I don’t buy into the we have a list that could/should be playing finals next year coming from the club and Paul Roos.

Obviously I’d love to be proved wrong but our recruitment strategy for both new coaching staff and turning over the playing list MUST only be about building our next window not trying to reopen the one that has just shut.

42 minutes ago, Deespicable said:

To me, today was yet another example that the same board review team that decided Goody had to go, has hopefully made the similar move to delist Tim Lamb.

Being list manager is a tough gig, but I can only sincerely hope that he realises now that he is not quite cut out for it and it's time to let someone else have a go.

Effectively he has taken large steps towards destroying what many felt after 2021 was the best young list in the comp and included a great group of core veterans.

Sure he would argue that he couldn't do anything about losing Jackson and ANB along with Angus and it's the coaches fault that Grundy barely got a go as a ruckman in 2023.

But his trade initiatives have been abysmal - Schache, Hunter, Fullarton, Billings and Hoire on top of this year's Sharp addition.

Then there's his inability to kick back on player agents - significantly the lengthy deals for both Oliver and Kozzie are fraught with danger - why a significant carrot wasn't offered for a shorter term is beyond me.

This year the new coach, presumably Buckley, may want to trade a couple of our players on top of McVee, but does anyone feel Lamb has a good grasp on the trade market and a player's ability.

By contrast Jason Taylor has been pretty much bang on, although I really wish he had taken one of Caddy or Tauru to help solved our marking crisis - outside of Gawny that is.

The length & value of the Oliver contract when his lifestyle was well known should in itself be worthy of termination.

The recent Viney extension is a significant mistake.

And for goodness sake, stop this absurd practice of trading all these 2nd, 3rd & 4th round picks to get back into the middle of the first round.

5 minutes ago, goodwindees said:

The length & value of the Oliver contract when his lifestyle was well known should in itself be worthy of termination.

The recent Viney extension is a significant mistake.

And for goodness sake, stop this absurd practice of trading all these 2nd, 3rd & 4th round picks to get back into the middle of the first round.

Agree x 3.

I don’t mind the aggressive trade ups when you’re looking for a missing piece (Pickett) or for a special player at the very top of the draft.

But especially when it’s time for a list to take its medicine and rebuild the depth of talent you have to make as many useable picks as you can. This might not be the draft to do it but restocking extra mid round picks has to be a priority.

The Tholstrup trade up has killed us, we should have another couple of handy players on the list (Pick 11 (Gold Coast) for our Pick 14, 27, 35)

Fortunately Lindsay looks a ripper but we sacrificed a lot of picks there too

18 minutes ago, adonski said:

The Tholstrup trade up has killed us, we should have another couple of handy players on the list (Pick 11 (Gold Coast) for our Pick 14, 27, 35)

Fortunately Lindsay looks a ripper but we sacrificed a lot of picks there too

Yeah that was an absolute jaw dropper. Especially considering Logan Morris went at Pick 31. I mean who are these players watching in the juniors. I get the whole can the player cope with AFL intensity and strength but Morris has all of this in spades.

Does my head in.

11 minutes ago, adonski said:

The Tholstrup trade up has killed us, we should have another couple of handy players on the list (Pick 11 (Gold Coast) for our Pick 14, 27, 35)

Fortunately Lindsay looks a ripper but we sacrificed a lot of picks there too

Lindsay is going to have to be a very special player to justify what the Club gave up. I realise when Lamb did the deal he was thinking we’d finish 6-8 places higher, but that’s simply not the case.

I’m looking at the Crows, no father sons, no academy players, no NGA players, so I assume they’ve just mostly nailed their first, second, third, fourth rounders for many years with some smart trading of Dawson, Rankine, ANB etc.

21 minutes ago, adonski said:

The Tholstrup trade up has killed us, we should have another couple of handy players on the list (Pick 11 (Gold Coast) for our Pick 14, 27, 35)

Fortunately Lindsay looks a ripper but we sacrificed a lot of picks there too

27 would’ve moved to 34 and there’s some useful talent there, not much special but a 50:50 of someone useful. 34 would’ve been in the 40’s and despite Freijeh and Dear no one rated the depth in that draft.

But we also gave up a F2 for McAdam which became a great pick that took Nibbler to get it back. Only to toss it away again in the Lindsay trade.

Definitely would’ve been better just to pay for McAdam upfront (if at all).

How about 49 and 3rd round pick swap for Sharp! Way too much for a player we were doing Brisbane a favour by taking off their books.

1 minute ago, goodwindees said:

Lindsay is going to have to be a very special player to justify what the Club gave up. I realise when Lamb did the deal he was thinking we’d finish 6-8 places higher, but that’s simply not the case.

I’m looking at the Crows, no father sons, no academy players, no NGA players, so I assume they’ve just mostly nailed their first, second, third, fourth rounders for many years with some smart trading of Dawson, Rankine, ANB etc.

Crows drafting sucks

Their trade ins have been great tbough, They've been KOTD with Dawson, Rankine wanting them

Edited 16 hours ago16 hr by adonski

Just now, adonski said:

Crows drafting sucks

They've been KOTD with Dawson, Rankine wanting them

Nibbler has been a good pick up for them as well

5 minutes ago, GS_1905 said:

Yeah that was an absolute jaw dropper. Especially considering Logan Morris went at Pick 31. I mean who are these players watching in the juniors. I get the whole can the player cope with AFL intensity and strength but Morris has all of this in spades.

Does my head in.

