5 years ago it was obvious that we were not going to be competitive for a long time and that we were building a team from the ground up. I called for it at the time, and now I'm asking for everyones opinion.s Why didn't we trade Green, Bruce and Yze when they had SUBSTANTIAL trade value. Bruce would have achieved a pick near the top 10 as would Brad Green and Yze would have give us an early second rounder. None of these players are (or were) ever going to be big contributors in 2013 when we are in our prime. Yes, BRad Green is still playing good footy but will he in 3 years?

Trading johnston for Grimes showed that its worth it so why didn't we do this with all senior players, that hadf trade value? I think it was Brisbane or Sydney that were going to give us a 2nd rounder for Brad Miller. We said no to that I believe.

Yes, we have stocked up on young talent but we could have, and should have, stocked up on heaps more than we should have. Now we are lamenting the games of BRuce and Miller each week and praising the efforts of Grimes who we obtained from doing the right thing, that is: trading any player with trade value that won't be a contributor in our grand final year.

Davey, for example, is not worth trading, because i believe he will be played in the forward pocket during our GF and do quite well.

Pretty sure we were playing finals in 2004,'05 & '06 and thought we had a fair chance at a flag in those years considering Port, Sydney and WC were the eventual premiers(no super dominant team like the current Geelong team). There was no rebiuld going on at the time so getting rid of 3 of your better players for a tilt at the 2013 flag (8 years later) would be considered crazy at the time.

On second thought ... maybe it would have been the most long sighted master stroke of all time. Hindsight is always 20/20

5 years ago it was obvious that we were not going to be competitive for a long time and that we were building a team from the ground up. I called for it at the time, and now I'm asking for everyones opinion.s Why didn't we trade Green, Bruce and Yze when they had SUBSTANTIAL trade value. Bruce would have achieved a pick near the top 10 as would Brad Green and Yze would have give us an early second rounder. None of these players are (or were) ever going to be big contributors in 2013 when we are in our prime. Yes, BRad Green is still playing good footy but will he in 3 years?

Trading johnston for Grimes showed that its worth it so why didn't we do this with all senior players, that hadf trade value? I think it was Brisbane or Sydney that were going to give us a 2nd rounder for Brad Miller. We said no to that I believe.

Yes, we have stocked up on young talent but we could have, and should have, stocked up on heaps more than we should have. Now we are lamenting the games of BRuce and Miller each week and praising the efforts of Grimes who we obtained from doing the right thing, that is: trading any player with trade value that won't be a contributor in our grand final year.

Davey, for example, is not worth trading, because i believe he will be played in the forward pocket during our GF and do quite well.

5 years ago, Bailey wasn't the coach, and we were not in a rebuilding phase. It was still the Daniher era, and at the end of the 05 season we finished 7th, and should have been much better.

5 years ago, we were not building a team from the ground up, that didn't happen until Bailey arrived.

The administration we have now running the club and the football department are completely different - and I feel is we had the people in place today back then, we would have made some tougher decisions.

Earliest we could have traded was at the end of 2007, to claim end of 2006 is very keen. Yze wouldn't have been worth much then.

Bruce might have been worth trading but he's helped develop a backline.

Green is our only forward who beats his opponent each week and therefore is important.

Both have been fantastic professional footballers who have performed at a solid level and given good off field leadership without any incidents.

You wouldn't be calling for this if Jack Grimes was another Addam Maric.

I thought like that at the time as well. But now I've changed tune. the Club has to stand for something, & that something is Team, & Culture & History which in essence is It's people that create its value. Those close around the inner sanctum who live & bleed & give their time & efforts to the club. Including It's Stars.

I'm glad now that we've kept those servants of the club 7 done the right thing by them. Really, It's Karma. What goes around, then comes back again.

Keep them as long as they deserve their time. Let them give as much as they've got to give, but no takers please.

How about because even a team in a heavy rebuild needs some experienced leaders around the place to mentor the young guys? We are hellishly short on experience right now. If we'd gotten rid of the players listed we'd have nobody but Junior left.

Yeah you can't rip the entire soul out of the club.

Greeny is a ripper and 4-5 years ago was a player that IMO liked to enjoy the good moments but not great at putting the head down and going hard the other way, his courage in the air and on the ground, the guy just changed how he went about it and then knocked back Collingwood!!

Stuff like that helps to create a great culture.

Loved watching Trav at his best through the Daniher era (2002, great memories!), sadly he didn't change his ways and both for him and the club the best move was made. No doubt I love watching Grimes go about it more than any player now!

