Put yourself in the hot seat for 2 weeks. Your agenda is to secure 2 topline mids.

The coach has told you to get him 2 A grade Mids, or you're unemployed.

After ringing every club in the country, the only names on our list that have been mentioned by the other clubsare N.Jones J.Howe J.Frawley J.Watts C.Sylvia and J.Hogan

My response N.Jones J.Howe J.Hogan are off the table.

I meet with Peter Jackson and he tells me, we can afford only ONE topline Mid due to our fiancial position.

Getting 2 you will have to work out with our draft picks and trades.

Frawley, Watts and Sylvia all mentioned but you couldnt get a fair return (deal) for the club.

after much debate and to and fro'ing its narrowed down to 2 clubs that have come close to expections

I have targeted Daisy Thomas and Nathan Fyfe,Freo and the Filth are the only 2 left that have come close to playing ball.

Clark has played the last 6 games and was back to his 2012 form, prior to the foot injury.

Dawes has been more than servicable

Watts (still a tad soft) is holding down a wing, and drifting forward and kicking a few goals, same with Howe.

Fitzpatrick has been pinch hitting in the ruck and providing a contest, His skill and pace is a level above VFL,

And is on the verge on being more than serviceable in the AFL.

Hogan is clearly the best young forward in a red and blue jumper since the OX. Has been starring with Casey.

Gawn had taken over from Jamar, Jamars' form has dropped away. handy tap ruck but struggling around the ground Spencer is ok, but NQR.

Taking all the above into consideration. This is how it played out.

After much gut wrenching and soul searching would you do the deal.??

(with much regret Hoges heads back home)

1st round pick + 3rd round pick + Dunn to the filth in return we get Daisy Thomas + their 2nd round pick

Freo get Hogan and our last round pick. for Fyfe and Hananth

The 2014 team now looks like this (ideally would kick out Dawes for Hogan in a heatbeat) but....

it wasnt to be.

After a tough job new players = Thomas, Fyfe, Hananth

Backs Jetta Frawley Garland

Hback Grimes McDonald Trengove

Center Watts Fyfe Howe

HFoward Thomas Dawes Sylvia

Foward Blease Clark Hananth

Rucks Gawn N.Jones Viney

Inter Fitzpatrick Terlich M.Jones Evans

Emg Toumpas Strauss Sellar

Would you do it? Remembering every club wants a win with trades and deals. You arent any different.

You think you'd get a Dangerfield for a Watts or Sylvia? Maybe you'd package 2 players for a A Grade Mid.

I went for Thomas afaik has yet to re-sign.

Fyfe wouldnt be going anywhere, but throw up a Hogan, who knows.

Now before I get accused of running into Viney and suffering head injuries,Not for one minute am I suggesting offloading

Hogan. But we havent got a lot to offer, and we lack mids.

To get someone of quality, and the way we are playing,to get A graders someone of quality has to be offered. Would you be prepared to give up a young gun for a A grader?

What deals or players would you be prepared to sacrifice?

Go home DeeVoted, you're drunk

Umm Daisy is a free agent......... & Fyfe is my favourite non Melbourne player but I'd still say no to Part B.

Put yourself in the hot seat for 2 weeks. Your agenda is to secure 2 topline mids.

The coach has told you to get him 2 A grade Mids, or you're unemployed.

After ringing every club in the country, the only names on our list that have been mentioned by the other clubsare N.Jones J.Howe J.Frawley J.Watts C.Sylvia and J.Hogan

My response N.Jones J.Howe J.Hogan are off the table.

I meet with Peter Jackson and he tells me, we can afford only ONE topline Mid due to our fiancial position.

Getting 2 you will have to work out with our draft picks and trades.

Frawley, Watts and Sylvia all mentioned but you couldnt get a fair return (deal) for the club.

after much debate and to and fro'ing its narrowed down to 2 clubs that have come close to expections

I have targeted Daisy Thomas and Nathan Fyfe,Freo and the Filth are the only 2 left that have come close to playing ball.

Clark has played the last 6 games and was back to his 2012 form, prior to the foot injury.

Dawes has been more than servicable

Watts (still a tad soft) is holding down a wing, and drifting forward and kicking a few goals, same with Howe.

