cant see us spending a 1st round on anyone..will be for draft... 2nd onwards..who knows.

Still prefer a 3rd round..and they can pay some of his salary too... bout time it came to us for a change !! lol

I reckon Hale fits our needs perfectly.

saw him in a couple of finals for North Ballarat and the guy is clearly too good for VFL. Before I get jumped on, I know the same could be said for Miller and Johnson, but Hale can cover the roles of both these guys. He presents well, provides a proper target up forward, and would probably take the other team's number one gorilla - taking some pressure off Watts. he is also more than serviceable in the ruck, something which cannot be said about miller. We continuously faced selection dilemmas this year regarding Miller, Newton and Johnson, and which one could fill that role. I reckon Hale can present like Newton, kick goals like Miller, and ruck like Johnson. He would be a great pickup and I think we could get him without giving up to much.

The club might be looking for a better than each way bet as a fillip.. Hale would provide that. At worst is probably better than we have on board at present for that role...and hopefully some kid comes up in a few years to take that job. Thats how I see it...just mho

Where on earth does this admiration and enthusiasm for David Hale come from?

Too good for VFL; rarely good enough in the AFL.

Unbelievably overpaid if the speculation is even close to the truth.

No thanks.

Not saying hes brilliant.....just adequate for that role we need filled for a few season

Not saying hes brilliant.....just adequate for that role we need filled for a few season

I'm not sure I like the idea of the post-Gardner MFC reverting to accepting "adequate", but even if this is inevitable, I'm very sure that I don't like the idea of paying an adequate stop-gap the salary of a very good footballer.

Yep, the issue of Hale and the issue of ruck depth for Jamar/Spencer are separate. I'd be looking at Hale as a Koschitzke style forward. I like the idea of getting a mature ruckman as a cheap rookie entirely as a back up for Jamar and Spencer - effectively taking the place of Paul Johnson.

Given that he is contracted to North, I'd assume that we'd be looking at paying our pick 31 at least. I don't know if there's a player swap that they would be keen on.

I'm not sure I like the idea of the post-Gardner MFC reverting to accepting "adequate", but even if this is inevitable, I'm very sure that I don't like the idea of paying an adequate stop-gap the salary of a very good footballer.

again refer to previous post..id like to see Nth cough up some

I'm not sure I like the idea of the post-Gardner MFC reverting to accepting "adequate", but even if this is inevitable, I'm very sure that I don't like the idea of paying an adequate stop-gap the salary of a very good footballer.

You are going to alert HSOG with a comment like that...

Why are we obsessed by a team of world beaters?

We need role players.

Do you think that Collingwood and St Kilda are full of A graders?

They have players to fill a particular need to be as good as they are.

I'm unfair on Warnock because I always compare him to Frawley.

But I thought the concern on Warnock with other clubs wanting a KPD was his pace off the mark?

I might be wrong.

Pace has always been one of Warnock's assets.

You are going to alert HSOG with a comment like that...

Smooth

Smooth

Hmmmm?

Must be on vacation...

Pace has always been one of Warnock's assets.

I like it, keep him, get Hale, then we will have "Hale & Pace" . . . n'est-ce pas?

I really hope we end up with one of Hale or Cox. If we can get one of those and lose Bruce, I'd be happy.

What would be the minimum return to justify Hale in our best 22?

What would be the minimum return to justify Hale in our best 22?

Become exactly 3 times better the player he currently is.

Do not want or need absolute spud.

What would be the minimum return to justify Hale in our best 22?

Half an hour of decent ruckwork and a solid contest in the square.

Role player. There are plenty of 'spud' premiership players out there.

Hale is not a ruckman and he is a NQR forward, our interest in this guy really troubles me, kinda reminds me of the Ben Holland situation. I just hope our current FD isn't that stupid.

Hale is not a ruckman and he is a NQR forward, our interest in this guy really troubles me, kinda reminds me of the Ben Holland situation. I just hope our current FD isn't that stupid.

Well we are interested and I am guessing you think the FD are stupid for being interested?

He is 3 times the player Holland was.

Hale had injury troubles twice this season and still managed to kick 17 goals in the first 7 rounds coming off a bad 2009.

The guy is better than PJ and it is bleeding obvious we need a better than average second ruckman to help Jamar out so that he doesn't get injured.

All AFL players go through ups and downs in their careers and I believe that Hale could turn a corner at a fresh club. Look at Joel Macs form toward the last half

of the season. Being at a new club can do wonders for a player and people seem to forget that.

