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

[Bald]

People fall in love with the idea of keeping club legends. I completely understand why people are reluctant to lose Macrae and move in Kennedy but I don't think Macrae is providing us anything in 2025 that Kennedy can't, if you asked me to pick one that will be playing in the 22 every week next year which I'd rather then of course I'd pick Macrae but that's just not the reality of the situation we're in. Macraes spot on the list is one of a depth midfielder and if you can get a similar output at a far lower cost, then so long as you take the names out of it, I can't understand why you wouldn't take it.

It's a business at the end of the day.

 

[Foxman98]

Richmond have 10, 11 and 18. This is where the Dogs in a perfect world should be able to say 'You want him, yep, that's the best deal for us, we'll take pick 11 and whatever else' and freeze Geelong out, but the AFL have no balls to allow this.

They also are about to get 6 and 23

 

[Angak]

Don’t think that’s fair, he plays 23 games this season for most clubs in the comp.

If your talking about Sanders this is wild.

He panics every time he gets the ball. Treats the football like a ticking time bomb.

 

[Proffessor]

Agree, but I can argue its his attributes (speed, agility, being coachable, looking to move the ball directly and quickly) that means he's going to get a game, rather than the quality and quantity of his ball winning/use.

Bevo has slowly realised the need for attribute balance across the field and it's why we were winning more games with a quicker player in Gallagher who was winning the ball half as often and using it half as well, but, in the more abstract sense, helped his teammates play better, and helped block space and influence the opposition ball use with his ability to run to the right spots and with speed.

Agree he has a lot of desirable attributes and hence potential.

But potential only gets you so far. It’s a tough competition and his weaknesses were badly exposed in the EF.

Needs to improve his disposal, composure, and game sense.
Hopefully that will come with time/experience and coaching.

Huge preseason for him, sincerely hope he and those around him realise it.

 

[dergert]

Wut

 

[Bald]

If your talking about Sanders this is wild.

He panics every time he gets the ball. Treats the football like a ticking time bomb.

And yet, you rate Gallagher ahead of Sanders and in your words "it isn't close".

Despite Sanders having significantly more contested posessions and disposal efficiency, lol.

 

[Golden_6]

Wut

This is beyond comprehension.

I've never seen this level of pushing from journalists until this year telling clubs they should be happy with bad deals.

 

[Dannnnnnnnnn]

Wut

This has to be a typo - Saints pay the contract, therefore Dogs have money for other deals.

But perhaps I'm giving Ralph's brain cell too much credit.

 

[dogwatch]

...

I am just frustrated. I don't see how these changes make us better and I am sick and tired of seeing premiership players in other colours for no real benefit on our end. Our list management decisions all feel, to me, like they've been worked out over the past month without any forethought. Meanwhile the teams below us have executed long-considered moves to make them immediately better.

Interesting discussion point. Are Power and Bevo on different pages? Is Power trying to play catchup on Bevo's tactical use of the list?

Of course I doubt that it's all been worked out in the last month with no forethought. I presume you are just making a point and don't mean that's literally what happened.

But your observations about lack of discernible long term strategy do warrant further discussion. Whatever blank-page strategy Power might have had in mind has undoubtedly been hit hard by the high bids on JUH and Darcy in recent drafts. Not only has it used up most of our high end draft capital for those consecutive years (our second pick in 2020 was 55, and our second pick in 2021 was 43) but they were two players in a similar role and build so we weren't even bringing in diverse top end talent. This will continue to reverberate in our list composition and list management tactics for some years as it has a left an age-specific shortage of mid-size talent which would normally be filled by first or second round picks.

 

[Angak]

And yet, you rate Gallagher ahead of Sanders and in your words "it isn't close".

Despite Sanders having significantly more contested posessions and disposal efficiency, lol.

Sanders was one of the worst players in the AFL last year who got regular playing time.

The only thing that gives me hope is the way his teammates/coaches talk about him and what they see in training. Clearly this isn't translating to match day. Once he gets more comfortable hopefully we see significant improvement in his performances but right now he isn't close to being AFL standard.

 

[The Slitherin' Snake]

Agree, but I can argue its his attributes (speed, agility, being coachable, looking to move the ball directly and quickly) that means he's going to get a game, rather than the quality and quantity of his ball winning/use.

Bevo has slowly realised the need for attribute balance across the field and it's why we were winning more games with a quicker player in Gallagher who was winning the ball half as often and using it half as well, but, in the more abstract sense, helped his teammates play better, and helped block space and influence the opposition ball use with his ability to run to the right spots and with speed.

Our best footy was played with Gallagher out of the side. He didnt play in the wins over Geelong, Sydney and Melbourne. He did play against Carlton in that win, but i think was subbed out and only had 5 disposals.