Fitzpatrick has been pinch hitting in the ruck and providing a contest, His skill and pace is a level above VFL,

And is on the verge on being more than serviceable in the AFL.

Hogan is clearly the best young forward in a red and blue jumper since the OX. Has been starring with Casey.

Gawn had taken over from Jamar, Jamars' form has dropped away. handy tap ruck but struggling around the ground Spencer is ok, but NQR.

Taking all the above into consideration. This is how it played out.

After much gut wrenching and soul searching would you do the deal.??

(with much regret Hoges heads back home)

1st round pick + 3rd round pick + Dunn to the filth in return we get Daisy Thomas + their 2nd round pick

Freo get Hogan and our last round pick. for Fyfe and Hananth

The 2014 team now looks like this (ideally would kick out Dawes for Hogan in a heatbeat) but....

it wasnt to be.

After a tough job new players = Thomas, Fyfe, Hananth

Backs Jetta Frawley Garland

Hback Grimes McDonald Trengove

Center Watts Fyfe Howe

HFoward Thomas Dawes Sylvia

Foward Blease Clark Hananth

Rucks Gawn N.Jones Viney

Inter Fitzpatrick Terlich M.Jones Evans

Emg Toumpas Strauss Sellar

Would you do it? Remembering every club wants a win with trades and deals. You arent any different.

You think you'd get a Dangerfield for a Watts or Sylvia? Maybe you'd package 2 players for a A Grade Mid.

I went for Thomas afaik has yet to re-sign.

Fyfe wouldnt be going anywhere, but throw up a Hogan, who knows.

Now before I get accused of running into Viney and suffering head injuries,Not for one minute am I suggesting offloading

Hogan. But we havent got a lot to offer, and we lack mids.

To get someone of quality, and the way we are playing,to get A graders someone of quality has to be offered. Would you be prepared to give up a young gun for a A grader?

What deals or players would you be prepared to sacrifice?

Thanks for writing all that for no reason. Thomas is a free agent and trading Hogan would send the message that we are [censored].

How about securing Thomas as a free agent and trading Watts for Prestia or even better a second round pick for Prestia

Thanks for writing all that for no reason. Thomas is a free agent and trading Hogan would send the message that we are [censored].

How about securing Thomas as a free agent and trading Watts for Prestia or even better a second round pick for Prestia

Prestia is only 20. And a dees supporter, the door is open if he wants to join the party.

We need seasoned mids. My opening post is meant to show how hard it is doing to be to entice top players to the club.

We need to offer up someone of quality to improve our midfield. We don't have a heap of cash to throw around.

A couple of top Mids we will be back in the game.

Edited May 16, 201312 yr by DeeVoted

The devil's advocate is strong in this one - potential to be a troll like Wilson this one has

Prestia is only 20. And a dees supporter, the door is open if he wants to join the party.

Chris Judd barracked for MFC as a kid.

If he came in he would probably find the party is over and it never really started.

Chris Judd barracked for MFC as a kid.

If he came in he would probably find the party is over and it never really started.

I thought you'd know better Rhino

Juddy wanted to come to his spiritual home, but Mrs Judd smelt the greenbacks, and his fate was sealed

Really respect the OP.s passion but IMO the team you barracked for as a kid is quickly lost

Hassa Mann = Bombers

David Parkin = Demons

Terry Wallace -= Demons

Kevin Bartlett = Bulldogs

I asked all four and they assured me they quickly lost their original allegiances

Not being in such a position is why most find it hard to understand

I think our best chance to get a top line mid is to trade down in this draft if we receive a PP and have access to the best KPF, then teams like the Crows, bulldogs, Lions and Blues may be willing to offload a mid or 2 in a packaged deal.

Hogan is a glaring beacon of hope and will be a huge draw for sponsors and new supporters. We need him and viney over all else.

No thankyou, I'd rather we hold onto potentially our first superstar in a long time.

