2021 trading, drafting and list management: players and personnel

[0918330512]

* if he isn't going to be our first ruck long term then Ladhams, McLean and Amartey is one too many - why sign them all?

* why did we re-sign Sinclair? Presumably we weren't expecting to get Ladhams - but what a waste of a list spot!

They were all re-signed before Luddite belatedly declared he wanted to join us after last year rejecting us to even up the Aliir deal.

Very disappointing trade period, especially if we pay a jot more than pick 31 for Ladhams. Worse than past years where we've done nothing and just sat tight.

Disappointing, yes, but we were shackled by the Crows & Dawson

We've weakened our list and the compensation in cap space and picks is inadequate. We also appear to be in danger of overpaying for Ladhams. ????????

We didn’t weaken our list as much as the Crows and Dawson did. We couldn’t do anything about it

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Ladhams is 23 and proven.
It removes drafting a ruck with a 15% success rate they are going to be anything.

Hickey is a 4 team journeyman that we got very lucky with, we shouldnt let that pickup cloud our view as to how hard it is to land a serviceable ruck.

Ladhams removes years of worrying about a bonafide ruck.

Only removes the worrying if 1) he becomes as good as - or better than - Hickey 2) we sign him on a long term deal so he doesn’t do a Dawson and leave when he realises his potential

[Ralph Dawg]

As usual, we have been dudded at the trade table. However, I don't blame our team. The underhanded way Dawson went about this never gave them a chance. As a rule, I like to see our departed players do well. Really enjoyed Aliir's great 2020, Nanks premierships and Mitchell's Brownlow (yes, even Mitchell). But I can't say I hope to see Dawson do well and if his career was to tank soon, I'd say it's just rewards for his deceitful actions against the club that helped him become the player he is now.

Moving on, I'm confident that his role can be replaced by a combination of Blakey, Heeney, Campbell and Stephens. All are great kicks. All are more damaging with ball in hand. Blakey and Heeney bring his marking ability yet are faster. Yes, Dawson was influential in 2020 but I felt his form started to dip towards the end of the year. Yet we still played great footy as a team so I'm confident his loss can be negated.

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Also just want to add that I hope George just smashed it at Carlton. Here's a guy who was being shipped around at the end of 2020, yet comes out in 2021 still putting in for his team. I'm pretty confident that George would've stayed with us if he could've and I'd be happy to see him prove our list managers wrong!

[i'm-uninformed2]

* if he isn't going to be our first ruck long term then Ladhams, McLean and Amartey is one too many - why sign them all?

* why did we re-sign Sinclair? Presumably we weren't expecting to get Ladhams - but what a waste of a list spot!

So I get the instincts here but:

* the club clearly view him as Hickey's successor, and know Hickey played overs this year compared to most of his career. Easy to argue we should wait for next year to grab him, but who knows what'd change in meantime.
* McLean is a forward. He can pinch hit in the ruck if needed during games, but you'd never want him as first ruck.
* Sinclair is cover, particularly given we still haven't signed Ladhams
* Amarty can play ruck, but still developing - and reckon he is better playing as the second ruck anyway.

Where the query comes, and we'll know by 730pm, is the price.

Should add two other bits to this: Reid is clearly gone if this trade goes through, and suggests the club sees the Academy kid next year (Billy King) as either a marginal prospect, or more a forward.

[Roadrunner]

Ladhams is 23 and proven.
It removes drafting a ruck with a 15% success rate they are going to be anything.

Hickey is a 4 team journeyman that we got very lucky with, we shouldnt let that pickup cloud our view as to how hard it is to land a serviceable ruck.

Ladhams removes years of worrying about a bonafide ruck.

Spot on waswan. Bloodspirit is too harsh on Ladhams- we need him next year. Sinkers will be helping our young lads in the VFL- we need a bit of experience there. I would also retain Sammy on 1 year with minimum pay as he can be very handy if needed and has been so loyal. Not his fault his body has let him down but he can be a cover down back from time to time. The thing is, if we think we’re in a premiership window, and I think we are, we need all the insurance cover we can get, as we can’t predict injuries.

I think we can cover the loss of Dawson and if Ladhams comes in then we don’t have to worry about rucks for a while.

[KTigers]

I hope the Demons are still celebrating.

Yep, all those cheese boards loaded up with French Triple Cream, the three week tour of every winery in the Yarra Valley,
skiing (ie drinking) in Aspen and then opening their own craft brewery/barber shop in East Melbourne, there won't be a
Demons player under 110KG at the start of next season. A number 1 pick for us. You can pencil it in now.

[barry]

I don't agree we have near zero ruck depth. Sinclair, while not great, will always give a wholesome effort if called upon.

No.

