As people have stated, the decision from our end to recruit Preuss is a no-brainer, completely obvious. I highly suspect the decision from Preuss’ end is based on conversations we have had with him about trialling dual rucks. I have no evidence, it is just speculation based on how well it has worked for the Weagles. Even more than that it gives us some tall support in the forward line in case Weed doesn’t fire and if, god forbid, Mary goes down, we have another option to cover for him for a while.

Port Adelaide a B and finishing in the top 8, WTF??? I want some of what Plough is taking. How can you grade them a B off losing Wingard and Polec? Their list is a mess now, recruiting in older players last year to ‘top up’ and then losing 2 of their best mature stars this year. They are going to have to go back to the draft and hope they can get these new kids developed in time to support their aging list in it’s current window. Maybe I am just being too negative but I just can’t see it happening.

Collingwood to 10th after playing a premiership this year, not losing anyone and getting Dane Beams back? I dislike the pies as much as anyone but that is too much even for me to hope for!

11 minutes ago, FlashInThePan said:

As people have stated, the decision from our end to recruit Preuss is a no-brainer, completely obvious. I highly suspect the decision from Preuss’ end is based on conversations we have had with him about trialling dual rucks. I have no evidence, it is just speculation based on how well it has worked for the Weagles. Even more than that it gives us some tall support in the forward line in case Weed doesn’t fire and if, god forbid, Mary goes down, we have another option to cover for him for a while.

Port Adelaide a B and finishing in the top 8, WTF??? I want some of what Plough is taking. How can you grade them a B off losing Wingard and Polec? Their list is a mess now, recruiting in older players last year to ‘top up’ and then losing 2 of their best mature stars this year. They are going to have to go back to the draft and hope they can get these new kids developed in time to support their aging list in it’s current window. Maybe I am just being too negative but I just can’t see it happening.

Collingwood to 10th after playing a premiership this year, not losing anyone and getting Dane Beams back? I dislike the pies as much as anyone but that is too much even for me to hope for!

I think they were wallet's predictions at the start of this season

I thought when he was the Richmond Coach he overlooked Franklin, so why would anybody rate his opinion re-recruiting

20 minutes ago, KingSlayer33 said:

I think they were wallet's predictions at the start of this season

Whoops, I guess I should edit the post and tone down the outrage... nah, let it stand

B+ i think is a fairer rating. 

considering we got Kolidjaz for nothing basically

Didn't Preuss come out and say (or it might have been JM) that Preuss who was keen to learn the craft underneath both Gawn and Greg Stafford?  I think he was told that there would be games where both could be played, but he saw working under Gawn and being his understudy as being a step up from Goldstein at North. 

I wonder also if Preuss might have been a little frustrated at Nth, and thought he might have been able to secure the number 1 ruck position for 2018, given Goldstein was horrible in 2017.

Does this imply that there was no learning of his craft at kangas? Or Goldy too dominant/precious?

3 hours ago, adonski said:

Collingwood ignored their weaknesses and topped up their already strongest area. 

That's one way of looking at it. But from my perspective Beams is a gun, finishing top 10 in the last two Brownlows. He is arguably Collingwood's best player now.

My rankings would be:

1. Richmond

2. Essendon

3. Collingwood

4. Carlton

5. Hawthorn

6. Fremantle

7. Geelong

8. North Melbourne

9. St Kilda

10. Melbourne

11. Brisbane

12. Sydney

13. Adelaide

14. Port Adelaide

15. West Coast

16. Western Bulldogs

17. GCS

18. GWS

The ROAR - Samuel Ord     (A bit of a different opinion)

The AFL’s 2018 trade period has come and gone in the blink of an eye and the Melbourne Football Club has found itself at the forefront of the action. Marching towards the 2019 season, still long off on the horizon, the Demons are desperate to see some degree of marginal improvement. After making it as far as the preliminary finals before bowing out against eventual premier West Coast, it’s clear Melbourne has the right formula.

