Recruiting AFL Trade & Free Agency X - Club has elected not to fill list spot - Davey returning from injury?

[Lore]

Quick links: Player Contract Status | Draft Watch 2022 | JHA Father/Son and NGA | Adrian Dodoro

Spoiler: LIVE DRAFT ORDER (2022 Draft Order)

Spoiler: FUTURE PICK TRACKER (2023 Draft Order)

 

[Gumby2Hurley]

So do we take a key fwd or a midfielder with our top 4 pick

 

[faible]

So do we take a key fwd or a midfielder with our top 4 pick

Draft Expert - PMBangers' (and ‘friends’) 2022 Draft Board

We're back for 2022 and I'm excited for the draft ahead, like last year I expect we'll see a lot of VIC prospects that were previously not spoken about jump up through the early stages of the year. It's a difficult start without much VIC footy last season, but I'm pretty confident in the guys...

www.bigfooty.com

Best available I'd assume.

Tsatas would be nice but probably goes 1 or 2....

No 192cm-ish midfield clearance beast unfortunately, such is EFC's draft luck.

 

[Lore]

Draft Expert - PMBangers' (and ‘friends’) 2022 Draft Board

We're back for 2022 and I'm excited for the draft ahead, like last year I expect we'll see a lot of VIC prospects that were previously not spoken about jump up through the early stages of the year. It's a difficult start without much VIC footy last season, but I'm pretty confident in the guys...

www.bigfooty.com

Best available I'd assume.

Tsatas would be nice but probably goes 1 or 2....

No 192cm-ish midfield clearance beast unfortunately, such is EFC's draft luck.

There could still be a Clayton Oliver to make a late run at it

 

[faible]

There could still be a Clayton Oliver to make a late run at it

Fingers crossed, some luck would be nice. We keep having picks not quite good enough to get a proven high pick big mid, but too good to speculate on a less proven big mid so end up taking the proven smaller mid.

 

[Lore]

Fingers crossed, some luck would be nice. We keep having picks not quite good enough to get a proven high pick big mid, but too good to speculate on a less proven big mid so end up taking the proven smaller mid.

Which is usually why you trade picks but doing that on draft night means paying through the nose, so you'd want it to pay off.

 

[faible]

Which is usually why you trade picks but doing that on draft night means paying through the nose, so you'd want it to pay off.

Refer Oliver going 1 selection ahead of Parish type thing where we've just missed out, or the year we got McGrath there wasn't a clear JHF, Rowell or Walsh type guy.

 

[Yoda_]

Refer Oliver going 1 selection ahead of Parish type thing where we've just missed out, or the year we got McGrath there wasn't a clear JHF, Rowell or Walsh type guy.

This is such an Essendon luck thing. Most of Essendon's top picks have either been ok, or just straight not worked out and it has not been one or two but nearly all of them over a period of time.

From some having Francis as a #1 pick and getting him at #6 not working out, to not having a standout #1 option (such as what you mentioned) when we took McGrath. The luck goes back decades. Gumbleton was not a failed pick, no one could have predicted the constant injuries. Elliot Kavanagh was a high level U16 kid we got for a bargain that didn't work out, our top 3 players in the 2006 draft were Gumbleton, Hislop, Jetta. Hardly inspiring. A constant throughout the last 20 years.

Dodoro is firmly the one to blame but the development we have had has been abysmal right beside the off field choices some are starting to acknowledge over the journey (alignments, lack of player development etc).

 

[faible]

This is such an Essendon luck thing. Most of Essendon's top picks have either been ok, or just straight not worked out and it has not been one or two but nearly all of them over a period of time.

From some having Francis as a #1 pick and getting him at #6 not working out, to not having a standout #1 option (such as what you mentioned) when we took McGrath. The luck goes back decades. Gumbleton was not a failed pick, no one could have predicted the constant injuries. Elliot Kavanagh was a high level U16 kid we got for a bargain that didn't work out, our top 3 players in the 2006 draft were Gumbleton, Hislop, Jetta. Hardly inspiring. A constant throughout the last 20 years.

