Early Trade Rumours for 2022

[Axe Man]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

He hasn't quite progressed like I thought he might. He would be a lower priority from my perspective.

I don't really know much about him but we are talking a token late pick or a DFA signing. Is he better than some of our other midfield depth players, such as McComb?

Would be a nice story given his grandfather was 1954 premiership player Ron McCarthy.

[Axe Man]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

It's another better-than-McComb option though.

We really need some better depth on our list and if we worked our list well enough, we could have removed the likes of Butler/Parker/McComb/Crozier etc and replaced them with Narkle/O'Halloran types.

Depth is so underrated in this league now that it's an 18-team comp.

It's a fair point. Geelong's depth allows them to carefully manage their pensioner playing list whilst still winning games. We then saw how their old blokes performed in September after not being all banged up coming in.

[GVGjr]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

I don't really know much about him but we are talking a token late pick or a DFA signing. Is he better than some of our other midfield depth players, such as McComb?

Would be a nice story given his grandfather was 1954 premiership player Ron McCarthy.

I don't think he has established himself as a genuine midfielder or forward which is why I'm just a little hesitant.
He was a leader for Vic Metro and the Jets and he's got that Bulldog link so they're good attributes to have but we would need to be sure he has some upside.

I know many doubt Lobb is heading our way but I think that needs to be our focus before we can get into many other deals.

[Axe Man]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

I don't think he has established himself as a genuine midfielder or forward which is why I'm just a little hesitant.
He was a leader for Vic Metro and the Jets and he's got that Bulldog link so they're good attributes to have but we would need to be sure he has some upside.

I know many doubt Lobb is heading our way but I think that needs to be our focus before we can get into many other deals.

I'm confident Power can walk and chew gum at the same time. I don't think periphery deals (eg O'Halloran, Rowe) prevent us also working hard on the bigger deals like Lobb.

[GVGjr]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

I'm confident Power can walk and chew gum at the same time. I don't think periphery deals (eg O'Halloran, Rowe) prevent us also working hard on the bigger deals like Lobb.

Apologies if it came across as me dismissing Sam's abilities but just to confirm it would be a low priority from my perspective.

[Axe Man]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

Darcy Gardiner believed to have re-signed at Brisbane.

[Mofra]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

It's another better-than-McComb option though.

We really need some better depth on our list and if we worked our list well enough, we could have removed the likes of Butler/Parker/McComb/Crozier etc and replaced them with Narkle/O'Halloran types.

Depth is so underrated in this league now that it's an 18-team comp.

As a draft prospect he was off the charts for character and used the ball so well going inside 50, but the bits I've seen seems he just isn't developing well.

A cheap rescue story?

[MrMahatma]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

It's another better-than-McComb option though.

We really need some better depth on our list and if we worked our list well enough, we could have removed the likes of Butler/Parker/McComb/Crozier etc and replaced them with Narkle/O'Halloran types.

Depth is so underrated in this league now that it's an 18-team comp.

I want to like this a few times.

[Grantysghost]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

Darcy Gardiner believed to have re-signed at Brisbane.

How are they managing this cap?

Zorko must be playing for 2 houses on the Sunshine Coast for his mum under her maiden name.

[mjp]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

We really need some better depth on our list and if we worked our list well enough, we could have removed the likes of Butler/Parker/McComb/Crozier etc and replaced them with Narkle/O'Halloran types.

I guess I understand in principle what you are saying but:

- If Narkle (and I love Narks) can't get a game ahead of Z Guthrie, Myers, Atkins etc.
- If O'Halloran can't get a game at the Giants who were a train wreck

Well...they aren't going to get a game for us. Having players who aren't quite good enough isn't actually depth because they wont be able to hold down a spot in the side for the long term (or if they do, well, that's another problem all together).

Those guys - and with no disrespect intended to either individual or the journey they are on - had 'a chance'...and they haven't been quite good enough to make it. And to be even more blunt, if they were going to make it, they would have made it by now.

I think sometimes we look at bit part players from other sides through rose-coloured glasses whereas our own tier 2 players are really over-criticised. I understand for example that McComb is not an option but it's his first year and he has a crack...anyway...

[GVGjr]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

I'm not a fan of bringing in marginal players from other clubs unless they are likely to be able to fill a spot where we are light on for or just need some short term coverage.

We've tried bringing in mids from the state league sides I think because they're seen more as a quick fix rather than drafting and developing our own but has it really worked for us?
The likes of McComb, McNeil, Scott, Parker and Hayes/Cav before that haven't quite worked like we would have hoped for.

[GVGjr]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

Geelong could be one of the major winners of this year’s exchange period as the reigning premier circles three former first-round draft picks and eyes a free swing at former Bomber Conor McKenna.

Herald Sun

The Cats have significant salary cap room and have zeroed in on Tanner Bruhn (GWS), Ollie Henry (Collingwood), Jack Bowes (Gold Coast) and McKenna (ex-Essendon) as part of plans to remain in the premiership mix beyond 2023.

