"Sometimes?"

my bad, i stand corrected

woey and did we get anything for Farmer

Woey went to Collingwood for pick 14 and we drafted Ding Dong I mean Bell

In perhaps the best draft to date we let Farmer go to Fremantle for pick 17

Which we ontraded to Geelong with pick 47 for the Bizz.

2001 widely considered the best draft and we only have one player still go around for us

Brad Miller

If we'd had a poll before the trade I don't think many would have put McLean's value much higher than 10.

If we'd had a poll before the trade I don't think many would have put McLean's value much higher than 10.

Meaning what?

There is a difference in value on the market and to the club.

I think Freak states a reality that some can't handle. Not sure about the Marc Murphy being pushed out for Mclean though, atm anyway.

We were all happy to say how Mclean has been playing injured all season and with a pre-season under his belt will have a top season in 2010. But now that he has left everyone jumps off board and says how bad he is and how pick 11 is worth it. FACT and odds say that pick 11 will not be as good as Brock and not deliver what he did at such an early age and with such leadership. The positive is that we got something out of it and pick 11 gives us a higher chance of getting a good player. One thing Freak needs to accept is that we are a sh!t club on field and that Mclean leaving has a lot to do with that. In the future when (I hope) we are dominating, players will not leave, but in fact want to come to Melbourne. It's just a cycle. I think a lot of people are trying to make themselves feel better about the whole deal. Just because a view or an opinion is in favour or biased towards MFC don't automatically take it's side.

What he said. I might have been exaggerating slightly with pushing Murphy out..but if a team was playing in a grand final and could choose between a fit murphy and a fit mclean. I'd go mclean. unbelievable onfield leadership.

And I do know the circumstances of all the trades listed above. Thompson wanted to go..and whilst he was injury prone, he was always going to turn out to be a star of the comp. I had his number on my guernsey far before anyone else. You don't let players like that slip for picks. If we don't get fair compensation then set an example and let them go into the PSD. If we did that to Thompson maybe Mclean wouldnt have left.

What he said. I might have been exaggerating slightly with pushing Murphy out..but if a team was playing in a grand final and could choose between a fit murphy and a fit mclean. I'd go mclean. unbelievable onfield leadership.

And I do know the circumstances of all the trades listed above. Thompson wanted to go..and whilst he was injury prone, he was always going to turn out to be a star of the comp. I had his number on my guernsey far before anyone else. You don't let players like that slip for picks. If we don't get fair compensation then set an example and let them go into the PSD. If we did that to Thompson maybe Mclean wouldnt have left.

While technically we exchanged Thompson for pick, we effectively traded Thompson who wanted to leave for Moloney, a player we wanted and Geelong had to give us to get our pick from Thompson to land Ottens.

A simpleton would say we let him go for a pick, so go ahead.

Meaning what?

There is a difference in value on the market and to the club.

Meaning that the assertion we 'let McLean go too easily' probably isn't shared by most on here.

What he said. I might have been exaggerating slightly with pushing Murphy out..but if a team was playing in a grand final and could choose between a fit murphy and a fit mclean. I'd go mclean. unbelievable onfield leadership.

And I do know the circumstances of all the trades listed above. Thompson wanted to go..and whilst he was injury prone, he was always going to turn out to be a star of the comp. I had his number on my guernsey far before anyone else. You don't let players like that slip for picks. If we don't get fair compensation then set an example and let them go into the PSD. If we did that to Thompson maybe Mclean wouldnt have left.

So we were fools to except pick 12 for Thompson when he was clearly going to be a star. But you think we should have let him go for nothing?

Freak, I want you to imagine that this had happend. Now I want you to explain to me, how this situation would have changed Mcleans mind.

What would you suggest we should have done to keep Jolly and Thompson? If anything, the error was made when he was recruited. So what would you have preferred? That we somehow have a crystal ball and recruit someone else from lower down in his draft, thus allowing some other club to benefit from a trade when he went back to Adelaide.

When a player wants to leave, there are instances where it's better that they do. Had we forked out heaps of money for either they might have stayed, but our list would have been all out of whack, not to mention the salary cap problems it would have caused. We may have had to offload another player to make room for a Thompson/Jolly.

And the Simmonds one, meh, very average career. White was 100 times the player, we made the right choice there.

Now Brock. I don't want to rake over old bones (not that old, obviously) but I think the gist of your post does apply in that case. Yes we got something... but what if pick 11 is a dud? I realise that you can't compare a player taken in the draft to a player who taken in a direct trade... so let's say we took Talia with pick 11 and he turns out to be the Bradshaw to our Brown (Watts). Meanwhile Brock goes on to spend 7 years in a superstar midfield and has success of his own. In my opinion, even if both clubs end up with a champion, we still lose, because he left us. We didn't push him, or give him no choice. He said his heart wasn't 100% in playing for the dees. No matter what the circumstances of this, it's a sad indictment.

All that said, it could turn out to be a non-event, but just this once Freak, I'll go with you in this one case. As Jackattack says, once we have a name instead of a "#11" we'll all feel a lot better.

