What does an aggressive trade period look like to you?

[hujsh]

Don't get me wrong, he is close to my favourite player. I love what he does in and around the goals and he is stupidly courageous but am I willing to sell the farm to get my hands on the Cup one/two more times ... absolutely

Fair enough. I don't necessarily agree he's the type we sell unless we have a replacement lined up as good as him (in our structure)

[soupman]

I am in the minority I guess but I hope Cordy re-signs for 2-years.

I'm not against keeping him but he was stuck in the wilderness for half the season and surely isn't in our best 22 calculations with the arrival of Jones, who isn't even that good.

If he does re-sign I think that is a very bad sign that we have been unable to make any of our key defensive targets stick, and while I am sure he's a good bloke and part of the fabric not sure we need to give a likely fringe player 2 years when we already have guys like Crozier, O'Brien and Hannan as excellent examples of how to fill up your list spots for little return. I mean it isn't like we are having to fight off other clubs 2 year offers to keep him...surely?

[soupman]

Don't get me wrong, he is close to my favourite player. I love what he does in and around the goals and he is stupidly courageous but am I willing to sell the farm to get my hands on the Cup one/two more times ... absolutely

I just don't think selling Weightman makes us better. He is one of the few natural forwards on our list, and anyone we can attract to replace him I can't see being prevented from doing so because he is at the club.

Also unfortunately unless a club is actively trying to poach a player (and even then it's hard to get value) it's pretty hard to make a player available and not tank their value.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

I am in the minority I guess but I hope Cordy re-signs for 2-years.

Respectfully, why mjp?

If it is as depth, I can sort of understand it ... But assuming we trade in Lobb there's zero chance he plays ahead of Naughton, Lobb, Marra, Bruce and possibly Darcy.

There should also be slim chances of him getting picked ahead of Keath, Gardy, Jones, possibly Darcy and Khamis. There's also TOB.

Some of the above play different roles, but what role does/can Cordy actually play moving forward? He isn't a ruck, he isn't a forward, he isn't an intercept defender and his ability to lockdown is really questionable at best.

I suppose there's an element of knowing what you get with Cordy but I would argue that's all the more reason to let him go.

[FrediKanoute]

The tide sure has turned on Weightman quickly. One of the top scoring general forwards in the game, has the best accuracy of any non key forward with more than 35 goals (Mitch Lewis and just barely Lynch beat him out) , is our most accurate and second most prolific goal scorer this year, 2nd for average pressure acts among our forwards (I know it's a meme but what else to do have to quantify forward half pressure), 4th for average tackles inside 50 and 4th in the team for average ground ball gets inside 50 (I dunno how else to quantify crumbing).

So what's the pitch there? Sell the only natural non-tall forward we have and just play McNeil more or something? He goes for marks and that can be annoying sometimes when he makes the wrong call but is that such a crime that we don't want to play with him anymore? Far as we know he's encouraged to do that anyway.



TLDR; Leave him alone. I like him.

Agree. He hasn't been the same since the elbow, but before he did the elbow he had kicked 5 goals in a half. The kid can play. Sure he has limits, but he is still developing.

[mjp]

Respectfully, why mjp?

If it is as depth, I can sort of understand it ... But assuming we trade in Lobb there's zero chance he plays ahead of Naughton, Lobb, Marra, Bruce and possibly Darcy.

There should also be slim chances of him getting picked ahead of Keath, Gardy, Jones, possibly Darcy and Khamis. There's also TOB.

Some of the above play different roles, but what role does/can Cordy actually play moving forward? He isn't a ruck, he isn't a forward, he isn't an intercept defender and his ability to lockdown is really questionable at best.

I suppose there's an element of knowing what you get with Cordy but I would argue that's all the more reason to let him go.

Because you need to field a team.

How many key defenders do you need in a squad:

Jones (assuming), Keath, Gardner are really all we have.

