21 minutes ago, TRIGON said:

How much store should we put in a Sam Maclure quote? Not slagging him off, just genuinely unsure.

If it is a Melb player of note leaving, then posters jump out of the keyboard saying McLure is full of chit.

i do hope he is correct though.

Seeing that clip he looks like something we can definitely use down back, particularly as our current users of the ball down there can't seem to hit a target.

As for what we give up for him, yes the option of the DFA is there IF he is annoyed enough with Essendon and wants to come to us. I say offer them a 2nd round draft pick or a player, tap Hibberd on the shoulder and say get him to play hardball with them. If he is happy to do the DFA option then go for it! Stuff em!

Excellent pickup, very solid player and is a ball magnet off half back and uses the footy well.  We need all the experience we can get as we have a lack of good players in the 27+ age group.

Big risk having 2 cheats in the backline next year

both will be mentally rusty. Not a fan, but so be it. Just my opinion

On 8/1/2016 at 8:01 PM, Wiseblood said:

From what I've seen, and others can correct me or add more to it, he is a very good running defender who is a beautiful kick of the footy and more than holds his own in a one on one situation.  At 27 he is hitting his prime and he will be an excellent addition to our half back line, potentially releasing the likes of Hunt and Salem to play more through the wings and midfield.

Biggest weakness is he has no right foot and teams target this in his game, but he can be extremely damaging if given time and space.

Just now, Sir Why You Little said:

Big risk having 2 cheats in the backline next year

both will be mentally rusty. Not a fan, but so be it. Just my opinion

I get where youre coming from wyl  but with a decent preseason and the will to re-establish themselves..who knows. I dont see it as ideal but our rear end needs a major sort out.

The nature of their games though is to take it on and go straight to.....and there in lays the biggest item... what lays ahead of half back going forward..."sigh"

On 8/1/2016 at 8:59 PM, Sir Why You Little said:

Big risk having 2 cheats in the backline next year

both will be mentally rusty. Not a fan, but so be it. Just my opinion

I'd think Hibberd coming on board means Salem and Melksham play wing more so which is a huge plus better skills all over the ground

2 minutes ago, Abe said:

I'd think Hibberd coming on board means Salem and Melksham play wing more so which is a huge plus better skills all over the ground

But who knows where their headspace is 

this whole shitfest has been going on for 5 years. It must have broken some spirit along the way. 

We better be dam sure. 4 years is a long deal

On 8/1/2016 at 9:12 PM, Sir Why You Little said:

But who knows where their headspace is 

this whole shitfest has been going on for 5 years. It must have broken some spirit along the way. 

We better be dam sure. 4 years is a long deal

Agree'd it's a huge risk, they've been totally disconnected from the system for 12 months.

Surely that alone drops the value, if Hibberd is normally worth a second rounder, surely that drops his value again, he's missed a year of training with elite coaches and that AFL structure, that's gotta be a huge set back.

Worth a punt

56 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

But who knows where their headspace is 

this whole shitfest has been going on for 5 years. It must have broken some spirit along the way. 

We better be dam sure. 4 years is a long deal

I feel an avalanche of good players heading for us in my bones SWYL

2 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Pro: powerful running (but not super quick), long kicking midsized defender, strong in the air and solid one on one

Cons: Probably struggles with his weight at the best of times, will be interesting to see if he's in shape. 27 in Jan. At 186cm he probably doesn't solve our 3rd tall issues

 

Seems he knows where to find the goals also!

Just now, willmoy said:

I feel an avalanche of good players heading for us in my bones SWYL

Must be a very strange feeling WM...!

Supercoach lock for 4 years now, usually means a lot of possessions and keeps hitting a target by foot!

Both of them having missed a year may lengthen their careers, if they're good enough.

2 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Big risk having 2 cheats in the backline next year

both will be mentally rusty. Not a fan, but so be it. Just my opinion

Running with the bulls, sailing in Croatia. Hibberd should be mentally fresh and physically it can be good too as long as he can get in shape before round 1. New start as well. 

I'm more worried about them adapting to changes in the game and to a new team than where they are at mentally or physically. 

Although I'd like both of them to have complete resolution of the matter with the courts and with Essendon, including any law suits. 

Find it amazing that most of the contributions on this thread seem based on the assumption that we've got him - and it's just a matter of sorting out a few formalities .... like a trade or a breach of contract court-ruling.

There isn't another club out there willing and able to give Essendrug a couple of high draft picks - and match our offer to the player ? There isn't a lawyer out there who won't be able to drag a DFA strategy through the courts unti Hibberd's too old to play AFL footy.

This "deal" has all the hallmarks of a Mexican stand-off long enough to stymie all our other  trades and negotiations 

A lot of water's still  to flow under the bridge before I'd be thinking about that left foot in a  Demon sock!

He's a damn good footballer - all the more reason to take Scoop's little statement with a grain of salt.

 

 

 

 

 

54 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Must be a very strange feeling WM...!

It is SWYL, but I am accepting it with an open, tired heart and old stirrings of Bay 16, this time next season with some of my sons to tend to my victory needs. Then we'll go around the other side and behave like gentlemen.

1 hour ago, CBDees said:

Seems he knows where to find the goals also!

They've used him as a forward quite often.  He's a very good mark for his size and knows how to crumb a pack, so can be quite effective there. 

Can we actually do a deal with him at this stage?

and if so, then we'd have to know the price (I.e. Zip), otherwise how could we commit? 

Maybe the AFL will compensate the EFC for losing him...? 

3 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

Pro: powerful running (but not super quick), long kicking midsized defender, strong in the air and solid one on one

Cons: Probably struggles with his weight at the best of times, will be interesting to see if he's in shape. 27 in Jan. At 186cm he probably doesn't solve our 3rd tall issues

 

Chemically assisted.

Hope he hasn't added to the size of his ass in his year off, unless he wants to be our full back

So if we get Hibberd then we have Melksham and him as our new players for 2017 which doesn't quite add an exciting dimension to the team. Essendon achieved very little in the years they played with them so I don't see their additions to the list moving us forward in leaps and bounds.

We definitely need more. 

1 hour ago, Hulett Packard III said:

So if we get Hibberd then we have Melksham and him as our new players for 2017 which doesn't quite add an exciting dimension to the team. Essendon achieved very little in the years they played with them so I don't see their additions to the list moving us forward in leaps and bounds.

We definitely need more. 

How about we continue to develop the very young talented players we currently have on our list??? If these players continue to improve this will certainly help us move forward. 

if we give up a future first round draft pick for him as has been mooted i will scream bloody murder.

 

he's a good player, not a very good or even great one.

 

my preferences:

1) 2017 second round pick

2) 2017 first round for hibberd and essendon's 2016 and 2017 second round picks

 

next year is meant to be a far stronger draft than this year and we do NOT want to be miles out of it.