There are many positives in the Clark trade. I also love that it gives us plenty of time to get some more deals done. The Bate trade must at least be given consideration now. I posted elsewhere that if the same deal is still available, we'll have 36, 39 and 54 instead of 36, 54 and 72. Otherwise, what would Brisbane offer for Spencer? They've got a plethora of early picks it seems - would it be unreasonable to get something between 45 and 60 if they have anything in that range?

I'm bemused by the tweets coming out of the Hun journos. They seem incredulous/miffed that Clark is getting paid so much at Melbourne. What did they think we'd be able to lure him with?

Why 10 desks of course

Loving this trade, loving that we won for once, loving that Freo can suck eggs, loving that our club is attractive........ loving it all!

Well done Dees, we got rid of Scully and got someone more important to our game plan plus we have a pick left over.

Loved the coaching set up and now loving a key forward.

Get a front of sponsor jumper and we are on the way.....

Starting to feel like we are a real club

Well done

PS - we could take a risk with Clark as we get Viney next year and thats a massive win

PPS - I dont see Clark as much of a risk anyhow

go dees

P

I'm bemused by the tweets coming out of the Hun journos. They seem incredulous/miffed that Clark is getting paid so much at Melbourne. What did they think we'd be able to lure him with?

Spot on!

The club cops it for everything, and now because we spent a few dollars extra to get a key player for our team structure.

Did they think a free steak sandwich was going to get the deal done?

You can't win with journo's I wish they would just tweet the facts. They throw their stupid opinions in their to try and make themselves stand out from the other 400 journo's covering footy. If we didn't get clarke or anybody else we would cop the Greg Denham line of thinking that "the club is dull and doing nothing going nowhere blah blah" and now we lure someone to the club and get this crap that he is overpaid! Why do the journo's always overlook the fact that you have to overpay to lure someone to ANY club? Why don't they just tweet "Great stuff by the dee's awesome offseason"

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2011 by The Oracle

Part Eight: THE BIG BANG

The housewarming started late and it happened amid the chaos of an apartment that hadn't quite been moved into yet but this chaos was nothing compared to that which erupted later in the evening.

Although it was two weeks after the AFL Grand Final and a few of the blokes were into the second round of their cricket seasons, there was no guessing as to the main topic of conversation among the menfolk.

One of the first guests, a smug Collingwood supporter who didn't appear to have been taken down a peg or two as a result of the Pies' last performance, was baiting me when he asked:

"How do you reckon you'll go next year? Any better than this year?"

When I mumbled something about us improving on our performance against the Cats in late July, he chuckled and went on about us stealing their coaches and trying (but failing) to pinch Chris Dawes away from them but added patronisingly that we still couldn't and wouldn't get any decent players in trade week.

So we were onto Mitch Clark. I threw back the story about the Lion forward being homesick and for good measure recited the same words I had come up with the night before to rationalise how we'd apparently been rejected by Clark.

"... perhaps the recruiting of big names isn't all that it's cracked up to be."

As we were speaking, my neighbour entered shakily with six packs under both arms. He'd been to the races and was already pretty well blotto but managed to get out the fact that he just heard it reported that the Lions had signed Hawthorn's Jordan Lisle and this was going to somehow going to help Mitch Clark get to his preferred destination.

"Great", I thought. Dawes was gone. Clark was gone and now, our next fallback tall forward was gone too. And to make matters worse, Lisle had been nabbed by the Brisbane Lions who were supposed to be our allies on the Clark issue. Stabbed in the back again.

It was a week ago that Gerard Whateley described the exchange period on the ABC's Offsiders programme as "the greatest waste of oxygen on the sporting landscape".

I was tending to agree with this when one of my guests hit me fair square in the face with his iPhone and showed me the latest tweet that had just exploded onto his screen.

Agreement has been reached tonight to trade Brisbane player Mitch Clarke to @melbournefc for selection 12 in the 2011 National Draft.

The sporting landscape had just been fed a large dose of oxygen and trade week's big bang was happening!

Completed Trades after Day Six*:

1.  Richmond get Steven Morris (West Adelaide) and first round draft selection (No. 15)

GWS Giants get first round draft selection (No. 14).

2. Collingwood get Marin Clarke (ex-Collingwood),  Jamie Elliot (Murray Bushrangers) and fourth round draft selection (No. 67)

GWS GIANTS get first round draft selection (No. 25).

3. Adelaide get first round draft selection (No. 24), second round  draft selection (No. 46) and third round  draft selection (No. 64).

Hawthorn get Jack Gunston (Adelaide), third round  draft selection (No. 53) and fourth round  draft selection (No. 71).

4.  Gold Coast Suns get first pick in the "mini draft".

GWS GIANTS get first round draft selection (No. 4) and a mid first round compensation draft selection for future use.

5. St. Kilda get Terry Milera (Port Adelaide, SA),  Ahmed Saad (Northern Bullants) and first round draft selection (No. 25)

GWS GIANTS get first round draft selection (No. 20).

