Rumour Bluemour Discussion XXXIX

[4flagsin5yrs]

Think he has more upside than what we would get in return.

Was angry with him after the final last year and although results were mixed demonstrated endeavour throughout the season that I hadn't really seen from him

Have more belief that if it clicks it'll really click for him but we need the penny to drop.

the potential upside is huge....

we've seen in glimpses what he can do - as a SF, a HFF and in the middle.

Needs to pump less iron and get 'quick'....

 

[4flagsin5yrs]

We nail this off season, we are very much in top 4 contention in 2026.

(and we get our lot fit and playing decent footy)

 

[CrippaTheGoat9]

We nail this off season, we are very much in top 4 contention in 2026.

(and we get our lot fit and playing decent footy)

Haven’t you heard we’re tanking next year to get pick 1 …

 

[ctwenty1]

Haven’t you heard we’re tanking next year to get pick 1 …

That will be more challenging than finishing top 4

 

[4flagsin5yrs]

Have a friend who works in the Essendon membership space and says he is a horrible human.One of those my s*** dosent stink people.Very arrogant as well.

Would like to think we’re getting rid of these sorts of players.

who cares as long as he produces on the field?

We need to move past the we can only have 36 or so nice guys.... how's that gone for us?

 

[kreuze_missile]

who cares as long as he produces on the field?

We need to move past the we can only have 36 or so nice guys.... how's that gone for us?

Zach Merrett isn’t coming.

Can’t fit him in the side anyway with guns like Chesser, Reidy and Peterochelle coming in.

 

[BluStreak]

It is only last touch if it is kicked or handballed out. Still will have boundry throw ins if the ball is run over the line or is knocked over the line.

Will we even need a ruckman if it’s last touch out of bounds.

 

[JustOneTime]

Rebounding defenders - Khamis if he plays back will help a bit, Newman back will help a bit, Carroll another year will help a bit, Chesser will probably help a bit (from defensive stoppage moreso than kick-ins). Honestly, I think rebounding personnel is 50% of the solution, and the other 50% is fixing our movement and presentation ahead of the ball.

I feel this is where the difference in a lot of supporters sit. I hear Khamis, Carroll and Newman but then i think Humphries from Geelong, Ash/Whitfield from GWS, Wilmot from Brissy etc. The Pies and Hawks rebound kickers are elite by foot.

A significant portion of AFL strategy is built around distribution from the back half.

In blind hope you say Khamis, Carroll and Newman but in the real world those names arent in the right stratosphere to progress us into a finals team. Saad is the only one and he is exiting soon.

I absolutely agree they are AFL level players but just bottom 6 AFL players. We have to be more ruthless as supporters and a club if you value winning. If you value the spirit or essence of things, then we can load up on more Khamis if that is the direction you like.

 

[JustOneTime]

We nail this off season, we are very much in top 4 contention in 2026.

(and we get our lot fit and playing decent footy)

what you talking bout willis????

 

[Stamos]

In no particular order of importance:

1. He'll come at a much lower price than Butters.
2. He's every bit as good as Butters, arguably better (goes missing less).
3. We get plenty from TDK,. JSOS..etc.
4. Sounds like they're interested in Guv, as a piece of the bigger puzzle.
5. I reckon it's come down to whether Merrett reckons, or could be convinced, that we can seriously contend in the next 1-3 years...
6. I reckon Charlie would be happy to stay if we bring a Merrett into the fold...

So you think * would accept our TDK (which will end up being about 13) and SOS (22+) compos in a weak draft and Gov for their captain and clear best player?

And our capacity to trade for him means not being able to match a bid on Dean?

 

[JustOneTime]

Why would Merrett leave one basketcase for a second basketcase??

 

[ITCHY EYEBALLS]

Will we even need a ruckman if it’s last touch out of bounds.

Nup.
You just need to unearth a Blicavs type.

Ps…..you better let the Aints board know

 

[JustOneTime]

who cares as long as he produces on the field?

