I refined this a bit more and now I think I have nailed our actual and potential list vacancies (potential = ?), and have indicated the various mechanisms by which they can still be filled, with:
- draft picks
- delisted free agent signings
- rookie promotions
- creation of intentional senior list vacancies (creating more rookie spots and promotion flexibility) and
- PSD picks
Senior list vacancies
1. Vacancy left over from last season
2. Cooney
3. Ashby
4. Edwards
5. Gwilt
6. Hibberd
7. Pears
8. Kommer
9. Eades - (becoming a rookie?)
10. Dempsey
11. McKernan?
Rookie vacancies (category A):
- Wallis (rookie)
- Hams (rookie)
- Gach (rookie)
- Long’s rookie place if promoted?
- Walla’s place if senior list vacancy remains? (resulting in a 5th Category A rookie spot)
- If another senior list vacancy was created? (resulting in a 6th Category A rookie spot)
Rookie vacancies (category B ):
1. Vacancy left over from last season
2. Vacancy left over from last season
3. Vacancy (Conor McKenna’s place).
Senior list ins:
- Walla -rookie promotion
- Kelly - DFA
- Dea - DFA
- Stewart - traded in for pick 77
- McKenna - rookie promotion
- Pick 1
- Pick 20
- Pick 29
- Pick 41
- Pick 68 or delisted free agent or rookie promotion (Long) or PSD pick 1 or senior list vacancy
- Pick 95 or delisted free agent or rookie promotion or PSD pick or senior list vacancy (if Smack delisted)?
Rookie ins (category A):
1. Pick 1 (rookie) Wallis’ place
2. Pick 19 (rookie) Hams’ place.
3. Pick 37 (rookie) Gach’s place.- Eades?
4. Pick 55 (rookie) Long’s place if promoted?
5. Pick 73 (5th rookie) if senior list vacancy remains? (Walla’s place)
6. Pick 91 (6th rookie) if there is another senior list vacancy created?
An alternative to the rookie picks being used for new players, it has been proposed by the club that Yestin Eades may be (or may not be) put on the rookie list, which would effectively mop up our last available rookie selection (currently pick 37, but could go to pick 55 if Long is promoted to the senior list).
Rookie ins (category B ):
1. Free selection of international, or undrafted nominated Aboriginal or multicultural talent from our zone, also competing for AFL nominated or other nominated players from other zones who have missed out on being drafted and not selected by the owners of their zone.
2. As above.
3. As above (Conor’s place).
Quoted again above to show the state of play with regards to list vacancies.
For all the definite “Ins” : seniors and category A and B rookies, see bolded section showing the confirmed unfilled vacancies and how they might be filled.
ie: use of draft picks 1, 20, 29, 41 and 68 is possible or a combination of only using the higher picks (eg: 1, 20.29 and 41) and also using the remaining vacancies for delisted free agents, rookie promotions, PSD picks or creation of senior list vacancies.
We will also be using pick 1, 19 and 37 in the rookie draft and could use pick 55 if Jake Long is promoted and Yestin Eades is a possibility for using the last rookie pick, according to the club who have left this open.
We are also likely to recruit 3 Category B rookies given Conor’s promotion, the pool these are coming from is being increased to include Aboriginal and multicultural rookies as well as international and alternative sports rookies.
I have updated the above quoted list again. (to show the consequences of Conor’s promotion)
My money is on Green being picked up as a DFA, using picks 1, 20, 29 and 41, with no use of the PSD, and Long to stay a rookie. We still have 3 category A rookie picks and 3 category B rookie picks. That will be 12 new players on our list, not counting the promotion of Walla and Conor or the signing of Kelly and Dea as DFA’s. Eades being rookied would take the new player numbers down to 11.
The wildcard is Smack, he could stay as he is, or maybe he is delisted and we pick up a ruck who is a DFA, or maybe get a ruck in the rookie draft and we use pick 68 on someone like Aaron Heppell, just in case we are nervous he will go late in the draft, imagine if the Hawks got him - the outcry!