Recruiting Trade & Free Agency V

[Zach Package]

I think people are discounting the possibility that Luenberger may just retire. He’d be fantastic to keep around as a ruck coach if he wanted to stay in Melbourne though

 

[Snake Charmer]

If he's keen to stay. He might be happy to move on and get paid wel to play state or country footy while still being young enough

 

[TheGrizz]

I think people are discounting the possibility that Luenberger may just retire. He’d be fantastic to keep around as a ruck coach if he wanted to stay in Melbourne though

Mark Jamar is our ruck coach at the moment i believe.

Doing a very good job by all reports with TBC and Draper, wouldnt want to rock that boat.

 

[Ants]

The loss to Collingwood exposed our midfield issues.
Pendlebury and De Goey tore us a new one in and around the clearances in the last 10 minutes when the game was on the line. We had no one that could create the same for us with Heppell on the wing for some inconspicuous reason.
...

You mean the period where we were down a rotation due to Guelfi going back, and two of our biggest midfielders (Myers and Stringer) had been playing injured for almost half the game? I'm not sure if I'd read too much into that. We were winning the clearances up until three quarter time.

 

[Ants]

It's time for me to reinforce my thoughts on the absolute NEED of another best 22 sml fwd (another fantasia would be nice). You would think that with the way footy is being played the team will go with no more than 2 key fwds & Stringer with 3 smalls/resting mids for the foreseeable future. With Daniher fit, I think we have the Key Fwds covered, sure some developing depth would be nice but not a huge priority, I don't think there is a serious need for 2 absolute star key fwds and key fwds can be expensive!
Fantasia & Walla are locks in the best 22. The team obviously requires players to be flexible and small fwds have to be able to play further up the field and in the midfield. Out of the questionable best 22 players that can play the 3rd small fwd/mid position we have: Baguley, Green, Begley, Long, Colyer, Merrett & Houlahan, I would say Begley although still too early to call, is just about the only one that I would have any confidence can be absolute best 22 and give consistent output like any of the Richmond small fwds have done and the Hawks small fwds had done previously. I'd love to target a quick and skillful small fwd that can go through the midfield/wing and provide link up and defensive transition, because I don't think any of those players have shown/have convinced me they have the potential to perform the role consistently enough. I'm thinking/dreaming of players similar to Fantasia/Rioli/Butler/Walters/ Wingard/Breust/Cameron/Greene/Fritsch/Zorko/Elliot/Stephenson. These players are taken at different times of the draft, so could come cheap or we could use a high draft pick on a Rankine if available, most likely not, but one of these types of player would dramatically improve our best 22 and the way we play.

*Also would love a big bodied mid, gun tall fwd, elite running wingman/mid & developing ruck with huge potential, thank you

I agree that we need an upgrade in this position, especially as we push Walla, Fantasia and Begley (future) into the midfield. People don't seem to realise that Colyer and Long are wingers, not small forwards, so its an area we're seriously lacking in depth beyond Green. Bags is makeshift at best. An upgrade on the position should be a priority, but not with early picks.

As Citizen Erazed suggested, Shai Bolton might be an option although not sure if he's also not a midfielder rather than a forward. But if he can handle being forward, I'd chase him since him, Walla, Fantasia would be a lot of speed and can rotate through the middle with Stringer.

and also Tippa. I think we have too many already.

Can't have too many. Look at 2000: Bewick, Mercuri, Long*, Caracella, Hird, Moorcroft

* ok, so Long was more of a winger, but so is his son and so is Colyer.

 

[ant555]

I think people are discounting the possibility that Luenberger may just retire. He’d be fantastic to keep around as a ruck coach if he wanted to stay in Melbourne though

Pretty sure he is going to retire. Body feeling the pinch.

 

[Ants]

Perhaps just swap them, Draper onto senior list, Leuey onto Rookie list.

With the new rookie rules no need to promote Draper yet. Can keep him on the rookie list on full pay, play him whenever, and not use the draft pick. Unless there is an issue with 2019 being his third year?

 

[ant555]

You mean the period where we were down a rotation due to Guelfi going back, and two of our biggest midfielders (Myers and Stringer) had been playing injured for almost half the game? I'm not sure if I'd read too much into that. We were winning the clearances up until three quarter time.

