To the ears of the football gods ...

[Whispering_Jack 30,753]

AFL Season 2016: Demons look to sign key bookends

[Gator 17,502]

1 hour ago, Whispering_Jack said:

AFL Season 2016: Demons look to sign key bookends

Can you believe the reporter said (Hogan and McDonald) "both are off contract this season" ?

What has happened to journalism when basic facts are not checked ?

And then he acknowledges that Hogan is signed to the end of 2017.

[CBDees 3,167]

I predict that we will see them both re-signing well before season's end. I reckon Watts will re-sign also and be one of our key players this year.

[chook fowler 19,585]

The only new information in that article was it looks like Hogan is happy to stay in Melbourne. If that's the case our chances of retaining him are massively enhanced 

[deeflog 679]

1 hour ago, CBDees said:

I predict that we will see them both re-signing well before season's end. I reckon Watts will re-sign also and be one of our key players this year.

I personally don't think we will see Watts at the Dees next season.

Someone will offer him a ridiculous amount of money for his output and he will be gone.

[Whispering_Jack 30,753]

24 minutes ago, deeflog said:

I personally don't think we will see Watts at the Dees next season.

Someone will offer him a ridiculous amount of money for his output and he will be gone.

If someone offers him a ridiculous amount of money then I would suggest it would only be if he has a sensational season. It was mooted in the media at the end of the season that Watts might be available for trade but there were apparently no takers which suggests his current "price" is not all that high. 

[CBDees 3,167]

26 minutes ago, deeflog said:

I personally don't think we will see Watts at the Dees next season.

Someone will offer him a ridiculous amount of money for his output and he will be gone.

I think that you will find that he is more committed to MFC than that. I think the chance of playing in the first Demons Premiership for over half a Century would mean more to him than the money (particularly when he has suffered through the dark years)!

[ILLDieADemon 804]

12 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

If someone offers him a ridiculous amount of money then I would suggest it would only be if he has a sensational season. It was mooted in the media at the end of the season that Watts might be available for trade but there were apparently no takers which suggests his current "price" is not all that high. 

Or teams know his a free agent at the end of this season and can get him for nothing. 

[Spirit of '87 338]

Didn't take long for this to become another Watts discussion thread 

[Bombay Airconditioning 6,413]

2 hours ago, CBDees said:

I predict that we will see them both re-signing well before season's end. I reckon Watts will re-sign also and be one of our key players this year.

There's no middle ground for Watts this year. Entering his 8th season you'd like to think he'd be out to prove a point after being dropped for round 23 last year. He won't be the primary focus of opposition sides and whether he plays deep or roams up the ground to be the link man he has now fully matured and should be able to influence games. I thought for some reason he was extremely quick over 20 metres, he needs to start using that to his advantage.

[Bombay Airconditioning 6,413]

34 minutes ago, Spirit of '87 said:

Didn't take long for this to become another Watts discussion thread 

Watts is mentioned in the article.

[Bombay Airconditioning 6,413]

40 minutes ago, ILLDieADemon said:

Or teams know his a free agent at the end of this season and can get him for nothing. 

Exactly, either way we've got first crack and will know by about round 4

[dazzledavey36 55,389]

McDonald will re sign. Wants to play 10 plus years with his brother.

[Akum 2,660]

3 hours ago, Bombay Airconditioning said:

There's no middle ground for Watts this year. Entering his 8th season you'd like to think he'd be out to prove a point after being dropped for round 23 last year. He won't be the primary focus of opposition sides and whether he plays deep or roams up the ground to be the link man he has now fully matured and should be able to influence games. I thought for some reason he was extremely quick over 20 metres, he needs to start using that to his advantage.

Agree with the post overall, but it wouldn't matter if he was Usain Bolt if a 30m pass misses him by 5m. But he could really benefit from the low hard passing we've been hearing about in training reports.

 

 

[Captain Todd 171]

4 hours ago, Akum said:

Agree with the post overall, but it wouldn't matter if he was Usain Bolt if a 30m pass misses him by 5m. But he could really benefit from the low hard passing we've been hearing about in training reports.

I heard he was faster than Pat Cash over 10 metres.

[Mach5 4,768]

Interesting to think that we hear some say we won't have a first round pick this year, but if another team tempts Watts away with big coin, I'd say it's likely we will.

