Just don't have the kind of money that doesn't sit within the salary cap

That is compared with the AFL backed Giants.

The Griffin trade has all the hallmarks of an act of desperation to me, and I certainly wouldn't be that keen on that kind of deal for Griffin to the Dees. I suppose they would get a fair bit of leadership value there also which they need.

I think the act alone of abandoning your club while captain speaks volumes about Griffen's "leadership" qualities.

I'd love to be proven wrong but I think today all but closed the book. Mahoney's comments didn't inspire confidence, while Dangerfield himself poured more cold water over it.

I wouldn't say it's 100% closed because this has been the wackiest trade week in living memory.

IMO our best chance now is to nail pick 2 and 3 in the draft (Brayshaw and Petracca)... somehow find the improvement to win 8+ games next year, then come at Dangermouse with $800,000 a year for 5 years. We'd be doing cartwheels this time next year if that happened.

I'd love to be proven wrong but I think today all but closed the book. Mahoney's comments didn't inspire confidence, while Dangerfield himself poured more cold water over it.

I wouldn't say it's 100% closed because this has been the wackiest trade week in living memory.

IMO our best chance now is to nail pick 2 and 3 in the draft (Brayshaw and Petracca)... somehow find the improvement to win 8+ games next year, then come at Dangermouse with $800,000 a year for 5 years. We'd be doing cartwheels this time next year if that happened.

Only to see more free agents and draftees walk out on the club, as we've seen this week with other clubs that are treading water.

We need immediate improvement. We can't wait years on end for 2 young draftees who may or may not become guns. Every single year we've waited for our top draft picks to save the club, and it still hasn't happened.

Roos needs to bring in senior, experienced and hardened bodies to get this team winning anything. I'm shocked that after the pathetic final 10 rounds of the year, any supporter legitimately thinks Lamumba, Garlett, Frost and a few 18 year olds signals the time to put our cue in the rack, especially after losing our key defender and key forward in the same off-season.

We're tracking for another bottom 2 finish unless we add serious depth to our midfield, and I'm not seeing a trace of it in our recruitment thus far. McCartin and Hogan have a combined tally of 0 AFL games, and great key forwards are worthless with the kind of pathetic delivery our midfield shanks across the park. Not to mention the half assed efforts from Watts week in, week out.

Only to see more free agents and draftees walk out on the club, as we've seen this week with other clubs that are treading water.

We need immediate improvement. We can't wait years on end for 2 young draftees who may or may not become guns. Every single year we've waited for our top draft picks to save the club, and it still hasn't happened.

Roos needs to bring in senior, experienced and hardened bodies to get this team winning anything. I'm shocked that after the pathetic final 10 rounds of the year, any supporter legitimately thinks Lamumba, Garlett, Frost and a few 18 year olds signals the time to put our cue in the rack, especially after losing our key defender and key forward in the same off-season.

We're tracking for another bottom 2 finish unless we add serious depth to our midfield, and I'm not seeing a trace of it in our recruitment thus far. McCartin and Hogan have a combined tally of 0 AFL games, and great key forwards are worthless with the kind of pathetic delivery our midfield shanks across the park. Not to mention the half assed efforts from Watts week in, week out.

I actually wanted us to trade the picks (at least one of them, anyway). I think the problem is that we have tried to trade the picks out, but haven't been able to attract any meaningful offers. Or we have chased young, gun players and been vetoed.

I was thoroughly disappointed with the last 10 games and we're very much odds-on to be bottom four again next year, but I think 8 wins should be a realistic target. We were tracking pretty well until the Collingwood game this year.

I actually wanted us to trade the picks (at least one of them, anyway). I think the problem is that we have tried to trade the picks out, but haven't been able to attract any meaningful offers. Or we have chased young, gun players and been vetoed.

I was thoroughly disappointed with the last 10 games and we're very much odds-on to be bottom four again next year, but I think 8 wins should be a realistic target. We were tracking pretty well until the Collingwood game this year.

