The Gold Coast Suns had a playing list of 46 in 2012 but must reduce that to 42 for the 2013 season. In fact, they must cut down to 39 to enable them to draft the mandatory three players.
It gets worse. Jaeger Omeara has been pre-listed from the GWS mini draft last year and they have to bring him on to the list as well.
For some unknown reason, Nathan Krakouer was kept on the list for 2012 even though he left the club in late 2011, so for my thinking this frees up the spot for Jaeger.
Josh Fraser has retired so this is the first cull out of the required seven.
Hayden Jolly wants to go back to South Australia, so unless he is required as additional incentive in the trade for Kurt Tippett, he should be delisted. I consider him to be of little value as a trade.
He struggled to get a game during 2012 and had six fairly unremarkable games in 2011. We need five more.
Lewis Moss has still not found his way into the seniors, so it is time to move on.
Who should be the remaining four? Jack Hutchins, Jackson Allen, Piers Flanagan and Alik Magin are the unlucky four to be struck off the list.
The Tippo trade should go like this: Sam Day and our second best draft pick (and optionally Hayden Jolly) are traded for Tippett. With Tippett, Tom Lynch, Steven May and Charlie Dixon, we have the most promising forward line in the AFL.
Both Josh Caddy and Josh Toy want to be traded. We need to get two mature bodies in return, and for Caddy an additional second or third round draft pick.
Our young players still need two more years to develop so a couple of heavy hitters during that period will be beneficial.
What do you think, Roarers? Do I have the trades right?
GaryA
Guest
Well Roarers, I got pretty close. By delisting Toy and getting the compensation pick for Caddy which they will save for next year or later they saved the scalps of Jackson Allen and Jack Hutchins. Otherwise I was spot on. Very happy to get the best 17yo in the country once again - that means effectively we have first pick in the draft this year (Jaeger Omeara), and again next year (Jack Martin) already sewed up. Suns are in for a good season in 2013. I'm looking for 8 wins or more.
Bee Bee
Guest
Or go back to League where he is more than just a sideshow to add a bit of interest. I have watched Suns games and thought. Where is Hunt? (oh he must be injured or marking time in seconds.) But no, Hunt is there lost in the Sunshine. I give him one more season in AFL. Once the sun rises it will be too bright and Hunt will take a deal on offer in NRL made possible by bigger Cap.
Macca
Guest
Yeah we are getting ahead of ourselves but the worry of not going to the club you want is a bit over blown, look at luke ball for example. Firstly clubs don't want to draft a player who will hate them for it and secondly clubs know that at some point down the track they will have a deal with a player who has been forced into the PSD and aren't going to make enemies of the club that wants the current player.
Matt F
Roar Guru
It wouldn't be a trade though. Caddy would either have to stay with GC or face the PSD where he has no choice which club he ends up with. You can't reject a club if they select you in the PSD unless you want to spend at least a year out of the AFL. If he's desperate enough to get back to Melbourne then he'll take the PSD and if not he'll stay up in the GC. In the end, Nick Stevens decided that he'd rather play for Carlton than remain at Port Adelaide as he desperately wanted to come home to Melbourne. When faced with the PSD, O'Keefe decided that his desire to return to Melbourne wasn't worth him having to play for the Demons who had indicated that they would select him in the PSD. I can't blame him for that :) Caddy could try and convince a club not to select him, or increase his value to a high enough level that other clubs won't go near him (though I'd wager that clubs like Melbourne and WB have more cap room than Carlton.) That being said we're getting way ahead of ourselves here. He hasn't even nominated his preferred club yet and the odds of this club and GC successfully doing a trade are very high.
Andrew A
Guest
Hunt will have to continue to improve to keep his spot as the Suns youngsters gain experience and improve. We'll have to wait and see if he can do that next year and beyond. If he can't hold down a regular spot in the future, he could always go back to rugby or rugby league where he has excelled. Suns fans would be happy with his effort and dedication to get the best out of himself thus far. Time will tell if his effort translates into developing into a better player.
Macca
Guest
All true Andrew but as that inexperienced team becomes more experienced where does a midfielder who doesn't tag and only gets 15 possessions 3 tackles and 3 clearances fit in?
Macca
Guest
True Matt F but Caddy has to agree to the trade, Port lost Stevens for nothing and no one drafts a player who doesn't want to play for them. If Caddy wants to go to Carlton and sticks to his guns he will get there. Also Carltons better draft picks only came into play becasue Judd wanted to ensure West Coast were properly compensated, if he wanted to be an ar#ehole and threatend to go into the draft they would of had to take much less.
