Bate & Dunn should be nervous

[Footynut 302]

Agree Bate and Dunn are not going to be part of our long term future and we should look to maximise what we can get for them asap before they lose any more currency..

[Wrecker45 3,378]

We can trade Bate to Carlton for a first round draft pick.

[Retrospective 104]

Agreed. It's amazing how a 5 gamer can contribute more from day 1 than Bate.

Short memories........Bate at five games was being talked of in the same tones.....Doesn't mean he shouldn't go but let's be realistic in our annointment of each new messiah

[Captain Jack Jordan 32]

Bate is'nt going to get a go -I think he can still play good football at the top level but Bailey obviously doesn't .Ditto with Dunny. Probably looks like the Warlock is on the nose with them too .

Unfortunately they can't all come along for the ride .

Bartram ,Morton etc will be nervous

Bate may already be looking at houses near Blacktown .

[demonique 314]

Both needed, both will play next year.

Well, only if we have another monumental injury plague like this year!! Thats the only way I can see them back.

And thats if Bate is retained !!

[Seinfeld 40]

Garry Lyon said on Monday night during Footy Classified that Melbourne should trade with GWS at this years draft for one of the u17 picks so we can get Jay Viney at the club at ths end of this year.

Not sure how it works...but we will need to entice GWS with a player trade and maybe Bate and another player will do it.

[titan_uranus 25,176]

Both needed, both will play next year.

Rubbish.

I'm not ready to give up on Dunn yet.

His form late last year was very good.

Not good enough.

[Gorgoroth 13,184]

One of Bates big problems is once the ball hits the deck and his turning circle.

[jnrmac 20,276]

Miller got picked up .

Bates younger and a better kick .

He's got some currency IMO .

Miller got picked up in a Rookie Draft. We got nothing for him because we delisted him.

Currency is only currency if you can actually trade it.

[Face Your Demons 175]

Bate Dunn and a few of the other are good Insurance players, don't sell them off. We wont always have our best 22 to pick from.

[Carn dees 108]

I remember i think a year ago Gary Lyon saying if Bate was in a top side like geelong he would be around the top 10 players in the AFL...

Obviuosly a lot has changed, I think Bate will still be on our list one way or another.

[titan_uranus 25,176]

Bate Dunn and a few of the other are good Insurance players, don't sell them off. We wont always have our best 22 to pick from.

Bate and Dunn are not good insurance. They're bad, bad insurance.

Seriously, what do you base this comment on? The fact that they're older? The fact they are stronger?

Neither Bate nor Dunn has shown that they are capable of holding down a spot at AFL level. Dunn played some good football towards the end of last year but regressed badly this year.

I'd rather us continue to play Howe, Petterd, Sylvia and even Tapscott as half forwards, and failing that, look to Fitzpatrick and Cook.

Bate and Dunn will only be on our list next year if they are contracted already, and we can't offload them.

[Face Your Demons 175]

Your just to quick to write people off.

[titan_uranus 25,176]

Your just to quick to write people off.

They've been on our list since 2004. I don't think waiting 6 years is too quick.

[The Big Ticket 94]

I remember i think a year ago Gary Lyon saying if Bate was in a top side like geelong he would be around the top 10 players in the AFL...

Obviuosly a lot has changed, I think Bate will still be on our list one way or another.

Lyon said he'd be top 50. I guess that's how good of a judge Gary is right there.

[Gorgoroth 13,184]

Game has changed a lot since Lyon said that.

[Pates 9,678]

We'll hold on to Dunn, I reckon he's a decent depth player to have waiting in the wings. He always has a crack, and on his day can be quite dangerous while negating the half back runner from the opposition.

Bate on the other hand needs to go to another club, or else he'll languish at Casey for the ret of his career.

I actually think dogs might be a good fit for him, he's still only 24 and has some good hands on him. It seems like they're lacking tall targets and with Hall retiring at the end of the season (I presume) he could fill that void.

[Little Goffy 14,754]

Bit of a shame, both are just limted in some way that has stopped them being consistently effective at AFL level. Watching Bate, sometimes I feel like he actually has some kind of bad-luck genetic mutation. The ball always bounces the wrong way, the kick is always to his knees, the boundary line is always one step to close for him to work free, the tackler always seems to line him up just right. See also; Lance Whitnall, Brad Miller.

With any luck, Bate signed with GWS in the 'secret santa' window last year, and in the process has prevented GWS from signing any other Demons (not that anyone would be referring to a particular one) through the 'out-of-contract' clause. He'd probably be a good contributor for them in the solid-body competing half forward role, given the clear responsibility.

Dunn... I like what he brings to the game... when he brings it. In good form he's a more than handy inclusion. But as others have already said, he's not near the top of the half-forward/midfield rotation, now or in three year's time.

So I guess I'm comfortable with their contract situation - Bate end of this year, Dunn has one more to be a depth player.

[deeno 0]

Dunn was one of our best goal kickers last year. He needs to be given a consistent run in the forward line. Bate should be tried on the half back flank to use his best weapon his long kicking and his strength.

[Guest Artie Bucco]

Both contracted for next year, both not needed.

Dunn could be more useful than Bate, but I'd happily package the 2 of them with our 1st round pick off to GWS for one of those 17 year old picks and some loose change (pick 86, a VFL scrub).

The Giants need mature bodies to look after their kids & forwards take longer than defenders generally.

Anyone who thinks we should be giving these 2 more time would have to be guilty of being sentimental.

These guys have had far too much time - you need to draw the line somewhere.

[rpfc 28,913]

Have to be looking to move them on.

Don't know their contract status for certain, but if they are contracted and find no love out in the market - who the frack do we delist?

I got nothing.

[rpfc 28,913]

Have to be looking to move them on.

Don't know their contract status for certain, but if they are contracted and find no love out in the market - who the frack do we delist?

I got nothing.

[Nasher 33,617]

Have to be looking to move them on.

Don't know their contract status for certain, but if they are contracted and find no love out in the market - who the frack do we delist?

I got nothing.

Agreed. My heart sank when I saw that they were both apparently contracted. Makes Harrington and friends' job that much harder.

[Kento80 83]

Both contracted for next year, both not needed.

Dunn could be more useful than Bate, but I'd happily package the 2 of them with our 1st round pick off to GWS for one of those 17 year old picks and some loose change (pick 86, a VFL scrub).

The Giants need mature bodies to look after their kids & forwards take longer than defenders generally.

Anyone who thinks we should be giving these 2 more time would have to be guilty of being sentimental.

These guys have had far too much time - you need to draw the line somewhere.

Well said Artie. I would be quite happy to make that trade, I'm just not sure that these two are the mature bodies GWS would want. They can't perform well with us, so why would they perform well enough with the GWS children? Personally I reckon a better trade would be Bate and Warnock for the same compensation, cause Dunn was good last year, maybe he might still turn around. Unfortuantely for Warnock he doesn't seem to be able to hold his spot, and with the kids coming through performing well, I reckon he would be of more interest to Sheeds and his band of merry men. I am not sure though as to his contract situation.

[Dinosaur Rover 197]

Miller got picked up .

Bates younger and a better kick .

He's got some currency IMO .

Miller did some good things.