Have we addressed our needs this offseason?

[Scottabe_pendles]

There were a few niggling needs needing to be fixed after tumbling out of last years finals

- some will hopefully be naturally fixed (ball returning, some form and fitness to Thomas)

But after the trade and draft period (including releasing players) - where do you think our problems/needs now stand?

My thought:
Problem was an inside midfielder obviously Ball will fix this but there is still very little backup - I don't think we got one in the draft or via free agency/trades. Kennedy has potential but I prefer him as a high half forward (Which I like and appreciate him being)

Poor overall rucking (more an issue with the backups and Dawes) - Now there is the talent 100% but will it fix the problem like we all hope - I say short term definitely with Q-Lynch a huge temporary upgrade on Dawes (as a 20% ruckman) -- need one of Grundy or Witts to be that 30% better than a rubbish Wood (when playing those minutes)

Forward entries - I think hopefully Dids back and Beams being half forward will help this but also picking up Kennedy will be handy long term....

Any other major problems people saw last year that need/have been rectified - Another would be back half rebounding issues... but that seemed to be game plan as much as anything....

 

[jonbe54]

Back line issues were highlighted last year with poor forward entry from upfield, the loss of Ball and the consequent use of Beams (who did wonderfully) to partially fill that void robbed us of some class in that respect.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

Broomhead is a gun at inside 50's by all reports (and highlights appear to confirm). Goes some way toward addressing that problem.

 

[jonbe54]

Have we addressed our needs?

Hell yeah we bent over both Weagles and DeGirls

 

[vjknight]

many of our needs are being addressed without the scrutiny of trade month & draft day. it has been discussed many times before - the return of ball & keeffe, an injury free thomas X 2, the 2nd & 3rd pre-seasons for fasolo, paine, gault & elliott, the confidence of a breakout year for beams, bucks 2nd season as coach, rendell.......the list goes on.

personally, im more excited by the above listed than the changes weve seen in the last 8 weeks.

the recent changes influences will come in due course.

 

[Knightmare]

I don't think we've done a better job addressing our needs since when we added Jolly and Ball in that same offseason. Like that great 09 offseason this offseason has a similar feel where we have just nailed it.

From free agency to trade week to the draft.

We most needed a ruckman. Got the best in the draft with Grundy.

We needed a no.2 ruckman not called Dawes - got Lynch.

We needed more footskills after poor midfield delivery all year - got Young.

Needed more explosive pace - drafted Kennedy.

Needed better backline depth with S.Buckley not sufficient - got Russell.


Why it's such a good offseason is because we not only addressed the key needs but did it by adding quality players to fill these needs which is the only way to do it. We're genuinely in the mix for a premiership after this draft and I'm liking the balance of our list now. We've worked every stage beautifully and now in a position to do some damage and scare some teams if things can come together and key players can remain healthy.


I still have some queries as to whether we have enough high end young talents coming through and whether those developing non best 22 types can push past our current senior players (most have more of a good depth but not best 22 feel - most specifically the smalls and medium sizers), but I'm hoping I'm wrong.

 

[The Royal Sampler]

With Gault and Keeffe as our primary depth options as KP forward and defender, we could really benefit if Ben Richmond develops into something useful.

 

[PieNSauce]

The reality is that we won't know for some time yet but it would be a blind man who didn't see the obvious upside in what has been done. Add to that the statistical likelihood that we would be extremely unlucky to suffer the same level of injuries two years in a row and I am quietly excited about 2013. These things frequently fail to materialise but the potential is screamingly obvious from where I sit.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

I think we are lacking in only one area now - specialist small (crumbing ) forward that stays close to goals
We only really have Krakouer that fits this description as i consider Blair more of a midfielder that has to play up forward.
Fasolo can kick goals but last season transition to a high half forward role with stints in midfield. I expect this will continue.
Sinclair does a lot of good things, tackling and forward pressure but isn't polished enough to hurt opposition teams on scoreboard.
Elliott is more of a goal threat than Sinclair but he is more of a lead up marking forward than a crumbing forward.

As for what's available? We could give a lifeline to ex North player Matt Campbell. There is a talented Tiwi Island prospect Anthony Tipungwuti that we could take a punt on or we could even re-draft Ugle. I just wish we could of kept Brad Dick.
Anyone in the VFL/state leagues we can recruit that is not too old that fits this type of player we need?