What’s unclear is how they take that formula and take that extra step forward towards a grand final and eventually a premiership.

Melbourne’s trade period came down to two crucial moves. Full forward Jesse Hogan has departed the club, departing for Fremantle in exchange for pick 6 and pick 23.

23-year-old Hogan first arrived at Melbourne way back in 2012 and since then has played 71 games and booted 152 goals – a picture of consistency but yet to explode through to the top tier due to a wide range of factors.

Melbourne’s next big move came just moments later – sending pick 6 straight to the Gold Coast Suns in exchange for co-captain and champion defender Steven May and fellow Sun defender Kade Kolodjashnij.

May played 123 games in his time with the Suns. Kolodjashnij played 78.

And that’s the Melbourne puzzle for 2019 – the big moves – and if the cookie crumbles like it should, Melbourne may just have made all the right moves to sure themselves up as a genuine premiership contender.

Melbourne finished the 2018 season in fifth spot on the ladder with 2299 points scored – the number one scoring side in the competition. Minor premiers Richmond sat in second and runners-up Collingwood in third. Premiers West Coast finished fifth.

At the other end of the ground Melbourne conceded 1749 points – ninth best in the competition. Geelong finished first overall, Richmond in second and West Coast grabbed fifth spot once again.

In simple terms – simple maths even – Melbourne has removed Hogan’s contribution of 47 goals and 23 behinds – and will hope to fill that hole by improving defensively at the other end with the addition of May and Kolodjashnij.

Tom McDonald was Melbourne’s highest goal scorer this season, booting 53 goals from 20 matches – the same amount played by Hogan. With Hogan gone from the scene, Sam Weideman – who slotted 10 goals in 10 matches as Hogan’s post-injury replacement – will face even more time under the spotlight and for anyone who saw Weideman play in the second half of the season – that’s an exciting prospect.

Melbourne can also expect the same steady contributions from Jake Melksham (32 goals), Alex Neal-Bullen (27 goals) and Mitch Hannan (22 goals). These five players – the most important of all being an improving Weideman – leaving the Demons with plenty of reasons to feel confident that they can find an additional 47 goals to cover Hogan.

At the other end of the ground things start to get really interesting. Neville Jetta, Steven May, Jake Lever, Michael Hibberd, Jordan Lewis, Christian Salem, Kade Kolodjashnij and Oscar McDonald will now come together to form what should been one of the most intimidating defensive outfits in the competition.

The biggest improvement of course will be in the form of May – capable of taking on dominating tall forwards like Lance Franklin, Tom Hawkins and Tom Lynch – the exact type of forward which has left Melbourne fans in ruins time and time again.

Some serious weaknesses covered in exchange for a quality player who is more than covered by not only the players around him, but the emerging youth at the club.

At one end of the ground the traditionally introverted Hogan is gone, and with him goes approximately 300 points a season. At the other end of the ground however Hogan has been replaced by a man who screams leadership out on the ground and is more than capable of stop or impeding goal after goal, round after round – that might just be sailing through without him.

 Melbourne is a club that screams volatility and trying to predict their path has always been foolish – but as it stands, on paper – Melbourne might just be the team to watch in 2019.

And another different opinion

THE MONGREL PUNT - Jared Smith

2.  Melbourne

BANG!

What a trade week. 

I’ll work my way up to the big ones.

Firstly, I have no idea why Braden Pruess decided to leave the shadow Of Todd Goldstein for the shadow of Max Gawn when there are clearly plenty of clubs desperate for someone to be their number 1 ruck.  However, Dees landing this ruck cover for Gawn by just giving up a player in Tyson, struggling to get a game, is a huge win for them. 

Kent out is no huge loss and helped the club keep some draft presence

Hogan out is the right move for the club.  He’s a young star who isn’t working out perfectly.  I highly rate the move to trade him out while he’s still hot.  And he wanted out, so he’s out.  But to effectively land May and Kolodjashnij for him is a huge win for Melbourne. 

