In recent MFC hasn't been involved in trade week for a mature age recruit, bar Joel Mac in 09. Last year i belive we let the opportunity slip to recruit a big bodied key position forward line player after releasing Brad Miller. Yes we have many kids who in time will get better and stronger as key position forwards(Watts, Cook), but it has been evident over the past few years that since the neitz departure that we don't have a big bodied monster at full forward who we can kick long to and in turn help our structure. yes it wasn't last years trade week, but, he was old when the bullies recruited him and he had problems but barry hall was exactly the type of player that we needed, big, bustling, uncompromising and an evident goal kicker. also i believe that the big q-stick from west coast, how mongrel his kick is, his body size and his ability to break packs in the forward line when attempting marks would have been very effective in the first two round to help out jurrah, watts, bennel and co. Is it time to look at the now and not future at this years trade week and go for a mature age full forward(not fev)?

I think you have selective memory.

We had a real crack at Hale.

We had a real crack at Warnock.

We tried to entice Judd although we were always going to lose that one.

Hall wanted to go to a team in a premiership window, not rebuilding.

Melbourne (quite rightly) put a limit on what it would offer these blokes financially so as not to pay overs and drive a wedge through the club.

There is also little point in trading away while re-building. Let the kids develop, push towards the final 8 in 2012 and then identify where our weaknesses are that may be able to be fixed through trading for experienced players.

A la geelong, collingwood and hawthorn in their premiership runs.

I think you have selective memory.

We had a real crack at Hale.

We had a real crack at Warnock.

We tried to entice Judd although we were always going to lose that one.

Hall wanted to go to a team in a premiership window, not rebuilding.

Melbourne (quite rightly) put a limit on what it would offer these blokes financially so as not to pay overs and drive a wedge through the club.

There is also little point in trading away while re-building. Let the kids develop, push towards the final 8 in 2012 and then identify where our weaknesses are that may be able to be fixed through trading for experienced players.

A la geelong, collingwood and hawthorn in their premiership runs.

Hale and Warnock are both rucks and would've pushed Jamar out of the way. Hale in my opinion doesn't have much worth but showed otherwise against us on Sunday.yes we are still rebuilding but i strongly believe that we need a big bloke in the square. That is the point that i'm trying to make.

Hale and Warnock are both rucks and would've pushed Jamar out of the way. Hale in my opinion doesn't have much worth but showed otherwise against us on Sunday.yes we are still rebuilding but i strongly believe that we need a big bloke in the square. That is the point that i'm trying to make.

But those big blokes would have given us a big bloke in the square. Be it Jamar, Hale or Warnock.

I think Hale would not have been great value for money.

He only started to look good when the rest of his team were firing.

The week before he was not very effective.

I think we should be cautious about this, Roos believes in recruiting marginal but mature players and bringing them on because he has had some success at it.

The plus to it is they come with bodies to match.

That is not the primary model we have adopted to date.

I dont subscribe to the theory elsewhere on this site that our are recruits are soft. Thats just a reaction to last Saturday.

I dont think Scully, Tapscott, Tregove, McKenzie, Grimes, Morton are soft. Not mature yet, sure.

As for Watts he will be a big lump very soon in the interim he will still look gawky on the field.

That may give an impression of softness to some but when he gets in the right position he is prepared to put his body on the line.

Going backwards into a pack to mark against 3 Hawks was not soft.

A big lump in the forward line might be superficially attractive for a year or so.

Our problems last Saturday was we had no plan to beat the press,we lost structure and then the wheels fell off.

I do think its time to start to demand an elite outlook on our performances.

How didn't we trade Franklin for Bruce? I guess we were worried about Franklin's kicking.

My concern is that we haven't landed any of them. Collingwood, Hawthorn, Carlton know how to hit the target, why don't we?

...i belive we let the opportunity slip to recruit a big bodied key position forward line player after releasing Brad Miller..

Like who, who could melbourne have picked up in 2010 to be that big bodied fwd you speak of. There is no point saying that MFC should have picked up someone without even mentioning any names.

Do you really think that they would have passed on a opportunity to pick up a big fwd??? Give me a break.

Cause none wanted to go to a team not yet in the finals picture. When we are we will become a more attractive proposition. Stop fretting...

Jeremy Howe, Max GAWN...

Petterd, Watts, Dunn, Bate - they're not your monster forwards, but they're hardly small. They are going to get bigger over the next 2 years. Cook in time will probably be the biggest out of the lot, and Jamar when he goes forward is great at breaking packs. Melbourne's concern right now should be with the midfield. We need to keep pulling in quality midfielders.

