http://www.melbourne...x?newsid=142524

maybe one of those small forwards could play a 200cm forward like what Rivers is trying to play.

This says it all, we need some better targets. They will make our current and our new drafted mids look better.

Neeld is being clear in what he wants.

targets are good, ammunition is what does the damage

targets are good, ammunition is what does the damage

ammunition is good, but it's the big guns that make them go somewhere.

some one has to load the gun otherwise youre standing around looking a bit silly !!

some one has to load the gun otherwise youre standing around looking a bit silly !!

but if all you've got is handguns you've not got much chance against a bazooka...

I am hoping Viney will come for something other than 3,4 or 12!

Cloke, Clarke, 3,4,Caddy/Boak and Viney would be a good set of "ins" over a 2 year period.

how about i guarantee Viney won't come with pick 4 or 12,..... will that make you feel better?

find it hard how Richmond could offer Cloke heaps of coin considering Riewoldt, Deledio, Cotchin, Martin would all be on big deals well atleast we could offer more! Same with Carlton?

find it hard how Richmond could offer Cloke heaps of coin considering Riewoldt, Deledio, Cotchin, Martin would all be on big deals well atleast we could offer more! Same with Carlton?

Same here. On nine news we were at the second longest odds to secure cloke. I think we were paying $7. I can't see how we our outsiders considering Richmond has good players and are paying them accordingly and Carlton should be maxed out unless they don't want to follow the salary cap rules again. You would think it's Freo or us as the front runners.

Cloke is good, but not worth the ‘reported’ money or length of contract demanded. MFC can spend the money in a much better way when possible. Many posters have been screaming for midfielders – why the sudden rush of enthusiasm for Cloke when the ball struggles to get into the forward half? Most of the 18 onfield players these days are so-called midfielders with a ruck, one or two forwards and one or two backs. The Cloke exercise doesn’t smell right – don’t get caught yet again MFC.

Same here. On nine news we were at the second longest odds to secure cloke. I think we were paying $7. I can't see how we our outsiders considering Richmond has good players and are paying them accordingly and Carlton should be maxed out unless they don't want to follow the salary cap rules again. You would think it's Freo or us as the front runners.

Those odds are rubbish, but I expect Richmond has enough money to make a play. When looking at players who would soak up salary cap space, after the top 5-6 they haven't got much depth.

They might have to flip some half decent players off but they would manage. If we were in the same boat and had the choice of paying Bate and Dunn average salaries or blowing them off to secure salary cap space for Cloak I know which one I would rather choose.

just no more egg on our face !!

... or anything that could be regarded as poultry.

I would be worried if we made a serious play for Cloke. Reminds me of bad times past. In the Barassi days we got Peter Moore and Kelvin Templeton to bolster our mediocre team. We ended up with two megalithic Easter Island Statues in a field of cattle with the exception of a pretty flower on the wing. It was a disaster until Northey took over and then we played our best football for decades prior and since with only cattle.

Edited July 25, 201212 yr by america de cali

I say if we have the money GET HIM.

Were not giving up anything but money.

We still have picks 3,4,12 which will get us 2 or 3 qualtiy mids,which we can trade for ready to go mids(Caddy,Viney,Boak)

Cloke would bring members through the gate in 2013 and help with future sponsors.

Clark,Jurruh,Cloke and throw in a small forward and we have a ready to go STRONG forward line.

The young players will grow under big boys like Cloke and Clark.

This for me is a no brainer. GET HIM

Yep absolute no brainer, anyone that cannot see our midfield needs being adressed with these great early picks has little vision!!

Trade some dead wood, make some more salary cap room if needed and if we are in the position to get a Premiership CHF

Then why wouldn't you? If I was a defender I'd be having nightmares about playing in a backline against Clark and Cloke. Add a fit Jurrah, an improving Howe, grab a crumber with another pick, add Swingman Watts into the forward line and Bingo ... your playing stocks increase exponentially! so does your potential to kick swags of goals, something we don't do enough off!

