The Blair "Which?" Project | PUNT ROAD END | Richmond Tigers Forum
  • IMPORTANT // Please look after your loved ones, yourself and be kind to others. If you are feeling that the world is too hard to handle there is always help - I implore you not to hesitate in contacting one of these wonderful organisations Lifeline and Beyond Blue ... and I'm sure reaching out to our PRE community we will find a way to help. T.

The Blair "Which?" Project

Depends. If the salary cap goes up due to the new broadcast deal which I would suggest is likely these deals could be reasonable.
I meant more than when players get into the latter years of the contract they’re obviously not the player they were in the early years. So they’re getting paid top $ but not be at the quality thy were.
 
I meant more than when players get into the latter years of the contract they’re obviously not the player they were in the early years. So they’re getting paid top $ but not be at the quality thy were.

Again, top dollar is relative. Top dollar now will unlikely be top dollar in 5 years.
 
I meant more than when players get into the latter years of the contract they’re obviously not the player they were in the early years. So they’re getting paid top $ but not be at the quality thy were.

If that's the price you pay for keeping the stars and winning flags who would refuse?

DS
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Before we get too carried away with disappointment, let’s not forget that over the last few years we have lost Higgins, Butler, Ellis, Chol, CCJ and Markov to other clubs. Disregarding Ellis, all are now in that critical 23 to 28 age group and would be handy now.

I don’t think the off season is going to be all that hard this year.

Hang on to Dusty. Tick.

Trade something of value for one of Hopper or Taranto. Tick.

Pick up De Goey as a free agent. Tick.

Use a late rookie pick on a developing ruckman. Tick.

Use all remaining draft picks on key forwards and run both ways midfielders. Tick.

We have plenty of flankers and defenders. Dont need any more for a year or so. We still need to fit in Brown, Banks and Clarke from last year’s draft alone. We just need to retool the midfield and set up the long term replacements for Jack and Lynch.

We can build a contending team around Vlastuin, Nank, Bolton, Baker, Balta, Graham, both Riolis, Short, Gibcus, Sonsie and maybe Ralphsmith, providing we add the missing pieces to the puzzle.

Our challenge is to have an exciting team of young footballers by 2024. It is doable.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 13 users
Before we get too carried away with disappointment, let’s not forget that over the last few years we have lost Higgins, Butler, Ellis, Chol, CCJ and Markov to other clubs. Disregarding Ellis, all are now in that critical 23 to 28 age group and would be handy now.

I don’t think the off season is going to be all that hard this year.

Hang on to Dusty. Tick.

Trade something of value for one of Hopper or Taranto. Tick.

Pick up De Goey as a free agent. Tick.

Use a late rookie pick on a developing ruckman. Tick.

Use all remaining draft picks on key forwards and run both ways midfielders. Tick.

We have plenty of flankers and defenders. Dont need any more for a year or so. We still need to fit in Brown, Banks and Clarke from last year’s draft alone. We just need to retool the midfield and set up the long term replacements for Jack and Lynch.

We can build a contending team around Vlastuin, Nank, Bolton, Baker, Balta, Graham, both Riolis, Short, Gibcus, Sonsie and maybe Ralphsmith, providing we add the missing pieces to the puzzle.

Our challenge is to have an exciting team of young footballers by 2024. It is doable.
Fully concur
 
Realistically midfield is easiest part to rebuild as they grow on trees and there’s generally available stock every trade period , just gotta be good pickers , harder to develop the next gun forward , generally safest route is thru draft , refer to Freo list build , good midfield depth with a no frills f50 , no wonder want LJ not that I’m convinced he’s the answer , any who cares
 
Before we get too carried away with disappointment, let’s not forget that over the last few years we have lost Higgins, Butler, Ellis, Chol, CCJ and Markov to other clubs. Disregarding Ellis, all are now in that critical 23 to 28 age group and would be handy now.

I don’t think the off season is going to be all that hard this year.

Hang on to Dusty. Tick.

Trade something of value for one of Hopper or Taranto. Tick.

Pick up De Goey as a free agent. Tick.

Use a late rookie pick on a developing ruckman. Tick.

Use all remaining draft picks on key forwards and run both ways midfielders. Tick.

We have plenty of flankers and defenders. Dont need any more for a year or so. We still need to fit in Brown, Banks and Clarke from last year’s draft alone. We just need to retool the midfield and set up the long term replacements for Jack and Lynch.

We can build a contending team around Vlastuin, Nank, Bolton, Baker, Balta, Graham, both Riolis, Short, Gibcus, Sonsie and maybe Ralphsmith, providing we add the missing pieces to the puzzle.

Our challenge is to have an exciting team of young footballers by 2024. It is doable.
Dusty will stay IMO but none of the other "ticks" will occur.
 
On Crouch, he would lessen the bartering Presita takes, releases him to the outside and spread more. Takes the Cotch battering ram role.

It should be RCD or Dow stepping into this role but neither are ready. I get huge Jarrod Lyons vibes from this Crouch situation.
Interesting. So his role is to take on Oliver /Cripps/Wines types
Could get cut up and exposed.

Looking at swans mids, young strong lifelong mids. Shows the advantage if speed and agility with the front line mids.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
If they dont lose Jackson they are gonna jam up their cap on a handfull of players.

Gawn, May, Lever, Oliver, Fatty Petracca, Jackson Brayshaw and Viney all be on fairly big coin.

Brown and Hibberd didnt go there for peanuts either, and neither did Langdon.
Brown not on large coin, was shafted out of North.
 
Personally i think its a great move by melbourne to sure up their elite talent

We would have done the same with Cotchin , Martin , Rance , Riewoldt at the time
Players take 10%-15% less on long term deals and most likely the cap increases by 20% over the next 6 years
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I'm so surprised anyone here is thinking about Crouch.

I think it's simplistic to say that we need a big clearance Midfielder to alleviate our woes.

Our midfield is not necessarily lacking in clearance players. It's lacking in two way runners.

We have some junior Cotchin types (if not Cotchin class) in Ross, Dow, Sonsie and some good established clearance players in Bolton, Dusty, Prestia.

We are badly missing two way runners, and transition midfielders. Lambert is the difference this year between 10th and 1st. The loss of an in form Edwards compounds it.

Our current crop of midfielders don't run both ways. Graham is completely defensive, Bolton runs forward of, or over, the ball on every play. Baker and Short are ball focused. Edwards can't find it, Cotchin has lost his speed to cover ground, Dusty can't get on the park, Ross has a bit of it but *smile* Aarts took him out at training.

Prestia is gold.

We need to target a Lambert type. We got the last one from Carlton's reserves. I'm not sure the GWS or Adelaide midfield has any.
I don’t totally agree with this . That’s the way we used to play to win, we were able to sacrifice winning clearances for winning the ball back on intercept/turnover and launching forward from there. These days with the stand rule the ability to do that is reduced, you need more than a turnover game.
Our problem now is that we don’t get enough first use from clearances around the ground. Whether Matt Crouch is the right player is up for debate but I do not agree that we don’t need to add a strong clearance mid. Doesn’t mean we don’t need 2 ways runners but we have to get players who can get the pill in clearance to give it to them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users