What every team needs this off-season

The AFL's free agency and trade period will begin soon and with player movement at an all time high, let's take a look at who your club should be targeting so they can feature in September in 2019.

West Coast

Need: Ruck depth

The Eagles relied on two ruckmen in their premiership campaign with Scott Lycett playing the majority of time in the midfield and Nathan Vardy pushing forward. However, Lycett looks set to depart the club and with Nic Naitanui not expected to return until midway through next season the Eagles could use another ruckman to fill that void.

Who?: Tom Hickey

Hickey is expected to move away from St. Kilda this off-season and has proven to be a solid ruckman throughout his career and could be enough as the premiers wait for Naitanui to return.

Collingwood

Need: Defenders

The Pies will look to add to their defensive stocks in this year's trade and free agency periods as an undersized defence fought bravely throughout the finals series. An ageing Lynden Dunn will not be the Pies number one tall defender for long and needs to be replaced.

Who?: Steven May

With May expected to leave the Suns in a deal so the Gold Coast get something in return, the Magpies look to be the front-runner for his services, alongside Melbourne. A move for May could allow Darcy Moore to return forward, provided he is still at the club with Sydney coming hard for the youngster.

Richmond

Need: Tall forwards

The Tigers play small and this year it caught up to them as Jack Riewoldt played a lone hand in their preliminary final loss to Collingwood, this however will be addressed very shortly.

Who?: Tom Lynch

The former Suns captain is basically a Tiger already and just needs to sign on the dotted line once free agency opens. The addition of Lynch will benefit all the Tiger forwards and especially Riewoldt who will have less attention paid to him.

Melbourne

Need: Key defender

The Demons seem set to lose star full forward Jesse Hogan to Fremantle however young forward Sam Weideman showed signs of being up to fill that void throughout this year's finals series. The deal that may send Hogan back to WA could provide the Demons with the assets to make a deal for one key defender.

Who? Steven May

Sam Frost and Oscar McDonald were monstered by the Eagles duo of Jack Darling and Josh Kennedy in their Dees' preliminary final loss and a bigger player like Steven May could help free up those two as well as a returning Jake Lever in 2019.

GWS

Need: Some luck

The Giants have the best list in the AFL based on its pure level of talent but seem to be missing key players at important stages of every year. The team had zero continuity this year with stars like Toby Greene and Jeremy Cameron missing for long periods for injury or suspension. They also lost Heath Shaw, Jon Patton and Dawson Simpson before the finals.

Who? Their best 22

The Giants will lose two very good players at least in order to clear out cap space but still have the talent capable of being a serious challenger for the 2019 flag.

Hawthorn

Need: With Jarryd Roughead seemingly at the end or close to of his wonderful career, the Hawks will need to replenish their stocks in the tall forward department if they want to challenge in 2019.

Who? Mitch McGovern

The Hawks appear to have lost out on Tom Lynch and could try to hijack Carlton's deal for Crow Mitch McGovern. Who better than Alastair Clarkson to steal him from the Blues?

Geelong

Need: The Cats are desperate for a player who can apply pressure around the ground but particularly in their forward half where they were extremely easy to rebound the ball against.

Who? Luke Dahlhaus

Dahlhaus has already told the Bulldogs he wants out and before moving into the midfield was a small forward at the Dogs renowned for his inside 50 pressure.

Sydney

Need: The Swans should be looking for someone who can partner superstar Buddy Franklin up forward as he was left with no tall support in their finals loss to GWS, this was also an issue that plagued the team throughout an inconsistent 2018.

Who? Darcy Moore

The Swans have been heavily linked with the young Pie this season and could have the pieces to trade for him as Nic Newman, Dan Hannebery and Gary Rohan all seek a trade away from Sydney. Moore could be the answer to solving the problem of the Swans' over reliance on Buddy.

North Melbourne

Need: After a successful season in which they surprised a lot of teams with their grit around the football, the Kangaroos desperately need a player or multiple with class on the outside to finish off the hard work off guys like Ben Cunnington. Another need will be a second forward to partner Ben Brown after the retirement of Jarrad Waite.

