* Don't want him as Captain

* He's trying to get his last big contract due to "looking after his Family first"

* Would not give him four years

* More than happy to trade him

Would love > Davey to Essendon - Dees pick 10 and Gumbleton, but as this wouldn't get the job done, possibly Davey plus pick 18 for pick 10 and Gumbleton.

I suspect we'll thrash things out and he'll stay, but more than happy to see him go.

EDIT: don't want Alwyn

Brock McLean was on SEN this morning and spoke about how Davey was desperate to get his brother across to Melbourne last year.

* Don't want him as Captain

* He's trying to get his last big contract due to "looking after his Family first"

* Would not give him four years

* More than happy to trade him

Would love > Davey to Essendon - Dees pick 10 and Gumbleton, but as this wouldn't get the job done, possibly Davey plus pick 18 for pick 10 and Gumbleton.

I suspect we'll thrash things out and he'll stay, but more than happy to see him go.

EDIT: don't want Alwyn

Gumbleton ... are you serious? What has he done since being drafted? Can you care to explain ...why?

Irrespective of the outcome I'll never have the same high regard for Aaron as I previously have, this is just the same as Brad Green last year and I’m getting to the stage of “if you want out then go”. If it wasn’t for the MFC he wouldn’t even be playing AFL football no one else wanted him.

Alwyn please tell Essendon you want a trade to Melbourne. Or PSD.

Dunn a fair trade I would think. I like Dunn. He is an Essendon local (Aberfeldie). Fairs/Fair!

Is anyone getting worried that senior players want to leave our club. I mean if we dont get off the bottom of the ladder this year i think Baliey "could" get the flick meaning the last 3 years will have been a waste because if we get another new coach they will have there own ideas and the re building will start again and in all seriousness F@#% that... The deal with Brock was a good deal but the way he left was bad for our footy club. Davey coule be the same

I think its SUPER important that Davey stays. As much as he is a good player it's more about stability within the club. If the senior players arent happy then i thinks its only a reflection on the whole playing group. I mean if you have a look at in the last 2 years we have got rid of Brock, C. Johnson (I know hes a truck) and possibly Davey. The others in Yze White Neitz retired yes but how come they havent been back to the club it feels like they have left with a bitter taste in there mouth. I think Neitz would be massive with our young forward line.

Gumbleton ... are you serious? What has he done since being drafted? Can you care to explain ...why?

Gumbleton has had a bad run with both hamstring injuries, a broken collarbone and a back injury which saw miss all of last year.

hangon007, if you had seen any of his 5 afl games you would understand Hannibal's quest to get him to the MFC. He stands at 197cm, has great agility, good pace and is a very good mark both on the lead and in a contest. The potential is massive but the injuries surely make him a risk.

If we lose Davey as well ill really reconsider renewing my membership. If we lose arguably our 2 best players within a week it shows some serious problems at the club.

If we lose Davey as well ill really reconsider renewing my membership. If we lose arguably our 2 best players within a week it shows some serious problems at the club.

Agree thats what i mean there will be issues with memebership and it took us all the part of a year to get a major sponsor. Good clubs and thats what we want to be have great stability. We have and still are struggling with that at the moment. Pay him the money. Who the HELL else has it? We would be paying the least on player payment in the AFL wouldn't we???? Being the youngest and not having an A grade player for the last 10 years or who knows how long.

Gumbleton ... are you serious? What has he done since being drafted? Can you care to explain ...why?

Absolutely - subject to medicals of course.

He's a very highly rated tall that went pick 2 in the draft for a reason. I saw one of his first games and he's a quality key forward. In fact I very strongly doubt Essendon would consider trading him.

I assume that you know little about him other than him not having been on the park due to injuries ?

If we lose Davey as well ill really reconsider renewing my membership. I

Great attitude.

He seems to be really highly rated at Essendon. I very much doubt that he'd be on the trade table, unless Essendon (with their full medical information on him) decide that his body is flat out cactus.

Good player, though. Certainly the type that would complement Watts very, very well.

$2.3 million over four years!!!! That is a heap of coin... For those who think it's about playing with his brother, it's not, it's about the money, setting the future up for him and his family... Playing with Alwyn is just an added perk...

The thing the club has to emphasise is if Essendon are willing to pay him that much, they must be willing to give up that much at the trade table... That's Judd-esque money without the Visy bonus I would think, massive pay packet...

I think this could be a Ryan O'Keefe situation, we won't come to terms with Essendon on an appropriate trade, no deal will be done in the trade period, and Flash will subsequently sign with us, rather than enter the draft... Sydney accepted O'Keefe after last year, no reason why we could accept Flash under the same circumstances...

Not renewing a membership is just poor form. People talking about how players are all about money and not the club, yet some supporters say that they will not renew if certain players go!! wtf?

Reminds me of when I was 8 and if i didn't get something I would sook about it for weeks.

Is anyone getting worried that senior players want to leave our club. I mean if we dont get off the bottom of the ladder this year i think Baliey "could" get the flick meaning the last 3 years will have been a waste because if we get another new coach they will have there own ideas and the re building will start again and in all seriousness F@#% that... The deal with Brock was a good deal but the way he left was bad for our footy club. Davey coule be the same

I think its SUPER important that Davey stays. As much as he is a good player it's more about stability within the club. If the senior players arent happy then i thinks its only a reflection on the whole playing group. I mean if you have a look at in the last 2 years we have got rid of Brock, C. Johnson (I know hes a truck) and possibly Davey. The others in Yze White Neitz retired yes but how come they havent been back to the club it feels like they have left with a bitter taste in there mouth. I think Neitz would be massive with our young forward line.