I too agree that we have overpaid to trade up but you can't highlight a player going at 31 to prove a point. How many other teams and picks passed on them before he was picked up? There's always going to be some gems in later rounds, it's more about the success rate the lower the pick (in theory).

Our player development has dropped off in the last few years, so having extra picks may be a moot point.

3 minutes ago, goodwindees said:

I’m looking at the Crows, no father sons, no academy players, no NGA players, so I assume they’ve just mostly nailed their first, second, third, fourth rounders for many years with some smart trading of Dawson, Rankine, ANB etc.

A Thilthorpe when you’ve got pick 1 in a draft with 2 good players in the top handful (of which only 1 is mentally healthy) helps a lot.

And having your other 2 most talented players lob home on cut priced trades helps too.

As did the ability to load up with AnB, Peatling and Cumming to fix a super shallow midfield.

Not playing tonight but Max Michalleny is a very good father son too.

In terms of an advantage on the competition their best work has been finding guys on the scrap heap or in funny spots at the start of their rebuild: Keays and Hinge for free as delisted Brisbane players, Murray and Keane as key backs from funny spots.

A couple of really quality picks in the Worrell, Soligo and Curtin coming fast, but it hasn’t been a standard load up in the draft rebuild. They burnt their first early pick of the rebuild in Fish McAsey and haven’t exactly nailed repeat drafts.

On 14/06/2025 at 13:29, The Taciturn Demon said:

Devil's advocate... sort of. Would any team give up much for Langdon?

I'd take a fourth rounder.

13 hours ago, goodwindees said:

The recent Viney extension is a significant mistake.

The move of a club still haunted by the handling of Junior late in his career

12 hours ago, GS_1905 said:

Especially considering Logan Morris went at Pick 31. I mean who are these players watching in the juniors. I get the whole can the player cope with AFL intensity and strength but Morris has all of this in spades.

Hopefully our resource-stretched recruiters stop spending so much time on planes to WA and double down on scouting local talent that won’t give us go-home headaches if they turn out to be any good.

The club has made many mistakes with mature players and i cant think of any other club thats stuffed up like we have: Billings, Schache, Fullarton, Sharp, Grundy, Tomlinson were all mistakes. The Grundy trade put us back miles with list management. The rest were all players who could not make it at clubs that were at the same level as us or below, I dont understand buying someone else's rubbish, the wade derkson obsession on here baffles me for the same reason, been on the giants list since 2022 and hasn't looked like cracking a senior game.

I'd Much prefer to see the club invest draft picks on kids in the national draft, it's always a gamble with the kids but it also comes down to environment, culture, team mates, friendships, a number of things can affect a kids development. Alot of negativity on here towards Kolt, I personally think he will be a player, he has the energy and motivation to be one he just needs the opportunity not in for a game and out for 4, abused by a selfish petracca for not passing it to him etc etc, kids like seston, verral etc should've been given exposure at the top level when our season was done, if they don't get near it or show anything, delist them. Not clog spots for 4 years to be delisted with out even being tried. Melbourne's problem is since the flag, there's been the majority of the side drinking there own bath water and need a reality check.

If I'm list management I'm moving heaven and hell to explore every crack and opening to bring Luke Jackson back, and doing what ever that takes he is the number 1 target in my eyes, regardless of what he is saying now the fact it's even mentioned means there is an opening there somewhere.

Secondly I'd be into Beau McCreery, he has something we are missing badly, speed and want for the footy in one player.

Thirdly Brody Mihocek, I dont think this will happen and suspect he will stay at the filth, but who knows, if they bomb out I'm tipping they will have a massive list reshuffle too, as all good clubs do.

We have the polished midfielders in the kids we have in Windsor, Langford and Lindsay, I just don't think they can advance with trac, Oliver and viney in the middle. Viney needs to be moved into a high half forward role or lock down forward, the game has gone past him as starting centre bounce player - ie what dimma had done with Touk Miller, not needed in the middle now so been pushed back and is kore valuable than ever now. Not sure if Petracca stays but if he does, I'm hoping whoever takes this job on cam put some of his ego back into his football, clarry is needed - obviously had a rough couple of years but it can't be easy going through the challenges his had in a professional and public program, needs to find his feet asap and if that's not at Melbourne then so be it.

But we don't need anymore list cloggers from other clubs rubbish piles, and ffs stop with the stone throwing at first and second year kids, big difference in a 19 20 year old player to a 22 23 year old who's been in the system for 4 or 5 years.

I've said in a previous post somewhere, I'd love the club to bring back Brendan McCartney, great with developing kids and a great mentor.

If we can manage to beat the filth Friday night and really stuff there top 4 chances I'd call this year a break even.

13 hours ago, goodwindees said:

Lindsay is going to have to be a very special player to justify what the Club gave up. I realise when Lamb did the deal he was thinking we’d finish 6-8 places higher, but that’s simply not the case.

I’m looking at the Crows, no father sons, no academy players, no NGA players, so I assume they’ve just mostly nailed their first, second, third, fourth rounders for many years with some smart trading of Dawson, Rankine, ANB etc.

the crows actually got a lot of their first rounders right, rachele, curtain, FS michaelaney, thilthorpe, they actually have very few later picks in their side

keays, hinge rankine, dawson, peatling, cumming, nibbler, keane from other teams

smith/laird, milera, tex from the old brigade

leaves murray, fogarty, worrall as about the only ones picked beyond 20 and first rounds go till pick 30 these days so its much of a muchness really, probably stacks up quite closely to our 21 side