List build - where are we? Where are we going next (Part 1)

Football Discussion Trade week Duursma head in
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Age Demographic at 2019 season commencement (current list - no changes). Listed youngest to oldest.

18-22 year olds (17)
Mynott
Houlahan
Ridley
Draper
Clarke
Zerk-Thatcher
Begley
McGrath
Mutch
Redman
Guelfi
Francis
Parish
Langford
Lavender
Laverde
McKenna

23-26 year olds (15)
Long.
Z.Merrett
Fantasia
Gleeson
Saad
Stringer
Stewart
Daniher
Hartley
Smith
McDonald-Tipungwuti
J. Merrett.
Green.
Heppell
McNiece.

27-29 year olds (9)
Dea
Ambrose
Colyer
McKernan
Brown
Hurley
Zaharakis
Bellchambers
Myers

30+ (4)
Hooker
Leuenberger.
Baguley.
Goddard

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Positional depth (Perceived primary role selected)

Ruck
Bellchambers
Leuenberger
Draper

Key Defenders
Hooker
Hurley
Ambrose
Hartley
Francis (maybe contentious???)
Zerk-Thatcher

General / Small Defenders
Baguley (heā€™s masquerading as a fwd)
Dea
McNiece
Saad
Gleeson
McKenna
Redman
Ridley

Key Forwards
McKernan
Daniher
Stewart

General / Small Forwards
Green
McDonald-Tipungwuti
Stringer
Fantasia
Laverde
Begley
Houlahan

Contested Midfielders (Semi regular 8+ per game)
Myers
Zaharakis
Heppell
Smith
Z.Merrett
Langford
Parish
Mutch
McGrath
Clarke
Mynott

Outside Midfielders
Colyer
J.Merrett
Long

Tall Utilities
Brown
Lavender

General Utilities
Goddard
Guelfi

The ā€œcontested midfielderā€ list will be contentious. However, based on current list demographics itā€™s clear that basically we have only been selecting players who can win there own football. The need for a world beating contested animal in our side that is ā€œbig bodiedā€ is overstated. A collection of players who can win their own football can be just as effective.

In my opinion what we actually do need strangely enough is another Key Position Forward and Ruckmanā€¦ additionally a quality midfielder of any description to add top level talent is important. Not a depth / role player.

5-6 list changes should be expected at the end of the season. Based on this I suggest (regretfully) that Jake Long would be the only player under 25 who would be under serious threat of losing a list space. Discounting a trade scenario I suspect all others under 25 will be retained.

I suspect J.Merrett, Green, McNiece, McKernan, Leuenberger, Baguley and Goddard would generate the most discussion regarding list changes for 2019. One of Goddard and Baguley would likely continue (suspect BJ).

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Do we need another ruck? Assuming this run of games has Smack safe, Iā€™d only add another seasoned guy if Leuney really hits the wall towards the end of the year. Another KP, maybe, but weā€™re travelling OK with a very second string arrangement in there at the moment.

On the mids front, Iā€™d have a good look at Touk Miller at GC. Maybe missed the boat - he seems to be maybe the one guy whoā€™s flourished there this year. A bit of Devon Smith about him, hard-nosed, hard working & pretty quick, a little less polish to him. Western suburbs originally.

2441

Def need another key forward, probably another small forward and a few mids. Rucks we should be ok with what we have for another year.

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And Essendon fan, from memory.

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I agree. Hurley is the one weā€™d trade to get a gun midfielder. A proper gun like Wines. Port probably would have taken Hurley and our first with their second coming back to us.

I love Hurley. But with Francis, Ridley and now Zerk all coming through - he is the most replaceable.

If all the players weā€™re robots and we had no attachment to them would any of you do it?

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2444

Absolutely agree hes got value and add to that list Mason Fletcher.

2445

The ruck situation is very interesting.
Surely Looney retires.

Even after that there are lots of questions:

  • Are they confident enough that Draper will be ready to be the back up from the start of 2019?
  • Do they keep Smack for another year as that ā€œbreak glass in case of emergencyā€ ruck?
  • where do they see NewLAV being at? Presumably heā€™ll still be miles off AFL in any position still. What position are they even looking at long term for him?
  • will they use Daniher in the ruck any more in future? Therefore, do we need someone else who can play ruck minutes given Stewart is useless at that?

