On 8/27/2019 at 10:36 PM, jnrmac said:

We've been stuffed by the AFL and/or the expansion clubs every time we bottom out

Yup I agree jnr,

The whole league has been affected by the expansion clubs - imagine the depth of talent on lists if the GC & GWS players were distributed amongst the 16 teams. 

im not against AFL expansion but the fact is it Expansion has affected some clubs ability to regenerate their lists and regain success. You could argue its kept clubs like Geelong and Hawthorn up as they were able to take advantage of the new FA rules and not draft to keep their lists strong.

I don't really care if GC get a priority pick, it's more about the integrity of the AFL. How can the AFL executive justify they are looking after the game when they continually make up the rules in the competition to suit their own agendas?

Rules on the run

 

This is an absolute disgrace. I'll be more infuriated if our club let this happen. There will be a big difference between pick 2 and 3 this year, the club just fight this.

If the AFL want to support GC, offer them a minidraft for players of next year's crop. Take two out of the system early provides two other kids spots. Then GC trade in for both picks and experienced players. Everyone wins.

16 minutes ago, ignition. said:

This is an absolute disgrace. I'll be more infuriated if our club let this happen. There will be a big difference between pick 2 and 3 this year, the club just fight this.

If the AFL want to support GC, offer them a minidraft for players of next year's crop. Take two out of the system early provides two other kids spots. Then GC trade in for both picks and experienced players. Everyone wins.

what can the club do? the decision has nothing to do with us aside from us being next in line in the draft

The club won't say anything and aren't in a position to say anything, because we are still sucking at the teet of the AFL's bosom.

Edited August 29, 20195 yr by Win4theAges

 

This particular thread is about as depressing as Melbourne's fan base gets.

That some are sitting around lamenting how hard done by we are by getting pick three instead of two in a national draft is one of the more acute examples of self-pity I've seen, not only from the MFC supporter-base, but from any supporters of the game full-stop.

This is a club that neither needs nor deserves a handout. This is a club that made the preliminary finals last year.

And this is the team that defeated Hawthorn in a semi-final less than a year ago...

B: Neville Jetta, Oscar McDonald, Jordan Lewis
HB: Christian Salem, Sam Frost, Michael Hibberd
? Dom Tyson, Jack Viney, James Harmes
HF: Jake Melksham, Tom McDonald, Angus Brayshaw
F: Sam Weideman, Aaron vandenBerg, Alex Neal-Bullen
Foll: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Clayton Oliver
I/C: Christian Petracca, Charlie Spargo, Mitch Hannan, Bayley Fritsch

Ok, so we no longer have...

Jordan Lewis or Dom Tyson. AVB and Weid are obviously out of action for now, but not necessarily for next season by any stretch.

Of the players on that list who may have peaked I'd suggest Nathan Jones, Michael Hibberd and Neville Jetta (I say this with no joy at all).

But we now have Stephen May, Jake Lever and a handful of young players with genuine potential. And we may even pick up somebody like Ed Langdon or another upper-tier name.

We also have a relatively intact team with minimal surgeries to undergo, in the lead up to the pre-season.

If the club freakin-well APPLIES ITSELF, there is no need whatsoever to feel any need to poor scorn on anybody else for denying us a helping hand.

Yes, yes, yes, the AFL can be pretty reprehensible in it's mission to expand the league. But I think it's good to establish more clubs around the country (I hope Tasmania somehow gets a literal guernsey one day), and to make the game a comprehensively national one. But the fact is that the Gold Coast really properly suck and they need all the help they can get.

Is this the case with Melbourne? Hell no!! We are better than this. And we can prove it next year.

7 hours ago, Mel Bourne said:

....

Totally get what you're saying and don't disagree, I feel our fate is in our hands for 2020 and with our low pick (be it 2 or 3) we have a chance to resurrect ourselves quite quickly. If our high performance team are able to get most of our team fit over and pre-season and our players put in the hard work, the only thing that's holding us back is if we have the right game plan and attitude to be the best.

My bigger issue on GC getting an additional PP is that a: the precedent set by how awful we were and yet we were turned down an additional pick was just as dire as what GC are in, b: if being a Melbourne fan has taught me anything it's that you can't throw low draft picks at a club and expect that to fix the problem.

