Ten intriguing out-of-contract players

[GVGjr]

From AFL.com

TEN INTRIGUING OUT-OF-CONTRACT PLAYERS (https://www.afl.com.au/news/440628/10-intriguing-out-of-contract-players-amid-list-size-uncertainty)

Cedric Cox (Brisbane)
Cox's played only 13 games in three seasons since being the No.24 pick in the 2016 NAB AFL Draft. The small forward kicked three goals or more three times in the NEAFL last year, including four in the Lions' Grand Final win over Southport.

Matt Scharenberg (Collingwood)
Missed the first couple of months of the 2019 season recovering from a third knee reconstruction. Snuck in seven games in the Pies' defence from there but was dropped for the finals. They were willing to offload Scharenberg in last year's Telstra AFL Trade Period.

Sam Menegola (Geelong)
A mid-season knee injury interrupted Menegola's campaign last year. He spent two weeks in the VFL after recovering, came back into the seniors for a fortnight, then was on the outside looking in for the final two rounds. Returned for finals but is a free agent this year.

Zac Langdon (GWS Giants)
Foot and ankle problems ruined Langdon's second AFL season, after he kicked 21 goals in as many games in 2018. Showed his ability in the pre-season with five goals against the Swans, and kicked one major playing alongside Brent Daniels in round one.

Jayden Hunt (Melbourne)
Hunt was a revelation across half-back in 2017 with his line-breaking runs but he played only six games in 2018 before reinventing himself as a leading forward last year. Wasn't selected for the season opener against West Coast, so will have to work his way back in.

Taylor Garner (North Melbourne)
There's no doubting Garner's talent but his latest hamstring setback this week has placed his season in jeopardy. Has only once played more than 11 games in eight seasons at the Roos, and was an emergency in round one. Mason Wood is another to watch at the Roos.

Sam Powell-Pepper (Port Adelaide)
The bull-at-a-gate midfielder was left out of the Power's senior side three times last year, including round 23, but was selected in round one this season. Powell-Pepper has previously generated rival interest but much will depend on his 2020 efforts.

Josh Battle (St Kilda)
Enjoyed a breakout 2019 season, appearing 19 times as part of the Saints' defence. Can also play in attack and Brett Ratten is even contemplating using him on a wing. Battle was left out of St Kilda's round side, with recruit Dougal Howard and fit-again Dylan Roberton preferred.

Ben Ronke (Sydney)
Burst onto the scene with bags of seven and five in 2018 off the rookie list, as well as six games with at least six tackles. However, the young Swan didn't have more than two goals or four tackles in any of his 13 games last year. Played in round one against Adelaide.

Lin Jong (Western Bulldogs)
Was infamously caught touring Collingwood's facilities in 2016 but has twice signed two-year deals to remain at the Dogs since. Jong's managed only 10 AFL matches since suffering an ACL rupture in round 13, 2017 and none last year. A hamstring injury sidelined him in round one.

[GVGjr]

Any of the above hold an interest for us?
I don't think any of us would begrudge Jong landing somewhere else for improved opportunities if he can't establish a spot with us this season

[Happy Days]

I really like Battle. Clever player with really clean skills and is great overhead. Don't know if he doesn't offer anything we don't already have but no way he'd make us worse.

[Happy Days]

Also pretty sure we were keen on Cox in his draft year, but I would be looking elsewhere. He's way too timid and frankly soft on the field.

[Twodogs]

I wouldn't mind a look at Hunt. He is versatile and has played well in a couple of positions. Sam Powell-Pepper puts his head over the footy and I always like players who do that.

Has Ronke been worked out?

[Twodogs]

Also pretty sure we were keen on Cox in his draft year, but I would be looking elsewhere. He's way too timid and frankly soft on the field.

Yeah we were IIRC.

[GVGjr]

Attitude questions aside Powell-Pepper would be a great fit for us but it's very unlikely we would be interested in him
Based on our list I think we already have the forward flankers covered and there seems to be a number of them in that list of 10
Battle is a touch slow but could provide some KPD depth

[GVGjr]

I wouldn't mind a look at Hunt. He is versatile and has played well in a couple of positions. Sam Powell-Pepper puts his head over the footy and I always like players who do that.

Has Ronke been worked out?

Not sure on Ronke, seems to have come back to the pack

[jeemak]

Is Toby McLean capable of becoming an inside defencive midfielder? With Libba's body being a concern, and Wallis likely to be suited forward due to a lack of burst speed it's clearly an area in which we're exposed.

