Offseason recruiting priorities

[azabob]

We don’t need a key forward and there was talk of him going back for Freo which seems like a greater area of need for us.

I’d argue we do need another key forward to play along side Naughton ahead of a key defender.

[mjp]

After getting Bruce and Keath last year, we need to:

Triple down in the draft.
Get another ruck rookie.
Get a couple of indigenous kids on the list.

[The Doctor]

Get a couple of indigenous kids on the list.

Have you seen much of Isiah Winder?

[mjp]

Have you seen much of Isiah Winder?

We played Peel in round 1 and had a glorious after the siren win on a very dubious free kick...

He was pretty good that night but was very hands before feet which didn’t hurt as much as it could have...hard to gauge his improvement from year to year on one game and it has sort of turned out that I haven’t seen peel play apart from that (generally only scout 1x week ahead).

[Axe Man]

I’d argue we do need another key forward to play along side Naughton ahead of a key defender.

Like it or not we have Bruce and he's not going anywhere. Then of course there is Schache who may or may not be a KPF and is potential trade bait. JUH will also come on board at the end of the year. Adding another key forward into the mix would be crazy list management, especially if lists are cut.

[soupman]

Just random musings, with a fair dose of speculation thrown in, but did we miss a huge trick by not picking up Eddie Betts last year?

He would've been a huge positive three times.

1. We haven't had a forward like him that can create something out of nothing and do the impossible in a long time. He can kick clutch goals, he can manufacture goals, he is dangerous in traffic, he is so much of what we don't have at all. He is someone Weightman could learn off to take over from in two years. We are playing Cavarra in the hope he can fulfill this role, but Betts is good to go.

2. Does it sway Jack Martins decision? We were definitely in the race for Martin, and it has been super apparent in his performances this year that Martin is the real deal and something we (and everyone else) would love to have and are sorely lacking. I know this is speculative but if you can tell Martin he will be playing with Betts at the Bulldogs and that he and Eddie would be responsible for forming an indigenous program at the club that would welcome JUH just a year later i think our offer becomes a lot more tempting. I know this would probably mean we trade our pick and don't get Weightman but I am completely fine with that and would obviously do it right now if we could. Martin and Betts makes our forwardline genuinely good, instead of the cobbled together group it currently is.

3. As stated above we go from having basically no one indigenous at all to having probably the most identifiable and positive indigenous player from the entire leagues last 5+ years on our list and obviously put in a position where he would try to set up a better program so that we are well equipped to grow that area of the club, (obviously in this hypothetical Martin helps immensely with this).

I'm not saying we should have thought of it, because I certainly didn't until just this last week, and I'm not saying Betts isn't already right at the cliff, but man in hindsight this could have been a huge get for the club and would have cost stuff all. Instead we are left scratching our head still about how we build an indigenous program and where we are going to find a goal sneak forward.

Oh man and imagine a forwardline that reads:

Jack Martin, Aaron Naughton, Laitham Vandermeer
Mitch Wallis, Josh Bruce, Eddie Betts

So much more dynamic, quicker, exciting and threatening.

[bulldogsthru&thru]

Just random musings, with a fair dose of speculation thrown in, but did we miss a huge trick by not picking up Eddie Betts last year?

He would've been a huge positive three times.

1. We haven't had a forward like him that can create something out of nothing and do the impossible in a long time. He can kick clutch goals, he can manufacture goals, he is dangerous in traffic, he is so much of what we don't have at all. He is someone Weightman could learn off to take over from in two years. We are playing Cavarra in the hope he can fulfill this role, but Betts is good to go.

2. Does it sway Jack Martins decision? We were definitely in the race for Martin, and it has been super apparent in his performances this year that Martin is the real deal and something we (and everyone else) would love to have and are sorely lacking. I know this is speculative but if you can tell Martin he will be playing with Betts at the Bulldogs and that he and Eddie would be responsible for forming an indigenous program at the club that would welcome JUH just a year later i think our offer becomes a lot more tempting. I know this would probably mean we trade our pick and don't get Weightman but I am completely fine with that and would obviously do it right now if we could. Martin and Betts makes our forwardline genuinely good, instead of the cobbled together group it currently is.

3. As stated above we go from having basically no one indigenous at all to having probably the most identifiable and positive indigenous player from the entire leagues last 5+ years on our list and obviously put in a position where he would try to set up a better program so that we are well equipped to grow that area of the club, (obviously in this hypothetical Martin helps immensely with this).

I'm not saying we should have thought of it, because I certainly didn't until just this last week, and I'm not saying Betts isn't already right at the cliff, but man in hindsight this could have been a huge get for the club and would have cost stuff all. Instead we are left scratching our head still about how we build an indigenous program and where we are going to find a goal sneak forward.

Oh man and imagine a forwardline that reads:

Jack Martin, Aaron Naughton, Laitham Vandermeer
Mitch Wallis, Josh Bruce, Eddie Betts

So much more dynamic, quicker, exciting and threatening.

Why? Just why?

Who knows how close we were to getting Martin but you'd hope we would have tried something like this.

[bornadog]

Just random musings, with a fair dose of speculation thrown in, but did we miss a huge trick by not picking up Eddie Betts last year?

He would've been a huge positive three times.

