Rumour GFC 2024 Player Trading, Drafting FA, Rumours and Wish lists Pt 1

[Pure_Ownage]

McRae is signed on good money until the end of 2027.

Do you want to inherit that?

If the dogs wanted to move him they would either need to pay some of his contract or sweeten the deal ala Bowes deal. And I don’t see either of those things happening.

I reckon if McRae was a Cat he would be a whipping boy on those boards as someone who gets a lot of the ball, is not super damaging and can be exposed defensively. He is kind of a slightly better version of Matt Crouch, but with a far worse contract.

I get your point re the contract but re player quality crouch makes macrae look like a mid career nat fyfe. Macrae is miles better.

 

[Vivy]

dIsagree on the 2nd para. What they needed was a big shutdown kpd (remember mckenzie being outsized by kpfs) and didnt get it. Zerk thatcher isnt that player strength wise. Sav isnt either because his best game is zoning off which is what allir is best at-stylistically they are too similar and it doesnt address their weakness. Meanwhile up forward they are still playing a GFL level player in mcentee as a small forward (plus narkle in depth as a small forward who is a. A midfielder and b. Shouldnt be on a list anymore). They didnt solve their kpd problems at all and yes i know they drafted a decent small fwd in last years draft but they needed to do it 3 years ago.
Their only decent recruit last year was soldo but they way overpaid to get him compared to equivalent recent depth ruck trades.

Their individual player selection of young players is very good see rozee butters bergman georgiades etc. But list management is all about creating balance and a structure that minimises holes and they havent done that at all.

And this is before you get to their 2 biggest problems. 1. Their coach is tactically inept and that wont work in finals-they needed to remove koch if his influence ia why they wont boot ken.
And 2. Their players are mentally soft and are great when plan A works but they arent strong enough to find plan B on the fly (or the coach isnt smart enough to pull the levers).

This will get found out in finals hence this list will never win a flag (even not withstanding how weak the comp is)

If your directive to Ratugolea prior to a game was stand next to an opponent and beat him he would do fine. The game isn't played that way. I would argue 'lockdown' is all he actually can do.

He gets lost as soon as there's variation and he has to adjust on the run. His positioning when not on a man was consistently poor.

Rozee and Butters change the game for them. They'll be good for a long time with those two. You can have a rotating door of Willem Drew style players to stick next to them for a decade and they'll win a lot of games.

 

[Mr Meow]

If your directive to Ratugolea prior to a game was stand next to an opponent and beat him he would do fine. The game isn't played that way. I would argue 'lockdown' is all he actually can do.

He gets lost as soon as there's variation and he has to adjust on the run. His positioning when not on a man was consistently poor.

Rozee and Butters change the game for them. They'll be good for a long time with those two. You can have a rotating door of Willem Drew style players to stick next to them for a decade and they'll win a lot of games.

Plug Geelong's forward line into that Port side and they win the flag comfortably.

You could probably say the same about Melbourne.

 

[Lana]

dIsagree on the 2nd para. What they needed was a big shutdown kpd (remember mckenzie being outsized by kpfs) and didnt get it. Zerk thatcher isnt that player strength wise. Sav isnt either because his best game is zoning off which is what allir is best at-stylistically they are too similar and it doesnt address their weakness. Meanwhile up forward they are still playing a GFL level player in mcentee as a small forward (plus narkle in depth as a small forward who is a. A midfielder and b. Shouldnt be on a list anymore). They didnt solve their kpd problems at all and yes i know they drafted a decent small fwd in last years draft but they needed to do it 3 years ago.
Their only decent recruit last year was soldo but they way overpaid to get him compared to equivalent recent depth ruck trades.

Their individual player selection of young players is very good see rozee butters bergman georgiades etc. But list management is all about creating balance and a structure that minimises holes and they havent done that at all.

