Opinion Best 23 Pre Trade/Draft - Season 2024

[Vdubs]

We have plenty of depth but that does not win you the cup.
How many A-grade players do we have? Perhaps Stewart only.
We have plenty coming through but potential is potential.

This year there will be a big turnover of players because of age and general clean out. Lets hope Bruhn, Clark, Conway ....come through We need some top shelf players badly.

A-graders
Stewart
Blicavs
Cameron
Danger
CGuthrie
if all healthy

 

[Partridge]

We have plenty of depth but that does not win you the cup.
How many A-grade players do we have? Perhaps Stewart only.
We have plenty coming through but potential is potential.

This year there will be a big turnover of players because of age and general clean out. Lets hope Bruhn, Clark, Conway ....come through We need some top shelf players badly.

Cameron. Stewart. Maybe Cam Guthrie. Maybe Dangerfield in bursts now.

Can't think of anyone else.

 

[Partridge]

A-graders
Stewart
Blicavs
Cameron
Danger
CGuthrie
if all healthy

Blicavs is not an A-grader.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Cameron. Stewart. Maybe Cam Guthrie. Maybe Dangerfield in bursts now.

Can't think of anyone else.

Hawkins is still A grade but hes nearing the end.
Stewart is A grade and cameron is when fit (he was scary good for someone playing injured most of the year). Danger is but i agree only on bursts now. Blitz is A grade because what he gives is so unique and structurally needed for us but outsiders wouldnt rate him

Thats about all we have in A graders.

But id be very surprised if ollie henry isnt A grade in 3 years and holmes and clark i am very bullish on as well.

 

[Vdubs]

Blicavs is not an A-grader.

Never in your book- but he is nearly A+.
A fit Blicavs is first player picked- where to play him..
That uniqueness puts him ahead of our list.
Stats and observations from the sideline don't reveal what he brings to our team, and guaranteed, had he been available to trade in past years, 17 teams would be keen.
He may be in slow decline, but losing him killed our top 8 chances this year.

 

[Partridge]

Never in your book- but he is nearly A+.
A fit Blicavs is first player picked- where to play him..
That uniqueness puts him ahead of our list.
Stats and observations from the sideline don't reveal what he brings to our team, and guaranteed, had he been available to trade in past years, 17 teams would be keen.
He may be in slow decline, but losing him killed our top 8 chances this year.

He's a full time midfielder who only touches the ball 16 times a game. That's not A+. Sorry, it's just not. As for his injury, it's not like we were unbeaten during the year then only lost when he went out - we lost plenty of times during the year with him playing.

 

[Vdubs]

He's a full time midfielder who only touches the ball 16 times a game. That's not A+. Sorry, it's just not. As for his injury, it's not like we were unbeaten during the year then only lost when he went out - we lost plenty of times during the year with him playing.

If ever we were going on an assault to make the 8, losing Blic on top of the rest was the straw....

 

[gogeelongcats]

Blicavs is not an A-grader.

Neither is Guthrie

 

[Vdubs]

Neither is Guthrie

Are we going on 23 form only?

 

[FredLeDeux]

He's a full time midfielder who only touches the ball 16 times a game. That's not A+. Sorry, it's just not. As for his injury, it's not like we were unbeaten during the year then only lost when he went out - we lost plenty of times during the year with him playing.

27 if you count the hitouts he gets when he's not being "a full time midfielder".

 

[gogeelongcats]

Hawkins is still A grade but hes nearing the end.
Stewart is A grade and cameron is when fit (he was scary good for someone playing injured most of the year). Danger is but i agree only on bursts now. Blitz is A grade because what he gives is so unique and structurally needed for us but outsiders wouldnt rate him

Thats about all we have in A graders.

But id be very surprised if ollie henry isnt A grade in 3 years and holmes and clark i am very bullish on as well.

So we have
Hawkins in decline
Stewart and Cameron when fit
Danger on the decline
Guthrie out most of last year.
Will look thin soon

in a couple of years they could be gone.
a couple of our younger players must come through.

 

[MacStradbroke]

Never in your book- but he is nearly A+.
A fit Blicavs is first player picked- where to play him..
That uniqueness puts him ahead of our list.
Stats and observations from the sideline don't reveal what he brings to our team, and guaranteed, had he been available to trade in past years, 17 teams would be keen.
He may be in slow decline, but losing him killed our top 8 chances this year.

Just finished reading Joel Selwood’s book, he certainly thinks he is an a grader. Very complimentary on the differing skill sets that he brings the team that no other club can match. Pretty sure he’s not measured by stats or supercoach points

 

[Kobe Gryant]

For me rohan is not needed if both ollie henry and dempsey plus the small fwds are there. 3 medium fwds none of whom can ruck are overkill (especially if danger plays part time fwd as well theres plenty of marking options but we need more mids). Either you give rohans spot to an extra 2nd ruck option (which would be neale as a fwd/relief ruck which you would only do if blitz goes back to defence) or you give it to an extra mid option-knevitt is my preference.