They get these two top end talents, but what then? They will likely follow either two pattern, they'll develop and become good players but then get poached by other clubs, or they will fail to develop because the culture there is non existent. They need senior players, culture builder that the young guys can learn off and be dedicated to.  

On 8/27/2019 at 8:52 PM, Pennant St Dee said:

I don't mind trading down for 2 picks, still some good players available who I have seen and been impressed with

Jeremy Sharp good run and carry player who uses the ball well could be played off a HBF

Elijah Taylor small/medium forward who IMO is better than Liam Henry with more upside

Dylan Stephens another outside runner who should be around at pick 11ish.

Can anyone makes sense of this from Damien Barrett?

 

If	the AFL was worried before the Demons' presentation to the commission on Tuesday ...
then	it is even more worried now. And unlike the Suns, it won't be offering priority national draft assistance.

6 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Can anyone makes sense of this from Damien Barrett?

 

If	the AFL was worried before the Demons' presentation to the commission on Tuesday ...
then	it is even more worried now. And unlike the Suns, it won't be offering priority national draft assistance.

Only guessing, but there's plenty of rumours around about big name players requesting trades. So that, potentially combined with the terrible financial forecast for this year could have painted a pretty bleak picture.

 

so all hearsay at the moment.

On 8/26/2019 at 8:36 PM, Lord Nev said:

Will be officially announced tomorrow apparently.

 

 

Two days after he predicted the announcement and no news.

The club went in and hopefully pleaded our case.

If they did a good job that should have scared the living bejesus outta Gil & Co.  No way they would want another GC bleeding them dry or that would impact on their ability to stop GC bleeding them dry.

No news is potentially good news and as the days roll by more than likely we will get to keep pick 2.

16 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

Two days after he predicted the announcement and no news.

The club went in and hopefully pleaded our case.

If they did a good job that should have scared the living bejesus outta Gil & Co.  No way they would want another GC bleeding them dry or that would impact on their ability to stop GC bleeding them dry.

No news is potentially good news and as the days roll by more than likely we will get to keep pick 2.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-08-27/suns-priority-pick-plea-to-be-decided-in-grand-final-week

28 minutes ago, ShaneJ said:

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-08-27/suns-priority-pick-plea-to-be-decided-in-grand-final-week

Thanks.  Well that's not so good then eh.

If some clubs are making a tiny bit of noise (and that's all most will do as they're all on the massive gravy train and s$%t scared of upsetting Gil Tse-Tung) then what better week to make the announcement than GF week when most of the media will be focussed on more pressing matters.

52 minutes ago, Rusty Nails said:

Two days after he predicted the announcement and no news.

The club went in and hopefully pleaded our case.

If they did a good job that should have scared the living bejesus outta Gil & Co.  No way they would want another GC bleeding them dry or that would impact on their ability to stop GC bleeding them dry.

No news is potentially good news and as the days roll by more than likely we will get to keep pick 2.

Only sketchy rumours, but some have suggested it would be announced Brownlow night.

1 hour ago, Lord Nev said:

Only sketchy rumours, but some have suggested it would be announced Brownlow night.

I'm gonna go with being announced on Melbourne Cup Day.

1 hour ago, Lord Nev said:

Only sketchy rumours, but some have suggested it would be announced Brownlow night.

I suppose sketchy rumors are better than normal rumors, fools plus idiots believe them.

1 hour ago, Lord Nev said:

Only sketchy rumours, but some have suggested it would be announced Brownlow night.

Yeah that way the priority pic news gets lost in the Brownlow night. 

AFL is working that one out well. 

Bunch of tossers. 

It’s cos the commission meets to make decisions on Brownlow night 

Its gonna happen and I really don’t think it matters that much 

GC17’s issues go far deeper than their access to talented kids

What if GCS get picks 1 & 2 but must trade 2.

Could we offer 3 + Jones for pick 2? We pay most of Jones salary for first year (about $170k). GCS need experienced player with leadership (!) And they get a little cap relief. Jones loves the surf, fresh start for his young family. Not dissimilar to Hodge deal at Bris. And no, I'm not comparing Jones to Hodge, just the trade.

We get Anderson (2), use 21 on Langdon and a future 2nd on Amos. We've also ticked off part of the AFL rule about using 1st rounders over 4 year period.

