True.
He’s in there with Brand and Eyre for mine. Very very light.
I am guessing your investment profile can be rated as high risk to speculative?
1 Like
We just need 1 of Baldwin, Eyre, Mcbride, Francis, Cox or Bryan to be a decent forward and even if none of them are we can trade for someone or get a free agent once we know what we already have on our list. Thats not high risk.
4 Likes
Cox will never be wasted as a Key Forward given his mobility and endurance.
Bryan is untried as a forward but clearly has a future as a ruckman
Eyre is a borderline prospect who unfortunately has shown little since being drafted although to be fair, the VFL season has not been helpful.
McBride is a non native player in only his second season of playing the game let alone being the key forward to hold up our F50 for the next 10 years. Odds are not good
Francis. Has never shown a natural tendency as a forward. Lacks the motor to be moving around and does not have the height to be considered as a key tall fwd.
Baldwin….come on. He is the very definition of a speculative draft pick.
2 Likes
Eyre is still 18. Baldwin and Bryan are 19. Mcbride is 20. They need time and experience, why even bother drafting them if we are just going to replace them before they have had a chance? Eyre isnt some speculative pick either he was a second rounder and has the athletic profile to be a really good player. We dont need any of these guys to be our best forward, they just need to play a role, Jones will be the one holding it all together and if we end up short on talls and dont want to develop another 18 year old we can trade or get a free agent. If we draft another tall now and then Baldwin, Eyre and Bryan all become good players we wont be able to fit more then 1 of them in the team and their development will stagnate and we will have to trade them all for unders.
2 Likes
Scott Lucas apologises for wasting his career as a key forward.
As do Jeremy Cameron, Lance Franklin, Nick Riewoldt & Matthew Pavlich.
In breaking news Harry Jones has requested a move to the half back flank after realising he too is wasting his talent in the forward line.
2 Likes
All is this talk of getting a key forward is getting tiresome.
Even if you think we should be getting one this year (I most definitely don’t), whether through draft, trade or free agency, we aren’t. We simply will not pick one up this year.
Tell me I’m wrong.
2 Likes
I would take amiss if he’s best available at our pick
1 Like
You may, we won’t.
I would take a miss and pick the next best small forward or best winger with good kicking skills.
2 Likes
You never know what disco will do he loves talls
We simply have to improve our midfield depth and especially with contested ball mids. That is where we the difference between us and the best teams shows out the most as games play out. We tire, they run their depth through and get a few goals in front. Game over.
1 Like
I would go sonsie nwm rachelle in that order
1 Like
Totally agree. It would be bad for the list build in my opinion to spend a lot of currency (in money or draft picks) on an established key forward. We’ve got a lot of potential that we need to give the chance to develop for at least 1 more year to see what we have.
There is a chance we get to the end of next year and have no need to import a key forward then we’ll have draft currency we can spend on other things
1 Like
I think we either need to draft a key forward now, or buy one later.
1 Like
I hope we don’t go crazy on a KPF … not this year anyway. So much potential to grow into at the moment. We’ll be quiet draft wise I should think.
Having said that, when a top player enters the change rooms it has an almighty effect. Everyone lifts, grows an inch and raises their standards. Its just getting that right player and person for this Essendon side to top us up. But frankly I love what’s happening at EFC right now without a big name swaggering in. We kicked a load of goals and we’ll do it again next year plus some.
why would we draft one now? We already have Jones, Baldwin and Eyre as young key forwards to try and develop. Plus potentially using Francis as a forward and 2MP with one spot bascially locked down in the 1’s for now. If we draft another one, we’d struggle to get development into all of them.
Not to mention the long shot option of McBride as an option as well. Plus the need to try and improve Bryan’s forward skills
4 Likes
Jackets is one step ahead of you, did that last 2 years.
I’d say what we’ve got turning out to be sufficient is about a 50% chance. Buy one later being the fall back.
2 Likes
Francis, Baldwin, Eyre and McBride must’ve kicked about 12 goals between them all year, across AFL and VFL/reserves. Not very convincing IMHO.
2 Likes
Francis is a stop gap forward only IMO. Eyre a longer term project. McBride a free hit.
Baldwin talent wise and the type of kpf he is the one really we’d have our hopes on (together with Jones)
But you can also bet your life that Crows end of next year with Tex done, and Port with Dixon essentially done and GC continually calling that the SA clubs will come after Baldwin
Family pull aside he’s clearly very well entrenched in his SA school networks and friendship groups over there.
Really hoping to see Baldwin come on next year. He could be a round 1 starter.