Came here to see if you guys were talking about him. I have strong mail that you guys have been keen for most of the year and he is now warming to the idea of a change of scenery, the appeal of being a centre bounce midfielder again is probably a driving factor. I think the club would let him go if it was something he genuinely requested, he has given the club alot and I wouldn't hold it against him.
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AFLW 2024 - Round 9 - Indigenous Round - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
List Mgmt. 2024 Trade Thread - No.1
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I'm no sure he's quite the substitute for Brad Couch, who i think was underrated.
But McCrae is still very competent and is wasted out of the middle.
Add him to the young players we've got improving, and at least we aren't going backwards.
Interestingly, was talking about McCrea to my Bulldogs family at a gathering last night.
The consensus on here was that he had lost his pace, but many of my family thought this wasn't the case.
Don't know if that makes any difference or not.
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He was never blessed with great pace to begin with but I don't think he has gone any further backwards in that department. The biggest issue for him is we have changed our gamestyle to include more speed around the ball rather then repeated stoppages (simplified but essentially the case). Libba has stayed in for his clearance and defensive work and Bont obviously is a step above so couldn't be moved either. We've preferred the third one in to be Richards, Treloar or even Gallagher at stages. Forcing Macrea to join the midfield out of the forwardline which he has transitioned ok to without getting the ball he would normally.
Long story short.
I think he'd fit in much better to Lyons game plan and be a great mentor to the younger guys (former VC and sets standards at training).
Rogue Warrior
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He would be a much better option than Shiel.
The 2001 super draft netted us Del Santo (13), Matt Maguire (21) and Leigh Montagna (37). All hits.
But we drafted Luke Ball (2) and Xavier Clarke (5). Top 5 picks. Both were fabulous young players.
But we overlooked Chris Judd (3) and James Bartel (8). We overlooked Judd because of concerns about his shoulders and Bartel was in the mix at 5 but we went another way.
Those two picks probably cost us Premierships in 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2010.
Early picks can be as tough to nail down as the later picks. They are always easier in hindsight.
He needs a Thilthorpe-esque summer, either needs to become a complete monster, or an endurance machine. I also wouldn't mind sending him to CHB for a few games.I'm firmly in the camp of having him higher up the ground playing between the arcs. Another 2 metre tall player presenting a mobile option that can boot it 60+ metres would worry a lot of other clubs. I'd like to see what he looks like freed up. He may made need to work on his endurance a bit over the summer though, as he often looks gassed when moving 20m from the goal square
Probably more frustrated than i need to be but I'm really struggling with the lack of respect given to the forwards who played yesterday. They worked bloody hard up and down the ground, led well, chased well, marked well and when they didnt contested very well - and more than anything kicked incredibly straight from all angles! Take a look at Sharman's heat map/highlights as an example. It's not like our forward entries were plentiful and absolutely elite.
King had shocking accuracy for much of the season, his lack of commitment (meaning chasing/second efforts) and discipline made him a liability when our forwards needed to defend. Sure, he was injured for some of it, but if reports are to be believed most AFL players play with niggles/injuries most weeks.
So where does the disrespect come into it? I'm triggered because theres always excuses. Oh, King sucked this week because our midfield sucks, other forwards didnt work for him, he had a defender who scragged him, he wasnt protected etc etc etc. But when our forwardline play well it's suddenly because our midfield must be better.... oh, and then the narrative becomes, imagine what King would've done if he was playing. FACT of the matter is, he wasn't playing, it's damn disrespectful to those who did play, who worked hard and executed it. The ones who got their leading patterns right, who kicked clutch goals, who played unselfish team first footy.
Same, but less fiesty argument can possibly be made for those who advocate losing Battle and Howard because replacing them will be 'easy'. Obviously most want to keep them but the current guys are the guys doing the work, putting the runs on the board. It's disrespectful to guys who do well to suggest someone else can just come in and do it because Enright is a great line coach.
Synergy and cohesion amongst teammates is something that cannot be underestimated.
King had shocking accuracy for much of the season, his lack of commitment (meaning chasing/second efforts) and discipline made him a liability when our forwards needed to defend. Sure, he was injured for some of it, but if reports are to be believed most AFL players play with niggles/injuries most weeks.
So where does the disrespect come into it? I'm triggered because theres always excuses. Oh, King sucked this week because our midfield sucks, other forwards didnt work for him, he had a defender who scragged him, he wasnt protected etc etc etc. But when our forwardline play well it's suddenly because our midfield must be better.... oh, and then the narrative becomes, imagine what King would've done if he was playing. FACT of the matter is, he wasn't playing, it's damn disrespectful to those who did play, who worked hard and executed it. The ones who got their leading patterns right, who kicked clutch goals, who played unselfish team first footy.
Same, but less fiesty argument can possibly be made for those who advocate losing Battle and Howard because replacing them will be 'easy'. Obviously most want to keep them but the current guys are the guys doing the work, putting the runs on the board. It's disrespectful to guys who do well to suggest someone else can just come in and do it because Enright is a great line coach.
