Out of the free agents that we MAY have a chance of getting and IMO would be good for us, these would be my picks:

Mark LeCras

Eddie Betts

Dale Thomas

Nick Dal Santo

Brent Guerra

Nathan Van Berlo

There's a few others that would be awesome ie: Franklin, Cox, Hodge, Mitchell, Scott Thompson, but don't think they're a chance to move clubs.

I'd be looking at throwing cash at Betts and LeCras to solve our dearth of crumbing forwards. I'd go Thomas first and Dal Santo at a pinch. No to Guerra and Van Berlo.

Mids 1st priority for sure, but also a small forward and maybe a ruckman.

I'd agree except on the last point. I'd say a small running defender must be on our list too. Minus potentially Garland, who would you have play on a Rioli type?

When was the last time a number 1 pick was traded though? (If ever)...

Jeff White.

It is so depressing that we are talking about this already in 2013.

Bloody Melbourne.

(Thomas, LeCras, Betts and Stokes in that order please! - with Davey and probably Sylvia going we should have the infamous war chest to throw at two, possibly three of those free agency selections.)

Edited April 16, 201312 yr by DemonAndrew

I'd agree except on the last point. I'd say a small running defender must be on our list too. Minus potentially Garland, who would you have play on a Rioli type?

In reality, we need pretty much everything except maybe a key forward, I'm just trying to prioritize

Jeff White.

I mean the actual pick, not a player taken with the number 1 pick. If that makes sense.

I mean the actual pick, not a player taken with the number 1 pick. If that makes sense.

Of course. My brain's shutting down at the end of a long day.

Looking at the list, I thought Franklin and Thomas are the only 2 of value.

We should move Jamar on, see if GWS can pay some to ease that burden, he fits a need for them.

Do this at all costs, Brogan retires and they'd see Jamar of some use, especially after he dominates them this weekend.

I think Buddy would be good from a promotional standpoint.

Plus he apparently trains very well and prepares like all our players should.

He grown up a Melbourne supporter and although it's a long shot, they question should be asked.

Daisy would be a good get, but it's unlikely... Money does talk though and Thomas would leave Collingwood for coin.

Whether or not we can sell it to him that our club has a future or not, that is the hard part.

Other than these 2 players, I think we need to turn our attention to a ready made midfielder around 21-23.

Sloane, Fyfe, Parker would be a good start.

I agree we should be chasing GWS and GC players... But, it's unlikely they will be interested in our club.

The stigma attached to our club among the newer draftees would be negative, given the treatment of Watts, the clubs negative publicity, the pressure and our hidings.

That said... Toby Greene might want to come home, he isn't having a great year and doesn't strike me as the type to want to stay in Syd.

Dylan Shiel looks a player who just oozzes class and has a strong body, I'd be throwing a stack at him.

Unlike previous high draft picks we have drafted, all these types, other than Fyfe, have strong bodies and an appetite for football, they are men.

Wing...last time I looked it was part of the midfield.

Ever wonder why Milne struggles in big games, to easy to put him out of the game and he has nowhere else to go. As a mid/forward if he was developed that way he would be much more dangerous that's why Lyon gives Ballantine some up the ground time.

As Stuie said, small forward has now become a role. Take the three guys from Carlton. Betts spends some time in the midfield, but mainly forward. Garlett rotates wing and forward just as Jetta does and the other main guy who fills the role and I've forgotten his name(early onset dementia) plays back and forward where needed. I totally agree that we don't want a player who can only play the small forward role, but in reality how many of those are there?

LeCras is a strong forward equally as good in the air as on the ground who until his knee gave out last year was being groomed to play as a mid, they thought he had too much talent to lock him up as a forward.

Would take him in a heartbeat.

The point I was making was about the Milne,Betts and Garlett type players who will become extinct if they can't adapt. We pick up Byrnes who Geelong see only as a small forward and hasn't fit their game plan for a few years now. Their small forwards are players like Chapman, Taylor-Hunt as part of a tagging role, Christiansen, Stokes, Duncan, Selwood, Bartell, Johnson and co who all rotate through the midfield.

The position small forward (my definition) is in my mind a waste of space 'Stuie' and I think you actually agree by the examples you

have given (Johnson, Jetta).

Rjay have you seen Betts mark. For a tiny bloke he is actually very good. As crazy as it sounds. In a previous post I have covered Garlett. Milne is the guy you have a point with, but I don't think anyone is after him.

Free Agency will not save us.

We will have to make something of the players we have and build through the draft.

I don't believe we have a great list but it certainly better than 2 good quarters out of 12.

Our immediate improvement will come from those on the list.

So talk them down and call them crap but if you want to get better you are going to have to pinpoint players that we have that will improve.

got a contract. and triplet sons. so they need him to qualify for father sons2029

What about Carrazzo? Just got passed over for the Captaincy after making the final two. Probably was only passed over due to not wanting to upset Murphy. Talks well, has a go and is a very hard worker on the track. Great shutdown guy, but can spray the ball a bit.

got a contract. and triplet sons. so they need him to qualify for father sons2029

There goes that idea then lol I thought they were girls?

Free Agency will not save us.

We will have to make something of the players we have and build through the draft.

I don't believe we have a great list but it certainly better than 2 good quarters out of 12.

Our immediate improvement will come from those on the list.

So talk them down and call them crap but if you want to get better you are going to have to pinpoint players that we have that will improve.

I was going to say the same thing.

