Caddy and Reid’s emergence this year has me pretty optimistic about our list build.
Key backs - looking OK once Hayes is back. Maybe add another junior.
Medium back - Have Johnson and Clarke to develop already. Need someone to displace Prior within a year or so. Potential trade target area.
Small backs - Just Roberts and McGrath. Area of need however never too high in demand.
Wings - Can play excess midfielders or flankers there. SEH could become a mainstay. Cox could come back.
Key Forwards - Suddenly looking OK with Wright back to some form and Caddy emerging. Is Wright the future though? Is two rucks the future?
Medium Forwards - Ok in this area. Extra mids plus perkins, ADW, langford.
Small forwards - Fine if we take our two NGAs. Problem is they will take time but Guelfi, Gresh, ADJ can keep the seat warm.
Midfield and Ruck - Two number 1 rucks might be too many. Midfield lacks a star outside of Merrett. Need to move on from honest but average midfielders in Setters, Shiel and maybe Hobbs. We’re stuck with Parish due to contract but whatever, he could come back and form, who knows.
So for me we have most lines covered quite well with youngsters coming through, especially when you consider 2 small forwards coming in this year.
I think we need a star midfielder. Do we try and draft one with one of our early picks or go for a Reid/Butters/Rowell type and give up our early picks. I’m leaning towards trade.
I guess it’s all about perspective, because that description sounds like a real bummer to me. A bunch of lines that are okay if guys who’ve never played a game, or in some cases haven’t even been drafted yet, are good, and a midfield with one star, three average guys we need to move on and a guy we’re “stuck with”.
My point was from a list building perspective, we have some really encouraging signs coming from our youngsters.
I think Johnson and Clarke nullifies the immediate need to draft/trade for a back flanker. I think the two potential NGA’s nullifies the need to draft another small forward. I think Reid and Hayes coming on means we don’t need to find another key back. Wrights improved form and Caddy playing well prob means we don’t need a key forward right now. So im starting to tick off a few lines based on our recent and upcoming draftees, which may or may no work out.
What do you think we should do with our list build?
Our issue is not quality afl talent anymore IMO. Our issue is star best in comp talent.
That’s why I’m all in on H.Reid with our picks and hope that Durham/Caldwell/Caddy/Kako/Reid/Roberts elevate to elite level talent and some of the gifts in upcoming drafts materialise into stars we are going to be in a great spot for an extended tilt.
We are a long way off it.
Far too many players are nowhere near it.
We have players who people claim to be A-Graders, will play one/two decent games out of ten. You simply cannot be a club to reach the top 4, when senior players are way too inconsistent.
The feel good Dopamine is out and about amongst supporters, because the club has beaten a few bottom 4 teams. But that doesn’t change the fact, that we are still miles off it…… and our highest paid players are average players at best, and go missing when we play the best teams.
I think sometimes people genuinely don’t think about the lists of the teams that win flags. Look at the lions’ small forward stocks. Charlie Cameron kicked 44 goals last year and that was his worst year since covid. In that same period from 2021 to 2024 Bailey and McCarthy both kicked 100+ goals (McCarthy also did an ACL in that period). With McCarthy missing most of last year, Lohmann stepped up and kicked 36, and Ah Chee chipped in with 27.
Kako, Gresham, Guelfi, Menzie, Davey in order: first year looks okay but hasn’t had a breakout game yet, hasn’t kicked 30+ since 2017, has never kicked even 20 in a season in part because he’s a makeshift forward and constantly injured, has gone goalless in 15 of his last 20 games, is Davey. And our small forwards are “fine”? That’s fine?
I reckon we are much closer to breaking through this mid-table inertia than it is cool to admit as a grievance-stoking Essendon supporter. Not this year, but I reckon we will launch next season into a contender.
I’m not so concerned about the senior cohort - Redman, Parish, Langford, McKay, Wright etc- these guys are likely to become support acts over the next few years and will be better for it not having to be in our top 10 players.
Our better players aside from Merrett/Draper are the 24 and under players - this is where our growth comes from and why I see positive things in the near future. Add in some further draft talent (also open to trading for H.Reid) and we have reason for optimism.
Caddy, Z.Reid, Kako, Caldwell, Durham, Martin, Roberts, El Hawli, Perkins, Hayes, Bryan, Draper - that’s 12 players under 25 and a good young core to build from with potentially 2 more NGA talents and a draft bounty across the first two rounds for Rosa to deliver on.
By the time Koby Bewick comes along in 2027, we won’t be needing a saviour, we’ll be looking pretty good - just my opinion of course.
Certainly don’t subscriber to the dopamine hit either of winning 5 games and thinking our problems are solved. We have looked pretty ordinary in a lot of games. What’s encouraging is that some of really young players seem to be taking the next step.
Think we have quite a large array of B - B+ players on the list. They are all the senior players. Good solid afl players but not the upper echelon that take you to premierships. That’s my point
Brad Scott has this bog average list over performing again.
If only the quality of the List, could reach the quality of the coaching and development. There’s only so much this list can achieve, when most of the players simply don’t have the potential to perform against the best sides.
As you say, Draper is 27. Hayes and Bryan are probably not best 22. And probably optimism at this stage to list El Hawli and Kako. So really, it’s seven players that have impacted senior games.
Pies and Cats show that being young is overrated. Teams filled with 28+ year olds win premierships
If you want to get depressed, here is Cats group of 25 and under players:
Smith, Neale, Holmes, Demspey, Humphries, O’Sullivan, Henry, De Konig. Plus Cats have Miers, Close, Stengle and Henry at 26
