Has anyone mentioned here that Rawlings flew up to see Clark to convince him to come to the Demons. Sorry if it has been mentioned - couldnt be bothered to read 6 pages.

"The important thing to remember is that Clark is being sought because it's deemed by Mark Neeld that he'll be valuable to the structure and gameplan that he wants to implement."

Yep, totally concur. No doubt a big forward is Neelds number 1 priority hence the big offers to Dawes and now Clark.

I rate Clark, has been a bit inconsistent as noted elsewhere but as a big fella has the peak of his career in next few years. It would be great to have a bib bloke already through the growth stage and not have to wait like we have to with Fitzpatrick and Cook.

Get him!

He's a ball magnet, his skill is good and he's tough. Just like the way he goes about it.

Sewell a good comparison?

Anyway, big fat no to Clark. Great ruckman - should have been AA two years ago - but with Jamar a part of the no.1 clearance duo with Moloney and SME coming on as far as he has this year as a ruckman, forward and defender, Clark will have to play forward. He's not a forward and I don't want to see Melbourne pick up a talent such as him on $500k a year to play him in a position where he won't be giving too much value.

Let Fremantle take him.

In the immediate future this pushes Martin out, right?

I'm confused, how does this work.. he is a ruckman who can play forward but apparently better in the ruck. Do we make Jamar the stay at home forward and let Clark take over rudck duties or do we just plonk Clark in the square and use him as the stay at home forward.

Can we play Jamar Martin and Clark in the same team?

Thread needed on how this impacts our current ruck stocks please.

Seemed to work at West Coast pretty well this year with Cox, Natainui & Lynch and also took a lot of pressure of third tall Darling in the foward line. Could do the same for Howe or Watts and I really think if Jurrah was playing as 3rd or 4th tall a lot of teams would struggle to match up on him!

I'd sooner pay Fevola $40k a year Play him FF ,Martin & Jamar changing in the ruck and maybe Oh Alpin at CHF. Cheaper, better in the short term and good to develop young talls. Patton may not like GWS and we maybe able to pick him up in two years.Or another tall from the Suns whom become homesick.

"The important thing to remember is that Clark is being sought because it's deemed by Mark Neeld that he'll be valuable to the structure and gameplan that he wants to implement."

Yep, totally concur. No doubt a big forward is Neelds number 1 priority hence the big offers to Dawes and now Clark.

Get him!

And what happens when the Dees miss out AGAIN what will Neeld do then? Who else is there to have a go at?

I'd sooner pay Fevola $40k a year Play him FF ,Martin & Jamar changing in the ruck and maybe Oh Alpin at CHF. Cheaper, better in the short term and good to develop young talls. Patton may not like GWS and we maybe able to pick him up in two years.Or another tall from the Suns whom become homesick.

Agree. Stick him in the goal square and take the best defender.

I'd sooner pay Fevola $40k a year Play him FF ,Martin & Jamar changing in the ruck and maybe Oh Alpin at CHF. Cheaper, better in the short term and good to develop young talls. Patton may not like GWS and we maybe able to pick him up in two years.Or another tall from the Suns whom become homesick.

You've already stated that you'd prefer Setanta, so, with respect, your opinion is rendered obsolete.

http://www.sportsnewsfirst.com.au/articles/2011/10/13/melbourne-lead-race-for-clark-say-lions/

Can I suggest that it actually pushes Rivers out? Play Clark forward. Stef goes to the backline, his preferred possie. Jamar in the ruck. Backline 3 bigs are Martin, Garland, Frawley.

Can I suggest anyone seriously thinking we should pick up O'Hailpin be committed!

We may as well get Brad Miller back if we are going down that path!

This is the thing - we are not getting anything done! Missed out on the Mini Draft and now wasting time on a bloke that wants to live in WA and isn't that good. It's 4.20 pm on Thursday and so far we've got nothing! We've only got tomorrow and Monday. Time is ticking and we are wasting it.

We are trying to get things done.

And if Clark was as much a waste of time he would tell us.

No messing about here - his kid is in WA and if he is considering it he requires some time to discuss it with those around him.

We are trying to get things done.

And if Clark was as much a waste of time he would tell us.

No messing about here - his kid is in WA and if he is considering it he requires some time to discuss it with those around him.

I just have an uneasy feel about this bloke. Gut feel. And apart from Freo, who else is chasing him? What are we up to when Tippett is in demand and others?

Or are we playing the game?

I await with interest?

No messing about here - his kid is in WA and if he is considering it he requires some time to discuss it with those around him.

Is he separated from his wife/girlfriend? If so and she lives in Perth with his child and he wants to be close to the child that will make it tough.

My two cents worth:

Firstly, I think it's highly unlikely that Clark comes to Melbourne. Perhaps because the last real big fish we landed was Jeff White 14 years go I'm shellshocked into disbelieving it'll ever happen again, but from what's been reported for some time it's been Clark's desire all along to return to WA and I think that will win out over extra coin. Furious d's post regarding Clark's motivation for choosing Freo being money does paint a more hopeful picture though.