<p>Hogan is untradeable.</p>

<p>Not only is he potentially the best CHF in the league he's 5,000 members</p>

<p>We offer Prestia $2.4 million for 4 years and get him in the preseason draft</p>

<p>We offer Dylan Shiel the same and trade Watts and a second round pick</p>

<p>We take the best mid in the draft at pick 1 or 2</p>

<p>We play finals in 2015</p>

<p> </p>

<p>We get it done because Jackson has sorted out the mess and we have AFL assistance in attracting some quality board members and FD managers</p>

Edited May 16, 201312 yr by Roost It

Hogan is untradeable.

Not only is he potentially the best CHF in the league he's 5,000 members

We offer Prestia $2.4 million for 4 years and get him in the preseason draft

We offer Dylan Shiel the same and trade Watts and a second round pick

We take the best mid in the draft at pick 1 or 2

We play finals in 2015

I like all of that except the last part, make it 2037 and I'll believe you.

Just trade Strauss for Fyfe, Seller for Buddy, Nicholson would secure us Daisy and maybe package a 5th round pick with Ro Bail to secure Ablett.

I think our best chance to get a top line mid is to trade down in this draft if we receive a PP and have access to the best KPF, then teams like the Crows, bulldogs, Lions and Blues may be willing to offload a mid or 2 in a packaged deal.

How nice it would be to have pick 1 in this draft and the rights to Tom Boyd who apparently is a bigger badder John Patton and due to our overzealous recruitment of Hogan, Dawes and Clark end up conducting an auction with the dogs and co to trade him for say pick 3 and a ready made midfielder. Nothing surer than us picking the next Tambling at 3 and them getting the next Franklin. But we just couldn't afford to keep Dawes and Clark and develop a top draft pick with Hogan.

How nice it would be to have pick 1 in this draft and the rights to Tom Boyd who apparently is a bigger badder John Patton and due to our overzealous recruitment of Hogan, Dawes and Clark end up conducting an auction with the dogs and co to trade him for say pick 3 and a ready made midfielder. Nothing surer than us picking the next Tambling at 3 and them getting the next Franklin. But we just couldn't afford to keep Dawes and Clark and develop a top draft pick with Hogan.

Slap Clark in the ruck

Hogan Boyd up forward. Neitz/Shwartz style

Dawes on injury list / writing newspaper articles

Really commend your inventiveness and passion Deevoted. Great to see.

Agree with others that Hogan is untouchable. If Dawes and Hogan were doing well, and Gawn moves to first ruck, i'd be temped to use Clark as Gawn's support and trade Jamar or perhaps Frawley with a second round pick for Sheils. If Daisey is tempted by a fat pay cheque, get him as a FA. What about Dal Santo? Or has he re signed? Le Cras?

Should get Jonathan Brown when he retires as our forward coach.

2 Current stars: N Jones, Grimes.

4 Future stars: Viney, Hogan, Gawn, Toumpas

7 Very very good: Frawley, Sylvia (must keep), Howe, Trengove, Garland, Clark, Dawes.

15 Foot soldiers: T McD, Strauss, Tapscott, Dunn, Sellar (1 more year), Jetta, Evans, M Jones, Jamar (veteran 1 more year), Fitzpatrick, Magner (elevated), Jordie McK, Bail (just hangs in), Byrnes (1 more year), Pedersen.

6 Developing: Sam Blease (!!), Jack Watts (!!), Taggert, Tynan, Kent, Barry.

= 34

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Attract: Dylan Shiels (swap pick 2), Dion Prestia (swap pick 20), FREE agent MID, draft pick # 36 (real crumbing fwd), draft pick 52 (toughness, small back)

(magner elevated), (Hogan eligible)

Delist: (7) Spencer, Nicho, Davey, Davis, J Macdonald, Gillies, Rodan

Rookie: best young player who missed the draft, & mature age backup ruckman.

DeeVoted, I would take half of that trade I think. Daisy would be a great pickup, and it's possible that we might need to trade for him if Collingwood played hardball on his restricted FA status. I'd never consider trading Hogan after what we paid for him and how much he has shown already. I think it's worth bearing in mind that there is very little difference between our third round pick and the Pies' second or for that matter our second and their first. I wonder if they would agree to upgrading both of those picks for us as a sweetener if we gave up our (high) first round pick and a player?

This again comes back to Neeld saying a few months ago that we are still one A grade mid short of what he wanted and we would target one in this year's trade period. I've always thought that remark was aimed at Thomas, and so far nothing has indicated otherwise. I wonder if the two have discussed it at any point and what it would cost us. I suspect we can pay pretty much anthing he asks.