Synergy and cohesion amongst teammates is something that cannot be underestimated.
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I'll start by saying that I agree with you to a point. However, it's apples and oranges the difference between our game further up field from the start of the season to now. For me that has to mean something.
We are the Number 1 contested ball team in the comp over the past month. With that amount of ball being won, and greater connection, King would have thrived.
Like I said, I think it's as much to do with King though.
He still plays like the monster full forward at under-age level.
Don't lead.
Kick it in my vicinity.
I'll do the rest.
All King would need to do is get on the move. Circle work, strong leads, pull a few defenders, create some space.
This is the part that frustrates me. I don't even care about his second efforts at the moment. It's his forward nous, and it kills the game for both our:
- Midfielders (just bomb it long to the top of the square instead of hitting a pass to advantage)
- Forwards (stagnant forward line with no dynamic movement and unsettling of the defence).
- Mar 14, 2011
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This is so very subjective and just plain wrong.
It’s like me saying I could show a newbie a few King games and it would make Battle look like a suburban league footballer.
Battle is 26-27 years old?
Maybe people need to remember what he was doing at Kings age. Because it wasn’t better number than the majority of gun key forwards.
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If Crouch is really finished, Macrae makes so much sense for us.
Rogue Warrior
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Curious what we’d have to give up for McCrae?
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Package him up for stuff all trade cost with caleb daniel as a couple of salary dumps (so sincs can play fulltime midfield) and we've got a deal.
Crouch was a guest in 1 of the social rooms on Saturday when he was aked that question, he genuinely said he is in limbo medics are still in discussion which way to go, no decisions will be made until then.
Also Seb was in the same social room & he's talking like he wants to play on next year.
That’s what I’m concerned about. If Battle stays I wouldn’t want to be giving up a top 40 draft pick.
gringo2011
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Macrae at his best was probably a level above Crouch. I get the lack of hurt accusations but as far as accumulation goes he is as good as it gets. Crouch probably better as a pure contested extractor but overall Macrae the better player.
I would see if we could get him and Daniel as steak knives. Take a heap of cash out of their cap for them for a cheap deal. Reinvent Caleb as a high half forward. Would fix a lot of our inside 50 kicks. He's an incredible ball user.
gubby88
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this is probably one of the better uses for salary cap/trade ive seen. completely agree.
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beside the seaside
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It would be a third or something like that.
Have heard worse suggestions. Not sold on Daniel as a high half forward but understand where you are coming from.
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gringo2011
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Daniel is too good not to be playing AFL every week and he isn't required across HB for us. Perhaps as a small forward? I remember in his draft year he was kicking quite a few goals as a mid. Maybe use him as a Zorko jack of all trades type even. He's a very good player and seems to have real leadership.
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I like how you didn't highlight the very top of my sentence...talk about subjectively choosing the parts you want to literally highlight to make your criticisms
I've been reasonably clear on where I see Battle's worth in a monetary sense throughout. I do however think that he'll be far harder to replace than some think due to the backlines synergy and understanding of each other.
I stand by all of my comments regarding King.
He will change my mind (or not)...no one else.
- Mar 14, 2011
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It has nothing to do with the money being paid.I like how you didn't highlight the very top of my sentence...talk about subjectively choosing the parts you want to literally highlight to make your criticisms
I've been reasonably clear on where I see Battle's worth in a monetary sense throughout. I do however think that he'll be far harder to replace than some think due to the backlines synergy and understanding of each other.
I stand by all of my comments regarding King.
He will change my mind (or not)...no one else.
At their absolute best. It isn’t a question between who is better.
But let’s continue to knock King through the lowest point of his career.
That’s the subjectiveness of the argument.
I can guarantee you. If King was at another club. We would be frothing at the thought of having him. We have him and people are knocking him without any real genuine point. We also over inflate a few wins when the season is done and dusted as evidence to say we are better without.
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Could Saints be “open to a conversation” on captain Steele in the trade period?
Tom Morris joined SEN Breakfast to provide a trade update.
www.sen.com.au
St Kilda’s draft plan
“They’ve currently got pick five. They’ll get pick six if Josh Battle leaves given the size of the deal he’s being offered at the Hawks,” Morris told SEN Breakfast.
“They want to go into the first round of the draft with at least two picks. If they can go in with picks five and six, they will. If they don’t get six, they could split five, but they want as much first-round talent as they can get.”
Jack Steele
“Last year there was more than whispers, a number of clubs and players managers told me that the Saints were open to a conversation around Steele.”
“’If you want Jack Steele, give us your best deal’, that sort of stuff. It never happened. I just think it would be a massive call to trade their captain.
“I wonder whether a club will try to pry him out this year. There’s no indication that the Saints want to trade him or that he wants to go, but that doesn’t mean clubs won’t have a crack.”
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