Recruiting AFL Trade & Free Agency XI - McKay. Goldstein. Gresham. Duursma!

[Lore]

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Trade wrap: Essendon player movement period

See all the movements from the 2023 trade period.

www.essendonfc.com.au

 

[eighties_bomber]

Just get the feeling we’ve missed on McKay. Nothing with proper substance has said so but too many posts and whispers saying that he’s landed on the hawks.

Bit of a stinger, not because I think McKay is the answer to our premiership hopes but that if he signs for a 6 year deal and we also offered a 6 year deal then we are just so far and away from being a destination club that we once were, our appeal of playing in big games, being such a big club, worst class facilities and having cash to burn means sweet FA lol. Ahwell, hope I’m wrong but gut feel is hawks.

i agree, we have become irrelevant due to be being shit for 20 years. Gunna be another decade of this unfortunately

 

[MarkJohnson#1]

Potential ins this off-season:

Ben McKay

32

Ben Mckay

Age

26

Ht

202cm

Wt

104kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

7.5

2star

K

3.7

1star

HB

3.8

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

1.7

4star

MG

77.2

1star

D

7.5

2star

K

4.5

2star

HB

3.0

2star

M

2.5

3star

T

1.5

2star

MG

88.5

2star

D

7.0

2star

K

3.4

2star

HB

3.6

3star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.0

4star

MG

67.8

1star

Jade Gresham

11

Jade Gresham

Age

27

Ht

177cm

Wt

81kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

17.4

4star

K

10.2

4star

HB

7.2

4star

M

3.2

3star

T

2.7

4star

G

1.1

4star

D

17.5

4star

K

10.8

4star

HB

6.8

4star

M

2.1

2star

T

2.0

3star

G

0.5

4star

D

11.8

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

5.8

4star

M

2.6

3star

T

3.4

5star

G

0.4

3star

Todd Goldstein

17

Todd Goldstein

Age

36

Ht

201cm

Wt

101kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.2

3star

K

5.7

2star

HB

7.5

5star

CL

3.1

5star

HO

32.5

5star

D

16.7

4star

K

9.3

4star

HB

7.4

4star

CL

7.0

5star

HO

32.9

5star

D

5.2

2star

K

2.6

1star

HB

2.6

3star

HO

10.0

5star

Kai Lohmann
James Jordon
James Harmes

22

James Harmes

Age

29

Ht

186cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.4

5star

K

9.4

4star

HB

10.0

5star

M

3.1

3star

T

4.1

5star

CL

2.4

4star

D

16.3

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

8.9

4star

M

2.9

3star

T

1.6

3star

CL

1.9

4star

D

10.6

3star

K

5.2

2star

HB

5.4

4star

M

1.6

2star

T

1.8

4star

CL

0.2

2star

Travis Boak

10

Travis Boak

Age

36

Ht

183cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.7

5star

K

11.6

4star

HB

12.0

5star

M

3.7

4star

T

4.4

5star

CL

4.6

5star

D

22.0

5star

K

11.0

4star

HB

11.0

5star

M

2.4

3star

T

4.4

5star

CL

4.9

5star

D

16.4

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

9.0

5star

M

5.4

5star

T

2.4

4star

1st round pick
2nd round pick

A mix of these would certainly improve our list. Anyone else on the radar?

 

[BeeZurk]

Just get the feeling we’ve missed on McKay. Nothing with proper substance has said so but too many posts and whispers saying that he’s landed on the hawks.

Bit of a stinger, not because I think McKay is the answer to our premiership hopes but that if he signs for a 6 year deal and we also offered a 6 year deal then we are just so far and away from being a destination club that we once were, our appeal of playing in big games, being such a big club, worst class facilities and having cash to burn means sweet FA lol. Ahwell, hope I’m wrong but gut feel is hawks.

