Biclavs is their principal ruckman now.

To follow the arguments about Geelong, just because they have traded 3 players into the club won't get them across the line necessarily.

S.Selwood is not Joel, and the fact that WCE failed to match the bid indicates even they don't think he is all that great, despite their bleatings after the event.

Dangerfield is one of the top A-grade players in the competition, but he got himself to Geelong, not the other way around.

Henderson...Smith.....maybe, maybe not.

As Wise has noted their backline is ageing quickly. They lost Rivers this year and haven't replaced him. They have also lost S Johnson, who probably won them half a dozen games off his own boot.

AND they were beaten by a bottom 6 side at their home ground this year and didn't make the finals.

They have thrown everything at getting into finals again, ( rightly so at their point of development), but it will not win them a Premiership. Hawthorn is the model for that. They don't bring 4 mature players into the side in 1 year and throw away their top draft picks.

An interesting appraisal there GOTO.. I see Geelong battling for a similar part of the ladder as us next year...the middle 6

Geelong had for many years a synergy going for them with many players knowing how to play with each other. Now they have to re-gel as Geelong. I think they're trading very well. How they PLAY is another thing. We'll only know when they do.

Makes me sick seeing Geelong rack up players at will.

Not that Henderson or Selwood are great players, but they seem to be getting all the deals done while it's all silent on our end.

We can't even get the Melksham deal done, and nobody is even interested in him FFS!

Most on here would share your feelings.

What is sustaining me, is that it is the deal you do, not when you do it.

I am in a conundrum - I want Geelong to fail badly but I don't want Carlton to get a good pick...

Let's hope Geelong are middle of the road next year, then terrible after that.

It's the best of scenarios!

as I suggest elsehwere I see the Cats being exactly that...middle of the road.. ( as do I us ) Hope we get out the way first .

Most on here would share your feelings.

What is sustaining me, is that it is the deal you do, not when you do it.

Well I hope that they will do something soon RL

I must admit i am completely underwhelmed with what has been reported so far.

Obviously no big fish and the comparison with Geelong is interesting. They have gone with a well publicised strategy and implemented their plans efficiently, professionally, quickly and successfully.

MFC on the other hand........ What is the strategy??

Well I hope that they will do something soon RL

I must admit i am completely underwhelmed with what has been reported so far.

Obviously no big fish and the comparison with Geelong is interesting. They have gone with a well publicised strategy and implemented their plans efficiently, professionally, quickly and successfully.

MFC on the other hand........ What is the strategy??

Stay calm jackaub there is still a week to go

Stay calm jackaub there is still a week to go

Hard to be calm when your remember what this club hasn't done over the last 9 years OD

But wise advice as usual and thanks Calmer now>

Cats paid way overs for Henderson. They seem intent on mortgaging their future for the chance at ending Hawthorns reign.

Their arrogance will backfire on them big time.

Cats paid way overs for Henderson. They seem intent on mortgaging their future for the chance at ending Hawthorns reign.

Their arrogance will backfire on them big time.

Would you swap their ins for ours? I think yes is the answer.

Cats paid way overs for Henderson. They seem intent on mortgaging their future for the chance at ending Hawthorns reign.

Their arrogance will backfire on them big time.

I doubt it very much.

Well I hope that they will do something soon RL

I must admit i am completely underwhelmed with what has been reported so far.

Obviously no big fish and the comparison with Geelong is interesting. They have gone with a well publicised strategy and implemented their plans efficiently, professionally, quickly and successfully.

MFC on the other hand........ What is the strategy??

Biding time and testing waters in order to get the best possible deals for the players we are targetting.

Wouldn't you rather that than the club throwing picks away like candy, when better deals may arise as the trade period transpires.

We are not Geelong (yet). We dont have the luxury of players lining up to pull on our jumper like they do. None of us have any idea what is going on behind closed doors, we are not alone in the lack of activity department...its the third day!

Why ?

Right now it doesn't matter how Toumpas got to the club. He's evaluated on his 3 years at the club. I'd like pick 29 too, but Port aren't going to pay much for a player who in all likelihood will play more at SANFL level next year than the AFL.

I think he is evaluated on more than his 3 years on the list. He's evaluated on his career. Being pick 4 indicates that he had/has talent which for one reason or another has failed to translate to MFC.

It might be for a number of reasons and it's the evaluation of those reasons which sets the good recruiters from the bad. He's been in a toxic environment in his first year, he's been at a club where there has been little leadership and who have been the easy beats of the competition for all his career, he came in after two hip operations, he's probably at a club whose game plan doesn't suit his style, he came in with big expectations at a club known to drown its youngsters and he's intermittently played good footy.

He might also just be a bust. But certainly nobody expected him to be a bust when drafted and so the question is was everyone wrong or did something go wrong that can be fixed? If he was pick 15 in the rookie draft nobody would bid for him but he was pick 4 in the ND and that does count for something. It's why Port are prepared to take him on.

Prestia's manager on trade radio: "He will 100% be at the Gold Coast Suns next year"

Edited October 14, 201510 yr by Scythe

Prestia's manager on trade radio: "He will 100% be at the Gold Coast Suns next year"

That should put to bed any notion of him coming to us... this year.

But wait for some poor souls who still believe we are a chance to get him this year. I feel sorry for them.

