7 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Are we playing 'Jeopardy' now? 

Just suggesting we have already bridged the conscience divide what is another at this point.

Are we talking this year or next year for Hurley? He is on a five year deal to the end of 2017, at which time he will become a RFA.

If we were into him for this year any potential trade would involve significant complexity / players moving in order to satisfy Essendon's terms, given we don't have a first round draft pick this year. 

3 hours ago, Thrice said:

Are we talking this year or next year for Hurley? He is on a five year deal to the end of 2017, at which time he will become a RFA.

If we were into him for this year any potential trade would involve significant complexity / players moving in order to satisfy Essendon's terms, given we don't have a first round draft pick this year. 

Essendon may not have terms if their contracts are null & void!

I think the biggest proplem is everyone thought Essendumb where going to pick the best reserve players across the land as there top up, instead they picked up a few really good delisted players but There is a reason why the top up players were all delisted at the end of the 2015 season, They're all past there prime and there body's are cooked. they will compete in the first half of the season but when they get injured is when they are going to struggle. 

22 hours ago, ILLDieADemon said:

I think the biggest proplem is everyone thought Essendumb where going to pick the best reserve players across the land as there top up, instead they picked up a few really good delisted players but There is a reason why the top up players were all delisted at the end of the 2015 season, They're all past there prime and there body's are cooked. they will compete in the first half of the season but when they get injured is when they are going to struggle. 

I pointed this out in another thread but many felt that the Bombers did the right thing by recruiting mainly experienced recently retired/delisted players who had passed their use by dates at other clubs. 

It's my view that they should have gone for a more even mix of players including players young enough to have the incentive of making careers for themselves. Players who Kevin Sheedy described in a book as "second chance heroes". Such players might not have had the experience of the likes of Crowley, Kelly, Stokes and Jamar but the right selections could have added some spirit and drive. I'm not sure that the "dad's army" can do that over a whole year.

On 16 March 2016 at 8:28 AM, rjay said:

 

I would think after being suspended in a big part due to EFC, the players have every right to walk out on the club...

Not suggesting they shouldn't, the flogs at Ess don't think they do from what I had read.

Interesting article on Heppell.. Seems like he is quite angry at the club. Not once did he mention that he would like to continue with the club and remain an Essendon player.

Should we seriously consider him at the end of the year?

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/essendon/suspended-bomber-dyson-heppell-says-he-feels-let-down-by-essendon-for-drugs-saga-that-saw-suspension/news-story/c392044bf72996af9080362162dadc20

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Interesting article on Heppell.. Seems like he is quite angry at the club. Not once did he mention that he would like to continue with the club and remain an Essendon player.

Should we seriously consider him at the end of the year?

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/essendon/suspended-bomber-dyson-heppell-says-he-feels-let-down-by-essendon-for-drugs-saga-that-saw-suspension/news-story/c392044bf72996af9080362162dadc20

Absolutely.  There are two top notch players in that Bombers group that I'd love to have at Melbourne, and they are Heppell and Hurley.  If there's any chance to get either of those two, we'd be mad not to try.  They would add to our group significantly.

Mores the better if it's using a clause that allows the player to null their contract and come across without costing us a dime in trade compensation.

On 17 March 2016 at 2:26 PM, Thrice said:

Are we talking this year or next year for Hurley? He is on a five year deal to the end of 2017, at which time he will become a RFA.

If we were into him for this year any potential trade would involve significant complexity / players moving in order to satisfy Essendon's terms, given we don't have a first round draft pick this year. 

The twelve current players banned will become delisted free agents and it will be open slather - although I think that's already begun.

5 hours ago, McQueen said:

The twelve current players banned will become delisted free agents and it will be open slather - although I think that's already begun.

And Ess will get comp draft picks 1, 2, 3, 4 if Hooker, Heppell and Hurley go and they finish last.  Then a whole heap of round 2 and 3 picks.  Lots of high draft picks is exactly what they want because the 12 (except Heppell) probably won't be there when they vie for the flag again.  And tragically the AFL will stand back and let them get the spoils of their illegal activities.  There was talk of scrapping the FA comp picks this year but I think the AFL will put it off till Ess get their fill. 

I would hope that at some stage the other club Presidents rally and call 'foul' over this and not allow it to happen.  Unlike Melb, Brisb, Carlton, StK.  Ess will be last because of cheating not poor performance or poor playing list.  They should not get rewarded for cheating.  They have had more than enough rewards already.

