Is it already Killing Season 2016 (List Management) after 2 rounds

[707]

Need a very good KPD and some outside speed. Reckon we may already be in a few ears to address those needs as trade or FA. Think we may be able to address other less pressing needs internally.

Just hoping Fitzmuppet and the other VFL commissioners don't invent some kind of trade ban because we had a good season with Buddy and Tippett starring!

[S.S. Bleeder]

I know a chap who is a good friend of Barry Mitchell and he says he has never been interested in Carlton. Why would he want to go to a club that isn't going to have success in donkeys years. Again just someone from the 10,000 accredited AFL journo club who struggles to find a story so makes it up.

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I'd put a lot of faith in that information. Carlton have tried to coax him twice previously and he said no on those occasions. I fail to see what has changed since then, infact, if anything, he has more reason to stay.

[Mug Punter]

I'd put a lot of faith in that information. Carlton have tried to coax him twice previously and he said no on those occasions. I fail to see what has changed since then, infact, if anything, he has more reason to stay.

Provided we can get a decent offer on the table, and you'd assume we are able to with the new TV deal, then I'd think our start to the season and the fact that he is happy here would see him take slight unders. The reality is that good players, especially those at strong clubs, can just about always go for more money but more than often they don't.

We've set young Tom up for life with his $2.5m deal over his first five years and whilst that doesn't mean he won't take a commercial approach to negotiations he certainly won't feel a need for the big pay deal to set him up after being paid modestly. As long as we are within the ballpark I'd say he'll stay but, as I've said before, if I was him I'd only take three years and then see how he feels after eight years.

The main thing that drives players is winning flags and Carton are a loooooong way off that

[Maltopia]

The other challenge/consideration for Mitchell is that both Heeney and Mills are midfielders and will be pushing to play there in the next 2-3 years, so it is going to be quite crowded in there. We have seen that Mitchell whilst a great tackler, doesn't seem to do so well as a half forward or tagger.

[Mug Punter]

The other challenge/consideration for Mitchell is that both Heeney and Mills are midfielders and will be pushing to play there in the next 2-3 years, so it is going to be quite crowded in there. We have seen that Mitchell whilst a great tackler, doesn't seem to do so well as a half forward or tagger.

I'm not convinced either Heeny or Mills are as good inside as Tom, he's very much a certain starter in my book.

Heeney I can see staying up forward long term. His knee tendonitis is well documented and it's why he hasn't really bulked up much over the off season. And it also is why they play him up front, to manage the wear and tear. Personally I'd keep him up there he is that good, I can see him being the best small to mid forward in the game. With his leap and vicelike hands he can play tall and he is cat-like on the ground, he just never seems to lose his feet.

I think that it may get to the stage where we lose more in the forward line that we'd gain in the midfield.

[Beerman]

Heppel will stay on with the Bombers, he will settle out of court and it will be one way for Essendon to pay him more outside of the salary cap.

Hadn't really thought about that. Surely this loophole has to be addressed by Gillion & co. It would be an unfair advantage and Eddie would have to protest.

Very interesting point. I think it could be difficult to guard against this. How can you close such a 'loophole'?

You don't. It's a civil matter and quite frankly Heppell, and the rest of the players affected deserve everything they get. The only thing youy hope for is it's enough to bankrupt Essendon.

Essendon was never going to win the premiership this year, and it will turn into a great year for them. They're able to pump games into their youngsters, give a years rest to their top players and come out the end of it will good draft picks. It will give them a great launch pad for a shot in the next 4-5 years.

There was an article on the AFL website about this. The short version is that it gets very messy, but they will be reviewing new contracts with the banned players to make sure that they are "commercial". ie. they will try and make sure that whatever compensation the players are payed is *in addition* to what they get paid to play under the salary cap, rather than *instead of* of payments for playing.

[dimelb]

Tom strikes me as mainly a see ball, get ball, fire ball to outside type. His kicking has improved IMO, and his sense of position makes up any lack in speed. He is freakishly good at what he does and I think it's a straightforward matter to keep him doing it.

[DA_Swan]

I know we cannot keep everybody but i hope George Hewett is not lost back to either of the Adelaide clubs as he has good skill and size about him - he will be more than a depth player in time.

[mcs]

I know we cannot keep everybody but i hope George Hewett is not lost back to either of the Adelaide clubs as he has good skill and size about him - he will be more than a depth player in time.

We are playing the long game with George - he had two good years of learning in the NEAFL (was superb last year in a number of games), and is gradually finding his feet in the seniors. I put him in front of Robinson per say, and think he is a keeper that we will be very keen to keep on the list for the long term. I agree that he will be much more than a depth player in time, and he will only get better in time as he plays more seniors footy. He had more than a decent game against the Eagles on the weekend.

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I'm not convinced either Heeny or Mills are as good inside as Tom, he's very much a certain starter in my book.

Heeney I can see staying up forward long term. His knee tendonitis is well documented and it's why he hasn't really bulked up much over the off season. And it also is why they play him up front, to manage the wear and tear. Personally I'd keep him up there he is that good, I can see him being the best small to mid forward in the game. With his leap and vicelike hands he can play tall and he is cat-like on the ground, he just never seems to lose his feet.