 

[King Harold]

This has to be a typo - Saints pay the contract, therefore Dogs have money for other deals.

But perhaps I'm giving Ralph's brain cell too much credit.

Only way it makes any sense, effectively a salary dump with steak knives.

 

[King Harold]

Sanders was one of the worst players in the AFL last year who got regular playing time.

The only thing that gives me hope is the way his teammates/coaches talk about him and what they see in training. Clearly this isn't translating to match day. One he gets more comfortable hopefully we see significant improvement in his performances but right now he isn't close to being AFL standard.

Man you either need Bex or you need to stop taking them !

 

[GetDimmaBack]

If your talking about Sanders this is wild.

He panics every time he gets the ball. Treats the football like a ticking time bomb.

Call me old fashioned, but as I see it a teenager in his first year - with virtually no pre-season - is generally going to take a bit of time to develop the strength, skills and nous to match it with more experienced, hard bodied mids.

Given the quality of our midfield, 2024 was always going to be a learning year for him.

Not everyone can be Judd or Selwood.

He's tracking nicely.

 

[Shacf501]

Sanders was one of the worst players in the AFL last year who got regular playing time.

The only thing that gives me hope is the way his teammates/coaches talk about him and what they see in training. Clearly this isn't translating to match day. One he gets more comfortable hopefully we see significant improvement in his performances but right now he isn't close to being AFL standard.

He is a kid, as mentioned earlier definitely needs to improve on his defensive work both around the contest and around the ground. However, for an 18 year old to kill it in the VFL like he did realistically he is where he should be for his age. he got a taste and no doubt some of his deficiancies would have been discussed at end of season interviews. is he going to be a superstar, who knows? But lets hope he ends up being a 200 gamer who brings some apssion to the club

 

[Angak]

Call me old fashioned, but as I see it a teenager in his first year - with virtually no pre-season - is generally going to take a bit of time to develop the strength, skills and nous to match it with more experienced, hard bodied mids.

Given the quality of our midfield, 2024 was always going to be a learning year for him.

Not everyone can be Judd or Selwood.

He's tracking nicely.

What does Sanders do well? Does he have any elite traits?

 

[Foxman98]

XOH sounding more likely now on trade radio

 

[Chicago1]

Call me old fashioned,

You're old fashioned. I aim to please.



On SM-A135F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[lachy]

Richmond have 10, 11 and 18. This is where the Dogs in a perfect world should be able to say 'You want him, yep, that's the best deal for us, we'll take pick 11 and whatever else' and freeze Geelong out, but the AFL have no balls to allow this.

Throw in 6 and 23 as well as their current 1, that is 1,6,10 and 11 well before Geelongs pick with 18 also a first round pick.

Geelong sure they wouldn't risk 11 on Smith given they will still get 4 of the best 20 younger players in the draft?

Interesting game of Russian Roulette. We may miss out on draft capital, Geelong can miss their targeted player

 

[lachy]

If your talking about Sanders this is wild.

He panics every time he gets the ball. Treats the football like a ticking time bomb.

With 83% efficiency, in his first season

 

[dergert]

 

[Mofra]

Don’t think that’s fair, he plays 23 games this season for most clubs in the comp.

He finished the year getting 35+2 goals per week at VFL level.
Sanders is the least of our worries. He pays every week in 2025

 

[Mofra]

Richmond have 10, 11 and 18. This is where the Dogs in a perfect world should be able to say 'You want him, yep, that's the best deal for us, we'll take pick 11 and whatever else' and freeze Geelong out, but the AFL have no balls to allow this.

We don't need to do this today. We can work on them during the break between now and draft day and do it as a live pick trade.

 

[lachy]

What does Sanders do well? Does he have any elite traits?

Well he did get in excess of 20 disposals in 6 of his 14 AFL games at over 80% efficiency and over 30 sometime 40 disposals at VFL level in the majority of his games there, so maybe getting the football so much as a first year player is fairly elite

 

[TiAn_]

We really aren't, and despite being listed at 192 (which is a blatant lie) Macca can't provide the presence on the half forward line that Kennedy can. And by that I mean to just compete in the air and take in the occassional mark,.

It’d be fantastic if Macrae had excelled in a secondary position but in my opinion the sad reality is he wasn’t particularly good at half forward. Doesn’t kick goals, doesn’t take marks, isn’t a quick pressure forward, and just generally didn’t seem a natural fit there. I think he’d likely struggle similarly at half back. But he’s still a very good inside mid.

I also think it really opens the door for Sanders next year. As soon as we drafted Sanders I said he and Macrae were going to both be fighting for the same spot in the 23 in the short term.