Player Watch Josh Rachele

[Mostyn]

Hopefully we're not that stupid.

For a random second round draft pick?

Nah, you're not doing that. Not while he's contracted. Besides the fact you probably still get that if he leaves a year later - a good key defender (even a genuine backup) is more valuable than that.

Suggesting you just give that away for a pick in the 30s seems very stupid to me.

 

[adelaidecrows]

Hopefully we're not that stupid.

we dont have any up and coming ready made tall defenders. makes it really hard to give away a match ready Butts.

 

[spenze]

I disagree. I think the fact Butts (or Murray) is here right now says the interest wasn't there in any meaningful capacity. Let's be real, we're not fighting too hard to retain what is essentially a depth option. I doubt the league really cares about guys who provide nothing on offense.

Also nothing strange about it. We have three better tall defenders then Butts.

Get where you are coming from.

As a side, that needed a mid, to be unable to wangle a mid, out of a team that needed a KPD badly...and a KPD who held Semen Sam to a few touches...maybe he isn't the man we think.

 

[baldandbroke]

Can we change the title of this thread please!!!

Also, plenty of places to talk about our defenders - why pick the Josh Rachele thread???

 

[1970crow]

If Butts was best 22 he'd have been playing

FWIW I would pick him over Murray

Both fully fit, prior to Murray’s ACL, I’d probably have leaned towards Murray. But on form in 2025 it’s Butts comfortably, was best 22, selectors just got it wrong. I think Murray will close the gap again over the preseason though.

 

[1970crow]

I disagree. I think the fact Butts (or Murray) is here right now says the interest wasn't there in any meaningful capacity. Let's be real, we're not fighting too hard to retain what is essentially a depth option. I doubt the league really cares about guys who provide nothing on offense.

Also nothing strange about it. We have three better tall defenders than Butts.

We did it with Berg a couple of years prior. We didn’t have another viable backup to TT’s role so we kept him despite knowing he was gone the year following. And Butts comfortably out-performed Murray last year.

 

[1970crow]

Bulldogs asked and we said he was worth a first rounder. Didn’t go any further than that.

Butts is an amazing FB and should be in the team. Problem is Keane and Murray also are too good not to be in the team.

We really should have been repurposing Murray to play forward so we could get all three in the team. Drafting and trading another 5 forward kinda threw that out the window though.

Murray’s form wasn’t selection worthy last season. Obviously it was impacted by returning from ACL and then injuring it again, but he should have been dropped once Butts proved his fitness after a couple of SANFL games.

 

[1970crow]

Hopefully we're not that stupid.

When you’re contending, your depth becomes more valuable to you. We’ve been thinking finals the last 3 seasons, which is why we held Berg to his contract. We’ve got a recent example, we were even reported as saying we’d let him go if we could find a replacement. Not sure how this could be so easily forgotten. It’s not being stupid, it’s prioritising the current finals push ahead of refreshing the list with another draft pick. And you end up getting not much less a year later anyway.

If you’re genuinely contending (or at least believe you are), then it’s the obvious decision to make. Not stupid at all.