We’re going to need to pull some major coups across free agency / trade week to cut as deep as some are suggesting here.
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Jeez we don’t even wait until the season is done before doing “full Blitz” any more.
Delist Baguley, fk me drunk.
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Retire/Delist
Kelly
Watson
Stanton
J.Merrett
Hocking
Bird or Howlett (I’d keep Bird but the coaches will keep Howlet)
Morgan
Long
Mckernan is good depth and gets a one year contract. That gives us 8 list changes which is a fair clean out and the list demographics change considerably. Need to have a key focus on outside as well as inside mids, I’d like to see us go after a mature age lock down back pocket and a developing tall forward would be a good addition. With our glut of key/third tall defenders I’d be open to trading any of them (Hurley aside) if it could net us a valuable midfielder. I think we need to be aggressive in terms of adding midfield talent this offseason and I’d be floating Francis who for mine has the best trade value outside Hurley and is still a pretty risky prospect.
Hence why we should not cut that deep depending on how we go in trades and free agenecy
Plus
This draft sucks, I would not want more than 4 picks in it anyway.
We have this discussion every year, new doesn’t always mean better.
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Looking forward to the Blitz meltdown when Jackson gets another 1 year deal. 
Why’s Zaka still listed as unsigned?
So should we be holding onto players and offloading picks this year for picks next year?
Might be a chance to pick up players other than U/18 then.
Really hope we can bring Stants in for the last round, bloke deserves a farewell game with Watson.
Was our second best player through pretty lean years. Will allways be a great of Essendon. Not his or Watson’s fault we couldn’t get them a side capable of success.
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Because he hasn’t, has he?
If I missed his re-signing I’ll be annoyed at myself. I’ve been worried about him.
Because he hasn’t re-signed yet
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Yeah, as I said I’d be making decisions on a few of those guys after we got a feel for what’s out there in free agency. As far as the draft goes yeah, I would be fine with 3 picks and maybe a rookie or two. I really don’t see any benefit of turning over another 10 players this year. Next year on the other hand. I saw the 16’s carnival this year and the 2018 draft looks a cracker
We can improve on a couple of names this year, but next year is where a hand of 5 or more list spots would be good
I would note that I didn’t really think of this as a prompt to discuss the list, but more as a resource. However, that’s the blitz way, morphing threads into the users needs! 
I agree with Benfti. If this draft is weak, we need to be careful how deep we cut. Of course, we can get around that a little bit by taking extra rookies, who would effectively be newbies, but on one year deals (really, the AFL should stop that). I would be pretty open to picking up fringe players, like Balic, or state league players.
As far as senior list spots go, apart from Jobe and Kelly, I would think Stanton and Hocking are certainties. Jerrett and Morgan probably should go, as should one of Bird/Howlett, but the weaker draft might save them. I would be open to rookieing Morgan if the club still rates him, he’s obviously missed a lot of footy.
As far as priorities go, I’d say the priority is “smalls”, with an emphasis on midfielders. But in a weak draft, quality is probably the key. Small forwards would release Raz/Walla into the middle. Small backs would do the same with McGrath. So if the choice is between a midfielder we don’t really rate and a small forward/back we do, I’d go the surer bet. I would expect we won’t need to make that choice with our first round pick, and can go a midfielder.
We definitely need an inside mid who is an upgrade on Myers/Howlett/Watson (current form), but outside is also useful. Really, the best midfielder available at our first pick is a must, with a possible caveat they can’t be too small. Lets remember, Daniels fell until the 40’s in his draft year.
Unless someone came in with a silly offer for one of our talls I’d be knocking them back. You need some depth, and outside the guns I think a “reasonable” offer is a Hamling like post 30 pick. Its just not worth it in a weak draft.
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You can manage a big number of exits though.
Start with 7-8 off
McNeice of Draper could come on
A DFA
A trade
Pick up a mature ager in the draft
Still only end up drafting 3-4 kids.
There is no point in promoting McNiece. He sits outside our main list spots as a Cat B rookie, so why use up a normal spot on him? He hasn’t proven himself yet, so keep him as a Cat B.
For Draper, he needs to be replaced by a rookie so it doesn’t really help promoting him if the issue is draft depth. With the free agents and trade, sure if that happens. But they may not. Don’t want to be picking up a Gwilt just to avoid drafting someone (including a mature ager) you don’t particularly rate on a two year contract.
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Hang on, … all this talk of Rookie spots, … after lot’s of mentions throughout the season of them becoming a thing of the past & ceasing to exist.
Is it happening next year or the one after?? Can someone clarify this pls?
I thought we got a 21 year old to play in VFL, we might list him. Over 200 cm I think.
I believe the rookie list will still exist next year, but rookies will be able to play AFL games without needing to be promoted. I’ll go hunt down more details.
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Strauchnum (sp?). Really should discuss that in the mature aged rookies thread. I’ve only seen him twice, but doubt he’s more than a late rookie pick.