On 16/03/2016 at 9:07 AM, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Two things. I'm not sure if the correct word is irony, schadenfruede, serendipity or something else - but given one of the major reasons for the players being suspended was that they signed consent forms, I would have thought it would make it much harder for players to argue a breach of faith by the Essendon club as a reason to get out of their contracts.

Secondly, hypocrisy alert.  Where has all the outrage gone? Now that there is discussion of Hurley possibly coming to Melbourne, where are all the posters who want nothing to do with any Essendon player involved with the scandal? 

From memory, the consent form issue was brought into focus on 4 corners the other night.  Hal Hunter had signed very few forms at all.

Milking the EFC drug cheats might not be a good idea,players may be stuffed in the head as a result of the ongoing saga. Those players suspended may be able to walk free of charge ( no compensation to the EFC } 

On 3/21/2016 at 10:25 PM, ChaserJ said:

Absolutely.  There are two top notch players in that Bombers group that I'd love to have at Melbourne, and they are Heppell and Hurley.  If there's any chance to get either of those two, we'd be mad not to try.  They would add to our group significantly.

Mores the better if it's using a clause that allows the player to null their contract and come across without costing us a dime in trade compensation.

I wonder what influence Goodwin will have at the end of this year, given his time spent at the EFC. I'd take Heppell too FWIW. Make it happen, Goodie.

On 3/22/2016 at 6:31 AM, Lucifer's Hero said:

And Ess will get comp draft picks 1, 2, 3, 4 if Hooker, Heppell and Hurley go and they finish last.  Then a whole heap of round 2 and 3 picks.  Lots of high draft picks is exactly what they want because the 12 (except Heppell) probably won't be there when they vie for the flag again.  And tragically the AFL will stand back and let them get the spoils of their illegal activities.  There was talk of scrapping the FA comp picks this year but I think the AFL will put it off till Ess get their fill. 

I would hope that at some stage the other club Presidents rally and call 'foul' over this and not allow it to happen.  Unlike Melb, Brisb, Carlton, StK.  Ess will be last because of cheating not poor performance or poor playing list.  They should not get rewarded for cheating.  They have had more than enough rewards already.

Didn't the AFL quietly rule that all banned players could exercise the rights of a DELISTED free agent come season's end? There's no FA compensation for Essendon in that scenario, so they'd be up the creek.

It remains to be seen what the players will do. They could royally screw their club if so desired, but the dimwits have all been successfully brainwashed into blaming WADA/ASADA and not the bastards who injected them.

36 minutes ago, SaberFang said:

Didn't the AFL quietly rule that all banned players could exercise the rights of a DELISTED free agent come season's end? There's no FA compensation for Essendon in that scenario, so they'd be up the creek.

It remains to be seen what the players will do. They could royally screw their club if so desired, but the dimwits have all been successfully brainwashed into blaming WADA/ASADA and not the bastards who injected them.

Mind you, the AFL have consistently shown a willingness to change the rules as circumstances (in the AFL's view) require.

38 minutes ago, SaberFang said:

Didn't the AFL quietly rule that all banned players could exercise the rights of a DELISTED free agent come season's end? There's no FA compensation for Essendon in that scenario, so they'd be up the creek.

It remains to be seen what the players will do. They could royally screw their club if so desired, but the dimwits have all been successfully brainwashed into blaming WADA/ASADA and not the bastards who injected them.

Good point SaberFang.  Now that you mention it I do recall the Delisted FA 'decision'.  I have a feeling that was before the 12 were suspended and can't recall whether it was a ruling or just 'musings'.  A bit like the musings that Port, StK, WB and Melb could have a top-up player and when other clubs ganged up and 'vehemently' objected the AFL stopped 'musing' and ruled against it! 

I do hope you are right and they are Delisted FA's.  I fear the AFL could just change their mind with the 'changed circumstances'.  The AFL will probably wait and see how many are going to leave before they give a definitive ruling. They seem to be bending over backwards to get EFC up and running for 'the good of the game'!

I hope the other 17 clubs 'vehemently' object if the usual FA comp picks rules are applied and result in top draft picks falling into EFC's lap.

1 hour ago, SaberFang said:

Didn't the AFL quietly rule that all banned players could exercise the rights of a DELISTED free agent come season's end? There's no FA compensation for Essendon in that scenario, so they'd be up the creek.

