neither would probably want to come to us as surely they would know they are a short stop gap option, and would struggle to get a game once lav is back.
after that well it becomes tricky cos there’s a log jam of players who need to start getting games there (reid, potentially cox, hayes etc).
they’ve sorta backed themselves into a ■■■■■■ corner with the poor list strategy.
Are Mitch Brown or Hartley available?
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Played in the last VFL match versus Collingwood.
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Edited for accuracy
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Ethan is the type of player we need to be looking at. We have to assess the risk that although talented, Reids body might be a bit fragile and Ethan appears to have had continuity, since missing the AFL draft. He has the right body, weight and marking capability for us to revert to a backline using him to plug the hole left by Lav, partner up with Zerk and Ridley as the talls, with a view to replacing Lav if the backline structures up better, then when Reid gets some continuity in the VFL, he can replace Zerk, all subject to assessment of course.
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More of an intercepting defender than a lockdown key defender
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198cm + 90kgs, looks more durable than Cox and Reid.
202cm 90kg Reid
200cm 94kg Cox
Also worth remembering that our Irishman is 197cm + 90kg and Scott reluctant to play him. Albeit he is not winning VFL B&F’s not even close, but he is on our list.
*stats from www.footywire.com
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Well what other needs do we have in the MSD. We have lots of midfielders, lots of small forwards, maybe 1 more tall forward? The jury is still out on the Weed. Maybe a Weed/Langford combo will see us through to the return of 2MP
Geelong slaughtered us in Q1 on the back of winning clearance and delivery to a gorilla forward on the lead, who mostly was marking on his chest. That is not the fault of the defenders, the midfield was at fault. But our defence is short of a true tall in the 197-202 cm range. Lav and Ridley do really well and do play above their actual height, but look at Darcy Moore. 203/100
does it almost effortlessly, while others around him mop up as required.
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MSD not really needs based though is it. Its more best available that might make it.
When we got Snelling think we needed a ruckman?? Swans ended up picking him (Michael Knoll).
If it was - maybe lockdown small defender from Frankston.
or a 205+ cm developing ruck
Sam Naismith would probably offer more than Phillips, if he has given up the ciggarettes and doesnt do his knee again.
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I’d raise the question, is it better to get games into a youngster and maybe finish a few spots lower (and possibly miss the eight) or plug a hole trying to get into finals? I think as much as we’d like to play (and win) a final, this year we should focus on the development.
Give Baldwin/Reid/Hayes opportunities.
Thats true but the counter to that is that for team defence to work, the defence must be able to reduce the conversion rate of I50s and without Lav, we have a defence without an A Grade KPD, that managed to work and work very well. Most teams have one KPD above 196/7 until Reid comes good, we dont.
I’m not sure how that is a counter at all. Sure, none of the kids are (at the moment) as good as Lav, and none as strong, but that’s kind of the point I made that it will hurt us short-term.
Whereas getting a MSD player is a stop-gap that might hurt development of the long-term options and get us worse draft picks.
Of course, if we got Phillips and he turned out to be a gun, that’s great. But I do note you seemed to ignore @unieeq’s comment that he’s more of an intercept defender than lockdown, so isn’t a one-to-one Lav replacement anyway. He’s also 197cm so the bare minimum of the range you think we need, whereas Hayes & Reid are above that.
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Looks like a Sam Collins type pick
Bring him in
Ants unfortunately while the 2020 draft was a good one for us, with Perkins, so far Cox has had 1 good season and Reid has not been able to get on the ground much in 2 and a half seasons, Brand and Eyre were busts and that was the draft where we hoped to set up the “spine” for 10 years.
So right now Cox and Reid are in injury limbo. That setting up the spine has yet to happen.
The suggested MSD KPD is in part to address the bust of Brand and Eyre and see out the interim period as Hayes, Reid, and Cox settle down. But also for depth, and insurance.
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He’s good but we did help by kicking it to him!
Like many others, I know we need at least one hulk to play on the opposition gorillas. Sdadly, Reid seems to be injured much of the time.
He’s good but we did help by kicking it to him!
Like many others, I know we need at least one hulk to play on the opposition gorillas. Sadly, Reid seems to be injured much of the time.
If Reid isn’t ready, just play RHETT MONTGOMERIE !