Wouldn't risk taking Thomas, that ankle injury is a nasty one. No guarantees he will come back from it and be the player he was
Wouldn't consider Watts either, he's a floater, shows no desire, agrression, endeavour let alone a killer instinct. Not even sure he has the talent that people keep saying he has. For his size his should be starting to monster pip squeaks but all he does is run around picking up cheap uncontested possessions and avoiding contest. Just seems to be happy to float about not worrying about improving.
Leuenberger I believe will stay in Brissie and if he doesn't he will cost plenty you'd need to pay overs and I am not sure we want to be paying overs for him. I'd rather back McBean in to be as good if not better TBBH
So thinking about it here's a thought, why don't we look a drafting some more kids this year and develop them. And while we are developing them in our own VFL team in 2014, we'll start playing some more of the kids we've picked over the last couple of years ...you know McBean (a Leuneberger type), McIntosh (a Thomas type), Darrou (a better option than Watts cos he has aggression) etc.....
Just a thought 
Wow develop our own, there's a new concept .......not, sorry WP, don't agree. Development should be ongoing after the nucleus of a good side has been put together with experienced players as the Cats have done and the Pies have done year after year. Add the Swans to that to, they have perfected it.
We need at least 2-3 very good experienced players to add to what we have so we can build a continuous recruitment process around them based on what you are saying. If we continue with the "develop our own" at this point in time as we have in the past then Deledio, Cothchin, Riewoldt and Martin will be 30 and its all over! Premiership windows are not that long anymore.
So you would rather bring in someone else instead of giving opportunities to a McBean, Elton, McIntosh etc?
Because that is what you are suggesting we do because you can't play all off them. Bring in say Leunenberger and you tell me where and when do you play McBean? And if you do play McBean who goes out? Vickery? Maric?
You say by continuing to develop the kids and bringing them through then our premiership window wont be around and our A Graders will be over 30. Really? Let's look at some of the kids we are currently developing Conca, Vlaustuin, Ellis, I think that shows we can kids coming through and being part of the senior sides is worth doing. They are part of the the present and our future.
You use the Cats as an example and they are the perfect example. They didn't go chasing after multiple free agents last year they took one Rivers and traded for a kid in Caddy. And then they drafteed kids. They take their time to develop them and bring them in when they are ready and they are surrounded by a core of group made up of stars and top line B graders and those kids prosper. And is that core group made up of cast offs and players bought in from other clubs? No - that core group is made of talent that they drafted. Great example, great model, clearly great footy program
I just don't want to see our club stagnate in development by going after players via F/A. The Geelong model is what I want to see us use as a blueprint and I am prepared to back our kids coming through in getting us to where we want to get to. I am not agaisnt taking a FA to fill a specific need but long term I will back McBean in rather than going after Leunenberger, I'll back McIntosh to develop into Thomas type and I'll even back Ben Griffiths or Ben Elton in over Jack Watts any day of the week
