There are arguments on both sides, they could essentially get that leadership through free agency.

Higgins should be able to step up next year and cover somewhat for Griffin, but I think there is an argument either way.

They want pick 1 - they'll only get it through Griffin and I agree he is quality and it will take that to get pick 1.

Add Higgins and some experienced free agents and they can cover for Griffin somewhat - also taking into account the improvement of Libba, etc next year.

I'd offload Cooney and Griffin, just my opinion and it would be in the minority, but I'd take the risk like St Kilda didn't.

Be interesting to see what they do or if anyone will take the risk. Griffin is the type of player you would look at for pick one (Boyd), not sure whether anyone will come up with that currency though. Carlton would have to give Murphy but I would put Griffin ahead of him, bigger, harder, he can work a tag.

Be interesting to see what they do or if anyone will take the risk. Griffin is the type of player you would look at for pick one (Boyd), not sure whether anyone will come up with that currency though. Carlton would have to give Murphy but I would put Griffin ahead of him, bigger, harder, he can work a tag.

I totally agree, need to hold our nerve and make the other clubs offer the best possible deals for Boyd if we choose to trade him, make no mistake, teams will be desperate to get this young man on board.

I think Mundy and Nick Suban for Pick 1 and Jack Watts is a more realistic option

Seriously?

I don't know how to get him, but it was the thread I posted in. You wouldn't want picks 1 or 3 involved, but who knows, there may be a cocktail.

Jamar and pick 19 for Adams ?

Jamar is a washed up hack, who has had one very good year and one OK one. So in essence you're saying pick 19 for Adams, who was pick 13 and now has two years development under his belt. What do you reckon they'd think ?

A straight swap for Watts ? I'd do that deal. Watts will be a decent player, but imo will never step up in finals type heat, while Adams is exactly what we need.

If he is out of contract I would hope we got stuck into him as soon as word filtered out he wished to head home. If we do and sell it right we will get him a lot cheaper than another player with his talent. They run the risk of losing him to us in the PSD if they try and play hard ball on a trade and he nominates us as his club of choice.

Everything relies upon us getting into his ear and making the right offer

We should be targeting any midfielder who is coming out of contract.

Taylor Adams showed yesterday that he needs to be high on our list of options. He is the type of midfielder we need - neither solely 'inside' nor solely 'outside', but able to play both aspects of the game.

If Sloane and Fyfe are indeed out of contract (people are posting like they are but I don't know for sure), then we need to be looking at them too. Same with Dustin Martin. Dale Thomas has to be considered as well.

Of course, most/all of these calibre players will either re-sign, get 'bought' by GWS, or end up lured to a club closer to finals, so that's obviously going to work against us.

If the club adds one player to the list who would you like to see/think we could get

we have some good trade currency in Jack watts, fitz, blease, pick1 and pick 3 potentially

I think we need at least one mature age midfield leader, someone who won't take cr@p and set elite standards, support Nathan Jones and teach our Young midfield what is required

I think the club needs to bring Simon Black or Cameron Ling in as an Assistant coach to help on this front,

My number one target at this point would be David Mundy, Victorian strong bodied mid who freo may consider offering for pick 1.

Mundy is 28 and contracted to the Dockers until 2014 and IMO isn't interested in leaving and the potential of playing in Fremantle's first premiership who could blame him

Trading pick 2 or wherever we finish in the pecking order would be really silly in what looks to be a midfielder heavy draft

Great believer in drafting your own and developing your own and Fitzpatrick IMO is a keeper

As for Watts well who knows what he wants or ever becomes

Peter Jackson has identified the lack of development in the draft picks we have already had

This is what the club needs to address when the season ends and it should be based on demonstrated ability not on reputation or he was a star player crap

How do you automatically assume Simon Black is a genius at developing players just because of his brilliant status as a player ?

Don't care about method just be ruthless and get them in a red and blue tracksuit and ready to work

They don't need to lose Griffen, they need his experience and he will be captain next season. We above any other club know the damage done when you lose heart and soul senior players, add that Griffens ability and it would be a Melbourne like monumentally bad decision.

Spot on, rjay.

