I've been happy since I heard the crap in the clubroom that derailed our season (injury didnt help), was identified and going to be addressed. I didn't think we would hold on to TDK, and wanted to get rid of a few more injury prone players (SOS and Curnow), in the hope of finding a bonafide left field CHB and CHF to replace them. Still can if we can snag one as an SSP pick and another as a rookie. Bumbers looking at Philips.

I thought Austin said this was going to be his last year before the season started,. Regardless, I heard Austin had his feelers out nice and early in the year, and was going for a BIG fish or TWO, such was the space in the salary cap (I know peeps dont believe that, but the numbers don't lie, and see SOS, banking is real), and I liked his commitment to address speed skills and depth issue from all the names I heard he had spoken with before Finals started. I know Petrocelle was one, but we were also keen to address depth too. We had too many kids, and still do imo.

I will share a few others after the draft...well...there was word that Dees and Tigers were keen on Cerra for a first rounder. Tiges had 2 beauties and were looking at splitting one, and Dees were going to shop around a coupla players (had no idea it was both mids and May), and Butters was the big fish. Austin fishing for firsts, and the chance to trade in Charlie was a god send. However, despite having another shot at Butters next year, I think we can cover him with a rebuilt Walsh and Jagga, and Humphrey, Florent and Ainsworth running through the middle gives us great variety and depth in the midfield mix. Add them to Cerra, Hewett and Crippa, and away we go. Who knows, they may have leading forwards to kick to in 2026, and we snag a Flag.

I'm expecting a good catch to be announced later in the day too. Our forward line and kicking into the forward line has been addressed in this Trade period.

I'm hoping we keep Lij and if we can, Gov, and find a new home for Acres, if so, we let go 3 of Fog, Binns, White, Young.

This has been an Epic Draft for Austin. Like Sydney Blue, I was critical of his last draft by not replacing the experience we lost in 203 and 2024. I wasn't scathing, but disappointed. He is a patient man and he makes true that one swallow doesn't make a summer. He plays the long game.

Are you happy with the Trades thus far?

Worst case scenario nothing changes, Voss is sakced and the new guy needs a year to dip his toe... at least two more years in the wilderness.

But... if Harry doesn't miss half the season concussing himself, if we ditch the bomb-bomb-bomb game plan, if we can develop a mobile forward setup, if we can get more goals from mids... we should be thereabouts.

It needs to start with Cripps getting back to Brownlow form.

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It needs to start with Cripps getting back to Brownlow form.

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Do people see that happening? These big bodied inside mids tend to fall off the cliff reasonably quickly.