Fantasy de-listing!

[Armchair Coach]

Without trying to start a flame-sesh...I'm thinking of players who would have little hope elsewhere.

Who would you like to see de-listed at seasons end?

LRT has frustrated me for years (doesn't learn from mistakes).

[Donners]

Well, that would be a fantastic way to leave us to be slaughtered by tall forwards.

[laughingnome]

You can't spell slaughtered (or manslaughter) without laughter.

[AnnieH]

Dead-set.
You'd think it was the off-season or something.

[Armchair Coach]

Well, that would be a fantastic way to leave us to be slaughtered by tall forwards.

I don't see him doing too much in that area anyway. Otherwise he'd get those jobs, and perform well at them consistently.

I couldn't imagine another club wanting him unless he was used as a deal-sweetener.

He has more ordinary games than great ones (not just this season). Poor decision maker (he's not alone). Has been tried in other positions without much effect. A passenger?

I've met LRT at an after-match, and he's a really nice bloke who makes a worthy ambassador for the club. But the team will need to rebuild and I'm not sure (aside from being a nice guy) what he'd offer during that process.

[Armchair Coach]

Dead-set.
You'd think it was the off-season or something.

Do you think TPTB aren't already looking at the list? With 6 rds to go, a dwindling to non-existent "mathematical probability" of making the finals, AND trade week looming (as well as the draft), they wouldn't be doing their jobs if they weren't.

[Donners]

Incidentally, LRT has one of the highest kicking efficiency percentages in the whole team, and has led the way in metres gained on several occasions.

[BSA5]

Without trying to start a flame-sesh...I'm thinking of players who would have little hope elsewhere.

Who would you like to see de-listed at seasons end?

LRT has frustrated me for years (doesn't learn from mistakes).

LRT has been our second-best defender this year (behind Bolton, and I'm excluding Shaw because he has pretty much not been used in a defensive role at all this year). Despite looking uncoordinated, he does some terrific defensive work. Last year he was up and down, probably due to the harsh foot injury he picked up in 2007 that he was coming back from, but this year he has returned to consistency. I still can't believe some of the tripe that gets spouted about LRT. His decision making and kicking is NOT in fact poor, it is quite good. Far from elite, but solid enough.

Aside from all that, he is the only remaining genuine tall defender we have. Craig Bolton, as fantastic a defender as he is, has a weakness against genuinely tall players. Did you watch him against David Hale? Ted Richards is too slight, and is at his best as a loose man. Grundy is unproven, though has shown signs down back. To delist or trade LRT would be absolute madness.

[ScottH]

Dead-set.
You'd think it was the off-season or something.

Sadly, it almost is for us!!

[AnnieH]

Do you think TPTB aren't already looking at the list? With 6 rds to go, a dwindling to non-existent "mathematical probability" of making the finals, AND trade week looming (as well as the draft), they wouldn't be doing their jobs if they weren't.

Yeah, but it's a bit early for us to be discussing it!!!

I don't think we'll see too many sacrificed to the draft - not with so many leaving (or left).

[Robbo]

I would like to see these blokes delisted:

Brabazon....hasn't rewarded the faith. From all reports couldn't hit water if he fell off a boat.
O'Dwyer....has had plenty of time but from what I hear his kicking is absolutely woeful.
Playfair....can't walk down the street without tweaking something
Thornton....has had 4 years and just hasn't done enough in that time. I know he was injured in 08 but someone has to go.
Schmidt....it hurts me to say this but he has to go. He is 23 and has been on the list for 5 years now, hasn't done enough. He really showed some promise in 07.

Trade bait:

Buchanan....could possibly get us a late 2nd rounder or early 3rd rounder.
Ablett....wouldn't get us much but could be used to improve a pick. ie trade him and pick 35 for pick 25.
LRT....same as Ablett.

[Melbournehammer]

LRT has been our second-best defender this year (behind Bolton, and I'm excluding Shaw because he has pretty much not been used in a defensive role at all this year). Despite looking uncoordinated, he does some terrific defensive work. Last year he was up and down, probably due to the harsh foot injury he picked up in 2007 that he was coming back from, but this year he has returned to consistency. I still can't believe some of the tripe that gets spouted about LRT. His decision making and kicking is NOT in fact poor, it is quite good. Far from elite, but solid enough.

Aside from all that, he is the only remaining genuine tall defender we have. Craig Bolton, as fantastic a defender as he is, has a weakness against genuinely tall players. Did you watch him against David Hale? Ted Richards is too slight, and is at his best as a loose man. Grundy is unproven, though has shown signs down back. To delist or trade LRT would be absolute madness.

LRT has had a pretty decent season. to say his decision making is quite good I think is way overstating it - he is at best serviceable - he is often allowed to run into space because he is not damaging and opposition teams know that.
Basically world beater he isn't and he is frankly suspect against any reasonably decent forward.

But then what backman isn't when the ball is coming down as often as it has been this season.

[i'm-uninformed2]

I would like to see these blokes delisted:

Brabazon....hasn't rewarded the faith. From all reports couldn't hit water if he fell off a boat.
O'Dwyer....has had plenty of time but from what I hear his kicking is absolutely woeful.
Playfair....can't walk down the street without tweaking something
Thornton....has had 4 years and just hasn't done enough in that time. I know he was injured in 08 but someone has to go.
Schmidt....it hurts me to say this but he has to go. He is 23 and has been on the list for 5 years now, hasn't done enough. He really showed some promise in 07.

Trade bait:

Buchanan....could possibly get us a late 2nd rounder or early 3rd rounder.
Ablett....wouldn't get us much but could be used to improve a pick. ie trade him and pick 35 for pick 25.
LRT....same as Ablett.

Don't disagree with much of that - though I think LRT has to be kept as the least worst alternative as a tall defender. And it will be sad if Schmidt doesn't realise his potential.

However, there is one proviso. With Keneally, Fosdike, MickeyO, Hall and Leo Barry all going - not to mention the likelihood of Crouch being encouraged on his way - that's six slots on our list opening up without trying.

As much as we want a fair few draft picks, picks 81, 84, 88 and 92 are all we are going to get from dumping a few underperforming kids.

Nor will most of our discardables get much on their own via trades.

I suspect the shed will not involve mass delistings, but we'll be doing our best to trade for picks - either extras or moving up - in rounds two and three by bundling some players (ie: like the Schneider/Dempster double for pick 26).

So a Bucky/Schmidt double for pick 30 or something similar. Or Bucky/Thornton with an upgrade from 45 to 35.

Otherwise, we will have a very young list full of draftees who are scraps anyway.

[LRTs LoveChild]

If we chop LRT then we have to keep some of these other blokes. You'll need one to sit on the others shoulders and just get a really long jumper and hope that no one notices!! What other options do we have as tall defenders?

As uncoordinated as he looks, LRT doesnt do a bad job. His kicking has improved and what I like about his kicking is the if in doubt I'm gonna belt the thing 50m down the wing approach he takes. A turnover might often occur but its better 50m further down field then right in front of goals.

[sWAns63]

You have to look at players who are still going to be around in our next premiership window in 3 to 4 years and who are worth something.

LRT will be around 30 as a defender so long as he can become a bit more consistent he could be still a playing in our next premiership tilt and we still don't have an adequate replacement for him so I would keep him.
Bucky probably wont be though, as a midfield forward type he would be worth a late 3rd or 4th round pick-definite trade bait at the moment.