Strategy Trade and List management Thread Part 5 (opposition supporters - READ posting rules before posting)

[Foxman98]

I would rather keep Williams then get some compensation pick

I would rather he regain his pre GF form but reality is if he doesn’t losing him isn’t bad

 

[Dogs_R_Us]

Nice and no fuss. We are lucky Libba is a unique cat and DGAF, could have easily pushed for 2-3 years.

He strikes me as a guy who might turn up at the club one day and say “That’s it, I’m out.” A year at a time probably suits him.

 

[doggiesin08]

He strikes me as a guy who might turn up at the club one day and say “That’s it, I’m out.” A year at a time probably suits him.

We’re probably also happy to pay him more per year for 1-year extensions than a multi-year deal because we don’t have the longer duration risk of carrying a big salary if his body / form has fallen away.

I do think there’s a good chance he still has many 1-year deals left in him still. He’s so good around the ball but I do wonder if there’s the potential to also transition him to a pocket at either end of the ground.

 

[Bulldogs85]

Inside Trading article

BULLDOG CLOSING IN ON DEAL​

THE WESTERN Bulldogs' run of contracts is set to continue with Ed Richards

20

Ed Richards

Age

26

Ht

188cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

2.5

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.7

3star

D

11.3

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

5.3

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.5

3star

CL

1.1

3star

D

14.6

4star

K

9.8

4star

HB

4.8

4star

M

4.8

5star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.2

2star

edging towards a contract extension.

Richards moved back to defence last season and had the best year of his career at the club, with a new deal in the works. It is likely to take him through to the end of the 2025 season, when he would reach free agency.

The 23-year-old played a career-best 22 games last year and averaged 18 disposals to claim the Dogs' most improved player award.
He had garnered rival interest in 2021 but remained with the club, with his crafty and smart ball use out of the back half important for the Dogs.

The Western Bulldogs have been able to tie up some of their priority re-signings ahead of the season, with exciting tall Sam Darcy inking a two-year extension and free agent Tom Liberatore signing on for another year. – Callum Twomey

 

[Anja_Nees]

North, Saints, Bombers, Eagles, Suns…. So had so many choices and he can’t even crack the Demons best 22.

For their part I think they just wanted to replace Weideman, who rarely played. They also had Mitch Brown and Daw for a time - they’ve always carried tall depth and it should have been obvious to him that’s what he was.

He’ll get opportunities at some point and I guess Ben Brown and McDonald are getting on, but no way is he in their best side. I doubt he’ll be much better off than he was at the Dogs.

 

[Anja_Nees]

We’re probably also happy to pay him more per year for 1-year extensions than a multi-year deal because we don’t have the longer duration risk of carrying a big salary if his body / form has fallen away.

I do think there’s a good chance he still has many 1-year deals left in him still. He’s so good around the ball but I do wonder if there’s the potential to also transition him to a pocket at either end of the ground.

He joked he might do another four or five one year deals. I think both parties know there really isn’t any choice - one more serious knee injury and he’s probably done.

He works insanely hard but I think he struggles to cover the ground for the whole season and will have to be managed. I think he could make a go of it as a forward pocket if we had a need.

For the time being I think Weightman, Clarke and a few others will be the focus there, but his pressure is great and he’s smooth when near goals. It’s an option.

 

[Dazb86]

At what stage do we start looking at midfielders again. Libba is getting on, Treloar the same and Macrae and Bont are approaching 30 pretty fast

 

[Anja_Nees]

At what stage do we start looking at midfielders again. Libba is getting on, Treloar the same and Macrae and Bont are approaching 30 pretty fast

Thought we might last draft. We have to start soon.

Bont and Macrae have a fair bit left in them, and there is Smith, but we need some kids starting to get some time in the middle.

There’s West and Garcia, but neither is a certain best 22 atm so it’s uncertain if they’ll even be in the system three years from now.

 

[Bald]

At what stage do we start looking at midfielders again. Libba is getting on, Treloar the same and Macrae and Bont are approaching 30 pretty fast

I think in the next draft I'd like to focus on wings primarily, then midfielders. We need to find a mate for Busslinger but I suspect we might just trade one in.

 

[TiAn_]

At what stage do we start looking at midfielders again. Libba is getting on, Treloar the same and Macrae and Bont are approaching 30 pretty fast

This year. If we’re not trading for one then one or more of our early picks should be used on one. Otherwise we risk what happened with our KPD stocks, where we eventually had gaps and needed multiple quick fixes.

Looking at last year’s draft and where our picks are likely to end up, would be hoping we could nab a player or two like the Hollands-Fletcher-Hewett-Rowston group from 11-16.

 

[dergert]

At what stage do we start looking at midfielders again. Libba is getting on, Treloar the same and Macrae and Bont are approaching 30 pretty fast

It's go time now.

Window is closing fast.

 

[Foxman98]

It's go time now.

Window is closing fast.

How?

10+ Years of Naughton/Darcy/JUH/Busslinger there's an elite spine already

10+ Years of Bailey Smith

Bont/Macrae 4/5+ Years

 

[doggies ftw]

There is no ‘window’ in this day and age, just look at Geelong…

Some teams make good decisions, others make bad decisions - make more good decisions than bad and there’s no reason you can’t compete indefinitely

 

[St 07]

How?

10+ Years of Naughton/Darcy/JUH/Busslinger there's an elite spine already

10+ Years of Bailey Smith

Bont/Macrae 4/5+ Years

Yep this side is setting us up for a dynasty. Our window will be open for quite some time.

And that's Bont/Macrae at 4/5+ Years of AA standard. Either or both can Boyd/Pendlebury at half back as they slow down in 6 years or so at the elite level.

