Recruiting Trade & Free Agency VI

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Sep 29, 2016
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Sure, he has disappointed since being drafted. Highly rated juniors who don't live up to expectations have a tendency to be entirely written off. He's certainly not worth a top 10 pick. Atm he's a mediocre hf/mid. But he's only 23. I'm just curious about what a trac who's groomed with a full PS to play full time midfield might look like. You're probably all right, we'd have to overpay. But he's an interesting discussion.
Exactly. If we were to pick him up we would be doing it (theoretically) to develop him as a midfielder, which would be a sizeable project.
We have enough hybrid forwards to roll through the midfield (Laverde, Langford, Begley, Stringer). And while Petracca may be more talented than all but Stringer, to spend (what would be considerable) trade capital on another flanker-to-midfielder project would be borderline irresponsible in my opinion.
 

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Knox Harrington

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I don't know why I keep reading
"We should trade hooker and Hurley"
No, we shouldn't.
The club basically ruined their careers be tarnished their legacy (inadvertantly or not) these guys then knocked back serious offers to leave and resign with us.
They are genuine heart and soul players who get filthy when they lose a one on one.
They are not getting traded.
 

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Yeah. It's a fairly baseless 'if... Then' Barrett style hypothetical let's be honest. But If I can't do that on a bf board midway through a cooked season that where can I... Apart from afl.com.au

It’s better than Barrett.
 

Haychh

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So hypothetically speaking, petracca is open to leaving Melbourne so he can get more of an opportunity playing inside midfield. Do we have a go at him? Possibly offer up someone like Zaha (dees need run) + a pick?
Do we really need that sort of player? Just have a look at the issue we're having this week, everyone is saying Dylan Clarke shouldn't be dropped but with Shiel coming back is there actually a spot for him?

We have Dev to come back in next year too, we only just found room to finally play Parish in his correct position recruiting a bloke like Petracca would just push a kid like Clarke further down the pecking order. Petracca wouldn't get any more of a go in our midfield than he would at Melbourne.
 
Jun 13, 2016
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Do we really need that sort of player? Just have a look at the issue we're having this week, everyone is saying Dylan Clarke shouldn't be dropped but with Shiel coming back is there actually a spot for him?

We have Dev to come back in next year too, we only just found room to finally play Parish in his correct position recruiting a bloke like Petracca would just push a kid like Clarke further down the pecking order. Petracca wouldn't get any more of a go in our midfield than he would at Melbourne.
With his size he would if he had a good enough inside game. We've certainly lacked big bodied inside mids since Jobe.
But yeah, seems the concensus here is that he'd probably be over-priced, doubts over his tank. Maybe better to focus on young inside specialists who might also come cheaper. Drew, Joe Atley, brodie, sier, pat Wilson (¿) etc.
 

Haychh

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I’d rather us forget mid. Re-sign Parish and build around Heppell, Shiel and Merrett.

Alex Keath is one I’d like us to have a serious look at! Hooker and Hurley aren’t getting any younger
 
I’d rather us forget mid. Re-sign Parish and build around Heppell, Shiel and Merrett.

Alex Keath is one I’d like us to have a serious look at! Hooker and Hurley aren’t getting any younger

Keath is 18 months younger than Hurley
 
Sep 29, 2016
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When it comes to drafting, I always thought that Key position forward were a bit like quarterbacks in the NFL - if you are at all CLOSE to looking even semi competent then you will be taken early.

Trading wise its the same, competent quarterbacks rarely, if ever hit the open market. Why? Because competency at the position is so valuable, clubs lock them up - really no matter what - before they get out of contract. Same (generally) with eliteish-to-competent KPFs in the AFL in the past.

Although now i feel that mantle has been taken from KPFs and assumed by big bodied mids with explosiveness. In a game where congestion is rife and contested possession is king, that role is now so very valuable.

As such the good 'monster' midfielders always go in the early part of the draft. And similarly, that combination in a midfielder is so valuable the good ones are normally locked away on big deals before they get to the open market.

Which brings us tp guys like Sier, Brodie, Petracca etc. The value of the combination of size and explosiveness in a midfielder is at a point where guys who are yet to show consistently stong form (over a sustained period) are highly sought after and likely to get good money due to 'potential'and matching a certain player profile description. From a trade perspective, their value at the trade table far exceeds their output or objective value to date.

Yes it is an important role, but we are better off trying to draft one in the middle rounds and hope it works out (i.e Worpel, Willem Drew, Zurhaar) than spend overs of trade capital on a player that doesnt match what we would have to pay for them.
 
Sep 22, 2011
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I was posting in TBC’s player thread but it’s not really about him, should be here.

Anybody else agree we’re gonna need a ruckman next year?

Bellchambers is moving like the Titanic

Clarke isn’t up to it

Draper will be recovering from his ACL.

McKernan is a forward and will need to remain as such with Daniher’s availability no certainty.

Reckon we’ll probably need somebody to do the job for a year or two and bring through Draper.

There’s actually quite a few out of contract who could fill that job, and may be looking for a new club.
 
I was posting in TBC’s player thread but it’s not really about him, should be here.

Anybody else agree we’re gonna need a ruckman next year?

Bellchambers is moving like the Titanic

Clarke isn’t up to it

Draper will be recovering from his ACL.

McKernan is a forward and will need to remain as such with Daniher’s availability no certainty.

Reckon we’ll probably need somebody to do the job for a year or two and bring through Draper.

There’s actually quite a few out of contract who could fill that job, and may be looking for a new club.
For sure. Not that Lavender would have helped much as a stop-gap between TBC and Draper, but he also retired (due to ongoing injuries) over the pre-season... so that's another hit to our ruck division.
 
