You might have already covered this Snoop but who are some guys you would target in the off season? Or are you happy going into next season with limited changes again and hope we have a better run with injuries?
This is if Lynch goes to the Tigers of course.
Yeah I must get onto doing my List Mgmt thread but for starters this is probably my view
(apols for the length but once I got going........)
Delist
Blair
Smith
Broomhead
Crocker
Kirby
Lynch - R
Oxley - R
Free Agent loss
Fasolo - 3rd round pick back
Upgrades from Rookie List
Appleby
Mihocek
Madgen
Number of Draft Selections
That would be 6 off the senior list and with 2 upgrades leaves a total of 4 spots on the senior list and 3 on the rookie list as club would probably promote Madgen.
Best 22 & Depth
Next step is to look at a best 22 for 2018 on the basis of no trades;
B Langdon - Moore - Appleby
HB Maynard - Howe - Crisp
C Sidebottom - Pendlebury - Phillips
HF Stephenson - Mihocek - De Goey
F Hoskin- Elliott - Cox - Elliott
Foll Grundy - Treloar - Adams
Int Varcoe - Greenwood - Mayne - Thomas
List Assessment
Defence
KPD - Dunn / Madgen /
Kelly
SD / MD - Scharenberg / Murphy / Murray / Goldsack /
Quaynor
Midfield
Ruck -
Mids - Mayne / Sier / Aish / Brown / T.Brown / Wills
Forward
KPF - McLarty / Reid
SF / MF - Wells - Daicos
List Deficiencies
For mine it is a really well balanced 22 but the obvious area you would be worried about is lack of A grade key talls. Personally that doesn't worry me so much. I think Cox continues to develop and the way Mihocek works in the forward half creates oodles of opportunity for the small / medium fellas. It works so I am relaxed with the 22. Down back if you have Moore, Langdon, Howe and Appleby then I think you largely cover the talls. Appleby is a revelation. He rarely gets scored on.
Underneath that with the recruitment of Kelly and Quaynor there is ample depth down back both tall and short so we are steering clear of anything more around there. If anything it brings into question should Goldsack be retained.
We definitely need a ruck solution but for mine that is a rookie selection and hence probably a mature age player off an AFL list or a state league player.
Midfield looks well stocked for depth but there isnt really anything that looks like an emerging A grader in that list and hence that is where I would be targetting my first rounder. I will come to who that might be below.
Forward is interesting. Personally I like McLarty and would like to see him given a go. His work rate is terrific and is the type that would work well for us. I also think he is a player who will get better and better. There is also Reid and whilst an argument could be made to go tall I am a believer that you have to use a first rounder to get good tall talent and if you dont / cant do that then direct it elsewhere and have a punt on a kid late (which there are a couple of this year). Reid is handy but cant be relied upon. The smaller forwards are an issue and a selection needs to be made there.
So all in all I would be looking at a class mid, a small quick forward, a project key forward tall late and maybe a ruck through the rookie draft
Trade & FA Options / Solutions to List
Clearly if a Lynch was to come in then you would take it but lets work on premise does not happen.
Outside of it the list looks good and the only real issue for me is if we were to lose Darcy. If that happens then we are in strife down back and need to search for a replacement such as May. That would effectively be a 3 way trade so we would still retain the Rd 1 pick.
The only other things I would look at would be if a Shiel or Beams became free. Shiel particularly. Do not be surprised if it is Shiel. He is mates with Treloar, WHE and Adams and came through with them in same year. He would be a great addition and provide real depth and class to that midfield group. If he was 'gettable' this year I would go hard with our first rounder and whatever else was required.
Forward is interesting. They had a real dip at Mitch McGovern so you would think they might look at him again but would have to think WCE would be into him along with Fremantle so I suspect that is unlikely. Equally with a fit Elliott (and you have to work on that premise) then the need to do that trade is questionable.
In terms of other delisted free Agents I cant really see any. Would you look at Andy Otten for a year as a key back yeah possibly but I dont really see any others that make sense. If Sam Collins hadn't had such a good year I would have looked at him but he will go in the 30-50 range.
All in all I suspect none of the above happens so we take in the 4 picks.
National Draft & Rookie
As mentioned I dont think we trade so that leaves us with 4 selections in the National Draft.
First pick - will be around 15-18 and I still dont think Quaynor or Kelly go top 15 - 18. I would like to see them go with a midfielder with some speed and class. There isnt a heap of that type in the draft but guys like Butters, Collier-Dawkins, Rozee, Taylor, Jones might be a few to look at. I really like Clark but unless you think he or Quaynor get into the midfield group I am a no.
Remaining picks in the 50's and 70 - these selections will all go to Kelly and Quaynor who will go in the 20's for mine so we will use all the points.
That would leave us with a selection at the back end of the draft which would be interesting as the club have a good record of getting these right. Look out for the kid Jake Gaspar. He is one I reckon we might look at late or in the rookie. Another I thought may have flown under the radar was Noah Gown (KPF) who have been tracking for a while but his last month will have elevated him. Sam Fletcher and Cam Hustwaite are midfield players I would be keen to get who may be around late (Fletcher unlikely), Riley Morgan one from WA who looks handy as well but again I think he will go pretty high. Watch out for Boadie Motton from GP as well.
McAdam and Scloithe from SA / WA are ones who could give something as small forwards. Both mature age players and would make an impression early. Wellings and Jok are two on the VFL list who would have to come under consideration as would Hore if you were looking for defensive depth. Club might think he is the best kid to give us some cover, particularly if they think that Langdon / others can play taller if situation is required.
Obviously we have a couple of NGA kids and Atu is a likely target for sure.