You need top 5 ND picks to win flags!!!

[bullus_hit]

At the moment the midfield lacks top end talent, that needs to be sourced from somewhere. I personally think we look one paced and stodgy, reminds me of the Wayne Campbell years a lot more than the dynasty years. To be competitive from here we need in order of preference -

1. Two Key Forwards
2. Two well rounded Mids
3. One competitive Ruck
4. One Medium Forward

With a limited draft hand the only way to do this is offload some stars, I'd be shopping Short, Vlastuin, Dusty, Broad & Soldo (with a view to upgrading this position.

At the end of the day we are still getting smashed in the clearances, we've spent a truckload trying to sort out an area but have fallen short. Taranto & Hopper are doing ok but it's clear we still need a clearance specialist. I think free agency may sort out one problem, Harry looks like a worthy target, hopefully that gets sorted soon. The rest will need to come in the 30-40 range, doable with the exception of the forwards.

 

[Leysy Days]

At the moment the midfield lacks top end talent, that needs to be sourced from somewhere. I personally think we look one paced and stodgy, reminds me of the Wayne Campbell years a lot more than the dynasty years. To be competitive from here we need in order of preference -

1. Two Key Forwards
2. Two well rounded Mids
3. One competitive Ruck
4. One Medium Forward

With a limited draft hand the only way to do this is offload some stars, I'd be shopping Short, Vlastuin, Dusty, Broad & Soldo (with a view to upgrading this position.

At the end of the day we are still getting smashed in the clearances, we've spent a truckload trying to sort out an area but have fallen short. Taranto & Hopper are doing ok but it's clear we still need a clearance specialist. I think free agency may sort out one problem, Harry looks like a worthy target, hopefully that gets sorted soon. The rest will need to come in the 30-40 range, doable with the exception of the forwards.

You missed arguably our biggest gap.

 

[bullus_hit]

You missed arguably our biggest gap.

Feel free to add any suggestions.

 

[TigerFlag2017]

Good analysis Bullus.

Re comment on midfield being one-paced, during our premiership years, I am not sure we had any speedsters in the guts. Martin, Cotchin, Prestia, Lambert, Grigg, Edwards, etc. are probably more endurance than speed. Similar on the wings with McIntosh, Ellis and Pickett.

Perhaps it was Butler/Rioli/George/Bolton played a "role" in providing electric run/ball movement.

Must say it makes me a little sad/nostalgic knowing a number of these "heroes" are no longer there. Even George!

 

[Leysy Days]

Feel free to add any suggestions.

Small forwards with pace, zip, skills and ability to read the play.

Gone from our biggest strength to near biggest weakness.

Needs to be very high on a list of priorities (and more than one).

 

[French Tiger]

What's the point of bottoming out anyway when our first pick is going to the Giants. We could come last & our first pick would be like the equal to if we won the flag.

 

[graystar1]

Who is to say that early draft picks are the be all and end all of a team's fortunes?
Some of our best players have come from late picks.

 

[bullus_hit]

Small forwards with pace, zip, skills and ability to read the play.

Gone from our biggest strength to near biggest weakness.

Needs to be very high on a list of priorities (and more than one).

I know it but I have tons of time for MRJ, I also think this area can be solved with some late picks. Jackson spent very little in this area but still managed to form the nucleus of a premiership team. I certainly wouldn't be spending top picks on small forwards whilst we have so many other glaring deficiencies.

 

[Scoop]

We have 22 and 40, 58.

If we can add three picks to this between 15-50 that would be great. Five picks inside 50. Let Broad walk, take the pick. You need two more. Very doable.

And don't forget, if Naish is worth drafting via father - son we will need points.

 

[AngryAnt]

6 games ago old Carts was telling us to rejoice as we steam toward the flag.

Cartman has such a strong mind that he can hold multiple oppository positions - often at the same time.

 

[tigertim]

Cartman has such a strong mind that he can hold multiple oppository positions - often at the same time.

It is an admirable quality.

 

[hutstar]

I don't think it needs to be extreme, I don't think it CAN be. I would argue that we do however need to keep our picks going forward. If we can get free agents as well without giving away good picks or many of them, then great. Taranto and hopper fixed a big gap in our age profile, and we can keep adding the odd guy like that, but we need 14 picks in the next 3 years as well.

 

[code yellow and black]

how about we invest in developing the players we have? worked before.

Yeah need to develop a new game style. We did it in 2007. Pies did it last year and turned things around without bottoming out.

How do u bottom out anyway when you still have so many good players. Fire sale maybe. Would definitely be tanking. Tell players to stop trying.

 

[tigermike]

I bet at the end of 2016 this same thread appeared. And this is with Cotchin, Riewoldt, Martin and Rance on the books. Imagine if we followed this line on thinking back then and got rid of them?

Next minute we are premiers.

Sometimes you are already sitting on gold without actually knowing it.

And Martin showed flashes of excellence prior to 2017 but was renowned for inconsistency and losing concentration and effort eg. Elim. Final v. Port. It took him many years to learn how to be a professional and understand how good he really could be and in 2017 it all came together. His first season was 2010.

 

[tigermike]

already updated, of course they're valid inclusions

vlastuin was pick 9, my bad, but like cotch and jack probably cooked

I reckon Flossy would rather be surfing!

 

[tigermike]

As a counter balance, it's good to maintain reality when it's quoted how many games a young player has played as if they're on their way to playing 200 games.

RFC Career Games

Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls 13
Corey Ellis 27
Ben Lennon 21
Riley Collier-Dawkins 11
etc.

Unfortunately there's no guarantees a player gets better just because they've played a handful of games because AFL games of footy aren't guaranteed.

Yes, the small no. of games only helps us understand why they are not quite good enough or consistent enough atm. The hard part is deciding who to keep for another year or two and who to let go. We certainly have a history of hanging on to some players for too long but hopefully we now have analytical systems in place to assist in those hard decisions.

 

[Coburgtiger]

Cartman has such a strong mind that he can hold multiple oppository positions - often at the same time.

I wonder if his opposing opinions are morons for not understanding the sophistication of his other opinions.

 

[Dyer'ere]

In order to rebuild we will need multiple early draft picks. At least three. And we’ll have to nail them.

That will mean at least one year near the spoon.

We can trade and free agent for the rest.

We have to nail the picks and we have to keep trading out of drafts Clarke thinks are *smile* and into the draft years he likes.

We will bottom out in the foreseeable future.

Remember 2016 when we traded in Chris Yarran? That set us back ten years. Oh, wait… We have to take risks to profit. We’ll keep doing that because we’re good at it.

 

[tigertime2]

While Dimma coaches we are not going to bottom out.

 

[tony_montana]

later on in the year when Campbell, Smith, Banks and Green are showing plenty of promise there won't be so much doom and gloom