Former Fremantle star Paul Hasleby believes Connor Blakely and Mitch Wallis are the two delisted players who will regret not leaving their respective clubs sooner.
With all list changes now finalised ahead of the National Draft in November, several surprise names missed out on deals for next season.
One of them, according to Hasleby, was now ex-Docker Blakely. A key part of Fremantle’s best team just a few years ago rotating through the midfield and half back, Blakely now finds himself without a club after 78 games for the Dockers.
With Justin Longmuir taking over ahead of the 2020 season, Blakely has played just 17 times for the new coach and none in 2022.
Hasleby believes Blakely’s manager made a mistake in not pushing harder to get Blakely out of the club earlier.
“A couple of players stick out for me (that should have moved earlier),” Halseby began on SEN WA’s The Run Home.
“One is Connor Blakely, I think the writing was on the wall probably three years ago when Longmuir came into the club for the first season, I think you could clearly see he wasn’t part of the plans.
“If I was his manager at that stage, I would have been doing everything to get him out of that club.
“He stayed, then he stayed again. I think it’s admirable because you’re trying to fight through a tough situation… but sometimes it goes against you.
“Had he got to another club two years ago, I think he would still be in the AFL system and have a spot there.”
Blakely was reportedly on the trade table in 2019 and 2020 but attracted limited interest from rival clubs.
Meanwhile, as Wallis himself notes, why he’s found himself out of the Western Bulldogs team in the past two years is largely a mystery.
While the 29-year-old has had his injury troubles in recent years, he’s played just 11 games across the last two seasons.
He’d previously reinvented himself as a forward after showing upside as a midfielder, and Hasleby believes he’s another who should have found himself on a list.
“The other one is probably Mitch Wallis. Two years ago after he had a great season through COVID, he was one of the leading goalkickers through COVID and him was one of the leading goalkickers for the Western Bulldogs and then they were just playing youngsters, he couldn’t get into the side,” he continued.
“If he had left two years ago, he may still be in the system at another club because he’s got some upside.”
As for the two players who could get picked up, Hasleby singled out ex-Blue Liam Stocker and former Crow James Rowe.
In particular, the 208-gamer believes West Coast should be targeting Rowe as a delisted free agent.
“I’ve just watched this kid a number of times for Adelaide and I’m really surprised he's not there,” Hasleby stated.
“I think at the West Coast Eagles James Roe would be a really good fit. We went through their best 22 and with Junior Rioli leaving the club, (Jamie) Cripps getting a bit older, I think there’s a spot for a real hard-nosed, forward pressure played who can also kick goals at the right time, and he’s showed me enough that he can do that.”
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