Wines is exactly what we, or any club, "needs" as he's one of the best contested ball and clearance players in the competition.

He alongside Oliver, Viney, and Gawn should allow us to consistently be the #1 team in these areas.

This also allows the coaching staff to further exploit the dual-position capabilities of Petracca and Jones (between on-ball and forward), as well as Brayshaw and Lewis (on-ball and wing or half-back), which would synergistically affect our midfield dynamic, thus, making it harder to stop.

As for "outside" players I think we have it covered. For example: Salem, Fritsch, and Melksham are wonderfully efficient going inside 50, while the respective footy-smarts and gut-running of Brayshaw and ANB have them racking up the "second touch" uncontested possessions.

Sure, I'd take Gaff if he's available (although there is currently too much hype surrounding him), but not over Wines.

  On 09/06/2018 at 03:00, rpfc said:

WYL, let's have a tiresome back and forth over the definition of 'needs' in inverted commas...

Or you can accept that Viney and Oliver and Jones have more in common with Wines than they do with Gaff or other outside players?

 

Wines has played many more solid games than Gaff. Last night he was in everything 

People who say he is one paced are deluding themselves

  On 09/06/2018 at 02:17, Mach5 said:

I'd say Carlton or maybe even Essendon are into him.

Essendon need to learn how run hard defensively as a unit.

St Kilda don't need his grunt - they need class.

Dogs wouldn't be an attractive destination at the moment, all going pear-shaped.

Hawthorn would be just the type of team to come out of nowhere with a big offer.

I think the Hawks will be for sure, and maybe into Lynch as well.

 

  On 09/06/2018 at 03:00, rpfc said:

WYL, let's have a tiresome back and forth over the definition of 'needs' in inverted commas...

Or you can accept that Viney and Oliver and Jones have more in common with Wines than they do with Gaff or other outside players?

 

Jones 2 Yrs max as a top mid, then tapering downhill. 

that leaves Viney, Oliver, and possibly Harmes, in your list of inside grunt. with others who do a bit of each... allows for rotations inside.

Petracca medium forward/big Mid, TSmith same, Hogan similar... Spargo small-forward/small-mid. Melky similar.

Salem small-defender/small-mid,

position based list >>>  https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/tp-melbourne-demons?year=2018&sby=12

Groan.

So, we are first in Contested Possession, and second in clearances and we 'need' Wines?

We are 5th in uncontested possession and up until the last three weeks have not got reward for our Inside 50s rate - which tells me that we have had issues entering our forward line with the ball, not getting the ball.

I love great players too, and would have loved if a different decision was made in 2012 to get Wines, but I know what kind of player I would chase.

Let's see who the club chases...

  On 09/06/2018 at 03:07, Mickey said:

North want a big fish to choose them and they are looking better now than they were even 4-5 weeks ago

The one team at the back of my mind that I couldn't think.

  On 09/06/2018 at 05:32, rpfc said:

Groan.

So, we are first in Contested Possession, and second in clearances and we 'need' Wines?

We are 5th in uncontested possession and up until the last three weeks have not got reward for our Inside 50s rate - which tells me that we have had issues entering our forward line with the ball, not getting the ball.

I love great players too, and would have loved if a different decision was made in 2012 to get Wines, but I know what kind of player I would chase.

Let's see who the club chases...

They'll chase whoever gives us a better midfield mix, rather than "more of the same" so we end up with a lopsided midfield group, or alternatively a situation where a top 10 player is left out of the side for balance.

  On 08/06/2018 at 12:37, DV8 said:

It seems if the will is strong enough,  the AFL will bend ?

Poor old conservative Melbourne has never bent anything since back in the mid 60's,,,  when the whole world was bending things, from rules, to spoons.

 

 

Since that time the only thing Melbourne has bent, is our minds.

Agree with the idea that our club has bent our minds over the years! But . . .

Disagree with your rhetoric in this thread around MFC being an unambitious ‘old girl conservative’ club with ‘transient’ ‘sometimes’ members. Heard that stuff for decades, mostly from non-Melb supporters, and it’s frankly tiresome - and untrue.

I know this has been posted on Demonland before, but on the subject of supporter loyalty and engagement, have a look at recent Roy Morgan research (links below). Among proportions of fans who go to games, Demons fans (~50%) are more likely than any other teams’ fans to go to a match (Melb v Haw game this year was a good case in point). And the conversion rate of our supporters to members is the second highest (behind the Bulldogs) in the AFL:

http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7184-which-afl-teams-have-most-engaged-supporters-201703221004

http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7345-roy-morgan-afl-supporter-ladder-2017-201709210118

As to the notion of the club being old girl conservative (whatever that means), let’s not forget:

• 1980s: appointment of Barassi as coach and the 5-year plan, which was pretty radical at the time, as was the Irish (and North American) recruiting experiment

• 1990s: Alternative Demons ticket in response to failed merger and, of course, Diamond Joe

• 2000s: taking the game to the Northern Territory, Jimmy’s debt demolition, appointment of Roos, pioneering women’s AFL, recruitment of Lever, abandoning poker machines

So, yes, while we haven’t enjoyed the ultimate success since 1964, it’s not as though the club has been sitting on its hands and not making some bold moves since then, particularly in the last 5 years.

  On 10/06/2018 at 05:18, Ben E said:

Agree with the idea that our club has bent our minds over the years! But . . .

Disagree with your rhetoric in this thread around MFC being an unambitious ‘old girl conservative’ club with ‘transient’ ‘sometimes’ members. Heard that stuff for decades, mostly from non-Melb supporters, and it’s frankly tiresome - and untrue.

I know this has been posted on Demonland before, but on the subject of supporter loyalty and engagement, have a look at recent Roy Morgan research (links below). Among proportions of fans who go to games, Demons fans (~50%) are more likely than any other teams’ fans to go to a match (Melb v Haw game this year was a good case in point). And the conversion rate of our supporters to members is the second highest (behind the Bulldogs) in the AFL:

http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7184-which-afl-teams-have-most-engaged-supporters-201703221004

http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/7345-roy-morgan-afl-supporter-ladder-2017-201709210118

As to the notion of the club being old girl conservative (whatever that means), let’s not forget:

• 1980s: appointment of Barassi as coach and the 5-year plan, which was pretty radical at the time, as was the Irish (and North American) recruiting experiment

• 1990s: Alternative Demons ticket in response to failed merger and, of course, Diamond Joe

• 2000s: taking the game to the Northern Territory, Jimmy’s debt demolition, appointment of Roos, pioneering women’s AFL, recruitment of Lever, abandoning poker machines

So, yes, while we haven’t enjoyed the ultimate success since 1964, it’s not as though the club has been sitting on its hands and not making some bold moves since then, particularly in the last 5 years.

Deeluded has these theories about the MFC

It doesn’t change. He just writes it in a different way from time to time

  On 09/06/2018 at 00:42, SFebey said:

He said the exact same thing in late April also and when interviewed by Garry on SEN this week got a little uncomfortable and couldn't give a straight answer. He's definitely considering bigger offers IMO

I think most would agree that it helps to create the perception you are strongly considering bigger other offers if you want others to match them or better them. You need to set up a small market place