On 13/04/2012 at 07:45, Dr Who said:

You obviously missed -

- wonder if players prefer to play in full stadiums or more than half empty ones?

- wonder if they prefer to hear cheering instead of booing?

- wonder if they prefer a positive over a negative environment?

- wonder if what supporters put in the public domain ever has an influence?

- wonder if the "culture" of a club ever comes into their decision?

No i didn't miss that at all actually....nice try sunshine.

Quality player but I think the 22-25 mark is a better fit for anything but a key position.

Nup, too expensive for not enough return.

Yes he's a top player, but he won't be in our side as he doesn't have the weapons of speed, or other to really do a Gary Ablett jnr.

IMO he'd struggle with our young list.

IMO, we need to go after players who are true professionals from thew power clubs, but find themselves on the fringe now. Leadership types who can help with our leadership direction & steering our young players the right way. 29 yr olds - 31 yrs.

A couple for 2 years. To tide us over with direction.

At the same time we should continue the under 23 recruitment.

Free agency is ongoing . Goddard right now would be fantastic . He could be 28 and still be great value .

We keep thinking about having a player for 8 - 10 years . It's an old fashioned view based on what has happened before free agency .

Back in 1973 North Melbourne snagged Doug Wade {31) , Barry Davis (29) and John Rantall (29) by utilising the '10 year rule" . 5 years later they had progressed from being a basket case to winning their 1st two flags .

There will be more players like Goddard every year .

Our Salary cap will be our only hurdle in bringing top experienced talent to our club . Hopefully we have some room in our cap at seasons end . We may have to move a few of our senior players on to create that room .

Nothing comes easy .

  On 13/04/2012 at 08:56, Macca said:

Free agency is ongoing . Goddard right now would be fantastic . He could be 28 and still be great value .

We keep thinking about having a player for 8 - 10 years . It's an old fashioned view based on what has happened before free agency .

Back in 1973 North Melbourne snagged Doug Wade {31) , Barry Davis (29) and John Rantall (29) by utilising the '10 year rule" . 5 years later they had progressed from being a basket case to winning their 1st two flags .

There will be more players like Goddard every year .

Our Salary cap will be our only hurdle in bringing top experienced talent to our club . Hopefully we have some room in our cap at seasons end . We may have to move a few of our senior players on to create that room .

Nothing comes easy .

Luke Ball would have been Ideal looking back, so the club has been aware of our shortcomings, obviously. But it won't be easy finding suitable top players to come to Melbourne.

  On 13/04/2012 at 08:56, Macca said:

Free agency is ongoing . Goddard right now would be fantastic . He could be 28 and still be great value .

We keep thinking about having a player for 8 - 10 years . It's an old fashioned view based on what has happened before free agency .

Back in 1973 North Melbourne snagged Doug Wade {31) , Barry Davis (29) and John Rantall (29) by utilising the '10 year rule" . 5 years later they had progressed from being a basket case to winning their 1st two flags .

There will be more players like Goddard every year .

Our Salary cap will be our only hurdle in bringing top experienced talent to our club . Hopefully we have some room in our cap at seasons end . We may have to move a few of our senior players on to create that room .

Nothing comes easy .

I'd gladly arrange a swap with the Swans, Dunn foe Ryan O'Keefe. Just so Ryan can impart some knowledge & workethic to our lads for 2 years, both in the red & blue as well as at Casey.

A Salopek? or Scotty Thompson would have been handy right about now. Corey Enright, Joel Corey, Chappy...

  On 13/04/2012 at 08:56, Macca said:

Free agency is ongoing . Goddard right now would be fantastic . He could be 28 and still be great value .

We keep thinking about having a player for 8 - 10 years . It's an old fashioned view based on what has happened before free agency .

Back in 1973 North Melbourne snagged Doug Wade {31) , Barry Davis (29) and John Rantall (29) by utilising the '10 year rule" . 5 years later they had progressed from being a basket case to winning their 1st two flags .

There will be more players like Goddard every year .