And this is before you get to their 2 biggest problems. 1. Their coach is tactically inept and that wont work in finals-they needed to remove koch if his influence ia why they wont boot ken.
And 2. Their players are mentally soft and are great when plan A works but they arent strong enough to find plan B on the fly (or the coach isnt smart enough to pull the levers).

This will get found out in finals hence this list will never win a flag (even not withstanding how weak the comp is)

Can you go into more detail about Ken Hinkley's tactical ineptitude.

I don't buy the idea of players being mentally soft, we lost finals repeatedly in the first quarter. for half a decade, didn't stop us.

Outside of centre clearances situations (an area where they should be strong in), I think a big KPD becomes almost redundant. Either it is a fast counter and the KPF has all the space in the world or its a slow build up and it becomes many on many. They have a group of KPD that can intercept. Like everyone else they need to stop the quicker counter, being efficient forward is the best way and they have decent pieces in a three head tall structure.

The last small player into the 22 matters little.

Soldo for all his flaws is better than what they had.

 

[iameviljez]

If your directive to Ratugolea prior to a game was stand next to an opponent and beat him he would do fine. The game isn't played that way. I would argue 'lockdown' is all he actually can do.

I disagree regarding the role of a lockdown defender. Modern sides can get away with carrying one role player in each part of the ground - i.e. a player who contributes overtly strongly in one facet of the game, usually defensive. For us in 2022, it was Bews, Atkins and Rohan. For Port, it won't be an issue to carry Ratugolea as the Lonergan type of player, who doesn't win much footy but will solve their single biggest defensive flaw.

 

[CatRiot]

Curtains to Doedee you'd think...

MSN

 

[D BRIDGE]

Curtains to Doedee you'd think...

MSN

Unlucky for Doedee if true.

It’s definitely a reminder to me that giving up plenty for Bailey Smith for fraught with danger.

In saying that, plenty of guys have done ACLs once and kept on chugging away… so sometimes you just get unlucky.

Doedee is obviously a bit ACL prone though and I was kinda shocked the lions went so hard at him after he done his second.

I was surprised at the contract he got.

 

[Cataholic]

Can you go into more detail about Ken Hinkley's tactical ineptitude.

I don't buy the idea of players being mentally soft, we lost finals repeatedly in the first quarter. for half a decade, didn't stop us.

Outside of centre clearances situations (an area where they should be strong in), I think a big KPD becomes almost redundant. Either it is a fast counter and the KPF has all the space in the world or its a slow build up and it becomes many on many. They have a group of KPD that can intercept. Like everyone else they need to stop the quicker counter, being efficient forward is the best way and they have decent pieces in a three head tall structure.

The last small player into the 22 matters little.

Soldo for all his flaws is better than what they had.

I think mental softness under pressure is definitely a thing.

The Australian cricket team has prided itself over many years on breaking opponents down mentally.

The SAS and armed forces design induction courses to break people down, both physically and mentally.

The thing is, everyone has a breaking point.....the point where their desire to compete, to push on, to dig deeper, evaporates.

I think the same phenomenon can be seen in team sport as well.

 

[Hamingja]

Unlucky for Doedee if true.

It’s definitely a reminder to me that giving up plenty for Bailey Smith for fraught with danger.

In saying that, plenty of guys have done ACLs once and kept on chugging away… so sometimes you just get unlucky.

Doedee is obviously a bit ACL prone though and I was kinda shocked the lions went so hard at him after he done his second.

I was surprised at the contract he got.

You just can't give a 1st round pick / long contract to Smith coming off an ACL with no footy post ACL behind him.

 

[Gunf]

Im fine with it so long as it doesnt just allow top 4 teams to raid bottom clubs.
if they are going to do it they need to lower the cap floor to 80 % so bottom teams can use the extra cap space to trade in players mid season as well. They also need to put in limits (ie if top 4 clubs bring in a player they should be trading out equivalent player value in return eg one player in one out).

Like i said earlier the only way i would want a mid season trade period which the AFL will eventually get is if the only players of for trades are the players who aren't getting games (max 3 games by the trade period).