 

[noideaatall]

Two issues: big bodied mids and (a la knightmare) question marks over whether the next wave of players are not talented enough. We do look to have a well balanced list though, plenty of competition for positions and no discernable dead weight.

 

[Tbone McGraw]

I think we are lacking in only one area now - specialist small (crumbing ) forward that stays close to goals
We only really have Krakouer that fits this description as i consider Blair more of a midfielder that has to play up forward.
Fasolo can kick goals but last season transition to a high half forward role with stints in midfield. I expect this will continue.
Sinclair does a lot of good things, tackling and forward pressure but isn't polished enough to hurt opposition teams on scoreboard.
Elliott is more of a goal threat than Sinclair but he is more of a lead up marking forward than a crumbing forward.

As for what's available? We could give a lifeline to ex North player Matt Campbell. There is a talented Tiwi Island prospect Anthony Tipungwuti that we could take a punt on or we could even re-draft Ugle. I just wish we could of kept Brad Dick.
Anyone in the VFL/state leagues we can recruit that is not too old that fits this type of player we need?

I actually see Ben Kennedy as our long term krak replacement and as much as i love krak, Kennedy could be anything. Jamie Elliott is the other one that excites a lot of us. Sinclair is a defensive small forward but i query his other skills as a small forward.

i can't believe how well we addressed our needs this off season. My only worry for next year is who performs our kick ins. Other than that, and it is a big issue, we are looking very good.

 

[Rusty22]

we nailed it.

 

[jonbe54]

Sensational off season work, aggressive drafting and needs focussed acquisitions has our list looking well rounded.

 

[Hardas]

With Gault and Keeffe as our primary depth options as KP forward and defender, we could really benefit if Ben Richmond develops into something useful.

In the short term, it's a concern if we have more injuries from the 'Best 22' players as Keefe, Paine and Hartley are all coming off major surgery, but hey, Gault, Witts and Grundy [or Richmond] may just be up to it sooner rather than later.

On the plus side, Cloke and Lynch have been very durable, so the concern maybe more at the other end with Brown and Reid [as well as Jolly, of course, who's been very durable but is aging].

Overall, it would only be long-term injuries to Jolly, Cloke or Reid that would really worry me, as short term problems can even be handled by improvising with Maxwell and Goldsack down back, or Goldy and Macaffer up forward.

 

[blaze036]

I think we are lacking in only one area now - specialist small (crumbing ) forward that stays close to goals
We only really have Krakouer that fits this description as i consider Blair more of a midfielder that has to play up forward.
Fasolo can kick goals but last season transition to a high half forward role with stints in midfield. I expect this will continue.
Sinclair does a lot of good things, tackling and forward pressure but isn't polished enough to hurt opposition teams on scoreboard.
Elliott is more of a goal threat than Sinclair but he is more of a lead up marking forward than a crumbing forward.

As for what's available? We could give a lifeline to ex North player Matt Campbell. There is a talented Tiwi Island prospect Anthony Tipungwuti that we could take a punt on or we could even re-draft Ugle. I just wish we could of kept Brad Dick.
Anyone in the VFL/state leagues we can recruit that is not too old that fits this type of player we need?

With krakour having a few years left and edwards coming through, i think the position is fine, kennedy can play there too. The only area i think we could work on would be a strong big bodied inside mid, definitely target one with our first pick in the next draft.

 

[Hardas]

FWIW, prior to the draft I made a list of 5 things [in no particular order] to look at in the draft:

1) x-factor to transition from the likes of Didak, Johnson and Krakouer. [Check! Kennedy, Broomhead and Ramsey]
2) another ruck option, preferably able to contribute sooner rather than later. [CHECK!]
3) kicking skills, in general. [Check! Kennedy, Broomhead and Ramsey]
4) goal kickers, as opposed to point kickers. [Check! Kennedy, Broomhead and Grundy]
5) 'Monster mid' [Best ones long gone before our picks (Stringer, Lonergan)/may still get one in the rookie draft, plus as others have pointed out my favourite player may be able to help out in this area (thanks one more time, Ross Lyon!)

With Lynch and Young, plus a handful of 'Best 27' players coming back from LTI, we have done a pretty comprehensive job of addressing our needs, personnel-wise.

Now, luck and good management aside, we need to see how much the players want to be at the top of the pile.

