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.

True but we have been able to offload some players that were not required for high draft picks that have countered these each year...

It won't be long until players want to be playing for us

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.

Frustrating as it might be for some. It is completely understandable given the circumstances for these players (ie. Judd, Ball & Hale) and state of our list at the respective periods of time and the position our club was in.

On Hale, we weren't far off. The Hawks might well have been out of contention if there was no Gold Coast/Brown and compo pick scenario. North will get want they want in return.

I bet if GWS grab one of our uncontracted players in the next 2 years in return for a compo pick, you won't be complaining...

Try reading the thread first.

To be fair this thread is so long there's not a lot of incentive to backtrack through it all.

Hales loss more so than ours.

I'm certainly not one to hypothesise on what decisions the FD and the like make. One thing I will say, from the outside looking in that regardless of not getting Judd, Ball, Hale, whoever over the line, it seems we have always stood firm on what we offer.

Maybe with Judd and a small degree Ball we just didn't have enough to offer, but still, if everything is to be believed, we were into Hale from the middle of the year.

The fact that we stood firm and didn't throw everything at him or change tack, well done to Tim and others involved. This will hopefully hold us in good stead in the future as players WANT to come to our club. Other clubs will already know that we don't bend easily.

Edited October 8, 201014 yr by Demon Hill

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.

To be fair this thread is so long there's not a lot of incentive to backtrack through it all.

Maybe, but it's on the previous page. No need to trawl the entire thread.

Maybe with Judd and a small degree Ball we just didn't have enough to offer, but still, if everything is to be believed, we were into Hale from the middle of the year.

Ball wanted a shot at the cup and Judd wanted tons of cash. We couldn't offer either. No big deal as in a couple of years we might be able to offer #1 and tell #2 to stick it.

Picks 11 and 14 had no choice really.

They are still trades that effectively netted Grimes & Gysberts. We didn't miss out in these trade weeks. Your point is invalid.

And with all the Sandra Sullys posting old tweets and Hun articles, still the "signed, sealed & delivered" trade of Hale to the Hawks has not been announced.

Still some water to go under the bridge, kiddies.

Sometimes the best trade is the one that isn't made. I reckon this will be exhibit A for us down the track.

They are still trades that effectively netted Grimes & Gysberts. We didn't miss out in these trade weeks. Your point is invalid.

What a very positive point, we have used to trade week to our advantage to get these two very good players and off load one player who looks to be finished and the other who can't get his body right.

This whole story has been handled extremely well by TH and co IMO. Identified the need and responded to it early, picked out the best option likely to be available, showed appropriate interest early, made an appropriate offer, and refused to get sucked in to over-bidding. I'm more impressed by the sensible, measured, mature way that this situation was conducted from beginning to end, whether or not we get Hale.

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.

Yes, we have drafted well.

But a mid recruited in 2009 is not the same as a ruckman/forward recruited in 2009.

We will see Scully nearing his potential next year or 2012. We will see Watts nearing his potential in 2012 or 2013. We will see Gawn or Fitzpatrick nearing theirs in (if Jamar is any guide) 2016 at the earliest.

We require a back-up in the interim and PJ is it. I would like to see a major play for a ruck/forward this trade week or next.

We failed this trade week, after a lot of groundwork.

This must still be a priority for next years trade week.

Interesting that this trade was supposed to be finalised at 11am, then midday and now in the afternoon.... Might be a late sway in events

Ok, say hawthorn do get Hale, so we're still looking for a bit of an upgrade on Paul Johnson...

One from leftfield: Robert Campbell.

No?

If he's filling a need until the kids develop, his body would only need to stand up for a year or 2 at the most.

He was quite a capable big man in his time.

edit: spelling

Edited October 8, 201014 yr by E25

what was hawks compensation pick for losing campbell brown to gold coast?

david hale for campbell brown is a loss for the hawks in my mind.

We require a back-up in the interim and PJ is it. I would like to see a major play for a ruck/forward this trade week or next.

We failed this trade week, after a lot of groundwork.

This must still be a priority for next years trade week.

Would you hope the FD use pick 12 ? (Re: Major play)

edit: transparency

Edited October 8, 201014 yr by High Tower

Ok, saw hawthorn do get Hale, so we're still looking for a bit of an upgrade on Paul Johnson...