Our Salary cap will be our only hurdle in bringing top experienced talent to our club . Hopefully we have some room in our cap at seasons end . We may have to move a few of our senior players on to create that room .

Nothing comes easy .

Spot on Macca....Look at Stuart Dew...2 Flags 2 Clubs....

  On 13/04/2012 at 09:00, dee-luded said:

Luke Ball would have been Ideal looking back, so the club has been aware of our shortcomings, obviously. But it won't be easy finding suitable top players to come to Melbourne.

Well , with Ball it's tricky isn't it . We would have had to pass on Tapscott or maybe even Gysberts to snare him .

Different circumstances as well though . With free agency all you need is a players willingness to move and not forgetting of course , the big bucks! We don't have to trade any picks or players . Salary cap room is the key .

IMO we have to be a reasonably big player in that trade month .

For some reading this post , their opinion might be "The seasons just started ! " but ................I'd be quite surprised if our club hasn't addressed this whole free agency thing quite some time ago . It's been on the table for at least a couple of years now .

  On 13/04/2012 at 09:11, why you little said:

Spot on Macca....Look at Stuart Dew...2 Flags 2 Clubs....

Stewie in one of the players I wanted Melbourne to chase just prior to his retiring from Port.

# We aren't in that Hawks scenario yet. Window wide Open.

  On 13/04/2012 at 09:12, Macca said:

Well , with Ball it's tricky isn't it . We would have had to pass on Tapscott or maybe even Gysberts to snare him .

Different circumstances as well though . With free agency all you need is a players willingness to move and not forgetting of course , the big bucks! We don't have to trade any picks or players . Salary cap room is the key .

IMO we have to be a reasonably big player in that trade month .

For some reading this post , their opinion might be "The seasons just started ! " but ................I'd be quite surprised if our club hasn't addressed this whole free agency thing quite some time ago . It's been on the table for at least a couple of years now .

Thats right, exactly, & at the time I didn't want him for that very reason, as we were rebuilding the list.

But now, we are in the development phase of the list so we need to get some quality experience to help show the way on the training track & a little onfield.

We can't afford Judd. Goddard IMO won't help much.

# I agree, its OK too discuss this as we can all see, we won't be making the finalists quake in the shorts this year.

  On 13/04/2012 at 09:11, why you little said:

Spot on Macca....Look at Stuart Dew...2 Flags 2 Clubs....

Yep Stuart Dew was a classic top up player , much like Luke Ball . If we only get the services of such a player for a few years ( with free agency ) it's no great bother . You can just keep replacing these types with others that become free agents . Hawks replaced Dew with Burgoyne yeah ?

I reckon it's going to change the face of football . Clubs will offer the big bucks to free agents to get out of the bottom half of the ladder .

It becomes a case of "If we do nothing , we stay where we are" . The fans will embrace it if their club snares a big name . Just look at how excited we got over Mitch Clark .

  On 13/04/2012 at 09:23, Macca said:

Yep Stuart Dew was a classic top up player , much like Luke Ball . If we only get the services of such a player for a few years ( with free agency ) it's no great bother . You can just keep replacing these types with others that become free agents . Hawks replaced Dew with Burgoyne yeah ?

I reckon it's going to change the face of football . Clubs will offer the big bucks to free agents to get out of the bottom half of the ladder .

It becomes a case of "If we do nothing , we stay where we are" . The fans will embrace it if their club snares a big name . Just look at how excited we got over Mitch Clark .

Sure we got one good year out of Pickett....i don't count 2007!

  On 13/04/2012 at 09:16, dee-luded said:

Stewie in one of the players I wanted Melbourne to chase just prior to his retiring from Port.

# We aren't in that Hawks scenario yet. Window wide Open.

The window would want to be WIDE open ... :-)

  On 13/04/2012 at 10:06, why you little said:

Sure we got one good year out of Pickett....i don't count 2007!

Yeah , we've got to make sure we get the right type if we go down that track . Sometimes it works , other times it doesn't . It's always a risk .

There's plenty of success stories . Lockett , Hall , Judd , Williams , Ottens , Rhys Jones etc etc .

