Desperately need help

[Maggie May]

My team:
Def: Goddard, Shaw, Gibbs, Birchall, Goodes, Vlaustin (Brown, Thurlow)
Mid: Ablett, Pendlebury, Swan, Dangerfield, Cotchin, JP Kennedy, Watson, Mitchell (K Martin, Hrovat)
Ruc: Goldstein, Maric (Nicholls, Rowe)
Fwd: Naitinui, Cox, Johnson, D Martin, Rockliff, Franklin (Staker, B Kennedy)
Trades left: 7. Cash left: $76,500

Obviously Birchall's gone for 4-6 and both Vlaustin and Goodes are in doubt.  I am thinking of trading Birchall & Vlaustin as Goodes looks the safest bet to hold on too.

My options appear to be:

Option 1
1 of Houli, Heppell, Hibberd and 1 of Burgoyne, Hombsch, Reilly, Harbrow, Scotland with next to nothing left in the bank

Option 2:
1 of Duffield, Garland, Waters and 1 of Hanley, Hartlett with next to nothing in the bank

Option 3:
Get both Hanley & Hartlett with a little bit left in the bank

Option 4:
1 of Hanley, Hartlett with 1 of Burgoyne, Hombsch, Reilly, Harbrow, Scotland with most of my savings left

Option 5:
Get 2 of Burgoyne, Hombsch, Reilly, Harbrow, Scotland and bank the extra cash towards my last midfield upgrade

What should I do.  Which option and which players should I bring into my team to solve my backline problems?

[GoLions]

I like option 2: Duffield and Hanley.

[Blues Blues Blues]

Option 2, Duffield and Hanley.

Stay away from Hartlet!!

[specky92]

Could wait a week on Hanley if you can hold Birch a week without bleeding too much, would save some coin

[HotTiges]

Geez almost the exact issue have 69 k left with birch vlas and goodes..have 9 trades though..already had duff though.which goes against my thoughts of 're-trading' in..should I change that mindset! But for you I like that option 2

[roo boys!]

Option 3 originally tempted me but Hartlett has been incredibly frustrating so probably best to steer clear.

Duffy and Hanley looks good

but

with only 5 trades left after getting these two defenders you wouldn't want to do another double trade to finish off your midfield, Mitchell/KMart should both get to a pretty high price relatively quickly but you'll still need a bit of cash to grab a Griffen or similar to finish off your midfield.

Having said that none of the last group really call out to me that much.

Perhaps wait a week or two and grab Hanley and one of them (Scotland is proven at least?  :-\) and then see how much you'll have left?

[Footyrulz]

i dont think hanley or hartlett are decent picks THIS week, if u can wait for them to come back into form, then go ahead.

otherwise, i wouldnt go with options 2,3 and 4.

i reckon go with option 1, maybe heppell and burgoyne.

[Maggie May]

Thanks for the advice guys.  These backs are doing my head in.  And my trade situation hasn't been helped by the fact that this is the second or third time this season that I've traded in a keeper only to have them go down with a long term injury :(

I must admit I have been tossing up some $400k 'mid pricers' and concentrating on getting a kick arse M8 in a few weeks.  With the exception of Shaw, Goddard & Gibbs (who I have) is there any backman who has been consistent?

[Jackross10]

Thanks for the advice guys.  These backs are doing my head in.  And my trade situation hasn't been helped by the fact that this is the second or third time this season that I've traded in a keeper only to have them go down with a long term injury :(

I must admit I have been tossing up some $400k 'mid pricers' and concentrating on getting a kick arse M8 in a few weeks.  With the exception of Shaw, Goddard & Gibbs (who I have) is there any backman who has been consistent?

Ibbo, the cannon

[HotTiges]

Thanks for the advice guys.  These backs are doing my head in.  And my trade situation hasn't been helped by the fact that this is the second or third time this season that I've traded in a keeper only to have them go down with a long term injury :(

I must admit I have been tossing up some $400k 'mid pricers' and concentrating on getting a kick arse M8 in a few weeks.  With the exception of Shaw, Goddard & Gibbs (who I have) is there any backman who has been consistent?

Ibbo, the cannon

Have been now cue tags for ibbo and cannon!

[Maggie May]

Thanks for the advice guys.  These backs are doing my head in.  And my trade situation hasn't been helped by the fact that this is the second or third time this season that I've traded in a keeper only to have them go down with a long term injury :(

I must admit I have been tossing up some $400k 'mid pricers' and concentrating on getting a kick arse M8 in a few weeks.  With the exception of Shaw, Goddard & Gibbs (who I have) is there any backman who has been consistent?

Ibbo, the cannon

I could afford to bring him in for Birchall.  But it would mean holding or downgrading Vlaustin.  Any thoughts?

[Maggie May]

Okay so have been thinking overnight.  Is this strategy to risky?

This week go Birchall to Ibbotson, and sometime in the next couple of weeks go Thurlow to Oxley for the dpp.  This would give me:

Goddard, Shaw, Gibbs, Ibbotson, Goodes, Vlaustin (Brown, Oxley)

With 5 trades and about $120k + the option to downgrade Rowe if necessary to finish my mids. It would mean holding Vlas, possibly till the end of the season, but gives me the top 4 defenders and the possibility of swapping Mitch/Kmart for someone like Griffin instead of someone like Murphy.

Is the risk worth it?

[Ringo]

Another suggestion for you and depends on how you rate Daniher is Birchall to Daniher via Staker and then Vlas to a defender of your choice.  Will still have cash left over for further upgrades.

You can restore Staker to Forwards by upgrading Kennedy down the track when he has peaked to a defender,

[Maggie May]

Thanks for the suggestion Ringo.  With Daniher omitted this round, don't think I can afford to get him unfortunately.  I'm thinking given my trade position I need to take a risk.  For me it's now coming down too:

Ibbotson + Vlaustin with a $550k-$650k mid like Griffin, Jack or Barlow vs Duffield (only utilising one trade here means I have flexibility to an extra downgrade if needed) + Hanley with a $400k-$500k mid like Murphy or Hannebury

The first option does leave the door slightly ajar for a swap of Vlaustin to Hanley in a couple of weeks depending on results but the priority of the first option after this week would be my midfield.