I’m back after long sabbatical not as long as Electric Blue
Hope everyone is well
Disappointing season but Im bullish about what we can acquire in off season and how we can reset and go again next year
Obviously looking for both organic and non organic growth of playing list to propel up the ladder in 2026

Whilst not big games good that a couple of players want to come Reidy announced today that he wants to come as well as Chesser the other day and maybe Buku and a few others to be added

For example Club has been interested in Sholl for awhile and I wonder whether we are still interested

Dean and Ison from all reports will help in the longer term

My preference would not to trade Charlie except for an exceptional deal and don’t think that will happen but if someone makes a stupidly good offer I’m looking at you GC which involved Jed Walter plus other assets picks or players to fill the holes in our list then would contemplate it
Keen to retain Motlop but happy to offload McGovern

Really disappointed in Elijah skills are what we need but understand why Club has taken the position it has

Very happy we signed Kempy for another 2 years really like him as a forward his game against the Dogs was excellent

Glad to be back and I have been viewing from afar
Frank

I feel like Cottrell adds a lot to our setup and we miss him when he’s not out there.
I would be interested to see what our win:loss ratio is with vs without Cottrell in the past 3 years?

I have struggled to open pages in TC this last month. Thought it was to do with tyranny of distance, but something bad is going on with TC speed. Ive given up sooo many times....then it times out on me. I'm not really the patient type when it comes to waiting in lines and tables, as for websites. Ive obviously shown a lot of patience for Carlton, but Ive been to 13 GFs and 10 Flags.

I was going to post the same sidey.
It all depends what your list needs.

We've both agreed we need a speedy mid, hence can see us off loading Motlop and White because they are off contract, and can also see us delisting contracted smalls Fogarty, not skilled enough, and Binns to make spots for a DFA or two, and a couple low pick Trades.

What we have to consider is what we had missing last year, and I would start with with the following improving our team in 2026:

1. Walsh missed out on a preseason. Started the season slow then we lost him for 10 games. We know what we were missing in the midfield when he returned for last 2 games.
2. Newman missed whole season, will be the aggressive, strong kicker from the backline we badly missed, Frees up Saad.
3. Smith missed all season. Will be a great addition to midfield group with his speed; something we are desperate for.
4. Cottrell played 6 games and 3 wins. Hs so important to our team when fit. a running machine whose skills, speed and hard running will help us win games.
5. McKay missed 12 games, and for 5/10 he played he wasn't right, mentally or physically. KPF. Looked aggressive in last 3 games.
6. Curnow played 18 games, but other than 2 later games, wou could tell a lack of preseason and mind was elsewhere. Looked good at CHF.
7. Kemp showed he is a great swingman and worse case scenario would be better depth than other big guys Gov Young and Lemmey
8. O'Keefe missed a lot of games with hammy issues, but he's shown his ability and will fill a ruck / forward role
9. Boyd We all know what Boyd can do but he missed a preseason and half the season and couldnt get fit enough to play.

The above 9 will help

1. & 2. With HOF out for 2026, Haynes takes CHB and Dean / Khamis / Kemp to fill 3rd tall defender unless. I think we will rookie another KPD.
3. Would love to add some speed, and Cottrell does that, as does Smith, and hopefully Chesser develops quickly and Petrucelle is depth or can play a role
4. Reidy will step up. He was held back because he had AA ruckmen ahead of him Darcy and Jackson. He and O'Keefe can do some damage.
5. Gruzewski, if we can get him fills the hole left by Elijah. He's a better mark and good kick for goal too.

The above 5 will help

1. I'm expecting Charleson to be retained and take the next step. Would be a very good HB or BP,. He may pass Boyd.
2. I'm expecting Lord to cement his spot in the 22
3. I'm expecting Cowan to have his breakthrough year
4. I'm expecting Carroll to take the next step. He looked a class above in the preseason.
5. I'm expecting Moir to have a huge preseason and take another step up.

The improvement of the above 5 will help

After all the newbies above, and keeping Curnow, we should have Pick 9, pick 32, and a pick for Gov, a F2, F3, F4 and a rookie spot to Trade for

1. Another A grade mid will help out, as will Smith. PLEASE! TDK Compo plus F2 should do it.
2, A speedy small forward PLEASE! Flanders will do.

2a . A KPD to improve our depth from VFL, SAFL, WAFL, or Trade. At least till HOF returns in 2027.

Get to it Austin: easy task. You have the picks to do it without trading Charlie.

We aren't that bad off with the loss of 3 best 23 players TDK, SOS, Elija, (just need 2 A/ B grade players) and casting off of 5 depth players Docherty, Fantasia, Fogarty, Gov and Cincotta, and replacing kids, which we have too many like Motlop, White, Lemmey and possibly Binns (for Dean Ison and small forward 18yo NGA Gresham for 20yo Irish NGA lad Monohan). We have to improve the quality of our depth! and like every team making Finals, have some luck with injury.

Fingers crossed we get our targets and we bounce back big time in 2026.

It's like a reunion around here. Frankie, EB and TBM posting after varying length sabbaticals. Great to see you all back and contributing.

Great to read you again Frank!

We need to recruit a player with some real grunt, well rhymes with grunt anyway....
Wouldn't mind a real crack at Humphrey's for this.

We have way too many nice boys.

Elliot will wind up at GC I reckon, so there will be a player or 2 they can spare.

Let’s hope the return of treasured old timers returns us to the glory days!

Essendon* cheated, simple as that

time for a poem?????