Well done Mark Neeld!

Chris Dawes & pick 39 for Pick 20 & Ricky Petterd.

Pick 39 to be used on Pederson.

Stef Martin & Pick 45 for Farren Ray & Pick 34

That sounds reasonable but is there any chance at all we could get koby Stevens somehow in a deal? For me Barry, hogan Dawes, viney, ray and Stevens plus pick 4 and picks?? In the draft sounds more balanced?

I think some of the naysayers are ignoring the structure of our game plan. Dawes is there to fill a role that suits our contested line kicking, and you'd argue that Byrnes was brought in for the same reason. We can't keep kicking to Clark 4 on 1 and hoping he clunks it. I think Mitch will be delighted when the deal gets done and Shannon Byrnes will be happy too.

To compare him to Sellar is a poor comparison. Only this year has Dawes done much more ruck work as a result of the change in the way his team played. He's been a specialist forward until this year. It's also very widely reported that hes played for 2 years with damaged hands as his team needed him as the pushed for a top 2 spot. If he gets those right he could be anything, but what he definitely is is a big body that's ready to compete this year and in case you missed seasons 2008-2012 boy do we need that.

Martin will be traded surely with Dawes and Pedersen on their way.

The effect will be a 2nd ruck who can play forward (Pedersen), and a FF to take the pressure off Clark. Rivers/Sellar will go to the backline and then Garland/Watts might be surplus back there.

Watts in the middle? Obviously, he won't be winning to many hard ball gets...but I just want to build his fitness base so I don't have to watch the non-existence of second efforts from him.

Not looking for this to be a Watts thread but these two new players will make the team a great deal more structured, balanced, and certain.

I had similar thoughts for watts, possibly play him on the wing, he would be a hard match-up. Of course playing him as a third tall forward would also be an option.

I was wondering this week why Mark Neeld was going so hard after Dawes, Gumbleton and Pederson, coming out and saying that he will try and get them all. It got me thinking that Clark's recovery might take longer than what we think. Just a thought.

Wow I am amazed at the love for Dawes on here. If he was any good why on earth would Collingwood who are in a window to win flags want to get rid of him, I mean he is a key position player which are much harder to find yet they dont wont him. May be it has something to do with the fact he cant mark and doesnt kick many goals, yeah I can see how he is going to fit in at Melbourne. I can see this off season being the start of the end for Mark Neeld.

They're going to take it very slowly with Mitch, wouldn't surprise me if they sat him out the first few rounds.

I'm absolutely over the moon about Dawes too. Requires a good defender and he should thrive back in his rightful position.

All part of our growth as a club. Clark and Dawes act as calling cards to other potential draftees over the next few years. The Dees are demonstrating ambition which appeals to competitive players. Rather than seeing it as an isolated recruiting decision; Dawes should be viewed as a further lure to other quality players.

MFC are investing (some might say "over the market value")in their future by bringing players like this into our list. When finals aren't on offer it will require something else to get players to want to join our club. $$$ and the chance to be part of the leadership group are the attraction.

If getting Dawes and Byrnes allows us to rise up the ladder by 8 positions it takes us away from the cellar dweller set and brings other even more highly fancied players into the frame by dint of our proximity to the finals window.

As they say in the classics "youv'e got to give a bit to get a bit"

Ge Dees

This. He is very ordinary. Poor contested mark, average skills, not difficult for the opposition to negate. He's just a bad option in every sense. I watched him this year round 17 against the Hawks at the G, and his inability to impact the game was comical, reminding me of Juice Newton and Koschitzke for most of his career. He will bring us nothing but frustration. Why the love on here for him?

My biggest problem with Dawes is the cost, but let's put that aside for one moment.

Dawes was on track last year to kick 40 goals, average 16 possessions and average 5 marks per game. They're very good numbers for a CHF. Early in the year even Collingwood supporters were talking about him overtaking Cloke. Then he fractured a knuckle and missed two months. He wasn't the same player upon his return. He didn't have a good year in 2012, but he has shown that he's very capable as a big bodied competitive CHF, which is exactly what we need. So, in form, he's a very good fit. It's easy to forget that 12 months ago Dees supporters were saying that pick 12 for Dawes wouldn't be enough. How quickly we forget.

We started the year with picks 3,4, and 13, plus wanting Viney with pick 26. From that lot I wanted Hogan with pick 3, plus 3 other quality mids in order to turn the worst midfield in the league around. Pick 13 became pick 20, which I can live with, such is the promise of Hogan, plus the potential of Barry. And there will be decent mids available at 20, such as Graham and Towers, among others. But if we use pick 20 on Dawes we'll be back to (at best) two quality mids from a midfielders draft. Is it enough ? I definitely value pick 20 more than some others. In a strong draft any picks in the top 20 are valuable commodities. Nathan Fyfe was a pick 20.

Dawes is a strong need, I really like Pedersen, Byrnes will prove to be good value, I like the acquisition of Ray on a wing, Barry is for down the track, Hogan is a tick, plus we should get at least two gun young mids, one being Viney, who's already locked away. It's impossible to solve all of your ills in one draft, but I really expected that third top-line young mid and it appears we won't keep pick 20 to get him. All things considered though, you'd have to say it would be a good result. This is the "net effect" Harrington has been talking about.

In essence Scully leaving will have delivered Hogan, Barry, and either Wines, or O'Rourke.

But things still have to play out. If Rivers leaves we may end up with pick 27 and along with Martin as trade bait there may be other scenarios.