I look at this through a different lens. I think for the first time in a very long our club is making the right decisions around contracts of our current listed players and also players looking to play for us. I can't see us offering McKay a longer deal than Parish or Merrett. I think our club has enough to offer outside of money and contract length. WE are finally setting standards and expectations around what it looks like to play for our great club. We are a massive club, with a massive following and we play in some of the biggest home and away crowds in the competition. We play majority at the MCG etc etc.... Now if McKay decides to play for the Hakes because they offered the biggest $$$ or longest contract, then he isn't the right player for us. His values don't align with ours and doesn't fit the new culture our club is trying to build. Of course this is just my opinion but its a great discussion point. Go Dons!!

 

[footyfanatic111]

Potential ins this off-season:

Ben McKay
Jade Gresham
Todd Goldstein
Kai Lohmann
James Jordon
James Harmes
Travis Boak
1st round pick
2nd round pick

A mix of these would certainly improve our list. Anyone else on the radar?

Think you can cross boak off that list. We havnt ever been linked to him, he’s just a player our fans would like to get across. He’s also come out and said it’s port or nothing just the other day following his exit meeting.

 

[cAsEy_18]

Potential ins this off-season:

Ben McKay
Jade Gresham
Todd Goldstein
Kai Lohmann
James Jordon
James Harmes
Travis Boak
1st round pick
2nd round pick

A mix of these would certainly improve our list. Anyone else on the radar?

Interesting thing about this list is no key forwards, and it’s a clear need.

Probably assume it’s just the market/who is available, rather than us not prioritising it.

 

[footyfanatic111]

I look at this through a different lens. I think for the first time in a very long our club is making the right decisions around contracts of our current listed players and also players looking to play for us. I can't see us offering McKay a longer deal than Parish or Merrett. I think our club has enough to offer outside of money and contract length. WE are finally setting standards and expectations around what it looks like to play for our great club. We are a massive club, with a massive following and we play in some of the biggest home and away crowds in the competition. We play majority at the MCG etc etc.... Now if McKay decides to play for the Hakes because they offered the biggest $$$ or longest contract, then he isn't the right player for us. His values don't align with ours and doesn't fit the new culture our club is trying to build. Of course this is just my opinion but its a great discussion point. Go Dons!!

I look at that view too,I do.
but if we’re offering 6 years which has been reported and he signs for 6 with the hawks
the money can’t be too far apart. And if it’s on a equal playing field we should win that battle every day of the week against the hawks!
Makes ya think what the debacle of a last 2 weeks of the season can do haha. But you make some very great points also, can’t argue with any of them.

We need a key defender so bad, not sure who else is out there.
Not sold on Baldwin playing on the monsters

 

[Duckworth]

Is is the case with delisted free agents ? I understand what you say about list lodgments which is correct but I thought the rules around delisted free agents was different again .

I think you might be right reFAs. If they are off the books before the DFA signing period.

 

[BeeZurk]

I look at that view too,I do.
but if we’re offering 6 years which has been reported and he signs for 6 with the hawks
the money can’t be too far apart. And if it’s on a equal playing field we should win that battle every day of the week against the hawks!
Makes ya think what the debacle of a last 2 weeks of the season can do haha. But you make some very great points also, can’t argue with any of them.

We need a key defender so bad, not sure who else is out there.
Not sold on Baldwin playing on the monsters

I think we need more defensive mids and forwards. We need to play a better team defensive game style. Our backs don't get a chance to set up behind the ball so therefore the ball is coming in very fast, very accurate so it makes defending almost impossible. If we made it hard for teams to score against us or should I say - hard to move the ball against us, our backline would like and function a lot better. I'm happy to trade in a stop gap full back while Reid and Cox develop. I would like to see Reid at FB and Cox at CHB to be honest. I think we need to trade in players that are winners/fighters, blue collar hard working tackling machines, without flare or X factor. Just role players who do this for the team. 2 big mids who block and tackle. 2 forwards who tackle and apply pressure. Oh and we ideally need a player or two who are elite in contested marking lol, so yeah a lot to work in in my opinion ....

 

[Chambo]

SEN reporting that McKay has chosen Hawthorn

 

[eth-dog]

Eh. Weideman back and we get a good look at Baldwin now imo.

