Former #26 Kaine Baldwin

[barry_day]

@dbeas

Francis can create more goals than Wright

Wow.

[dbeas]

Francis is 24 and we have Bryan waiting in the wings. Where do we go from here, best scenario wise, assuming Baldwin and Jones come good?

Francis has a breakout season, requests a trade home, nets us a high pick, Wright becomes a back up ruck, we go with two rucks, two talls and Stringer with all to become A grade.

Or Francis is what he is and Wright comes good, we just can’t keep him out of best 22, Bryan doesn’t want to be a back up ruck and request a trade.

And if we get Ben King, poor Wright will lose his spot regardless because we’ll stick with Baldwin and Jones.

[dons23]

We’re not getting Ben King.

Wright is probably our stop-gap until some combination of Jones/Baldwin/Eyre/Reid/Bryan are ready to take the mantle.

Or Bryan takes over as full-time ruck and Draper moves into a Wright-style KPF/ruck role.

[Heppelltitis]

@dbeas

Like I mentioned in the other thread, Wright kicked 19 goals against two bottom 2 teams and Bulldogs. He missed two games. So that’s ten goals in 16 games. Francis can create more goals than Wright - hell, he even won a couple of hit outs yesterday - so I say blood Baldwin now at Wright’s expanse, he can kick 15-20 goals this year and we’ll be better for it in 2023 and propel us to premiership contention in 2024. Anyway, I think I’ve said enough. I do hope Wright proves me wrong big time, though.

So, I can summarise your argument as: if you don’t count 2/3 of 2mP’s goals, then he didn’t kick many goals… sound logic.

[Alber_Goodthur]

@Speedy_Gonzales

The player who may end up doing it in time based on some junior games is Reid

If only there was a bloke recently drafted over 200cm that is currently playing midfield, and has on numerous occasions already performed this role

[TempleOfParish]

Agreed Francis has played limited time as a forward but aside from the odd mark here or there I dont think he has done literally anything as of yet to make me think he will come good in the role.
He hasnt stood out in that role at all, not once.
In fact the only time I thought he was half decent was when he was playing the loose defender role floating and intercepting kicks.

At this point Id be surprised if he’s on our list come next year.
Of course I hope im wrong and he smashes it though!

[dbeas]

What it shows is that he’s inconsistent and he’s good to kick a bag only against bottom 2 teams. He also had a fair few goalless games. Eight games to be exact. I think 20-30 goals is the best he can offer us. Hooker kicked 33 goals on one leg in a half season. Maybe with Hooker gone he only can get better. We’ll find out soon enough and let’s hope I’m wrong.

[Heppelltitis]

How many back up rucks in the league kicked more goals for the season, and had fewer goalless games?

[Mainland251]

FFS another highjacked thread.

Great to see Baldwin get through what his third game in how many years?? Showed he has the footy smarts to become a regular afl player, but will need time like any young forward.

[hambo]

I yelled BIG BOI BALDWIN after the first clunk. crickets. Where were you people?

[CrossleyCrazy]

If you take out all the games where Wright kicked a lot of goals and just count the ones where he didn’t kick that many goals then you have to ask yourself did he really kick many goals?

[Captain_Jack]

@Houli_Dooli

we need Baldwin to kick 4 goals in a half next week to press his round 1 claims.

And what do you want him to do in the second half?

[Nifty_Nev]

@dons23

We’re not getting Ben King.

Wright is probably our stop-gap until some combination of Jones/Baldwin/Eyre/Reid/Bryan are ready to take the mantle.

Or Bryan takes over as full-time ruck and Draper moves into a Wright-style KPF/ruck role.

We also have the Davey twins. One at CHF and the other at FF.

[RonnieRotten]

Wright is valuable because he has the capacity to give Draper a good chop-out in the ruck. He also has the ability to play forward - not first or second forward, but as the third tall. Who at the moment is our first picked tall forward? Jones? Then probably Francis. I think Baldwin will be gunning for Francis’ spot in the second half of the season. I reckon we can get away with some combination of Jones, Wright, Francis and Stringer at various points. Will depend on who the opponent is too. Against Melbourne you’d probably consider playing all three of Jones, Wright and Francis forward to negate May, Lever and co. Against the Dogs, you’d go slightly smaller. Stringer spending longer in the forward half could pay dividends as he draws defenders - leaving Jones and whoever else with a mismatch. Just realised I’ve probably posted this in the wrong thread

[Speedy_Gonzales]

Big opportunity for Baldwin this weekend

With Francis likely out he’s going to see more game time.

The Baldwin FF, Jones CHF combo on show. If it fires does it stay for rd1 ?

Exciting to see and I assume Tex will get more game time also.

[CJohns]

Looks like Baldwin will play against the Saints on Saturday

[Saucy]

[nickers]

Good luck to the lad. Showed a bit against the Dogs and would’ve take a lot of confidence out of that game.

Hopefully he gets another chance tomorrow night, would be wild if he ended up playing round one given where he’s come from.

[daf]

Baldwin with 5 goals??

[SplitRound]

I suppose they might only play him for a quarter.