The holes in every club's list ahead of the AFL Draft

Whether in key posts or through a lack of depth, each team still has rostering potholes to fill.

SUBSCRIBER | November 5, 2021 - 12:25pm

Despite being less than a month until the start of the AFL Draft, almost all of the league's 18 clubs will believe their starting line-ups are close to complete

But irrespective of this confidence, every roster still has holes.

Due to the nature of the league, it is almost impossible for two sides to be in exactly the same place, so some of these gaps may be chasmic, whilst others may be wafer-thin.

However, if left unattended, those of any magnitude could lead a side to ruin.

Although fixing an issue can often be more challenging than identifying it, with these holes in mind, every side now has a starting point for sealing ahead of next September.

Gold Coast

If Adelaide’s current list compilation is more Swiss than Cheddar, the Suns’ roster is a breeze block rather than a clinker brick.

While it is undeniable that Stuart Dew has some of the game’s most precocious players at his disposal, the head coach also has many causes for headaches ahead of his fifth season leading the Carrara club.

Although retention of names such as Ben King, Jack Lukosius and Izak Rankine will be the order of business at the completion of the 2022 season, the issues surrounding the Suns’ ruck stocks currently sits atop their list of ills that need amending.

A thorough look at the state of the sunshine state side’s list will show you that of the 44 names that currently ply their trade at Metricon Stadium, only five are full-time ruckman, with just three of this quintet having seen any form of senior action.

Though this may not seem like a qualm to the naked eye, given two stand below the 200cm mark, one was recruited as a defender and another is a nigh-on 30-year-old that is returning from an ACL injury, faint chimes from an alarm bell should be audible.

AFL Rd 3 - Adelaide v Gold Coast — ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 02: Jarrod Witts of the Suns down with a knee injury during the 2021 AFL Round 03 match between the Adelaide Crows and the Gold Coast Suns at Adelaide Oval on April 02, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Add in the fact that the club’s leading hit-out winner, Zac Smith, has since retired after winning just 191 contests across the course of last season and the figurative clapper has started to work overtime.

While the return of co-captain Jarrod Witts will afford the Suns more stability in the centre of the ground, the expansion franchise’s plans for the future should still be called into question.

With Smith departed and Witts available, will Dew continue playing local lad Caleb Graham in his senior side?

At 21, the Queenslander meets the club’s list profile aimed at upcoming rather than immediate success, but with a mean of just 3.7 hit-outs across his 22 appearances, a raise in output will be expected if he is to play a game-day role behind Witts.

Should Dew wish to go in another direction, he has the ability to blood either Matt Conroy or Ned Moyle, whilst also continuing with his use of stop-gap Chris Burgess at stoppages.

Still, given this gulf of experience between Witts and his positional pals is so seismic, it is likely to be a pitfall that will continue to be exploited throughout the club’s upcoming campaign.