Hay Everyone, A Former All-Australian Full Back Is Available
It has been all bad news for Jonathan Hay over the past couple of years but if you go back a bit more there was a time when he was the best full back in the AFL. It is a bit too early to talk about a comeback to AFL for Hay but according to this story from The Age newspaper he will be available to all teams when the next drafts come along.
Hay free to move in 2008
Here is a quick analysis about the AFL teams and the possibility that they might look to draft Hay.
Adelaide: No chance. They have plenty of quality defenders.
Brisbane: Yes chance. The Lions could use another tall defender and they had success previously when they recruited Pike from North Melbourne.
Carlton: They have brought in players a lot worse than Hay. Carlton have probably changed their recruiting rules about the age of players, but Hay wouldn't be a good fit with youngsters like Bower ready for a senior spot at Carlton.
Collingwood: Wakelin and Clement are getting older, maybe there is a small chance that Hay could help.
Essendon: It could be another Sheedy reclamation project, although Sheedy being there in 2008 is not guaranteed yet.
Fremantle: It does make sense in a few ways, he was originally from WA and if Hay made it back to AFL level it would allow the Dockers to move McPharlin forward on more occasions.
Geelong: It would probably not be a success, but if Geelong don't make it deep into September this year then changes will need to be made and Hay would give them another tall defender.
Hawthorn: They don't want to be involved in any of that again.
Kangaroos: If they are continuing to pay him then maybe they could look to play him again, it would be very unlikely as many bridges would have been burned.
Melbourne: The Demons don't do many unexpected things, Melbourne drafting Hay would be very unexpected.
Port Adelaide: Bringing in Hay could allow them to play Chaplin further up the ground and then Chad Cornes could be used in other spots. But recruiting Hay would go against their youth policy which they currently have and are getting results with.
Richmond: Gaspar could be gone after this season and there isn't a lot of depth for tall defenders there. This is a team that might be a good fit.
St Kilda: They will try things to get players to the club, like talking M Clarke out of retirement, so maybe they might consider it.
Sydney: Hay is a bit younger than Leo Barry. Sydney would seem to be a team that would not be scared away from drafting Hay.
West Coast: They have too many tall defenders to bring in Hay.
Western Bulldogs: In the past they have been a very small team that would have been happy to add a big, athletic full back. Times have changed now and the Bulldogs have the tall positions covered and wouldn't need Hay.
Hay free to move in 2008
Here is a quick analysis about the AFL teams and the possibility that they might look to draft Hay.
Adelaide: No chance. They have plenty of quality defenders.
Brisbane: Yes chance. The Lions could use another tall defender and they had success previously when they recruited Pike from North Melbourne.
Carlton: They have brought in players a lot worse than Hay. Carlton have probably changed their recruiting rules about the age of players, but Hay wouldn't be a good fit with youngsters like Bower ready for a senior spot at Carlton.
Collingwood: Wakelin and Clement are getting older, maybe there is a small chance that Hay could help.
Essendon: It could be another Sheedy reclamation project, although Sheedy being there in 2008 is not guaranteed yet.
Fremantle: It does make sense in a few ways, he was originally from WA and if Hay made it back to AFL level it would allow the Dockers to move McPharlin forward on more occasions.
Geelong: It would probably not be a success, but if Geelong don't make it deep into September this year then changes will need to be made and Hay would give them another tall defender.
Kangaroos: If they are continuing to pay him then maybe they could look to play him again, it would be very unlikely as many bridges would have been burned.
Melbourne: The Demons don't do many unexpected things, Melbourne drafting Hay would be very unexpected.
Port Adelaide: Bringing in Hay could allow them to play Chaplin further up the ground and then Chad Cornes could be used in other spots. But recruiting Hay would go against their youth policy which they currently have and are getting results with.
Richmond: Gaspar could be gone after this season and there isn't a lot of depth for tall defenders there. This is a team that might be a good fit.
St Kilda: They will try things to get players to the club, like talking M Clarke out of retirement, so maybe they might consider it.
Sydney: Hay is a bit younger than Leo Barry. Sydney would seem to be a team that would not be scared away from drafting Hay.
West Coast: They have too many tall defenders to bring in Hay.
Western Bulldogs: In the past they have been a very small team that would have been happy to add a big, athletic full back. Times have changed now and the Bulldogs have the tall positions covered and wouldn't need Hay.
