A List with Real Potential

[DJC]

You could be right about Rowe DJC , but we really haven't been delivering the ball consistently well into F50 for a looong time so any forward would find it tough. With an improved midfield that could well change. WRT Levi, his biggest problem is his kicking as we all know, so however well F50 delivery may be improved that would be of no use in his case if he can't improve in that area. He may well do that but we need a plan B if he doesn't.

Having Rowe as another viable forward option would only be a good thing IMO.

It would definitely be a good thing but I just can't see it happening.

Casboult's goal kicking wouldn't be as much of an issue if he played further up the ground.  Of course, that means that we have to have genuine marking options and genuine crumbers dominating the hot spot.  Come on down Harry McKay, Patrick Kerr, Sam Petrevski-Seton, Jarrod Pickett . . .

It will be interesting to see how our forward line is structured next season, not to mention running patterns and ball movement.  Bolts said he was happy with our defence and the next step was to fix the forward line.  I can't wait for the first game 

[shadesy]

You mean the bloke who kicked less than a goal a game in his 9 games this year?

Premiership player Zayne Cordy... yep him.

[Raydan]

Again I don't understand the negative posts here. For the posts complaining about a lack of forward drafting, we took three tall forwards last season. If one more person say Charlie Curnow is a midfielder i'll lose my sh1t. He moves like a forward, marks and kicks like a forward and has never played midfield in his footy career. He was going to play midfield in his last season at U18's but got injured.

We got another tall forward this year and will get another one next season Ben Silvagni. Surely that's enough for now.

We need mids who have speed and can kick and that's what we got.

Look at the last 4 premiers, their forward lines may have some height up there but the damage is done with small flankers, and their midfield collectively on had Bontempelli a the big mid although Roughead did swing through there for Hawthorn.

I don't know how many of you looked at the draft but there wasn't much on offer for big forwards or big bodied mids. Brodie was about the only class one and there are very big questions over his ability to play two way football. SPS and Fisher are known for their defensive run

[Gointocarlton]

Again I don't understand the negative posts here. For the posts complaining about a lack of forward drafting, we took three tall forwards last season. If one more person say Charlie Curnow is a midfielder i'll lose my sh1t. He moves like a forward, marks and kicks like a forward and has never played midfield in his footy career. He was going to play midfield in his last season at U18's but got injured.

We got another tall forward this year and will get another one next season Ben Silvagni. Surely that's enough for now.

We need mids who have speed and can kick and that's what we got.

Look at the last 4 premiers, their forward lines may have some height up there but the damage is done with small flankers, and their midfield collectively on had Bontempelli a the big mid although Roughead did swing through there for Hawthorn.

I don't know how many of you looked at the draft but there wasn't much on offer for big forwards or big bodied mids. Brodie was about the only class one and there are very big questions over his ability to play two way football. SPS and Fisher are known for their defensive run

Well put Raydan. I said before the draft I wanted to see speed and speed we got, as well as a few talls to boot. I'm happy.

[northernblue]

Again I don't understand the negative posts here. For the posts complaining about a lack of forward drafting, we took three tall forwards last season. If one more person say Charlie Curnow is a midfielder i'll lose my sh1t. He moves like a forward, marks and kicks like a forward and has never played midfield in his footy career. He was going to play midfield in his last season at U18's but got injured.

We got another tall forward this year and will get another one next season Ben Silvagni. Surely that's enough for now.

We need mids who have speed and can kick and that's what we got.

Look at the last 4 premiers, their forward lines may have some height up there but the damage is done with small flankers, and their midfield collectively on had Bontempelli a the big mid although Roughead did swing through there for Hawthorn.

I don't know how many of you looked at the draft but there wasn't much on offer for big forwards or big bodied mids. Brodie was about the only class one and there are very big questions over his ability to play two way football. SPS and Fisher are known for their defensive run

I agree with you on the kpf's we picked up last year and this and next... however they will all need various amounts of development, I was surprised that we didn't look to a stopgap for 20-50 games, Schultz, Stewart or as it turns out the unlovable Richards...

My only thoughts are that, a bit like last year we are managing expectations... we do have a much improved defense, we will have an improving midfield going forward but, we will struggle to kick winning scores this year and maybe next.
That will give Bolts and SOS the task of selling those positives whilst being able to continue to access probably two more drafts with low draft picks.
High risk, high reward, if the picks mostly come on, we win and could contend, if SOS strikes out however the blowtorch will be out with a vengeance...

