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Welcome to the Kennel Connor Budarick

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Sounds really level-headed, professional & wants to get the absolute best out of himself. Will fit in well with what we are trying to build.

And is only 24, great age, plenty of football ahead.
This is a great point, something I've mentioned a few times in the past.

We've usually (not always!) done well over the years with some trades for players in their late 20s, like Keath, Duryea, Lobb, etc.

However the sweet spot is between 22 and 24.

The player arrives full developed, fully attuned to the demands of AFL level footy. Most of the development work has been invested by some other club. The unknowns of the draft (how good will this kid turn out to be?) have been resolved. And you have a good 8 years of his best footy ahead of him.

It's what every list manager likes to achieve. But of course 22-24yo players haven't yet reached free agency so it's not easy to get them across. Now that players can pretty much break contract whenever they want, that could be changing.

Of course the opposite situation is the worst for clubs: when you lose that player just entering his prime after you've put in all the development work. That's what we've experienced with Dunkley, Smith, Stringer, Dahlhaus and now Jamarra. (I know some of those have been difficult cases but the loss of player potential and sunk draft assets still hurts.)

So yes, it's nice t get one coming the other way, even if he'll never be a club B&F like Dunkley.
Welcome to the Doggies, Connor.
 
This is a great point, something I've mentioned a few times in the past.

We've usually (not always!) done well over the years with some trades for players in their late 20s, like Keath, Duryea, Lobb, etc.

However the sweet spot is between 22 and 24.

The player arrives full developed, fully attuned to the demands of AFL level footy. Most of the development work has been invested by some other club. The unknowns of the draft (how good will this kid turn out to be?) have been resolved. And you have a good 8 years of his best footy ahead of him.

It's what every list manager likes to achieve. But of course 22-24yo players haven't yet reached free agency so it's not easy to get them across. Now that players can pretty much break contract whenever they want, that could be changing.

Of course the opposite situation is the worst for clubs: when you lose that player just entering his prime after you've put in all the development work. That's what we've experienced with Dunkley, Smith, Stringer, Dahlhaus and now Jamarra. (I know some of those have been difficult cases but the loss of player potential and sunk draft assets still hurts.)

So yes, it's nice t get one coming the other way, even if he'll never be a club B&F like Dunkley.
Welcome to the Doggies, Connor.

Would be interesting to look at our trade profiles.

2014

Hamling 21
Biggs 23


2015

Sucking 27
Adcock 29 (rookie listed)

2016

Cloke 30


2017

Crozier 23
Schache 20

2018

Lloyd 28
Duryea 27

2019

Keath 28
Bruce 28

2020

Hannan 27
Martin 34
Treloar 27

2021

O'Brien 27

2022

Jones 32
Lobb 29
Baker 24

2023

Harmes 28
Coffield 23

2024

Kennedy



It seems like a lot of mature players that we already know what they're capable of but recruited at a point where there isn't much scope for growth as a player.
 
Would be interesting to look at our trade profiles.

2014

Hamling 21
Biggs 23


2015

Sucking 27
Adcock 29 (rookie listed)

2016

Cloke 30


2017

Crozier 23
Schache 20

2018

Lloyd 28
Duryea 27

2019

Keath 28
Bruce 28

2020

Hannan 27
Martin 34
Treloar 27

2021

O'Brien 27

2022

Jones 32
Lobb 29
Baker 24

2023

Harmes 28
Coffield 23

2024

Kennedy



It seems like a lot of mature players that we already know what they're capable of but recruited at a point where there isn't much scope for growth as a player.
Yep, and only maybe 3 years of their best footy left. Sometimes more, sometimes less.

The perfect trade is one in that age range who is also an A-grader or very close to it (eg Dunkley).

Apart from Crozier (probably a B-C grader) I don't think there are any that match those criteria.
Schache as a former #2 pick seemed like a good roll of the dice but as we know that didn't work out.
Coffield a former top 10 but damaged goods (knees).
 
Zak Butters…? Jordan Butts…?

Come on down, Connor Butterick!

Welcome to the Kennel❤️🤍💙
 
Would be interesting to look at our trade profiles.

2014

Hamling 21
Biggs 23


2015

Sucking 27
Adcock 29 (rookie listed)

2016

Cloke 30


2017

Crozier 23
Schache 20

2018

Lloyd 28
Duryea 27

2019

Keath 28
Bruce 28

2020

Hannan 27
Martin 34
Treloar 27

2021

O'Brien 27

2022

Jones 32
Lobb 29
Baker 24

2023

Harmes 28
Coffield 23

2024

Kennedy



It seems like a lot of mature players that we already know what they're capable of but recruited at a point where there isn't much scope for growth as a player.


Crozier is an interesting one.

He was awesome for us in 2020 but did his shoulder in a practice match in 2021 against Melbourne. That was unfortunately the end of him. He was never the same after that. He's only 31 and if not for injuries I'm confident he'd well and truly be in our best 22. The injury to Crozier was compounded by the retirement to Wood. Too much was left up to an ageing Duryea.

There are some similarities between Crozier and Budarick. We targeted both players to play in defence even though they had spent the previous season (Freo & GCS respectively) playing the majority of matches as a forward. Crozier was pivotal in Freo's round three victory against us in 2017. We were in prime position to finally win seven in a row and it was his goal in the final quarter that put the Dockers in front. He was very good that night.
 
Crozier is an interesting one.

He was awesome for us in 2020 but did his shoulder in a practice match in 2021 against Melbourne. That was unfortunately the end of him. He was never the same after that. He's only 31 and if not for injuries I'm confident he'd well and truly be in our best 22. The injury to Crozier was compounded by the retirement to Wood. Too much was left up to an ageing Duryea.

There are some similarities between Crozier and Budarick. We targeted both players to play in defence even though they had spent the previous season (Freo & GCS respectively) playing the majority of matches as a forward. Crozier was pivotal in Freo's round three victory against us in 2017. We were in prime position to finally win seven in a row and it was his goal in the final quarter that put the Dockers in front. He was very good that night.
Crozier's career probably also got shaken up a little bit with covid, too.
 

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Welcome to the Kennel Connor Budarick

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