Final list spot - who gets it?

[jj1978]

Tom Bell

 

[thylacine60]

joe biden........

 

[WFGodot]

Not impressed with any of the possibles. Do we actually need to pick one or can we just go one short?

 

[bluemahogany]

Not Moore, definitely not afl standard.

Sturgess has tools and was more impressive in the Collingwood practice match.

 

[Kreuuuzeurns]

I’d give Jye Bolton a crack. He’s exactly what we need through the middle and has been carving it up for years.

None of the 4 that we’ve been connected with excite me all that much. If it has to be one I’d give it to Webb, but as others have said hold off until round 12.

 

[Arr0w]

If not Cunico, target another onballer with above average foot skills

 

[Coona Blues]

I am not in favour of filling the position for the sake of it. The only triallist I would entertain is Sturgess. Webb far too injury prone, Cunico will almost certainly not go past our other outside mids, and if Moore was a genuine tall forward prospect, he would be still at Richmond. Some are saying we are well served for 3rd tall defender types. However, barring a major fitness turnaround Macreadie is on shaky ground, I like BSOS, but still some attitude questions apparently. Unlikely Goddard gets a main list gig, but is spectacular at the lower level and a pillar of our VFL defence and solid backup. It is possible he will not be "required" beyond 2021, leaving the need to shore up our lower level defence. While not a KPD, he would allow for some continuity in our VFL defence. Does anyone know Sturgess' state league affiliations if we don't take him as an option?

My preference would be to leave the position vacant until mid year. This leaves a window if a state leaguer elevates along the lines of Kelly or Pickett during the first half of the season. It also allows us to monitor Kreuzer a little longer. Should he have injury or more heart issues, a mature rucking back up, or more particularly the pick of the candidates would be advantageous. I firmly believe Pittonet and TDK are adequate if it comes down to it, but a mature back up would then allow us to draft a project kid to give more suitable progression planning.

The other option is of course to reward a deserving Northern Blues player, with Hirst, Quirk and a couple of others entering the frame.

 

[The Bighouse]

I think we have to nominate that we are looking at them so I think the 4 named are the only ones we can take (happy to be proven wrong).

Moore is an absolute no for me, Cunico I know nothing about so its down to Sturgiss and Webb.

On one hand, Webb has AFL experience, and definitely if able to get a good run xould be a useful pickup.

On the other hand, Stugiss is an extension of the draft and is a free hit at a kid like Cottrell.

Pretty sure as long they have nominated for the previous draft, or recently been on an AFL list, they’re open to be listed under the SSP.

The advantage with the training with option, is to see how they actually operate under an/your AFL environment.

 

[The Bighouse]

Not impressed with any of the possibles. Do we actually need to pick one or can we just go one short?

We can go short until the mid-season draft, if we wish.

LTI replacement for Kemp, who could also possibly play later in the year, but likely going the cautious route.

 

[Bamboo Harvester]

Yeah, not having seen any of them except for their recent stints, maybe Sturgess would be the 'best'...although he may become another Schumacher just filling a spot in the NB's.

I'd prefer to put it on hold for the moment, and look around the country for some player who's been tearing it a new one during the first half of the season.....let's face it, it's just a free hit at a player who is playing good footy at state league, or was unlucky to miss out on the 2019 draft but could become a project player. Over to you, Nick.

Woods look like they found one in the 2019 mid season draft in Noble, and the Tiggs with Pickett. A few years ago there was a guy named Tim Kelly that was braining them in the WAFL, that we could have had access to if there was a mid season draft back then.

I'm with another poster though...while we have Eddie on board, I'd love to see a smaller creative forward added to the list to be mentored. They are definitely out there around the country...North have recently signed Adam Tipungwuti in their VFL, with the view of potentially selecting him in the mid season draft...Sam Fowler picked up by Collingwood VFL. We should be keeping a close eye on these players, and selecting the best available mid year, regardless of which VFL/WAFL/SANFL/NEAFL side they are playing with.

 

[Own The Future]

Seems that I am in strong agreement with the vast majority on this: none of the 4 prospects have done enough to be a viable candidate for senior footy (unless they are really tearing it up behind closed doors). From memory none of our highly respected track watchers have been glowing about any of the 4.
I’d advise us to wait for the mid season draft - see who is impressing in the state leagues and draft based on need, rather than the best of 4 who don’t really seem to fit.