We need to move past the we can only have 36 or so nice guys.... how's that gone for us?

Absolute delusion if you think Merrett would entertain us after all his frustration at bombers lack of success.

And for Carlton, don't forget Pitto becomes the number 1 at Carlton in 2026. Forever and a day he hasnt ranked in the top 20 rucks in the league and there is only 18 teams. He does well on one minor small stat. Offsets that by frees against in the defensive 50 every game he plays.

Or maybe its Liam Reidy you think is taking us to top 4.

 

[katmanblue]

The thing is - i personally think we're pickled/screwed no matter we try.

You've made that abundantly clear with your repeated negative posts.

 

[kreuze_missile]

Or maybe its Liam Reidy you think is taking us to top 4.

Flagachelle will take us to the promised land.

 

[JustOneTime]

You've made that abundantly clear with your repeated negative posts.

I'll pay that 100%

The thing is, change will come only from this reaching saturation point in club feedback that supporters arent happy. Hit this nail on the head 100 times for the club to listen.

Listening to Cripps and Weiters and Doch, they are deluded and think they are just luck away from finals.

 

[kreuze_missile]

Listening to Cripps and Weiters and Doch, they are deluded and think they are just luck away from finals.

What exactly do you want? For the club’s leadership to come out publicly and admit we’re completely screwed?

Apart from giving the chicken littles who call SEN after every loss something to cheer about, this doesn’t help anyone.

 

[Red_man2008]

Nup.
You just need to unearth a Blicavs type.

Ps…..you better let the Aints board know

Well they definitely got a ruckman that likes to jump but he can’t play anywhere else. Especially inside 50. Playing two rucks is probably easier with 5 on the bench but you probably want atleast one of them to be able to play elsewhere. It’s not gonna be easy for them but it’s who’s not the end of world. YET.

How does it impact us. Could we potentially play pit at centre bounces and then leave him behind the ball 50 m from the play to spoil/intercept. Use Lewis young inside def 50 and McKay forward 50. These are the only two areas where throw ins will potentially occur.

 

[kreuze_missile]

Use Lewis young inside def 50

Lewis Young is our break glass in case of emergency option.

He is not in our best 28.

 

[Ald Gardiner]

They list multiple valid points and you pick out the one minor error in the post.
Pretty much it's all spot on as areas we need to improve the list. Could argue about that third tall forward as I think with Kemp and Moir we have that covered but I agree with the rest.

We have too many players that lack athletisim. We lack footy skills across the wing and half back- hence the link to Chesser. We lack a dynamic midfielder who can break away from stoppage. We lack a genuine small forward- not an undersized mid being shoe horned into a small forward role as basically all our current small forwards are. We lack a good ruckman. We lack another genuine key defender- not intercepting types like Haynes. With JSOS and probably Gov leaving we lack a third tall- hence the link to Khamis. We lack a young developing key forward after cutting Lemmey. Not saying we can't contend but it would be much easier if we address these deficiencies.

Short memories around here - Kemp is going to be a quality 3rd tall and Moir is decent overhead too with goal smarts in spades.

 

[4thchicken]

Actually interested in this myself, ignoring all of the drafts these are the aquisitions we've made via trade and FA since Austin took the helm at the start of 2020:

2020:
Zac Williams: I'd say fail with the money he was on and his intended output
Adam Saad: Win for mine, slowed a bit recently but has been one of our most consistent and important players

2021:
George Hewett: A+ move, been super consistent and one of our absolute best since he's arrived
Adam Cerra: This one's borderline but considering we gave up pick 6 I'd consider it a fail, but only just. Not Austin's fault, bad run with injuries and at his best has looked worth it and then some. Still has time to make it a win as well.
Lewis Young: Cost nothing, plugged some important holes when he's needed to, I'd consider this a tick.

2022:
Blake Acres: I think this is a win, yeah he's been poor recently but cost us nothing and filled a desperate need, plus instrumental in our 2023 run.

