I’m sure SplitRound will do his thing but I feel like we have tended to hold a spot open going into the season for the MSD rather than bank on an injury.
So if we have two spots open now and one goes to Prior then that may well be it and Baldwin misses out.
Fair enough i just think we should give some one else a chance
100% agree, he would be our best kick when fit and one of the best pairs of hands when he played down back. If he can prove his fitness in the preseason then the spot should be his. He was actually pretty durable after his knee before the stress fracture cut him down.
He’s the someone else. Considering we threw him back and he’s still developing in that role, but seems decent at it, worth the look for the upside *
22 is young for a key back. He has time to continue to develop. But I repeat, praying his body holds up.
And if his body dosen’t? two acls and a foot injury
Then it’ll be a short lived second stint probably, but he’s still only 22 and has the big boy frame sorted, these types don’t grow on trees. Would back the medical team in and if the time off let it rehab well, and the team and comfortable with where he’s at, back him in.
Yeah exactly. Heaps of players get stress fractures, not that uncommon. Hopefully the extended break let him rehab it properly and he’s good to go. From all reports he’s training atm with us and looks okay.
I’d argue he’s shown more than Hayes and can be a real general down back. We are gambling that Hayes develops to take that next step. With Baldwin we know he is very capable and we are gambling on his foot. The knees haven’t been an issue for almost 3 seasons and previous to last season he played the bulk of games in the VFL or AFL. He’s an absolute professional who probably went too hard in the preseason to try and establish himself and overtrained which is the prime cause of a stress fracture of the foot. I reckon he is well worth the risk over a speculative pick who has been passed over in both main and rookie drafts
Personally lavs spot goes to either Reid or Hayes alongside Ridley and McKay.
Then we should be looking at will hoare or Baldwin as the extra defender developing in the vfl
I guess the thing with Baldwin is by the MSD he’s probably either going to be in the 22 on back on the LTI opening up a spot anyway.
I’m not sure Hayes is up to it yet, or if he’ll even get there at all.
You mean someone like Kaine Baldwin?
I’m not sure we do.
We are talking about the exact same thing.
Lav isn’t in the team when the best options are fit. I think Baldwin is the same, that next man up.
Reid Ridley McKay your number one options.
Touche, you got me there 
I genuinely think Kaine, in his current state, is a better player than Laverde.
Obvious 1-year deal for me.
Take Baldwin and then bet on Reid being on the LTI list before the mid season draft. A near sure thing.
Or Goldstein decides around round 10 he’s had enough playing VFL behind Draper/Bryan and is pulling the pin, thus granting Essendon a MSD pick.
Yeah…but there’s a chance that Baldwin gets there before Reid
I agree the question mark will be do they go younger again and trail a key defender or go with Baldwin