Can someone (please) explain to me the reason we would trade for Stef Martin (or another ruck only player).

[Mofra]

Is there anyone expecting Martin to play an entire season?

I don't think that's the plan at all. The guy was a rock up until 2020 before injury struck, and that may be how his career finishes. I see two scenarios playing out at various times next year:

a. English spends time forward as he did 2018 & 2019 pre-season when the coaching staff were "pretty excited" by what English offers forward (their words). TBH English looked a more effective forward than Josh Bruce this year.

b. Stef Martin plays 5-10 games, with English playing mostly forward during those games as a way of keeping him fresh or even rested himself.

Martin also takes a coaching/mentoring role for English and Sweet without it impacting on the soft-cap which as I understand it will tighten significantly next year. Having someone to actually train and play with Sweet and English while mentoring them will hasten their development far more than King will.

Point C - who else is there? Not sold on Mason Cox, Hickey is off to the Swans, Vardy is fragile and the Eagles would earmark him as their 'depth' option anyway. Goldy looks set to stay at North and the under-the-radar kid I really rate (Xerri) would be one of North's few 'untouchables'.

We're market takers in this scenario as as a cheap option Martin might just be the best available.

[comrade]

Point C - who else is there? Not sold on Mason Cox, Hickey is off to the Swans, Vardy is fragile and the Eagles would earmark him as their 'depth' option anyway. Goldy looks set to stay at North and the under-the-radar kid I really rate (Xerri) would be one of North's few 'untouchables'.

We're market takers in this scenario as as a cheap option Martin might just be the best available.

Without putting words in MJPs mouth, I think the preference is to be more adventurous/aggressive and chisel a required player out from another club like Essendon has done with Dunkley (such as Jackson from Melbourne).

Easier said than done.

[Mofra]

Without putting words in MJPs mouth, I think the preference is to be more adventurous/aggressive and chisel a required player out from another club like Essendon has done with Dunkley (such as Jackson from Melbourne).

Easier said than done.

In that case, it comes down to a cost vs benefit analysis. Would the cost of that 'chiselling' be worth it?

The other question still stands - who else is there? Jackson is not a mature ruck, ditto Bailey Williams at WCE, and both clubs would fight tooth and nail to keep thim.
Draper has just signed a long deal at Essendon.

The aforementioned Xerri I like but is the same age as English and Sweet. If Soldo hadn't hurt his knee I would have been all for a real crack at Nank, but it's not to be. Port put up the hand to the Swans' questions about Ladhams.

[comrade]

In that case, it comes down to a cost vs benefit analysis. Would the cost of that 'chiselling' be worth it?

The other question still stands - who else is there? Jackson is not a mature ruck, ditto Bailey Williams at WCE, and both clubs would fight tooth and nail to keep thim.
Draper has just signed a long deal at Essendon.

The aforementioned Xerri I like but is the same age as English and Sweet. If Soldo hadn't hurt his knee I would have been all for a real crack at Nank, but it's not to be. Port put up the hand to the Swans' questions about Ladhams.

Clubs have wised up to the value of the ruck position over the last few seasons and we're playing catch up. We're not going to just be able to whip up interest from a contracted ruck at another club overnight and expect to get a deal done.

Dunkley was months in the making, if we haven't done the required ground work to chisel out a player, there's no chance we'll find one during this trade period.

[Happy Days]

Clubs have wised up to the value of the ruck position over the last few seasons and we're playing catch up. We're not going to just be able to whip up interest from a contracted ruck at another club overnight and expect to get a deal done.

Yep. All of the teams that have drastically improved/are good and fun to watch typically have a dual ruck set up (Port, Saints, West Coast, even Richmond for most of the season). This isn't about playing two lumbering guys, and it should see Tim get placed in a position to play completely to his strengths.

FWIW if we get a second ruck in then the only personnel change I'd hope to see is Bruce in the seconds. No need for Naughton to go back.

[jazzadogs]

Clubs have wised up to the value of the ruck position over the last few seasons and we're playing catch up. We're not going to just be able to whip up interest from a contracted ruck at another club overnight and expect to get a deal done.

It's almost like we had a long-term plan for the ruck position which was unexpectedly terminated.

Boyd and English was our long-term ruck tag team, with Sweet rookied, which had the potential to be the envy of the competition. Last year was the first time we could have justifiably brought in a first-rate ruck and offered ruck minutes, but why would you go to a club with one of the most promising ruckmen in the comp?

[comrade]

It's almost like we had a long-term plan for the ruck position which was unexpectedly terminated.

Boyd and English was our long-term ruck tag team, with Sweet rookied, which had the potential to be the envy of the competition. Last year was the first time we could have justifiably brought in a first-rate ruck and offered ruck minutes, but why would you go to a club with one of the most promising ruckmen in the comp?

Yeah, can’t argue with that. I mentioned elsewhere I recently re-watched highlights of every involvement Boyd had in the 2016 GF and his ruck work was actually very impressive.