...and he's 30+.
I don't get the interest tbh.
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I know you are very age focused and for some reason a bit anti Hawthorn but to me good players are good players. If we think we can get 2 to 3 years out of them and they don't cost the world I'm open to the idea of bringing in an experienced player or two.
Smith would have been a good option for us this season
I am not anti Hawthorn, but I don't want 30 plus hasbeens that we don't need. I like to develop young players or get some one in mid 20's for a longer term.
I have seen so many ex forwards in their 30s come to us and the only one that worked was Barry Hall. As for Isaac Smith, we didn't need him.
James Cook gave us one really good year and overall was a plus. Osborne was very good. Akker was great at times but look what happened. There was a downside to him that can only be measured by insiders. Barry Hall was fantastic. But the list of forward failures does not make happy reading. I saw Shane Loveless kick 9 against Hawthorn. He wasn't an import though. We had a bloke who kicked 12 in a Reserves final but never went on with it. Alan Jakovich, Jayde Rawlings, Alan Edwards, Max Crow and, back in the 50s, Max Cross.
Agree, some roles we may need a short term solution. I would consider a champion indigenous player like Betts to come in as a playing coach and help build our programme.
What I don't like is bringing in guys like Breust, Isaac Smith, Mckernan unless we deem it is absolutely necessary as a role, and at this stage I don't think it is a need.
They would have easily walk into our team and make a positive impact. Some are all too quick to put a line through a player because they look closer at their age or height than their abilities on the footy field
We say we are a finals quality team so there is nothing wrong with looking at players who could come in for 2 or 3 years and add some quality and experience to the list
I get why players at say 26 years of age are more appealing but the likes of Breust and Smith are proven performers and 'could' address a couple of gaps on the list
And the difference in the trade value of a 26 year old v a 30 year old (all other things being equal) is huge. It's all very well to say bring in a mid 20s player but the quality ones will cost you a packet. Quality players around the 30 mark can be had for not much in the right circumstance and therefore doesn't impact too much on your drafting.