Given that we'll most likely take Watts in the draft not Rich. Warnock in the PSD - Could we go for one more quality young player at the expense of one of ours!

I know this is unlikely to happen, because footy clubs take a pretty stubborn view on letting go quality young players. And Nathan Jones is every bit of that.

We do have an over-subscription of inside mids. But we do need an upgrade in quality.

Our situation with McLean being our number one inside midfielder and Valenti, Moloney, JMAC playing a similarly effective role to Jones , as inside midfielders, but in themselves being of no trade value. I reckon Nathan Jones would be of high value to "certain clubs" and a top 12 pick worth considering.

The mail is Jack Grimes is going to be a gun and hopefully will be as good as Brock, if not better. Because this is what we need we need a midfielder maybe two to be the equal of Brock, if we are to go anywhere in this competition long-term. And while I think Jonesy is a great little player - I think we need to take the punt of getting an even better player.

I think Collingwood and Essendon (if they actually have a brain) would be keen to get there hands on Nathan Jones and might be willing to part with picks between 8 and 10 to get it. (Given there lack of quality young inside midfielders right now).

I'd be just as happy to keep him - any thoughts???

jones just signed a 2 year contract! why would they sign him then offload him?! he is part of the re building phase

Would we get a better kid at 8 or 10 than we have in Jones? Probably, but there's a risk, given that draftees are ~17 years old, and thus are a bit of a gamble. I'd definitely consider it though.

NB: Including McDonald in your list is a little pointless, considering he won't be around for our next flag tilt (and probably won't be around for our next finals tilt, either), and Moloney's been pretty injury-prone so far. Although Valenti is going alright atm, I think the jury is still out - remember, he hasn't had the same opposition attention Jones has received this year.

Ppl forget Jones is only in his 3rd year.

The man will look alot better with some polish skilled runners around him. Trust me, he'll be vital when were up and running.

neita is correct

he's not looking great now but both him and brock would look very good in a powerful side

dont forget that valenti is actually older than jones

I reckon Nathan Jones would be of high value to "certain clubs" and a top 12 pick worth considering.

I'd be just as happy to keep him - any thoughts???

He's in his 3rd year. Not worth contemplating, he is going to be a very important player for us.

Would love us to land a 'Blease' or 'Zaharkis' with our second pick. They have great pace for the midfield and it would suit our in and under type brigade.

NOTE: Zaharkis was named best on the weekend, again.

He's in his 3rd year. Not worth contemplating, he is going to be a very important player for us.

Would love us to land a 'Blease' or 'Zaharkis' with our second pick. They have great pace for the midfield and it would suit our in and under type brigade.

NOTE: Zaharkis was named best on the weekend, again.

Considering the hit rate of players coming through the draft I think it would be poor value to trade him for anything but a top 10 pick, and I can't see anyone offering their first round for him.

We do have an over-subscription of inside mids. But we do need an upgrade in quality.

Our situation with McLean being our number one inside midfielder and Valenti, Moloney, JMAC playing a similarly effective role to Jones , as inside midfielders, but in themselves being of no trade value. I reckon Nathan Jones would be of high value to "certain clubs" and a top 12 pick worth considering.

The fact is we dont. Our midfield relies on a 21 yo McLean and 20 yo in Jones. Honest hard workers that have shouldered the burden for a third world midfield where the standard drops away dramatically from those two.

If we had better leadership in the Club I doubt whether Junior would have got another contract. He has been a great servant of the Club but is in his twilight. Moloney just cant get on the track and I am yet to see how he represents any definite future for the MFC midfield.

Valenti is still a fringe player and is still to be a new contract.

I dont know what you would achieve by further weakening our midfield. Id keep him.

The fact is we dont. Our midfield relies on a 21 yo McLean and 20 yo in Jones. Honest hard workers that have shouldered the burden for a third world midfield where the standard drops away dramatically from those two.

If we had better leadership in the Club I doubt whether Junior would have got another contract. He has been a great servant of the Club but is in his twilight. Moloney just cant get on the track and I am yet to see how he represents any definite future for the MFC midfield.

Valenti is still a fringe player and is still to be a new contract.

I dont know what you would achieve by further weakening our midfield. Id keep him.

I agree he has got upside, and dont think this would actually happen. But if Collingwood or Essendon were willing to part with Pick 8, 9 or 10 I would take it on what I think we have to offer in replace of him.