I believe we would be highly negligent to not throw the Southern Stand containing buckloads of cash at Cloke Lets go get him! Now!

Edited July 25, 201212 yr by picket fence

Why does anyone think our midfiled woes will be addressed overnight by anyone chosen with early draft picks. Viney has a head start and should be impacting by the middle of the season. Anyone else will need 30-40 games.

We need a ready made...that will take money...irrespective of the path they are landed by they will cost, if any good, and whats the point of getting any if they arent.

Someone mentioned eggs, lets not put them all in one basket , especially a cloaked one

What about the midfield?

Won't somebody please think of the midfield!!!

I reckon Neeld knows this. After all, he was Collingwood's midfield coach.

I also reckons Neeld knows a good midfielder when he sees one (eg, Swan, Thomas, Beams, Pendlebury etc) - despite several posters here regularly giving him feedback as to the relative worth of our own mids.

The fact that Neeld wants Cloke suggests to me he knows the importance of an effective forward line too. And Cloke in particular.

But that doesn't mean he'll also be going like a bull at a gate to recruit quality mids this draft period.

Too late guys, he's off to Box Hill:

http://www.thedailymaggot.com/?p=2367

We have plenty of midfielders to develop. If we get Cloke our forward line is set for a decade. We will have two targets up forward. We have no strong bodies like Cloke to develop into that type of player, although Martin is looking the goods. Would benefit from having someone like Cloke in the team.

Beams, Wellingham and Reid have all signed up, according to the Hun.

Clearly, Cloke's moola is being spent elsewhere.

He's gone.

Why does anyone think our midfiled woes will be addressed overnight by anyone chosen with early draft picks. Viney has a head start and should be impacting by the middle of the season. Anyone else will need 30-40 games.

We need a ready made...that will take money...irrespective of the path they are landed by they will cost, if any good, and whats the point of getting any if they arent.

Someone mentioned eggs, lets not put them all in one basket , especially a cloaked one

Suggest some A grade mids we can acquire? I really cant think of any. I can think of another dozen B grade hard working mids, but seriously, we already got enough of those. More won't change a thing. Its either A grade mids or nothing for me.

4 Goals from 35 inside 50s last week.....stats say it all

Edited July 25, 201212 yr by olisik

We have plenty of midfielders to develop. If we get Cloke our forward line is set for a decade. We will have two targets up forward. We have no strong bodies like Cloke to develop into that type of player, although Martin is looking the goods. Would benefit from having someone like Cloke in the team.

cudi..thats a somewhat broad and sweeping comment.. Who do you see stepping up...or rather leaping up to A grade ? ( or a good B+) I like Trenners but dounbt hell be the game winning explosive A grader we so desperately require. I ll give kudos to Jonesy ans he has really come along ( credit where it due ) but I also cant see him going much further ( hes pretty good now albeit with some game thinking flaws, hopefully they'll iron out ) We all hang a hat on the not yet existant hook that is Viney.....but

A good team has at least a handful of B graders with a couple of Guns to power their midfield. We might have enough for a starting lineup...but where are the rotations ?

We need mids..more mids...and a variety of good mids to boot ( npi) Howe may well come into that category but its likely he'll remain a forward for a season or two.

We do have a warehouse full of supposedly great kids with lots of potential ....that well, after a few years now really havent accrued to a great deal. Are these they...the ones to be developed ?

I suspect weve all been duped into beleiving our stocks are far higher than they have panned out to be. The list is very over rated. A lot of people got it wrong.

So even if one or two might possibly come on in a couple of years , what do we do in the mean time with all this super foward structure hanging arond waiting to be supplied ? Thats my concern. Its imbalanced as a blueprint

My only concern is not even whether we get Cloke or not..its whether its dont prior to or in disregard to a greater problem, the midfield.