And in a remarkable twist, Gold Coast could hand over Bowes as well as pick seven to Geelong in the same deal if the Cats agree to pay all of Bowes’ $800,000-a-year salary over the next two seasons.

It would hand the Cats their earliest draft pick since they snared retired champion captain Joel Selwood with pick seven in 2006 and add Bowes, another classy defender-midfielder to Chris Scott’s arsenal.

The remarkable two-for-one deal has raised eyebrows around the league with former Carlton chief Stephen Silvagni saying the extraordinary offer brings into question whether the Suns have been given too many draft concessions.

The Cats are fighting with Essendon for Bowes, while Hawthorn is also believed to have some interest in the Cairns’ product.

The Bombers like Bowes and are also keen to get their hands on pick seven to add to their stockpile of top young talents including Ben Hobbs, Harry Jones, Zac Reid, Archie Perkins and Nik Cox.

Bruhn is set on landing at Geelong to be closer to family, while the Cats can add McKenna for nothing in the supplemental selection period as part of a free-hit once the exchange period closes.

Importantly, McKenna would add some vital speed to Geelong’s defensive or forward half, although Brisbane, St Kilda and Port Adelaide are also interested in the Irish speedster and will ramp up talks over the next few weeks.

McKenna, 26, is certainly on his way back to Australia after quitting Essendon at the end of 2020 to spend some time at home in Ireland playing Gaelic football.

But recruiters have kept close tabs on the former Bomber and have been aware he has remained interested in coming back to Australia once the Covid-19 lockdowns ended.

The moves mean the October exchange period looms as a bumper post-season for Geelong chiefs, who would be thrilled to land Bruhn, Bowes and pick seven, as well as McKenna, coming off an 81-point grand final win over Sydney Swans at the weekend.

However, versatile big man Esava Ratugolea could explore his options after struggling for senior opportunities playing four games this year, and 59 matches in five seasons. GWS is considering some tall players and will be involved in a deal with the Cats over Bruhn.

The Cats have also declared some interest in Collingwood forward Henry, but the Magpies are reluctant to lose the second-year goal kicker and are adamant there is room for him in the bolstered forward setup next season.

Henry, who is from Geelong Falcons, received only a modest contract offer from Collingwood and spent the weekend celebrating his brother, Jack, who played in the Cats’ premiership win.

Bowes will weigh-up his prospects at Geelong and Essendon over the next week with two years remaining on his bumper contract at the Suns.

The Suns want to off-load Bowes’ salary as they look to keep other gun players including Matthew Rowell and Noah Anderson and add some targeted free agents to help join the top-four contenders in the next few years.

But Silvagni said the generous Bowes plus pick seven offer suggests the league had been too generous with the draft pick concessions.

“I’m looking at what they were given a couple of years ago,” Silvagni told the league website.

“And now they (Suns) are going ‘here you go, we don’t need this pick because we got ourselves in a bit of trouble with the cap’.

“You have just got to question that.”

[soupman]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

It's another better-than-McComb option though.

We really need some better depth on our list and if we worked our list well enough, we could have removed the likes of Butler/Parker/McComb/Crozier etc and replaced them with Narkle/O'Halloran types.

Depth is so underrated in this league now that it's an 18-team comp.

To echo the above thoughts not sure bringing in those types would improve us. Narkle I liked a couple of years ago but lost in the wilderness at Geelong with no outstanding VFL form makes me think he's unlikely to make it.

I'm happy for us to target "role" players though, which these guys would be, but I want them to be able to play a role that would be useful to us. Atm our list is stacked with "midfield type at VFL level but not good enough at AFL level so plays a hybrid forward flank role" types, which both these guys would become. We already have so many players on our list in that spot (McComb, West, Scott, McNeill) and they are so easily found, I wouldnt be recruiting guys to be depth there.

If we are going for depth players from other clubs there should be a defined role we can see them with a greater than 50% chance of filling, Duryea for instance.

[The bulldog tragician]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

I guess I understand in principle what you are saying but:

- If Narkle (and I love Narks) can't get a game ahead of Z Guthrie, Myers, Atkins etc.
- If O'Halloran can't get a game at the Giants who were a train wreck

Well...they aren't going to get a game for us. Having players who aren't quite good enough isn't actually depth because they wont be able to hold down a spot in the side for the long term (or if they do, well, that's another problem all together).

Those guys - and with no disrespect intended to either individual or the journey they are on - had 'a chance'...and they haven't been quite good enough to make it. And to be even more blunt, if they were going to make it, they would have made it by now.

I think sometimes we look at bit part players from other sides through rose-coloured glasses whereas our own tier 2 players are really over-criticised. I understand for example that McComb is not an option but it's his first year and he has a crack...anyway...

Aren’t there “bit player” guys though who thrive at a new club because previously, they didn’t get the right opportunities, or took longer to blossom, connected better with a different coach, the penny drops for some reason….our premiership team had more than one of that type.

[Prince Imperial]

Re: Early Trade Rumours for 2022

The Cats have significant salary cap room

I've read they all the justifications that they all take "unders" but FMD.