Hale would be great and I hope we get him.

Well we are interested and I am guessing you think the FD are stupid for being interested?

He is 3 times the player Holland was.

Hale had injury troubles twice this season and still managed to kick 17 goals in the first 7 rounds coming off a bad 2009.

The guy is better than PJ and it is bleeding obvious we need a better than average second ruckman to help Jamar out so that he doesn't get injured.

All AFL players go through ups and downs in their careers and I believe that Hale could turn a corner at a fresh club. Look at Joel Macs form toward the last half

of the season. Being at a new club can do wonders for a player and people seem to forget that.

Hale would be great and I hope we get him.

Agree, still only 26 & if the deal is right would certainly be an acquisition in tandem with Jamar.

Well we are interested and I am guessing you think the FD are stupid for being interested?

If they're prepared to involve our first pick then the answer is yes. I'm undecided on our second pick, but I beleive his true value is a third rounder

He is 3 times the player Holland was.

How do you work that out? Want want him as a KF first and then as a back up ruckman, but being a forward is a priority. Hale's highest goal tally for a season is 37. Hollan's highest was 35, they both averaged 0.9 over their careers...He has kicked more than 20 goals in only two seasons, the other being 22 in 2009. How the hell does that make him 3 times better than Holland?

Hale had injury troubles twice this season and still managed to kick 17 goals in the first 7 rounds coming off a bad 2009.

The last 5 games he kicked nil goals, so that's 17 goals in 12 games. Why do people automatically think that once a player changes club that he'll instantly start playing at his absolute best all the time?

The guy is better than PJ and it is bleeding obvious we need a better than average second ruckman to help Jamar out so that he doesn't get injured.

Hale is an average ruckman, at best. He's averaged 7.6 hit outs over his career and he's only had one game where he had 20 hitouts. One game. He has never had more than 20 hit outs in his entire career. PJ has him covered as a ruckman by so much it's not funny. In 2010 he got more than 5 hit outs on only one occasion, in 2009 he got into double figures just twice.

All AFL players go through ups and downs in their careers and I believe that Hale could turn a corner at a fresh club. Look at Joel Macs form toward the last half

of the season. Being at a new club can do wonders for a player and people seem to forget that.

Where has his ups been? What has he done that's so bloody good? Once again I'm staggered that people actually think that just because a player changes clubs that they'll automatically get career best stats.

Hale would be great and I hope we get him.

If we give up a second round pick (or god forbid our first rounder) or a player like Warnock or Jones then Hale would have to have career best stats to make up for it. Why do people think an player will somehow play better then they've ever played before when they switch clubs?

Our forward line relies on versatility, speed and defensive pressure to keep the ball from quickly rebounding. Hale is not that player. There's a reason why he's struggled at North over the last couple of seasons and that's because he's not good enough and the game has passed him by.

Essendon are interested in Hale according to the HUN.

Now let's see if we can actually win a bidding war this time!

I think Bails wants Hale as it'll allow us to structure up the way he wants. Fitzpatrick and Gawn will allow that structure down the track but we need someone to fill the Kpf/2nd ruck role while they develop. St Kilda says the personell doesn't matter if the structures are right. If we can get our structure right now it gives the players the opportunity to learn while they develop rather than have to change everything in a few years.

Look at Leigh Brown, most here would have been horrified at the thought of picking him up. Malthouse has used him brilliantly and he's very important to their premiership hopes.

Hale is not a ruckman and he is a NQR forward, our interest in this guy really troubles me, kinda reminds me of the Ben Holland situation. I just hope our current FD isn't that stupid.

My North mates are hoping like mad that we take him. I'm hoping like mad that we don't. Although. I had the same horrible feeling when we were chasing Holland, whom I didn't rate either.

Why are we obsessed by a team of world beaters?

We need role players.

Do you think that Collingwood and St Kilda are full of A graders?

I totally agree (except about your implication that I don't want Hale because he's not a world beater).

Both Collingwood and St Kilda have done a wonderful job of complementing their stars with very capable niche players. Players like Toovey, Gwilt, McAffer and Blake play important roles and make sure the lid isn't blown of the salary cap.

My point is not that we need all potential recruits to pass a champion test, but that David Hale is being vastly overrated on here and would be expensive at half the price.

We need someone who can stand under a pack and let Petterd, Sylvia and Jurrah fly. From what I've seen of him, David Hale is allergic to contested football.