Taylor Adams will be coming into his third year and has the goods. Tough Geelong Falcons player who's a former first round pick.

He Viney and Nathan Jones could form a tough on-ball nucleus for many years.

Problem will be in convincing good players to come to us. The Coach will have a bearing and may help if it is the right one.

I would offer Jamar to GWS as they will lose Brogan and only have Giles. That will be more attractive if Bellchambers stays as not many more available to them.

If something else is needed to sweeten the deal that can be looked at.

Edited August 4, 201311 yr by Redleg

Assuming we get a priority pick.

Pick 1 to GWS for Adams and pick 2.

Assuming we get a priority pick.

Pick 1 to GWS for Adams and pick 2.

then who do we draft with picks 2&3 in your opinion?

Taylor Adams will not come to melbourne. Already had talks with richmond, hawthorn, carlton with Geelong also sounding out his manager.

Taylor Adams will not come to melbourne. Already had talks with richmond, hawthorn, carlton with Geelong also sounding out his manager.

Pretty hard to convince anyone to come to us over other teams at this point, might be better off to look to free agency and the draft for some talent until we get our house in order abit more, i think we can become and attractive destination again fairly quickly.

Taylor Adams will not come to melbourne. Already had talks with richmond, hawthorn, carlton with Geelong also sounding out his manager.

That’s the kind of defeatist attitude that has gotten us into this mess.

Pretty hard to convince anyone to come to us over other teams at this point, might be better off to look to free agency and the draft for some talent until we get our house in order abit more, i think we can become and attractive destination again fairly quickly.

Pretty hard to get decent FAs to come to Melb ATM regardless of cash. That was also Neeld's strategy. He got Byrnes and Rodent and drafted for talent. Didnt work for him, might for Roos/Eade/Chocko. You are correct - we can become attractive to players, but I think that will only happen when we win games next year. If that can be achieved, we might be able to attract quality around FA and draft time next year.

I'd take Adams in a heart beat.

I'd offer GWS pick 19 and Jamar and tell them if not we will grab him PSD.

As long as Adams says the same we maybe able to get him for that deal. But I doubt either of those will work

So if Melb are saying that to GWS and Adams says that to GWS, why don't we just take him in the PSD? Use pick 19 on a mid with grunt, eg, Dunstan, if he is available then? Jamar can be trade bait elsewhere.

Taylor Adams will not come to melbourne. Already had talks with richmond, hawthorn, carlton with Geelong also sounding out his manager.

As with Clark and Dawes, our only attractiveness at the moment is money. That's how we get Taylor Adams. Offer him a three year $400,000 deal. That's a lot of money for a young mid. Perhaps even add an extra year on that deal. These are the types that will turn around our fortunes quickly and the perfect age bracket.

Assuming we get a priority pick.

Pick 1 to GWS for Adams and pick 2.

Why would GWS give up Adams just to move up one rung in the draft?

That’s the kind of defeatist attitude that has gotten us into this mess.

The same defeatist attitude that got us Clark from under Fremantle's nose, you mean?

I don't think the club has been as defeatist as some on here think. MFC supporters have been, to a degree, but I don't think the club just sits around. I think the truth of it is that we try, but we don't have a great product to sell, and we haven't had great people selling it.

Edited August 5, 201311 yr by titan_uranus

Why would GWS give up Adams just to move up one rung in the draft?

Because Boyd is light years ahead of the others in the draft and if Adams wants out, pick 1 has far more leverage than pick 2. Boyd is clearly the best KPF available.

A trade of pick 1 Boyd to WB or to Carlton or to Freo who need a KPF would net perhaps two good experienced players. Pick 2 might get one if they are lucky.

I'm not real keen on offering Adams big, big dollars to be honest, i think he will be a good player, but when you're talking big dollars i am thinking throw big dollars at Daisy and Dal Santo just to add some seniority to the midfield and teach the young blokes.

That’s the kind of defeatist attitude that has gotten us into this mess.

Its hard to take you serious..

I'm not real keen on offering Adams big, big dollars to be honest, i think he will be a good player, but when you're talking big dollars i am thinking throw big dollars at Daisy and Dal Santo just to add some seniority to the midfield and teach the young blokes.