6. Fremantle get first round draft selection (No. 20).

GWS GIANTS get an end of first round compensation draft selection for future use.

7.  Adelaide get second pick in the "mini draft" and Luke Brown (Norwood).

GWS GIANTS get first round draft selection (No. 10) and a late first round compensation draft selection for future use.

8. North Melbourne gets Will Sierakowski (Hawthorn rookie)

Hawthorn get third round draft selection (No. 58).

9. Richmond get Ivan Maric (Adelaide) 

Adelaide get second round draft selection (No. 37).

10. Adelaide get Tom Lynch (St Kilda)

St Kilda get on traded second round draft selection (No. 37).

11. Port Adelaide get Brent Renouf (Hawthorn)

Hawthorn get second round draft selection (No. 33).

* no official trades have been lodged over the weekend.

The Oracle will spend most of today cleaning up the mess at his new home but will be back.

With Mitch Clark now coming to Melbourne what would be everyone's thoughts on trading Jamar whilst he has currency.

Do Melb need 6 ruckman?

Would you trade Jamar for a Dangerfield? Could be a win:win for both club and player.

With Mitch Clark now coming to Melbourne what would be everyone's thoughts on trading Jamar whilst he has currency.

Do Melb need 6 ruckman?

Would you trade Jamar for a Dangerfield? Could be a win:win for both club and player.

The whole purpose on getting Clark is to have a permanent power forward. Trade Jamar and he will spend half his time in the ruck which is not the intention.

The whole purpose on getting Clark is to have a permanent power forward. Trade Jamar and he will spend half his time in the ruck which is not the intention.

On the other hand Jamar's real value is right now. Next year he will be 29 a free agent and has injury concerns. We have Martin and Gawn, Spencer after injury return, with Fitzpatrick if he can add muscle, Campbell as a rookie and even Clark for a few minutes on the ball here and there. Even Dunn has filled in for a few minutes here and there and then there is Tom McDonald who rucked as a Junior and is strong and could fill in here and there. We could rookie or draft another ruckman. Jamar is an adelaide boy and may be happy to return. Port has pick 6 not to mention the recently signed Butcher. Jamar to Crows, Tippett to Lions and one pick to us, maybe 12 back and one to Crows, could see us a grab a good mid in this draft. Pick 12 , Warnock and Spencer or Bail for Caddy. The possibilities are endless.

Firstly, you will not find a happier melbourne supporter then me this morning. Won some cash on Southern Speed and wake up to M.Clark saying he wants to come play for us. I am very excited.

However, what to do from tommorow?

9am - Do the deal, make it official. Pick 12 for M.Clark

9.05am - Where to from now?

What other steals can we get from this trade week?

Maric, Bate or Warnock traded off?

Should we go for a Caddy or Toy?

Is there anyone else we should be looking at getting?

Thoughts?

The possibilities are endless.

As are the probabilities...

I think we should off load the players you mentioned, then hold our hand till next year. This would give the coach time to meet and work with the team for a year, introduce his game plan and re-assess with a strong hand (3 first round picks) in draft 2012.

Caddy - would be a great get. Compo pick plus players.

Firstly, you will not find a happier melbourne supporter then me this morning. Won some cash on Southern Speed and wake up to M.Clark saying he wants to come play for us. I am very excited.

However, what to do from tommorow?

9am - Do the deal, make it official. Pick 12 for M.Clark

9.05am - Where to from now?

What other steals can we get from this trade week?

Maric, Bate or Warnock traded off?

Should we go for a Caddy or Toy?

Is there anyone else we should be looking at getting?

Thoughts?

Caddy, maybe, but not for 2 priorities that's been discussed.

I think he'll be good, but can't overpay - wait a minute....didn't GWS just do something like that??

So would Mid Round Compo Pick + Warnock be enough for Caddy?

That would give them a decent pick and a KPB to satisfy their lack of

Maybe the pick we recieve for bate/maric also?

The club is getting its ducks all lined up. Theres possibly one larger void to fill but that may not occur this year. Rome wasnt built in a day.

There would have been more than one interested party at Melbourne following the trials and tribulations of trade week. Some would fidget nervously as news unfolded about an audacious move by the Dees only to be seemingly thwarted. They would have their heart rates tested and breathing returned to normal only to shocked by news of the impossible. Demons get their man.

At a number of Melburnian addresses this morning a group of young men have broken out into sweats now realising their tenuous grip on the fickle merrygo round that is AFL football is slipping by the minute.

Melbourne only have to make 3 changes to satisfy compliance but now the need to retain some has all but diminished the temptation to let a few more go and take on board yet more speculatives becomes clearer as an option.

Time just ran out for a few

Caddy - would be a great get. Compo pick plus players.

Agree.

Caddy - would be a great get. Compo pick plus players.

Why bother?

Doesn't want to come to Melbourne, can't be convinced otherwise.

I don't want us to waste our time like we did with Clark...