What a fantastic week.    They’ve made perfect, complimentary changes. 

There were others who gave us an A so it's all in the eye of the beholder.

Remember, everyone was raving last year about Port Adelaide - where did they finish and how did their recruits go?

 

3 hours ago, FlashInThePan said:

As people have stated, the decision from our end to recruit Preuss is a no-brainer, completely obvious. I highly suspect the decision from Preuss’ end is based on conversations we have had with him about trialling dual rucks. I have no evidence, it is just speculation based on how well it has worked for the Weagles. Even more than that it gives us some tall support in the forward line in case Weed doesn’t fire and if, god forbid, Mary goes down, we have another option to cover for him for a while.

Port Adelaide a B and finishing in the top 8, WTF??? I want some of what Plough is taking. How can you grade them a B off losing Wingard and Polec? Their list is a mess now, recruiting in older players last year to ‘top up’ and then losing 2 of their best mature stars this year. They are going to have to go back to the draft and hope they can get these new kids developed in time to support their aging list in it’s current window. Maybe I am just being too negative but I just can’t see it happening.

Collingwood to 10th after playing a premiership this year, not losing anyone and getting Dane Beams back? I dislike the pies as much as anyone but that is too much even for me to hope for!

I still can't work out how port got a b on there report, there list has gone backwards, I think he is giving them a b because they brought in a premiership ruckman, they have lost their best outside mid and there only x factor in wingrade, in this world premiership make players better then they really are.

Edited October 22, 20186 yr by don't make me angry

6 hours ago, adonski said:

Collingwood ignored their weaknesses and topped up their already strongest area. 

They're clearly thinking the midfield is where it's won. Adding Beams strengthens that. I agree with them.

However, their soft draw played a big part in their top 4 finish and I have them outside of the top 4 next year, unless they improve significantly.

FWIW, I'd rate our trade period as a B/B+. We addresses our back problem, added some slightly speculative outside run in KK and some important back up for Max. If we'd landed a Gaff or Kelly, that's what really brings your trade period up to an A/A+.

That said, I wouldn't have thought anyone really aced it this trade period. Richmond got Lynch for nothing and Essendon got Shiel (whom I rate highly), but I'd argue we addressed more needs to round out our list than they did.

Edited October 22, 20186 yr by A F

8 hours ago, david_neitz_is_my_dad said:

Plough is a [censored]

Not exactly certain why the censored word was, but whatever it is I suspect that it is spot on.

He is a [censored]

Did he mention his own success rate at list building at more then one club?

8 hours ago, chook fowler said:

Wallace - F

chook - Did you forget to add -wit?

Edited October 22, 20186 yr by monoccular

tiers.

‘As weagles showed this year, two ruckmen are better than one if used intelligently. Highlights of Preuss show a big, strong, mobile, marking ruckman who can score goals. Imagine Maxie patrolling the backline and Preuss frightening the opposition in the forward line. If this can be pulled off it could be the master stroke of the decade.’

Reminds me of those glory days when Strawbs O’Dwyer and the great Jimmy Stynes owned the MCG.

Every time Wallace sees red and blue Rodney Grinter springs to mind I reckon. Not endorsing a particular incident but perhaps Terry ain't an impartial observer.

10 hours ago, willmoy said:

These blokes must be on commission jobs.

Preuss can kick goals, but has never had an opportunity at NM. Don't be surprised to see him do just that.

May, can kick miles and goals. Don't be surprised to see him do that, and be angry to big heads like cats and pies.

Kolo@#$@#$ can deliver the ball, needs to be fit, and will be good outside fit........

Wonder what he thought about how this year we finished third on the ladder, and where he thought we would finish!!!

Amazing... 

 

 

Despite his trade grade, he still has us as premiership contenders after getting May in the door. 

I’m pretty happy with how the list looks post trade period.

C+ is a joke. Wallace is a twit. He was a great list manager at Richmond. NOT

He overrates Hogan we are a better team without him.

