Happy to have Shannon as a Demon - experience, leadership, effort and would be desperate to prove a point, all things we can use.

Funny time of year also - we all have "crystal ball" views of various players, but worth noting sometimes we get it wrong. None of us had any interest what so ever in chasing a "Mitch Morton" last year....but look out now, he's played a good game in a final, has a week off and getting ready for a Sydney prelim.....the player might not be great, but put a wide variety of players in the right culture and miracles can happen, even to a Morton!

So if Byrnes brings us culture improvement, even +1 on the 10 point scale I'll take him....anytime.

Go Neeldy.

On the fence with this one.

On the one hand, he has goal-kicking nous, seems to pop up whenever he plays.

On the other hand...he hardly plays.

Also, Jay Clark doesn't seem to be the most reputable source, having apparently said that Monfries was coming here on a four-year deal, only for his very paper, the HUN, to report the next day that Monfries was looking at Port.

On the other hand...he hardly plays.

That would extend his use by date a couple of years.

We wouldn't be paying through the teeth for Byrnes, so I don't see the problem.

I'm not all for it, but I'm not against it and we are going to need mature players.

I respect what the club is doing at the moment in trying to change our culture.

His pay packet won't be that heavy....geeezus what was Beamer on in 2011??? And what did he do?

Oops I meant 2012.

The credibility of the hun grows and grows.....

Dees Link is news to Byrnes

"Byrnes told AFL.com.au he was caught off guard by speculation he could join the Demons next season.

"I only read about that this morning myself," Byrnes said.

"I saw the Dees looking for a Cat, that was the headline, and I was interested to see who it was."

Lucky we have the war chest imagine the players we would be after otherwise.

Chapman!!!

Don't think there have been to many soft 2 time premiership winning players?

I'm sure Shannon would thank you for those comments and I understand your point.

Time has passed and SB has lost some of that hardness. I hope he does well if we pick him up.... I just have some doubts.

I went to the Footy today down at Casey to watch a friend play for Box Hill, while my eyes were often on him, I was often found watching Byrnes!

He was quick, strong around the contested ball and composed on the outer. He was IMO the best player on the ground by a bit, which is no mean feat with many Hawthorn and Geelong players running around!!!

To me he is a perfect candidate for Melbourne in the new age of Free agency.

He has been apart of a winning culture(won two premierships in one of the greatest teams of all time), something none of our players can say.

He is a small forward/midfielder, which we need!!

Also as the article said well loved at Geelong, which to me says alot about his personallity but also his professionalism and want for team success over personal glory.

And Heck we just had what may have been our worst season in our history, bringing in a hungry two time premiership player doesn't sound like a stupid decision to me

Jay Clark strikes again.

Jay Clark‏@ClarkyHeraldSun

Seems like Byrnes will head to Dees. Port heading the race for Monfries. Knights to Tigers. Stef Martin or Rob Warnock smoky to Pies.

LOL did this bloke tweeted we signed monfries to a 4 year deal then deleted after Mark Stevens came out with the truth?!

Well done to the Hun. They're giving sportsnewsfirst a run for their money in the credibility stakes.

Shannon Byrnes is not the answer. He is a turnover merchant and we've got enough on our list. I would only take him for a very late pick in the Pre-Season Draft if at all.

He's a free agent, we don't need to use any of our picks.

Jay clark is a joke...honestly, how does he have a job?

Byrnes would be a good pick up but oh how sweet it would be to have the chap-man in the red and blue

Shannon Byrnes is not the answer. He is a turnover merchant and we've got enough on our list. I would only take him for a very late pick in the Pre-Season Draft if at all.

Turnover merchant?

Yeah, sometimes people just make glaring mistakes and you just want to point it out to them and tell them "you are not doing well!" and "get it straight!" and "why even bother if you can't get simple things right?"...

Anyway...

Though it's now been debunked, this is (as AoB said) exactly the type of player FA should bring. Has flag experience, fills an obvious need and would surely be on the hunt for opportunities to play regular footy. Couple that with the fact that he comes for free, it seems a good fit to me.

I'll second the Jay Clark is a joke sentiment. He seems so enamoured with being first that he could care less if he is wrong. On shear weight of numbers, one fo his guesses will eventually be correct and he will be first. Well done Jay!

Regarding Byrnes, I recall Peter Vardy being a great pickup for the Dees for a couple of seasons in the early to mid 2000s. Granted we were a very different team in those days, clearly trying to top up while a window of opportunity presented but I wouldn't be against having Vardy again for a couple of seasons starting next year.

If SB can play a similar role at the feet of Mitch for a season or 2 and at the very least contributes in a few more wins is anyone really going to complain?

If SB can play a similar role at the feet of Mitch for a season or 2 and at the very least contributes in a few more wins is anyone really going to complain?

MFC supporters will.

Playing in front of all those Ballantynes' and Milnes' we have down at Casey...

If i compare Brynes to Moloney I would take Shannon. Similar age, Similar experience (games wise, Brynes with around 50 odd games less), Both had to fight for a position thru the lower ranked draftees. Both good attacking qualities. BUT, Brynes kicks more goals, has more turn of speed, cost less than Beamer. Brynes has less off field drama's and Shannon has more defensive qualities.

Yes they play in different positions, but if the club loses a player in and around an age group that is detriment to our list, experience and leadership qualities, then Shannon gives more stability than Beamer. A 2 time premiership player in a team of a generation trumps a midfielder who often goes missing and isnt getting a game in the worst team in a genaration

A good get if it comes to fruition.

He's a free agent, we don't need to use any of our picks.

I'd like to read a little bit more about free agency before accepting this as being the way things will go when the concept is introduced.

My understanding is that the compensation available in the case of free agency will be based on an overall assessment of the free agents gained and lost by a club.

If Brent Moloney goes via free agency we might for e.g. be entitled to a round 1 selection but that could be diluted to a round 2 if we pick up a free agent. Therefore, it might be worthwhile in some circumstances to avoid that occurence to trade the player or take your chances with him in the draft.

I'm not sure if that makes sense and perhaps I need to study the rules a little more but that's how it sounds to me.

Yes, you're right WJ. Maybe I should have said that we don't need to trade for or draft him as he's a free agent.

As far as the free agent picks go, I wouldn't mind if we didn't recieve any picks from free agency, as long as it means we sign a number of valuable free agent players. We've got plenty on our list we can (hopefully) develop. We need some ready made talent to substantially lift the standard of our team.

I'd like to read a little bit more about free agency before accepting this as being the way things will go when the concept is introduced.

My understanding is that the compensation available in the case of free agency will be based on an overall assessment of the free agents gained and lost by a club.

If Brent Moloney goes via free agency we might for e.g. be entitled to a round 1 selection but that could be diluted to a round 2 if we pick up a free agent. Therefore, it might be worthwhile in some circumstances to avoid that occurence to trade the player or take your chances with him in the draft.

I'm not sure if that makes sense and perhaps I need to study the rules a little more but that's how it sounds to me.

To throw in a bit more confusion WJ, I read this morning in the Age, that if for example Goddard went to the Bombers as a free agent, the Saints could get pick 13, the one after their pick 12 as compo. I thought the highest compo was a pick at the end of round 1. Which is the correct position? Could this lead to further draft manipulation?

There's 2 different first round compensation bands. But a club can only receive a maximum of 1 pick per player and must use the picks in the upcoming draft. So that makes it a little harder for tanking I think as they can't bank the picks.

Free Agency - The Age