 

[Zach Package]

Dear god, king, that’s Douglas Howard’s music!

 

[eighties_bomber]

Potential ins this off-season:

Ben McKay
Jade Gresham
Todd Goldstein
Kai Lohmann
James Jordon
James Harmes
Travis Boak
1st round pick
2nd round pick

A mix of these would certainly improve our list. Anyone else on the radar?

we'll be lucky to get 1 of those players! And the draft picks mean nothing as its basically a raffle

 

[Milanista28]

I want to be able to sell salary cap space/pick purchasing, that can make our trade period exciting.

 

[FrankGrimes]

Seems we have missed on mckay, our backline is truly stuffed now.

 

[eth-dog]

Seems we have missed on mckay, our backline is truly stuffed now.

He's not that good. Would rather not overpay for him which the Hawks are

 

[Milanista28]

Seems we have missed on mckay, our backline is truly stuffed now.

Now? All seriousness, I'm not super fussed if we miss out. We have options who hardly featured this year who could impact in 2024, Reid, Hayes, Baldwin and Weideman can cover. It's not a premiership standard backline but it's not meant to be yet.

It's on the midfield to make our backline improve, the back 6 need support.

 

[footyfanatic111]

He's not that good. Would rather not overpay for him which the Hawks are

Just means we’ll overpay for Gresham. What else are we gonna do with all that cash, dodoro will wanna go out with some sort of bang! Lol can see us trading for dougal

 

[JT_the_Man]

At least now we absolutely have to play Baldwin!

cues the Sam Weideman

10

Sam Weideman

Age

27

Ht

197cm

Wt

99kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.6

2star

K

4.7

2star

HB

4.9

4star

M

3.7

4star

T

1.5

3star

G

1.0

4star

D

7.0

1star

K

4.3

2star

HB

2.8

2star

M

3.8

4star

T

0.5

1star

G

1.8

5star

D

9.2

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

5.6

4star

M

3.2

4star

T

0.4

3star

G

1.2

4star

music

 

[eth-dog]

Just means we’ll overpay for Gresham. What else are we gonna do with all that cash, dodoro will wanna go out with some sort of bang! Lol can see us trading for dougal

Howard is solid and wouldn't cost the world. Is also a very good kick unlike McKay

 

[JT_the_Man]

I like Dougal.

 

[ghostdog]

Interesting Jon Ralph suggesting someone has offered McKay a 7 year deal almost certainly the Hawks. Don't really like contracts that long hope we don't fall into that trape and get dudded by it if we match

Pass. I'd rather battle through with Baldwin and Laverde, then play for a big KPD at the end of '24. / warchest / high draft pick

 

[JT_the_Man]

Pass. I'd rather battle through with Baldwin and Laverde, then play for a big KPD at the end of '24. / warchest / high draft pick

By the end of ‘24 who knows how Reid/Hayes/even Cox are looking also.

For what it’s worth I think we have one with Hayes. Just needs muscle.

 

[Milanista28]

Lohman and draft is good enough for me. Spend big money on A graders, if there isn’t any, hodl!!

 

[andleanback]

SEN reporting that McKay has chosen Hawthorn

That’s not a bad thing tbh. If we got him we take it, but he ain’t worth what he’s getting offered. A big key back that can’t defend and can’t kick, he’s literally a worse aliir aliir. I’d rather us just let our young blokes try and make the back line theirs, if they can get on the park.

 

[eth-dog]

If we end up as:

In: 9 (Post McKay), 28, 31, 37, 46, Lohmann, Gresham, Goldstein and Howard
Out: Shiel (feel like he's gonna go), Zerk-Thatcher, Snelling, Stewart, Lord, Phillips, Montgomerie, Voss, McBride, Walla and Munkara

With someone like Parker as a Cat B I'd be happy. Snelling and Voss I think will be lucky to get retained at this point. I'd still be trying to get Hollands or Davies from GC for one of those second rounders though.