2019 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[707]

They both look like good acquisitions. Wonder where that leaves HB?

Still room for Harley, dropped 9 from the main list, added 3, 5-6 places, 4 in ND, 1 or 2 spots to fill unless we've upgraded a rookie or two?

Picking up short term fringe/depth to assist with list balance.

[Markwebbos]

They both look like good acquisitions. Wonder where that leaves HB?

I wonder where that leaves Lewis Melican

[707]

I wonder where that leaves Lewis Melican

Needing to rediscover form. Still think Melican can become a good KPD but needs to get onto an upward curve.

[rb4x]

I see the Lions have cut Archie Smith. Decent back up ruckman. Would think Gold Coast would be interested having lost Nichols and Crossley.

[Ruck'n'Roll]

I wonder where that leaves Lewis Melican

In a better place than Maibaum and Pink

[Plugger46]

They've absolutely lost the plot. Gray will be useful enough - Clarke, Thurlow, Taylor and Brand are just list cloggers.

[O'Reilly Boy]

In a better place than Maibaum and Pink

I'm hoping that we re-rookie Maibaum, and that Ted Richards is involved with both him and Mellican. Ted's self-reinvention as hardman fullback was extraordinary, and it would be nice to think that some of that attitude and intensity could rub off on both the Ms.

[mcs]

They've absolutely lost the plot. Gray will be useful enough - Clarke, Thurlow, Taylor and Brand are just list cloggers.

The money being quoted for Gray is a bit bonkers ($2m over 3 years). But he will be a decent signing.

Brand is a depth signing, which I'm ok with if its on minimal money. He could surprise and thrive at a new home - worth a punt for mine.

[Cosmic Wizard]

They've absolutely lost the plot. Gray will be useful enough - Clarke, Thurlow, Taylor and Brand are just list cloggers.

Completely agree! Who is in charge of our list management???

Why would Brisbane get rid of Taylor if they are in the premiership window, or Hawthorn delist Brand if they have already Frawley near retirement?

The strategy of picking up players from other club may have work ten year ago, but with the expansion clubs there is not enough talent to go around.

Clubs are cutting players who have been giving a chance but are really just good reserves players with no upside.

This is either Harley or Gardiner's works or both and i am losing faith in them.

Just because you were a good player and captain or a corporate lawyer does not mean you will be good at running a club.

The waste of salary cap to get in these hopeless player is a disgrace.

[Markwebbos]

The money being quoted for Gray is a bit bonkers ($2m over 3 years). But he will be a decent signing.

Where are you reading that? Seems way overs and more than most on our list would be getting, Papley included

[aardvark]

Clarke, Thurlow, Taylor and Brand are just list cloggers.

Gotta have someone to play NEAFL.

[longmile]

They've absolutely lost the plot. Gray will be useful enough - Clarke, Thurlow, Taylor and Brand are just list cloggers.

Agree re: Thurlow and Brand.

Taylor is definitely not a list clogger. He is probably best 22 for mine. Verdict is still out on Clarke imo. Started the season poorly but really seemed to hit his straps as a tagging midfielder, will definitely get a fair few games next year. Plus he's only 22 years old.

However I struggle to see how Papley, Taylor and Gray all slot into the same side (even Hayward, noting he's more of a medium forward). One of them will have to play substantial midfield minutes consistently. I think it'll be borderline impossible for Ronke to get a game next year.

[bloodspirit]

Clubs are cutting players who have been giving a chance but are really just good reserves players with no upside.

This is either Harley or Gardiner's works or both and i am losing faith in them.

Just because you were a good player and captain or a corporate lawyer does not mean you will be good at running a club.

I've said it before and I'll say it again now, Kinnear Beatson seems to be a sacred cow on RWO. Why? I'm a fan of Kin - I think KB is one of the best in the business and we're lucky to have him. But why exempt him from even the possibility of criticism? Even the best make mistakes. How can you single out Harley and Gardiner and overlook Beatson when he would have the most clout when it comes to recruitment decisions? Sure, Harley is higher up the chain but his responsibilities are different and he is less experienced. KB would have the most say of anyone in the club over the signing of Gray and Brand (and about how much we pay them). I think Harley and Gardiner are the whipping boys because they are newcomers and outsiders. Which is not a reason to doubt their competence but does explain the prejudice. The fact they were chosen by us despite in spite of being relatively inexperienced outsiders attests to their ability.

Anyway, I'm not willing to call Brand and Gray (or even Clarke and Thurlow) recruitments errors. They are serving a purpose and haven't cost much (possibly excepting Gray if the above report is true, which I doubt). At this stage, we have upgraded Jack Maibaum to Kaiden Brand. While I accept Maibaum's ceiling is unknown and possibly higher than Brand's, he has not yet played an AFL game despite being on our list for 3 years and is currently coming back from a serious injury. Brand on the other hand is short-term depth if our frontliners go down. He has proven himself as capable, although not stellar, at AFL level and can come in and play a role. I'm not expecting him to be starting 22 unless Melican has an ordinary pre-season. Possibly Brand will surprise everyone and turn out to have his best years in front of him but I don't think we are expecting that and we have drafted him as insurance against injury. He won't have cost much and, although it would be nice to have a promising youngster developing in his place, we have evidently decided that Pink and Maibaum are not yet at Brand's level and not likely to get there in 2020 and we need something a bit better than them whlie others come online. Still wonder whether we shouldn't have targetted Keath or Francis.

I hope we haven't paid Gray $2m/3y - that seems a lot and also unlikely. What is the source of this information? That said, Gray's highlights package was impressive. I liked it better than Squizzy's. I'm curious to see how we get all of Papley, Taylor and Gray in our best 22 (which I expect we will, injuries permitting) and what that will look like for the way we play footy. I especially want to know how we are going to win the footy. Are we putting all our chips on Naismith? Probably not. That seems too fraught a strategy but I reckon it's part of our strategy.

[Markwebbos]

We've picked up some good DFAs in the past, Jeremy Laidler turned out pretty well, and other clubs have got great value from discards: Lyons, Henderson etc. I also think its a bit soon to put a line through these new players that haven't played for us yet.

Having said that, we didn't get great value from, or give a genuine opportunity to Menzel. Thurlow at this point looks like a bust. And Clarke the jury is out. So last years recruits haven't been great for us.

But this year's decisions feel more measured and less last minute. And we have a very strong draft hand.

Next year feels like the one when we'll start trying to bring in one or more serious players via trade / FA. 2020 another year of rebuilding / growth.

[mcs]

Where are you reading that? Seems way overs and more than most on our list would be getting, Papley included

I don't believe it to be correct, but that is a figure I saw suggested earlier somewhere - can't find it now however So just ignore my tired early morning ramblings is probably the best approach!

Half that would be much more like it I would think.