Weren't there a heap criticisms of Dangerfield only a year ago about his durability going too heavily into packs without regard for his wellbeing. Selwood in a similar vein. They've got a year or two to gel before they can provide a serious challenge and even then it's dependent on a lot of variables namely how their coach adapts his approach to the Clarko-era. Their window will close very quickly with the advent of some serious young fast stars rising around the competition. Their best chance is their middle and bottom rung players excelling and developing their own intuitive team game style that uses the polish of their aging danger and selwoods in 3-5 years time in the way Hawthorn are doing with Hodge and Burgoyne. But no way are they seriously challenging in the next two years imo. No magic bullet.

Edited October 14, 201510 yr by johndemons

Hard to be calm when your remember what this club hasn't done over the last 9 years OD

But wise advice as usual and thanks Calmer now>

lower your site to say last couple of years. Should make you breathe better

That should put to bed any notion of him coming to us... this year.

But wait for some poor souls who still believe we are a chance to get him this year. I feel sorry for them.

As his manager said, there are 10 clubs in Melbourne, all of whom will have interest in Prestia. If he hits the open market uncontracted, we will have very little chance of securing him.

Watch him go to Hawthorn next year.

Edited October 14, 201510 yr by Scythe

I think he is evaluated on more than his 3 years on the list. He's evaluated on his career. Being pick 4 indicates that he had/has talent which for one reason or another has failed to translate to MFC.

It might be for a number of reasons and it's the evaluation of those reasons which sets the good recruiters from the bad. He's been in a toxic environment in his first year, he's been at a club where there has been little leadership and who have been the easy beats of the competition for all his career, he came in after two hip operations, he's probably at a club whose game plan doesn't suit his style, he came in with big expectations at a club known to drown its youngsters and he's intermittently played good footy.

He might also just be a bust. But certainly nobody expected him to be a bust when drafted and so the question is was everyone wrong or did something go wrong that can be fixed? If he was pick 15 in the rookie draft nobody would bid for him but he was pick 4 in the ND and that does count for something. It's why Port are prepared to take him on.

Id agree there may well be some residual perceived idea as to talents and abilities based up his early/young form. Some recruiters /development folk may think they can extract what others havent. If nothing else this is what you hope.

It's like...

Would you swap their ins for ours? I think yes is the answer.

Thats irrelevant. Henderson is 26 and an average player, and Geelong paid too much for him. They are now out of the first and second round this year and the first round next year.

They better hope its worth it for a 5 year Dangerfield loan.. hes a prime candidate to break down by age 30.

That should put to bed any notion of him coming to us... this year.

But wait for some poor souls who still believe we are a chance to get him this year. I feel sorry for them.

then again Boyd wasnt going anywhere either.

moral.....never say never.. not until fat lady is singing the encore

Prestia will be a dee in 2017. Book it in

Id agree there may well be some residual perceived idea as to talents and abilities based up his early/young form. Some recruiters /development folk may think they can extract what others havent. If nothing else this is what you hope.

I think Roos has gone beyond the stage of giving opportunities to players who repeatedly create momentum crushing turnovers. I'm really glad we're getting rid of Toumpas. Development potentiality doesn't supercede the liability of mistakes. We're now realising that having patience with players who have potential is just as dangerous as your vfl standard players who are filling in the gaps and waiting to be replaced.

Edited October 14, 201510 yr by johndemons

As his manager said, there are 10 clubs in Melbourne, all of whom will have interest in Prestia. If he hits the open market uncontracted, we will have very little chance of securing him.

Watch him go to Hawthorn next year.

He'll go elsewhere at the end of next year IF we don't move forward as a club. If we can show him further improvement with a view to finals then there is no reason why he can't choose us as a destination club at the end of 2016. If we go backwards or simply tread water then I wouldn't blame him if he looked elsewhere.

I think Roos has gone beyond the stage of giving opportunities to players who repeatedly create momentum crushing turnovers. I'm really glad we're getting rid of Toumpas. Development potentiality doesn't supercede the liability of mistakes. We're now realising that even players with potential are just as dangerous as your vfl standard players who are filling in the gaps.

I agree in so far as I think JT has exhausted the hopes of the club ( ours ) . Im just thinking he may appeal to another club who thinks he's been cruelled.

I think he is evaluated on more than his 3 years on the list. He's evaluated on his career. Being pick 4 indicates that he had/has talent which for one reason or another has failed to translate to MFC.

It might be for a number of reasons and it's the evaluation of those reasons which sets the good recruiters from the bad. He's been in a toxic environment in his first year, he's been at a club where there has been little leadership and who have been the easy beats of the competition for all his career, he came in after two hip operations, he's probably at a club whose game plan doesn't suit his style, he came in with big expectations at a club known to drown its youngsters and he's intermittently played good footy.

He might also just be a bust. But certainly nobody expected him to be a bust when drafted and so the question is was everyone wrong or did something go wrong that can be fixed? If he was pick 15 in the rookie draft nobody would bid for him but he was pick 4 in the ND and that does count for something. It's why Port are prepared to take him on.

Pick 4 is the reason he has suitors and the reason a club may hold onto him longer. It may also glean a better pick, but it appears Port are the only ones interested in him even though Mahoney has stated he's happy to stay in Melbourne.

His talent hasn't "failed to translate to the MFC", it's failed to translate to AFL level football. When people were wetting themselves over his 3 or 4 goals in an intraclub at Gosch's a couple of year ago all I saw was a player who was hopeless in the contest and showed an appalling ability to evade tackles and the opposition. I left with real concerns over him as a player. Nothing has changed since then.

Sometime you buy shares in what appears to be a solid company only to be disappointed years down the track. You can hold on because of the reasons you bought in the first place or you can cut your losses. What you initially paid has no bearing on current market value. I don't see Toumpas being worth much at all.