Who?: Jared Polec or Andrew Gaff.

Either would be a great fit for the Kangaroos, Gaff is more of an accumulator around the ground while Polec (who is as good as a Kangaroo already) gives great run from the wing going inside 50.

Port Adelaide

Need: With Paddy Ryder aging and no suitable replacement for when he goes down, the Power must acquire a backup ruckman to carry the load. Being the fact that Port don't need much else, it further makes them a disappointment this season.

Who?: Scott Lycett or Braydon Preuss

Lycett has done a serviceable job stepping in for Nic Naitanui since his injury and may look for a more regular opportunity elsewhere and with Ryder hitting the twilight of his career, Lycett may be the man to step in. Braydon Preuss has had limited chances to play with Todd Goldstein going solo in the ruck and has shown an ability to play at the highest level.

Essendon

Need: The Bombers showed why many picked them to be in the finals towards the end of the season and appear poised to challenge for finals in 2019. If anything, they could use with some explosiveness from the stoppages.

Who? Dylan Shiel

Shiel has been heavily linked with a move back to Victoria as the Giants look to clear space off their books. Shiel has electrifying speed throught the midfield and would compliment the likes of Zach Merrett and Dyson Heppell well.

Adelaide

Need: Another side to not meet expectations, the Crows' horror injury run this season probably shows they don't need too much. Another forward talent would be handy to partner Josh Jenkins and Taylor Walker but should look in house first.

Who?: Jack Lukosius

If the Crows can swing a deal with Carlton to steal that number one pick for Mitch McGovern and a host of other picks they may be in line to land a local product. Adelaide could use a prestigious local talent like him, meaning he would not leave to return home which has crippled the club recently.

Western Bulldogs

Need: The Dogs should be another to be looking in house to improve, with many of their key talls young and developing, right now however they are crying out for a ruckman, having swapped it around all year between Jordan Roughead, Tom Boyd and Tim English.

Who?: Scott Lycett or Braydon Preuss

The Bulldogs need to go hard for one of these two because the midfield talent is there, but needs first access to the ball in order to improve the side.

Fremantle

Need: The Dockers desperately need some midfield class and some pace to break the lines, Ross Lyon addressed it somewhat with getting Brad Hill but the Dockers need another with his ability.

Who?: Tim Kelly

This one seems pretty obvious, with it being reported Kelly could look to return home to be with his family and is the exact player the Dockers need in order to get better.

Brisbane

Need: With an exciting group of youngsters, the Lions could use with an experienced player still in their prime to help bolster this up and coming team. Another area Brisbane can improve is its second forward next to Eric Hipwood.

Who?: Lachie Neale

The Fremantle star has been strongly linked to the Lions recently and should he make the journey cross-country, the Lions would have one of the best midfields in the competition, provided they keep Dayne Beams.

St. Kilda

Need: This season more than ever showed the Saints problems lie with their ball use, crippling the side both around the ground and in front of goal. The Saints should be targeting elite ball users or forwards with it becoming very clear that they are unsure of who their best key forward is.

Who?: Andrew Gaff

Another who is rumoured to be headed back to Melbourne, Gaff's ball winning ability combined with his use is something the Saints are crying out for.

Gold Coast

Need: The Suns need experience to guide their young side through this difficult time, similarly to how Luke Hodge has helped in Brisbane. That plus any mature age players they can get their hands on.

Who?: Brendon Goddard

Goddard has hinted that leaving Essendon will not be the end of his career and would be a perfect leader for the Suns.

Carlton

Need: Besides anything and everything? The Blues should try and recruit some talent that has been in the system and not those who have been delisted. Their midfield stocks are deplorable however appear set to add to their forward line with Mitch McGovern almost a guarantee.

Who?: Dylan Shiel

Carlton are still in the Shiel race and would need to do something drastic to get him. The GWS gun would be a much needed addition to a young midfield.