We can trade players, but it takes a fair bit of communication and organisation. We haven't had many trades lately.
Also we can't trade now until after the draft is done.
Thanks, that makes sense. I feel like your squad is deep enough that some players you can’t hold onto may appeal to another coach, but if the window is closed, that’s potentially an opportunity for next time.
I basically agree with your assessment. A few specific thoughts:
- Bruhn continues to play very low TOG, and so has greater upside if this progressively improves. He’s almost playing 100% of his on-ground time as a centre bounce midfielder, which indicates to me that they see him as a key piece of their midfield going forward. His role looks great medium term on that basis, but I doubt he’s the highest scorer this season.
- I feel like you may be undervaluing Taranto a bit. He’s not a star but his scoring is pretty decent. He’s ahead of some of your alternatives by a decent margin on scoring to date, so I guess you’re factoring in fairly significant near term changes, or taking a reasonably long term view, if you drop him.
- I wonder if you’re underrating Hogan a bit too. He apparently started a new training regime (potentially involving swimming?) last season and it helped his game materially. As long as he keeps doing that regime, I’d think he probably keeps scoring pretty well. Maybe GWS are a bit weaker with their departures, but his age is okay. If you could have, I probably would have looked at trading Cameron for value, and keeping Hogan, given your time horizon. At least Cameron plays for the cats, so he could have a long runway ahead of him 🙂 Cameron may have greater appeal for another coach in-season, so that may be something to consider.
- You have probably seen the news on Jamarra, which probably makes that decision easy, unfortunately. I agree re Barrass as well. There are ongoing rumours about his back, as you are probably aware.
- McKercher is a jet, don’t let him go unless you get something very valuable. He will likely end up a mid though.
- That means you have as many as eight mids on that list, which is more than I’d assume you want medium term - I’m thinking maybe 5 mids, 2 rucks, and 3-4 each for defenders and forwards would be your preferred structure on a blank sheet of paper (?). Either way you’re probably quite mid heavy, which is fine because you’ve got some stars in there, but it’s probably a line I would err on lightening.
- Someone like Durham doesn’t appear to have as high a ceiling as some others (based on age and how he got drafted - I don’t claim to know a lot about him, but you seem to be thinking similarly), so I would probably have him higher on my trim list as a result.
- You seem to have drafted well, certainly for mids, so you could back yourself to repeat that, which would add to the argument of lightening on that line.
Ultimately I’d probably lean to trimming the two mids who help you least in your window, with consideration given to letting go of a forward if you aren’t optimistic on them and don’t think you could trade them for much later in the season.