2023:
Elijah Hollands: I think a fail but again not Austin's fault, if he got his off-field stuff together this would have been an awesome trade for us.

2024:
Nick Haynes: Win, filled a need and played awesome all year, cost nothing.

All in all I'd say an ok record. Done a fine job in this regard IMO but hasn't been excellent.

Imo the record some of the decision making wasn't great. Namely...
Zac Williams - poor decision particularly given we wanted to strengthen the midfield and he wasn't proven in this area
Saad - ok trade but it meant giving up on players like Tom Powell, Ollie Henry, Max Holmes, Jake Bowey
Cerra - meant giving up on Jye Amiss, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera etc

I've never liked the idea of trading early picks for established players and 1st round picks should be kept at all costs - particularly if they are in the top10.

Rather than committing to the rebuild we started, we gave up picks 8 and 6 in consecutive years for a sugar hit to try and fast track the list. The above 3 pick ups would also a large reason as to why our cap was apparently so full that we've had very limited flexibility in recent years...

 

[Azzurro]

I'll pay that 100%

The thing is, change will come only from this reaching saturation point in club feedback that supporters arent happy. Hit this nail on the head 100 times for the club to listen.

Listening to Cripps and Weiters and Doch, they are deluded and think they are just luck away from finals.

The negativity is tiresome and pointless.

If you think the club are reacting to the endless complaints of people like you, then you (and all those like you) haven't been paying attention.

The rest of us, i.e. the majority who accept that we have a lot of work to do, are interested in seeing how the club utilise the whole $4m-$6m of cap space that's being opened up this off season.

By my calculations, there will be somewhere between 10 to 15 list spots opened up. The list management team can't fill all those spots with proven superstars - the cap will burst, let alone the fact that we don't (yet) have the trade capital to make lots of big moves, so they need to get creative.

Even if we land all of the 3-5 names that are circulating, along with Dean and Ison, we will still have a lot of spots to fill.

Get some perspective please.

 

[Garters]

Bringing in Walter and letting Charlie go does what to the membership numbers?

Strange take.
Who gives a **** about membership numbers when building a list. We start winning finals our membership numbers go through the roof.

And if someone is that fair weather a supporter they throw in their membership because one player is traded so be it no great loss. (As long as they dont jump back on board when things are going well again.) Because that is p*ss weak.

 

[JustOneTime]

The negativity is tiresome and pointless.

If you think the club are reacting to the endless complaints of people like you, then you (and all those like you) haven't been paying attention.

The rest of us, i.e. the majority who accept that we have a lot of work to do, are interested in seeing how the club utilise the whole $4m-$6m of cap space that's being opened up this off season.

By my calculations, there will be somewhere between 10 to 15 list spots opened up. The list management team can't fill all those spots with proven superstars - the cap will burst, let alone the fact that we don't (yet) have the trade capital to make lots of big moves, so they need to get creative.

Even if we land all of the 3-5 names that are circulating, along with Dean and Ison, we will still have a lot of spots to fill.

Get some perspective please.

It will be another decade to 15 years due to letting this 2015 born squad fail. So it is hard taking it on the chin.

I get the posters staying active on this board have a less than competitive profile and like to focus on the journey or the 'process' as the club puts it (the coach and players love this focus on the 'process' bit). I'll look to the membership numbers in 2026 to see where the majority lies.

 

[Bamboo Harvester]

With Blight as DFA, any word that we’re interested? Would be a good stopgap option with a bit of upside. A tad concerning he has been delisted by a team not expecting to win many games, but if he helps us then it’s not an issue.

Blight would be a GREAT pick up imo.

The issue with Carlton is that we have a young pair of key defenders coming up through the ranks, so he may only see himself as a stop gap. There'd be other clubs like WBD that would be more attractive where he could see himself as a longer term option.

Having said that, we know that Voss has an obsession with players who can run all day.....