Strategy Trade and List Management Thread Part 7 (opposition supporters - READ posting rules before posting)

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Rather us hit the draft this year, load up on young talent.

Other than O’Driscoll - no one is worth what we’d have to give up to get them imo.

We have the cash to tie up Darcy / Marra / Richards long term. Then we’ll have whatever is left over to play with next year with our keys locked in.


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I’m sad to see Macrae go, but I thought he was a square peg in a round hole at half forward. And his replacement is already on the list in Sanders.

Smith is a loss, but he didn’t play a game this year so his departure isn’t making our current output worse. Plus he wasn’t really in Bev’s midfield plans before the ACL and was a bit like Macrae at half forward.

We really shouldn’t be getting any worse with our departures and don’t need to bring in stars to get better, we just need to bring in players that fit and/or improve a problem area, like Duryea, Bramble or Lobb.
 
What do we realistically need from the off season in order to be a better regular season team than Port, GWS or Geelong?
 
What do we realistically need from the off season in order to be a better regular season team than Port, GWS or Geelong?
I don’t care how much we spin the magnets, we aren’t going to be a top 4/premiership side with English as our main ruckman.

Here’s the stats from the past 4 finals we have lost.

Stkilda (Ryder + Marshall) vs WB (English) 2020 EF

31 hit outs to 8

Melbourne (Gawn + Jackson) vs WB (English vs Martin) 2021 GF

47 Hitouts to 30

Fremantle (Darcy + Lobb) vs WB (English + Cordy/Darcy) 2022 elim

61 hitouts to 29

Hawthorn (Meek) vs WB (English) 2024 elim

46 hitouts to 21 (Naughton was played in the ruck too considering how badly English was going.

Sure hitouts aren’t everything but there is a pretty easy to understand pattern emerging. In high intensity games (most finals) marks and skills become harder to execute and the importance of physicality (tackles/pressure/hitouts) become more important.

Sadly English is the worst in the league at the latter and should have been traded. Right now we might have to waste a generational forward talent (Darcy) in the ruck.
 
What do we realistically need from the off season in order to be a better regular season team than Port, GWS or Geelong?
Look I know results in finals are the only thing that matters but I’d say we were better than all of them this year.

Does Geelong beating us by less than a goal in a random match in Adelaide mean they were a better regular season team than us? Some would say yes but I’d prefer to look at the entirety of the season.

Flip that result and we are 3rd on the ladder and possibly pushing for a flag.

Again obviously the only thing that matters are the actual results but it goes to show how something so small and seemingly meaningless at the time could have such huge ramifications.
 
Look I know results in finals are the only thing that matters but I’d say we were better than all of them this year.

Does Geelong beating us by less than a goal in a random match in Adelaide mean they were a better regular season team than us? Some would say yes but I’d prefer to look at the entirety of the season.

Flip that result and we are 3rd on the ladder and possibly pushing for a flag.

Again obviously the only thing that matters are the actual results but it goes to show how something so small and seemingly meaningless at the time could have such huge ramifications.
I agree, so what do we have to do to be better than them during the regular season? Our draw hasn’t exactly been hard the past few seasons.
 
Agree with a few here. We need to improve our list from last year and we can.

- I am a Macrae fan but his contribution this year was very low to the point he was dropped

- Smith didn’t play this year but before he left he was not killing it despite his potential. He may go to another club and play to his potential but he wasn’t with us.

- García - I will be most disappointed if he leaves. He gets possession and kicks goals and has grunt. I would much rather play him than McNeil or VDM but the reality is Bevo doesn’t - and so obviously isn’t a key part of his plans.

- Delistings if Bedendo will not affect us at all.

Keath retirement is a shame but with Lobb showing what he can do and Buss, JOD and Khamis and Gardner (if all goes to sh!t) we just don’t need him as much next year as this year (ie if Jones went down we need experience but now with LOB and others having a couple of years of development we are better off)

JJ - I hope he comes back. For he is a star but we haven’t had a consistent output from him for a while and so the loss will not be felt. He is a better player than Bramble in the same role - but Bramble has been very consistent - takes the game on almost as well but is a much better defender. He would stiff if replaced. JJ can play multiple roles - would be a great winger if he could stay fit so that will go in his favour.

So if we lose all three a delisting and get some retirements we bring five/six new players in that can help us.

This will likely include a first round for Smith, two seconds (existing plus Macrae pick) and something usable for Garcia. Then a couple of late picks. Friejah was 45 in a much weaker draft than this year so talent will be available at our picks. .

