Smith won’t like it but he needs to concentrate more on being a forward than mid unless we target small forwards in the off season.
Deep down he wants to be Sam Mitchell 40+ possession player but premierships are not win like that. We need 4 permanent small forwards as none of our mids have shown a match winning performance when swung forward.
Goddard will be needed as your always going to play at least 30 players through the course of the year and experience is underrated. I’d prefer more speed but I understand he has the fitness and experience and will name him in the best 22.
Gleeson Hooker Saad
Francis Hurley McKenna
TBC Langford Zerrett
Zaka Heppell McGrath
Smith Daniher Fantasia
Walla Mckernan Stringer
Goddard Parish Guelfi (small fwd)
Myers Begley Mutch Clarke Ridley Redman Baguley Ambrose Brown Stewart
Definitely rotate through there. I think our strength is how many of our players can rotate through the middle. But he shouldn’t be used as much as Zaka Heppell and Merrett.
No point having too many AFL ready players sitting around in the VFL. You do need some depth, but you also get benefit from refreshing the list.
A few pick upgrades or extra picks doesn’t hurt that process. As long as you avoid callously shopping all your players around, it’s a good thing I think.
Did this exercise last night and struggling to find 3 players to delist. Guys are either developing, contracted or performing really well. Think this is a year to trade out fringe players in areas of depth.
Jackson Merrett has his bags packed already, that’s one. I’d say Leunberger surely knows his time is up with him playing second fiddle to Draper, he even said so at VFL interviews, so that’s two. I also think if Green is struggling to find a spot with the forwardline how it is he’ll be struggling when more spots become available next year, he’s OK for depth but I think he’ll find himself done at years end unless the club needs him just for depth.
From then I reckon you’d probably delist:
Jake Long
Ben McNiece
Whilst Brendan Goddard I’d prefer to stay around but if he decides to retire it could save one of the following, and you 100% keep Baguley who is in the best form of his career. Myers and Colyer are contracted so they’re both staying. Guys like Dea/Mynott/Hartley are probably on thin ice but you’d expect to survive unless we get some free agents.
I look at our list and have trouble finding enough players to delist. I’d chop Jacko and Long, quite possibly Houlihan. Maybe even Clarke, as I reckon Mynott is going past him a rate of knots. But most others are probably needed, at least for another year, as depth. There is a chance that Loony may call it quits, but I’d rather he didn’t. It’s not an easy prune I don’t think.
l’d prefer to delist Leuey and pick up another player to replace him. At this stage l have no idea of who is available, but The Berger just didn’t offer enough last year, and he won’t have improved since then.
Draper will develop faster with the on field coaching in the VFL that Leuey can provide. He’s also a better option than anyone else as backup for Bellchambers in 2019. After that Draper should be ready. I can’t see us bringing in an AFL experienced ruck and don’t want to risk bringing in a random state level ruck and hope they are good enough.