tap in 79 wrote:
What a player that bloke is. Getting players to fill a need from trading is important. Carlton have been a bit hit and miss on this. Cerra I consider a miss.
How about recruiting just Ben Camporeale this draft and getting Lucas next year?
Is that an option.
Nick Austin says he has faith in Durdin and Motlop over Owies. Weird. Maybe kicking goals isn’t important anymore?
Weird.
Are you suggesting take pick 12, use pick 31 for Ben, and elevate Boyd, and be happy with Haynes to fill a need, and that's it for this years Trade and Draft period?
If so, moving on Marchbank, Cuningham and Martin gives us the 12, 31 and Ben selections, Haynes and Boyd's spot is made by moving on who? Carroll, Owies are the only ones out of contract and Kennedy and Young have contracts and don't have to go anywhere.
If we don't take Lucas this year some other team will take him as a rookie, knowing he may be used as trade bait in the future, let alone he played good footy this year, and has scored quite well in the combine.
Did you think Cerra was a good players when he was at Freo?
Did you think Cerra was a good player in his first year, 2022 when he played 18 games at Carlton? 10th in BnF
Did you think Cerra was a good players in his 2nd year, 2023, when he played 22 games at Carlton? 4th in our BnF
Did you write off Charlie when he did his knee?
Did you write off Crippa when he had his busted back in 2018 and King publicly wrote him off as a broken down player?
Did you write off Walshy after he first did his back?
Have you written off Cerra at 25yo because he only played 13 games this year?
I find it weird some posters have written off Cerra, the player, because of ONE disrupted year as a result of bad fitness management. Cerra looked slower than usual when he prematurely was selected, but he's not a slow midfielder because of this year's showing. He was our quickest mid pre 2024. Which mid have we got whose quicker than Cerra?
Aussie rules is a tough game. Injuries happen and players come back from them. You don't write off players who have been ravaged by soft tissue injury management, or lack of. You change the regime who are responsible for the soft tissue injuries.
I bet Cerra is a revelation for you next year, and he'll be back to his pre 2024 form as a result of the Dubai trip to get his hamstrings right. Like other footballers who've gone to Dubai for treatment, there's plenty of reason to be optimistic for Cerra to make a full recovery. Charlie was never going to be the same...and won 2 Coleman's, ditto Crippa the wins 2 Browlows, then Walshy wins Ayres medal after being written off by some Posters.
As for small forwards: Austin was clear Williams was going to train with forwards this preseason for the first time. Maybe Austin have taken into consideration Durdin and Motlop have had a severely injury interupted year? Is that weird? They're only 21yo and 22yo. Unless Fre want to pay us overs for Motts, I can't see the reason. Owies was our lead tackler 3 and 4 years ago and has dropped off significantly. We need small forwards to put on pressure. Owies has been the lead up 3rd forward. SOS is back for that role next year. Where would Owies fit in next year, and don't tell me as a pressure forward, because he failed in that area this year and last year. Yes I know he kicked 30 goals, but we didnt get further than 8th. ie we went backwards this year.
I'd love to see your preferred Forward line for 2024, with SOS back, and Williams playing forward...oh yeah...Austin explained the need to make a path for developing players who've showed some good signs too, like Moir.
Austin has calmly made his case for the small forwards. Owies is the only one out of contract, and I doubt if Owies 28yo next year is retained, and Fantasia who will be 30yo wont be on our list beyond 2025.
We need to make list spots. Its that simple. I'm all for it.