Collingwood just posturing! Can see all their huff and puff, then this being submitted 9am Monday morning!!

As BH mentioned, our greatest concern is not enough input of mids.

I still think we'll have a decent choice at 27-30.

We could also gain another pick for Gysberts potentially - in fact I think he is what the pies are angling at getting included.

But do we really need both Pedersen AND Dawes?

I guess we do if Stef goes.

I don't place any credence in Melbourne supporters' views, let alone Footscray's.

Just out of curiosity, which club's supporter case do you place credence in? My experience is that 99% of footy supporters are clueless, and that it doesn't matter which team they follow.

I think that was probably his point...

As in it is irrelevant if they are doggies supporters - they are most likely clueless regardless of who they support.

I'd agree with that sentiment.

Could the Bulldogs give pick 6 up for Dawes pick 17 and pick 18? Is this at all possible?

Also is everyone at Collingwood a full of themselves [censored]? I mean Geoff Walsh going on trade radio and saying its far from done, makes me angry...

Collingwood just posturing! Can see all their huff and puff, then this being submitted 9am Monday morning!!

Agree. They stated they would look for the best deal for them and not for wellingham then a day later he gets to go to west coast. He will be a dee.

Could the Bulldogs give pick 6 up for Dawes pick 17 and pick 18? Is this at all possible?

Also is everyone at Collingwood a full of themselves [censored]? I mean Geoff Walsh going on trade radio and saying its far from done, makes me angry...

Dawes has to agree to any trade, hence why he went through the process of selecting his preferred destination. A trade scenario with a team other than Melbourne would only eventuate if Melbourne and Collingwood couldn't agree on a suitable trade and Dawes was open to going elsewhere. Probably about a 2% chance.

I think that was probably his point...

Yes, I didn't think any expansion was required.

I was wondering this week why Mark Neeld was going so hard after Dawes, Gumbleton and Pederson, coming out and saying that he will try and get them all. It got me thinking that Clark's recovery might take longer than what we think. Just a thought.

Interesting thought. I asked him, and a few others, how recovery was going at the B&F and he seemed fine. I think they were taking things slowly because he was in no hurry for it to be rushed.

I think MN went so hard after them for two bigger reasons:

1) We cant be caught with our pants down again this year when our only key forward goes down

2) Come out hard and loud - even though it didnt start off this way but it turned out a few clubs wanted Dawes.

The louder you are the more you deter other clubs from bothering!

We'll regularly play Clark, Dawes and Pedersen in the same forward-line. It won't always work, but often will. Like West Coast with Kennedy, Darling and one of Cox or Naitanui, I think plenty of clubs would like the flexibility of playing 3 key forwards.

If we're looking for a fill in for Hulk then we might as well use Sellar, in my opinion he is not far off Dawes and can play back, forward and ruck. There are some on here that will argue with that, I'm sure.

.....and he isn't going to lose us pick 20 when we still desperately need quick skilled mids

I bet you would complain if you won a $10mil lottery and then found out you had to share it with 5 other winners. So far we have had a great FA/Trade period.

As for the midfield, we have Viney probably Wines, Jones, Trengove, Ray, a guy named Couch (who did just ok in the VFL), Howe (who Neeld described as a potential elite midfielder), Barry etc. No doubt we will pick up a couple more in the drafts.

You can have all the elite midfielders in the world, but if you don't have anyone to deliver the ball to up forward, then what's the point? The other thing is that Neeld has stated through this whole process is that we need experience injected into the club... and he has been true to his word and is giving us that in spades.

I for one am ecstatic over what they have achieved thus far.

For starters I have said I'm very happy with what we've done so far. I was talking about this particular deal in isolation.

It's indisputable that you need an elite midfield to win a flag. At the moment we would have close to the worst midfield in the league. I can see that there's scope for development within but I also think that we have a golden opportunity this year to rebuild our midfield stocks by injecting some young potential A graders into the mix. Viney is one, pick 4 hopefully another and I would love to get another one with our other first round pick.

Of course we need experience and leadership and I agree with that direction. But it shouldn't come at a price that we consider to be too high.

By the way I noticed you listed Couch in your future midfield group. Cue John McEnroe.

We'll regularly play Clark, Dawes and Pedersen in the same forward-line. It won't always work, but often will. Like West Coast with Kennedy, Darling and one of Cox or Naitanui, I think plenty of clubs would like the flexibility of playing 3 key forwards.

And Lynch. They regularly play 4 tall forwards on the ground. That way the delivery doesn't have to be that good going forward because you always have a big guy that can make a contest. Then if we win the ball, we can move it on as quickly as possible and there will be another tall forward one on one.

What playing 3 key forwards also allows is for us to keep our forward structure when Clark goes into the ruck.

IF a deal is done.... And we manage to get Dawes and Pederson....... Than I'd think that Clark would take up a Leigh Brown type role....

What playing 3 key forwards also allows is for us to keep our forward structure when Clark goes into the ruck.

You've come a long way : )

Wow I am amazed at the love for Dawes on here. If he was any good why on earth would Collingwood who are in a window to win flags want to get rid of him, I mean he is a key position player which are much harder to find yet they dont wont him. May be it has something to do with the fact he cant mark and doesnt kick many goals, yeah I can see how he is going to fit in at Melbourne. I can see this off season being the start of the end for Mark Neeld.

Because they got Q Lynch?