We win clearances but it can be misleading. What happens with out second and third possessions ? often we win a clearance but it is a scramble to get the ball out of the area.
The biggest thing that stood out to me on Sunday was with all the part time players floating into the midfield yes we could match sides with clearance numbers and often more the ball but the flip side is how often we get caught out of position. How often the opposition is able to have two , three or four handballs and get out of trouble because we have too many pushing right into the contest or too many on one side of the contest.
We do not have many natural midfielders. Players that by instinct know where to position. We have a lot of see ball get ball players. They rush in. They do not hold position with the three stoppage zones. Has been happening for a while now as we have drafted a lot of flankers.
Pure midfield sense is not something you can teach. Players have it or they do not. You can get players to do well in the midfield but they will always lack that 10% of natural smarts.
We need to find some natural midfielders. Players who do not always get sucked into the contest. Who know to hold at the 5m or 10m area off a stoppage and not rush inside the 2m zone. Who can get the footy away on the second and third possession cleanly. They do not have to be super stars but we just need more players who have just played the position.

The lack of rotations hurt us late and it did have to be our two bigger boys who have not been bad at blocking in centre bounces but one area everyone beats us in is overall midfield smarts around the ground.

 

[Duckworth]

We win clearances but it can be misleading. What happens with out second and third possessions ? often we win a clearance but it is a scramble to get the ball out of the area.
The biggest thing that stood out to me on Sunday was with all the part time players floating into the midfield yes we could match sides with clearance numbers and often more the ball but the flip side is how often we get caught out of position. How often the opposition is able to have two , three or four handballs and get out of trouble because we have too many pushing right into the contest or too many on one side of the contest.
We do not have many natural midfielders. Players that by instinct know where to position. We have a lot of see ball get ball players. They rush in. They do not hold position with the three stoppage zones. Has been happening for a while now as we have drafted a lot of flankers.
Pure midfield sense is not something you can teach. Players have it or they do not. You can get players to do well in the midfield but they will always lack that 10% of natural smarts.
We need to find some natural midfielders. Players who do not always get sucked into the contest. Who know to hold at the 5m or 10m area off a stoppage and not rush inside the 2m zone. Who can get the footy away on the second and third possession cleanly. They do not have to be super stars but we just need more players who have just played the position.

The lack of rotations hurt us late and it did have to be our two bigger boys who have not been bad at blocking in centre bounces but one area everyone beats us in is overall midfield smarts around the ground.

If you have even a 1 or 2 midfielders in there, do they not direct the others where to go? When they set up in there, as long as you have some (at least 1?) in there, I would think it helps the others quite a bit.

I was listening to Bartel talk about midfielders setting up - when there was a left and a right-handed ruck. He was explaining some of the theory of the set-up. I would think this stuff would be part of the learning that goes on at training.

 

[ant555]

If you have even a 1 or 2 midfielders in there, do they not direct the others where to go? When they set up in there, as long as you have some (at least 1?) in there, I would think it helps the others quite a bit.

I was listening to Bartel talk about midfielders setting up - when there was a left and a right-handed ruck. He was explaining some of the theory of the set-up. I would think this stuff would be part of the learning that goes on at training.

It would but I am talking more general play. You can set players up around a centre bounce and do quite well if they all line up on a man and have some idea of the hit zone. Winning a clearance despite not have a top line inside midfielder has not really been an issue this year.
What is an ongoing issue is having limited idea of what happens around the ground in contested situations and to a degree stoppages. How often we allow the best opposition to be able to extricate from tight situations because we all rush in or end up on one side of a contest while the opposition ends up with 2 or 3 hand ball options 3 to 5 meters from a contested area.

 

[Zach Package]

If you have even a 1 or 2 midfielders in there, do they not direct the others where to go? When they set up in there, as long as you have some (at least 1?) in there, I would think it helps the others quite a bit.

I was listening to Bartel talk about midfielders setting up - when there was a left and a right-handed ruck. He was explaining some of the theory of the set-up. I would think this stuff would be part of the learning that goes on at training.

The theory I've been working with for a while is that it's 50% what Ant said, 50% that we don't actually trust the 3-4 guys nearest the ball to win the thing. It ends up more of an inside midfield by committee and 2 Essendon players always having to commit to one (often bigger) opposition midfielder, which obviously leaves one of theirs out of the loop.

I think at least part of it can be addressed with more size around the ball but I definitely agree with Ant that we lack a really strong organiser in the middle of the ground.