  • one a highly rated mid/wing with 1
  • small forward with 2nd
  • small defender with 2nd
  • roughy small defender later pick - are low on options atm. Like Jackson Voss from Frankston - really hard to beat. Or could also go for another winger but already have Friejah to move up to wing (he is perhaps a bit too much like Truck but looks top shelf), Poulter and Baker and potential for A Jones if he can keep improving.
  • roughy ruck later pick - we only have one ruck in the VFL and are short a marking forward - need to fix this and have two options if needed

History shows that we draft very well - two of these will likely end up playing games this year - more if we trade for a specific need like Bramble.

So overall we lose low contribution and we get good contribution. Not the most challenging period. Through in a couple of big plays (eg Houston like Trelor) and could be great.

Drop offs are likely for only maybe Libba (don’t expect this year), Jones and Duryea are likely.

Big lifts likely for Friejah, Sanders, Buss, JOD, Marra, Gallagher and most of all the Darcy. Return to form for Naughty and Flea.
 
I think if Garcia leaves dogs will need to find a midfielder somewhere. We know they're linked to Peatling & Houston but unlikely either will land at the dogs. Saying that a quick midfielder needs to be the target. Robertson or Reef McInnes or O'Halloran.
 

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I think if Garcia leaves dogs will need to find a midfielder somewhere. We know they're linked to Peatling & Houston but unlikely either will land at the dogs. Saying that a quick midfielder needs to be the target. Robertson or Reef McInnes or O'Halloran.

You would think we would target a mid with the Smith pick.

Quality young mid and small forwards priority
 
What do we realistically need from the off season in order to be a better regular season team than Port, GWS or Geelong?

We had no trouble beating GWS and Geelong, the issue we had this season is beating teams with pace.

Losses against Hawks, Port and Lions showcased this fully.

We either need to get some faster outside mids that can break open the game or at the very least get some players with speed that can run with those faster mids/high half forwards.
 
You would think we would target a mid with the Smith pick.

Quality young mid and small forwards priority
I think they'll draft 1 with their first pick regardless because they need to transition some midfield. Treloar & Libba may not be there in 2026 or will be rotated less to the inside midfield. Same with Bont. Sanders Richards Gallagher is probably the future atm. With Harmes, and west chopping in. Garcia will be in that mid mix too but if he leaves then it becomes a quite thin midfield.
 
Would be a disaster
Only from the perspective of exposing the spit deep shallowness of our midfield depth.

Other than that he is without doubt the most overrated player on the list.

He's a rung on the ladder above this boards whipping boys, but many below the mids asked to carry this side.

The same guys who invariably run out of puff when it matters most.

Against physical teams with pace, outside run and slick ball movement.
 
Only from the perspective of exposing the spit deep shallowness of our midfield depth.

Other than that he is without doubt the most overrated player on the list.

He's a rung on the ladder above this boards whipping boys, but many below the mids asked to carry this side.

The same guys who invariably run out of puff when it matters most.

Against physical teams with pace, outside run and slick ball movement.
Apparently he’s Chris Judd. Losing Smith for a shit pick is a disaster, losing Garcia is whatever.
 
Apparently he’s Chris Judd. Losing Smith for a shit pick is a disaster, losing Garcia is whatever.
He's fine, but he isn't the answer to the question of why our midfield continues to fail against teams with the strengths that I outlined.

Garcia like the whipping boysand a few other long shots and cast offs are the kind of players we need to look past as we begin the process of reshaping our starting midfield as the likes of Libba and Treloar quickly age out of the team and the game. The problem is that with The Bont being the constant, the only sure driver of this change currently on the list is Richards and then it falls away very quickly and into the unknowns of Sanders, Gallagher or even Weightman or Freijah?

This is why like losing Dunkley before him, is why the Smith departure is going to hurt us much more than people seem to appreciate. Whatever magic draft beans we get in return then has to go into the lottery and risks of the draft, in the hope of getting a ready made player who is at least as capable as Smith. Thats a big ask for the crap shoot of a late first round selection. And yes, I too have heard the stories of how even this draft is. Just like I hear the same story each or at least every other year.

If we're to be considered a legitimate top 4 list and side (We aren't). Then we desperately need more quality mids and thinking... let alone, actually believing that is going to be Zak Butters is a fools errand.
 
At least we got a guy who could play every week on the wing...right?

Read it and weep.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1223432...63Y6g8SKNEN1Qca0LA_aem_02BZO4jFjudIEHTzvRlv3w


460717337_955050349998116_1569571645474378152_n.jpg
 

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Strategy Trade and List Management Thread Part 7 (opposition supporters - READ posting rules before posting)

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