If you want to nab a big name free agent…you start working on them now, you don’t wait until July/August next year because you better believe other Clubs will start working on them now.
Luke McDonald would be an astute selection. I know he was a nob to McKenna but he organises the Kangas defense fairly well and we are void of defensive marshals after Hooksy and Hurls finish up.
I’m thinking wider than free agents…if there is a list squeeze on, players can be offloaded like they’re uncontracted (OMG Collingwood).
GOLD COAST simply have too many players. They will have to trade out some decent draftees due to list size and salary cap constraints. I would target the out-of-contract SAM FLANDERS as our next Caldwell-like pick up.
WESTERN BULLDOGS have too many midfielders. And we have now signalled to those players that we can pay a lot more for their services than the Bulldogs have been. Potential uncontracted targets would include LIPINSKI/RICHARDS.
CARLTON have been splashing the cash to bring in mature outsiders. Monitor the form of O’BRIEN/PETREVSKI-SETON who will both be uncontracted…maybe DOW for a salary dump…revenge against Carlton would be nice.
To be honest, I am not sure 2021 FAs are really going to be the right age profile for our list.
I’d prefer to keep our powder dry, keep investing in the draft and younger players via trade, then go big on the missing piece via FA when we are much (much) closer to a flag.
Depends where we finish, if we finish with a top 3 pick we would take the band 1 because Merrett will be going to a club in contention so there 1st pick will be late teens