Intro hello welcome to zero hangers latest edition of our 2024 trade Target series and today to go through Jal Long's potential targets come the offseason is zero hanger reporter Aiden chill a how are you mate good thanks Mitch how are you very well very well uh up to our latest in storman and as mentioned we're covering the cats who are often a pretty busy Club come the offseason um won't so as much in 2023 but few names kind of linked to them this year one being quite a big one who will start off within a second but where do you kind of see jalong out after after a kind of up and down first half of the year and and what do you think they need to look at at their list uh moving forward yeah I mean clearly they're kind of in a transitional phase you know danger toward the end of his career it looks like Tom M Hawk as well might be his last year let's hope he gets back for a farewell game but they you know they've been doing it for the last 15 10 15 years where they kind of seem to regenerate On The Run they've blooded a lot of young players through the Midfield and down back as well and we've seen you know shanon up forward get a chance at the senior level which has been good for them to kind of see what they stand um but yeah in terms of the future I think as we'll touch on in a moment um they're looking at some younger players probably in the mid mid-20s age bracket where they can kind of come in and fill a role almost straight away as long as they learn the system pretty quickly under Chris Scott um but yeah I kind of like where they're at at the moment just in terms of not bottoming out like we've seen North Melbourne and and the Hawks do in previous years and even West Coast as well yeah there'll be plenty of I guess yeah retirements as you mentioned over the few years just given we know where the list demographic is at um and that'll you know they've had a pretty large attention on the draft last year I think they brought in seven players and I think half of them were mature aged recruits though so um they have found some good ones so far this year and and I think it'll be a even balance this year on trade free agency and draft um come the offseason but we'll get into our list and the first one is one of the more popular players in the competition one who's been spoken about at length uh when it's come to jalong and a few other clubs in their trade interests is bayy Bailey Smith Smith um seems very unlikely he'll be at the Bulldogs next year they've managed the the dogs have managed to prioritize a few names ahead of him with Aaron nor and Jamar gohagen likely Tim English resigning Cody Whitman's resigned this week Jed busling are another one so Smith certainly at the back end of the pecking or whether that's them knowing that he was kind of keen to leave and look for a more senior Midfield role is one thing and he he'll certainly get that at jalong um but he certainly wouldn't come cheap um given his potential what we know he's um been able to do on the field um and at the same time he's got plenty of football left in him and I think the only thing that will take off from him is is obviously his recent injury yeah I mean I think we quickly forget that he was a bit of a star player for the dogs especially that 2021 final series um obviously missing this whole year through that ACL injury he was a former pick seven in the 2018 I guess super draft back then if you really think about it um but yeah I think what the cats will probably have to give up which is kind of why Collinwood is out of the race and leaves col leaves Jong and hathon on Deck is the fact they've got first round selections I think jalong hold pick 14 and 34 which they could package together to sweeten the deal to get Smith down the highway to Cadia Park um but I mean it's pretty interesting Prospect when you think about what he could actually go for from the dogs and what they'll ask um but I think yeah first round pick and maybe a mid to late second might get the deal done but I guess depends how hard how much hard ball the dogs do want to play with him in in this upcoming trade period yeah I wouldn't be surprised if they're asking for two firsts um but the term first round pick is so vague now given it can really be anywhere from pick one to close to pick 30 as we saw last year so um yeah interesting situation I think 14 probably needs to be a bit earlier but as you mentioned um they'll have some other picks potentially to throw in there the cats although you know they'll certainly drive out Bargains as late as they can as they have done for a few players they've both gained and lost over the last few years so that that'll be the case for a lot of players you'd think they're interested in uh this year now haven't been too many others that they've necessarily been tied to with with heavy interest so we've looked at I guess a few names um whether it's local products from you know the jalong region U maybe a list need maybe just some of those youthful players or positional needs so uh one local product I think out of B heads in the ballerin area was Ned McHenry Ned McHenry um hasn't quite had the opportunity nor the form that we thought he might have um this year at Adelaide off contract um and certainly could you know be in need of a change of scenery um at the end of the year can offer some spark in the front half um but we just haven't seen that and hence why he's hasn't been in the in the Adelaide senior side in recent weeks so potentially the cats could look at him as a kind of bargain recruit who's got plenty of um you know footy on his sight to come given his age yeah I think 23 24 so kind of right in that ripe age where you start to really find your yourself as an AFL footballer um I think what's going for him he plays with a lot of enthusiasm and intent um as you mentioned he's not necessarily First Choice um under Matthew Nix for the crows but what he does come in and what you will get from him every game that he does get is that effort that you know that un undivided effort where he just gives his all every single game that he plays which is something that it's probably quite undervalued I mean you can have all the talent in the world but if you don't have you know the mental capacity to put your best foot