I wouldn't be against trading Brayshaw in a deal involving Hill or Cerra. We have enough inside mids. IMO Cerra will be elite in a year or two. Don't think Hill will come to us, though. Jones contract loss might be balanced out by Brayshaw out and Cerra in.

Out: 3, 21, 2020 2nd rounder, Jones, Brayshaw.

In: Anderson, Langdon, Amos, Hill/Cerra

Maybe swap of later picks to even up points value.

Edited August 31, 20195 yr by Moonshadow

3 hours ago, Moonshadow said:

What if GCS get picks 1 & 2 but must trade 2.

Could we offer 3 + Jones for pick 2? We pay most of Jones salary for first year (about $170k). GCS need experienced player with leadership (!) And they get a little cap relief. Jones loves the surf, fresh start for his young family. Not dissimilar to Hodge deal at Bris. And no, I'm not comparing Jones to Hodge, just the trade.

We get Anderson (2), use 21 on Langdon and a future 2nd on Amos. We've also ticked off part of the AFL rule about using 1st rounders over 4 year period.

I wouldn't be against trading Brayshaw in a deal involving Hill or Cerra. We have enough inside mids. IMO Cerra will be elite in a year or two. Don't think Hill will come to us, though. Jones contract loss might be balanced out by Brayshaw out and Cerra in.

Out: 3, 21, 2020 2nd rounder, Jones, Brayshaw.

In: Anderson, Langdon, Amos, Hill/Cerra

Maybe swap of later picks to even up points value.

You can’t trade Jones.

I note in the herald sun today all 5 pundits had Hodge not only in the best team of the last 20 years but all 5 had him captain as well.

Hodge left Hawthorn a legend with nothing more to give

Jones is a warrior of Melbourne and stood by us.

As a leader he hasn’t achieved. He can’t leave to pass on his wisdom because his wisdom hasn’t achieved anything at Melbourne.

All he has is loyalty but we need to respect that.

6 minutes ago, Wrecker45 said:

You can’t trade Jones.

I note in the herald sun today all 5 pundits had Hodge not only in the best team of the last 20 years but all 5 had him captain as well.

Hodge left Hawthorn a legend with nothing more to give

Jones is a warrior of Melbourne and stood by us.

As a leader he hasn’t achieved. He can’t leave to pass on his wisdom because his wisdom hasn’t achieved anything at Melbourne.

All he has is loyalty but we need to respect that.

Winning games of footy takes precedence over sentimentality and loyalty. All options and possibilities should be on the table, including moving on Jones. 

11 minutes ago, GetJonnoPatton said:

Winning games of footy takes precedence over sentimentality and loyalty. All options and possibilities should be on the table, including moving on Jones. 

A winning culture takes precedence over winning a single game. Some sentiment is culture building.

We lose about 500 points if we are forced to move down from 2-3.  That is a second rounder.  If they get 2, we should get 21 behind our 20! (Won’t happen....)

3 hours ago, Wrecker45 said:

A winning culture takes precedence over winning a single game. Some sentiment is culture building.

You create a winning culture by winning games of footy. Period. 

All else is smoke and mirrors.

4 hours ago, Wrecker45 said:

You can’t trade Jones.

I note in the herald sun today all 5 pundits had Hodge not only in the best team of the last 20 years but all 5 had him captain as well.

Hodge left Hawthorn a legend with nothing more to give

Jones is a warrior of Melbourne and stood by us.

As a leader he hasn’t achieved. He can’t leave to pass on his wisdom because his wisdom hasn’t achieved anything at Melbourne.

All he has is loyalty but we need to respect that.

For sure Jones is tradable, if managed well (though far from a certainty at MFC) 

Would I like to see him stay and get to 300 games and be a one club player? The romantic in me says yes. But romance won't get us closer to a flag. He won't play in a flag at MFC. Do you think Jones would want to stay because of loyalty or because he thinks he's weekly best 22? In 2020 he's not.

He has a couple of years to add to a club like Gold Coast who struggle to keep experienced stars. He'd get one year with us, some of it at Casey. Fresh start at a young club, surf next door. I'd say it's tempting.

3 + Jones to GCS for 2 (Anderson). 

Edited August 31, 20195 yr by Moonshadow