Any chance WCE might take Martin? Be happy for another SPS type trade and use the pick for Sholl

I wouldn't be doing that! I would suggest that most of these guys will be right after another preseason. For McG and Martin the change in their playing roles has no doubt contributed to the injuries this year. Another preseason with specific training regimes will see that change. I believe the Marchbank and Cunningham latest injuries more related to coming back from knee reconstructions. They will come good after another preseason. The one of concern is the Williams recurring calf injuries - but that doesn't mean it can't be fixed.

I like him as well but can never get on the park. We need to move past these types

I am very happy with Pittonet TDK & Mirkov. Just need a cheap mature back up

At the start of the year, I thought we needed another ruckman. But Mirkov has made enough improvement this season to make me believe he has a future. So I no longer think the ruck should be a recruitment focus area. We’ll go into 2023 with 3 genuine ruckmen. That’s enough.

I don’t mind the idea of a mature age KP/ruck if we can get one cheap to give us a depth (a Sam Rowe/Levi Casboult type). I wonder if S.Durdin can pinch hit in the ruck? OMac is probably cooked but he has played that role.

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

I think OMAC is ok but another injury prone talk defender
I think he is an ok key defender but because of injury played less than 4 games in the last 2 years
Whilst not exactly the same can we have Marchbank McGovern OMAC on a list where you can be almost certain none of them will play anywhere near a full season

I think that is really hard on Marchbank. Is Docherty injury prone because he has had two knee reconstructions? He will be fine with a good preseason.

Martin is from WA.

It sounds like Austin has done plenty of work to get the out of contract Sholl keen to come.

I doubT Martin is going anywhere now he’s costing less than 500k after the $1M front end set up.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I’m a huge Marchbank fan: perhaps bias.
But the questions will be raised on all the so called injury prone players.
Just happens to be a lot of our talls.

And Durdin didn’t look too confident playing as a defender tonight in the VFL either.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Preuss? He's played a handful of games across three clubs. At GWS it seems as if he hasn't been out injured, he's been out suspended.

It’s the suspended bit that I like. There’s no fear factor in our side, the idea we have a guy that might belt you is t a bad thing

It could work.Imagine a Grand Final vs Dees.

Press’s knocks out Gawn and Jackson in the 1st, and for the remainder of the 1st and beyond, play with no genuine ruck and only 3 on the bench. Rinse, Repeat, till some Dees player wakes up to the ploy and focuses on taking out Preuss.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

https://www.afc.com.au/news/933528/sholl-re-signs-with-crows
Scholl is contracted through 2024.

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"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter" - Winston Churchill.

I like Marchbank as a player but no way can you compare him and docherty in the durability stakes or injury stakes or the performance stakes over their career
Marchbank was injury prone in junior footy and at GWS and has many and varied injuries throughout his career

I know it is difficult but this is the greatest problem of our list OMAC Williams Martin Marchbank Martin McGovern Cunningham Being injury prone and taking up salary cap

It would be great if this was solved with one more preseason but we have been saying this for the last 4 about some of these players and certainly all of them
Over the last 2 preseasons

One of the reasons we are 7 th and not top 4 is we can’t access these players and their skills for a greater part of the season

Agree with Frank
We’ve rolled the dice with too many injury prone players for too long and it continues to come back to bite us.
Of course we could enter 2023 with all of the players Frank mentioned on the list but if we expect a different outcome from all of them (ie to somehow become durable), we will be left disappointed
Need to make a couple of tough calls on players in that group. In an ideal world you keep them and recruit back ups to mitigate risk of injury but we’ve got maximum list numbers and a salary cap preventing that from occurring. Something has to give

Agree. It’s why I wanted Ballenden. 23, durable, big unit that can play any key position or ruck. Great list player to have

It begs the question - why did no club touch him in the MSD? Financial demands? If that’s all it was, he should get a new agent.

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

I don’t think Ballenden looks in AFL shape, which for a guy recently out of the game and keen for another shot is a bad sign. Contrast that with Durdin, who’d been out for a couple of years and was ready when another opportunity came.

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@cecil_anderson

If that is the issue then get him over for a full pre season and see what happens

With all due respect to Ballenden and Durdin, neither is winning us a flag

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Go Blues

Disagree. Depth, competition for spots, playing a role and being able to help a side wins games during the year is vital