One from leftfield: Robert Campbell.

No?

If he's filling a need until the kids develop, his body would only need to stand up for a year or 2 at the most.

He was quite a capable big man in his time.

I heard him on the radio yesterday. What struck me was his new business of "developing" & "mentoring" young blokes ... guess what we have a fist full of!!! Might be a great reverse Miller scenario.

This whole story has been handled extremely well by TH and co IMO. Identified the need and responded to it early, picked out the best option likely to be available, showed appropriate interest early, made an appropriate offer, and refused to get sucked in to over-bidding. I'm more impressed by the sensible, measured, mature way that this situation was conducted from beginning to end, whether or not we get Hale.

Great summary Akum. I have great respect and the utmost confidence in our Football Dept.

I'm disappointed because Hale fills a need identified by the FD.

With due respect to PJ and Juice they have had their opportunities at AFL level and have not delivered. There may be some small hope for Newton. To fill this need we have Fitzy and Gawn on the list and I look at our good players and premiership window. If Jamar and Davey are going to play in a premiership and make a meaningful contribution it's going to be in 2014-5 when they're both 30. Fitzy and Gawn will be just 22 in 2014, it's a big ask for them to deliver in that role at that age and what's more we wont have had the benefit in the meantime of the structural benefit for the entire team. Hale was really a good age for this - same age as Jamar.

Those posters saying we can do this trade in a couple of years need to have a good hard look at who they might be targetting - that player is playing somewhere right now! I have backed the FD on this and the fact that they appear to have stuck fast at 32 and not got into a bidding war with Hawthorn suggests that there's plan B. That needs to be a player already in the system and around 22 minimum now. Maybe we've got our eye on someone in the draft.

Hawthorn are generally good judges and list managers and to be up against them re-inforces that we were on the right track. It's disappointing not to get our man but I'm not taking losing to Hawthorn to heart. They are in their flag window and offered a better pick. If he'd gone to West Coast, Port or Richmond in preference to us I would be worried.

Thought it was to have been announced by now ... Hmmm !!!

Looks like it's done - Hale to Hawks

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/hawks-land-hale/story-e6frf9jf-1225935970630

Edited October 8, 201014 yr by E25

I'm disappointed because Hale fills a need identified by the FD.

With due respect to PJ and Juice they have had their opportunities at AFL level and have not delivered. There may be some small hope for Newton. To fill this need we have Fitzy and Gawn on the list and I look at our good players and premiership window. If Jamar and Davey are going to play in a premiership and make a meaningful contribution it's going to be in 2014-5 when they're both 30. Fitzy and Gawn will be just 22 in 2014, it's a big ask for them to deliver in that role at that age and what's more we wont have had the benefit in the meantime of the structural benefit for the entire team. Hale was really a good age for this - same age as Jamar.

Those posters saying we can do this trade in a couple of years need to have a good hard look at who they might be targetting - that player is playing somewhere right now! I have backed the FD on this and the fact that they appear to have stuck fast at 32 and not got into a bidding war with Hawthorn suggests that there's plan B. That needs to be a player already in the system and around 22 minimum now. Maybe we've got our eye on someone in the draft.

Hawthorn are generally good judges and list managers and to be up against them re-inforces that we were on the right track. It's disappointing not to get our man but I'm not taking losing to Hawthorn to heart. They are in their flag window and offered a better pick. If he'd gone to West Coast, Port or Richmond in preference to us I would be worried.

The Fwd/Ruck-until-Gawn-&-Fitzy-develop position is the one hole in our team structure. I agree that if TH etc are not able to fill it this year, they need to fill it next year, one way or another.

But my point is that, with the excellent way in which they've gone about it with Hale (whether or not we get him), I'm sure they'll do just as well next year. They'll work out which options are coming out of contract and will be making discreet approaches to them early. By that time another year will have gone by, and if Spencer or Martin or Gawn or Fitzy have really come on in that time, we may not even need to trade.

But the way that TH has handled the Hale thing, I have much more confidence that he'll get it right.

So be it! Onwards and upwards ..... next !!!!

They are still trades that effectively netted Grimes & Gysberts. We didn't miss out in these trade weeks. Your point is invalid.

Not invalid. As I said in my first post. If it wasn't for the draft we would be stuffed. My post was based in frustration on being able to attract established good players to the club.