Strategy Trade and List management Thread Part 6 (opposition supporters - READ posting rules before posting)

[doggiesin08]

Everything I read or have seen on Darcy’s preseason, I just don’t see an outcome in which he’s not in the side round 1 (if fit) to be honest. What that means for Lobb? I’m not sure - I agree best course of action is one or the other on a form basis, but I hope we don’t fall into the trap of trying to squeeze both again.

No, no, no, the reason we got so little info on the external review was because its main finding was we gave up on the 4-Headed-Monster too soon last year and we want to keep it as a surprise for around 1.

 

[BallaratBulldog]

I really worry that Darcy’s body will break down in the ruck. That Sydney game last year should never have happened. Match sim is one thing, multiple games is another. There is no need to rush him.

Can only back the Dogs in though, of course.

 

[doggies ftw]

Dead last in the running as of a few weeks ago, he’s got a bit of work to do to play Rd 1.

Yeah forgot about that tbh, but everything else has been extremely promising so who knows maybe a bad day. He was 1v1 against English in the ruck drills today with Lobb 1v1 with Smith. Not sure if there’s anything to read into that, maybe Darcy’s seen as the 2nd best ruck, Lobb seen as the best fwd/ruck etc who knows but I really can’t see him not playing round 1 at this stage. Or at least will be in by rnd3 if he doesn’t start

 

[Optimistic Dog]

I have no inside info but reading between the lines I would be very surprised of we if JUH does not sign. I expect to lose one if not both Tim and Bailey. As mentioned before the club would be expecting at least one to go and was one of the reasons we traded up in the 2023 draft and gave up our 2024 first pick.

 

[The Inbetweener]

I have no inside info but reading between the lines I would be very surprised of we if JUH does not sign. I expect to lose one if not both Tim and Bailey. As mentioned before the club would be expecting at least one to go and was one of the reasons we traded up in the 2023 draft and gave up our 2024 first pick.

Losing both Tim and Bailey, two years after losing Dunkley, would really screw up the progression of our midfield. Hopefully it’s something we don’t have to worry about.

 

[grassman75]

Darcy to spend more time in the ruck this year after holding his own against Tim in match sim

English asking for big money but the dogs are more focused on getting JUH signed up long term

I know Tim has been on a managed program but Darcy dominated him in the rain last Tuesday at Maroochydore

 

[PocketRocket08]

Dead last in the running as of a few weeks ago, he’s got a bit of work to do to play Rd 1.

It’s AFL not an Olympic running event. While he does need to continually improve his tank. He is ready to play. Personal opinion we are to tall in a fwd half. It needs to be two talls 3/4 smalls/medium. The game has gone fast paced and territory is imperative. So locking that ball in our fwd half while also transitioning from the back half fwd with run and carry. We can’t do that is we have 3/4 talls. I’d play Marra naughts Cody west then two of VDM Arty Clarke and McNeil. While have Bont harmes and maybe even sanders go through fwd half.
The premier’s are a perfect example. No A grade ruckman no A grade key fwds. Their smaller running fwd mids are elite at locking the ball
In and getting repeat scoring opportunities along with quick ball movement from
The back half with plenty of hand balls and over lap running.
What are others thoughts?

 

[doggies ftw]

It’s AFL not an Olympic running event. While he does need to continually improve his tank. He is ready to play. Personal opinion we are to tall in a fwd half. It needs to be two talls 3/4 smalls/medium. The game has gone fast paced and territory is imperative. So locking that ball in our fwd half while also transitioning from the back half fwd with run and carry. We can’t do that is we have 3/4 talls. I’d play Marra naughts Cody west then two of VDM Arty Clarke and McNeil. While have Bont harmes and maybe even sanders go through fwd half.
The premier’s are a perfect example. No A grade ruckman no A grade key fwds. Their smaller running fwd mids are elite at locking the ball
In and getting repeat scoring opportunities along with quick ball movement from
The back half with plenty of hand balls and over lap running.
What are others thoughts?

I agree to an extent but that’s what worked last year doesn’t mean that’s the way for us to win, we’re not gonna beat pies trying to match their smalls, we just don’t have that sort of quality - we can also keep the ball in by just marking the thing and with Naughty, Marra and Darcy we’ll be the best at that by an absolute mile.