 

[Blue__Balls]

Don't mind the idea of holding off til mid-season, but folks need to keep in mind that, should a "Tim Kelly" option present, it's unlikely we'll have an early enough pick to take him. What are the odds that three, four or five extremely talented, AFL-capable state league players present themselves by the middle of the year?

The mid-season draft last year was slim pickings, I don't see any reason to think this year will be any different.

For that matter, the SSP isn't exactly a deep pool of talent. 2019 saw Gibbons (solid), Cottrell (developing, looks OK longer term), Zac Clarke (meh), Sam Fletcher (who?), Shane Mumford (desperate), Ned Reeves (who?), Corey Wagner (meh), Jay Lockhart (meh), Tom Campbell (meh), Mav Weller (meh), Sydney Stack (solid), Jon Marsh (meh), Sam Rowe (love him, but still meh), Hayden McLean (who?), Keegan Brooksby (who?).

That lot combined for 104 games, an average of 7 per player. Significantly inflated by Gibbons (21), Mumford (20) and Stack (17). Take those three out and the rest averaged less than 4 games each.

With that in mind, I've got two "preferences":

a) If the club thinks Sturgess is a decent prospect for 2021 onwards, take him now as an effective "extra" rookie pick. Pump a bunch of development into him while he's playing with the NBs. Predominantly a defender, but has been used as a marking forward as well - we could certainly start to develop him as a Jeremy Howe-, Brody Mihocek-, Bailey Fritsch-type swingman. Not a bad thing to have in the back pocket given we have a number talls who are no stranger to injury in Marchy, Curnow, McKay, McGovern.

b) If the club doesn't think Sturgess is worth pursuing as a longer term option, just take Moore. I wouldn't expect him to play much/any seniors, but at least it leaves us with a VFL-grade tall forward if McKay, Curnow, Gov miss games and we need to elevate blokes like TDK or Pittonet to plug gaps in the seniors.

I doubt anyone we pick up mid-year is going to seamlessly slot into our senior side, so either take the long view with Sturgess, or pad out the VFL in a position currently exposed by injury with Moore. Get the benefit of the full season out of whichever we take.

 

[CJMB]

Give it to Cripps, he deserves two spots.

 

[Coona Blues]

Don't mind the idea of holding off til mid-season, but folks need to keep in mind that, should a "Tim Kelly" option present, it's unlikely we'll have an early enough pick to take him. What are the odds that three, four or five extremely talented, AFL-capable state league players present themselves by the middle of the year?

The mid-season draft last year was slim pickings, I don't see any reason to think this year will be any different.

For that matter, the SSP isn't exactly a deep pool of talent. 2019 saw Gibbons (solid), Cottrell (developing, looks OK longer term), Zac Clarke (meh), Sam Fletcher (who?), Shane Mumford (desperate), Ned Reeves (who?), Corey Wagner (meh), Jay Lockhart (meh), Tom Campbell (meh), Mav Weller (meh), Sydney Stack (solid), Jon Marsh (meh), Sam Rowe (love him, but still meh), Hayden McLean (who?), Keegan Brooksby (who?).

That lot combined for 104 games, an average of 7 per player. Significantly inflated by Gibbons (21), Mumford (20) and Stack (17). Take those three out and the rest averaged less than 4 games each.

With that in mind, I've got two "preferences":

a) If the club thinks Sturgess is a decent prospect for 2021 onwards, take him now as an effective "extra" rookie pick. Pump a bunch of development into him while he's playing with the NBs. Predominantly a defender, but has been used as a marking forward as well - we could certainly start to develop him as a Jeremy Howe-, Brody Mihocek-, Bailey Fritsch-type swingman. Not a bad thing to have in the back pocket given we have a number talls who are no stranger to injury in Marchy, Curnow, McKay, McGovern.

b) If the club doesn't think Sturgess is worth pursuing as a longer term option, just take Moore. I wouldn't expect him to play much/any seniors, but at least it leaves us with a VFL-grade tall forward if McKay, Curnow, Gov miss games and we need to elevate blokes like TDK or Pittonet to plug gaps in the seniors.

I doubt anyone we pick up mid-year is going to seamlessly slot into our senior side, so either take the long view with Sturgess, or pad out the VFL in a position currently exposed by injury with Moore. Get the benefit of the full season out of whichever we take.