I just think we let players go too easily, there was no fight, no trying to get them to stay, just "ok," waltz over to carlton, "hey want one of our best players?"

Other top clubs do not lose their best players.

There was no fight because for reasons outlined above Maclean was no longer one of our top players.

I just think we let players go too easily, there was no fight, no trying to get them to stay, just "ok," waltz over to carlton, "hey want one of our best players?"

Other top clubs do not lose their best players.

And you're privy to what goes on behind closed doors at the club then I take it?

Or are you one of those peanuts that thinks because a number comes up one week in Lotto that its unlikely to come again the next week

Damn. My theory is shot to bits!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If we don't get fair compensation then set an example and let them go into the PSD. If we did that to Thompson maybe Mclean wouldnt have left.

What garbage.

You talk of fair compensation then with a preparedness to let players go disgruntled to the PSD and the Club get nothing.

You really dont have a clue what's going on.

Misplaced arrogance overtaken by vaulting ignorance.

Its great you had Thompson's number on your guernsey. Most likely sewn on the front of it.

And the Simmonds one, meh, very average career. White was 100 times the player, we made the right choice there.

Simmonds wanted to be a first ruck when we had White and Jolly in reserve. Freak would rather screw the player and make them go through the PSD for nothing

Now Brock. I don't want to rake over old bones (not that old, obviously) but I think the gist of your post does apply in that case. Yes we got something... but what if pick 11 is a dud? ..... No matter what the circumstances of this, it's a sad indictment.

No its a reality of modern football that players will seek opportunities that best suit them.

There are two issues here.

1. What value you get for the player. (ie draft pick)

2. How you use it (ie who you select?)

The outcome of Q2 does not invalidate what you draft pick you got.

They are seperate decisions. And the history of past pick 11s has no bearing on the pool of players you potentially select from in the current year. Freak's post does not apply.

You want realistically know the outcome of Q1 and Q2 for 5 years. Brock may lift his game and be a star. He might as well go the other way.

But given where MFC is going and the personnel coming on board, McLean was no longer the marquee midfielder at MFC and another yerar like he gave this year and McLean could have easily been looking at an appearance at Casey. Now that would be sad.

Simmonds wanted to be a first ruck when we had White and Jolly in reserve. Freak would rather screw the player and make them go through the PSD for nothing

No its a reality of modern football that players will seek opportunities that best suit them.

There are two issues here.

1. What value you get for the player. (ie draft pick)

2. How you use it (ie who you select?)

The outcome of Q2 does not invalidate what you draft pick you got.

They are seperate decisions. And the history of past pick 11s has no bearing on the pool of players you potentially select from in the current year. Freak's post does not apply.

You want realistically know the outcome of Q1 and Q2 for 5 years. Brock may lift his game and be a star. He might as well go the other way.

But given where MFC is going and the personnel coming on board, McLean was no longer the marquee midfielder at MFC and another yerar like he gave this year and McLean could have easily been looking at an appearance at Casey. Now that would be sad.

Whatever your excuse for it the rap-sheet Freak is referring to is bad, at some point we made mistakes, whether in drafting, in our attempt to keep players or whatever. Much of it isn't the clubs fault but the list is growing and it makes me feel uneasy.

Whatever your excuse for it the rap-sheet Freak is referring to is bad, at some point we made mistakes, whether in drafting, in our attempt to keep players or whatever. Much of it isn't the clubs fault but the list is growing and it makes me feel uneasy.

Dont slash the wrists!

How is our list compared to other Clubs over the same period?

So what mistakes did we specifically make in respect of the players Freak listed? If we go by Freak's learned advice and send them all to the PSD, the Club would have got nothing, you would specifically p1$$ off the players that remained and paint yourself amongst player managers as an entity that cannot negotiate in a mature,sensible and commercial manner.

That would be the biggest mistake any Club can make.

Freak has not worked out (and never will) that the Williams approach he lauds only screws you. When Stevens left in the PSD, has that deterred Shaun Burgoyne from going.

What he said. I might have been exaggerating slightly with pushing Murphy out..but if a team was playing in a grand final and could choose between a fit murphy and a fit mclean. I'd go mclean. unbelievable onfield leadership.

And I do know the circumstances of all the trades listed above. Thompson wanted to go..and whilst he was injury prone, he was always going to turn out to be a star of the comp. I had his number on my guernsey far before anyone else. You don't let players like that slip for picks. If we don't get fair compensation then set an example and let them go into the PSD. If we did that to Thompson maybe Mclean wouldnt have left.

I had his number on my back at the start of his 2nd year, my mates even still give me [censored] about how my man crush left. I certainly believed he would be a gun for us. However I can also see that there wasnt much we could do to make him stay. What example are you going to set letting him go for nothing into the PSD???? It does nothing!!! What the hell did Port gain out of doing it with Stevens?? Do you reckon they will do it again with Burgoyne, cos if they do, we benefit, not them at all. Surely you can see that you gain absolutely nothing out of been stubborn and setting an example!! Don't kid yourself