Just because Gary Ablett is hogging the headlines vis-a-vis Gold Coast targets, doesn't mean the current 15 other clubs are suddenly immune from losing players.

Melbourne are one of those 15 clubs.

Melbourne will lose a player.

No doubt, you, like me, have been wondering who.

The whisper is GC are heavily into Chip Frawley.

well the MFC should have all our (potentiolly good) players signed and sealed thats there responsibilty....

Melbourne will lose a player.

That's rubbish, GC are allowed to poach somebody from all of the teams but that doesn't mean it's guaranteed they will take somebody from every club's list. I'm sure I heard someone from the club recently saying they were targeting 8-10 players, chances are one of those 10 aren't at Melbourne.

That's rubbish, GC are allowed to poach somebody from all of the teams but that doesn't mean it's guaranteed they will take somebody from every club's list. I'm sure I heard someone from the club recently saying they were targeting 8-10 players, chances are one of those 10 aren't at Melbourne.

This is very informal but speaking to someone inside the club they thought that Ricky Petterd would be the one to go if he could. Very keen

This is very informal but speaking to someone inside the club they thought that Ricky Petterd would be the one to go if he could. Very keen

I heard that rumour early last year. Although it wouldn't be too difficult to make up.

This is one of the reasons you can't throw your wonderful, full-length scarf in the bin after one game, one of the reasons you don't start nonsense talk about not attending games while the current coach is the head coach or talk of trading certain players. The players are all human and need support through hard times.

If we lose Chip that would be a massive loss for our future strength in coming years, if we lose Ricky that's a double blow. They are both very talented players, neither of whom have yet to play 50 games.

Patience is required...and positive encouragement.

This is very informal but speaking to someone inside the club they thought that Ricky Petterd would be the one to go if he could. Very keen

Interesting that people always bring this up cos Ricky was brought up in tassie.

An old Hobart footy family, was only up in QLD a few years before getting drafted.

It's a bit like people saying Trengove wants to go "back" to Adelaide when his family lives just as close to Melbourne.

I'm just as confused because, to my knowledge, GC can attack the best players in the league and yet many Melbourne fans feel they will go for Miller or Petterd 'because they're Queenslanders.' Hrm....

Just because Gary Ablett is hogging the headlines vis-a-vis Gold Coast targets, doesn't mean the current 15 other clubs are suddenly immune from losing players.

Melbourne are one of those 15 clubs.

Melbourne will lose a player.

No doubt, you, like me, have been wondering who.

The whisper is GC are heavily into Chip Frawley.

I hope that doesn't happen.

We can't lose the Chipper.

Melbourne Storm lose good players every year don't they and they just seem to replace them seemlessly.

Different game i know, but we could learn a few things from that team once we are both inside the bubble dome.

This is the exact reason i don't think we have years of mediocraty up our sleeves. We must sort things out this year to a large degree.

I will be in the crowd next saturday-its all i can do at this point.

Melbourne Storm lose good players every year don't they and they just seem to replace them seemlessly.

Different game i know, but we could learn a few things from that team once we are both inside the bubble dome.

This is the exact reason i don't think we have years of mediocraty up our sleeves. We must sort things out this year to a large degree.

I will be in the crowd next saturday-its all i can do at this point.

You realize the Storm have 3 feeder teams, pots of money and no draft, right..?

You realize the Storm have 3 feeder teams, pots of money and no draft, right..?

Yep, thats exactly why i am saying it. Once free agency comes in we have got to learn the ropes fast.

It won't be exactly the same system, but like everything AFL-Rules will move and bend, or even change over time.

Before this thread becomes too ridiculous let me ask the pertinent question: Is Frawley out of contract at the end of 2010?

Before this thread becomes too ridiculous let me ask the pertinent question: Is Frawley out of contract at the end of 2010?

Does that matter? Travis wasn't out of contract when he went to Brisbane. We paid a chunk of his contract through 2008.

Does that matter? Travis wasn't out of contract when he went to Brisbane. We paid a chunk of his contract through 2008.

Yes, it does matter. If Frawley's contract doesn't finish untill 2011 the the GC team can't sign him.

Johnstone was a completely different case as Melbourne wanted to trade him.

Yes, it does matter. If Frawley's contract doesn't finish untill 2011 the the GC team can't sign him.

Johnstone was a completely different case as Melbourne wanted to trade him.

.

Fair enough.

Melbourne Storm lose good players every year don't they and they just seem to replace them seemlessly.

Different game i know, but we could learn a few things from that team once we are both inside the bubble dome.

This is the exact reason i don't think we have years of mediocraty up our sleeves. We must sort things out this year to a large degree.

I will be in the crowd next saturday-its all i can do at this point.

The Storm have the worlds best league coach, that's why players become good there, and good players want to stay there. The jury is still out whether Melbourne will be able to say the same thing.

The Storm have the worlds best league coach, that's why players become good there, and good players want to stay there. The jury is still out whether Melbourne will be able to say the same thing.

Well that is good that we will spend time as next door neighbours with them.

Hopefully the can even do some shared sessions in time.

All I can say to this is, wouldn't it be wonderful if a raft of talented players signed high-paying two year contracts with GC, cashed in for those two years and then came back to their original teams? Massive egg on the faces of both the AFL for giving them such absurd powers of acquisition and on the management of GC who couldn't keep players.

Not at all likely to happen, but damn it'd be funny.

Speaking of which, is anyone else thinking that the GC team will be like Freo in their infancy? I'm talking a bunch of talented teanagers being thrown together and payed a fortune, told they are elite... And wind up spoiled, lazy and all but useless on the footy field. Freo took years to undo the damage from their early years and develop a reasonable culture. I can see GC ruining the best talent in the country for the next decade.

Just quietly, the Petterd thing has been a "rumour" ever since the concessions were first announced and within a few hours a poster had identified he and Miller as Queenslanders.

There's been nothing since then to make anyone think they're being headhunted.

Still, I guess it's healthy to assume they're looking at every player.

They can have Miller & we'll chuck in a bit to seal the deal.

Speaking of which, is anyone else thinking that the GC team will be like Freo in their infancy? I'm talking a bunch of talented teanagers being thrown together and payed a fortune, told they are elite... And wind up spoiled, lazy and all but useless on the footy field. Freo took years to undo the damage from their early years and develop a reasonable culture. I can see GC ruining the best talent in the country for the next decade.

Didn't Freo trade all their draft picks for Croad and whoever else? Fairly sure they missed out on McLeod, Hodge, etc etc through horrible list management... not that I remember the time myself.

Bump:

WARY DEMONS

Craig Hutchison

Melbourne is trying to re-sign its emerging key defenders, mindful of a Gold Coast raid on tall players at season's end. Backman Jared Rivers and James Frawley, whose stocks rise by the week, are out of contract. Both are drawing interest from the Coast, who are particularly keen on tall defenders.

Worth noting that Petterd said recently that while he loves playing with the Dees and is enjoying his footy, it would be a huge rush to be playing regularly in front of family and friends up north. He is very much open to the idea of going north, although not certain to go if they offer him a deal.

Going to the GC might have its perks, but these players have suffered years of bottom dwelling and list development, and will be going back to that should they choose to leave.

It's a different story for guys like Ablett who has already done everything there is to do in footy, and will enjoy the cash and lifestyle GC will offer. But young players want, first and foremost, success. It will be a number of years before they'll have that at the new club.