Preuss is the perfect foil to allow Gawn to do whatever he likes.

There is a question mark on Kolodjashnij but he has speed and should have first crack on the wing.

May is a great pick up better than Hogan, one of the best full backs in the league.

Edited October 22, 20186 yr by WERRIDEE

Please, no more snide comments about Jesse. As supporters, we invested far too much in his ability to score goals when his real talent lay elsewhere. He was an outstanding champion of our club and deserves to be remembered fondly.

For various team management and balance reasons, he was never allowed to reach his full potential. His real talent was up the field as a running CHF where his ability to read the play and get to a contest, win the ball in the air and on the ground and dispose to the best position was second to none for a 193 player.

There was even a post that suggested that he play CHB. He would have excelled in this position and, if the trade had not occurred, it was a viable option.

We should thank Jesse for his contribution and wish him well at the dockers.

 

4 minutes ago, tiers said:

Please, no more snide comments about Jesse. As supporters, we invested far too much in his ability to score goals when his real talent lay elsewhere. He was an outstanding champion of our club and deserves to be remembered fondly.

For various team management and balance reasons, he was never allowed to reach his full potential. His real talent was up the field as a running CHF where his ability to read the play and get to a contest, win the ball in the air and on the ground and dispose to the best position was second to none for a 193 player.

There was even a post that suggested that he play CHB. He would have excelled in this position and, if the trade had not occurred, it was a viable option.

We should thank Jesse for his contribution and wish him well at the dockers.

 

I don't like the people taking shots at him either, all will become obvious in the fullness of time with Jess...

...but whilst a very good & exciting developing player he was hardly a champion of the club.

...and whilst I wish him well in life I don't wish anyone well at another club (just the way I am, I'm only interested in our players going well) with the exception of Trenners and Lyndon Dunn who I think both put in a lot through very hard times & deserve some reward.

15 hours ago, A F said:

They're clearly thinking the midfield is where it's won. Adding Beams strengthens that. I agree with them.

However, their soft draw played a big part in their top 4 finish and I have them outside of the top 4 next year, unless they improve significantly.

FWIW, I'd rate our trade period as a B/B+. We addresses our back problem, added some slightly speculative outside run in KK and some important back up for Max. If we'd landed a Gaff or Kelly, that's what really brings your trade period up to an A/A+.

That said, I wouldn't have thought anyone really aced it this trade period. Richmond got Lynch for nothing and Essendon got Shiel (whom I rate highly), but I'd argue we addressed more needs to round out our list than they did.

Didn't they win 14 games against the bottom 10 sides?

 

19 hours ago, Fifty-5 said:

His rating system has a lot of grades A- and B+, C- and D+.

From A to F that gives 16 different rating levels and that's leaving out A+ and F-.

Put them on the line Terry and be more definitive.

Define definitive ! 

39 minutes ago, pineapple dee said:

Define definitive ! 

I'll definitely define definitive for you.

10 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

C+ is a joke. Wallace is a twit. He was a great list manager at Richmond. NOT

He overrates Hogan we are a better team without him.

Preuss is the perfect foil to allow Gawn to do whatever he likes.

There is a question mark on Kolodjashnij but he has speed and should have first crack on the wing.

May is a great pick up better than Hogan, one of the best full backs in the league.

How long since we had a solid legit full back. Danny Hughes... Ray Biffen 

23 hours ago, Demonland said:

Plough's 2018 Predictions.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2018/03/22/ploughs-2018-season-predictions/

Plough's 2018 ladder predictions

1st - Richmond

2nd - Sydney

3rd - Greater Western Sydney

4th - Adelaide

5th - Geelong

6th - Melbourne

7th - Port Adelaide

8th - Hawthorn

9th - Essendon

10th - Collingwood

11th - Western Bulldogs

12th - Fremantle

13th - St Kilda

14th - North Melbourne

15th - West Coast

16th - Carlton

17th - Gold Coast

18th - Brisbane Lions

 

Wallace needs to give up the Demon drink ??