Andrew A
Guest
Hunt has done well to improve each year and compete at AFL level after also playing professional rugby and rugby league. He provides a good example to younger teammates on how to prepare for elite sport. It's difficult to judge how much more he'll improve over the coming years if he stays in the AFL. He's had some good moments in games but he's not at the same level as many other midfielders who have been in the system a lot longer. Whilst he's a competitor and has earned a spot in the inexperienced Suns team, the main reason he was appointed was to promote the fledgling Suns due to his high profile in Qld playing rugby league.
Matt F
Roar Guru
If a player nominates a particular club then of course the clubs will try and make it work but it doesn't always work out. Nick Stevens originally wanted to go to Collingwood but Port and Collingwood couldn't make a deal so he went to Carlton. Ryan O'Keefe wanted to go home to Melbourne and picked the Hawks but they couldn't get a deal done so he (thankfully) decided to stay with the Swans. Carlton had the upper hand with Judd because they had a very low PSD pick. They could have easily got him for nothing (though West Coast have done quite well out of it.) There are many clubs with better PSD picks than Carlton this year who will jump at Caddy if he's available.
Macca
Guest
Matt F -Yeah I agree there are lot's of unfounded rumours, look at Cloke, the Pies were never going to let him go.
Macca
Guest
Yet he doesn't tackle and how many of those bumps did he lay for the year? And if he isn't fast enough to keep within 5m he can't lay a bump. And if he cna't start getting the ball or stopping his man then he will be laying those bumps in the 2's
Macca
Guest
Ian - That isn't the case at all, Jacobs did a deal with Adelaide then Carlton had to take what they can get, Houli & Grigg did deals with Richmond and their teams had to take what they can get, Judd did a deal with Carlton and the Eagles and blues had to make it happen. I could name many many others. Caddy will do a deal and tell the Suns where he wants to go and the Suns will have to take what they can get.
Matt F
Roar Guru
Cloke re-signing might make it clearer, at least as far as the Pies are concerned. Not sure where that leaves Wellingham or (I think) Goldsack though. You'd think that there wouldn't be much cap room left at Collingwood. To be honest though my main point wasn't that Caddy isn't going to Carlton, or Essendon or whoever. I was just pointing out that it's not uncommon for the media to report pure speculation and pass it off as fact re player movement. As someone who also follows NRL and Football/Soccer, the amount of player transfer rumours that turn out to be completely wrong is staggering. Until the trade & free agency windows open, and clubs/players actually (or more accurately "officially") start talking to each other, it's best to treat media speculation as just that.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
As is usual with unthinking fans, Macca is looking at the scenario that will benefit the team he barracks for. The way it actually works is that the player announces he wants to go, and a deal gets sorted out between clubs first, and then personal terms get negotiated.
Ian Whitchurch
Guest
He's the enforcer. The guy that keeps the other midfield honest against the high-skill guys. He does things like this, to keep the backside pursuit clear when a receiver breaks with the ball for the clean grass. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG4sM6BJ_wE
Macca
Guest
Well said Andrew but don't expect a response from Ian, he is following his usual tactic of throwing a few insults and talking rubbish before hiding when the facts clearly contradict him.
Andrew A
Guest
I was also never a fan of Carrazzo when he roamed across half back picking up cheap possessions and turning it over with poor disposal. Carrazzo has however developed into one of the best run-with midfielders in the league. He often shuts down the opposition's best midfielder whilst also winning plenty of contested possessions. He is a terrific runner and one of the fittest and most dedicated players at Carlton. Whilst Karmichael Hunt has improved, he is nowhere near the class of Carrazzo.
Macca
Guest
Seeing that he was a very high draft pick who wants to come home I have no doubt that all the clubs mentioned have made advances, but as you say a lot of them have already been eliminated. See Cloke has signed with the Pies, that should start making these things clearer.
Matt F
Roar Guru
There have been rumours linking to Collingwood, and even North Melbourne. The same report that I assume your talking about also said that he rejected Melbourne's advances. That leads to 7 clubs that have been mentioned regarding Caddy (some reports obviously more credible than others.) Given that he's homesick so will only go to Victoria, that means that the media, in some shape or form, has linked him to 7/10 Victorian sides. That's getting pretty close to naming every team.
Macca
Guest
Hunt doesn't look fast to me, where is he on your list?