[DJC]

Again I don't understand the negative posts here. For the posts complaining about a lack of forward drafting, we took three tall forwards last season. If one more person say Charlie Curnow is a midfielder i'll lose my sh1t. He moves like a forward, marks and kicks like a forward and has never played midfield in his footy career. He was going to play midfield in his last season at U18's but got injured.

We got another tall forward this year and will get another one next season Ben Silvagni. Surely that's enough for now.

We need mids who have speed and can kick and that's what we got.

Look at the last 4 premiers, their forward lines may have some height up there but the damage is done with small flankers, and their midfield collectively on had Bontempelli a the big mid although Roughead did swing through there for Hawthorn.

I don't know how many of you looked at the draft but there wasn't much on offer for big forwards or big bodied mids. Brodie was about the only class one and there are very big questions over his ability to play two way football. SPS and Fisher are known for their defensive run

Very good points Ray but Hawthorn did have Lance Franklin and Roughead did more than swing through the forward line.

I think that the comments about Charlie Curnow playing as a midfielder were made in order to pump up his tyres prior to the draft.  They have been seized upon by some supporters who want "big-bodied mids".  Charlie is an elite mark and he will make his name as a forward who pushes up the ground to provide a marking target and to win contested marks from opposition kicks - a bit like Jarrad Waite at his best.  If that's playing midfield, then he will be a midfielder.

I reckon that our list has real potential and that potential will be realised in 2017 with more wins than this season 

[flyboy77]

Injury free (and a big touch wood), guys who will be big improvers for us in 2017:

1. Sumner - had a cursed run at GWS....his time is now.
2. Plowman - see Sumner.
3. Weitering - a year in, we'll see how good this guy really is.
4. SPS (new guy) - will play Rd 1 and make the midfield gig look like a cakewalk. He and Fisher will take an enormous amount of heat off Murphy, Gibbs and Cripps...
5. Curnow C. - a real utility but ultimately a roaming forward with a huge engine! CHF for a decade...
6. Murphy - back to his best with some extra help in the guts. Likely to play a more outside role.
7. Harry Mc - plonk him next to Levi and leave him there!
8. Kerridge - lacks a bit of polish but still young, will improve, a tireless worker and if used forward of centre can be very damaging on the scoreboard.
9. Pickett (new guy) - you don't get taken at #4 in a draft without very good reason. Ran a 2.87 in the 20m run. Will be 21 next year, been in the system a couple of years now and he has a bit to prove....
10. Andrew Phillips - just seems like a real competitor.

[sandsmere]

There is plenty of potential there for sure.
Our defence will be just as good as last year. Probably better.
We have added strength and speed to the midfield.
The forward department may still battle to kick a lot of winning scores, but a fit Charlie C and a fit Jack S with another year on their ages will start to become better players and hard to handle if the ball is delivered properly.

We can't expect much from Patrick Kerr yet and I expect Harry McKay to take at least another season before he makes much of an impact.

With the players that we have bought in this year I reckon we are in front of the 2016 list and will climb up the ladder 2 or 3 places.
We have to hope for injury free seasons for Kreuser and Phillips or we will have trouble in the ruck department though.

[flyboy77]

There is plenty of potential there for sure.
Our defence will be just as good as last year. Probably better.
We have added strength and speed to the midfield.
The forward department may still battle to kick a lot of winning scores, but a fit Charlie C and a fit Jack S with another year on their ages will start to become better players and hard to handle if the ball is delivered properly.

We can't expect much from Patrick Kerr yet and I expect Harry McKay to take at least another season before he makes much of an impact.

With the players that we have bought in this year I reckon we are in front of the 2016 list and will climb up the ladder 2 or 3 places.
We have to hope for injury free seasons for Kreuser and Phillips or we will have trouble in the ruck department though.

I'll beg to differ on Harry. He's the hungry for it type.....

Plenty of small forward options now too - arguably too many@!

Lamb, Sumner, Polson, LeBois, Gallucci, Pickett, Fisher, Wright (the latter more a HFF defensive forward type).

[Thryleon]

My negativity stems from the Alex Silvagni decision.

I can make sense of everything aside from putting him on the rookie list.  He is a similar size as Simon White ffs, and i think going younger would have been more beneficial for us at this stage.