Wonder if this is the Manager orchestrating more money from Bombers to keep the players. 

Peter Jackson on SEN with the OX and Francis Leach just confirmed MFC is interested in Michael Hibberd should he wish to change clubs.

Sounded like they were heavily into negotiations with him. PJ doesn't usually give much away but it sounded very positive.

http://www.sen.com.au/audio#q8S6GvD1qYkx6zWY.97

Edited June 15, 20169 yr by Theo

36 minutes ago, Theo said:

Peter Jackson on SEN with the OX and Francis Leach just confirmed MFC is interested in Michael Hibberd should he wish to change clubs.

Sounded like they were heavily into negotiations with him. PJ doesn't usually give much away but it sounded very positive.

http://www.sen.com.au/audio#q8S6GvD1qYkx6zWY.97

PJ might be putting up a smoke screen to distract from the main target, which I have heard is Hurley.  

10 hours ago, Cranky Franky said:

Hibberd - you must be joking - we have about a million 187 cm half backs atm we don't need any more.  What we need desperately is big solid key defenders that can play on Joe Daniher & Tex Walker.

Just because we are talking about Hibberd doesnt mean we wont be looking at others. They can multi task.

8 minutes ago, Gorgoroth said:

Just because we are talking about Hibberd doesnt mean we wont be looking at others. They can multi task.

Yes, we certainly can, but big bodied, key position backs don't exactly fall off trees.  The demand for them makes the competition to secure their services pretty intense.

10 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Who are these flankers?

I can name 1 that I'm confident on. Bernie Vince. And we should have options so we can play him on the wing or in the midfield if required.

Jetta's a back pocket. Lumumba (regardless of everything else) is about to turn 30 and probably close to the end after next year. 

I like both Hunt and Wagner, but they could both go either way. And right now they are best 22. Mitch White is our next best and he's the only depth. Melksham presumably comes in to this group next year, but we are still looking at only a couple of young rookie pick ups as our best depth. Chuck in the very speculative Joel Smith I guess at that's it for small/medium defenders at the club. Viv Michie has played at half back this year. If we were stacked with half backs he wouldn't get a game.

With the right training and physical development Frost, Tom and Oscar can physically handle any tall forward in the league. Joe Daniher is 200cm but doesn't have a lot of strength. Walker is strong and athletic but is 194cm. Jon Patton is 200cm, strong as can be but moves like a glacier. 

We could do with a better key defender, particularly an experienced one as Dunn and Garland are battling and we apparently went hard for Cale Hooker, but there's only so many out there. If we bolster our backline in other ways it will make it a lot easier for the talls to develop if we head down the draft path. And if they don't come on we can trade in later. If we find players to make us better the spots to fill shrink and players will be more likely to come to us.

Who are the flankers ?? You are kidding me.  The current ones are Hunt & Wagner.  Then at Casey you have Grimes who can't get a look in despite outstanding form.  Then Garland and Mitchie who has done ok.  Then White who is also playing well.  Then Lumumba and Salem who are out injured.  Plus Bernie Vince & Jones who Roos has been playing at half back during games.  That makes 8 decent HBF. And lets not forget Milkshake.

Midfielders & HBF are the 2 areas we have well & truly covered.

Frost, Tom & Oscar are a long way from being able to deal with quality tall forwards that's why Riewoldt & Daniher & Pavlich chop us up every time we play them.  We couldn't handle Jack Redpath, or Justin Westhoff or Darling or Kennedy

The Club should be chasing 1. Key defenders  2 A back up ruckman  3. Goal kicking small forwards.

  

9 minutes ago, Cranky Franky said:

Who are the flankers ?? You are kidding me.  The current ones are Hunt & Wagner.  Then at Casey you have Grimes who can't get a look in despite outstanding form.  Then Garland and Mitchie who has done ok.  Then White who is also playing well.  Then Lumumba and Salem who are out injured.  Plus Bernie Vince & Jones who Roos has been playing at half back during games.  That makes 8 decent HBF. And lets not forget Milkshake.