I'd be so disappointed in the club if we didn't pursue our draft targets to the ends of the earth. If GWS can convince the captain of the Bulldogs to come to them, surely we can lure big targets of our own. Roos has a penchant for identifying young talent that might not be valued that highly at their current club (Tyson a clear example), so I'm hoping he's got a plan at work here.

I'll be very disappointed if we go into the draft with picks 2 and 3, unless they genuinely believe the players they'll draft with those picks will be better than any other available established player in the league... and I find that hard to believe.

I would love to go in to the draft with picks 2 and 3

Always prefer to develop our own

Robbie Flower, Jim Stynes, Garry Lyon, Greg Healy, Todd Viney, David Neitz, David Schwarz, Nathan Jones, Brett Lovett,...

All started as Demons, all developed their craft at the MFC, all one club players

Would take that any day over trading away picks 2 or 3 for a bloke thats spent years at another club

We now have Paul Roos, George Stone, Simon Goodwin... surely these guys will back themselves in to nail high end draft picks and turn them into stars

I would love to go in to the draft with picks 2 and 3

Always prefer to develop our own

Robbie Flower, Jim Stynes, Garry Lyon, Greg Healy, Todd Viney, David Neitz, David Schwarz, Nathan Jones, Brett Lovett,...

All started as Demons, all developed their craft at the MFC, all one club players

Would take that any day over trading away picks 2 or 3 for a bloke thats spent years at another club

We now have Paul Roos, George Stone, Simon Goodwin... surely these guys will back themselves in to nail high end draft picks and turn them into stars

I'd rather trade pick 2 + 23 bring in Danger, then draft Brayshaw with pick 3

If GWS can convince the captain of the Bulldogs to come to them, surely we can lure big targets of our own.

Griffin went to GWS for 3 specific reasons:

Cameron (coach) is ex Bulldogs, and they get on well and have worked together before.

There are ex-Bulldogs players there who he's mates with (Callum Ward for starters).

He's not a "limelight" player, and nowhere better to quietly ply your trade than GWS.

He would not have come to us under any circumstances, because none of the above criteria apply (except for having Daniel Cross). He would not have gone to any other club either for that matter.

I'm shocked that after the pathetic final 10 rounds of the year, any supporter legitimately thinks Lamumba, Garlett, Frost and a few 18 year olds signals the time to put our cue in the rack, especially after losing our key defender and key forward in the same off-season.

They're called trades. i.e., there are multiple protagonists and criteria to be satisfied: clubs, players, agents, money, girlfriends, wives, ex-wives and ex-girlfriends, (sick) parents or grandparents, money, playing opportunities, coaches, team-mates, injury history, age, money, etc. ... its a long long list, and they all have an impact on possible outcomes. Amongst it all, it's a wonder that ANY trades get done!

But if they're not done, it's not because someone has "put their cue in the rack". It's because between the clubs, players, agents, money etc. etc. - keeping all these balls in the air and getting them to come down at the right place at the right time just hasn't been possible.

If it was as easy as what you're making out, we'd have a team full of AA players and Brownlow medalists, and the rest, as they say, would be history.

One final point: it's perfectly feasible that half of the top 10 at next year's B&F will be made up of players who have been traded in over these 2 years. That's a more than solid result.

I think we should simply move this a year down the track now - we have an opportunity to set up our long term future in this draft and we have made it known to Dangerfield that if he wishes to comes to Melbourne there is a $5m contract waiting for him.

If Adelaide want to play this game of blind chicken they can, and if Dangerfield wishes to put up with the ferals next year he can - we will get our plan together.

Perhaps he will already agree with a club now, to leave to in 12 months time. Perhaps he will leave it as late as, seemingly, Frawley did.

But he knows right now that the MFC have the capacity and desire for him and he knows who his coach would be for his career should he decide to come.

Not sure if its been mentioned on the 101 pages so far, but I believe that Dangers old man is on the crows recruitment staff or has been offered a role in a deal similar to Scully's old man.

Just learnt this today and thought it was a interesting

I've given up hope on Dangerfield in light of recent statements from us and him and the AFC.

We don't stand a chance next season - FA has already shown that the vast majority of players will favour some success over cold hard cash.

