This may seem like a knee jerk post given the timing, but I’m warming to the idea of using whatever currency that we might have to get our selves more higher end pics.
Just looking at last years premiership winning Collonwood main mids, (not because I consider them to be the gold standard, but because they are the current premiers)
Daicos p4
DeGoey p5
Pendles p5 (still contributing)
Sidebottom p11
Adams p13 (contributed during the year)
For the Tiges Cotch is gone and Dusty is not the player he was and looking slow without the machinery he once had around him.
Hopper is injury prone and at this point unproven. (To me)
Bolton a star bit is not a full time mid (and shouldn’t be)
Taranto is good pic up and will serve us well going forward.
So who is coming through that will be the tip of the spear?
And our current provisional 2024 top end pics are currently 6, 25 & 26 (with 10 junk pics after that) (which I know will change somewhat)
How many pics outside of 20 are we expecting to nail like the Bolton pic?
Given the current list balance for be the writing is now on the wall.
Yes we have some young kids that will improve, and some of them beyond our initial expectations, however we are missing the cream. We are missing a Ried and a partner in crime.
Are we expecting to just pry top end key position players and or mids from other lists with $$?
Get more top end pics asap; not one top end pic per year with some additional hopeful pics for dessert.
Otherwise the regeneration will most probably end up being too slow.
I would seriously look at Bolton & Baker trades from sides that needed them enough to pay what they’re worth.
If trading both netted us a total of (X1) top 10 pic and (X3) pics in the teens - (I may be dreaming about what the market would pay), then this in addition to this years existing pics would be boost the regeneration.
With the (X3) pics in the teens being parlayed into something higher. (If possible)
Without some wheeling and dealing my concern is that we will end up a mid table team, or a team that makes the eight; gets some plucky wins but is never in danger of winning the thing.
Apologies for the length; that’s my brain dump.