Pick 29: Shai Bolton

[Carter]

But didn’t we have the same issue when GWS and GC were coming into the comp? We didn’t throw out the baby with the bath water and trade out a Cotchin or Martin?

My philosophy is keep your elite talent and hit the draft hard this year and next. We certainly have the draft capital.

We’d already bottomed out to get Cotchin and Martin, Aces. Only way to get ‘em.

We’re further back than we were even in 2010. By the end of 2010 we’d recruited Cotch and Dusty in consecutive years.

So we need draft capital. Fast, before Tassie gets most of it. Otherwise the door is shut on our next elite midfield.

Prime time Bolton is stuck out of sync now in a mediocre team. The only efficient way we pave the way for the next flag is to make hay from a Bolton trade.

The chances of shooting the lights out again with rookie and peripheral picks like we did with Lambert, Grigg etc are pretty remote.

Sure, we’ll get some right, but we also need a strong top end injection this draft, no time to waste.

Remember there’s no guarantee we’ll pick up a Dusty-like messiah at the top end either.

If we just kept Bolton and sit on our hands we might get a pick 7 or 8 this year, the same next year, then perhaps be pushed out of the top ten by Tassie? That’s a mediocre result for a team steadily sinking into no man’s land. We aren’t building a contending midfield like that.

Far better to triple our chances this year by adding a couple of high picks in an uncompromised draft. Attack the top five picks.

No one wants to see Bolton go, I’m a fan too. But he’s our ticket to the next gen before Tassie gets involved and that’s where our focus should be.

 

[Tigers of Old]

53% career conversion rate.

That doesn't include those that miss completely.

Jason Castagna 55% career conversion rate.

 

[Carter]

53% career conversion rate.

That doesn't include those that miss completely.

Jason Castagna 55% career conversion rate.

For such a sublimely skilled player his ball drop is horrible.

50/50 from 40m dead in front.

 

[Tigers of Old]

For such a sublimely skilled player his ball drop is horrible.

50/50 from 40m out dead in front.

He's perfect at training..

I honestly think he's not fit enough & the errors are fatigue related. It's why he gets sloppy.

Whatever the reasons, it's costly.

 

[Danjam]

We’d already bottomed out to get Cotchin and Martin, Aces. Only way to get ‘em.

We’re further back than we were even in 2010. By the end of 2010 we’d recruited Cotch and Dusty in consecutive years.

So we need draft capital. Fast, before Tassie gets most of it. Otherwise the door is shut on our next elite midfield.

Prime time Bolton is stuck out of sync now in a mediocre team. The only efficient way we pave the way for the next flag is to make hay from a Bolton trade.

The chances of shooting the lights out again with rookie and peripheral picks like we did with Lambert, Grigg etc are pretty remote.

Sure, we’ll get some right, but we also need a strong top end injection this draft, no time to waste.

Remember there’s no guarantee we’ll pick up a Dusty-like messiah at the top end either.

If we just kept Bolton and sit on our hands we might get a pick 7 or 8 this year, the same next year, then perhaps be pushed out of the top ten by Tassie? That’s a mediocre result for a team steadily sinking into no man’s land. We aren’t building a contending midfield like that.

Far better to triple our chances this year by adding a couple of high picks in an uncompromised draft. Attack the top five picks.

No one wants to see Bolton go, I’m a fan too. But he’s our ticket to the next gen before Tassie gets involved and that’s where our focus should be.

With our draft hand this year there is a good chance we’ll be able to manufacture a second top 10 pick ( in conjunction with our own) for teams chasing academy/father son points. If we trade Baker to one of the WA teams there’s another potential late first rounder and we’ll probably have an early/mid second rounder left over too with a bit of luck. Use one of those top 10 picks on a gun mid, the other on the next best key position player, the late first on another mid and the second rounder on another KPP and all of a sudden our future might not look so bad?

 

[momentai]

With our draft hand this year there is a good chance we’ll be able to manufacture a second top 10 pick ( in conjunction with our own) for teams chasing academy/father son points. If we trade Baker to one of the WA teams there’s another potential late first rounder and we’ll probably have an early/mid second rounder left over too with a bit of luck. Use one of those top 10 picks on a gun mid, the other on the next best key position player, the late first on another mid and the second rounder on another KPP and all of a sudden our future might not look so bad?

Baker for a late first rounder is a give away.

 

[tony_montana]

You dont trade out match winners like Bolton unless they have checked out and want out. No way I would get rid of him, Balta or Gibcus.

 

[spook]

A few reminder quotes from 2022v when Shai extended to the end of 2028:

Bolton, who was contracted until the end of 2023 after signing a two-year extension in 2021, said he couldn’t see himself playing his football anywhere else.

“I have loved the club since I got drafted. I love the culture here, all the boys, the coaching staff and playing at the MCG,” he said.

“It was pretty easy to decide in the end … I am super excited to stay here.”

Blair:
“Shai is such an important part of our football program because of the person and player he is, so to have him commit for the next five years is brilliant news for everyone involved,” he said.

