Yes, culturaly it would cause a bit of a shift.
But maybe that’s exactly what we need.
It’s an interesting question.
I’m not sure Heppell would be too highly rated by other clubs at the trade table. He’s not a gun midfielder by any stretch in today’s game. Certainly not in the gameplan we have chosen to go with.
What do you reckon he’d attract? or, put more simply, what kind of pick do you think a straight swap would bring in?
Tippa has improved this year!
I would trade langford, if his heart is not in it. I think he has improved, Not quite sure what he ahs to do to get game, maybe If Watson retires - but then he misses out if we get Rockliff or Kelly.
If he wants to go to Dogs as Part of the stringer trade, i wouldnt be against that. I still see upside in him. Not sure if he gets a game at Dogs, maybe as a mobile forward, resting mid.
Its funny he was going ok in the third tall role but wanted to be a inside mid so goes back to VFl and Stewart performs better as third tall than he did.
If the Crows want Francis, then I wouldnt be against doing a swap with them for Lever.
I really like laverde, but again find it difficult to see his spot in the best 22. He has had some good games in VFl and another preseason should help.
Though if Saints offered a first round pick for him, I would take it in a heartbeat if it helps us get kelly.
I do like thought of Keeping Francis/laverde due to “Essendon barracking as a kid” but dont want them stagnating in the reserves either.
Typically we dont move players on, but a fresh start for them might help the players and us and be a win-win if we cant attract some top talent to the club.
Maybe he is injured?
It’s an interesting proposition to trade stars this year.
I’ve read a few times that next years draft will be strong and that’s where we can get our gun mid. Except any kid drafted next year by the time they are good say 22-23. Joe will be 28. There is a real danger that even though a core group of Heppel, Joe, Merret, Hurley, McG, Parish and Raz is promising, it’s too thin and we pretty much tread water for 5 years and then need to rebuild.
It would be interesting to see what a really aggressive list turnover looked like over the next two years. Not trade out Myers, colter or Langford it’s just tinkering. But if you went all in, who do you trade and what could you get in return.
1 Like
Leaving aside hes one of only two proven clearance winners on the list:
Absolute 100% categorically untrue
Easily - clearly - all Australian and best and fairest winning best footy was as a full time mid.
He’s had a ■■■■ year (as had most of the ASADA guys)
He’ll be much better for the run (as will most of the ASADA guys)
let’s not do anything too stupid.
7 Likes
If our best 22 is as poor as people think Saturday indicates, then Langers, Laverde, Redman etc dont need to improve a whole lot to be in it.
Cull the older end of the list. There’s a whole swathe of younger players for whom 2018 will be definitive.
Jobe, Stants, kel all gone.
Benny H, J Merrett probably over.
Buddha and Bird lineball (I think Bird offers something but if you wont play him why bother?) depending on how many picks you want in a weak draft.
Morgan left his run too late. Dea is a tough one, again, will you play him?
Thats 5 definites and up to 9 right there, even before you try to evaluate the likelihood of improvement from Trav and Myers with a 2nd preseason and/or trade interest.
2 Likes
lol in what universe is Buddha lineball? He’s been fit all year and only received a token game due to an emergency call-up. He’s as a dead set cert to go.
3 Likes
Maybe. Youd think so. But I think it depends on how many picks we want in that draft and how many fringe players elsewhere we might want to gamble on.
Personally, id cut deeply into that list. But 9 changes may be more than we’re willing to make.
3 Likes
lineball i guess in that there are already a lot of other blokes that could go
-Kelly, Stanton, Watson, Eades, gone for a start
Howlett, Hocking, Jerrett, Morgan, Long Bird McKernan potentially gone but you cant put a line through all of them
I’d rather us gut the list of the crap and then go hard in free agency for some players that could come good.
2 Likes
Jobe was captain for 6? years, under 3 coaches, for no better finishing position than 7th, played poorly or terribly in every single final he’s been to, and we pat him on the back and wish him well cos he’s an untouchable champion.
D Hepp has been captain for 1 (count it…) year and took us to 7th and a first round finals loss and we want to chuck him out for a “culture change”. Whilst we’re already losing the 3 of the 4 most experienced footballers on the list.
Classic Blitz after a loss.
It’s time to actually forget the Watson-Stanton generation of ultimate disappointment and build on the Heppell-and-younger generation.
15 Likes
Well , the rookies are only relevant in the sense that none are worth upgrading . Unless another club comes after Draper, in which id put him straight onto the list.
But lets run a hypothetical scenario.
Say we trade in Kelly and Kennedy. Iirc, these two wouldnt count towards the 3 list changes draft rule. So theres five players that need to go.
Every delisting or trade out beyond that requires a draft pick taken in a supposedly shallow draft or a player brought in. At some point you have to reach a stage where you are weighing up picks in rounds 6,7,8 against known output from currently listed players.
2 Likes
Valid. And i would too depending on who we may look at as DFA’s.
But the club may stop short of 8-10 players cut / traded.
1 Like
It was actually west Coast who wanted Myers. They offered him 3 years.
I reckon Myers and pick 11 for Gaff and steak knives is probably a fair deal.
1 Like
Last year we did 10* main list changes, so 9 is not completely out of the question.
- including the Dea and Kelly FA acquisitions
More likely is 7 or 8.
A rookie upgrade here, delisted FA there, cheap as chips trade somewhere else and you’re not necessarily picking the doldrums of the draft.
If they think Draper is worth an upgrade ( I think it’s at least on the cards), that’s 1 spot down. Hopefully they have their eye on the next Stewart/Green/Dea, then 4 or 5 draft picks, including maybe a mature state leaguer or two as we get deeper.
Either way, if we’ve decided guys are done, anyone we rate as any chance is a better option.
We NEED to make at least 8 changes by my reckoning.
3 Likes
You don’t change by “forgetting”. You change by changing.
Jobe won a Brownlow and individually dragged his team through game after game. Hep doesn’t have his credentials. Not yet, anyway.
What does Heppell offer us? What need does he fill? Is his captaincy or more importantly his on-field impact so outstanding that we just couldn’t do without it?
Frankly, as the leader of the group that whinged about X tweeting his disappointment, Heppell has already given an indication that he’s happy with the smoke-blowing “Untouchable” culture that we have managed to develop since well before the “saga”.
We haven’t traded or made substantial list changes on our terms for a very long time. If we’re going to make any progress at all then every option at our disposal needs to be considered, even if it’s dismissed early on.
2 Likes
Exactly I don’t think anyone is saying give him away but I don’t think there should be many untouchables on our list. Hypothetically if GWS said we want Heppell and our first pick for Kelly I’d drive Dyson to the airport myself.
3 Likes
Without going into the how.
Players that I think will not be on the list next year are:
Kelly, Watson, Stanton retired
Merrett, Long, McKernan, and Eades (already) will highly likely go. Draper and Stewart’s development make Smack purely insurance and probably unnecessary insurance (smack non selection in EF). I also assume Leuenberger stays.
So that is 7 without trying.
Players that may be traded or delisted pending trades / free agents:
- 2 of Howlett, Hocking and Bird - no trade value here.
-1 of Brown or Hartley if another key position defender is acquired. Hypothetically buy Trengrove for free and trade Hartley in a Package deal…
-
I know this may sound strange but I don’t think Josh Green is a certainty if we picked up a player like Stringer. Likely stays though. Would be a DFA, no trade value.
-
I think Colyer and Myers would be made available at the right price. That price is not that high although Colyers best is very good and Myers is probably from a list balance perspective important but damn he has been underwhelming.
I would have thought 8 minimum and 12 maximum probably landing around 10.
1 Like