Good point. I'd like Sewell as a FA, but I read somewhere that he just re-signed. Not sure on that, though.

What about offering good money at a contracted senior mid to entice them our way? Swan, Delidio, Syney's Kennedy, Griffen? $550k pa for 3 yr deal?

Good point. I'd like Sewell as a FA, but I read somewhere that he just re-signed. Not sure on that, though.

What about offering good money at a contracted senior mid to entice them our way? Swan, Delidio, Syney's Kennedy, Griffen? $550k pa for 3 yr deal?

Mate Griffen would be worth a mil a year to us, seriously doubt we could get him though, others are at finals contenders so highly unlikely.

I would take Boyd, but I doubt very much we will have that option, more likely go to GWS, or someone will rangle a deal to get him before us. I know we are desperate for mids, but here is the plan.

Assume Watts re-signs on a (2 year deal) and Clark fails to get over the foot stress,injury (both unknowns atm)

The new coach gets 2 years to see where Watts is best suited, Hogan only signs for 2yrs??. (hope its 10, but we dont know yet) We have Boyd in the wings, should Dawes go down.

If Clark fails to get over the foot stress, we still have 2 gun fwds. (Hogan / Boyd). Our new coach gets 2 years to develop our current mids. Then weigh up his fwd options to throw on the trade table in 2 yrs time, for another AA grade Mid.

This year he then takes the best mids left in the draft, and throw around some of our players as a trade, iced with a pick. to get at least one gun 25ish mid. If Hogan got a deal from Freo (when out of contract) to come home, ( $cully like numbers) we still have him covered.

Gun Fwds are harder to come by then Mids. Boyd is a Vic. So more likely him staying. Either way we have our bases covered. In 2 yrs time, the coach decides if Watts / Howe / Fiztpatrick are keepers, and has time to sort out our Mids there atm.

There is a bit each way there. but we have more options open. But I doubt Boyd will be on the table for us to grab.

Unless we have someone that can sell ice to an eskimo we may struggle to entice a big name mid. But you never know, We got Clarke at a last ditch effort.

Edited August 5, 201311 yr by DeeVoted

I would take Boyd, but I doubt very much we will have that option, more likely go to GWS, or someone will rangle a deal to get him before us. I know we are desperate for mids, but here is the plan.

Assume Watts re-signs on a (2 year deal) and Clark fails to get over the foot stress,injury (both unknowns atm)

The new coach gets 2 years to see where Watts is best suited, Hogan only signs for 2yrs??. (hope its 10, but we dont know yet) We have Boyd in the wings, should Dawes go down.

If Clark fails to get over the foot stress, we still have 2 gun fwds. (Hogan / Boyd). Our new coach gets 2 years to develop our current mids. Then weigh up his fwd options to throw on the trade table in 2 yrs time, for another AA grade Mid.

This year he then takes the best mids left in the draft, and throw around some of our players as a trade, iced with a pick. to get at least one gun 25ish mid. If Hogan got a deal from Freo (when out of contract) to come home, ( $cully like numbers) we still have him covered.

Gun Fwds are harder to come by then Mids. Boyd is a Vic. So more likely him staying. Either way we have our bases covered. In 2 yrs time, the coach decides if Watts / Howe / Fiztpatrick are keepers, and has time to sort out our Mids there atm.

There is a bit each way there. but we have more options open. But I doubt Boyd will be on the table for us to grab.

Unless we have someone that can sell ice to an eskimo we may struggle to entice a big name mid. But you never know, We got Clarke at a last ditch effort.

One of the few who realises that our forward line could be fragile. We need to look at progressive gains. From all reports, Boyd is a standout. If we get a PP or first pick we grab him.

There is no guarantees on Clarke and Dawes is injury prone. With Boyd coming in we can afford to look at trades and draft picks for mids.

We need more than one dimensional mids, we need players who can also move forward and hurt the opposition. The downside of most of our current mids is they cannot go forward.

Mate Griffen would be worth a mil a year to us, seriously doubt we could get him though, others are at finals contenders so highly unlikely.

Oh, ok. In that case we shouldn't try and just give up. Glad you're not our head recruiter.