There appears to be a very clear directive from MM and the list management team to target a specific type of footballer, and it is exciting to see that plan starting to come to fruition.
Regardless of the names being thrown up as options, for the first time in a number of years we seem to have a clear plan and are looking to execute that plan without wavering.
We know that MM was not as active as he'd have liked in his first off-season in charge of the club, for reasons which were out of his control. We did though start to see the movement last year when afforded greater freedom to move and that looks to be continuing this year.
It is not easy to read out activity in FA as we've only used it to bring one player in thus far and it doesn't look like we'll be adding to that this year. You couldn't accurately define our activities based on that but it may be that we see FA as a 'free-hit' of sorts to add to the upper echelon of the playing list.
We seem to be very active when it comes to accommodating younger players who express a desire to return to Victoria. The 'go-home' factor is real and we look eager to use that to our advantage if the available options fit the type we're looking to bring on board. We saw it last year with Docherty and we may see it again this year with Jaksch and/or O'Rourke.
We also look to be very active when recruiting talented players who for whatever reason have been unable to put it all together. MM has a wonderful record of getting the most out of his players and it looks as though he's backing himself in to do it again.
Last year we saw that with Everitt who had always shown glimpses of talent but had never been able to produce consistently. We got him effectively for nothing - swapping him with pick 39 for pick 32 - and immediately he showed his worth.
This year we look to be continuing the trend with Jones, Tutt and possibly even Blease.
Jones as a tall forward has some real advantages to his game. Very strong hands and a wonderful defensive work ethic when switched on. His major issue to this point in his career is that he just hasn't been switched on enough. When he's on I don't think there are any questions that he is AFL quality but we've seen he is a liability when his mind is elsewhere.
Tutt also has some standout qualities that make it possible for him to be a good AFL footballer. Very good strength, pace, endurance and a booming kick are all valuable attributes to have. Also has the ability to play in a number of positions having shown he's capable both up forward and on a wing. Early on an issue he faced was that he wasn't tough enough but he looks to have worked hard on that part of his game. Now it would appear his major issue, much like Jones, is that consistency has been lacking. He hasn't been on top of his game often enough and from what I've read in this case it may be linked to confidence and a real self-doubt that the player belongs at AFL level.
Blease I'm not a real fan of because other than his pace I don't think he brings much to the table but funny things have happened when players are given a new opportunity at a new club.
All of those three players have been linked to us and they all have certain qualities that will appeal to AFL clubs. They haven't yet been able to put it all together but that doesn't mean it can't happen in a new environment.
MM is not a miracle worker and responsibility lies firmly with the individual player to make the most of a second opportunity but if they show a desire to get their careers back on track then there aren't many better coaches to be playing under.
Some may say it's too big a risk to bring these guys across but I strongly disagree. Importantly we're not going down this path and sacrificing bringing youth into the club through the draft. If we were doing that then questions would be asked and rightly so, however what we're really talking about here is moving on unwanted players or later picks for these players. To me that represents a very low risk move with potentially very high reward. Sure, not every move will come off but that's no different to taking the picks to the draft and it certainly doesn't mean we should shy away from exploring every opportunity to improve our squad.
The player movement period drags on and can be unbearable at times but for the first time in many years we appear to have a clear plan on how best to move forward and to me that is genuinely exciting.