I also like the idea of trading a player for player only...

So a fringe player from club A lets say a ruck to Geelong for fringe player from club B a mid to Brisbane.
Brisbane give up a ruck they aren't using for a mid Geelong isn't using.

But no matter how it plays out is can only be for absolute fringe players.

 

[D BRIDGE]

Like i said earlier the only way i would want a mid season trade period which the AFL will eventually get is if the only players of for trades are the players who aren't getting games (max 3 games by the trade period).

I also like the idea of trading a player for player only...

So a fringe player from club A lets say a ruck to Geelong for fringe player from club B a mid to Brisbane.
Brisbane give up a ruck they aren't using for a mid Geelong isn't using.

But no matter how it plays out is can only be for absolute fringe players.

Might aswell not bring in mid season trading if it was under those rules.

Hardly any trades would be made and a spud player for spud player trade isn’t going to get the headlines the AFL wants.

 

[Lana]

I think mental softness under pressure is definitely a thing.

The Australian cricket team has prided itself over many years on breaking opponents down mentally.

The SAS and armed forces design induction courses to break people down, both physically and mentally.

The thing is, everyone has a breaking point.....the point where their desire to compete, to push on, to dig deeper, evaporates.

I think the same phenomenon can be seen in team sport as well.

My point is that I think that "Mental softness" is less of a trait that some one has and more related to circumstances at specific time under specific conditions. The same team that broke one week doesn't the next. We broke in the 3rd quarter of the 2020 Grandfinal, most of the same guys didn't break 2 years later in the qualifying final.

 

[Gunf]

Might aswell not bring in mid season trading if it was under those rules.

Hardly any trades would be made and a spud player for spud player trade isn’t going to get the headlines the AFL wants.

Then don't bring it in as it stupid to begin with..

The last thing we need is top 4-8 clubs taking the best players from bottom 4-8 clubs making them stay down even longer.

E.g Brisbane decide they want Sheezel and trade for him well that screws North long term next Year Port decide they want Wardlaw well that screws North again.

What we need to be looking at is how to make the draft/trade periods we have less broken and unfair not adding more unfairness.

The only thing mid season trade periods would help with a injury hit clubs and if those things can be helped with fringe players that is all that is needed.

 

[Cataholic]

My point is that I think that "Mental softness" is less of a trait that some one has and more related to circumstances at specific time under specific conditions. The same team that broke one week doesn't the next. We broke in the 3rd quarter of the 2020 Grandfinal, most of the same guys didn't break 2 years later in the qualifying final.

Maybe the 2020 experience hardened them just a little more such it equipped them to handle 2022?

 

[Lana]

Then don't bring it in as it stupid to begin with..

The last thing we need is top 4-8 clubs taking the best players from bottom 4-8 clubs making them stay down even longer.

E.g Brisbane decide they want Sheezel and trade for him well that screws North long term next Year Port decide they want Wardlaw well that screws North again.

What we need to be looking at is how to make the draft/trade periods we have less broken and unfair not adding more unfairness.

The only thing mid season trade periods would help with a injury hit clubs and if those things can be helped with fringe players that is all that is needed.

I'm against the mid season draft but I don't see that as an issue

The thing about the mid season draft is that everyone is contracted, the club has a hard veto any player movement. The Buying would have to satisfy North. I think it is likely to cause teams to overpay on mid tier talent and * up their futures for very little.

 

[Cataholic]

My point is that I think that "Mental softness" is less of a trait that some one has and more related to circumstances at specific time under specific conditions. The same team that broke one week doesn't the next. We broke in the 3rd quarter of the 2020 Grandfinal, most of the same guys didn't break 2 years later in the qualifying final.

Ps: I should also say that I agree with you in saying that being mentally soft from the start wouldn't allow the guys to play AFL, and it requires specific pressure, conditions etc.

But I guess I also believe that everyone has a soft underbelly somewhere, and it can / will be exposed given those specific criteria.