... Jamar when he goes forward is great at breaking packs. .

Especially with big Stef playing the way he is. He has come a long way..

Petterd, Watts, Dunn, Bate - they're not your monster forwards, but they're hardly small. They are going to get bigger over the next 2 years. Cook in time will probably be the biggest out of the lot, and Jamar when he goes forward is great at breaking packs. Melbourne's concern right now should be with the midfield. We need to keep pulling in quality midfielders.

Exactly....Keep reminding yourself. On Sunday night Hawthorn were able to Rotate 8 Big Bodies through the midfield, The MFC 2 Big Bodies.

There Lies a large portion of our problem.

The week before in the last Q, Beamer got on top and pumped the ball in numerous times...we got back into the game.

Exactly....Keep reminding yourself. On Sunday night Hawthorn were able to Rotate 8 Big Bodies through the midfield, The MFC 2 Big Bodies.

There Lies a large portion of our problem.

The week before in the last Q, Beamer got on top and pumped the ball in numerous times...we got back into the game.

Agree with both you and Mallee Bull on this.

And people might now be realising how big a loss Jordie McKenzie is. He doesn't have a huge frame but he is a tackling, stoppage, clearance machine.

Hopefully we can get him back soon. Then our midfield will start to look more damaging.

Petterd, Watts, Dunn, Bate - they're not your monster forwards, but they're hardly small. They are going to get bigger over the next 2 years. Cook in time will probably be the biggest out of the lot, and Jamar when he goes forward is great at breaking packs. Melbourne's concern right now should be with the midfield. We need to keep pulling in quality midfielders.

Well said, I went down to pre season two years ago and I got talking to Dean Bailey and I quizzed him on why we took J Gysberts instead of Black or Talia and he said the game was won in the midfield. Sundays game only reinforced this.

In recent MFC hasn't been involved in trade week for a mature age recruit, bar Joel Mac in 09. Last year i belive we let the opportunity slip to recruit a big bodied key position forward line player after releasing Brad Miller. Yes we have many kids who in time will get better and stronger as key position forwards(Watts, Cook), but it has been evident over the past few years that since the neitz departure that we don't have a big bodied monster at full forward who we can kick long to and in turn help our structure. yes it wasn't last years trade week, but, he was old when the bullies recruited him and he had problems but barry hall was exactly the type of player that we needed, big, bustling, uncompromising and an evident goal kicker. also i believe that the big q-stick from west coast, how mongrel his kick is, his body size and his ability to break packs in the forward line when attempting marks would have been very effective in the first two round to help out jurrah, watts, bennel and co. Is it time to look at the now and not future at this years trade week and go for a mature age full forward(not fev)?

Who could we have brought in and how much would it have cost? Lynch is a very average player and generally leads up and finds the footy, rather than sitting in the square creating a contest anyway.

Hall isn't the type of player we need for one simple reason - he's going to be past it before we're any good. It's not time to bring in an old player; you top up when you're close to a flag (a la the Bulldogs, funnily enough).

Hale and Warnock are both rucks and would've pushed Jamar out of the way. Hale in my opinion doesn't have much worth but showed otherwise against us on Sunday.yes we are still rebuilding but i strongly believe that we need a big bloke in the square. That is the point that i'm trying to make.

I disagree. Hale or Warnock would have played alongside Jamar, spending time up forward when not rucking.

Who could we have brought in and how much would it have cost? Lynch is a very average player and generally leads up and finds the footy, rather than sitting in the square creating a contest anyway.

Hall isn't the type of player we need for one simple reason - he's going to be past it before we're any good. It's not time to bring in an old player; you top up when you're close to a flag (a la the Bulldogs, funnily enough).

I disagree. Hale or Warnock would have played alongside Jamar, spending time up forward when not rucking.

As average a player as Lynch may be he can create a contest and has shown that he can play 2nd ruck to cox and could've been used as a chop out for Jamar but probably unsuccessfully. I strongly believe that Lynch out of the square would've done us a great deal of help this year because we seem to lose forward structure a lot of times throughout a game. Warnock has the innability to kick and Hale i think isn't a forward. Yes he kicked 8 gols wateva it was against the cats but tell me how many time he has kicked 5 plus. yes they would play resting forward but at the moment i think we need a mainstay forward.

