I would ship off 80% of our injury prone players
Madness to retain most of them

Agree. Some tough decisions need to be made around McDonald McGovern Cuningham Marchbank Williams Stocker Martin. get fit or get out

Some thing was said about Earl Spalding.

Earl played 2 great last quarters against Carlton late 80's early 90's. I saw with my own eyes, and my Dees mates said it was the only good thing he has done in all the years he played with them. He sporadically kicked a goal as a KPF, except against Carlton. Dees were not disappointed to lose him to Carlton.

Anyone who followed Carlton before the 1995 season would remember his kicking for goal, and most likely closed their eyes (Levi like) when he kicked at goal. His kicking wasn't VFL/ AFL standard.

Nevertheless his role was to bring the ball to the ground, for our brilliant mosquito fleet to pounce on (thank god this isn't the sole job of Harry & Charlie). But that being his only weapon, it didn't win us a GF in 1993.

When he had his break out year in our Premiership year in 1995, yes he did bring the ball to the ground but contributed a couple goals a game too. Who would've believed the Earl could fix that kicking action? But he did. and what about his highlights in 1995...the hip and shoulder on McKenna in the H & A, and that smother in the GF.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

He took some attention away from Sticks and then there was also Pearce who proved a terrific mid size marking and dangerous target

Earl also was tough out there. He brought a hardness that was appreciated

we need run and quick defenders (saad is only 1 who has burst speed )

Yup Earl was tough nut, hard at it , worked like a mule too. Perfect decoy for Sticks, meanwhile cleaning up a few opposition players along the journey.

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Go Blue Boys

Boyd does and is an elite kick.
Williams provides run
I'd like to try Honey back there. Quick, strong, runs straight and can kick it a long way

Remember the shirt front he dished out in the final H&A game against West Coke !
I think it was Guy Mckenna who saw stars.

Yeah , i reckon that bump on McKenna was a defining moment . WC were a good side and playing " em on there own dunghill was a tough gig but we triumphed . It was onwards and upwards after the big crunch from " Earl the Pearl ".

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All my dangerous friends

Not sure you giving Earl enough credit he was an accomplished VFl player the only thing he couldn’t do we was kick accurately for goal generally but was tough selfless strong aggressive and could take a grab
Great foil for Kernahans so they couldn’t double or triple team him
Versatile could play either chf or chb
Was also a very good player for Melbourne as well

The other 2 guys you are talking about not sure are in his league to be honest

Agree Earl was all of that, and Kernahan benefitted aplenty.
It was the perception and opinion many had about his football ability other than brute strength. He was seen as a pusher and shover, then it all came together, like the perfect storm in 95.

You probably looked harder than most at the time. Hence unfair.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Lot of love for the golfball

Earl was my Dad’s favourite player in the ‘90s. He had a terrific season in 1995 (Earl, not my Dad), but other than that his output was a mixed bag. I recall him being dropped more than once in 1992-94.

I respect Earl’s accomplishments (200 game player etc) but I think we tend to remember how he played in 1995 as being how he always played - which was certainly not the case.

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

My List Review

Best 37 for 2023

B: Boyd Young McGovern
HB: Docherty Weitering Saad
C: Williams Cripps O'Brien
HF: Martin McKay Fisher
F: Silvagni Curnow Motlop
Foll: Pittonet Hewett Walsh
Int: TDK Cerra Kennedy Newman

Rucks: Mirkov
KPP: McDonald Durdin
Midsize: Marchbank Plowman Kemp
Midfielders: Stocker Dow Carroll
Wing/HB: Setterfield Hayes Cottrell
Smalls: Durdin Owies Honey

Question marks over the others on our list whether because of form, age or injury
They are: Fogarty Parks Cuningham Williamson Newnes Philp Curnow

IMO we need another Ruck/Fwd
Some outside run and another KPP

We currently have 45 on our list with number to cut back to 44.

Anywhere between 6-7 changes is my guess made up of:
3-5 National Draftees
1 Rookie
0-2 trades or FA
0-2 Pre season Rookies

Austin has said several times we will go to the draft and I expect that to happen

Dropping 6-9 changes is counting your chickens before they're hatched.

A lot of developing players on our list, and we don't want to force players out because we have to make 3 picks at the end of 2023.

Last year we only had one pick in the ND because we had to upgrade 2 rookies or lose them to someone else : Kennedy & Honey.

This year we have Cottrell, LOB and McDonald to either delist or promote. There's 3 spots on the rookie list.

We always knew it was going to get trickier as the high pick kids get older.

Ed Curnow is the last of the 30 year olds. Its a young list when he goes.

Newnes and Newman are next oldest and they are both 28yo this year.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I think we have a round 1 pick and 2 3rd round picks at this year's draft
If the AFL give us a 3rd rounder for Jones, that gives us 3 3rd rounders.

Sholl will be a 3rd rounder, if not 2 3rd round picks

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

We currently have 12, 30, 62, 66

SPS was 52. Sholl can't get a game at the Crows so will be traded for bugger all. Probably 66

If Dow goes it may be for something in the 30's?

I expect us to do some deals around future picks etc to get into top 30. A few clubs will be looking for points for father sons.

Drastic stuff for Honey. Had he been around in the 90s & 00s, he would for sure have been a half back flanker. Iron a few blokes out, boot it long up the line.

Bit more to it these days.

Every supporter wants to believe that there’s a Liam Picken at their club.

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

Crows are looking for men, not boys. They’ve got no need for draft picks. Michalanney is a F/S prospect, but he might come to them in the natural course of things.

Massive question marks over Sloane, Tex & Seedsman. Crouch has been given his marching orders… they’re the right buyer’s profile for Paddy Dow.

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

Some talk north will be given a PP at end of first round and be told that they must trade it for a player.
If they don't get a better offer, we may be able to trade Dow for that pick. Unlikely but not impossible.
I don't think we have any 3rd rounders this year. Think we traded it to Freo who ontraded to Geelong as part of the Cerra deal.
Agree with Sholl. If we are into him, it wouldn't cost that much in terms of a trace.