State of Play 8 November 2012

[thaipantsman 180]

AFL trading - club by club

Mark Neeld realised his list required a major overhaul and was aggressive in trying to recruit experienced talent. Pounced on two-time Geelong premiership forward Shannon Byrnes to add leg speed and outside polish. Port Adelaide midfielder David Rodan, who was chased by a few of clubs, came at the cost of a fifth-round pick. Officially added father-son Jack Viney, and did not have to give up a first-round pick to do so. Were also in the market for Scott Gumbleton and Quinten Lynch but eventually landed Chris Dawes. On the final day of trade, swapped Jordan Gysberts for North's Cam Pederson and ran out of patience with Cale Morton, sending him to West Coast. The clean-out also featured Stefan Martin moving to Brisbane for two late draft picks, while Jared Rivers (Geelong) and Brent Moloney (also Brisbane) left as well. The Demons parted with their No. 3 draft pick for the services of 17-year-old key forward Jesse Hogan, who will be ineligible to play next year. The deal also included the club trading away selection 13 to secure midfield dynamo Dom Barry and pick 20 from the Giants.

VERDICT: Was busy right throughout. Appeared to focus on their forward line - now and in the future. Dawes and Byrnes now, Hogan the future. With two years remaining on his contract, Neeld knows he needs wins next season.

DRAFT PICKS: 4, 27, 49, 53, 70, 73, 74, 88, 106, 124

[Ruzz63Ron 58]

The last line is stating the obvious. We need wins, For the players, for the coaches and for us. We also need some luck with injuries. No club IMO suffered more as a result of injuries.

Edited November 9, 2012 by Mio cuore e rosso e blu

[bing181 9,193]

The last line is stating the obvious. We need wins, For the players, for the coaches and for us. We also need some luck with injuries. No club IMO suffered more as a result of injuries.

I don't know that Neeld is focusing on his contract per se, what he's doing just seems to reflect common sense in addressing shortcomings at the club. I don't really buy the idea that the mature recruits we've grabbed are there for short-term gain. Perhaps that'll be a side benefit, but for me, they're mainly there to provide role models and leadership, something we've sorely lacked for the last ... what ... 5 years? I still see our trading as being primarily about development, and the Rodan interview seems to confirm that.