Reckon that Yze could have possibly been better doing the same simply because IMO I don't think he got everything he could have out of himself. A move there might have been good for both sides.

One thing I'd say is they were/are damn fine servants of the club and pretty decent players as I am certain all of Essendon, Carlton & Collingwood had a nibble at all 3 at one stage.

5 years ago, Bailey wasn't the coach, and we were not in a rebuilding phase. It was still the Daniher era, and at the end of the 05 season we finished 7th, and should have been much better.

5 years ago, we were not building a team from the ground up, that didn't happen until Bailey arrived.

The administration we have now running the club and the football department are completely different - and I feel is we had the people in place today back then, we would have made some tougher decisions.

The people we had back then and not "the people in place today" commenced the process of rebuilding the list and renewing the Club. Their initiatives included:

- seeing off Daniher and replacing him with Bailey and the appointment of an entirely new coaching panel, recruitment manager and key Footy Dept support staff

- appointing Chris Connolly as GM Football Operations

- total overhaul of the list including the dignified retirement, delisting or trading of much loved and respected stalwarts like Neitz, White, Yze, Brown (whose retirements occurred at the end of 2008 but which were decided at the beginning of that year) and Johnstone and the recruitment of the young guns who will form the backbone of our next premiership campaign such as Grimes, Morton, Garland, Frawley, Bate, Jones, Davey, Moloney, Wonaeamirri and Sylvia. The way this was done contrasts starkly with the Woewodin debacle at the end of 2002.

- the Casey alliance and access to the superior training facilities at Casey Fields

- the new training and football administration base in the Olympic Park precinct

None of this is to suggest that the current administration is not doing a good job - they are building on the good work that went before.

The people we had back then and not "the people in place today" commenced the process of rebuilding the list and renewing the Club. Their initiatives included:

- seeing off Daniher and replacing him with Bailey and the appointment of an entirely new coaching panel, recruitment manager and key Footy Dept support staff

- appointing Chris Connolly as GM Football Operations

- total overhaul of the list including the dignified retirement, delisting or trading of much loved and respected stalwarts like Neitz, White, Yze, Brown (whose retirements occurred at the end of 2008 but which were decided at the beginning of that year) and Johnstone and the recruitment of the young guns who will form the backbone of our next premiership campaign such as Grimes, Morton, Garland, Frawley, Bate, Jones, Davey, Moloney, Wonaeamirri and Sylvia. The way this was done contrasts starkly with the Woewodin debacle at the end of 2002.

- the Casey alliance and access to the superior training facilities at Casey Fields

- the new training and football administration base in the Olympic Park precinct

None of this is to suggest that the current administration is not doing a good job - they are building on the good work that went before.

Freak was talking about 2005-6. You are talking about 2007.

However, I have to pick you up on a few points. Bailey/Connolly were responsible for the retirements of White and Yze and the trading of Johnstone. Also the recruitment of Grimes, Morton etc.

The Board of back then in now way started the rebuild we are hopefully nearing an end of.

Freak was talking about 2005-6. You are talking about 2007.

However, I have to pick you up on a few points. Bailey/Connolly were responsible for the retirements of White and Yze and the trading of Johnstone. Also the recruitment of Grimes, Morton etc.

The Board of back then in now way started the rebuild we are hopefully nearing an end of.

And YOU were talking about the "adminstration we have now" and the "people back then." People who, as I have already pointed out, appointed Bailey and Connolly, amongst other things.

And YOU were talking about the "adminstration we have now" and the "people back then." People who, as I have already pointed out, appointed Bailey and Connolly, amongst other things.

Point out to me where I said anything bad about the "people back then"? I never did.

The people we had back then and not "the people in place today" commenced the process of rebuilding the list and renewing the Club. Their initiatives included:

- seeing off Daniher and replacing him with Bailey and the appointment of an entirely new coaching panel, recruitment manager and key Footy Dept support staff

- appointing Chris Connolly as GM Football Operations

- total overhaul of the list including the dignified retirement, delisting or trading of much loved and respected stalwarts like Neitz, White, Yze, Brown (whose retirements occurred at the end of 2008 but which were decided at the beginning of that year) and Johnstone and the recruitment of the young guns who will form the backbone of our next premiership campaign such as Grimes, Morton, Garland, Frawley, Bate, Jones, Davey, Moloney, Wonaeamirri and Sylvia. The way this was done contrasts starkly with the Woewodin debacle at the end of 2002.

- the Casey alliance and access to the superior training facilities at Casey Fields

- the new training and football administration base in the Olympic Park precinct

None of this is to suggest that the current administration is not doing a good job - they are building on the good work that went before.

Well put IMO .