We are coming off a long period of time in which the club has come under considerable criticism about the way it treats its favourite sons. It goes back to the Daniher period, continued under Dean Bailey and Mark Neeld and is thought by some to have had a negative impact on the playing group over the past few years.

Sure we can speculate on what we have to give away to get the draft picks/midfielders we so desperately need but let's also take care with our people and not look upon them as cattle to be done away with when it suits. That's the attitude that contributes to allegations of a poor culture that's wracked our club over the past three years. We need to be better than that.

I was staggered to log on and see talk of trading Howe, as Hogan is this year for Casey, Howe is for Melbourne, an excitement machine to compensate for attending and watch defeats. Not since Robbo left have we had anyone near exciting unless you count the now-departed Jurrah and Aussie. Keep at all costs I say as the five marking forwards that everybody speaks of are prone to injury. We need him!

I agree absolutely crazy , only an idiot would trade Howe , FFS he's only just past the 50 game mark, give him 70 more .games an he will be similar to Dale Thomas, some people have no idea.

We are coming off a long period of time in which the club has come under considerable criticism about the way it treats its favourite sons. It goes back to the Daniher period, continued under Dean Bailey and Mark Neeld and is thought by some to have had a negative impact on the playing group over the past few years.

Sure we can speculate on what we have to give away to get the draft picks/midfielders we so desperately need but let's also take care with our people and not look upon them as cattle to be done away with when it suits. That's the attitude that contributes to allegations of a poor culture that's wracked our club over the past three years. We need to be better than that.

I agree completely.

So tell me how me get a midfield without trading? Tell me what we should do with five marking forwards when we can only accommodate three? Where is the loyalty is keeping blokes as spare parts rather than doing something that furthers their career and the club at the same time?

Sure, let's not treat players like cattle. i think a happy balance can be struck between the mechanical thinking and respectful treatment.

I agree completely.

So tell me how me get a midfield without trading? Tell me what we should do with five marking forwards when we can only accommodate three? Where is the loyalty is keeping blokes as spare parts rather than doing something that furthers their career and the club at the same time?

Sure, let's not treat players like cattle. i think a happy balance can be struck between the mechanical thinking and respectful treatment.

We be patient and wait for Trengove, Viney and Toumpas to develop more. We get one good free agent in the offseason.

Add that with Grimes, Jones and Sylvia and its a lot more solid.

i think a happy balance can be struck between the mechanical thinking and respectful treatment.

The "respectful" part is important as is the need to get our recruiting strategies up to speed where they've been poor in the past. Incidentally, you improve your list not only by trading but also by recruiting free agents and drafting new players. Then, as pointed out above, you need to develop what you have.

Whilst I think we did well from our overall recruiting last year, I didn't like the way many players were kept in a limbo in the lead up to the free agency/trade period. That plus the effects of the long running tanking saga and ultimately Neeld's poor handling of the team contributed to the disastrous collapse of confidence among the playing group at the start of the season.

I'd like to believe that our new recruiting chief Jason Taylor has plans in place and is already working on a programme to get us the best recruits, particularly in the midfield. The focus should be firstly on targeting players that fit our needs (I hope Adams is considered as one of them) and then working on who might be put on the trade table if and when the time comes to make deals. But you don't throw the baby out with the bath water by allowing players to feel unwanted by prematurely enabling the speculation to begin. I'm sure Taylor has also been looking at the availability of the list of free agents and the best under 18 and more mature players in the state leagues. The club should also be pushing the agenda of trade/draft assistance because as long as we're being thrashed on a weekly basis, we're harming the competition's bottom line.

So it's not all trades and yes, we need to be more respectful of those on the playing list if we're to develop a successful culture. The Chris Johnson/James McDonald/Brad Miller/Cameron Bruce departure scenarios need to be made a thing of the past.

I would trade Dawes ahead of Howe FWIW.

The "respectful" part is important as is the need to get our recruiting strategies up to speed where they've been poor in the past. Incidentally, you improve your list not only by trading but also by recruiting free agents and drafting new players. Then, as pointed out above, you need to develop what you have.

Whilst I think we did well from our overall recruiting last year, I didn't like the way many players were kept in a limbo in the lead up to the free agency/trade period. That plus the effects of the long running tanking saga and ultimately Neeld's poor handling of the team contributed to the disastrous collapse of confidence among the playing group at the start of the season.

I'd like to believe that our new recruiting chief Jason Taylor has plans in place and is already working on a programme to get us the best recruits, particularly in the midfield. The focus should be firstly on targeting players that fit our needs (I hope Adams is considered as one of them) and then working on who might be put on the trade table if and when the time comes to make deals. But you don't throw the baby out with the bath water by allowing players to feel unwanted by prematurely enabling the speculation to begin. I'm sure Taylor has also been looking at the availability of the list of free agents and the best under 18 and more mature players in the state leagues. The club should also be pushing the agenda of trade/draft assistance because as long as we're being thrashed on a weekly basis, we're harming the competition's bottom line.

So it's not all trades and yes, we need to be more respectful of those on the playing list if we're to develop a successful culture. The Chris Johnson/James McDonald/Brad Miller/Cameron Bruce departure scenarios need to be made a thing of the past.

I'm really not sure who you are arguing with Jack.

Nowhere have I argued that the players should be treated poorly. I've already argued about man management at Melbourne. I've written about the need to psych test applicants so that the right qualities (EQ and related ) get selected for with multiple lines of evidence for their existence. I've argued about how Jim dismissed Bailey; or how Neeld treated players; or how the board treated players. I wrote letters to Mark Neeld in his first and second years stressing the need to not lose the players while still instituting what needed to be done to help them grow a collective spine.

Do you reckon that I'd abandon all of that to chase player candy?

Do you think that anyone who reads these boards really doesn't care about player treatment given everything we've seen?

I'm really not sure who you are arguing with Jack.

Nowhere have I argued that the players should be treated poorly. I've already argued about man management at Melbourne. I've written about the need to psych test applicants so that the right qualities (EQ and related ) get selected for with multiple lines of evidence for their existence. I've argued about how Jim dismissed Bailey; or how Neeld treated players; or how the board treated players. I wrote letters to Mark Neeld in his first and second years stressing the need to not lose the players while still instituting what needed to be done to help them grow a collective spine.

Do you reckon that I'd abandon all of that to chase player candy?

Do you think that anyone who reads these boards really doesn't care about player treatment given everything we've seen?

I'm not arguing, just responding.

Must every discussion on this board automatically be an argument?

I want to keep Howe but if we can trade him to GWS for Taylor Adams AND pick 1 then I'm up for it!

Crazy talk.

Have you followed footy for long?