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

Dom Tyson also is a fairly important re-signing, someone I see becoming a very good player for us

[In Harmes Way 7,823]

What's pleasing is that we're saying this about more and more of the list

[wretched.sylph 164]

I think the group wants to stay together, therefor their contracts will take care of themselves.

 

[Dr. Gonzo 24,346]

10 hours ago, Mach5 said:

Interesting to think that we hear some say we won't have a first round pick this year, but if another team tempts Watts away with big coin, I'd say it's likely we will.

No chance in hell.

[Bombay Airconditioning 6,413]

23 players out of contract this year, the last of the mass clean outs. McDonald is a no brainier, must be signed to a 3-4 year deal. I more interested to see what happens with Watts/Grimes/Dawes/Trengove.

[whatwhat say what 22,971]

Watts and Grimes can walk if the offer is there. Dawes may well retire, and Trengove is obviously an unknown as to whether he can return to the football field...albeit things are looking positive on that front.

 

What other 19 are out of contract at the end of 2016? I think it's pretty strange to have nearly half the list out of contract in a given year - more often than not I'd expect the number to be a closer to a third or so.

[Lucifers Hero 40,375]

17 minutes ago, DemonAndrew said:

What other 19 are out of contract at the end of 2016? I think it's pretty strange to have nearly half the list out of contract in a given year - more often than not I'd expect the number to be a closer to a third or so.

The 23 includes rookies: King ®19, White ®18, Wagner®, Smith ®20, Michie ®23, . 

OOC from rfpc's contracts thread:

Trengove 22, Dawes 26, Grimes 25 (RFA), Watts 24 (RFA), Vince 29, Tyson* 21, Kent 21, M Jones 27, Spencer 25 (UFA), T McDonald22, Terlich 25, Jetta 25, Garlett 25, Frost 21, Newton 22, O McDonald 19, Pedersen 28, Hunt 19, Harmes 19.  

After 3 years of massive turnover, the club would want real stability: to reap the benefit of investment in development and the more they play together, know the game plan etc the better.  The ones most at risk IMO (for different reasons) are in bold.  But we can't lose them all as we would lose far too much experience (and protection for the young guys).   The one we have least control over is Spencer and I'm not sure we have a backup for Gawn. 

On the subject of compo picks (if they still exist) we would likely get 2nd/3rd rnd pics which can be traded to one of the Academy teams for a 1st rnd pick altho other teams will want to play the pick upgrade game so that may be a bit harder to do this year. 

[Ted Lasso 19,549]

35 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

The 23 includes rookies: King ®19, White ®18, Wagner®, Smith ®20, Michie ®23, . 

OOC from rfpc's contracts thread:

Trengove 22, Dawes 26, Grimes 25 (RFA), Watts 24 (RFA), Vince 29, Tyson* 21, Kent 21, M Jones 27, Spencer 25 (UFA), T McDonald22, Terlich 25, Jetta 25, Garlett 25, Frost 21, Newton 22, O McDonald 19, Pedersen 28, Hunt 19, Harmes 19.  

After 3 years of massive turnover, the club would want real stability: to reap the benefit of investment in development and the more they play together, know the game plan etc the better.  The ones most at risk IMO (for different reasons) are in bold.  But we can't lose them all as we would lose far too much experience (and protection for the young guys).   The one we have least control over is Spencer and I'm not sure we have a backup for Gawn. 

On the subject of compo picks (if they still exist) we would likely get 2nd/3rd rnd pics which can be traded to one of the Academy teams for a 1st rnd pick altho other teams will want to play the pick upgrade game so that may be a bit harder to do this year. 

Re-sign long term

Mcdonald

Kent

Tyson

Garlett

Short term

Trengove

Watts

Grimes

Jetta

Frost

Omac

Hunt

Harmes

Newton

 

 

Vince I believe has a part of his contract that gives him next year as well if he plays enough games which he has easily covered i'd say, but another couple of years on the end isn't something i'd object to

Dawes and Pedo I can't see as offering any more then covering Weiderman until he is ready so I'd only keep one and I think it'd be Pederson given Dawes injuries and average performance

 

[Mach5 4,768]

8 hours ago, Dr. Gonzo said:

No chance in hell.

Then he won't have been poached in big coin then, will he?