 

[naraku]

A 19 year old top 10 pick... and you're propsoing:

• List clogger Jackson Merrett
• An old, injury prone ruck whos last season as good as the 25 year old Witts was in 2013
• Laverde

Interesting selection of options.. They might be interested in Laverde but I think they'd expect more than a 3rd with him.

When did I propse anything ? I clearly said , it was an example.

A list clogger for us doesn't mean he won't do something at GC eg Melksham. You could argue he was a list clogger here too but at Melbourne isn't.

Fair call on Luey but again an example.

My point I thought was simple : I don't think for once , GC will necessarily be all about draft picks as they usually are. We have various level players who MAY interest them.

 

[Howard Moon]

players I wouldn't mind having a sniff at who may be gettable and on the cheap

Willem Drew
Joe Atley
Luke Partington
Jesse longergan

any point?

 

[Jackmorrow]

Gleeson’s inside mid cousin is coming out of contract at port and would likely cost half a pack of twisties to get across. Wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on him

 

[eth-dog]

Sloane re-signed.

 

[eth-dog]

players I wouldn't mind having a sniff at who may be gettable and on the cheap

Willem Drew
Joe Atley
Luke Partington
Jesse longergan

any point?

It kinda says a bit that Lonergan can't get a game for this GC midfield.

 

[Highly Evolved]

Sloane is now off the table.

I must admit, I am sort of relieved. I think he is the wrong age for EFC.

 

[foj1]

Collier- Dawkins at 7?
Unless he has a second half of the year comparable to Clayton Oliver in the TAC cup then I think it is a reach.
He is the type of player we would love if he develops but he is a bit of top ten currently. I do conceded that Blakey and Thomas will most likely be bid on so our pick will be 9 or 10.
Jackson Hately is a similar type of player who looks further advanced.
Better around the footy but doesn't have Riley's little burst of speed. Both need to work on their around the ground running.

Out

Brendan Goddard - Has been a willing servant during a tough time and I wish we could have given him more but with Redman and Francis in the wings waiting their turn we need to cut ties with Goddard

Mark Baguley - Love the guy, gives 100% all the time but he is past it and does not provide enough. Would love to see him stick around in the VFL like Hocking but not upset if he tries to get a few more years playing elsewhere.

Matthew Leunberger - Another player who I just think is not in the future plans. Bellchambers is playing well and McKernan/Draper are enough to fill in the gaps the way the AFL is played these days.

Josh Green - Too slow and does not provide enough pressure. Is great at sneaking a few goals but overall not AFL standard.

Jackson Merrett - Thanks for the time. Stay around in the VFL if you would like.

Mitch Brown - Not against taking him as a rookie as can be handy depth but is not really worth persisting with over a young kid.

In

Draft picks: #7, 27, 61 and 79 - Take the best available inside midfielder with the first pick and follow up with a talented KPF with our second. Walking out of the draft with Collier- Dawkins and Bailey Williams would be a dream result with our first two picks.

Free Agent - Rory Sloane or Mitch Wallis please

Trade Target - Dom Tyson or Jamie Elliot please.

 

[Zach Package]

Willem Drew

My one rule when it comes to Willem’s is ‘if it’s not Defoe, then the answer is no’

 

[eDPS]

Sloane re-signed.

North must have shown an interest

 

[Howard Moon]

 

[DapperJong]

"ok i will"

 

[Runk]

Sloane re-signed.

Terrific news for Crows fans. To be honest, I really like it too. Great to see loyalty still exists as it were.

 

[faible]

Young Inside Mids in the < 22 age bracket are probably about all that's worth trading for; Brodie or Setterfield are about it.

I'm not sure we have the right picks to do either; our first is a bit high for either, so unless we have something coming back I don't see much point.

Would our first with a Brodie / Setterfield and a 2nd coming back be worthwhile?

Wallis as a FA might be worthwhile, though Clarke / Laverde / Begley are all out of the senior side presently and are all big bodies likely to get a chance.

With Ridley, Redman & Gleeson around, does McKenna move further up the ground? McKenna is a good size (bigger than Sloane and Tom Mitchell) and has speed, but probably isn't a natural ballwinner.

Parish is a natural midfielder but is 'only' around the 6'0" mark.

 

[JETTA7]

Dom Tyson.