“He has worked tirelessly to elevate his game in each season he’s had with us. We are excited about what he can achieve individually and with us as a team as he continues to flourish as a footballer and leader.

“This contract rewards Shai’s hard work, and we are delighted to have him and his family at the club for another five years.”

 

[Tigers of Old]

I'd play him in the midfield far more than the forward line but I'm interested by Yze's decision to play him as a forward when he's not an accurate goal kicker.
Again I wonder like Balta if that's an endurance thing? Does Shai have the stamina to play onball for large periods?

 

[snags]

Not a great game a lot didnt go right but he kept trying to the end. Reckon he's about to tear it up.

 

[kiwitiger]

Interesting player Shai ,

A bit of rocks and diamonds about him at times but i still love watching him play,

A bit like Richo in that you get excited when he gets near it because you have no idea what may happen next

 

[Carter]

A few reminder quotes from 2022v when Shai extended to the end of 2028:



Blair:
“Shai is such an important part of our football program because of the person and player he is, so to have him commit for the next five years is brilliant news for everyone involved,” he said.

“He has worked tirelessly to elevate his game in each season he’s had with us. We are excited about what he can achieve individually and with us as a team as he continues to flourish as a footballer and leader.

“This contract rewards Shai’s hard work, and we are delighted to have him and his family at the club for another five years.”

“… or until an opportunity to draft the entire national top ten comes along.”

 

[spook]

“… or until an opportunity to draft the entire national top ten comes along.”

Which it won't.

 

[Carter]

Which it won't.

Course it won’t mate!

If we threatened to even take four of those picks the AFL would introduce an equalisation measure for three max.

 

[spook]

Course it won’t mate!

If we threatened to even take four of those picks the AFL would introduce an equalisation measure for three max.

Geelong got three (mid-late) first-rounders from West Coast for Tim Kelly when he was their best player, and effectively turned them into Jeremy Cameron, their best player. And won a (lesser) flag after we were robbed and Melbourne were drunk. Still, they all count.

Would you trade Shai for 3 x pick 15?

 

[Carter]

Geelong got three (mid-late) first-rounders from West Coast for Tim Kelly when he was their best player, and effectively turned them into Jeremy Cameron, their best player. And won a (lesser) flag after we were robbed and Melbourne were drunk. Still, they all count.

Would you trade Shai for 3 x pick 15?

No. He’s a match winner, in his prime and popular clubman to boot.

 

[tigerdell]

Geelong got three (mid-late) first-rounders from West Coast for Tim Kelly when he was their best player, and effectively turned them into Jeremy Cameron, their best player. And won a (lesser) flag after we were robbed and Melbourne were drunk. Still, they all count.

Would you trade Shai for 3 x pick 15?

Geelong had Danger Selwood Duncan and Guthrie. A very solid midfield. As you said Kelly was their best that year but they covered his absence.

Bolts is near our best mid and is our best small forward.
Even with a few top picks I don't think we cover Shai if we trade him out

 

[spook]

Geelong had Danger Selwood Duncan and Guthrie. A very solid midfield. As you said Kelly was their best that year but they covered his absence.

Bolts is near our best mid and is our best small forward.
Even with a few top picks I don't think we cover Shai if we trade him out

Yeah. I don't want to trade him.

 

[tigerdell]

We’d already bottomed out to get Cotchin and Martin, Aces. Only way to get ‘em.

We’re further back than we were even in 2010. By the end of 2010 we’d recruited Cotch and Dusty in consecutive years.

So we need draft capital. Fast, before Tassie gets most of it. Otherwise the door is shut on our next elite midfield.

Prime time Bolton is stuck out of sync now in a mediocre team. The only efficient way we pave the way for the next flag is to make hay from a Bolton trade.

The chances of shooting the lights out again with rookie and peripheral picks like we did with Lambert, Grigg etc are pretty remote.

Sure, we’ll get some right, but we also need a strong top end injection this draft, no time to waste.

Remember there’s no guarantee we’ll pick up a Dusty-like messiah at the top end either.

If we just kept Bolton and sit on our hands we might get a pick 7 or 8 this year, the same next year, then perhaps be pushed out of the top ten by Tassie? That’s a mediocre result for a team steadily sinking into no man’s land. We aren’t building a contending midfield like that.

Far better to triple our chances this year by adding a couple of high picks in an uncompromised draft. Attack the top five picks.

No one wants to see Bolton go, I’m a fan too. But he’s our ticket to the next gen before Tassie gets involved and that’s where our focus should be.

Do we just trade out everyone over 25?
Start afresh?
Its the same logic.
Move on Short and DRio and all the rest. Even if we only get 4th rounders for Young and Mcintosh we will have a super draft hand.
Hey it worked for GWS and GCS

 

[Long Lost Hernaman]

Icing on the cake player for me. Will take a team from very good to great but you cant do a rebuild of substance around players who wont or cant consistently run both ways and do the hard, unglamorous stuff.