I am a little skeptical of the Prestia talk. Last year he was going to be coming back to play with the Bombers. Now we are one of the clubs being linked to him. We will have a better chance of trading for him given our picks, but I suspect the GC will ask a lot in return given he was a top 10 pick who is showing very good signs. I woudn't mind having him as another hard ball winner who can use it well. I guess we'll see.

2 Current stars: N Jones, Grimes.

4 Future stars: Viney, Hogan, Gawn, Toumpas

7 Very very good: Frawley, Sylvia (must keep), Howe, Trengove, Garland, Clark, Dawes.

15 Foot soldiers: T McD, Strauss, Tapscott, Dunn, Sellar (1 more year), Jetta, Evans, M Jones, Jamar (veteran 1 more year), Fitzpatrick, Magner (elevated), Jordie McK, Bail (just hangs in), Byrnes (1 more year), Pedersen.

6 Developing: Sam Blease (!!), Jack Watts (!!), Taggert, Tynan, Kent, Barry.

= 34

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Attract: Dylan Shiels (swap pick 2), Dion Prestia (swap pick 20), FREE agent MID, draft pick # 36 (real crumbing fwd), draft pick 52 (toughness, small back)

(magner elevated), (Hogan eligible)

Delist: (7) Spencer, Nicho, Davey, Davis, J Macdonald, Gillies, Rodan

Rookie: best young player who missed the draft, & mature age backup ruckman.

I'm sorry Spirit, but there's no way Grimes is a star. Foot soldier for mine. His disposal and decision making is generally ridiculous. The only other on our list that could sit in that category with Jones is Frawley. If Clark had played the second half of last season to the same standard as the first half of the year, he'd be in that same bracket too.

This is an excellent response,well thought through.

While I acknowledge most of the other posts thus far. You have given reasons for your opinion and could be agrued for and against.

I used Hogan mainly for the purpose of sometimes to gain yardage you have to give yardage. Even as hard as it would be to cut Hogan loose (Be like loosing Robbie to another team, it would hurt). But in a cut throat world of wheeling and dealing with other clubs, an offer must applease them, so its a win win.

But we are desperate for 2 A grade Mids. If Clark was fully fit and firing, Dawes was up and about, Watts drifting in and out of the forward line, and Howe wreaking havoc, Hogan could be covered. Fyfe in the midfield would be a bonus. A much needed quality mid.

While I believe Hogan is a keeper, I put this thread out there, to see what lengths some were prepared to offer to get ready made midfielders. I took off my Demon cap, and thought through a deal that would get us some decent A grade Mids.

If I put my demon hat back on, I;d throw Sylvia + Watts at freo for Fyfe. Again If Fyfe was one of a few options, maybe it isnt Fyfe Maybe JP Kennedy (Swans). I think I know what Freo would say about Watts and Sylvia.

Some think just because someone is out of contract or Free agent, its throw a few $$ and add in a player or 2 (that struggle in a poor team), its a done deal. If that fails to get across the line, throw in a low pick.

My opening post, my job was to get 2 A Grade mids, I was waiting to someone to say cut Clark, so we keep Hogan

The whole point of the thread, is who would have the nerve to make the hard descisions, and who would come up with a workable deal, so we ended up with 2 A Grade Mids.

We have tried the developing young mids, it hasnt solved the problem, so the onus now was grab 2 for 2014.

To get a A Grader, another club is going to target our gun players (not too many atm).

So wrangle a deal, that isnt unfair, and it fills our needs /weakness. Perhaps someone might fluke a trade that does happen.

DeeVoted, I would take half of that trade I think. Daisy would be a great pickup, and it's possible that we might need to trade for him if Collingwood played hardball on his restricted FA status. I'd never consider trading Hogan after what we paid for him and how much he has shown already. I think it's worth bearing in mind that there is very little difference between our third round pick and the Pies' second or for that matter our second and their first. I wonder if they would agree to upgrading both of those picks for us as a sweetener if we gave up our (high) first round pick and a player?

Edited May 16, 201312 yr by DeeVoted