Midfielders & HBF are the 2 areas we have well & truly covered.

Frost, Tom & Oscar are a long way from being able to deal with quality tall forwards that's why Riewoldt & Daniher & Pavlich chop us up every time we play them.  We couldn't handle Jack Redpath, or Justin Westhoff or Darling or Kennedy

The Club should be chasing 1. Key defenders  2 A back up ruckman  3. Goal kicking small forwards.

  

Wouldn't have thought that is a priority with Garlett, Kennedy, Neal-Bullen, Kennedy-Harris on the list and all under 26 yrs old.

I completely agree re the first two. A back up ruckman is number one IMO given that Spencer is merely a fill-in. I will probably get shut down, but Ivan Maric would be an excellent discard for two-three years to help Gawn chop-out. Or alternatively, we need to find a forward/ruck like Tippett or Rory Lobb (or like Josh Jenkins - but not at his over inflated price). 

Key back is a huge hole on the list - Hurley would be the biggest fish our club has ever landed and would help us drive up the ladder. I have faith that Sam Frost can become a very good KPB: he showed enough on Queens Birthday (despite some brain fade decision making) that he can become better than Tom McDonald. Oscar is still far too raw and green to make a judgement call on, but he's taller than his brother and who knows with a bit of size (he also has better disposal).

 

 

 

Article on our interest in Hibberd is here:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/essendon/melbourne-reveals-it-has-spoken-to-banned-bomber-michael-hibberd/news-story/35c1a594ec563ab217e76417ca5e8995

PJ normally keeps his cards close to his chest so this admission is interesting.  He would be a great addition to our club IF we can get him.

I am worried about they year out of the game, surely it will destroy his match fitness. Do we really need 2 ok blokes on the list that have not played a game for 1 year?  Hurley is different, he is one of the best in the league.

Keep in mind they can enter the preseason without being nearly as tired or injured as a non-banned player 

4 minutes ago, AzzKikA said:

I am worried about they year out of the game, surely it will destroy his match fitness. Do we really need 2 ok blokes on the list that have not played a game for 1 year?  Hurley is different, he is one of the best in the league.

I think you underrate both, but especially Hibberd.

3 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

Keep in mind they can enter the preseason without being nearly as tired or injured as a non-banned player 

Is that a pot shot?

2 minutes ago, Mach5 said:

I think you underrate both, but especially Hibberd.

Hibberd is 26 now, will be 27 at the start of the year, while he hasn't starred he hasn't been a dud either.

Milkshake is a year younger with more match experience but he is a player that Essendon fans wanted gone, like we did with Howe.

Just a lot of unknowns, it's too late with Milkshake, we have him now, but we can avoid another lottery in targeting a player that is just serviceable.

1 minute ago, AzzKikA said:

Is that a pot shot?

 

at whom ?   just a lateral perspective

On ‎15‎/‎06‎/‎2016 at 8:24 AM, AngryAtCasey said:

It would be great if we could get Hibberd & Hurley for nothing.

If we need to trade for them it will be tough going.  Think we'd probably have to trade our 2017 1st Round pick, Salem & then possibly send Neal-Bullen & our 2016 2nd Round pick somewhere also to get deals done.  Maybe Adelaide and involve Crouch?

Potential Trade

Melbourne - OUT: Salem, Neal-Bullen, 2016 2nd Round Pick & 2017 1st Round Pick.  IN: Hurley, Hibberd & 2016 3rd Round Pick

Essendon - OUT: Hurley, Hibberd & 2016 3rd Round Pick.  IN: Salem, Crouch & 2017 1st Round Pick

Adelaide - OUT: Crouch.  IN: Neal-Bullen & 2016 2nd Round Pick

No thanks.

 

3 minutes ago, AzzKikA said:

Is that a pot shot?

Hibberd is 26 now, will be 27 at the start of the year, while he hasn't starred he hasn't been a dud either.

Milkshake is a year younger with more match experience but he is a player that Essendon fans wanted gone, like we did with Howe.

