine trade
Curtin

Are you really unhappy with those?

I agree Hamish had a poor 5 years finishing in 2019. Since then our recruitment has been near leagues best in the last 4 years when looking holistically

 

[FR0GGY]

Personally think Soli is running out of steam a little after his first full season as a mid. Stats are down in the last handful of games but mainly effectiveness just slipped from the first half of season IMO

Agree with you re playing those 3. Crouch isn’t back yet and if a Berry is threatening to leave to Saints we need to keep playing him (I assume we need to keep him)

So assuming all 3 were available, Berry plays, Crouch over Laird and Laird either rested (managed), or sub or hbf at best.

Your view Froggy?

If we could get crouch playing as he did late last year he’s my go to and trade berry.
If Berry can stay at the level he showed vs the dons and he wants to stay then I’d pick him I reckon.
But with Taylor and soligo going forward it wouldn’t worry me if none of them played I reckon. And keep 1 or 2 of the 3 for depth for a year or so until we have hopefully pick 4-6 from this year and curtain up and going.

 

[George Kramer]

Interesting soligo has made way for taylor and berry the last couple of games.
I don’t see any way we can play crouch laird and berry (imo just 1 of them is needed) so it will be interesting to see who misses out.
Are you thinking they miss out or are shuffled?

Soligo is managing a groin so that might be why

 

[119others]

If we could get crouch playing as he did late last year he’s my go to and trade berry.
If Berry can stay at the level he showed vs the dons and he wants to stay then I’d pick him I reckon.
But with Taylor and soligo going forward it wouldn’t worry me if none of them played I reckon. And keep 1 or 2 of the 3 for depth for a year or so until we have hopefully pick 4-6 from this year and curtain up and going.

Ok fair call. Just re Crouch and Laird both are in their final year or 2 (from next year IMO). Bicks laughed at my suggestion (bookmarked haha) but I don’t think either gets another contract offer with Crouch (end of 25) and Laird (end of 26). I would be AMAZED if Laird is offered another contract for 2027 onwards with his already apparent decline. We have a plethora of younger talented players now ready to take over.

At least with Berry he is much younger and a point of difference as a real bull in close and breaking out of packs. He won’t ever be an A grader but I personally rate him and want to keep him. It’s getting the right mix I suppose. Taylor and Soli do seem very similar players don’t they? Dawson more the outside receiver and brilliant in his role and Rankine can actually do both (inside/outside mid with incredible skills, agility, vision and pace - our best player). Add Curtin and Draper and - whatever magic Reidy can conjure - and we are looking at a top quartile midfield

 

[119others]

Soligo is managing a groin so that might be why

I must have missed this. Is this public info George?

 

[George Kramer]

I must have missed this. Is this public info George?

Rowey/5AA has mentioned it a few times

 

[jimvic]

Personally think Soli is running out of steam a little after his first full season as a mid. Stats are down in the last handful of games but mainly effectiveness just slipped from the first half of season IMO

Agree with you re playing those 3. Crouch isn’t back yet and if a Berry is threatening to leave to Saints we need to keep playing him (I assume we need to keep him)

So assuming all 3 were available, Berry plays, Crouch over Laird and Laird either rested (managed), or sub or hbf at best.

Your view Froggy?

yes I think Soli is looking more tired that longer the season goes on. He is going to be a total gun though

 

[1970crow]

Tex must be getting desperate

Another text message to the Rumour file on Triple M

Tex to Port 'squawk '

It’ll ramp up you’d expect. Especially if he’s still carrying his back injury.