Watch PJ have the preseason of his life, and an exploding 2011 season after all this.

I think if we don't get Hale it could be a blessing in disguise.

Realistically, next year we won't be a real challenger, probably gunning between 7th-10th. Our real challenge for the top 8 is going to be in 2 years time.

If that is the case, why not continue to use next year as a year of development. Try to unearth more youngsters, by blooding Fitzpatrick or Spenser, plus gysberts, Tapscott and Blease. Continue to front load contracts which will leave us a big amount of salary space in 2 years time, in which time we can go out and target a genuine gun!

I would be content knowing we will continue to have a few deficiencies next year by not getting Hale, knowing we can go out and get a genuine gun when we're actually challenging.

I have the same feeling, not about Hale himself being good or bad, and not about us next year but about Us in 3 or 4 years time.

We keep, at this stage P12 + 2nd RndP, what we get i feel will be a major benefit going forward for us. Just a gut feel.

Next year, would be the better,,, &/or the year after,,, when young Viney comes up, would be an Ideal time to trade early for an established Ruck/Forward, or for whatever our needs at the time.

As I summise the impetus for garnering Hale was to provide that missing link of our structure, the big grabbing kicking forward who can help out in the ruck . This was to enable a burgeoning team to play a certain style of game. Without a Hale type we can't effectively as structure and matchups will be diifferent.

This ses lost on some

We go to plan B which has been our plan A until Hale was thrown up and that is developing the players we have. Martin, Gawn and Fitzpatrick will be three players we will use in that role. Gawn will get a full preseason and he won't have the strength at this stage of his development but you have to show respect to a man that stands at 208cms in the goal square.

Is Minson still on the table ?

Is Jacobs still on the table?

Will our forward line be similar to the doggies before acquiring Hall?

Lots of potential but no main focal point....

We go to plan B which has been our plan A until Hale was thrown up and that is developing the players we have. Martin, Gawn and Fitzpatrick will be three players we will use in that role. Gawn will get a full preseason and he won't have the strength at this stage of his development but you have to show respect to a man that stands at 208cms in the goal square.

I reckon plan A was Hale and that's why the FD had feelers out earlier in year ( if what we now understand to have happened is real) Seems the FD doesn't want to keep waiting years for someone to develop ( as they may) but expedite things with a ready made for a few years

Edited October 8, 201014 yr by belzebub59

HALE is a HAWK - Announcement shortly!

looks like we may be quiet this week

I guess there could be lesser named player traded from Melbourne later in the week... but nothing major!

shame...

Dont mind at all!

Kind of happy actually...

Hale will be a Hawk by midday today. Agreed to a deal in principle over night just figuring out minor details with contract this morning

from spy and source

Edited October 8, 201014 yr by grimes4

I get the feel that Hawks have offered Hale, & poss' his girl, a bigger package, than we have offered, so sounds like Hales preference has changed in favor of the Hawks. Back to you.

Wouldn't have anything to do with perhaps North liked what was on offer from the Hawks compared to the Dees ? Would it ?

Hale will be a Hawk by midday today. Agreed to a deal in principle over night just figuring out minor details with contract this morning

from spy and source

Try reading the thread first.

Wouldn't have anything to do with perhaps North liked what was on offer from the Hawks compared to the Dees ? Would it ?

Nth would have had to deal with which ever club Hale nominated or suffer being stuck with him. Hale is driving this..and obviously it seems prefers the role offered by Hawthorn...and hence Nth deal with them. That it might be a better offer as far as Nth goes is a bonus to them...but not the decider. That has to be Hale as he still holds that trump card.

Looks like we miss out during trade week again. This club seems to have difficulty in recruiting quality established players. No one seems to want to play with us. Who have we got in the past 5 years? All I can think of is Moloney, MacDonald and Paul Johnson. If it wasn't for the draft, we'd be stuffed.

Looks like we miss out during trade week again. This club seems to have difficulty in recruiting quality established players. No one seems to want to play with us. Who have we got in the past 5 years? All I can think of is Moloney, MacDonald and Paul Johnson. If it wasn't for the draft, we'd be stuffed.

melb has no money or doesn't offer enough of it...biggest deal in trade week was ablett!

Looks like we miss out during trade week again. This club seems to have difficulty in recruiting quality established players. No one seems to want to play with us. Who have we got in the past 5 years? All I can think of is Moloney, MacDonald and Paul Johnson. If it wasn't for the draft, we'd be stuffed.