Well ... we got our man against the odds and the fallout is likely to be far reaching.

The perception of the club both from within and without is going to change dramatically. The detractors will be less likely to claim that we stand for nothing. The skeptics will no longer claim that we're incapable of getting things done. The people involved in getting Mitch Clark to the club will have enhanced their reputations - people like Tim Harrington, our much maligned CEO Cameron Schwab and our new coach Mark Neeld were all involved in the very impressive reputation that flew to meet Clark. Jade Rawlings was in it too. Our chairman Jimmy who was the inspiration behind the debt demolition and people like Don McLardy and Garry Lyon who backed him to the hilt.

But it also means that there will inevitably be those whose departure from the club will be hastened. The ones mentioned in trade week talk will go - surely even Bater will get his wish to join fellow ranga Adam Cooney at the Dogs. Jake Spencer and Robbie Campbell look shaky.

And I reckon we might have heard the last of the campaigns to get Fev and Setanta to the club.

I thought it was a hoax when I logged on this morning! I can't wait to not have to stress about whether we get any value in 5 years time out of pick 12 in a [censored] draft. To all those involved, well done, membership being renewed right now (I always sign, but never early - 16 years straight)

And Clark is the exact player we need, and more versatile than a Dawes or Lisle, he can play, bring on 2012

We need to get rid of 4 players so we can have 3 selections in the draft.

Bate, Maric and Warnock need to be traded for draft picks.

We have to get rid of another player.

Do we trade Dunn or de-list Wona and redraft as a Rookie. The big risk here is that GWS could take Austin before our pick in the Rookie Draft.

Well ... we got our man against the odds and the fallout is likely to be far reaching.

The perception of the club both from within and without is going to change dramatically. The detractors will be less likely to claim that we stand for nothing. The skeptics will no longer claim that we're incapable of getting things done. The people involved in getting Mitch Clark to the club will have enhanced their reputations - people like Tim Harrington, our much maligned CEO Cameron Schwab and our new coach Mark Neeld were all involved in the very impressive reputation that flew to meet Clark. Jade Rawlings was in it too. Our chairman Jimmy who was the inspiration behind the debt demolition and people like Don McLardy and Garry Lyon who backed him to the hilt.

But it also means that there will inevitably be those whose departure from the club will be hastened. The ones mentioned in trade week talk will go - surely even Bater will get his wish to join fellow ranga Adam Cooney at the Dogs. Jake Spencer and Robbie Campbell look shaky.

And I reckon we might have heard the last of the campaigns to get Fev and Setanta to the club.

Robert Campbell was on that 6.00pm post-game show on ABC 774 mid-season and sounded like one top bloke; he painted a great picture of the club. This was around the time when some mal-contents were saying that Tom Sipper was leaving the club because of its poor culture. Best wishes to RC if he is moved on.

Well ... we got our man against the odds and the fallout is likely to be far reaching.

The perception of the club both from within and without is going to change dramatically. The detractors will be less likely to claim that we stand for nothing. The skeptics will no longer claim that we're incapable of getting things done. The people involved in getting Mitch Clark to the club will have enhanced their reputations - people like Tim Harrington, our much maligned CEO Cameron Schwab and our new coach Mark Neeld were all involved in the very impressive reputation that flew to meet Clark. Jade Rawlings was in it too. Our chairman Jimmy who was the inspiration behind the debt demolition and people like Don McLardy and Garry Lyon who backed him to the hilt.

But it also means that there will inevitably be those whose departure from the club will be hastened. The ones mentioned in trade week talk will go - surely even Bater will get his wish to join fellow ranga Adam Cooney at the Dogs. Jake Spencer and Robbie Campbell look shaky.

And I reckon we might have heard the last of the campaigns to get Fev and Setanta to the club.

You nailed it WJ. I'm so proud and happy to be a Dees supporter today, and with the present Administration and coaches, I can't help feeling that there's more to come!

We need to get rid of 4 players so we can have 3 selections in the draft.

Bate, Maric and Warnock need to be traded for draft picks.

We have to get rid of another player.

Do we trade Dunn or de-list Wona and redraft as a Rookie. The big risk here is that GWS could take Austin before our pick in the Rookie Draft.

Why 4? $cummy out, Clark in, am I missing something. It's 3 isn't it?

Not sure of Fitzpatrick's or MacDonald's contract status but Warnock, Maric and Wonnaemirri are the other uncontracteds I think. Warnock and Maric won't be in a Dees jumper next year and I really hope we reconsider the Dogs offer for Bate.

If we were to chase Caddy we'd have to let Joel Mac or Wonna go. I doubt Wonna would get to us in the rookie draft this year. I'd be comfortable with that

I doubt Wonna would get to us in the rookie draft this year. I'd be comfortable with that

He would, if he stated because of the way we have looked after him,after his father passed away, if someone else took him he would go home.

Vlad will not be happy with all this, I expect we will get Meatloaf in any future finals campaign.....