Sep 22, 2011
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From other thread, some of the players who are yet to re-sign for 2020.

Sam Jacobs - 31yo, not getting a game

Stefan Martin - 32yo, still playing good footy though and may be expensive

Matthew Lobbe - 30yo, not getting a game behind Kreuzer

Aaron Sandilands - 36yo, too old and probably retire

Zac Smith - 29yo, never really settled into seniors at Geelong

Dawson Simpson - 30yo, relegated behind Mummy at the Giants

Ben McEvoy - 29yo, still top of his game and probably too expensive

Jon Ceglar - 28yo, good player who has had injury issues, unsure what cost would be

Todd Goldstein - 30yo, probably want too much in terms of coin and contract length

Paddy Ryder - 31yo, obvious history, reportedly wants 2 year deal but only being offered 1 by Port. Doubt he’d be wanted back

Peter Ladhams - young option, only 21yo, highly rated but can’t get a game at Port just yet behind Ryder and Lycett. Would probably cost too much.
 

BrunoV

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I was posting in TBC’s player thread but it’s not really about him, should be here.

Anybody else agree we’re gonna need a ruckman next year?

Bellchambers is moving like the Titanic

Clarke isn’t up to it

Draper will be recovering from his ACL.

McKernan is a forward and will need to remain as such with Daniher’s availability no certainty.

Reckon we’ll probably need somebody to do the job for a year or two and bring through Draper.

There’s actually quite a few out of contract who could fill that job, and may be looking for a new club.


Freo have a few back ups who, as I understand it, like to throw their weight around.

Lloyd Meek is one who is supposed to be a brute and who is Draper's age. Reckon we carefully considered Meek when he was drafted, too.

Scott Jones is 24-25 and a monster.

That's probably where I'd be looking. Not really enamoured with the out of contract options.

No gun or former gun is coming to play second fiddle to Bellchambers. Martin is not going to play for peanuts either - he's who I'd look at if Bellchambers pulled the pin. Same would be said for McEvoy. Ryder wont return due to "supplements".

Cegler interests but not really because of his ruck work. He works best as a second ruck which is not what is needed.

Lobbe could play but it was a long time ago.

Maybe Simpson. Zac Smith is largely the same player as Clarke, not a presence.
 
Sep 22, 2011
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Freo have a few back ups who, as I understand it, like to throw their weight around.

Lloyd Meek is one who is supposed to be a brute and who is Draper's age. Reckon we carefully considered Meek when he was drafted, too.

Scott Jones is 24-25 and a monster.

That's probably where I'd be looking. Not really enamoured with the out of contract options.

No gun or former gun is coming to play second fiddle to Bellchambers. Martin is not going to play for peanuts either - he's who I'd look at if Bellchambers pulled the pin. Same would be said for McEvoy. Ryder wont return due to "supplements".

Cegler interests but not really because of his ruck work. He works best as a second ruck which is not what is needed.

Lobbe could play but it was a long time ago.

Maybe Simpson. Zac Smith is largely the same player as Clarke, not a presence.

Lloyd Meek.

Can he ever be a successful footballer with that name?
 
Devil’s advocate: Clarke is decent enough provided he plays as the primary ruckman only. It’s probably not true but we’ve only seen him support Bellchambers and play primarily forward, and that is quite clearly not his go.

As far as cheap backups go you’re probably just as well off looking outside the system as you are recycling someone.

Matt Flynn?
 
Sep 22, 2011
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Freo have a few back ups who, as I understand it, like to throw their weight around.

Lloyd Meek is one who is supposed to be a brute and who is Draper's age. Reckon we carefully considered Meek when he was drafted, too.

Scott Jones is 24-25 and a monster.

That's probably where I'd be looking. Not really enamoured with the out of contract options.

No gun or former gun is coming to play second fiddle to Bellchambers. Martin is not going to play for peanuts either - he's who I'd look at if Bellchambers pulled the pin. Same would be said for McEvoy. Ryder wont return due to "supplements".

Cegler interests but not really because of his ruck work. He works best as a second ruck which is not what is needed.

Lobbe could play but it was a long time ago.

Maybe Simpson. Zac Smith is largely the same player as Clarke, not a presence.

Devil’s advocate: Clarke is decent enough provided he plays as the primary ruckman only. It’s probably not true but we’ve only seen him support Bellchambers and play primarily forward, and that is quite clearly not his go.

As far as cheap backups go you’re probably just as well off looking outside the system as you are recycling someone.

Matt Flynn?

IMO it’d be somebody who’s no. 1 ruck for 2020 and potentially 2021. I really don’t think Bellchambers has another season and a half left in that role, he’s already incredibly slow and that’ll only be magnified in 12 months’ time.

Draper won’t be no 1 next year due to his knee. Hopefully in 2021, but who knows. So we need somebody who could possibly play out 2021 as no. 1 ruck. I’d have huge doubts on Bellchambers doing that next year, let alone the year after.

I think Bellchambers probably retires. If he stays on, I think he’s probably in the VFL and a backup option like Leuenberger played for us.

Clarke just isn’t good enough imo and was a poor recruit. He was very poor at Freo and never developed, then went without an AFL club last year... which is a feat at his height. He just doesn’t have any physical presence whatsoever and his ruckwork isn’t that good. He’d be a huge liability as no 1 ruck imo.

So I think we probably have a fairly narrow set of requirements: can step straight in as a number 1 ruck for at least a season - possibly two - so still in decent shape, but not too expensive.

Not asking for too much, is it?
 
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