Dynamics in footy can vary dramatically according to your fortunes, or riches. A team who is pumping the ball into the 50 with regularity will invariably win. I understand the idea you then have to do something with it and that that is currently lamentable. But wee hardly have our A version of Atttack onthe field either.

It just concerns me should the club pay overs and run the risk of overlooking a major gap in its list

We have plenty of midfielders to develop. If we get Cloke our forward line is set for a decade. We will have two targets up forward. We have no strong bodies like Cloke to develop into that type of player, although Martin is looking the goods. Would benefit from having someone like Cloke in the team.

Only if he decides to play until his 36....

Suggest some A grade mids we can acquire? I really cant think of any. I can think of another dozen B grade hard working mids, but seriously, we already got enough of those. More won't change a thing. Its either A grade mids or nothing for me.

4 Goals from 35 inside 50s last week.....stats say it all

We have a weak ( by comaprison ) midfield. Do you argue other wise ? You think we have the stock ( cattle ) currently on hand to rectify this? if so, please expand.

We DONT have anything liek our A veriosn of a forward line on the park. When its there it has actually been amongst the most efficient group in the comp at conversion.

And shall i repeat for the upteenth time , for you seem slow to understand. Often in trade week AT the EOS a lot more potential club swappers come out of the woodwork. Many players keep their powder dry i.e dont go yelling it like others do. You can bet London to a brick the FD have a list of players they are interested in and will approach ( through their managements )..They probably have neglected to inform you, their bad !

Beams, Wellingham and Reid have all signed up, according to the Hun.

Clearly, Cloke's moola is being spent elsewhere.

He's gone.

Yes, I think that is the case.

It's on between us, Carlton, and Freo.

Freo because they have nothing post-Pavlich, Carlton because they need him to get near a flag (haha, Juddy couldn't do it), and us because we have much more money than relevance and would like the former to attain the latter.

We have a weak ( by comaprison ) midfield. Do you argue other wise ? You think we have the stock ( cattle ) currently on hand to rectify this? if so, please expand.

We DONT have anything liek our A veriosn of a forward line on the park. When its there it has actually been amongst the most efficient group in the comp at conversion.

And shall i repeat for the upteenth time , for you seem slow to understand. Often in trade week AT the EOS a lot more potential club swappers come out of the woodwork. Many players keep their powder dry i.e dont go yelling it like others do. You can bet London to a brick the FD have a list of players they are interested in and will approach ( through their managements )..They probably have neglected to inform you, their bad !

So what is our A forward line? Clark? who else? Jurrah I wouldn't include as one injury and his out for the season + off field issues. Watts I wouldn't include as his now a backman. Howe runs around in the mid-field now to bolster it.

Basing our whole forward structure on 1 player is foolish. Look at what happens when he hurts himself.

Your constantly crying for mids though your yet to even give one example of an A grade mid that we can realisticly acquire with coin this trade period.

1.1 million a season for a mid, you would expect to get an Ablett, Judd or Pendlebury. I honestly do not see them as being feasible.

I can see a stack of B grade ones being feasible like Mclean, Caddy and Boak, but we do not need more B graders.

If we don't learn to draft and develop our own players then what sort of future do we have? and this is a mid-fielders draft. If it was a draft packed with contested marking forwards I am sure we would be going about this differently.

Cloke is good, but not worth the 'reported' money or length of contract demanded. MFC can spend the money in a much better way when possible. Many posters have been screaming for midfielders – why the sudden rush of enthusiasm for Cloke when the ball struggles to get into the forward half? Most of the 18 onfield players these days are so-called midfielders with a ruck, one or two forwards and one or two backs. The Cloke exercise doesn't smell right – don't get caught yet again MFC.

No one is worth the reported money being bandied around. But what is his market value Hardnut ?

By the way, how do you suggest "the MFC spend the money in a much better way when possible ?"

And have you forgotten about our picks that we have to use and address when it comes to the midfield ?

And tell me more about structure that you want and how it compares to the top six sides today.