Jeremy Howe, Max GAWN...

max gawn is a long term ruck project who after reports from his vfl games this year, practice and round 1, is that he will be a star. He isn't a forward. I watched him in the intra club and showed signs of a good ruckman but when went forward had little impact and looked lost. Howe is a half forward flank type in my opinion. could play the robbo role of mark of the year each week with jurrah and 2 or 3 goals to reward his effort. Isn't key position big monster type. from what i have seen of lucas cook i really do have high hopes for the kid. He presents well and has a good grab and is a reliable kick for goal. If he had some more weight on him like darling from west coast then he would be playin 100% in rounds 1 and 2.

How didn't we trade Franklin for Bruce? I guess we were worried about Franklin's kicking.

It was his character.

As average a player as Lynch may be he can create a contest and has shown that he can play 2nd ruck to cox and could've been used as a chop out for Jamar but probably unsuccessfully. I strongly believe that Lynch out of the square would've done us a great deal of help this year because we seem to lose forward structure a lot of times throughout a game. Warnock has the innability to kick and Hale i think isn't a forward. Yes he kicked 8 gols wateva it was against the cats but tell me how many time he has kicked 5 plus. yes they would play resting forward but at the moment i think we need a mainstay forward.

Like I said, I don't think Lynch is an effective 'sit in the square' go-to forward; when I see him play - fortunately not much - he gets most of the footy leading up to the ball, not the type of stay-home forward that ensures a contest is created.

Anyway, Lynch is one - poor, IMO - player we could have gone after. Who else, apart from Lynch?

max gawn is a long term ruck project who after reports from his vfl games this year, practice and round 1, is that he will be a star. He isn't a forward. I watched him in the intra club and showed signs of a good ruckman but when went forward had little impact and looked lost. Howe is a half forward flank type in my opinion. could play the robbo role of mark of the year each week with jurrah and 2 or 3 goals to reward his effort. Isn't key position big monster type. from what i have seen of lucas cook i really do have high hopes for the kid. He presents well and has a good grab and is a reliable kick for goal. If he had some more weight on him like darling from west coast then he would be playin 100% in rounds 1 and 2.

Max Gawn is going to be a fantastic player to have rotating through the forward line, in the last Q of a match when the opposition is tiring.

A true Lethal Weapon, All 208 cm of him.

Cook and Howe will do there Job. We have recruited smartly, once again it just requires us supporters to have a little Patience

max gawn is a long term ruck project who after reports from his vfl games this year, practice and round 1, is that he will be a star. He isn't a forward. I watched him in the intra club and showed signs of a good ruckman but when went forward had little impact and looked lost. Howe is a half forward flank type in my opinion. could play the robbo role of mark of the year each week with jurrah and 2 or 3 goals to reward his effort. Isn't key position big monster type. from what i have seen of lucas cook i really do have high hopes for the kid. He presents well and has a good grab and is a reliable kick for goal. If he had some more weight on him like darling from west coast then he would be playin 100% in rounds 1 and 2.

Are you saying that the big que stick would have been the difference between winning and losing on the weekend?

If you are you need some serious help.

By the way are you actually a Melbourne supporter or someone here laying down bait to fire people up?

Hale and Warnock are both rucks and would've pushed Jamar out of the way. Hale in my opinion doesn't have much worth but showed otherwise against us on Sunday.yes we are still rebuilding but i strongly believe that we need a big bloke in the square. That is the point that i'm trying to make.

And it's a terrible, poorly thought-out point.

Neither are as good as Jamar.

Hale has been playing predominantly up forward for Hawthorn, exactly like we wanted him to do if we got him.

Rebuilding means we are aiming to have the best team in the future, not a slightly more competitive one now at the expense of that future.

Exactly what you are proposing is the oft-misunderstood "acceptance of mediocrity".

Perfect, just perfect.

Are you saying that the big que stick would have been the difference between winning and losing on the weekend?

If you are you need some serious help.

By the way are you actually a Melbourne supporter or someone here laying down bait to fire people up?

I thought maybe he's a troll, but at the moment he just seems misguided and desperate to start poorly thought-through threads.

Like who, who could melbourne have picked up in 2010 to be that big bodied fwd you speak of. There is no point saying that MFC should have picked up someone without even mentioning any names.

Do you really think that they would have passed on a opportunity to pick up a big fwd??? Give me a break.

We're all missing something here, the mateship and symbiosis that comes from recruiting young guns together.

We've recruited young talls the last 2 drafts, some of the ones this draft just gone, may come through sooner.