I think your right - right now Jones is our number 2 mid. Moloney suffered a collision injury, and was going ok until then, and Valenti hasn't taken a step back since been given a chance. I think Moloney and Valenti are good depth for our inside mids along with JMac for another year or so.

Getting back up the ladder and threatening for a flag is going to take more than just throwing kids at the problem, its going to take some serious intelligence. Look at what moving Moloney (that looked crazy at the time) on from Geelong did to get Ottens. They wouldnt have been in the gf last year let alone win it without Ottens.

The question is what could we let go where we seem to be alright (for the future, maybe not right now) to get a whole let better. Yes we need KPP (watts) and a new ruckman (warnock), our next quest is a midfielder who can go in there and break the lines. Mclean, Jones and Grimes dont look the answer as you say the hard working grunt footballers.

If Grimes is as good as I hear, and he is our number 1,2 inside (in years to come that would leave Jones no.3 and a benchplayer)- if we had an opportunity to trade Jones for Pick 9 to Collingwood or someone. We may have missed our opportunity to get what we really need to complete our inside mids of Mclean, Grimes, Valenti and Moloney. A mid with skills and pace.

He is the only one we might be able to afford to let go to have 3 shots pick 9,17 and 19 at getting the pacy midfielder we need (like blease, zaharkis, etc.)

Bailey has come and said we have to be ahead of the game to go anywhere - here is your chance bails!!!!

The fact is we dont. Our midfield relies on a 21 yo McLean and 20 yo in Jones. Honest hard workers that have shouldered the burden for a third world midfield where the standard drops away dramatically from those two.

Moloney just cant get on the track and I am yet to see how he represents any definite future for the MFC midfield.

Valenti is still a fringe player and is still to be a new contract.

I agree with your summary of a third world midfield and I see Moloney in the same light.

Valenti, impresses me more and more. Not classy but blue collar, strong and whilst still a fringe player may be given his chance with a contract. With improvement and consistency and effective disposal he may put pressure on guys like Moloney....at selection and when it comes to the list

Everyone is looking for a dynamic midfielder in the Judd mould.

McLean is an endurance runner in the mould of Robert Harvey, Jones is a strong clearance player similar to Luke Ball, and I reckon Maric has the vision and skill to become a Brent Harvey copy.

We don't have a Judd but getting rid of Luke Ball for a speculative pick that may or may not get you Judd is pointless and damaging.

I think Collingwood and Essendon (if they actually have a brain) would be keen to get there hands on Nathan Jones and might be willing to part with picks between 8 and 10 to get it. (Given there lack of quality young inside midfielders right now).

The last thing Collingwood need is a player like Jones. They need some pace.

We should keep him. So long as the coaching staff make him work on both his kicking and his tendency to look sideways after every mark, he'll improve with age.

The fact is we dont. Our midfield relies on a 21 yo McLean and 20 yo in Jones. Honest hard workers that have shouldered the burden for a third world midfield where the standard drops away dramatically from those two.

If we had better leadership in the Club I doubt whether Junior would have got another contract. He has been a great servant of the Club but is in his twilight. Moloney just cant get on the track and I am yet to see how he represents any definite future for the MFC midfield.

Valenti is still a fringe player and is still to be a new contract.

I dont know what you would achieve by further weakening our midfield. Id keep him.

Spot on RR

Blease will be the asnwers to our cry out for some midfield pace to assist bucks

The ideal midfielder today has to be hard at the ball, strong, fast and have good decision making and disposal skills. Brock has four of these qualities (regretably he is slow).

Jones on the other hand has two of these qualities (hard at the ball and strong). Which means that unless he improves in these other areas he is and will continue to be a liability. As you know his disposal this year has killed us.

He has a 2 year contract so the trade won't go ahead but if he can't get his act together in these other areas then we must trade him eventually. He will have to do as we build our list but long term if we are to push for a serious crack at the premiership over the next 5 - 7 years (when Jones will be in his prime by the way) then we will have to trade him.

Blease will be the asnwers to our cry out for some midfield pace to assist bucks

That is if we get him. If we (Mfc supporters, members and the like) have identified the likes of Blease and Zaharkis as the guys that will go early because of the attributes of skill and pace. I dare say other clubs have their eyes on them as well. Unfortunately.

With respect to Jones, he is still well and truly contracted. He started the year well, he won't improve in pace, he will get stronger, his kicking should improve. I see him playing for the club for sometime.

Jones is a poor man's Paul Chapman although I know some clouded Ds fans reckon he is better than Brock.

Would be very good trade bait though but much better keeping him or those same Ds fans will cry if he goes.

