Jon Ralph looks at the AFL landscape after the trade period and answers some of the game’s biggest burning questions
A minute after the trade deadline Carlton’s plans looked to have gone up in smoke. But that might not be the end of the story. Jon Ralph looks at the biggest burning questions ahead of next season.
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Another wild trade period is in the books.
And while we now have a good idea what playing lists are going to look like for next year, a host of new questions need to be answered.
From tough calls facing contenders, trade head scratchers and the future of recruiting, here are JON RALPH’S biggest post-trade takeaways.
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1. Will the AFL overhaul the trade period?
The league couldn’t be more thrilled with the massive coverage the trade period received. But for the first time you could sense fans were angry that it dragged on so long for so little result until the frantic final 48 hours. And with clubs keen to ensure they know exactly what late pick they are giving up — delaying inevitable trades such as the Jon Patton, Eddie Betts and Darcy Cameron ones — it’s not going to get better. So the AFL has to make a call. It can institute a deadline halfway through the period for the three biggest trades it nominates, allowing clubs to swap players for back-end picks those clubs can later clarify, or just concede most of the trade period is a yawn-fest.
2. Have the Cats made a blunder?
Josh Jenkins to Collingwood or Melbourne made sense, but Geelong? The Cats have just spent a season maximising forward pressure with hard-tackling smalls, so how do they lock the ball in playing Tom Hawkins, Jenkins and Esava Ratugolea? The ex-Crow’s recruitment begins to make more sense if Chris Scott plans to ramp up Ratugolea’s ruck minutes and turn him into a 50-50 ruck/forward.
3. What does Pie’s future hold?
AFL scouts will spend 2020 believing Collingwood’s Tom Phillips is gettable and wondering if they should have gone harder in the past fortnight. With the Pies’ salary cap issues, he looks expendable despite 50 games, 1230 possessions and 27 goals in the past two years. Or were the Pies prepared to trade him but he wasn’t keen to go because he has two years on his deal?
4. Will a club pick up Robertson?
Nick Robertson is surely good enough to be on an AFL list next year, despite being delisted by the Lions. In a year when taggers made a comeback, his job on an admittedly sore Lachie Whitfield in the semi-final, keeping him to 13 touches, surely won’t be his last AFL game.
5. Can Tom be a hero?
Fox Footy’s David King says Steven May is Melbourne’s most under-pressure player next year, but surely Tom McDonald will be its most scrutinised. His fall — 12 goals in 14 games before six in his last game of the season — was baffling after 53 goals in 2018. The Demons didn’t recruit another tall, missed on Jamie Elliott, have Harrison Petty and Sam Weideman as works in progress and won’t get Jack Martin. Be a hero, Tom.
6. Will the Blues be laughing last?
Carlton’s trade period looks shambolic. But by the time Jack Martin’s suitors fade away and Carlton pounces in the pre-season draft, the Blues will have nabbed Martin and Eddie Betts for three-fifths of stuff all. That’s not bad going, with pick nine still in their keeping. That goal of 75,000 members in 2020 is within reach.
7. Ralphy’s Grand Final takeaways
Richmond’s Grand Final victory is on repeat on Fox Footy and two things stand out. Dustin Martin couldn’t have deserved that Norm Smith more — even before the final goal — and Ivan Soldo has huge upside as a 204cm ruckman yet to turn 24.
8. Fyfe’s biggest challenge to come
Nat Fyfe has nothing to prove as a player after two Brownlow Medals at 27 years of age. But after the departures of Lachie Neale, Brad Hill and Ed Langdon, his greatest challenge is driving a Freo culture where stars don’t walk out the door regularly.
9. Were the Crows a year too late?
The greatest travesty of the Adelaide camp is it might have disguised the fact the Crows’ flag window had just closed and they were ready for a list overhaul by the end of 2018. Imagine the currency had they traded Betts, Jenkins, Sam Jacobs and Hugh Greenwood then instead of getting little to nothing for them this year.
10. It’s time for clubs to take recruiting risks
Who is next year’s Sydney Stack or Marlion Pickett? You can lock in 17 AFL recruiting departments that were risk-averse last year being prepared to ignore checkered backgrounds or skeletons in closets for players with game-changing talent.
11. Will Patton bounce back in 2020?
Greater Western Sydney made a smart play by moving on Jon Patton considering his massive final-year contract. But in 2017 he took 44 contested marks (third most of any forward) and kicked 45 goals (11th most in the AFL). Make no mistake, he has the capacity to transform the Hawks’ forward line if fully fit.
12. Will Joe stay in the leadership group?
Essendon needs to spend the summer with Joe Daniher spreading seeds of doubt about Sydney’s intent to lure him north. The Swans handed Lance Franklin footy’s biggest contract yet wouldn’t include one quality player in their Daniher offer. Then the Dons should ensure he remains in the leadership group rather than punish him for his perceived sins.
13. Get ready for the new-look Saints
At times St Kilda’s backline next year will be: B: Jarryn Geary, Dougal Howard, Hunter Clark; HB: Zak Jones, Jake Carlisle, Josh Battle; with Nick Coffield, Dylan Roberton and Shane Savage trying to win a spot. Talk about an upgrade.
14. Saints won’t miss Acres too much
St Kilda fans, don’t shed too many tears about Blake Acres’ departure. He was due a salary of about $500,000 in 2020, far in excess of his productivity so far. Hard to see where he would have played, considering he was fourth in line on the wing. Speaking of wingmen, time for Dan Hannebery to spend the summer in bubble wrap considering his penchant for poorly timed injuries.
15. Can Steven replace Kelly’s output?
Jack Steven’s off-field issues are complicated and will need constant attention.
But for pure performances, the new Cats midfielder is a freak. He is yet to turn 30 and between 2015-18 won three of his four best-and-fairests plus a sixth placing, averaging 581 touches a season and kicking 43 goals. During his career, you could argue his best football is as game-breaking as anything Tim Kelly has done.
16. Should the Suns have taken the deal?
Wonder what the AFL Commission that gave Gold Coast all those picks thinks about it losing Jack Martin for nothing? Suns president Tony Cochrane said on July 8 of the club’s desire for a priority pick: “You can’t hold a gun to our head for the errors made by others when they formed the club.” Yet it was very much his decision to pass up future second and third-round picks from the Blues.
17. What will skipper’s deal look like?
Think of the momentum and precedent created if Scott Pendlebury signs a summer contract extension with a significant pay cut to keep the Collingwood list intact chasing an elusive flag.
18. Will the Roos take a chance on Hendo?
North Melbourne needs to shore up its defensive stocks because the jury is out on Ben McKay and Sam Durdin. It could do worse than a rookie spot for uncontracted Cat Lachie Henderson, more than handy in the preliminary final loss.
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19. Where is free agency really at?
Free agency isn’t the bogeyman tearing clubs apart, it’s a chance for players to get rich a year out from free agency status. Tom Lynch left the Suns last year, but this year grand finalists Adam Tomlinson and Brandon Ellis left for the bottom two sides.
No more than five unrestricted or restricted free agents have left their clubs in any of the past six years of free agency.
20. Is Cox in Pies’ best 22?
Footy moves quickly. If Mason Cox kicks one more goal in the 2018 Grand Final, he is Collingwood’s version of Tom Boyd in 2016. Now he’s having to defend a $500,000-a-year deal and fighting for his spot with Darcy Cameron and maybe Ben Reid in 2020. Tough gig, footy.
Originally published as Jon Ralph looks at the AFL landscape after the trade period and answers some of the game’s biggest burning questions