 

[Hardas]

With krakour having a few years left and edwards coming through, i think the position is fine, kennedy can play there too. The only area i think we could work on would be a strong big bodied inside mid, definitely target one with our first pick in the next draft.

Yep, that's what I just took a much longer post to say.

 

[Jelly Bean]

The one thing I wanted out of this draft period was what we didn't get - true mids... I was hoping we would get at least 2 of them in this draft. Someone who could just stand in the centre sqaure and bulldoze their way to the ball (Lonergan, Stringer, Vlastuin, even Hrovat).

We have a serious lack of depth at the inside mid level. Now that is okay, because all the good ones were obviously taken by our picks, but I hope this is a focus in next year's draft, because we seem to have picked up a ruck, two half forward / part time outside mids, and a half back in this period.

 

[HFF]

I don't think we've done a better job addressing our needs since when we added Jolly and Ball in that same offseason. Like that great 09 offseason this offseason has a similar feel where we have just nailed it.

From free agency to trade week to the draft.

We most needed a ruckman. Got the best in the draft with Grundy.

We needed a no.2 ruckman not called Dawes - got Lynch.

We needed more footskills after poor midfield delivery all year - got Young.

Needed more explosive pace - drafted Kennedy.

Needed better backline depth with S.Buckley not sufficient - got Russell.

Nailed it.

 

[Hardas]

The one thing I wanted out of this draft period was what we didn't get - true mids... I was hoping we would get at least 2 of them in this draft. Someone who could just stand in the centre sqaure and bulldoze their way to the ball (Lonergan, Stringer, Vlastuin, even Hrovat).

We have a serious lack of depth at the inside mid level. Now that is okay, because all the good ones were obviously taken by our picks, but I hope this is a focus in next year's draft, because we seem to have picked up a ruck, two half forward / part time outside mids, and a half back in this period.

Yeah, the wishlist for me for next year would read;
1) effective first-hands-on-ball clearance star and 2) a junkyard dog running mate who's a bruising tackler.
Trade, draft or kidnap.

 

[jonbe54]

Yeah, the wishlist for me for next year would read;
1) effective first-hands-on-ball clearance star and 2) a junkyard dog running mate who's a bruising tackler.
Trade, draft or kidnap.

Junk yard dogs are in short supply since the world went over to recycling

 

[Knightmare]

Two issues: big bodied mids and (a la knightmare) question marks over whether the next wave of players are not talented enough. We do look to have a well balanced list though, plenty of competition for positions and no discernable dead weight.

Really good comment re the big bodied midfielders and an oversight on my part not to make mention of that.

Every year through the draft we seem to have a theme in mind. Look for that theme to big bid bodied inside midfielders next year with Swan and Ball both nearing 30 and that extra year should also give us more clarity on where Josh Thomas sits and whether any of our other younger players (Marley Williams, Ben Kennedy and Alex Fasolo have genuine midfield potential or whether they are more forwards who can push into the midfield or in Williams' case also defender).

Elijah Edwards assuming we take him and he continues to develop this year might be that exception as that outside Lewis Jetta style linebreaker.

 

[76woodenspooners]

Yeah, the wishlist for me for next year would read;
2) a junkyard dog running mate who's a bruising tackler.

Kind of like a Marley Williams?

 

[Hardas]

Really good comment re the big bodied midfielders and an oversight on my part not to make mention of that.

Every year through the draft we seem to have a theme in mind. Look for that theme to big bid bodied inside midfielders next year with Swan and Ball both nearing 30 and that extra year should also give us more clarity on where Josh Thomas sits and whether any of our other younger players (Marley Williams, Ben Kennedy and Alex Fasolo have genuine midfield potential or whether they are more forwards who can push into the midfield or in Williams' case also defender).

Elijah Edwards assuming we take him and he continues to develop this year might be that exception as that outside Lewis Jetta style linebreaker.

Yeah, I'm a fan of Josh Thomas and think Marley Williams is a real chance in the 'junkyard dog area', but I'm hoping for a bigger player along the lines of Stringer or Lonergan to add to the mix.

Is it too early to say whether next year's draft looks to be 'mid-heavy'?

 

[Hardas]

Kind of like a Marley Williams?

Yeah, as I said in the other post, a bigger boy ideally, but I'm a fan of Marley for sure.