Dream draft / trade scenario for us:
Outgoing (9):
Fletcher - retired
Chapman - retired
Winderlich - retired
Carlisle - traded to STK for pick #5
Melksham - traded to MEL for pick #25
Dalgleish - delisted
Aylett (R) - delisted
W.Hams - delisted
A.Steinberg (R) - delisted
Incoming (9):
Pick #4 - A.Francis (192cm Luke Hodge - better aerially, less midfield ability. Aggressive, powerful, courageous, great intercept player, elite overhead. Could play defensive general, 3rd tall forward/back, potentially as a Goddard style utility).
Pick #5 - C.Curnow (come draft combine will measure close to 194cm and 95kg. Super athletic, powerful beast of a KPF / Inside MID combo player. Raw but with huge upside).
Pick #23 - R.Clarke or L.Partington depending on availability (both are running offensive mids. Clarke more explosive and with more x-factor, Partington with great running patterns and gets possessions at will. Both damaging. Both more outside at this stage but both with clear ability inside the contest).
Pick #25 - On trade for H.Bennell (highly unlikely, although not many suitors ATM. Could need to give 2016 second rounder as well) or M.Hibberd (191cm running back flanker / winger in the Birchall mold. Good overhead and intercept player, no inside game at this point. Missed last season with a knee so is an overager draftable this year.
Pick #41 - M.Brown (overage KPP utility that filled in for us during the NAB challenge this year).
Pick #59 - S.McKernan (rookie upgrade)
Free Agent - Leuenberger (BRI) - with no guarantees that Bellchambers comes good, a number one ruckman is needed on the list. There are some good young prospects next year, so I would take a young ruck in 2015.
Rookie Pick 1: Tom Wallis - son of Dean, slight framed mid 180s cm mid. Can play inside and loves to tackle, but needs a few pre-seasons to build the body. Skillful and a good runner.
Rookie Pick 2: Kieran Agius (super talented 189cm forward. Fitness concerns and lack of professionalism the reason he's available here. Considered the best kick in the draft. The forward line equivalent of Petracca for damage and 1v1 ability, but with no apparent scope to play anywhere else on the ground. Huge talent, worth a rookie shot).
Rookie Pick 3: M.Hartley (former COL listed KPD. Great season in VFL. Athletic 198cm defender).
These selections (while obviously hopeful rather than realistic) fix a lot of our list imbalances without delisting half our squad. Allows us to get talent in and positional needs in. Would result in something like the following (everyone will have slightly different views as to who is / is not best 22):
SENIOR BEST 22:
FF: McKernan - Curnow - Z.Merrett
HF: Laverde - Daniher - Langford
C: Goddard - Heppell - Bennell/Hibberd(new)
R: Hocking - Leuenberger - Watson
HB: Hibberd(old) - Hooker - Gleeson
FB: Baguley - Hurley - Francis
I/C: Zaharakis - Myers - Stanton - Colyer
RESERVES BEST 22:
FF: Bellchambers - Edwards - Agius (R)
HF: Cooney - Ambrose - McKenna (R - Cat B)
C: J.Merrett - A.Browne - Clarke/Partington
R: O'Brien - Giles - Kavanagh
HB: Gwilt - M.Brown - Dempsey
FB: Ashby - Hartley (R) - Pears
I/C: Fantasia - Wallis (R) - Howlett - Long (R) - Kommer