You dont make finals with a ruck that gives a 'wholesome effort', and even that is questionable.
Right now Sinkers only value is ruck-fodder. ie someone you can put in the ruck so you dont need to risk injury to a more valuable player.
If Sinkers plays more than 5 games, we wont make finals.

Recruiting Ladhams should...
- Put Sinkers on a fast track to delisting. He'll go from ruck-fodder to list-clogger.
- Halt any talk of Nainsmith re-signing. His body is just not up to it anymore.

Its a great recruitment move because it solves most of our ruck problems which are currently taking up 5 or 6 list spots with only 1 being any good (hickey).

[Ralph Dawg]

If we sign Ladhams, where does that leave Naismith? He will be 30 next year, coming off another ACL and unlikely to see much footy in 2022, which just so happens to be the final year of his contract. We would be stupid to offer him another contract beyond this one.

Can we medically retire him without his consent so it frees up some cap and also a spot on our roster?

[Roadrunner]

If a player doesn’t want to be with us, let him go. We only want players in our team who commit with heart and soul- of course we prefer them to have heaps of ability as well!

Dawson is gone and my resentment is not about a lack loyalty ( though that too), as we all acknowledge that it cuts both ways and a club will act in what it considers to be in its best interests as well. No, it’s about the way Jordan went about it and totally surprised the club and to a lesser extent us supporters. Anyway, water under the bridge now- let’s not be bitter towards him as that would be beneath us, but let’s just make sure we thrash the Crows for many years to come- that is the best way and ultimately the most satisfying outcome.

[mcs]

I wonder if we might look to split the Melbourne future first today - to get a more reasonable pick to offer to Port and still keep some value from it for use at some point.

[Ralph Dawg]

No.

You dont make finals with a ruck that gives a 'wholesome effort', and even that is questionable.
Right now Sinkers only value is ruck-fodder. ie someone you can put in the ruck so you dont need to risk injury to a more valuable player.
If Sinkers plays more than 5 games, we wont make finals.

Recruiting Ladhams should...
- Put Sinkers on a fast track to delisting. He'll go from ruck-fodder to list-clogger.
- Halt any talk of Nainsmith re-signing. His body is just not up to it anymore.

Its a great recruitment move because it solves most of our ruck problems which are currently taking up 5 or 6 list spots with only 1 being any good (hickey).

Ruck is a difficult position in list management given that a listed team usually contains one true ruckman, with backup provided by a tall KP player. As Hickey said in his podcast, you can theoretically be the second best ruck in the comp but not playing first team footy. With that in mind, it would be difficult for any list to contain 2-3 genuine premiership standard rucks. So Sinclair as a backup is certainly not the worst going around but agree that if he plays more than a handful of games, it is unlikely we are threatening.

[Markwebbos]

I wonder if we might look to split the Melbourne future first today - to get a more reasonable pick to offer to Port and still keep some value from it for use at some point.

I'd be playing hardball with Port (a la Crows with us) and going after Gold Coast's pick 3 and/or pick 23

[Syd76]

Interesting that Ladhams reportedly had behavioral issues. This was raised in his exit interview. Albeit they aren’t major. The knock on Ladhams is his tank. He hardly took a mark in that last final.
Pick 31 and no more, plus PA want to get rid of him. Not worth a first round. But he is 23 and can develop further. Would have preferred Sam Hays from PA instead

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Unfortunately I think the Cray is gone. It is heart wrenching but obviously his body has not held up.

[Smith]

I think we simply bank the future first. Use the next 12 months to identify established players that will take us to the next level and go at it with two first rounders. Too late to get an established player this year. Kids are great but we need to fill gaps for a proper tilt.

[0918330512]

Interesting that Ladhams reportedly had behavioral issues. This was raised in his exit interview. Albeit they aren’t major. The knock on Ladhams is his tank. He hardly took a mark in that last final.
Pick 31 and no more, plus PA want to get rid of him. Not worth a first round. But he is 23 and can develop further. Would have preferred Sam Hays from PA instead

If we’re naming Port players who aren’t actually on offer, I’d prefer Ollie Wines. But it’s Ladhams. The “behavioural” issues that you’re referring to, is that just the unsubstantiated piffle that Damien Barrett just prattled out on AFL Daily? If he’s not going to detail them, why bother mentioning them - or he’s just making up a throwaway line for drama.

[Jimitron5000]

I'm one of those unconvinced by Ladhams but am aware we need a ruck. At the end of next season Hickey will be 31, Sinclair retired, Naismith probably retired, and as for McAndrew who knows. Others have pointed out that Amartey and McLean can ruck, but if we are reliant on them for an extended period I think we will struggle.

Side note, apparently there is a kid in the academy, Billy King, who is ruck size and quite a prospect. He's one for next years draft.