I don't know exactly how to classify Khamis but key back isn't it.
Darcy is a developing tall and we have quite literally no idea where he is best suited.
TOB - well, that was a pretty questionable recruitment decision where we decided targeting Hawthorn's Zaine would be a good plan!

If you assume we need to play 3x key talls every week - or at least 2x keys and one of that 'next group' of Khamis, Darcy, O'Brien, and Cordy - it wont take much for us to simply run out of players.

Keath is highly likely to get injured.
Jones hasn't played for 18-months and is even MORE likely to get injured.
Gardner has missed time every season.
Darcy is a kid coming off a season where he missed the first 6-months because he was...INJURED.

SO if we lose even ONE of them then Cordy needs to play. If we lose two - and based on the age profile, it's going to happen - he will be essentially our number 1 defender.

If we are serious about playing finals, then we need to have mature footballers on the list who can at the very least compete. I understand everyone is done with Cordy (I get it) but going and recruiting another 'mid-price' defender from another club is just going to bring us another Tim O'Brien...and for everyone talking about Sam Taylor and Tommy Barrass etc - I have seen/heard nothing to indicate that we have enquired about them and the response has been positive.

If you don't like this synopsis (and I understand why you wouldn't) then set aside these ideas of recruiting Jones and Lobb and instead try to target a tall defender with a better age profile who is not as much of an injury risk. Who? Goodness only knows. I don't think the Taylors/McKays of the world are options though so it would have to come from the 2nd tier...

[FrediKanoute]

This just feels like we are talking about tearing apart the fabric of the club.

Sure - JJ gets 3x years and I'm happy for him. Martin retires.

Hunter needs to be rehabilitated whatever that looks like. Sounds like he needs support not to be kicked to the curb.

I am in the minority I guess but I hope Cordy re-signs for 2-years.

You have my vote for Hunter and Cordy. I would want to retain both. JJ given he is not playing the role he excel's at its probably best he moves on, but it would be a sad day.

[Mofra]

If you don't like this synopsis (and I understand why you wouldn't) then set aside these ideas of recruiting Jones and Lobb and instead try to target a tall defender with a better age profile who is not as much of an injury risk. Who? Goodness only knows. I don't think the Taylors/McKays of the world are options though so it would have to come from the 2nd tier...

We did ask about Payne from Brisbane last year - and missed out.

Right now KPDs are scarce, Hawthorn delisted Hartigan this week and St Kilda called his manager before he'd even called out his locker.

[mjp]

We did ask about Payne from Brisbane last year - and missed out.

Right now KPDs are scarce, Hawthorn delisted Hartigan this week and St Kilda called his manager before he'd even called out his locker.

That's my point. It's OK to join the 'No more Zaine' train but SOMEONE has to play in the key post. Whatever he is, he is a player who commits to the contest and knows the system.

[bornadog]

That's my point. It's OK to join the 'No more Zaine' train but SOMEONE has to play in the key post. Whatever he is, he is a player who commits to the contest and knows the system.

I am happy to keep him as back up, but we should be developing some young defenders for the future.

[The Bulldogs Bite]

Because you need to field a team.

How many key defenders do you need in a squad:

Jones (assuming), Keath, Gardner are really all we have.

I don't know exactly how to classify Khamis but key back isn't it.
Darcy is a developing tall and we have quite literally no idea where he is best suited.
TOB - well, that was a pretty questionable recruitment decision where we decided targeting Hawthorn's Zaine would be a good plan!

If you assume we need to play 3x key talls every week - or at least 2x keys and one of that 'next group' of Khamis, Darcy, O'Brien, and Cordy - it wont take much for us to simply run out of players.

Keath is highly likely to get injured.
Jones hasn't played for 18-months and is even MORE likely to get injured.
Gardner has missed time every season.
Darcy is a kid coming off a season where he missed the first 6-months because he was...INJURED.

SO if we lose even ONE of them then Cordy needs to play. If we lose two - and based on the age profile, it's going to happen - he will be essentially our number 1 defender.