I agree the u23 group is very good and long term we will have a good team. The issue is the 24-28yo ish group is very average (atkins aside) and we probably have at least 6 retirements in the next 2 years so we will need to trade in some decent mid aged players (hello bailey smith) to bridge the gap between the older guys and the younger ones.

I see what you mean, but in my side I'm betting on Dempsey putting on some size and playing through the midfield.

He's been bordering on dominant playing through there at VFL level, and if he's in the side I'd like him in the midfield. Either inside, or taking Isaac Smith's vacant wing/half forward role.

It's a pet peeve of mine. I don't like forcing midfielders to play forward flank/pocket. Just bite the bullet and let him play his natural position, with some resting forward of the ball rather than vice versa.

I can understand your premise though, and if we drop Rohan, and play Ollie forward that allows for another young mid to come into the side.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

So we have
Hawkins in decline
Stewart and Cameron when fit
Danger on the decline
Guthrie out most of last year.
Will look thin soon

in a couple of years they could be gone.
a couple of our younger players must come through.

I've never understood this line of thinking tbh.

If you take the best 3 or 4 players out of any side they're going to struggle.

Don't get me wrong, I understand your premise, but it's an endless loop.

In 4 years time, there's every chance it's suddenly "If Clark, Conway, SDK, O Henry & Holmes go down, we're going to be in real trouble."

It never ends, it's why there's that saying 'You can never have enough good players'. Your top 3-6 are going to be the ones deciding the result most weeks.

Even the great sides only have a handful of genuine guns. The rest are a collection of role players, cult heroes, & cogs in the machine.

 

[Partridge]

27 if you count the hitouts he gets when he's not being "a full time midfielder".

I didn't realise hitouts were possessions.

Oh that's right, because they aren't.

 

[Partridge]

Neither is Guthrie

Hmm I reckon his best is.

 

[bulletproof]

Assessing Blicavs on his stats would be akin to assessing a full back on his possession numbers. His main role is to defend from the midfield. He is the best in the league at this role and it is not even close.

I think if you asked any opposition coach they would tell you the same thing.

We know Geelong coaches’ view as judged by his best and fairest finishes.

But it is a view held beyond Geelong as well.

 

[Mr Meow]

So we have
Hawkins in decline
Stewart and Cameron when fit
Danger on the decline
Guthrie out most of last year.
Will look thin soon

in a couple of years they could be gone.
a couple of our younger players must come through.

We had 5 AA players in 2022: Cameron, Stewart, Hawkins, Stengle and Blicavs. Then our best player for the year on BnF was Guthrie and best finals/burst player was Dangerfield.

The two grand finalists this year had 3 and 1 AA members respectively (let's say 3 and 2 as Neale won the Brownlow).

Stewart was just as good.

Hawkins output per game only dipped slightly this year. Still an A grade full forward.

Cameron with a blip free year can still find that league MVP form he had the first 8 rounds.

Blicavs will remain elite in his unique hybrid role, but has upside on his 2023.

Guthrie has had a year off and should be good to go.

Dangerfield will give us the same bursts of quality as 2022/2023 which puts him in an elite class for veterans.

Stengle is young and unpredictable - we know how ceiling is high.

Miers and O.Henry showed very good signs as being potentially A grade creative half forward and third tall respectively.

J.Henry and Holmes have elite potential for their positions.

Once a few of these retire it will be tough. But 2024 the sky is still the limit (as it is for around 10 sides - it's a bloody even comp).

 

[FredLeDeux]

I didn't realise hitouts were possessions.

Oh that's right, because they aren't.

I didn't know the word "possessions" means the same as "touches the ball".
Oh, that's right, it doesn't.

 

[Mr Meow]

I didn't know the word "possessions" means the same as "touches the ball".
Oh, that's right, it doesn't.

Snookered.

 

[Lana]

Which player in the AFL is the most similar to Blicavs

 

[Mr Meow]

Which player in the AFL is the most similar to Blicavs

Jackson from Fremantle? But more of an offensive version. Goodes in the past.

 

[Partridge]

I didn't know the word "possessions" means the same as "touches the ball".
Oh, that's right, it doesn't.

Not sure what else would it mean for a midfielder.

I would have thought kicks or handpasses. Add them together you get possessions/disposals. As it always has. Unless it's changed in the offseason.

 

[CHAWKTS]

Wasn’t sure where to post this…maybe not 2024 but one of my favourite photos posted by the boys on their off season trip. (I think Max Insta?) Hoping this is the core of the next decade of success?

(Understand Toby was supposed to be with them. Would have completed the picture for me!)

 

[FredLeDeux]

Not sure what else would it mean for a midfielder.

I would have thought kicks or handpasses. Add them together you get possessions/disposals. As it always has. Unless it's changed in the offseason.

But it's you who labelled him solely as a midfielder, when he's not.