I know where you're coming from, but coming back to the Club straight away is not every player's priority. We're talking about an organisation. If you left your current employer (for whatever reason) would you go back? to make coffees? chat to the workers? I know I'm being rhetorical, but we need to look at each case differently. White and Yze are still playing and Neita is probably enjoying a Monday - Friday, 9-5 gig.

As for Davey leaving, all this press sees him as mercenary, rather than the bad press falling on the Club. ANY pick in the top 10 would be sensational - free some cash to sign up our up and comers.

Absolutely - subject to medicals of course.

He's a very highly rated tall that went pick 2 in the draft for a reason. I saw one of his first games and he's a quality key forward. In fact I very strongly doubt Essendon would consider trading him.

I assume that you know little about him other than him not having been on the park due to injuries ?

Many a player is "highly rated" ... then their bodies fail to hold up to AFL football. Sorry its a fact of life ... basing your ratings on under-aged football is fraught with danger ... its all about growth & development in these modern days ... you can "highly rate" them all you want but if they cant get on the park its no good.

Your basing your assessment on "one of his first games" ... your basing you assessment on 1 game.

He has played like 8 games in 3 years ... RISK - massive risk ... all potential failed to deliver. I'm sorry we are not a club in a position to take "risks" of that nature.

Essendon would say this was the mistake of the decade ... dont forget the name Joel Selwood! All drafts are based on hindsight ... we now have the value of that hindsight. If Essendon had there time again it would be an absolute - no brainer.

The only reason Gumbleton ever, ever gets a mention is ... was "highly rated"

No I'm basing my statement on facts ... he is injury prone.

I have always been 99.5% certain that Arron would stay at Melbourne, however, events of the last few days have weakened my confidence.

At the end of the day we know three things:

1. Money Talks

2. Arron is desperate to play with Alwyn

3. Davey is a family man who has states he is looking at making the right decision for his family. His club Melbourne and his brothers at that club are of little importance in comparison.

This being the case the deal put on the table of $2.3 Million over 4 years must be very tempting for him. Personally I still think he will stay but I am 70% confident rather than 99.5% confident.

If we do lose him we will get pick 9 plus a player. That would give us Picks 1, 2, 9, 11, 18. With the next 4 years drafts compromised, this will give Melbourne a massive advantage moving forward assuming we pick the right players and hold those players.

As much as I love Davey, he is awesome and we all love him....

If Freo are involved id definately trade him and pick 18 (or 35) for pick 4 and Peake.

Don't really rate Peake that much but im hearing from alot of people that he will definately end up with us.

To gain pick 4 would be major. Pick 1 (Scully), Pick 2 (Trengove), Pick 4 (Morabito, Rohan, Butcher), Pick 11 (KPP or best available)

A bloke over on Ology thinks that because Ablett is on $650k that Davey shouldn't get near that number.

Bruce is on $550k.

There is a minimum to the salary cap and we have to pay someone. The top players at all clubs will be payed roughly the same amount.

$1.8/$2.1 over the next three years.

* Don't want him as Captain

* He's trying to get his last big contract due to "looking after his Family first"

* Would not give him four years

* More than happy to trade him

Would love > Davey to Essendon - Dees pick 10 and Gumbleton, but as this wouldn't get the job done, possibly Davey plus pick 18 for pick 10 and Gumbleton.

I suspect we'll thrash things out and he'll stay, but more than happy to see him go.

EDIT: don't want Alwyn

Agree H on all counts; especially as he's 27 next June. He has 2 big weapons - speed and foot skills; don't expect the speed to be around for too much longer. Heavens, there's a lot not not to like about a long deal.

But also worth remembering, we are really struggling to meet the SC minimum. So extra coin to to someone eg davey, might be on (but might also be unsettling - Green might be [censored] off), and a 4th year dependent on set performance conditions (eg games played, Brownlow votes, where in MFC B&F etc).

Do you have to pay a minimum with the cap? i mean we can't be paying the full 92.5% or what ever we are on nowa day we clearly just dont have the good enough players to put them on massive money.

Up until today I was confident we would keep Davey. Now, having read Greg Denham's article, I'm not so sure.

Personally, I really want to keep him. I think he's integral to our team on the field. We'd be losing our best player. And we'd be losing a leader both on and off the field. And it would show that we aren't a club that players want to play at. McLean, Davey, Burgoyne, Judd earlier, these players have either been at or thought about being at Melbourne, yet we are 1/4 (possibly 0/4 if Davey goes). I get the feeling players look at Melbourne and think 'I don't want to play for them'. Which is both wrong, and sad.

How many players are still unsigned?

With all this front-loading of contracts, is it possible we don't have a lot of room in the cap to move and may have to backend his?

The only reason Gumbleton ever, ever gets a mention is ... was "highly rated"

No I'm basing my statement on facts ... he is injury prone.

Essendon won't trade him, which should give you an indication of how they rate him. And as stated, I've seen him play. He was very very good.

Have a look at some Eesndon forums. Their supporters consider him untouchable.

You have no idea about him as a player save for his injuries. He'd be a risk, but if he passed all medical doubts he'd be a massive coup. But as stated, Essndon won't trade him.

As much as I love Davey, he is awesome and we all love him....

If Freo are involved id definately trade him and pick 18 (or 35) for pick 4 and Peake.

Don't really rate Peake that much but im hearing from alot of people that he will definately end up with us.

To gain pick 4 would be major. Pick 1 (Scully), Pick 2 (Trengove), Pick 4 (Morabito, Rohan, Butcher), Pick 11 (KPP or best available)

If Freo are interested, that would stop Davey going into PSD (if he didn't want to go there - however, he is "puting his family first" - Freo would test that). So no Dons that way.