Hard to know what theyā€™ll do without knowing the answers to at least some of those questions.

If they want to keep Daniher out of the ruck, iā€™d be looking to add someone who can play as a forward/ruck. Essentially an upgrade on Smack would be ideal. (Eg a guy like A guy like 2 metre Peter).

If we canā€™t get someone like that, keep Smack for another year to play that role and get a youngster to develop in that role unless theyā€™re confident with NewLavā€™s progression.

Either way, I think Stewart needs to improve his rucking or heā€™ll become just depth. Iā€™m not keen on playing more than 2 talls with Stringer and if Daniher isnā€™t rucking than I think the other tall needs to be able to because TBell goes better with at least a 20% chopout

2446

I think there are a few of those forwards who are forwards at this stage of their career, but we would hope would progress into the midfield, and/or are currently spending some time there. Iā€™m thinking Stringer, Begley, Fantasia, and Houlahan. Some of those guys count as ā€œcontestedā€.

But generally I agree with your post that our need for a big bodied midfielder is overstated. Into the future, compared to the midfield from the last 4 rounds, weā€™ve got Parish, Zaharakis and Begley on the injured list, Clarke and Mutch tearing up the VFL, Stringer and Fantasia who should spend more time there in the future (Stringer has been averaging around 20 disposals, 3 tackles, and 4 clearances as well as 3 goals the last four rounds!). Although most of those players (from a midfield perspective) are unproven, that is still a lot of talent sitting outside what has been a successful group, and Iā€™m not including longer shots such as Long, Laverde, Mynott and Houlahan.

So yep, I think our need is overstated. That said, if we could get an absolute top quality mid, that would still be my priority (via draft or trade).

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2447

Key forward is absolutely the #2 priority for mine. Everything else has some depth, weā€™ve nothing there. Someone who can be an improvement on Smack would, as @aboods said, be ideal. Rucks should be coverable, as I think Smack has guaranteed himself another year and Draper isnā€™t too far off being capable as backup (albeit, possibly not great AFL quality backup).

Finding a guy who can kick goals and ruck a bit is hard. It is why the Belly/Ryder combination was so potent. Over 30 goals in 2013 and always a fresh guy in the ruck against whatever the opposition had. Also why Hale was such an important player for Hawthorn.

Probably the best available in the category available is Lycett, and he is a FA. Only averaging 0.3 goals a game, although with Natanuiā€™s tank is probably spending more time in the ruck than he would with us. No idea if heā€™s Victorian or what heā€™s on, but if it didnā€™t break the bank (or a push for a top mid) then Iā€™d being making some overtures.

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2448

Fixed

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2449

Wouldnā€™t be adding him to any list just yet. Hasnā€™t really done much beyond have Dustin for a dad at the moment.

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2450

Lycett likely would go somewhere for number 1 ruck gig though.

Peter Wright is someone we should target as he could genuinely just slot straight into the role Smack is playing whilst keeping Hooker back.

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2451

Peter Wright replace Smack?
I donā€™t think he would want to be a magoos playing back up for tall forward injuries.
And thatā€™s what Smack is.

2452

Too expensive. GC would ask a heap for him.

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He would be especially if they lose Lynch.

If not then we need likely need to get one of our kpd up being able to replace Hooker semi effectively or bring in another.

So we can run Hooker, JD fwd/ruck and Stringer fwd/pushing into midfield as he is.

That will still be seemingly the ideal trio with 3 smalls around them.

2454

Wright would be ahead of Stewart as well though. I reckon with him weā€™d play Joe and him as the talk forwards.
Stewart is depthā€¦ probably delist then a Smack then.

Edit: iā€™m Not expecting this to happen. Itā€™s really an ideal scenario.

2455

100%

2456

Heā€™s reputedly on silly money.

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2457

Thereā€™d be a lot of hostility coming back on us if we offer Hurley up for trade.

We owe those guys a lot of loyalty.

Different matter if he asks for a trade, but Iā€™d stop putting his name up.

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