If we are serious about playing finals, then we need to have mature footballers on the list who can at the very least compete. I understand everyone is done with Cordy (I get it) but going and recruiting another 'mid-price' defender from another club is just going to bring us another Tim O'Brien...and for everyone talking about Sam Taylor and Tommy Barrass etc - I have seen/heard nothing to indicate that we have enquired about them and the response has been positive.

If you don't like this synopsis (and I understand why you wouldn't) then set aside these ideas of recruiting Jones and Lobb and instead try to target a tall defender with a better age profile who is not as much of an injury risk. Who? Goodness only knows. I don't think the Taylors/McKays of the world are options though so it would have to come from the 2nd tier...

Good post.

We went into 2022 very, very light on for rucks and effectively run the risk that English wouldn't miss games. Most of us didn't like it, and I'm not sure anyone would reflect on that as good list management.

Regardless, why take a different approach with this? The difference being we should have more depth in 2023 key defending stocks, and Cordy isn't a first (or second, or third) choice defender like English was as ruck. If we're decimated by injury to the point we're relying on Cordy, maybe we're just better off accepting it's unfortunate luck?

If Cordy is effectively the 40th player on the list and we're trying to contend, I won't lose sleep. But keeping an average and undersized player simply because he knows the system is keeping a player for the wrong reasons. That has to be the very definition of clogging a list.

I want us to be keeping players with a defined role in mind - some won't work out, some will, but it should be methodical. Khamis mightn't make it as a third/intercepting defender, but that's the role. Ditto Tim O'Brien.

What IS Cordy and his defined role? Because by now we should know it isn't a key defender and it isn't as an intercepting/attacking defender.

I expect us to keep Cordy, but I think it's the wrong decision. We're in a bit of a mess with our list because we keep refusing to cut deep enough and this would be another example of that.

[Scraggers]

I just don't think selling Weightman makes us better. He is one of the few natural forwards on our list, and anyone we can attract to replace him I can't see being prevented from doing so because he is at the club.

Also unfortunately unless a club is actively trying to poach a player (and even then it's hard to get value) it's pretty hard to make a player available and not tank their value.

Okay, as a scenario … just spitballing here … Collingwood talk to us and say ‘we know you’re interested in Grundy, we’ll give you him for the remaining six years of his contract and we’ll pay $300k per year towards it. We want your second round pick and a sweetener … Weightman’. Do you jump? Are you prepared to lose our best small forward in the hope Arthur comes good next year (different players, I know) and Grundy helps us lift the cup in 2023.

What is your ultimate price?

[Scraggers]

This just feels like we are talking about tearing apart the fabric of the club.

Sure - JJ gets 3x years and I'm happy for him. Martin retires.

Hunter needs to be rehabilitated whatever that looks like. Sounds like he needs support not to be kicked to the curb.

I am in the minority I guess but I hope Cordy re-signs for 2-years.

So I’m interested in your thoughts, do we only need a tweak? Do we need to show ruthless aggression? Will losing the like of JJ and Dunks be enough to revitalise the list. Some people on here are saying we need to trade English while his stocks are high; is that the carrot we need to dangle to get a McKay-like recruit?
(Personally I think English is the type of player I would build the team around. He has so much up-side and is yet to reach even the foothills of his peak) but is that how ruthless we need to be?

[boydogs]

Succeeding at the trade table isn't about a firesale on your list, it's about attracting players to your club that you need, think Brian Lake to Hawthorn. They nominate the club, we have the upper hand in negotiations, deal gets done without us paying overs in picks or salary

[jeemak]

Weightman dislocated his damn elbow in game and played the rest of the season through it (hurting it at least one other time). That’s a big deal!

If he got surgery on it (like I assume he’s gonna do this off season) and missed the time he gutted out then we’re probably all glowing over him. Trading him is insane.

You're a better player for the Bulldogs if you're not playing. It's the law.