We need to find a way to be better on the deck around them absolutely but we have a strength and something we can one up the rest of the comp on so let’s lean into that rather than trying to do something which just isn’t suited to our current list and playing the likes of Arty, McNeil & VDM to try and force it, imo

 

[dogwatch]

I know Tim has been on a managed program but Darcy dominated him in the rain last Tuesday at Maroochydore

How long have these match sims been that Darcy has starred in?

Is it possible that he's good for only two or three 15 minute bursts per day in the ruck and can't yet run out a full 100 minutes (even with say 20% time on the bench)?

If so there might still be a role for him, such as tall forward with a few 5-minute bursts in the ruck, but it might also be that he's still at least a couple of seasons away from being the main ruckman.

 

[Mofra]

His partner just moved to Melbourne. He won't then move to the other side of the country

They're are plenty of precedents of players moving for cash. I remember Marty Clarke wanting to move to WA for homesickness, next minute he's in Melbourne on a massive contract.

Treloar's partner played in Qld last year but he stayed with us.

It happens. If he does stay at the bulldogs I have no doubt he's stayed for less than what other clubs have offered.

 

[Libbaaaa]

They're are plenty of precedents of players moving for cash. I remember Marty Clarke wanting to move to WA for homesickness, next minute he's in Melbourne on a massive contract.

Treloar's partner played in Qld last year but he stayed with us.

It happens. If he does stay at the bulldogs I have no doubt he's stayed for less than what other clubs have offered.

How Adz can function and perform at a high level with his wife/partner and kid in another state is crazy, I'd be a mess.

 

[stefoid]

Darcy to spend more time in the ruck this year after holding his own against Tim in match sim

English asking for big money but the dogs are more focused on getting JUH signed up long term

kanye kornes likes this

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

How Adz can function and perform at a high level with his wife/partner and kid in another state is crazy, I'd be a mess.

They do see each other quite frequently.

 

[Cudi]

I really worry that Darcy’s body will break down in the ruck. That Sydney game last year should never have happened. Match sim is one thing, multiple games is another. There is no need to rush him.

Can only back the Dogs in though, of course.

This game still sticks in my mind whenever there is talk of Darcy spending significant time in the ruck, got destroyed that day and ended up injured. If we had played Lobb reckon we would have won.

 

[stefoid]

Smiley, I was talking to an ex player and he told me English deal is the biggest contract he has ever heard of! He said West Coast really really want him and he thinks it’s that big he won’t be able to knock it back!!! Is happy at the dogs but it’s a huge contract.
Gone he thinks.

correct me if I m wrong, but English is restricted FA, right, which means a trade deal must be struck, rather than the AFLs bullshit compo which I think the top tier is a mid 1st round and a 1st round after your own 1st round? Sounds like we are in for death-riding the coasters for a possible pick #1 which means hoping north melburne get their s**t together? yikes

 

[Norm De Guerre]

The reports of Darcy getting the better of English in the match sim are from the immediate days after him resuming full contact work after his definitely not concussion related layoff. So Its not really surprising that English wasn't in top form.

It could be argued that throwing English into the deep end with an anchor around his ankles at the start of his career was the eventual making of him into the current AA ruckman. However, anybody watching him get pummelled every week by bigger stronger journeymen would argue that it was to the overall detriment of the teams performance. Especially when the bigger stronger journeyman that we brought in as cover was injured. Thus leaving relief coverage in the hands of the likes of Cordy and Khamis.

I know it's part of Beveridges philosophy to blood his tall recruits before their time, but the idea of going down the same path with Darcy and playing him in the ruck. Is not one that I would readily embrace. Especially at AFL level where we already have a log jam of talls and a perfectly adequate Rory Lobb

7

Rory Lobb

Age

31

Ht

207cm

Wt

106kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

11.0

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

4.4

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

2.4

4star

G

0.9

4star

D

11.3

3star

K

8.0

3star

HB

3.3

2star

M

4.6

4star

T

1.4

2star

G

1.0

4star

D

7.0

2star

K

4.0

2star

HB

3.0

3star

M

2.6

3star

T

2.8

5star

G

0.6

3star

to play the role. By all means run him through the ruck to learn the craft in tandem with Smith at Footscray where the intensity is a level or 10 below but it would be folly to ask the same of him at the higher level.