Dodoro is firmly the one to blame but the development we have had has been abysmal right beside the off field choices some are starting to acknowledge over the journey (alignments, lack of player development etc).

Melbourne were lucky St Kilda took McCartin over Petracca.

Maybe Hobbs will be the one that fell in our lap after no one really thought he'd be on the table still.

 

[Yoda_]

Melbourne were lucky St Kilda took McCartin over Petracca.

Maybe Hobbs will be the one that fell in our lap after no one really thought he'd be on the table still.

Here's hoping it can be the turn of fortune we need. Martin also. Both look like they could be genuine stars

 

[Keystone agony]

Neither has any other footballer who has stepped foot on the hallow turf of the The Hangar.

Francis

 

[Keystone agony]

Ok, but if :
1. we are already short on midfield depth,
2. dont need the cap space cause we are loaded with it already; and
3. arent going to get a good pick out of it
Then what's the point?

Reportedly he is as professional on the track as it comes. He isnt the first good midfielder to be out of form (which he absolutely is) and maybe he is an asset in the standard sense off the field (conditioning and training ethic) which would be helpful for a younger list anyway.

And if others like Hobbs and Perkins go past him on the field, then so be it (see; Bryce Gibbs at Adelaide). Might as well keep him on if we get no tangible benefit for him leaving other than 'just cause'.

At least Collingwood needed the cap space and Hawthorn wanted space to go after guys like Mitchell and O'Meara and Wingard whilst resetting for another (failed) finals tilt. None of that is relevant to our situation.

You really believe we are short on midfield depth still?

 

[faible]

You really believe we are short on midfield depth still?

Yes

 

[citizen-erased]

Refer Oliver going 1 selection ahead of Parish type thing where we've just missed out, or the year we got McGrath there wasn't a clear JHF, Rowell or Walsh type guy.

I'd argue Clug was the Rowell/Walsh/JHF.
Fox was running ads about the kid before he was drafted.
We thought we were more clever.

The Oliver pick I've never hung on the list team.
Dees traded 6 and future 1st for 3 and 10 (Oliver & Weideman)
We'd have known the following year Pick 1 was ours. Hindsight tells you you'd give up 1 for 3 & 10 and ideally get lucky with Oliver & McKay on top of Francis and Parish.
Would have taken a bold manager to make that move. With everything going on, I can't see anyone making that call.

 

[Keystone agony]

I see alot of recent talk of trading some high profile names and ive certainly said before 'if someone gives up something decent for a guy like Shiel, then obviously do it' (That is probably wishful thinking, hed have to dominate the 2nd half of the year).

Im actually thinking when your down is the worse time to trade players of high profile. There worth is at their absolute lowest.

I think this year has to be a year where we draw a line. Do we turn around to ourselves like Melbourne did post 2020 and just say forget medals, forget extra 50k a year, forget 40 disposals, forget leadership financial benefits, forget brownlow votes, i actually just want to start winning and not losing? Hopefully we reach that tipping point between now and the start of next year

You cant tell me we dont have an incredibly talented list? We must do, weve been down the bottom for years. We have a tonne of top 20-30 picks. We will get a few more, maybe 2-3 again this year at least.

This list is either talented or age demographically fine to be playing finals next year. We just need to start defending and getting tougher. The best players this year were either new in J.Kellys situation or were on the edge of the list and feel they have to fight every day Guelfi, Nic Martin, Durham ect

Laverde/Francis - Reid - J.Kelly (Redman)
Heppell - Ridley - B.Dale

Z.Merrett - Parish - Langford (N.Cox)
Draper - Mcgrath - Stringer (Caldwell)

Shiel - H.Jones - Hobbs/Hind
Perkins - P.Wright - Tippa (Snelling)

Has to be a capable side at some point

 

[Keystone agony]

Yes

I just cant agree with that

We have a bucket load of mids, just none of them are any good at the moment.

