So what's the long term list strategy then?
Cornes, Schulz and Logan are the only players in the retirement bracket and realistically they could both play another two years at least. Westhoff, Carlile and Stewart are the next oldest and all three could play for another 2-5 years. Our midfield and backline could very easily have another 10 years together. The point is that if we are trading for a player they need to either fit into our starting 22, be happy to be back up or be a long term prospect.
Ryder and Lowden fill our ruck/forward needs now and in the future. Lowden would also be back up.
If we got a back in, who do they replace? If we got a small forward in, who do they replace? If we got a midfielder in who do we replace?
I think there is little point in trading Clurey, Butcher, O'Shea, Newton, Young, Moore for draft picks when we will lose ready made players who could take us to a flag for players that won't be ready for 3-5 years. Likewise why would we trade those same players for other players that may have potential - Liam Jones, Rhys Stanley, Levi Greenwood, etc. These guys are no better and have no more potential than the players we would have to trade for them.
If a player wants to leave then we get the best deal possible but otherwise we have a great squad that could win a flag. No need to mess with the formula too much. After we get Ryder and Lowden/Gorringe type then we draft young players who will be happy to spend 3-5 years developing by which time spots will become available.