If his form over the pre-season or at Footscray demands his selection, then find the appropriate place for him.

As for English's contract status. There comes a tipping point in any contract negotiation where the club will be forced to make a value judgement and say no mas.

It matters not if its a rookie looking for his first contract extension, English or JUH.

 

[doggies ftw]

I don’t think there’s any issue of Darcy taking minimal ruck minutes if we play English how we usually do. I’d much prefer us play English only say 60/40 ruck and in that scenario I’d prefer Lobb to do the 40% over Darcy.

But that remains to be seen, it’s much more likely we’ll stick to the tried and true English rucking 85% game time every week and if we go that way I’m taking Darcy over Lobb every day of the week as a forward. Lobb will only ever be a support cast and get on the end of a couple of cheapies as a 200cm guy incapable of taking a mark in a contest - and when our forward 50 game is revolved around marking the thing and being too tall down forward it becomes an issue having a tall who can’t mark.

Plonk Darcy at FF and let Marra and Naughty work up higher around him IF we’re rucking English 80%+ game time

 

[Mojorisin]

I don’t think there’s any issue of Darcy taking minimal ruck minutes if we play English how we usually do. I’d much prefer us play English only say 60/40 ruck and in that scenario I’d prefer Lobb to do the 40% over Darcy.

But that remains to be seen, it’s much more likely we’ll stick to the tried and true English rucking 85% game time every week and if we go that way I’m taking Darcy over Lobb every day of the week as a forward. Lobb will only ever be a support cast and get on the end of a couple of cheapies as a 200cm guy incapable of taking a mark in a contest - and when our forward 50 game is revolved around marking the thing and being too tall down forward it becomes an issue having a tall who can’t mark.

Plonk Darcy at FF and let Marra and Naughty work up higher around him IF we’re rucking English 80%+ game time

Naughton to the midfield confirmed?

 

[LondonBulldog]

Losing both Tim and Bailey, two years after losing Dunkley, would really screw up the progression of our midfield. Hopefully it’s something we don’t have to worry about.

They said that when we lost Griffen and Cooney. I didn't by the way, it was the transition we needed, meant Bont and Macrae went into the middle.

Any player leaving can be turned into a positive, keeping in mind we would get a lot back for both Smith and English.

 

[Golden_6]

How long have these match sims been that Darcy has starred in?

Is it possible that he's good for only two or three 15 minute bursts per day in the ruck and can't yet run out a full 100 minutes (even with say 20% time on the bench)?

If so there might still be a role for him, such as tall forward with a few 5-minute bursts in the ruck, but it might also be that he's still at least a couple of seasons away from being the main ruckman.

I'm still firmly in the camp that Darcy isn't ready for AFL football and will probably play between 10-12 games with a lot sub affected.

English & Lobb will absolutely be our best pairing in the 2024 season. The issue the club has to weigh up is for 2025, 2026 and then beyond. Is it the best use of our assets to have $1.5 million in cap tied up to English & Lobb in 2025, with the match committee then struggling to fit in Darcy to a side in his best position and not to the detriment of the overall set-up to the team?

 

[Mr. Walker]

There comes a tipping point in any contract negotiation where the club will be forced to make a value judgement and say no mas.

For those of us old enough to have lived through the event and consider it to be the sporting low point of the last century plus the sporting low point of a century of centuries either side of the last century can we all agree never to refer to it ever again.
Thank you.

 

[Norm De Guerre]

For those of us old enough to have lived through the event and consider it to be the sporting low point of the last century plus the sporting low point of a century of centuries either side of the last century can we all agree never to refer to it ever again.
Thank you.

Yeah, nah. In a sport as corrupt and replete with low points as boxing is.

Duran's surrender to Sugar Ray Leonard wouldn't be in the top 50.

Then there are the others sports...

Fanks.

 

[geoffjennings79]

They're are plenty of precedents of players moving for cash. I remember Marty Clarke wanting to move to WA for homesickness, next minute he's in Melbourne on a massive contract.

Treloar's partner played in Qld last year but he stayed with us.

It happens. If he does stay at the bulldogs I have no doubt he's stayed for less than what other clubs have offered.

Mitch Clarke?

 

[Mofra]

Mitch Clarke?

Yep that's who I meant

 

[threenewpadlocks]

WA is slightly closer to Ireland, granted