forward in every contest in every quarter in every game you know you could almost look a bit silly out there and I think Ned McKenry despite him probably falling down the pecking order at the crows with a lot of the star plays that they do have especially in that front half I think he could maybe could actually do quite well at at a team like jalong if you if the cats were to explore an option like that to bring in as we've mentioned some of that youth where they can kind of just come in and play a role straight away which would be an interesting Lookout if the cats were to go down that path next on our list more of a I guess a left field option and I guess it's one who hasn't he hasn't been spoken about much this year in any kind of trade discussions but still without a deal in well you know as we arrive into the back end of the season is Ed langon Ed Langdon at uh at Melbourne uh obviously a Premiership member of them at his second Club after starting his career at freem manal came to Victoria um to join the D and and again without a contract uh for 2025 season I think just with jalong a wanting a kind of player in his age profile as well he's got plenty of football on his side um but B I think the wing area is maybe something that they look at they've obviously moved Max Holmes more to a halfback or sometimes inside Midfield r you know they've had to rely times on players like zaku I think they've gotten a bit out of O Dempsey this year which has been great to see but I think someone else bit more senior um out in the wings with Max Holmes's transition um might be a kind of value pick he's not going to come cheap but um at the very least um would be a you know instant spark for them in offering some run yeah I mean if I'm Andrew Macky I'll be looking at kind of these left field options like you did mention in Ed langon is definitely one of those it's still interest quite interesting that he doesn't have a contract for 2025 and Beyond at the days I mean from the outset he looks like he's loving his time there he's locked down that Wing roll um under Simon Goodwin so you'd think it's very unlikely that he want to move but I mean if jalong sold him you know kind of the dream down to the highway which they have done to so many plays in so many times successfully might I add um you know definitely could be an option that Chris Scott and the cats do look at for 2025 another one who can off offer some some runs nice long kicking and bit of forward half flare if Curtis Taylor need be as Curtis tayor at North Melbourne again another off-contract name as as they all are on this list and just similar I guess to McKenry in a way um not a a staple in in the R senior side and still a young player who could maybe benefit from a new inment yeah I mean we spoke about this off here his versatility Curtis Taylor at the kangaroos is probably his ability to play maybe as a defensive pressure forward a lead up forward even the halfback you mentioned he's got a pretty powerful kick to drive him out of the backline and again he's one of those players kind of like Ned McKenry where he gives his 100% all that effort you know that he just can't doesn't loves to compete and obviously give the opportunity now North Melbourne as we know are kind of in this transitional phase where they're trying to figure out what's their next Premiership side look like and given that he's not picked most weeks or hasn't been maybe recently that he could be not part of that next Generation so and again out of contract so definitely an option for rival clubs to look at if they were to go down that path as well now one name we have on our list uh for editorial on Zer zeroh hanger.com was Samson Ry at Richmond who Samson Ryan uh I think it was as early as yesterday resigned with the Tigers so we can put his a line through his name as a potential Target for the cats but uh that kind of rock forward hybrid is probably an area that they do look at I think you mentioned Shannon Neil earlier in the show and he is slowly showing some glimpses that we want to see um but at the same time it's probably still a similar position that I think they would want to look at in the offseason um whether it's someone who's more Ruck dominated I'm just given Toby Conway is is another who's who's getting there but injuries are starting to kind of build up in in quite a short little um time in his career and then you know they lose Tom Hawkins so does Neil field their forward void and then who feels that kind of rough void if if kway doesn't quite get that body right so Ryan was a probably pretty good fit you can look at someone maybe like Wade durksen probably a bit smaller and more of a forward than a rock but but can pin ship but there's a few names out there um that I think that they could look at and certainly is an area that the cats would consider yeah I mean clearly Chris Scott is trying to figure out his perfect mix in that rock role and that rock forward role even chucked Sam Deone there who was a Premiership Defender a couple years ago I think he probably should stay defense in terms of Sam Deone that is which means there is a vacancy in that rock role r Stanley's played very fell throughout the year mark Blitz off has kind of tried it but I'd prefer more as a Midfield or a run with player given his versatility um and as you mentioned Conway and Neil kind of been trial in those roles as well but probably have a bit of Youth and inexperience on their side which again opens up that role for a rival player to come in and feel yeah I think like someone like not not off contract but Sydney's Peter Adams obviously hard to see him breaking back into the senior side unless Grundy gets injured or one of their you know or probably two of their key forwards get injured as well so um you know I think he signed for another year but Jong were interested in him when he left Port adelay so he's he's probably one who more of a rock but can certainly play forward if need be and could be a good fit so that'll uh wrap up our list for jong's trade targets uh our next episode we will be covering Gold Coast under Damen Harwick and his I guess second offseason at the helmet carara obviously for all the latest news views and opinions you can head to zeroh hanger.com