Smoking Aces said:
You mention Cavka and Mckenzie but are they what we need? Even if we go either Weller or Duggan we aren't addressing our inside mid needs. At this pick it's now or never. Either of those I mentioned are ready to go. They would probably have more of an impact next year than the player we get at 12.
McKenzie would be my first preference given he brings some much needed speed into the equation, he's a superb athlete but also a very good footballer. Overhead he's strong, his DE is nudging 80% and his endurance is top class. We could do with all of that, particularly coming out of defence. He may not be ready season one but his upside is very high, his improvement over the course of the season shows a sharp upward trend.
As for our inside needs, I'd pick Neal-Bullen first, his performances at SANFL level have been very good. He already has a 30 possession game to his name and runs a pretty mean marathon. He's also a very natural footballer, not quick but very agile and able to play in a number of positions.
Gore comes in next, he reminds me a lot of Caddy and I suspect his impact may be as stunted as Josh. He has played senior football but still lacks some consistency. I'm not so sure he'll be there for the entire duration but possibly 10-12 games.
Miller will play most of the season but not necessarily midfield, his niche for me will be as a forward, at least in season one. His goal kicking has improved out of sight this year and I expect this aspect of his game to be his primary bread and butter.
Blakely will not be available and it's a shame because he will make a very big impact next year. His WAFL form has been solid and he looks to be polishing up his footskills. If I had a pick in the teens I would select him, at 33 I think we've got very little hope.
So in the event that these lads are off the table I think we have to look at a good all-rounder like Cavka, who I believe will feature prominantly in 2015. He can run a 16.8 beep which means he will be a set of fresh legs in a very long season. His contested game isn't too bad either, not elite, but he could be relied upon to win the odd clearance and do his fair share of defensive work. He's also a goal kicker and has kicked some handy bags throughout the season. In all probability I think the chances of success are high, maybe not to an A-class level but a solid depth player who has a role. With limited rotations I think endurance athletes can earn their keep, Cavka would be close to top of the class where that's concerned.