It doesn't make them mentally weak per se, but it does them fragile in that moment.

 

[Lana]

Maybe the 2020 experience hardened them just a little more such it equipped them to handle 2022?

Well 2016 to 2019 didn't do s**t for us in 2020...

Bringing this back to Port, all things being equal I don't think they're more prone to panic or mental weakness then another team in the AFL is expected to be

 

[D BRIDGE]

Not saying would trade Sheezel but if they were thinking mid season that they might be happy to trade a certain player at the end of the year… there’s a good chance they would get more in the trade for said player in the mid year.

Because the team trading for the player gets thems earlier and gets them mid year after they have time to assess if they are a shot at a flag or not + they could instantly fill a hole.

The clubs would probably need to pay overs and long term that might just help the lower clubs climb back up the ladder faster.

Either way… you need to be smart about your trades no matter what club you are.

 

[Gunf]

Not saying would trade Sheezel but if they were thinking mid season that they might be happy to trade a certain player at the end of the year… there’s a good chance they would get more in the trade for said player in the mid year.

Because the team trading for the player gets thems earlier and gets them mid year after they have time to assess if they are a shot at a flag or not + they could instantly fill a hole.

The clubs would probably need to pay overs and long term that might just help the lower clubs climb back up the ladder faster.

Either way… you need to be smart about your trades no matter what club you are.

I agree that clubs may pay more mid season but how do you determine what picks everyone has mid season???

 

[Lana]

I agree that clubs may pay more mid season but how do you determine what picks everyone has mid season???

Like trading future picks, but you have a stronger indication based off everyone's current position

 

[Gunf]

Like trading future picks, but you have a stronger indication based off everyone's current position

Hmm maybe but i would still prefer to get rid of all things that compromise the draft before even entertaining it.

Get rid of priority picks. Replace with help with staffing/facilities etc
Get rid of academy discounts or even better the ability to match.
Make FA compensation formula available for everyone to see so you can't give someone a priority pick and pretend it didn't happen.
Father and Sons i would prefer staying for nostalgia but i am ok if it need to go as well.

Do those and maybe we can talk about a mid season trade period.

 

[CatToTheFuture]

For the record: I am now off the Smith bandwagon.

I still think he could be the right player, but Hawks are offering a contract that is 25% too long, 20% too much money, and throwing a likely top 5 pick on the table.

If we match that we'd be silly

 

[D BRIDGE]

For the record: I am now off the Smith bandwagon.

I still think he could be the right player, but Hawks are offering a contract that is 25% too long, 20% too much money, and throwing a likely top 5 pick on the table.

If we match that we'd be silly

Where did this get reported?

Man if the dogs got the Hawks first pick outright for him they’d be laughing.

Doubt it goes down exactly that way though with something coming back.

I’m personally not worried too much about what his yearly fee would be… we will have the coin.

I’d be more worried about the length of it and what I be worried about the most is what draft capital we had to give up to make the trade happen.

Smith is stacked with $$$ though due to having 736 outside sponsorships… so maybe he just goes to the place he wants to be most, over who is offering the most $$$.

Looking closely at the Hawks mids recently due to us playing them… A fit Smith would certainly be a handy player for them that they look like the need.

Time will tell I guess.

 

[Gee Class Loco]

I this kid doesn’t want to stay past his contract at West Coast and does a JHF/Tom Boyd and wants to play for his beloved Cats.

Yes I know JHF/Boyd didn’t see out their contracts.

Is Reid’s contract 3 years now or have they not changed that rule yet (can’t remember)… please please please be 2 years still.

Not sure. But he will cost more than Jezza cost us i reckon.
At 20-21years old. The Eagles will do a Tim Kelly on us and then sum.

 

[BennyGan]

If no Smith what mid that would be a realistic target would you guys want us to go after?
I know we were pretty keen on Sheldrick on his draft night. He seems all but certain to ask for a trade away from the swans now.