Not sure key forwards are going to be high on our agenda.
Cmon people we have an abundance of tall forwards. The question is about quality. We dont know what we have with a couple of them.
The thing is we do not need to take a tall at say 10 if there are higher rated mids there.
The most glaring single list deficiency by some margin is mids with pace and power. The next deficiency is running players with pace good decion making and good ball use.
If we look at quality alone and each position then we need players for all positions. But mids is it.
Key Forwards on our list this has been done numerous times.
Lynch - we are lucky to have him. Just a quality player and will be a great mentor for our tall forwards.
Kossie - well not so good but he fills a role atm. He is the fodder while we develop some juniors. On Juniors then we are talking
Fawcett. - Have had a few looks at this kid thru what i can get he has some damn good traits i would not be surprised if he does not get some games next year. He may surprise a few.
Lefau - won't see him to mid year probably. He is a lovely size and he sure goes at it.
Gray - Another who looks promising and may develop into a player. Plenty to work with.
Okay the problem is the quality part so imo we need this year just the one good pick on a key forward. The following year we can do what is needed after seeing what we have. This scenario means the numbers are great but a question over the quality.
Tall defenders well we have two very good ones in Gibcus and Balta. The defensive cornerstones are in place imo. And atm there is plenty of back up. Blight, Miller Young. we could do with another quality kid to develop but it is an area that can wait for a season or two. If we cop an injury to Balta/Gibcus we have big mature bodies we can throw in for now.
This coming draft is deep and it is full of quality mainly mids. If our draft picks stay the same then 1, 6, and 10 has to be a complete mid rebuild the talls available here apart from one maybe two are not worth taking here.
At 1 im going with Lalor. 6 the best mid left it may be Jagga or Draper who knows. At 10 this guy i have grown to like more and more, i reckon Allen here and at 11 Maybe a tall if still there. there is only two talls id take here. Failing that im seriously thinking one of Hotten, Lindsay and Travaglia if there.
18 Take the best available tall. 20 back to mids just load up with them. 23 another mid or need and last pick 24 take another tall if warranted.
we have picks 18 and 20 this is where id be looking for a tall or maybe two. Like the mids the group of talls is very even across the board going by all reports.
Where did all this positivity come from about our KPFs?
Normally I'd think you'd be bagging the crap out of them, no offense intended.
Lynch - injury prone and close to if not already cooked.
Kosi - battler, you summed it up, mind you I think he's not bad in the ruck and a potential 3rd tall/ruck relief.
Fawcett - time will tell, accomplished nothing so far.
Lefau - agree with your assessment.
Gray - see Fawcett
Bauer - yeah I think it's that med-tall like JR but from the op shop.
Brown - reckon at 193cm and with his kicking he should be kept forward for a go.
Ultimately it's very likely that Lynch will be injured, Kosi will struggle as our primary option, Fawcett won't break into the team, Lefau will miss half a season then battle honorably, Gray will get a debut and maybe kick a few before being dropped again
Nope this is exactly what ive been saying for ages. I don't think i have bageed any of them except kossie. As i said its been done a few times by me.
I have relentlessly gone on about having the numbers but as far as quality goes then we dont really have top 20 picks apart from Gibcus and Balta who at pick 25 was outside the top 20. Both defenders and it shores up our tall defensive position for many years to come.
Any young kpf we take will most likely not be ready for a game next year.
If Lynch gets hurt it does not matter we are not challenging for a thing. What your going to throw lets say Armstrong straight into his role and expect what?
Nope most likely it will be the cannon fodder Kossie and Lefau. Patience mate it will all happen quick enough.
Cmon Blight im all for giving him an opportunity, but pace is a concern. Young i would delist but hes mature and can fill in. Miller im still not sold on especially with one v ones and he lacks a bit of lets call it intensity. There is no huge rush with Balta and Gibcus there. Bauer could end up third tall and Brown will imo play hb where he belongs.
If your looking at a succession plan then Bauer long term for Grimes and Brown for Broad.
It is the kpfs that are the worry, but again we have the numbers and we currently have two younger players that we need to find out about in Fawcett and Gray.
We have Lefau at age 26/27 and Kossie as the cannon fodder for now. What we could do with atm is a quality kpf to develop. We currently have three very good picks to target one kpf this year imo, 11, 18, and 20. Eleven depending on who is still there.
With the other picks address our glaring mid crisis, and maybe even address a few other things like a quality running h/b with the departure of Rioli target a classy winger. and most definately have a look at a small fwd/mid to replace Bolton.
Run, pace,Power, ball winning ability and ball use should be the catch cry this draft.
We will be rebuilding not just this year but next year and the following season. We are going to need four or five seasons just to get enough games into the kids we have, we do not have to address every need straight away. This draft will speed things up a bit if we get our picks right.