1. We haven't had a forward like him that can create something out of nothing and do the impossible in a long time. He can kick clutch goals, he can manufacture goals, he is dangerous in traffic, he is so much of what we don't have at all. He is someone Weightman could learn off to take over from in two years. We are playing Cavarra in the hope he can fulfill this role, but Betts is good to go.

2. Does it sway Jack Martins decision? We were definitely in the race for Martin, and it has been super apparent in his performances this year that Martin is the real deal and something we (and everyone else) would love to have and are sorely lacking. I know this is speculative but if you can tell Martin he will be playing with Betts at the Bulldogs and that he and Eddie would be responsible for forming an indigenous program at the club that would welcome JUH just a year later i think our offer becomes a lot more tempting. I know this would probably mean we trade our pick and don't get Weightman but I am completely fine with that and would obviously do it right now if we could. Martin and Betts makes our forwardline genuinely good, instead of the cobbled together group it currently is.

3. As stated above we go from having basically no one indigenous at all to having probably the most identifiable and positive indigenous player from the entire leagues last 5+ years on our list and obviously put in a position where he would try to set up a better program so that we are well equipped to grow that area of the club, (obviously in this hypothetical Martin helps immensely with this).

I'm not saying we should have thought of it, because I certainly didn't until just this last week, and I'm not saying Betts isn't already right at the cliff, but man in hindsight this could have been a huge get for the club and would have cost stuff all. Instead we are left scratching our head still about how we build an indigenous program and where we are going to find a goal sneak forward.

Oh man and imagine a forwardline that reads:

Jack Martin, Aaron Naughton, Laitham Vandermeer
Mitch Wallis, Josh Bruce, Eddie Betts

So much more dynamic, quicker, exciting and threatening.

I thought of the same thing when he was leaving Adelaide.

[Grantysghost]

I thought of the same thing when he was leaving Adelaide.

I thought he was cooked to be honest. Haven't seen a lot to change my mind and although I'd desperately love to have some indigenous players in our side I don't think we needed Eddie at his age nor should we recruit him for that reason. If that's what it took to get Martin then I'm not sure that's a good reason for him to come to us; I wish he had of though been a fan for a while.

[hujsh]

I guess the question is if the offer was there from both clubs what gets him to the Bulldogs over Carlton? I think it takes more years or money personally. Maybe I'm wrong and am overestimating the desire to return to the club he left though

[Dancin' Douggy]

I agree 5000% with everything you say here. (except Vandermeer in the forward pocket)

We would be set up for JUH to land, we'd be just better set up all round.
Maybe Eddie really wanted to go back to the blues?

Just random musings, with a fair dose of speculation thrown in, but did we miss a huge trick by not picking up Eddie Betts last year?

He would've been a huge positive three times.

1. We haven't had a forward like him that can create something out of nothing and do the impossible in a long time. He can kick clutch goals, he can manufacture goals, he is dangerous in traffic, he is so much of what we don't have at all. He is someone Weightman could learn off to take over from in two years. We are playing Cavarra in the hope he can fulfill this role, but Betts is good to go.

2. Does it sway Jack Martins decision? We were definitely in the race for Martin, and it has been super apparent in his performances this year that Martin is the real deal and something we (and everyone else) would love to have and are sorely lacking. I know this is speculative but if you can tell Martin he will be playing with Betts at the Bulldogs and that he and Eddie would be responsible for forming an indigenous program at the club that would welcome JUH just a year later i think our offer becomes a lot more tempting. I know this would probably mean we trade our pick and don't get Weightman but I am completely fine with that and would obviously do it right now if we could. Martin and Betts makes our forwardline genuinely good, instead of the cobbled together group it currently is.

3. As stated above we go from having basically no one indigenous at all to having probably the most identifiable and positive indigenous player from the entire leagues last 5+ years on our list and obviously put in a position where he would try to set up a better program so that we are well equipped to grow that area of the club, (obviously in this hypothetical Martin helps immensely with this).

I'm not saying we should have thought of it, because I certainly didn't until just this last week, and I'm not saying Betts isn't already right at the cliff, but man in hindsight this could have been a huge get for the club and would have cost stuff all. Instead we are left scratching our head still about how we build an indigenous program and where we are going to find a goal sneak forward.

Oh man and imagine a forwardline that reads:

Jack Martin, Aaron Naughton, Laitham Vandermeer
Mitch Wallis, Josh Bruce, Eddie Betts

So much more dynamic, quicker, exciting and threatening.

[bornadog]

I thought he was cooked to be honest. Haven't seen a lot to change my mind and although I'd desperately love to have some indigenous players in our side I don't think we needed Eddie at his age nor should we recruit him for that reason. If that's what it took to get Martin then I'm not sure that's a good reason for him to come to us; I wish he had of though been a fan for a while.

I was more thinking a playing forward coach, then stay on as as forward coach, plus help the indigenous programme.

[Grantysghost]

I was more thinking a playing forward coach, then stay on as as forward coach, plus help the indigenous programme.

I wonder if he'd be interested in a role like that with us post footy? That's not a bad idea.

[bornadog]

I wonder if he'd be interested in a role like that with us post footy? That's not a bad idea.

Apparently he wants to play on, but I don't think Carlton will sign him upo for another year.

[Bulldog Joe]

Recruiting a quality indigenous player as one of our coaches would be just what we need.

Betts and Burgoyne would be top of the list.