Four pages of pipedreaming, it doesn't really matter if we do pick somebody of quality, we will only stuff them up, isn't that right?

Have we still got 18 games for the midfield to gain experience and improve, obviously not, the season is already over

My classic piece of humour for this morning "hopefully Gawn and Spencer will come on".....sigh...... we are a jaundiced group aren't we

Free Agency will not save us.

We will have to make something of the players we have and build through the draft.

I don't believe we have a great list but it certainly better than 2 good quarters out of 12.

Our immediate improvement will come from those on the list.

So talk them down and call them crap but if you want to get better you are going to have to pinpoint players that we have that will improve.

I agree building through the draft and improving the guys we have is vital, but a number of the guys we do have will be gone at seasons end. One or two good players in my view would certainly help us, but only if they don't hinder us re-signing our good kids in the future. That is the big if as it will take a fair bit of coin to lure them to us and you would imagine Clark and Dawes are on a fair bit already with long term deals. That is where list management comes in I guess. I see this thread as a bit of fun, because there are far too many variables.

I was going to say the same thing.

Four pages of pipedreaming, it doesn't really matter if we do pick somebody of quality, we will only stuff them up, isn't that right?

Have we still got 18 games for the midfield to gain experience and improve, obviously not, the season is already over

My classic piece of humour for this morning "hopefully Gawn and Spencer will come on".....sigh...... we are a jaundiced group aren't we

Of course it's pipe dreaming.

Of course it's pipe dreaming.

As for Carazzo, your comment....great shutdown guy, but sprays the ball....we have one of those supposedly in Jordie McKenzie, assume you don't rate him and want to replace him?

It is another pointless thread that just opens the door for a few posters to bash the players we have now, gee envy is a strong emotion

there are a number of players on our list who have been around for a while who i dont rate at all blokes like Bail, Magner, Fitzpatrick, Dunn, Evans etc. who i would defs cut at seasons end.

Draft pick will not immediatley help us look at the last 5 years but another 3 or 4 decent season players from other clubs may provided we can convince them tp come!!!

As for Carazzo, your comment....great shutdown guy, but sprays the ball....we have one of those supposedly in Jordie McKenzie, assume you don't rate him and want to replace him?

It is another pointless thread that just opens the door for a few posters to bash the players we have now, gee envy is a strong emotion

Where is the player bashing? Did I say get rid of Jordie I rate Jordie. I like Carrazzo as a player so shoot me lol

free agency chase mids. draft - trade high picks for top midfielders. its the only way out of this mess

How the heck is LeCras not a small forward? I mean, he's small and he plays in the forward line. QED.

Read mate, he is also a pretty handy mid. What I'm talking about is players like Milne, Garlett or Betts who are good players but not the type who win big finals. The premiers from the Geelong era have players who are all able to produce as mids and further up the ground.

Where is the player bashing? Did I say get rid of Jordie I rate Jordie. I like Carrazzo as a player so shoot me lol

I didn't say you bashed but other posters relish the opportunity, we even have one who doesn't rate Evans after 6 games and a serious back injury, if it wasn't so laughable it would be pathetic

Again back to Carazzo, how do you know the Club isn't in the process of developing another shut down player......because of the MFC supporters mantra "I want it and I want it now".....you think we need a ready made

What I am trying to point out, is we have lots of posters on here bemoaning that "we are a laughing stock", so what do we do, we start a thread purportedly drafting a wishlist of players who we would like to come to the club........but this is tempered by posters saying "why would they want to come to us":, "we are a rabble", "we have no midfield". I don't rate players a, b, c, d.......so therefore we must be a laughing stock as it seems so called supporters think the Club and the players are rubbish.....bit of a self inflicted wound wouldn't you say

I am constantly being put down on here for defending the players, I don't defend, but at present we have 44 players on our list, if they play badly I am as disappointed as the next bloke, but the following week they get a chance to redeem themselves.....I don't believe bashing them achieves anything apart from giving some of the keyboard heroes a feeling of superiority and a chance to deflect their own inadequacies.

The Footy Dept makes the decisions and as you know they live and die by them, so if some players are cut at the end of the season that is their decision, what we think makes no difference whatsoever

I always thought Matt Bate was a good player, just couldn't quite get it right, but played 100 games, he was cut, I was disappointed, didn't like the decision, tweeted Matt good luck and moved on, he is not part of the 44 this year so I have no interest, apart from 2 hrs this weekend when he opposes Casey playing for Essendon's VFL side

I am not saying that every thread has to be super positive, it never will be with some of the miserable sods we have posting on here, but a bit less self flagellation would be nice

My overall point is to pick class mids and the small forward role will take care of itself.

My overall point is to pick class mids and the small forward role will take care of itself.

Some mids can't play the role.

Satyriconhome. Our footy department has already decided we need experience thus what they have already done. Pointing out why players would not want to come to us in my view is also legitimate. I am not I want it and I want it now, but I do see the benefit of bringing in players who can set good examples. They may not be the best players in the world, but they add something, which is why I disagreed with the decision to cut junior. In my view this was merely a thread kicking around a few ideas. As you rightly point out we don't know who we will cut, or who may emerge during the rest of the season so needs change, nor do we know who will be available at seasons end, injuries and all sorts of things are other variables.

Having said all that I really don't see the problem in talking about it. You like to debate, thats fine, you have your views, thats fine, but I'm not sure that you should be teling people what they can and cannot talk about. That is the role of the mods.