Just a lot of unknowns, it's too late with Milkshake, we have him now, but we can avoid another lottery in targeting a player that is just serviceable.

Like I said, you underrate them. Up to you.

Just now, Mach5 said:

Like I said, you underrate them. Up to you.

Fair enough.

 

5 hours ago, Cranky Franky said:

Who are the flankers ?? You are kidding me.  The current ones are Hunt & Wagner.  Then at Casey you have Grimes who can't get a look in despite outstanding form.  Then Garland and Mitchie who has done ok.  Then White who is also playing well.  Then Lumumba and Salem who are out injured.  Plus Bernie Vince & Jones who Roos has been playing at half back during games.  That makes 8 decent HBF. And lets not forget Milkshake.

Midfielders & HBF are the 2 areas we have well & truly covered.

Frost, Tom & Oscar are a long way from being able to deal with quality tall forwards that's why Riewoldt & Daniher & Pavlich chop us up every time we play them.  We couldn't handle Jack Redpath, or Justin Westhoff or Darling or Kennedy

The Club should be chasing 1. Key defenders  2 A back up ruckman  3. Goal kicking small forwards.

  

Grimes - finished at AFL level, a wingman if anything
Garland - only tall defensive depth
Michie - a midfielder sent to play a bit of half back due to lack of depth
Lumumba - nearing 30 and ordinary

Garland could be the only one of those 3 on the list next year.

Hunt, Wagner, Vince sure, as I mentioned. White and Melksham as well. That's 5 guys for 3 spots in the team, of which 3 of them will be under 20 games of AFL experience, and the other 2 have midfield versatility.

 Salem can be, but he's better as a utility as he develops. 

I'm all for a key defender but you can't just pull them out of thin air. Hibberd's a decent option to give us defensive and attacking skills to support young tall defenders without overpaying.

1 hour ago, AzzKikA said:

I am worried about they year out of the game, surely it will destroy his match fitness. Do we really need 2 ok blokes on the list that have not played a game for 1 year?  Hurley is different, he is one of the best in the league.

We've seen Petracca and Trengove come in without any match fitness last year.

Sorry Azz, I know you're not the only one concerned by this, but seriously, it's 12 months off.  No different to someone coming back from an ACL, other than that they've been able to train solidly during that time.

If it were 3 years off and they were 30+, that'd be a different story. 

So Essendon is upset with us approaching the management of Hibberd. We must be close.

 

Am I the only one that thinks after another 12-18 months of development, O.Mac and Frost could turn into the KPD we want Hurley in to become? Could really save us millions

1 minute ago, Goodvibes said:

So Essendon is upset with us approaching the management of Hibberd. We must be close.

Don't you just love it! The moment a club attempts to try and convince them to leave the Bombers are up in arms saying "he's ours and too important to let go", yet they didn't give a brass razoo when they were pumping him full of god knows what.

Their morals know no bounds!!!

2 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Don't you just love it! The moment a club attempts to try and convince them to leave the Bombers are up in arms saying "he's ours and too important to let go", yet they didn't give a brass razoo when they were pumping him full of god knows what.

Their morals know no bounds!!!

How did they get Goddard over the line? Spoke to his Manager I'd bet...

Couldn't help but go for at look at the essenturd forum... delusional bunch of clowns.

12 minutes ago, Demon Disciple said:

Don't you just love it! The moment a club attempts to try and convince them to leave the Bombers are up in arms saying "he's ours and too important to let go", yet they didn't give a brass razoo when they were pumping him full of god knows what.

Their morals know no bounds!!!

i don't think the term "morals" is in their lexicon, dd

5 minutes ago, Deemotivated said:

Couldn't help but go for at look at the essenturd forum... delusional bunch of clowns.

I love the hack CEO call. He took them to a flag and didn't oversee the whole club being slammed from pillar to post for injecting their players with who knows what. Not to mention the great work he has done at the dees. 

I was wondering what HeppelltitisD is too, is that one of the side effects from the unknown drugs from mexico?