1 hour ago, Peter Griffen said:

If a good player wants to come to your club i reckon you go for it, yes we have some inside mids already but Prestia would be as good as anyone we have, and has plenty of room to develop even further, he's a good leader and he's not a bad outside player either.

i understand the concern about our lack of outside class and polish but i am firmly of the belief that Kennedy, Trengove, Petracca, Watts, N.Jones, M.Jones, Vince and Salem can all play roles that will in time make us very dangerous on the outside.

If you look at Hawthorn's team over the last two or three years, they have a little bit of speed, but their bonafide A graders are mostly pretty one paced - particularly in the middle. At least Dion has a bit of zip about him.

I'd also go hard at someone like Devon Smith and/or Josh Kelly too. Could play forward and run through the midfield or in Kelly's case, off half back. I think ball-winning ability is being preferenced for our list and outside pace is being seen as an element that can be strengthened by FA down the track. I think this is the approach Hawthorn have taken too, whether by luck (coming into their powers at a time when FA is a new and unknown beast). But it seems like our (dare I say it) blue print is getting that solid team of hard-at-it onballers first, building the team around them, Hogan, Tommy Mac and good ball users in Salem, Vince and Watts.

I can't believe this is even a debate! If there's a chance we can get him to the club, we go for it. It's not even a question. 

Essendon and at least one other Vic club (Hawks?) were into him last year as well. I can't imagine him going to Essendon now so we would have to be in with a chance. If we can't get someone with Prestia's family links to the club we're doing something wrong.

8 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

I can't believe this is even a debate! If there's a chance we can get him to the club, we go for it. It's not even a question. 

Essendon and at least one other Vic club (Hawks?) were into him last year as well. I can't imagine him going to Essendon now so we would have to be in with a chance. If we can't get someone with Prestia's family links to the club we're doing something wrong.

I think it was on FC last night it was said that Tigers are into Prestia and Lachie Witfield big time and that they must get one of them. 

Despite the emotional attachment on here to Prestia, who would take him over Witfield if it was either/or?

Point is aside from wanting to bring a demon supporter home who else is there that might fit our needs better?  I reckon if we take our red and blue blinkers off we could find a few - maybe not shining gems like Witfield and Prestia but some decent rough diamonds that fit our all our requirements.

Happy to have Dion just don't feel wedded to the 'must have' thinking of some on here.  There are other options.

24 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

I think it was on FC last night it was said that Tigers are into Prestia and Lachie Witfield big time and that they must get one of them. 

Despite the emotional attachment on here to Prestia, who would take him over Witfield if it was either/or?

Point is aside from wanting to bring a demon supporter home who else is there that might fit our needs better?  I reckon if we take our red and blue blinkers off we could find a few - maybe not shining gems like Witfield and Prestia but some decent rough diamonds that fit our all our requirements.

Happy to have Dion just don't feel wedded to the 'must have' thinking of some on here.  There are other options.

I'd go for Prestia over Whitfield every day of the week. Remembering performances from both of them that I've seen, and having a look at their career numbers, Dion is definitely the better player IMO.

I think recruiting players from expansion clubs will start getting harder by the year. They put a lot of time, money and resources into developing their high draft pick players - only for a team to poach them and trade them back a high draft pick in return. Surely this cycle hurts these clubs and will start demanding quality players in return rather than draft picks like Griffen part of the Boyd deal to ensure they have an immediate impact to help them push for finals.

If we successfully land Prestia or Whitfield for that example, we would have to look at parting with a player of value +2nd/3rd round pick to get these types of deals done one would assume.

 

 

 

32 minutes ago, juzzk1d said:

I think recruiting players from expansion clubs will start getting harder by the year. They put a lot of time, money and resources into developing their high draft pick players - only for a team to poach them and trade them back a high draft pick in return. Surely this cycle hurts these clubs and will start demanding quality players in return rather than draft picks like Griffen part of the Boyd deal to ensure they have an immediate impact to help them push for finals.

If we successfully land Prestia or Whitfield for that example, we would have to look at parting with a player of value +2nd/3rd round pick to get these types of deals done one would assume.

 

 

 

Who would you be willing to part with? It would need to be someone with talent to get the deal done.

The expansion teams have academy's which are a massive advantage. But on the flip side, they will always need draft picks to get the players.

37 minutes ago, juzzk1d said:

I think recruiting players from expansion clubs will start getting harder by the year. They put a lot of time, money and resources into developing their high draft pick players - only for a team to poach them and trade them back a high draft pick in return. Surely this cycle hurts these clubs and will start demanding quality players in return rather than draft picks like Griffen part of the Boyd deal to ensure they have an immediate impact to help them push for finals.

If we successfully land Prestia or Whitfield for that example, we would have to look at parting with a player of value +2nd/3rd round pick to get these types of deals done one would assume.

I disagree. I think the right draft picks would get it done, especially since the player would have to nominate us as his preferred destination which would automatically put us in an advantageous negotiating position. 

