I suspect that Tasmania will adopt the gws method of using all their draft picks and then trading out surplus players for more high end draft picks.

Will we be tempted to do a Tyson like trade again

Time to rebuild now?

Gees whizz if the club really was as ruthless as it pretended to be we may have played the bluff of a few players while they had trade value and replenished in a ruthless way at the end of 2024.

Instead we desperately held on to players who openly told the media they wanted out or who were behaving in a way that many would not get away with.

Don't get me wrong, these blokes got us the flag we often thought we would never see, but it's like with Jack Watts - we just kept holding on and on for something that was never going to happen.

And now suddenly we have a defensive unit relying on two blokes over 30, no real replacement for Gawn on the list and where Melksham's return is the most promising attack option promised.

I suspect there is a bit of Premiership romance still playing at the Dee's yet suddenly it's four years down the road.

Just having a look at our age profile with players 25 and under. It looks like we're already well into a re-build with so much youth coming through over the last 24 months. A little snapshot of the team over the next 7-10 years could be:

FB:         McVee 21           Petty 25               AMW 21

HB:        Rivers 23             ****                        Bowey 22

C:           Windsor 19        Langford 19       Lindsay 18

HF:        Chandler 25      Van Rooyen 21 Tholstrup 19

FF:         Kozzi 23               Jefferson 21       Disco 23

R:            ****                       ****                       ****

Depth:  Spargo 25, Sparrow 24, Laurie 23, Sharp 22, Woey 22, Howes 21, Brown 20

I'm (sadly) of the opinion that Trac and Clarrie will go but desperately hope we hold Pickett.

If we could turn Trac and Clarrie into say a Butters (24) and another young up and comer, we really shouldn't be bottoming out at all whilst turning over the list well.

21 minutes ago, Deeko2 said:

Just having a look at our age profile with players 25 and under. It looks like we're already well into a re-build with so much youth coming through over the last 24 months. A little snapshot of the team over the next 7-10 years could be:

FB:         McVee 21           Petty 25               AMW 21

HB:        Rivers 23             ****                        Bowey 22

C:           Windsor 19        Langford 19       Lindsay 18

HF:        Chandler 25      Van Rooyen 21 Tholstrup 19

FF:         Kozzi 23               Jefferson 21       Disco 23

R:            ****                       ****                       ****

Depth:  Spargo 25, Sparrow 24, Laurie 23, Sharp 22, Woey 22, Howes 21, Brown 20

I'm (sadly) of the opinion that Trac and Clarrie will go but desperately hope we hold Pickett.

If we could turn Trac and Clarrie into say a Butters (24) and another young up and comer, we really shouldn't be bottoming out at all whilst turning over the list well.

My concern is

a) only a few of these players are legit elite to the level of AA consistency. Other teams have much more talent under 25.

b) that forward line. Er. And that backline.

c) the salary cap weve given to our elite players will cost us dearly at the back end of their careers.

Other clubs will come hard for Lindsay and Langford in 2 years time knowing full well we are paying multiple guys way overs. We will have to dump salary cap and or draft picks. I think we're in a spot of bother here medium term.

On 01/04/2025 at 16:25, Macca said:

Well the list is definitely not the equivalent of a shotgun shack makin' way for units

As for rebuilding through the draft (our best bet due to JT) ... if we could somehow get hold of 5 or 6 picks in the top 30 in the 2025 draft, that part-rebuild would be well on it's way

Of course, we'd have to give up a bit but what if we were giving up players who don't want to be part of the club going forward?

Not if it’s a Brock McLean draft

Don’t be scared of Tasmania taking all the picks. They’ll trade plenty, that’s an opportunity for us not a hindrance

On 31/03/2025 at 09:23, GS_1905 said:

The list has been scorched in the media. I do wonder at times whether the commentators etc jump on here to get the general supporter sentiment and use some of that as their own content. The fact that they have suggested to break up the mids (Kingy called them the Beatles) is not necessarily earth shattering but interesting that it aligns with a lot of the perspectives on here.

As much as i agree with this, i never ever would have thought we would come to see this day. The midfield was one area that i thought would stand the test of time and we would always have an edge...it is just such a typical Melbourne issue to have.

I don't think we have to go scorched earth, nor do I think we're totally changing our midfield. We're balancing our list and midfield more. Many have cried out for better ball users, more pace in the side etc. Well, with our last 4 first round draft picks that's what we've gone and got.

The only guy I'm not completely sold on is Kolt, but I do really like the energy and pace he brings.

16 minutes ago, Jjrogan said:

My concern is

a) only a few of these players are legit elite to the level of AA consistency. Other teams have much more talent under 25.

b) that forward line. Er. And that backline.

c) the salary cap weve given to our elite players will cost us dearly at the back end of their careers.

Other clubs will come hard for Lindsay and Langford in 2 years time knowing full well we are paying multiple guys way overs. We will have to dump salary cap and or draft picks. I think we're in a spot of bother here medium term.

All fair concerns really and I share some similar thoughts there however I don't think the salary cap isn't going to be a concern in a couple years.

My thoughts (nothing to back up this mind you) is that we extended Max and Vineys contracts last year to significantly front load some payments once we probably new we were out of the Houston chat. There last couple years I'm thinking will be fairly minimal and more on field coaches - although Gawn won't be shorter so he'll still be impacting.

May and TMAC (may not be on much) will surely be gone freeing up some more $$$.

We won't lose Melbourne born kids to another Melbourne based club unless we really [censored] the bed as a club IMO. I'm confident that Langford and XL will around for a long time.

As mentioned above, I don't think that Trac and Clarrie will be around sadly. Surely we can turn these two into either a gun mid or two or some high quality drafting - plus so free agency.

27 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

Not if it’s a Brock McLean draft

Ha!

It takes a lot for me to be 100% all-in on anything but it's hard to see the list ever being talent-poor with Taylor's ability re drafting

And we went from one extreme to another too ... pre Taylor and now with Taylor (in his 14th year) Time flies

So it's just a matter of giving the bloke the picks

Of all the Pillars that a club needs, does he sit on top?

On 29/03/2025 at 17:02, Bombay Airconditioning said:

Retire TMac, I’d target Leek Aleer as May’s replacement.

On 30/03/2025 at 09:31, junk said:

Why didn't we pick up Hogan when he was available ? Also we could of hd Ginnivan. The club may have issues with these players at least we would have a much better forward line. Essendon get our first round pick, we picked Lindsay possibly a break even deal. We need to trade out some players in Kozzie ( he wants to go home ), Viney, Sparrow,Salem and perhaps Oliver for starters . T.Mac to retire ,Billings, Laurie ,Wowodin,Fullarton and Howes delist. Goody and what the F did we get N.Jones as a mid coach plus other coaching staff gone. If we can save a heap we should make a play for Harley Reid. New coach Longmuir ( ex Swans).

What would we have to give up for Leek?

And how many picks do we have? Some here are delisting up to 10 players but we do need to fill a list.

There is a lot of Australian-Sudanese good young footballers out there, why are we not investing more time in these kids?

Can we trade Fritta for our first round pick?

1 minute ago, junk said:

Can we trade Fritta for our first round pick?

I'd be seriously offering essendon either Petracca or Oliver for our first round pick back. (I'm very happy with Lindsay by the way)

3 hours ago, Roost it far said:

I'd be seriously offering essendon either Petracca or Oliver for our first round pick back. (I'm very happy with Lindsay by the way)

And the salary dump.