 

[Golden_6]

I think we’ll pretty clearly hit the draft for midfielders over the next year or two.

Could Ed Richards

20

Ed Richards

Age

26

Ht

188cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.4

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

5.2

4star

M

2.5

3star

T

2.4

4star

CL

0.7

3star

D

11.3

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

5.3

3star

M

1.5

2star

T

2.5

3star

CL

1.1

3star

D

14.6

4star

K

9.8

4star

HB

4.8

4star

M

4.8

5star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.2

2star

be one to move into the midfield in the next couple of years post Libba/Treloar? He could be used to bridge the gap between the Bont/Macrae era and the next crop of the midfielders we draft long term.

 

[Sentinel]

Yep this side is setting us up for a dynasty. Our window will be open for quite some time.

And that's Bont/Macrae at 4/5+ Years of AA standard. Either or both can Boyd/Pendlebury at half back as they slow down in 6 years or so at the elite level.

Macrae had perhaps the worst period of his career (or at least after his development years) in the 2nd half of last season. He does have some lofty standards and you'd back him to get back to his best again, but it could be a sign he's starting to slow down a little. It's rather ambitious to think he'd maintain AA standard for another 4/5 years.

Bont is on another level though.

 

[weltschmerz]

There’s a couple of mids I’m keen on this draft. Will Lorenz is one who could have a great season and rocket up to top 5 but I’d love to see us get him. Good pace and agility, fantastic boot, very clean skills.

 

[St 07]

Macrae had perhaps the worst period of his career (or at least after his development years) in the 2nd half of last season. He does have some lofty standards and you'd back him to get back to his best again, but it could be a sign he's starting to slow down a little. It's rather ambitious to think he'd maintain AA standard for another 4/5 years.

Bont is on another level though.

I don't think we have seen the best of Macrae yet, as absurd as that sounds. I think he'll plateau in his early 30's

 

[Royale]

There is no ‘window’ in this day and age, just look at Geelong…

Some teams make good decisions, others make bad decisions - make more good decisions than bad and there’s no reason you can’t compete indefinitely

Some teams also have players nominate to go to them, like Dangerfield, Jeremy Cameron, etc. We never get those caliber of players nominating us.

 

[bobs head soup]

Some teams also have players nominate to go to them, like Dangerfield, Jeremy Cameron, etc. We never get those caliber of players nominating us.

Even though we are no Geelong, we have gotten a lot better at attracting best 22 talent in recent years as we have become a more consistent finals playing team.

Treloar, Lobb, L.Jones, Keath, Duryea, Bruce, Hannan and Crozier are all at the least solid role players helping to keep us competitive around the upper half of the comp.

 

[Anja_Nees]

Even though we are no Geelong, we have gotten a lot better at attracting best 22 talent in recent years as we have become a more consistent finals playing team.

Treloar, Lobb, L.Jones, Keath, Duryea, Bruce, Hannan and Crozier are all at the least solid role players helping to keep us competitive around the upper half of the comp.

I actually think we’ve done pretty well on that front all things considered. Maybe we haven’t always picked the right player (OBrien looks poor at this point) but we’ve been good at identifying players who fill a need and getting it done.

Geelong have picked up some genuine top liners, and the issue is they seem willing to take a pay cut in exchange for lifestyle etc. We aren’t really any better placed than other Melbourne clubs on that score and there probably isn’t much we can do about it.

 

[geoffjennings79]

Players don't just wake up one morning and nominate a team. As much as the Cats pick up players originally from the Bellarine area, player managers and the presentation by the nominated club BEFORE a player publicly declares their hand are critical to a decision. Cats being perennial finalists helps (as does the sponsor companies affiliated with them in ways many of us allude to in 'alternative' salary top ups).

As to your quote:

Even though we are no Geelong, we have gotten a lot better at attracting best 22 talent in recent years as we have become a more consistent finals playing team.

Treloar, Lobb, L.Jones, Keath, Duryea, Bruce, Hannan and Crozier are all at the least solid role players helping to keep us competitive around the upper half of the comp.

I think a lot of this is on Sam Power. And probably to a lesser extent Beveridge. They are allegedly more persuasive at selling a vision than their predecessors.
(And none of those guys had an emotional attachment to a cow paddock in Corio!)

 

[bobs head soup]

I actually think we’ve done pretty well on that front all things considered. Maybe we haven’t always picked the right player (OBrien looks poor at this point) but we’ve been good at identifying players who fill a need and getting it done.

Geelong have picked up some genuine top liners, and the issue is they seem willing to take a pay cut in exchange for lifestyle etc. We aren’t really any better placed than other Melbourne clubs on that score and there probably isn’t much we can do about it.

Agreed. Power has done great job at identifying list needs and finding a suitable player who is willing to come over. Even O'Brien, who has certainly been a disappointment, isn't a big fail given he was a free agent who cost nothing.

 

[Whoyagot]

Bont will still be elite at 35+. The work he does on his training and preparation is just incredible. Will be David Mundy

16

David Mundy

Age

40

Ht

192cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.1

5star

K

11.2

4star

HB

11.8

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

4.3

5star

CL

5.1

5star

D

15.7

4star

K

6.7

3star

HB

9.0

4star

M

2.3

2star

T

2.7

4star

CL

3.7

5star

D

27.8

5star

K

15.4

5star

HB

12.4

5star

M

5.8

5star

T

6.2

5star

CL

7.2

5star

esque but better

 

[Sentinel]

Bont will still be elite at 35+. The work he does on his training and preparation is just incredible. Will be David Mundy esque but better

The only thing really stopping Bont could be if injuries (like those he carried last year) catch up to him.