You suggest flawed logic, yet I see your's as flawed. If no one is suitable mid year, we still don't take anyone, but we may just "fluke" a gem.
Who is to say there will be more than a handful of selections in total? No sense filling the list with a place holder for the sake of it.

 

[Blue__Balls]

You suggest flawed logic, yet I see your's as flawed. If no one is suitable mid year, we still don't take anyone, but we may just "fluke" a gem.
Who is to say there will be more than a handful of selections in total? No sense filling the list with a place holder for the sake of it.

Flawed logic? How so?

I'm saying if we hold off til the mid-season draft we'll likely have a middling pick of a similar bunch of limited footballers, when we could get a full season's use out of someone else instead. DeLuca played the most games of any MS draftee in 2019, with 6. And was ordinary at best.

And not taking anyone in the mid season draft (should we have a spot) would be incredibly wasteful.

There's also the consideration that we may (are probably likely to) have another player go onto the injury list by mid year. Our track record is ordinary, and we have a few blokes coming into the season under a cloud - Doc (ACLs), Marchbank (neck), Willo (back), Jones (severe concussion last year).

So my logic is that we take the most suitable option now (whether that's youth or mature depth), use them, develop them, and see where we stand come mid year. I don't think anyone who didn't save a spot last year, and avoided any LTIs, is kicking themselves that they missed out on DeLuca or Riordan or Dunkley.

 

[The Old Dark Navy's]

Of the 4, give it to Sturgess or Webb.

Outside of that, Ben Sokol.

Or bring back Deluca for a proper go or Daisy for back up if it all goes pear shaped.

 

[FRUMPY]

Of the 4, give it to Sturgess or Webb.

Outside of that, Ben Sokol.

Or bring back Deluca for a proper go or Daisy for back up if it all goes pear shaped.

You better mean Adrian and not Josh......surely

 

[Salt Lake Cities]

Of the 4, give it to Sturgess or Webb.

Outside of that, Ben Sokol.

Or bring back Deluca for a proper go or Daisy for back up if it all goes pear shaped.

Daisy is locked in to play a game for my old footy club in Hobart in April, then do a sporties night after it.

Not sure he’d be in peak physical condition atm...

 

[Blue__Balls]

Of the 4, give it to Sturgess or Webb.

Outside of that, Ben Sokol.

Or bring back Deluca for a proper go or Daisy for back up if it all goes pear shaped.

Webb hamstring?

Sturgess not going to impact much this year.

Sokol, from what I've read, may not have a game that transfers well to AFL. He's an undersized key forward with limited athleticism who relies on strength to beat an opponent. That's fine in a state comp against other part time footballers, but does it stack up against full time AFL defenders? Perhaps a better option than Moore as a deep depth option though.

DeLuca doesn't add anything we don't already have.

Daisy, bless him, has well and truly moved on.

 

[Jeremias]

Not sure. I’m not overly excited by any of the 4.

I have previously posted in support of adding cheap mature options (Newman, Newnes, Betts, Gibbons) but Moore isn’t close to those guys as footballers.

Webb looked most likely to get the spot but he has done his hamstring and his injury history worries me.

Cunico I know little about but I don’t see a huge rush to add him to the senior squad. He will be playing for the Northern Blues this year so the opportunity to have a good look at him is there.

Of the 4 options I’d probably go with Sturgess. If we’re not confident there’s an option who can contribute straight away, to with a kid and put a years development into him. You never know what might happen.

 

[footyfan1978]

More SPS, less SPP please...

Yeah, Powell-Pepper is patchy.

 

[JustaBattler]

Is Charlie on the LTI list?

 

[Aphrodite]

Is Charlie on the LTI list?

Not that I am aware of and haven't seen anything from the Club JaB.

 

[JustaBattler]

Not that I am aware of and haven't seen anything from the Club JaB.

Thanks Aph - interesting...

 

[chipzac]

I'd like to see how Sturgess and Moore go at the next Northern practice game/s first. Compare their games with Cunico, Cody Hirst and Joe Richards (seemed to have impressed in that last practice game. Anyone know anything about him?).
If we went with Moore or Cunico, we would be after someone who could play this year unlike one of Sturgess, Richards or Hirst who most probably wouldn't.
Maybe just pick the one who impresses most in those upcoming game/s and at training.