Donβt have a problem with 1 for Lav, TBH.
Certainly prefer opportunities given to younger players. But thereβs a spot for 1 (and exactly no more) mature defender.
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Unfathomable that any club would offer him two.
Sadly, heβll be kept and probably needs to be if Weidemann and Baldwin arent around. Play him in the VFL next year then show him the door.
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Embarrassing that this bloke has the gall to ask for more security when hes already contracted, is lucky to even be contracted, and is even luckier to have played nearly every game this year despite being way out of his depth
Please leave
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The Nino bot appears to be malfunctioning.
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Beep boop
Whoops wrong thread
I canβt keep up. Is this the one where Zak went in to bat for them?
In his first few injury riddled seasons playing as a forward, I often lamented the clubβs reluctance to trial Lav as a defender.
The change eventually happened, and I think the aim would have initially been to play him as a halfback or something similar to how weβve used Bull Kelly. Unfortunately, big Stuzza injured his ankle and Lav was forced to take on the role of undersized KPD instead.
His first season in that role was a successful one and I think most fans appreciated what he was able to achieve.
My feeling now is that to continue playing as key, Lav has added a bit too much size and has lost any speed and agility he used to have. This has resulted in him being very cumbersome, struggling to keep up with smaller or similar sized players, whilst still lacking the height to take on 200cm opponents.
My hope for Lav next year is that he drops 5 or 6 kgs and gets some movement back into his game and that heβs never forced to imitate a KPD ever again.
In reality, he should start 2025 as a backup, but I have zero confidence that Ridley or Reid can be relied upon or that Hayes is necessarily ready to step up. Cox has proven that the backline isnβt his go and Baldwin has been delisted. This leaves Weideman (if he survives the cut) as the only other option and Iβm not sure anyone is ready to see the big Weid playing regular senior footy again.
So, unless weβre prepared to redevelop someone like Harrison Jones to play in defence, I think Lav still has a role to play in the short-term.
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or we let nature take its course and we drop down the ladder where we should be and recruit some quality kids instead of holding onto hacks like Weideman.
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Pretty ballsy imo.
Even if he had a forklift licence I wouldnβt give him another year.
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Iβd guess he knows his output ainβt great but heβs just come off a season where he played every game (bar 1 when he was managed).
So heβd rather use this as leverage now to get another year rather than have to earn it in 2025 where thereβs no chance heβs best 22 if the side is healthy.
Never been anyone worse than Kelly for βkillingβ ball movement. In a class of his own! Laverde included
Ok, that explains it.
Tell him heβs dreaming.
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This will be an unpopular take, but I believe Laverde will be needed as depth next year considering our unreliable backline bodies (Reid, Ridley).
He was never supposed to play 2024, but was dragged in to replace Reid. Youβre not going to readily replace him with other offcasts. My hope is Hayes is the longer term replacement, critical year for that young man.
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We definitely need to move past him as a walk-up best 22/23 player. If Zach Reid wasnβt a complete and utter sicknote of a player it probably wouldβve happened this year. But as you say, when Reid and now Ridley are injury prone as they are, he gets a game.
We should trade Reid TBH.
He is needed unfortunately, but thats a good reason to get rid of him. We need to move past him as an option. If that means playing Hayes (even if he may not be read) then thats ok.
Youβve got to think we have a backup already in place, hence why weβve taken such a strong stance on the demands. Collins is perhaps the replacement for Lav. Heβs a much better defender and would improve our side while the young ones develop.
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I donβt think you understand what he is saying. He is certainly saying Reid and Hayes should play ahead of him, and he is only break glass in case of emergency. Which is fine for 12 months.
Iβd doubt he is still the preferred choice over a fit Reid and/or Hayes next year.
Iβm with you on this one. I also suspect that we wouldnβt have seen so much of Lav at AFL level had Baldwin been fit this year.
Lavβs last six or so weeks (with the exception of the Swans game) were truly awful, I donβt think anyone will argue otherwise. But I reckon before they gave him that one week rest he was actually playing pretty well. Being that he played most of the games and had a pretty long run of solid form in the middle of the season, I wouldnβt be surprised if he ends up with a top 10 finish in the b&f.
Iβve always liked Lav. Heβs broken his body trying to be a good player for our club and you can never fault his endeavour. But we absolutely must move past him in 2025. Really hoping the injury gods will smile on Ridley and Reid (and Baldwin, too).
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I also felt he played effectively in the first half of the year, but watching him in the back part of the season he looked tired and slow. I always feel when a young player suffers a volume of soft tissue injuries during their formative years they age quickly (in football terms).
Itβs my concern for Ridley and Reid as well, the injuries pile up and you end up looking at a 28 year old that appears more like a retiree.
Iβm happy to have Hayes picked before him if 2025 is about more young guys, but I wouldnβt be surprised if they lean on him again with a rash of injuries.