  On 13/04/2012 at 10:17, Macca said:

Yeah , we've got to make sure we get the right type if we go down that track . Sometimes it works , other times it doesn't . It's always a risk .

There's plenty of success stories . Lockett , Hall , Judd , Williams , Ottens , Rhys Jones etc etc .

AFL is always a risk....The MFC have got to start taking the right ones

This club has been far too conservative for a long time.

Any player with leadership is a must for our club even if they are old. Maybe offer simon black big money for 1 year if voss says time to hang the boots up. He would bring great leadership for treners and grimes thoughts?

  On 13/04/2012 at 09:23, Macca said:

Yep Stuart Dew was a classic top up player , much like Luke Ball . If we only get the services of such a player for a few years ( with free agency ) it's no great bother . You can just keep replacing these types with others that become free agents . Hawks replaced Dew with Burgoyne yeah ?

I reckon it's going to change the face of football . Clubs will offer the big bucks to free agents to get out of the bottom half of the ladder .

It becomes a case of "If we do nothing , we stay where we are" . The fans will embrace it if their club snares a big name . Just look at how excited we got over Mitch Clark .

Just a few of the players I was calling for us to go after back then, in those days, & got Howled Down like hell...

Stewart Dew/ Burgoyne/ Leigh Brown (to help Neita) / Pickett (ok, the changing game got me) / just to add some starch to the likes of Robbo & Yze, Green, Davey, & the other outsiders.

Dee - luded, I can understand why you got howled down. They are, as you say, top up players. And 2 of them were no good.

  On 13/04/2012 at 08:56, Macca said:

Our Salary cap will be our only hurdle in bringing top experienced talent to our club .

Are you sure about that? Recent history would not support your statement.

  On 13/04/2012 at 12:56, dee-luded said:

Just a few of the players I was calling for us to go after back then, in those days, & got Howled Down like hell...

Stewart Dew/ Burgoyne/ Leigh Brown (to help Neita) / Pickett (ok, the changing game got me) / just to add some starch to the likes of Robbo & Yze, Green, Davey, & the other outsiders.

Yeah , and the difference between now and the 70's and 80's is that (in theory) clubs can't get themselves into debt . The salary cap precludes this .

If you're going to spend 8.4 million in salaries for your players , you may as well spend it on quality . We will have to pay 'overs' to get top class talent - That makes it tricky . All the more reason to go for best quality .

Judd went to being easily the highest player at Carlton when he arrived . Look at the difference he has made to that club .

Interesting times ahead .

  On 13/04/2012 at 13:07, Dr Who said:

Are you sure about that? Recent history would not support your statement.

Of course . said players will have to want to come to our club . I did address that in a later post .#33 on this thread .

You make a good point though Doc .

Templeton and Moore did come to us in 1983 . I've heard Mike Sheahan describe that dual move as the biggest football story he broke ( or reported on )

  On 13/04/2012 at 12:58, Return to Glory said:

Dee - luded, I can understand why you got howled down. They are, as you say, top up players. And 2 of them were no good.

Dew, Burgoyne, Brown, Pickett? exactly top up players as we weren't rebuilding at that time. we were trying to just climb the ladder, to get above others. We were soft at that time, but no one dared to say it.

Which 2 don't you like then?

  On 13/04/2012 at 13:09, Macca said:

Yeah , and the difference between now and the 70's and 80's is that (in theory) clubs can't get themselves into debt . The salary cap precludes this .

If you're going to spend 8.4 million in salaries for your players , you may as well spend it on quality . We will have to pay 'overs' to get top class talent - That makes it tricky . All the more reason to go for best quality .

Judd went to being easily the highest player at Carlton when he arrived . Look at the difference he has made to that club .

Interesting times ahead .

Former top liners from the power clubs, who are struggling to get into the 22, would bean option. 1 or 2 year players.

You see Sheedy is doing a good job with his youngsters giving them a year with some aged but top line players to show them the way.

He hopes to add some more elite mature players to their list this year.