Obviously we don't know what kind of contract Lake would have accepted, but why not keep him around for another year on a smallish contract? Even if it's just as finals insurance, it seems a pretty big risk to take, especially given how much we were destroyed by KPF's pre-Lake. We need to learn from Geelong, bringing in youth is great, but if those players aren't pushing the oldies out of their spots, it's unlikely they will suddenly step up if you get rid of them. Geelong were also in a position where even with the older players, their best wasn't good enough, whereas we are in our window right now, and Lake has been one of our most important contributor in finals.
Like i said, i trust our brains trust, but this move has me a little concerned.