I think that it may get to the stage where we lose more in the forward line that we'd gain in the midfield.

Its going to get crowded in the forward line too - and there is for once a really good looking balance up front, with the obvious Franklin as the key forward, Tippett/Sinclair as the second tall, potentially some time for Reid when he is fit again, plus the wonderful skills of Heeney, the midget brigade of Papley and McGlynn (And Rose waiting in the wings for a chance).

I still think Heeney will move to the midfield in time - but when we have such good depth in there at the moment, there is certainly no rush at all.

[Ludwig]

I know we cannot keep everybody but i hope George Hewett is not lost back to either of the Adelaide clubs as he has good skill and size about him - he will be more than a depth player in time.

George appears a happy Swan and doubt he will be seeking to move to back to Adelaide. Tom Harley said that George was important part of the Swans' future, and given his first 4 senior games, you can see why. I hope we sign him up to a long term contract. He's one of our new group of players that can actually find the right target and hit that target consistently. There's no substitution for good disposal and decision making. I hope we use the next couple of games as an opportunity to play George more in the midfield. It should help his development and give us a better idea of what his long term value will be.

As for our KPDs, we need to decide who is next in line, given injuries to both Ted and Talia. Aliir has gotten most of the kudos so far this year, but X hasn't played badly, but hasn't been prominent. I don't think we will carry both into next year.

[Mug Punter]

George appears a happy Swan and doubt he will be seeking to move to back to Adelaide. Tom Harley said that George was important part of the Swans' future, and given his first 4 senior games, you can see why. I hope we sign him up to a long term contract. He's one of our new group of players that can actually find the right target and hit that target consistently. There's no substitution for good disposal and decision making. I hope we use the next couple of games as an opportunity to play George more in the midfield. It should help his development and give us a better idea of what his long term value will be.

As for our KPDs, we need to decide who is next in line, given injuries to both Ted and Talia. Aliir has gotten most of the kudos so far this year, but X hasn't played badly, but hasn't been prominent. I don't think we will carry both into next year.

I suspect we'll be going to the trade or free agency table to get a KPF and I don't really have a problem with that because I have my doubst about any of our ressies being genuine senior KPDs, Xav was one we were hoping for but he just doesn't seem to have kicked on. It would be nice if the academy had some KPDs in the pipeline.

Colin O'Riordan has the makings of a strapping half back flanker and Rampe is developing into a defender who can take the third tall so I think we're probably just one frontline KPD short.

[Nico]

Isn't it amazing; last year people were calling for Rampe to go into the midfield;"A natural midfielder".

[Ludwig]

I suspect we'll be going to the trade or free agency table to get a KPF and I don't really have a problem with that because I have my doubst about any of our ressies being genuine senior KPDs, Xav was one we were hoping for but he just doesn't seem to have kicked on. It would be nice if the academy had some KPDs in the pipeline.

Colin O'Riordan has the makings of a strapping half back flanker and Rampe is developing into a defender who can take the third tall so I think we're probably just one frontline KPD short.

Looking for a KPF to replace Buddy? Maybe we could snag Liam Jones from Carlton in exchange for Tom Mitchell and our 1st round draft pick.

Seriously, I think it's a bit premature. Based on our team from the weekend, which seems to be doing well enough, I count 7 KPPs on our list that weren't in that game (Reid, Davis, Talia, XR, Aliir, Melican, AJ). The first 3 I would say are just about sure things, the rest we'll have to wait and see about. Although slightly undersized, Jordan Dawson is off to a promising start. Perhaps by season's end we will have a better idea about who is likely to succeed. I have little doubt that we will be adding a couple of KPPs one way or another in post season. We have the luxury of a young midfield that doesn't need new faces for quite a few years to come, so we can afford to put our attention on KPPs.

The way our forward line is set up we really don't need another KPF. When Reid and Rohan return they are more likely to play on the wing or in defence than provide a main target in the forward line. Their key function, and an important one, is an exit target from defence. And I think we will see plenty of forwards rotating though the midfield to confuse defenses.

There is also a transition happening around the league toward smaller agile defenders. When we had Leo and Craig as our key defenders it was a bit of a novelty, but now it's becoming more prevalent. Teams have been forced into small defenses due to injury, such as last year's Eagles and the WB, and have done very well. Big KPFs are not so damaging anymore, especially when using brute force to mark the ball. The good ones, like Tom Lynch, are big and mobile. It's not as big a factor as having mobile forwards leading into space. The I am trying to make is that key defenders are very important, height is not the factor it once was. You can be 188-190 cm and still be a dominating defender, like Josh Gibson, or even our own Dane Rampe seems to do fine against taller opponents.

[Maltopia]

Looking for a KPF to replace Buddy? Maybe we could snag Liam Jones from Carlton in exchange for Tom Mitchell and our 1st round draft pick.

Seriously, I think it's a bit premature.

Think it was a typo and he meant KPD.

[Nico]

Think it was a typo and he meant KPD.

I agree mate. Maybe Mug has had more stubbies than me tonight. Still top 30's in Chiang Mai at 9pm.