Proactive Poaching

[bulldogtragic]

We don't need Smith

He's a very good player and makes us a stronger team. To me it's just the cost to get him that's a question. I'm not sure about why he'd leave though.

[AshMac]

[quo

[AshMac]

Yep. But with 4 incoming we are going to have to move on two more players, Dickson & Williams don't have contracts, and Lynch, Gowers & Jong contracted but surplus to need (with Roberts & Webb and three already retired). It's fun to think about bringing in four players who make us a much better team, but fitting them in?

Interestingly, although a recent article suggested Williams would stay, if however Williams and Keath was a straight swap... And we got Port's pick 27 in a draft points trade to use on Bruce. Our second rounder (pick 30+) could be used on Isaac Smith (with something coming back). That's the trade currency to buy them from their club. The $1.7M plus salaries of Morris, Dickson & Williams gone is enough to pay for them with money.

Good luck with a best 22:

B: Crozier Trengove Cordy
HB: JJ Keath Suckling
C: I. Smith Macrae Hunter
HF: Martin Schache Lloyd
F: Bruce Naughton Dale
R: English Bontempelli Dunkley
Int From: B. Smith, Wood, Daniel, McLean, Liberatore, Lipinski, Duryea
Emerg: Wallis, Le Young, Richards, West, Hayes, La Young, Cavarra, R. Smith, Gowers, Lynch, Jong, Gardner?,
Kids: Khamis, Sweet, Greene, Porter, Vandermeer, 2019 draftees


That list wins both afl and VFL premierships.


This surely is too good to be true.

We could definitely make it work cash wise. Keen on all three of them - Keath my no. 1 preference tbh.

I’d be furious with pick 30(ish) for Smith though. At his age and stage of career I’d think the only way he leaves hawks is if they’re happy for him to go like suckers and doc, in which case he is a 4th rounder for mine.

[bulldogtragic]

We could definitely make it work cash wise. I’d be furious with pick 30 for Smith though. At his age and stage of career I’d think the only way he leaves hawks is if they’re happy for him to go like suckers and doc, in which case he is a 4tb rounder for mine.

True, it depends on the 'what we got back' part. If it was pick 30 for their pick 45 & I. Smith for example, that works for me. That gap of 15 picks, in draft points, is equal to just pick 50. Hawks get to crow about another top 30 pick, we quietly get a best 22 player for a few years and a mid 3rd rounder where we've done well in recent drafts.

[Dry Rot]

Is anyone not coming to our club

Hopefully Carlisle.

[bulldogtragic]

Hopefully Carlisle.

He, his manager and St Kilda confirm he's staying (although not getting an extension passed next year). Great news all round, especially with St Kilda not freeing up that $600,000 in their salary cap.

[GVGjr]

I don't think we have the list spots to bring in 4 experienced players but all the names we are being linked to would add value to our playing list.

Martin has the outside polish and start quality that would add spark to our forward and midfield rotations
Bruce is a versatile tall forward and proven goal kicker over a number of seasons
Keath is highly regarded as intercept key defender after one good season.
Isaac Smith is a proven ball winner who averages 21 possessions plus per game over a long period and is an experienced finals footballer, Super fit and very durable

Zac Smith would provide some rucking depth and would allow Sweet another season to learn his craft

Depending on the way you look at it Isaac Smith might make the biggest impact next season if we were to trade for him.
Keath could be a boom or bust type player, I just haven't seen enough of him to be very confident

[bornadog]

I don't think we have the list spots to bring in 4 experienced players but all the names we are being linked to would add value to our playing list.

Do you think we would try and turn our first pick into two like a couple of years ago?

[GVGjr]

Do you think we would try and turn our first pick into two like a couple of years ago?

I don't think initially we would look to do that as primary focus appears to be to use picks to bring in players from other clubs or points for the 2020 draft
Now if we can't land the players we target much like North appear to struggle with then perhaps we might look towards the draft and our options

[Grantysghost]

It's unlikely but after yesterday do we at all reassess list need? Considering the midfield capitulation should we be looking to bring in another Taylor Adams type? (hard built for finals) . I've always liked Ainsworth from Suns, and unfortunately I doubt Libba will ever return to his 2016 form.That was a real shock to me how meekly they surrendered under real pressure yesterday.

[Sedat]

Re: Isaac Smith, do we want to be young or do we want to be better? Clearly we need to continue getting better judging by yesterday.

[ledge]

It's unlikely but after yesterday do we at all reassess list need? Considering the midfield capitulation should we be looking to bring in another Taylor Adams type? (hard built for finals) . I've always liked Ainsworth from Suns, and unfortunately I doubt Libba will ever return to his 2016 form.That was a real shock to me how meekly they surrendered under real pressure yesterday.

I put it down to the experience .. they have played finals a long time now and had bigger bodies, they know what it takes.
Wouldn’t go making big changes due to one bad game .. our kids learnt a lot it’s to our advantage now , we will be up for it next year as our young ones get bigger.
We will be fine, this was our 2015.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Re: Isaac Smith, do we want to be young or do we want to be better? Clearly we need to continue getting better judging by yesterday.

He’s far better than Hayes. It’s a simple one for mine.

The one I really want is Bruce, we need an aggressive key forward who can go into the ruck. He’s it.

[GVGjr]

Re: Isaac Smith, do we want to be young or do we want to be better? Clearly we need to continue getting better judging by yesterday.

Fully agree. I don't get the argument that we should always recruit younger players while at the same time we often seem to explain losses due to having an inexperienced and younger side.

Can we really have it both ways?

As GG pointed out a couple of posts back we need to find a player or two with that harder edge

[Grantysghost]

I put it down to the experience .. they have played finals a long time now and had bigger bodies, they know what it takes.
Wouldn’t go making big changes due to one bad game .. our kids learnt a lot it’s to our advantage now , we will be up for it next year as our young ones get bigger.
We will be fine, this was our 2015.

I tend to agree with you, think I'm still in shock after yesterday, and certainly don't want any knee jerk reactions or deviations from long term strategy. However I still think it's a reasonable question to ask as we appear to be targeting everything but tough mids and it was exposed yesterday. Bont, Macrae, Dunks are reasonably experienced.