How does drafting a kid KPF and mid fix the NOW problems ? If as you suggest we rid ourselves of Cram and either Red or Cloke we have reduced bigger forward numbers and need to wait years for this new wonderkid to develop ? ( do you have any suggestions who this KPF kid would be at pick 10-18?). A Lever or a Trengove alleviates the existing shortage, adds flexibility to KPP's, and we keep 2018 picks as insurance. I've stated elsewhere why I think trading future picks is fraught with peril, and I'm dead set against it. I'm not sure there is anything in the TAC that could have short term benefit. With Wait and see scenarios surrounding English, Green & NMM I'd much prefer a couple of mature players filling the holes.
A kid doesn't solve the now problems, but in my scenario, I'm putting my eggs in the Tom Boyd basket. I truly believe that Tom is the best answer to our problems that we have.
In hindsight I should have put an asterisk next to Crameri. If the club believe he can get back to somewhere near his 2014/2015 form then sign him up. But after essentially missing 2 years, hip surgery and the club not being impressed after initially being very impressed with his work ethic, that says to me that he's getting traded.
We need to keep one of Redpath or Cloke, not both. I'd prefer Cloke right now even though he has 1-2 years max left in him. Has better knowledge to pass on, better tank, better mark. Red is a better kick but I'm not getting in a bidding war with Carlton for a one-trick pony who's already had 3 acl's and is in mid 20's. So he's not durable, and there's not a huge chance he's going to become a vastly better player, especially considering how we butcher forward 50 entries.
As for experienced key forwards, there's not much quality out there, the two names that bob up are Tippett and Casboult and I'd sooner not have two guys in my forward line who are largely unproven players taking up the better half of $2m in the cap.
History says that you generally get the best forwards right at the top end of the draft. Let's get two picks there, snare one and develop him. Will be cheaper for us as well.
Will it fix us next year? No. But I don't believe a Tippett or a Casboult will help much either.