With all this turmoil affecting clubs, it wouldn't surprise me if Hawthorn stayed at the top of the table for the next 10 years. I also wouldn't be surprised if Dangerfield ended up with them next season.

You gotta wonder if this sudden change of heart about taking picks 2 and 3 to the draft is because the Saints told us they're taking McCartin?

Maybe because we can't land a big fish mid with 2&3....

I would love to go in to the draft with picks 2 and 3

Always prefer to develop our own

Robbie Flower, Jim Stynes, Garry Lyon, Greg Healy, Todd Viney, David Neitz, David Schwarz, Nathan Jones, Brett Lovett,...

All started as Demons, all developed their craft at the MFC, all one club players

Would take that any day over trading away picks 2 or 3 for a bloke thats spent years at another club

We now have Paul Roos, George Stone, Simon Goodwin... surely these guys will back themselves in to nail high end draft picks and turn them into stars

And how many flags did we win with that lot?

Not sure if its been mentioned on the 101 pages so far, but I believe that Dangers old man is on the crows recruitment staff or has been offered a role in a deal similar to Scully's old man.

Just learnt this today and thought it was a interesting

Who told you that?

Someone is pulling your leg.

Petracca and Brayshaw. Would be very happy with that.

Petracca and Brayshaw. Would be very happy with that.

That would be an awesome result for us.

We'd definitely have the makings of a great young midfield with those two, plus our current crop of Viney, Tyson, JKH, Kent, Riley, Michie, Trengove and Toumpas.

I would love to go in to the draft with picks 2 and 3

Always prefer to develop our own

Robbie Flower, Jim Stynes, Garry Lyon, Greg Healy, Todd Viney, David Neitz, David Schwarz, Nathan Jones, Brett Lovett,...

All started as Demons, all developed their craft at the MFC, all one club players

Would take that any day over trading away picks 2 or 3 for a bloke thats spent years at another club

We now have Paul Roos, George Stone, Simon Goodwin... surely these guys will back themselves in to nail high end draft picks and turn them into stars

How old are you? 50? Get with the professional times, man. Do you care about players or wins?

Always prefer to develop our own

Robbie Flower, Jim Stynes, Garry Lyon, Greg Healy, Todd Viney, David Neitz, David Schwarz, Nathan Jones, Brett Lovett,...

All started as Demons, all developed their craft at the MFC, all one club players

FA is here to stay, get with it or stop following the sport, the players above are from a time longggg gone, bar Jones who has not finished his career yet and cannot be counted in that list. FA was created in this comp BY THE PLAYERS! Why are they suddenly not going to use it??? So we shouldn't use it as a weapon get left behind again???

This trade period isnt over..

Lots of things can still happen and probably will, but not til later next week.

it aint over....til its over !! just saying

Who told you that?

Someone is pulling your leg.

Could be right, could be wrong.

No reason to think they are pulling my leg however but will see.

I don't have any more mail on this, but I suspect the answer is no. We went hard - picks 2 and 3 for Adelaide, highest paid player in the league for Danger.

But he had to want to do it. I can't see how he can do that interview yesterday and jump ship today. There will be no official announcement because there's nothing to announce.

Onwards and upwards. Next stop - Breakfast Point

Could be right, could be wrong.

No reason to think they are pulling my leg however but will see.

No, it's wrong.

Have a number of associates who know Mr Danger well.

He's a schoolteacher mate.

I don't have any more mail on this, but I suspect the answer is no. We went hard - picks 2 and 3 for Adelaide, highest paid player in the league for Danger.

But he had to want to do it. I can't see how he can do that interview yesterday and jump ship today. There will be no official announcement because there's nothing to announce.

Onwards and upwards. Next stop - Breakfast Point

Hey there Chook. It seems like the west is unbelievably quiet on the trade front. As you are from Perth, have you heard anything? Are they playing possum just waiting to pounce or are they all on holidays?

Its been so quiet I wondered whether our 'next stop' might be WA to offload pick 2 or 3 for one of those superstar mids at

dockers/eagles...afterall Ross is absolutely desparate for a forward. Would be happy to take one of his lads or two with a pick or two thrown in...any chance?