So the question is, do we need to look elsewhere (i.e. at a Sam P-P) or can we throw Toby the challenge and see how he goes? I'm fifty fifty, though at present I don't know what else he does for us and it's a position that is there for the taking.

[Happy Days]

Powell Pepper is pretty not good and seems like a jerk.

[GVGjr]

Is Toby McLean capable of becoming an inside defencive midfielder? With Libba's body being a concern, and Wallis likely to be suited forward due to a lack of burst speed it's clearly an area in which we're exposed.

So the question is, do we need to look elsewhere (i.e. at a Sam P-P) or can we throw Toby the challenge and see how he goes? I'm fifty fifty, though at present I don't know what else he does for us and it's a position that is there for the taking.

McLean might be very well up for a new challenge. We know of his offensive attributes and if he could add that string to his bow it could be just what we need. I wonder if he has the fitness and the concentration required but worthy of consideration

[Axe Man]

I don’t rate Pepper Powell at all, hard no.

[GVGjr]

Powell Pepper is pretty not good and seems like a jerk.


I don’t rate Pepper Powell at all, hard no.

From all accounts he's got a lot of work to do on his attitude but while I've seen him play some good burst football I agree he's not for us

[soupman]

I really like Battle. Clever player with really clean skills and is great overhead. Don't know if he doesn't offer anything we don't already have but no way he'd make us worse.

Battle will be a good player, the issue is I don't think he solves the issues we have. He isn't the shut down key defender, but he is the good marking versatile type like what Young should end up being and Keath kind of was at Adelaide. Would definitely be taking him if he is available though.

[jeemak]

Battle will be a good player, the issue is I don't think he solves the issues we have. He isn't the shut down key defender, but he is the good marking versatile type like what Young should end up being and Keath kind of was at Adelaide. Would definitely be taking him if he is available though.

Improving your list for the right price is always a good thing. Obviously addressing major needs is the first priority, but if that can't be done in all instances during a trade period then the default position just has to be improve your list at the right price. Sometimes we as supporters and clubs actually forget that.

[soupman]

Improving your list for the right price is always a good thing. Obviously addressing major needs is the first priority, but if that can't be done in all instances during a trade period then the default position just has to be improve your list at the right price. Sometimes we as supporters and clubs actually forget that.

I do agree generally, but with our tendency to give players multiple seasons at the club even if they show little (see Lynch, Greene, Smith, Jong, Porter) then list spots are extremely valuable. We can't just hand them out willy nilly, especially on a player that plays a position we already have an abundance of talent in. This is made especially hard if we reduce the list sizes as anticipated.

Obviously he is arguably better than all our current key defenders aside from Keath )better than Cordy, Young, Gardner and Trengove listed by MC preference), but unless we move on the rest of them then we can't lock up our list with fringe key defender types. And we would still have to recruit a key defender to play the lockdown role as clearly we don't trust Trengove with that. So next year that leaves us with Keath, Battle, Cordy, Young + lockdown key.

Honestly it's all irrelevant. I'll be amazed if we recruit anyone this off season. Say we go down to 35 list spots, plus 3 draftees means we have to cut like 12 blokes. Beveridge is so loyal to his playing group that he will want to keep it together and will struggle to make the necessary cuts, let alone an extra one to fit in a guy that apparently isn't in St.Kildas best 22.

[jeemak]

I didn't mention anything about attrition when I possibly should have, though I thought it was just common sense (and that's not a slight on you Soup).

Whomever you bring in should be balanced with who you let go. Additionally, I wasn't talking about the player specifically mentioned, it was a general comment about the fundamentals of trading, i.e. each year you do better rather than worse no matter how things fall when trying to land something needs based.

[Mofra]

With list spots set to be tight and three kids on our radar this year (Marra, Raak, McPherson) I don't see how we have any space available for an established player to trade in - even before you consider we will lack trade assets.

I'd like us to target a legitimate, AFL standard wing but I don't think we can get a deal done.

[GVGjr]

With list spots set to be tight and three kids on our radar this year (Marra, Raak, McPherson) I don't see how we have any space available for an established player to trade in - even before you consider we will lack trade assets.

I'd like us to target a legitimate, AFL standard wing but I don't think we can get a deal done.

Has the list size for 2021 been established yet? 35 was a number being mentioned a couple of months back and if that holds true then we need to get down to something like 31 players to draft 3 and trade for 1 player

We do a have a lot of fringe players so providing we have a legitimate need then bringing in an established player shouldn't be that hard