Thats just rubbish, we missed out on an average player because North wanted a pick in the 20's and the club did what they had to do offer our second round pick if it wasn't enough we walked away. One could argue Hawthorn should be in a better ladder position than Melbourne next year and their list has top 4 potential, our isn't yet.

Looks like we miss out during trade week again. This club seems to have difficulty in recruiting quality established players. No one seems to want to play with us. Who have we got in the past 5 years? All I can think of is Moloney, MacDonald and Paul Johnson. If it wasn't for the draft, we'd be stuffed.

Think about us for the last 4 years... the team down in the dumps, $5m in debt, absolutely horrendous facilities.

Don't get too down in the dumps, we shouldn't be feeling or thinking like victim. We are clearly a team on the rise, we're stable off-field, and have awesome facilities now.

Now was never the time to get in a big-name player on big bucks. That will be in 2 years time when we have manipulated an huge amount of space in the cap and will have a much better idea of our deficiencies that need to be filled to win a premiership.

Next year is about continuing to pump games into the youngsters, win as many games as possible, and continue the process of seeing which players are capable of taking us forward, and which aren't quite up to it.

Is Jacobs still on the table?

& west. We have Warna, they have Hampson & Jacobs.

There are some out there.

Hahahha MFCSS rears it's ugly head again.

Looks like we miss out during trade week again. This club seems to have difficulty in recruiting quality established players. No one seems to want to play with us. Who have we got in the past 5 years? All I can think of is Moloney, MacDonald and Paul Johnson. If it wasn't for the draft, we'd be stuffed.

MFCSS.

How about these: -

Byron Pickett

Peter Vardy

Chris Heffernan

pick 11 for Brock McLean

pick 14 for Travis Johnstone

Btw MacDonald was a PSD pick.

There are many variables, strong lists and weak lists as well as currency of players at the trade table play a part also.

No use crying over spilt milk.

Hale will be a Hawk by midday today. Agreed to a deal in principle over night just figuring out minor details with contract this morning

from spy and source

Try reading the thread first.

And try getting through all the crap and decipher what the hell Hale is doing - by the time you get through the moral police getting in as a group against dee-luded etc etc etc, it will be trade period 2020.

Think about us for the last 4 years... the team down in the dumps, $5m in debt, absolutely horrendous facilities.

Don't get too down in the dumps, we shouldn't be feeling or thinking like victim. We are clearly a team on the rise, we're stable off-field, and have awesome facilities now.

Now was never the time to get in a big-name player on big bucks. That will be in 2 years time when we have manipulated an huge amount of space in the cap and will have a much better idea of our deficiencies that need to be filled to win a premiership.

Next year is about continuing to pump games into the youngsters, win as many games as possible, and continue the process of seeing which players are capable of taking us forward, and which aren't quite up to it.

Things are certainly promising and I'd bet in a few years there might be some champs eager to jump on the bandwagon if it does start to roll. It's just frustrating after the business about Judd and Ball and whenever this club tries hard to get someone they miss out.

Surely, the joke's on Hawthorn. They have Franklin, they have Roughhead and Hale wasn't even the ruckman when he played for North Ballarat.

I seriously think they want Franklin on a wing.

MFCSS.

How about these: -

Byron Pickett

Peter Vardy

Chris Heffernan

pick 11 for Brock McLean

pick 14 for Travis Johnstone

Btw MacDonald was a PSD pick.

There are many variables, strong lists and weak lists as well as currency of players at the trade table play a part also.

No use crying over spilt milk.

Picket, Vardy and Heffernan all long gone and distant memories. Picks 11 and 14 had no choice really. Macdonald. The deal was done before the PSD.

Things are certainly promising and I'd bet in a few years there might be some champs eager to jump on the bandwagon if it does start to roll. It's just frustrating after the business about Judd and Ball and whenever this club tries hard to get someone they miss out.

Sure its frustrating.

But ironically, the very same fact that players haven't wanted to come to Melbourne has led us to where we are today... the envy of most of the competition and widely regarded as a future gun team.

- If we got Judd, we'd have had to give up at least pick 4, pick 14 + a player. In retrospect those picks got us Morton and Grimes.

- If we got Ball we would probably have had to give up pick 18, or pick 34 + a sweetener. Those picks netted us Tapscott and Gawn

- if we don't get Hale we'll keep pick 32. Pick 32 might net us a future gun. Bennel was pick 35!

Our philosophy under Dean Bailey is to achieve success through the draft, and we will continue on our merry way.

When we get into the top 4 in 2 years, with Scully, Trengove, Watts and Morton still improving, I'm telling you there will be plenty of players that would just on the opportunity to play for the mighty demons.