Mat Mann
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- May 14, 2009
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I think the benefit of trying to get 9 this year is that the club wants to compete with the senior players we have, If we can move our 1st next year which I expect would be around that mark regardless then we get a similar pick, a year earlier in what is a great draft.FOS has regressed. Lalor has soft tissue issues. Jagga no hurt factor. Langford too slow. Reid too small. Smillie too big. Draper can't kick. Lindsay too outside. Travaglia too frenetic. So on and so forth.
Obviously not all of these will be true but nothing is ever that certain at this stage of a career. The idea of a "last top end mid" is a groupthink furphy. The "top tier" was initially seen as a group of 4 mids + Trainor, then Lalor and Langford joined the conversation, then Reid, followed by Lindsay and Travaglia edging their way there, Armstrong as well, now Tauru has bolted into the frame, Kako nefariously being touted top 10, and some clubs rate guys like Allan up there as well.
In the reasonably nonexistent chance the Bombers agreed, turning down 9 + F1 for 7 would be negligent. It's really a one pick slide as we hold 8. We'd still be assured of 2 of the 9 players mentioned above (with Tauru also likely to be taken before our picks). Same if we did 9 + F2 for 8 which I think is more realistic.
7+8 is a great position to be in (particularly in this draft) and we should be using it to strengthen our draft and trade position for years to come, by dealing with clubs who are willing to pay significant overs to trade up. I just don't know why we would pay overs ourselves for another lotto ticket when we're one of the clubs that needs it the least.
if they then split the pick 9 or have someone in mind I see the benefit of another high pick this year to go with our already youthful list
next year the rules change and we will be able to trade picks up to 2 years in advance. It's risky as everything is but I can see the opportunity for the club to really supercharge our list