which has come from various media outlets. and you can’t believe media speculation, you’ve been strong on that all trade period
Can always pick up a salary dump like others have noted GWS may want out of Haynes contract and have ample picks to burn
you still need the player to want to join us.
Haynes probably fills a need more at the Saints and they have DeGoey $$$
Meanwhile Clarkson abortion ??
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I was just using it as an example, there’s still ways he can get more picks in without selling the future
Don’t be silly, a rich Jesus freak quit his job because his new boss thinks woman should have the right to choose.
Priorities man.
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Id do that in a heartbeat
It’s an interesting take. And one that surprises me, as I don’t actually see McGrath and Parish as comparable types. I can understand the arguments about having a relatively small midfield, especially when not using Stringer in there, and the somewhat “sameness” of a few of our mids. Primarily I see Parish, Caldwell and Hobbs having similar skill sets and being a similar size. I don’t see McGrath as having the same skill set, so I assume you’re trying to change the shape of the first choice midfield slightly by including McGrath.
My main problem with that is that I don’t rate McGrath as highly as you apparently do as a midfielder. I don’t see him as working as well in traffic when the heat is on as any of the other 3.
The other problem is that I see McGrath as being more comparable to Merrett (but without the footskills) in terms of his best version of himself midfielder. ie a “on the edge of the contest” mid rather than a “contested ball mid” (both of which are inside mids, so not an outside mid, but one that gets the ball that bobbles out of the pack, or gets on the end of a short handball from the contest). Having two small, not overly strong, not overly explosive or powerful, players in that role doesn’t work for me, so I feel like you’d be better off staggering the Merrett and McGrath midfield minutes.
I still think Parish is our best “at the coalface, win the contest” mid. I could understand making the decision to trade him if your view was to play Hobbs and Caldwell in that role such that your 2 main midfield groups might be
Caldwell Stringer Merrett Perkins
Hobbs Setterfield McGrath Shiel
(and this assumes you keep Shiel. If you don’t then perhaps it’s Langford or Durham or Martin or someone else)
They are OK options, but I feel if you retain Parish it allows you to use Caldwell slightly differently, and allows you to leave Stringer forward more, only running through the centre when we (or he) need a spark.
I think we are still horribly thin for midfield depth. The key for me is to draft well this year, and add midfield role players as well (eg Setterfield), so that we have depth in the role and a broader range of midfield types. Trading out Parish may enable us to bring in quality of a different type, but I’m not sure that’s necessary. Parish can be one of the best 5 in the league in a role that matters. Fill the other types with the role players. Use McGrath in ways to maximise his value (ie use him through the mid when players are tiring and he can use his running power to take advantage when the heat is ever so slightly off, later in quarters and games, while also using him as a lockdown defender when the matchup suits.)
Regarding your take on the risks. McGrath “stepping up” is a pretty big risk. The picks aren’t stepping up for at least a couple of years, so we’re writing off the next couple of years if we are relying on that. The blend I’m still not sold on. The “if it fails we can chase another FA/trade” is an option either way.
Shiel makes sense, but is unlikely to be easily tradeable. Trading Parish I think would be a “tanking” decision that immediately makes us worse in the hope that in 3 years we will be better (when McGrath is 27), with the hope that mix and internal improvement limits the amount we’re worse. I think we can be significantly better by fixing the mix and getting some internal improvement, while keeping our best players.
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Or you’re playing a sport where height matters
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https://twitter.com/superfooty/status/1578679349338742784
As predicted. Change the title & post it AGAIN. Up to 3 times already.
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Perhaps we’re in a position where trading in players makes little sense. And draft pick moves might yet come late.
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You reckon we haven’t been putting the work in? You reckon that work wasn’t time wasted once it became clear that the back room ##$&rs were going to screw the off season?
Put Menzie in the other group I reckon
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it’s really only mcdonagh that’s a bust so far.
Kelly has been serviceable and cost nothing, Lord might become something, same with Menzies.
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Weird, when we were the only ones to take Martin after every team had about 10 opportunities to take him…
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Examples of that at every club.
Maybe we had deals lined up and then the coach got sacked and the CEO quit and the deal fell through.
You can accuse him of plenty of things but “doesn’t know what he’s doing” seems a stretch.
We’ve seen this off season how much outside interference runs the EFC, if you don’t think he’s got a harder job than most then I assume you think the club has been running like a well oiled machine for the last decade?
He brought in 2 of the top 10 in the B&F. Not sure where he would get more draft picks from given our list didn’t have excess experienced players to move on as well.
So the “teams around” Blues and Saints are Pies, Lions and Cats? Thats two non finalists and three prelim finalists. No one wants Shiel. Parish is more valuable to us than what Saints or Blues would pay.
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