If one of those players wants to come to us, the club will find a way to get it done. Given our trading history over the past few seasons, I'm also confident that we would be big winners in the deal.

for either deal i think we'd be giving up this years second round pick and next years first rounder. maybe a swap of later picks.

4 hours ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

I think it was on FC last night it was said that Tigers are into Prestia and Lachie Witfield big time and that they must get one of them. 

Despite the emotional attachment on here to Prestia, who would take him over Witfield if it was either/or?

Point is aside from wanting to bring a demon supporter home who else is there that might fit our needs better?  I reckon if we take our red and blue blinkers off we could find a few - maybe not shining gems like Witfield and Prestia but some decent rough diamonds that fit our all our requirements.

Happy to have Dion just don't feel wedded to the 'must have' thinking of some on here.  There are other options.

Dion is the much better player, so you take the better player.

14 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

If Prestia finishes top 3 in the Suns B&F, he will command $600k a year.  I agree it's overs but other Victorian clubs will be into Prestia big time, especially the drug takers at Windy Hill.

You have no idea what the salary cap will be next year or 5 years down the track.

$600k will not be overs for a player like Prestia.

Wonder if his manager was on speed dial this afternoon?

2 hours ago, SaberFang said:

Wonder if his manager was on speed dial this afternoon?

Gold Coast winning tonight won't help our cause though, combined with the other match that occurred today.

No one who is talented and serious about success would entertain coming to Melbourne.

 

We remain as much of a joke as we were pre-Roos.

 

Prestia is more likely to go to Essendon than he is to come to Melbourne.

5 minutes ago, DemonAndrew said:

No one who is talented and serious about success would entertain coming to Melbourne.

 

We remain as much of a joke as we were pre-Roos.

 

Prestia is more likely to go to Essendon than he is to come to Melbourne.

Especially when they get a gap year, pick 1, and a reinjection of their entire senior list next year. Funny that if any club proclaimed they were voluntarily dropping their 12 best players for an entire season to get pick 1, they'd be fined millions and stripped of draft picks.

Today's loss is disastrous for membership, player recruitment and earning respect.

Edited April 2, 20169 yr by SaberFang

Agree 100%.

 

Our club is just a disaster zone of ineptitude.

4 minutes ago, SaberFang said:

Especially when they get a gap year, pick 1, and a reinjection of their entire senior list next year. Funny that if any club proclaimed they were voluntarily dropping their 12 best players for an entire season to get pick 1, they'd be fined millions and stripped of draft picks.

Today's loss is disastrous for membership, player recruitment and earning respect.

Its a long way back now isnt it. Shows how much can change in a week doesn't it. 

19 minutes ago, Wells 11 said:

Its a long way back now isnt it. Shows how much can change in a week doesn't it. 

Sadly yes, the bottom clubs simply can't afford these kinds of losses in the current climate of the AFL. Saints performance tonight in Riewoldt's 300th is pathetic in its own right, but at least they had a dip. The Bulldogs are also miles ahead of the garbage opposition we played today.

Welcome to the Dees Dion.

I think it was said when Prestia re-signed with the Suns a couple of years ago, one of the things that was foremost in his consideration was the fact that the team looked as if it had a real future while we were a long way off the pace.

There's been a massive turnaround and the Suns are a train wreck. He will probably leave at the end of the year. The question is whether we're still interested at the price his management is asking (and that's also going to partly depend on how his body stands up in view of recent injuries)?

I think Clarry just knocked his price down a little 

It's getting interesting.

At the beginning of the year I was all for a player like Prestia to come to the club and whilst I haven't completely changed my mind, I do think that there are some rather glaringly obvious weaknesses positionally speaking that certain players would be able to fill and I'm not sure Prestia is on of those. 

The next layer for our squad is to inject one or two quality two-way outside/power runners who are skilled and they obviously won't come cheap. Prestia has a lot of things going for him as a player who excels at stoppages and clearances. 

But last night all but confirmed we have the best crop of young clearance and stoppage mids within the AFL.

I'm starting to think the money could be better spent if there is someone who could really add to what we're crying out for.

Then again, I wouldn't complain if we landed Dion.

(Jeez Maxy was really getting into him last night in a physical way).

Edited May 8, 20169 yr by stevethemanjordan

He'd be handy. Not a priority for mine

Edited May 7, 20169 yr by beelzebub

1 minute ago, beelzebub said:

He'd be handy. Not a priority for mine

Wouldn't get a game in our midfield....

He looked to lack effort in this game much like a lot of his team mates. 

2 minutes ago, Vineytime said:

Wouldn't get a game in our midfield....

Haha, yeah ok

 love him at the club (for the right price ) but if Hurley is available id take him to fill a hole in defence I'll back our group of midfielders to get the job done but we also need that outside mid to run and carry the ball like a gaff from WC 

Edited May 7, 20169 yr by Tnc dee