As to what we'd need to offer Brisbane if Clark was happy to come to Melbourne and a trade eventuated, Pick 12 is the starting point, and a good starting point. Redleg has flagged Spencer as a hypothetical throw-in. I'd certainly be up for that. Pick 12 + Spencer for Clark + a pick from Brisbane (either their 2nd rounder or 3rd rounder, most likely that latter).

A trade for Clark as has been discussed here plenty would have huge ramifications on the list. Yes, we'd primarily be recruiting him as a forward, but the reality is he can ruck, and we'd either look to play three ruckmen a game with Gawn continuing to develop in 2012 at Casey, or we look to trade a ruck (in this scenario we wouldn't have traded Spencer but rather added something else on top of Pick 12). We can talk about trading Jamar in 12 months time, but his value will have dropped significantly in that time. If we land Clark, the time to do it would be now while we could still get a top 10 pick.

Let's hope this doesn't drag on until Monday. That will significantly hurt our chances of picking up another key forward in the trade period if the Clark deal doesn't eventuate, plus any other trades we might contemplate if the Clark deal went through.

For the record, I think it'd be a real coup for us if we were able to snare him. Here's hoping!

If we are interested in Clark who wants to go to Perth then why dont we make a play for Tippet who wants to go for Brissy?

My two cents worth:

Firstly, I think it's highly unlikely that Clark comes to Melbourne. Perhaps because the last real big fish we landed was Jeff White 14 years go I'm shellshocked into disbelieving it'll ever happen again, but from what's been reported for some time it's been Clark's desire all along to return to WA and I think that will win out over extra coin. Furious d's post regarding Clark's motivation for choosing Freo being money does paint a more hopeful picture though.

As to what we'd need to offer Brisbane if Clark was happy to come to Melbourne and a trade eventuated, Pick 12 is the starting point, and a good starting point. Redleg has flagged Spencer as a hypothetical throw-in. I'd certainly be up for that. Pick 12 + Spencer for Clark + a pick from Brisbane (either their 2nd rounder or 3rd rounder, most likely that latter).

A trade for Clark as has been discussed here plenty would have huge ramifications on the list. Yes, we'd primarily be recruiting him as a forward, but the reality is he can ruck, and we'd either look to play three ruckmen a game with Gawn continuing to develop in 2012 at Casey, or we look to trade a ruck (in this scenario we wouldn't have traded Spencer but rather added something else on top of Pick 12). We can talk about trading Jamar in 12 months time, but his value will have dropped significantly in that time. If we land Clark, the time to do it would be now while we could still get a top 10 pick.

Let's hope this doesn't drag on until Monday. That will significantly hurt our chances of picking up another key forward in the trade period if the Clark deal doesn't eventuate, plus any other trades we might contemplate if the Clark deal went through.

For the record, I think it'd be a real coup for us if we were able to snare him. Here's hoping!

I think if this doesn't come off we will have to drop it, we can't be seen to be hawking ourselves to whatever/whoever is available, it's not a nice look and smacks of desperation.

If we are interested in Clark who wants to go to Perth then why dont we make a play for Tippet who wants to go for Brissy?

Why don't we go for both and we can job share them?

We are trying to get things done.

And if Clark was as much a waste of time he would tell us.

No messing about here - his kid is in WA and if he is considering it he requires some time to discuss it with those around him.

Clarke not telling us may be in his best interest, in that it will provoke Fremantle into doing the appropriate deal.

I dont think we can ask for a trade pick back personally pick 12 is his value, plus Spencer who not many here rate, i think he is improving but is a long way from holding any true value.

Pick 12 or the later compo pick

Is he separated from his wife/girlfriend? If so and she lives in Perth with his child and he wants to be close to the child that will make it tough.

I got the vibe that they just moved there in anticipation, which is why i doubt our chances,

If he cant get traded to Fremantle or WC though he might prefer us to say Port, Adelaide or GWS in the preseason draft

Lisle is a late option also, and will be easier to get done as it wont take a first round pick

You've already stated that you'd prefer Setanta, so, with respect, your opinion is rendered obsolete.

I can't stop laughing my arse off at this! =P

So what's going on, have we got him or what?

I suppose this all hinges on how ruthless Brisbane are feeling.. do they take the weaker deal to help out Clark, or do they take the better deal to help themselves.

Like that other guy said Clark would rather take us (I'd presume) over the likes of GWS so if Brisbane play hard ball he could very well be with us. because I can't see him tempting fate in going to the draft

Why don't we go for both and we can job share them?

Like the sound of that!!!

Honestly I think it's suss Clark's manager coming out and saying how outstanding our offer is. I think he is trying to freak out Freo a bit, making them raise their offer to trump ours, because I don't see why Clark would want to come to Melbourne considering he has outlined the reasons for moving back to W.A.

Barret said that Young, Clark's manager, is a very good trade week operator, and one of the player managers that handles the trade situation very well.

We could be getting played here.

Barret said that Young, Clark's manager, is a very good trade week operator, and one of the player managers that handles the trade situation very well.

We could be getting played here.

Me thinks the same thing.