2004 team prediction:

[thommoone]

Well i was bored so i thought id predict what our team would be this time next year. I decided not to take into account surprise draft picks or trades, as it is too hard.

FF: Davis Doyle O'Keefe
HF: Magic Hall Williams
C: Maxfield Shnieder Kenelly
HB: Saddington LRT Barry
FB: Fixter Shauble C Bolton
R: Ball Goodes J Bolton

Int: Seymour, Powel, Crouch, Sunny, McVeigh, Micklejohn

Emg: Hunt, Malceski

If fit of course I'd like to see James replace Shaube, but id thjought id at least be somewhat realistic
Have a 6 man bech cause i didnt know who to cut.

I decided: Fosdike, Stevens, Warfe, Mcpherson didnt cut the mustard.
Didnt include Cressa cause he is the only player im sure wont be in the team.
So what do u think?

[Dpw]

I doubt thats even close, what about trades and new recruits etc.

[Charlie]

Fossie is doing fine!

[Craig]

Not a bad effort at a prediction considering trades aren't taken into account. I would say Ball is Full Forward for sure though. What about Jason Ball he has to get a run.

Agree in Fossie, trade him.

Give Stevens some time, I think he might turn into a solid CHB.

[sharp9]

Stevens is going to make it, especially if Hall goes to CHF. he is not only one of our top three kicks from a set shot but can actually influence a game as he did when sent to CHB against Brisbane.

Crouch to be dropped? he is one of my favourite players and is one who (I think) is really capable of improving his disposal just that little bit which will take him from servicable to really effective. not afraid to run hard through the line, and quick, of course. Only needs one more once of confidence to be a really effective midfielder. maybe it's cos he's had tagging jobs recently, but he seems to be hanging back from actually claiming the ball at the moment.

Fosdike is a worry, getting plenty of it but is taking ages to decide what to do with it. especially bad against Adelaide when taking two split seconds instead of one in tight. What could have been scrappy ball-ups resulting in clean clearances repeatedly turned into more ball-ups or occasionally turnovers because he couldn't move it with quick vision like Bode, Edwards etc.

Like the idea of getting Schneider inside. He's the same build as S Crawford is he not? The more we can get him the ball the better. He better start planning now for how to combat tags, though. Don't take advice from Willo - ask PK

[sharp9]

Also was scanning the list today after reading a good article on Thewlis in the Telegraph (to check his vital stats) and as I cast my eye over all the players I saw McPherson out of the corner and my initial (subconscious) thought was that the update was wrong seeing as he doesn't play for us anymore. Ooops. Sad, but true.

I don't know why Roosy is sweating on Nicks being fit for Saturday, I would have thought that this was an ideal excuse to give him a rest.

Who's the new kid to come in if Nicks is not fit? Powell, I is my guess and put him at half back flank (off the bench, of course)

BTW I hope that Thewlis' squint doesn't make it difficult for him to pick up a quick moving ball. If he turns out to be any good I reckon that the club should pay for the operation to fix it.

[NMWBloods]

With Hall at CHF, Stevens could be FF. Or, depending on the opponents, thrown into the backline for extra height. I think he has some skills and should retained. The ability to have an agile big man that can be put into the forward or back line would be a huge advantage if he can progress to that level.

[robbieando]

OK, Its way to early to start looking toward what we think our starting line up will be. However its early enough to look at our playing list and to start thinking about what its make up will be in a years time.

Now of course possible trades and draft pick can't be guessed so I have taken the list to the cleaners. I have picked out 14 players who WILL still be here in 2004 and as such are not up for trade. I have also named 10 Rookies (1st or 2nd Year players for 2003) who won't be up for the chop.

That is a list of 24 players, they are

Untradeable

Barry Hall
Nick Davis
Craig Bolton
Ben Fixter
Paul Williams
Stuart Maxfield
Stephen Doyle
Tadhg Kennelly
Michael O'Loughlin
Jason Saddington
Jason Ball
Jared Crouch
Brett Kirk
Adam Goodes

Rookies

Jarrad McVeigh
Sean Dempster
Mark Powell
Lewis Roberts-Thomson
Daniel Hunt
Jarrad Sundqvist
Adam Schneider
Josh Thewlis
Nick Malceski
James Menklejohn

Now that is a good core group to work with. Now next is who will go for sure. Now after looking at the list only 3 players stand out.

Out

Daryn Cresswell (Retirement)
Daniel McPherson (Delisting)
Rowan Warfe (Delisting)

That then leaves 11 Players who are up in the air. Now they all go on a Trade Bait list, however that doesn't mean if they aren't trade they stay. Depending on the player it will mean either keep or delist. Tough decisions have to be made so the following players have the rest of the year to perform before this list becomes final (ie. Play well and you go on the untradeable or rookie list - play badly and you just might end up off this list and in the Out list). If a player end up on this list at seasons end their form for the rest of the year will decide what happens to them if they aren't traded.

The list as it stands now

Trade Bait

Ben Mathews
Ryan O'Keefe
Brad Seymour
Nic Fosdike
Scott Stevens
Luke Ablett
Leo Barry
Matthew Nicks
Jude Bolton
Andrew Schauble
Amon Buchanan

Now I know some of you will attack me for who is on this list. Now remember its not final, its not opinion that all these players are duds. I think 3 from this won't be here next season, who they are I don't know. Some are unlucky, some just need to prove themselves.

With only 3 players set in stone (My opinion) for the off, that leaves us with only 3 picks in the draft so far. Of course other delistings and retirements will become clear to us as the season moves on.

I have a feeling that we will have 6 picks in the draft this year and will make no trades for players, just draft picks. I think we should aim at having at least 4 picks in the first 25.

This year is for assessing the list and hopefully the next pre season will begin the proper rebuild of the list, which will have a solid core of player, many exciting rookies to build on

[thommoone]

I never said that Stevens and co wont be on our list. In fact i specifically said i was NOT taking into acount draftees and trades as they are too hard to pick. I had stevens and co in reserves.
Of course this is just all my personal preference and the fact that i have never really warmed to stevens