Our veteran quandary

[Newelly]

This is video details from my previous post...

"Sidebottom determined to play on next year"

Are the Pies set to restructure their list?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDEyRuHNlC4

Good to hear that Sidebottom is determined to play on and he might just be struggling with some niggles that he needs to sort out hopefully with a longer pre-season.

[Damien]

I think Sidebottom already talking about next season, just 5 rounds into this season is nuts, particularly given that he already looks to be struggling.

Father Time can suddenly catch up to you. Even Pendles should be taking it one year at a time.

I didn’t think I’d be saying this, but of the older brigade, the only guy I really reckon we desperately need to go again is Howey. His GF was excellent and his form this year is solid. With Murphy’s future up in the air also.

I’m not concerned about losing experience en masse. The likes of Moore, DeGoey, Maynard etc. are experienced enough now to lead this team.

[qldmagpie67]

^

Lad Pendles will decide his own future
He’s the only one who will get a say from our veterans ranks
I doubt we would allow Pendles Sidey and Howe to all walk in one off season (unless they had injuries or they voluntarily retired)
Wright has planned for a couple seasons the exit strategy of the veterans
There will be respect shown of course as there should be but there will be conversations basically saying either retire or you won’t be offered a deal here
Now there may be one of them who is forced out who doesn’t wish to retire snd may seek a club elsewhere
I would say at this point (and I’m guessing it’s not confirmed) only 2 of the 3 you mentioned would be gone come season at most
It’s more likely one of those will be gone plus someone like Cox or WHE
Really Howes future will depend a lot on how or if Murphy gets back firstly and how he goes in the games he plays
Of the other veterans in Elliott Crisp checkers Mitchell they would likely have at least one more year in them (checkers maybe longer)

[inxs88]

I'd like to see them phase out accordingly:

2024:
* Steele: allows more games into Harrison, Allan, Ryan
* Pendles: unreplaceable but come 400 games at years end, it's time.
* WHE: 31 years old and by 2025 shall be a list clogger.

2025:
* Mitchell: 60 quality games with a star turn in 2023 GF. Thanks but time.
* Cox: shall be the end of his contract and at 34, thanks.
* Howe: still has leg speed and aerobic fitness to get thru 2024/25

2026:
* Elliott: if he can last till then, he'll be 34 years old and feted.

Hopefully, the bionic man Crisp and Mihoeck can last into 2027.

[Pies2016]

Genuine question here. Can someone explain to me how all the $$ help us get the likes of Cadman/lukosius and help us move up the draft order? I get spending on Free Agents, but what can we offer GWS/Suns to let contracted young guns go? Is it just a matter of relying on their cap squeeze and the clubs giving a friendly wave goodbye? Likewise we cannot move up the draft very far as our earliest pick is second round and two third rounds, so unless we speculate again on the following year’s first round pick we don’t have trading power (and remembering that we’re obliged to take three draft selections each year). That leaves trading current players. [Mod:I’ve strayed off topic a bit so please move this if appropriate]

The simple answer is you can’t have it all. However, you can at least set yourself up to regenerate a list reasonably quickly by first having the cap space to spend. Cap space at least allows you to dabble in free agency where trades aren’t involved. Securing quality players who are un contracted ( but not free agents ) is problematic because it can’t be done without having decent picks to offer up. Once those picks have been moved on, then obviously we don’t have any selections left at the pointy end of the draft. I would also likely rule out securing any quality player under contract because you pay overs just to have them released from their current arrangement.
Remember, the club can always offer up our future first rounder in the upcoming trade period, so we do have reasonable bargaining chips if a quality player became available. We also have the Hawks second and third round picks, which are looking pretty good right now. We can probably achieve two of those three list management mechanisms to improve our squad but there’s no such thing as a free lunch. It’s for smarter minds than those of us on here to decide how to make the best of whatever is available at that time.

[Piesnchess]

With a few retirements, we will have big coin for free agency, bout $5 million, and I hear we are very interested in the eagles Oscar Allen. Now he would be very handy, to say the very least.

[qldmagpie67]

With a few retirements, we will have big coin for free agency, bout $5 million, and I hear we are very interested in the eagles Oscar Allen. Now he would be very handy, to say the very least.

PNC I would hazard a guess we have a list that looks something like

2 or 3 big body mids who we want to land one of
A key forward who could also pinch hit in the ruck
2 or 3 defenders to replace Howe and possibly Murphy

We could have a dabble over the next couple years to to land the pieces we need while hopefully maintaining draft picks

There could be as many as a dozen players on our “wish list”
The timing of landing them isn’t as important as landing the right fit
Depending on veteran form as to where the void needs to be filled first

[Newelly]

With a few retirements, we will have big coin for free agency, bout $5 million, and I hear we are very interested in the eagles Oscar Allen. Now he would be very handy, to say the very least.

I would forget about that. Wishful thinking as the eagles have the money to hold onto him and he's from Perth as well.

[Piesnchess]

^

Perhaps, but the hook of playing in front of packed houses at the MCG, massive crowds, 80 000 +, maybe might lure him here. ?

[Newelly]

^

AFLHQ also is known to get involved when a top player is considering leaving a struggling club. They imply they would like the player to stay in order to even up the competition. I think we look elsewhere

[Piesnchess]

^ They have sure changed, back in the day, the cheating "no salary cap" Bluescum , used to try an poach any star player from any struggling club, with their big fat cheque book. League did nothing about it.

[Said by Zed]

^ things haven’t changed much with the times…Carlscum are somehow able to afford several ‘millionaires’ under their salary cap and still have the cash to cherry pick top talent to shore up gaps. Blatant AFL manipulation to ensure they play finals .

[lazzadesilva]

^^
Agree. You have to be nuts not to suspect some typical Carlscum conniving cheating happening

[lazzadesilva]

^

AFLHQ also is known to get involved when a top player is considering leaving a struggling club. They imply they would like the player to stay in order to even up the competition. I think we look elsewhere

Hhmm………………love to see how this goes with the restraint of trade laws

[RudeBoy]

Our problem is not with our veterans. Our problem is we do not have enough young players demonstrating enough talent to replace our veterans. In particular, I had high hopes for Macrae and Allan, but sadly neither look like potential good AFL players. There's been a lot of talk about Harrison, but I haven't seen much evidence of any class in the lad. As for Steene and Begg, they are even further down the list.

As desperate as it seems, I am pinning my hopes on the untested Demattia.