Will come good with better players around him, ie Brock and not Valenti.

A Kerr/Cousins would help him out much better and develop him and the Ds midfield much better and quicker than any young player they could draft.

Would we get a better kid at 8 or 10 than we have in Jones? Probably, but there's a risk, given that draftees are ~17 years old, and thus are a bit of a gamble. I'd definitely consider it though.

NB: Including McDonald in your list is a little pointless, considering he won't be around for our next flag tilt (and probably won't be around for our next finals tilt, either), and Moloney's been pretty injury-prone so far. Although Valenti is going alright atm, I think the jury is still out - remember, he hasn't had the same opposition attention Jones has received this year.

Any kid who starts in the midfield team every week & is under 22 years of age, cannot be seriously thought of as trade, they could be just around the corner from superstar status. If they're there abouts, keep till 24 years, this will show if their going on, as a running 'small' player.

Blease will be the asnwers to our cry out for some midfield pace to assist bucks

Blease is good but a little small in body, may well be Harvey, but who knows, they're rare. Size does matter when it comes to winning flags, strength & endurance with aggression & hard running, that'll get the job done.

Zarharakis is a bit chunkier, highly skilled these days with good speed & good user. Don't know of his + or - aggression.

Ps. Another player I thought of with good run & some height is Mitch Robinson I think from tassie, hope I got the right kid. About 185 - 188cm good running & wins the ball, some pace with penetrating run.

Jones is a poor man's Paul Chapman although I know some clouded Ds fans reckon he is better than Brock.

Would be very good trade bait though but much better keeping him or those same Ds fans will cry if he goes.

Will come good with better players around him, ie Brock and not Valenti.

A Kerr/Cousins would help him out much better and develop him and the Ds midfield much better and quicker than any young player they could draft.

(Ah, Diamond Jim ..... now there's a story.)

No he won't, because he can't kick, can't hit a target. Valenti can, without having Brock/Kerr et al to help.

Nathan Jones is a candidate for trade. I was always a fan but this year I have noticed he still gets caught. He has improved his leg and trunk strength but his size and super slow acceleration see him constantly under pressure. I don't think he can now over come these deficiencies after 3 years.

I also think we have many young engine room contenders. McLean, Valenti, Morton, Buckley, Grimes(?), Davey, etc.

Any kid who starts in the midfield team every week & is under 22 years of age, cannot be seriously thought of as trade, they could be just around the corner from superstar status. If they're there abouts, keep till 24 years, this will show if their going on, as a running 'small' player.

Not advocating for a Jones trade, but in genreal, the longer you wait, the less potential is left to explore.

If you think the upside is relatively small, but another Club feels the upside of a player is quite large, they may be willing to offer you more than you feel the player's worth.

Not advocating for a Jones trade, but in genreal, the longer you wait, the less potential is left to explore.

If you think the upside is relatively small, but another Club feels the upside of a player is quite large, they may be willing to offer you more than you feel the player's worth.

Yes I know, but you just can't go trading players because they play well but not to their draft expectations.

If you do that to young players who have bonded together you run the risk of killing any comraderie that the club has built.

See St - Kilda circa '90's, Joel Smith to Hawthorn following his horrendous Knee injury. They shafted Smith & damaged the harmony & love for the club with that group of Lappin, Smith, Aussie Jones, & others, the club remained damaged from that. You have to be very carefull breaking the family up.

If you do that to young players who have bonded together you run the risk of killing any comraderie that the club has built.

See St - Kilda circa '90's, Joel Smith to Hawthorn following his horrendous Knee injury. They shafted Smith & damaged the harmony & love for the club with that group of Lappin, Smith, Aussie Jones, & others, the club remained damaged from that. You have to be very carefull breaking the family up.

I'm not advocating trading players. But in response to the post, players and clubs move on and form new bonds if and when they do get traded. Smith fitted in well with Hawthorn after the move. And the Saints moved on.

The same with Guerra, etc. Business is business.

When the Hawks moved players on a few years ago, Crawford wondered what was happening and thought he too may have to move on. But he stayed and was mightily glad he did, forming new friendships with an influx of young kids that he now mentors. He couldn't be happier.

I think Collingwood and Essendon (if they actually have a brain) would be keen to get there hands on Nathan Jones and might be willing to part with picks between 8 and 10 to get it. (Given there lack of quality young inside midfielders right now).

I agree. But the one who impress me most is Valenti. Improvement and consistency and effective disposal he may put pressure on guys like Moloney.

foxdrg