 

[faible]

just none of them are any good at the moment.

So we need more mids?

 

[eth-dog]

I'd argue Clug was the Rowell/Walsh/JHF.
Fox was running ads about the kid before he was drafted.
We thought we were more clever.

The Oliver pick I've never hung on the list team.
Dees traded 6 and future 1st for 3 and 10 (Oliver & Weideman)
We'd have known the following year Pick 1 was ours. Hindsight tells you you'd give up 1 for 3 & 10 and ideally get lucky with Oliver & McKay on top of Francis and Parish.
Would have taken a bold manager to make that move. With everything going on, I can't see anyone making that call.

Plus Melbourne decided on Oliver 2 days before the draft. He and Parish were neck and neck the entire time.

 

[faible]

I'd argue Clug was the Rowell/Walsh/JHF.
Fox was running ads about the kid before he was drafted.
We thought we were more clever.

The Oliver pick I've never hung on the list team.
Dees traded 6 and future 1st for 3 and 10 (Oliver & Weideman)
We'd have known the following year Pick 1 was ours. Hindsight tells you you'd give up 1 for 3 & 10 and ideally get lucky with Oliver & McKay on top of Francis and Parish.
Would have taken a bold manager to make that move. With everything going on, I can't see anyone making that call.

Disagree McCluggage was a clear Pick 1, it was a wishy-washy year with Brodie and McCluggage in the mix early, McGrath coming like a freight train late with some monster finals performances, and Taranto working up the board throughout.

McCluggage was the one I wanted, but it wasn't a clear thing the way JHF, Rowell and Walsh were head and shoulders above anyone else.

 

[eth-dog]

I just cant agree with that

We have a bucket load of mids, just none of them are any good at the moment.

No, we don't. We literally have 6 inside midfielders on the list at this stage.

 

[citizen-erased]

Plus Melbourne decided on Oliver 2 days before the draft. He and Parish were neck and neck the entire time.

key is they got themselves into the position to make the call right before the pick.
one of the things I've admired about Mahoney and Taylor. When they see what they want, they'll find a way to get the deal done and will be brave about it.

 

[BuffDog]

I wouldn’t be opposed to trading a future first on draft night if there is someone on the board around pick 15-20 that we are really keen on.

Would be ideal to add Davey + two good draftees to Hobbs/Cox/Reid/Perkins/Jones etc so the next core can come through together.

Ideally those picks would be a KPF + a hb or tall mid

 

[citizen-erased]

I wouldn’t be opposed to trading a future first on draft night if there is someone on the board around pick 15-20 that we are really keen on.

Would be ideal to add Davey + two good draftees to Hobbs/Cox/Reid/Perkins/Jones etc so the next core can come through together.

Ideally those picks would be a KPF + a hb or tall mid

with where we're at, that future 1st shouldn't go anywhere unless it's Taranto or Dunkley.

Shaping up to be a top 5 pick again if we don't add size to the middle and get the key posts sorted.

 

[Schnitzengruben]

Someone like Geelong surely would be keeping a close eye.

 

[Keystone agony]

So we need more mids?

We need to see what Hobbs, Caldwell, McGrath and Perkins can do there this year before we answer that question

We need to determine whether Stringer can play the same role he did for the last 10 weeks of 2021 or is he never gonna get his body to that level again

We need to see if Shiel, Zerrett and Parish will start defending

No AFL club would not take a mid in the offseason

I dont see much point in having a tonne of midfielders and then not much else

Small forwards, half backs, key backs and even key fwds a greater concern

Why have Shiel, Zerrett, Parish, Stringer, Mcgrath, Perkins, Hobbs, Caldwell on the list when they already cant fit

Do we just give up on Shiel? Play Perkins and Stringer out of cbas, Mcgrath half back and give up on him as a mid?

 

[Keystone agony]

No, we don't. We literally have 6 inside midfielders on the list at this stage.

How many do melbourne have?

Name our 6 and theres?