Analysis 2026 - The Way Forward

[rustycrate]

Buddy also came on top of the Tippet trade the year before. It didn’t fulfil a need. We should have not traded for Tippet and only got Buddy (but we didn’t know how interested Buddy was at the time).

Buddy’s contract was also much larger as a proportion of the cap, as well as longer as you point out. I have no idea of salary levels, but I reckon we come out ahead on the cap by losing Florent and Hayward and gaining Curnow.

I think Buddy was paid a lot out of that other bucket. Each club gets a million or so for promotion or whatever. It is not part of the cap.

 

[Dubai Quacker]

The Tippett trade was planned and executed, then damaged by the shenanigans by Adelaide with their cap that saw him suspended. It was a good piece of recruitment.
The Franklin trade was like Adams - fell into our lap - but as you say made the Tippett acquisition redundant. Mucked us up for years, despite the value he added as a player.
The Curnow trade is nice and straightforward, even if the price was a bit high, but we shouldn't count Florent into that equation, just Hayward. He's incidental, but the overall effect is probably as you say.

I feel like Curnow was needed to make us a genuine flag threat, whereas Buddy was perhaps also about publicity and revenues. As you pointed out, we already had Tippett & I didn’t feel like we needed another big rooster in the henhouse at the time.

But if Curnow can stay healthy, I reckon he’s going to be a huge boost - because our forward line has been pretty toothless for years & we can’t always rely on the mids to outperform in the goal kicking aspect of the game.

I’m pretty hyped to see Charlie in red & white.

 

[bloodsbigot]

I’m not quite sure why - but when we signed Buddy I thought “oh no, we’ve sold the farm”.
But when we signed Curnow I thought “worth a try”.

I think it’s the length of contract that worried me with Buddy.

Well there are big differences.

For example, we're not particularly breaking the bank to get Curnow like we did with Buddy, since Curnow was even willing to take a paycut to get out of Carlton.

And WE selected the players to get rid of, similar to the Dempster/Schneider trade, whereas with Buddy we didn't really have much choice who we lost.

And like you say Buddy's contract was 10 year and Curnow's is... What? 3?

 

[bloodsbigot]

Imo Cox won’t and isn’t good enough, hopefully this bites me

I'm not sold either.

 

[Kiama Chris]

As I'll be missing all of February (returning just in time for Round 0 ) I've been giving a lot of thought to what I think our best team mid-season would look like. Of course it assumes no injuries. In some cases (eg Ladhams for Grundy) the replacement is obvious. Others less so. Not going there, it's just too hard. Maybe another day. It also assumes that no-one's form falls in a hole. .
Defence: 7 one on bench
Lockdown Tall: Melican, Edwards
Interceptor: McCartin
Exit Medium: Blakey
Medium: Serong
Lockdown Small: Cunningham, Wicks
Pluses: Defence orientation, tall enough, internal versatility (bench or injury cover).
Minuses: Exit options, leadership/organisation, possibly too tall.
Alternatively Rampe, Bice or Roberts replace Edwards and Serong plays tall.
Attack: 7 one on bench
Tall Forward: Curnow, McDonald
Relief Ruck/Tall Forward: McLean
Small Forward: Papley, Rosas, Dattoli, Campbell
The big debate is two vs three tall forwards. I favour two. Others will differ and will need to leave out one of the small forwards.
Pluses: more active, fast, unpredictable, hopefully better forward defensive pressure
Minuses: can we get enough goals from the smalls? Will we be too easily beaten in the air?
Ruck: 1
Grundy duh!
Inside: 4
Mills, Heeney, Rowbottom, Sheldrick
Outside/Wing: 4
Gulden, McInerney, Warner, Jordon
Roles will probably vary quite a bit.
A midfielder (eg Cleary) could replace a small forward to take a more defensive stance.
You will note the absence of Rampe and Lloyd. IMO the future players need to learn to work together and hopefully Rampe will act as a mentor through training and VFL or if things go awry. I think the team is stronger without Lloyd.
Smokey (not mentioned): Snell, Hanily, Cleary as a mid, Cootee as a small forward.
Others only single games to cover injury.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

Well there are big differences.

For example, we're not particularly breaking the bank to get Curnow like we did with Buddy, since Curnow was even willing to take a paycut to get out of Carlton.

And WE selected the players to get rid of, similar to the Dempster/Schneider trade, whereas with Buddy we didn't really have much choice who we lost.

And like you say Buddy's contract was 10 year and Curnow's is... What? 3?

Also at the time our contract was unheard of and the cap was what 7 million less?

Then came the collateral from Franklin inclusion we had to shed 7-8 players and had to give away Mumford to a rival for nothing(contract not offered).

Where as Curnow we lost 2 best 22 starters who Cox deemed expendable to the side(rightly or wrongly) and draft picks which are heavily compromised due to a expansion side.

 

[Jewelsbon]

Time will tell

Definitely think will have to get a flag in the next 2 years otherwise we are cooked

Imo Cox won’t and isn’t good enough, hopefully this bites me

Tough call after one season in the big chair with virtually one hand tied behind his back.
He talked a big game at the end of last season and (in my opinion anyway), went a fair way in the off season to putting his money where his mouth is. Let's give him one more year with a full compliment of assistants and hopefully a better run with injuries before we turn the knife.