It remains to be seen what the players will do. They could royally screw their club if so desired, but the dimwits have all been successfully brainwashed into blaming WADA/ASADA and not the bastards who injected them.

i seem to remember it was more the aflpa that said that (re breach of contract conditions) and the afl didn't make a ruling one way or the other

so, a player would need to claim that essendrug breached a condition of the contract which essendrugs (knowing them) could contest and lawyer up

8 hours ago, AdamFarr said:

I wonder what influence Goodwin will have at the end of this year, given his time spent at the EFC. I'd take Heppell too FWIW. Make it happen, Goodie.

Imagine trying to deal with Essendon for Heppell in trade week.... they thought Myers was worth pick 2 and Ryder was worth Wingard and a pick..

they'd want Hogan, Brayshaw, Oliver and our next five first rounders 

50 minutes ago, Peter Griffen said:

Imagine trying to deal with Essendon for Heppell in trade week.... they thought Myers was worth pick 2 and Ryder was worth Wingard and a pick..

they'd want Hogan, Brayshaw, Oliver and our next five first rounders 

My understanding is they would become DFA so no trade needed and can walk to there club of choice.

 

Hurley would should be the number one target form any Ess players we look at.

 

14 hours ago, Grimes Times said:

My understanding is they would become DFA so no trade needed and can walk to there club of choice.

 

Hurley would should be the number one target form any Ess players we look at.

 

Might be a stupid question, but which end of the ground would you play Hurley at? I'm guessing he'd take Dunn's position or Garland's? Or would he swing between CHF (until the Weed is ready) and FB?

And I'd take Heppell before Hurley, but that's just me.

I refer Demonlanders to the opening post.

I worried about the Essendon game on Jan 13th.

I was so tempted to take the 5  to 1 offered on Saturday, but I couldn't bet against my own team.

Though I'm shattered with the loss, I don't think it's the end of our hopes for improvement. Essendon will beat a few other teams this season when they psyche themselves up to a frenzy like last Saturday.

As disappointing as MFC was on Saturday.  Essendon were very impressive.  They'll win more games this year and are not the basket case that people forecast.  I think they will really start to struggle in the 2nd half of the year when their veterans and youth tire.

1 hour ago, Fifty-5 said:

As disappointing as MFC was on Saturday.  Essendon were very impressive.  They'll win more games this year and are not the basket case that people forecast.  I think they will really start to struggle in the 2nd half of the year when their veterans and youth tire.

And if they don't, what will that prove to you?

I think it's complete tripe that people believe Essendon 'played well'. We allowed them to play well! It was a poor game for one and we were so unbelievably inept in every facet of the game that they were made to look good. It's a shameful cop-out excuse to give them the credit you're giving them and when Roos said it in his presser I cringed. James Kelly spoke during the week and he said from the first bounce he could tell we were off. We were more than off.

I can't see them beating anyone bar potentially Carlton but even so I'd still tip Carlton. 

 

1 hour ago, Fifty-5 said:

As disappointing as MFC was on Saturday.  Essendon were very impressive.  They'll win more games this year and are not the basket case that people forecast.  I think they will really start to struggle in the 2nd half of the year when their veterans and youth tire.

They didn't play well. They absolutely dominated possession and almost lost. Kudos to them for going up another level when the game was there to be won, and they certainly played with gusto and urgency, but Melbourne playing to full potential and it's a 10-goal loss for them. It's just that Melbourne isn't a very good *team*. Playing a team that doesn't know how to win makes it easy to look better than you are. It also didn't help that the coaches killed us at the selection table, and don't know how to keep their own player's expectations in check.

On Friday, March 18, 2016 at 10:17 PM, Whispering_Jack said:

I pointed this out in another thread but many felt that the Bombers did the right thing by recruiting mainly experienced recently retired/delisted players who had passed their use by dates at other clubs. 

It's my view that they should have gone for a more even mix of players including players young enough to have the incentive of making careers for themselves. Players who Kevin Sheedy described in a book as "second chance heroes". Such players might not have had the experience of the likes of Crowley, Kelly, Stokes and Jamar but the right selections could have added some spirit and drive. I'm not sure that the "dad's army" can do that over a whole year.

WJ i am almost certain the AFL dictated that the players had to have been AFL listed previously to be eligible.

I have a cousin who played in the premiership at Williamstown last season and had been tested by the bombers in the lead up to the draft but was ineligible to be taken as a top-up because he had never been AFL listed.