As much as I love this bloke in our defence, I just can't get past the fact that he's always injured, year in year out.

After a patchy 2006 and missing the Freo Semi Final, I thought OK surely his luck will change for the better and we can finally get a 22 game season out of him. But his injury woes sunk to new depths as we could only get a measely 5 games out of him for 2007.

I know this may uspet a few fans around here, but in this tight cuthroape industry that is AFL, I believe its in the clubs best interests to part ways with this excellent yet injury prone defender. We simply can't afford to carry blokes whom you know won't give you a full season.

See if we can trade him for a 3rd round draft selection, and then hopefully use that as bait for further trades later in trade week.

Although you would find it hard to trade an injury prone 28 year old.

Although you would find it hard to trade an injury prone 28 year old.

Exactly. So with that said, why would you want to trade him?

He is a great player & an injury here or there is what this game is all about.

There is no way we should trade Wheels - & I'm tipping we won't.

There's no point.

Computer says no

Exactly. So with that said, why would you want to trade him?

He is a great player & an injury here or there is what this game is all about.

There is no way we should trade Wheels - & I'm tipping we won't.

There's no point.

Agreed on all points!

No point after injury interrupted year and with the Brown dog retiring!

Bringing back Wheels, Bartram, Rivers, Belly into our defence in 2008 plus wheatley after getting his shoulder fixed plus Chopper needs to be core of our back 6. Need to have another tall defender as a top CAC priority.

Also, I think his importance to our defence decision making is perhaps undersetimated.

Exactly. So with that said, why would you want to trade him?

Because he's always injured.

I rate him as a player, but I'm a bit over retaining players who are chronically injured - Beamer, Whelan etc..

I'll be happy if we retain him, but why not put him on the table and see if a club returns an offer thats too good to refuse.

Thats what trade week is all about.

I'll be happy if we retain him, but why not put him on the table and see if a club returns an offer thats too good to refuse.

Thats what trade week is all about.

What do you think we could get for him?

It's just pointless. A pointless topic.

What do you think we could get for him?

It's just pointless. A pointless topic.

Ryan Murphy from Freo.

Freo could do with some experience in their defence, while we acquire a young foward who has shown glimpses but could do with a change of scenary.

As I said, thats what trade week is about. Looking to improve your list. I just don't want to retain a player who may very well break down again. Why not roll the dice? Take a risk?

Ryan Murphy from Freo.

Freo could do with some experience in their defence, while we acquire a young foward who has shown glimpses but could do with a change of scenary.

As I said, thats what trade week is about. Looking to improve your list. I just don't want to retain a player who may very well break down again. Why not roll the dice? Take a risk?

OH MY GOD!!!

What exactly are Freo getting???

Wheels is prob one of my fav ever players for the Demons but even my wheels blinded eyes can see that this trade you have mentioned is, just, no. Horrible deal, Freo would be coming off the worst by far. You just said he is, an injury prone 28 year old. Murphy is a big bodied YOUNG forward who has shown some promise.

P.S Whelan shouldn't be traded anyway. Bad idea. He can't be blamed for his sides bad year. Plus he is one of the VERY VERY VERY few Demons players who gives a [censored].

Because he's always injured.

I rate him as a player, but I'm a bit over retaining players who are chronically injured - Beamer, Whelan etc..

I know what you're saying BBP.

Why is he always injured and especially at the critical time of the year?

And the trend is getting worse rather than better.

Unfortunately as you say his trade value has bottomed out and it's not worth doing.

There are other players on the list that retain high trade value who may be in this situation in a year or two.

We should learn from the Whelan experience.

He's a great player, i would never trade him and i don't think many clubs would take a risk on him given his injury run of late. They wouldn't be able to off anything of value to us and a fit and firing Whelan is one of the best small defenders in the comp.

I know what you're saying BBP.

Why is he always injured and especially at the critical time of the year?

And the trend is getting worse rather than better.

Unfortunately as you say his trade value has bottomed out and it's not worth doing.

There are other players on the list that retain high trade value who may be in this situation in a year or two.

We should learn from the Whelan experience.

Absloutely right Old. We should learn from it

Its two years late to trade Whelan. His form, fitness and currency on the market are low.

There are other MFC players we should be looking at to trade.

Absloutely right Old. We should learn from it

Its two years late to trade Whelan. His form, fitness and currency on the market are low.

There are other MFC players we should be looking at to trade.

i agree that you should trade players who like like disapearing, but i dont think that we would of considered trading wheelan 2-3 years ago, nor should we have. he was the only small defender we had and while he had had some injuries i dont think anyone would have expected it to be like this...

i agree that you should trade players who like like disapearing, but i dont think that we would of considered trading wheelan 2-3 years ago, nor should we have. he was the only small defender we had and while he had had some injuries i dont think anyone would have expected it to be like this...

He is 28 now. He has struggled regularly with a variety of injuries at the business end of the season and has missed much of 2000,2004 and 2005 finals. Trading at 25 and fit would have had some value. Now we are left with an injury plagued player who struggles to run out a season and whose game has deteriorated. He just becomes deadwood on the list.

We need to act on other senior players who offer us potentially declining value but may hold some value to other sides who have deficiencies to plug to ensure we do not continue to a perpetual pension plan for players who have clearly passed their use by date.

He is 28 now. He has struggled regularly with a variety of injuries at the business end of the season and has missed much of 2000,2004 and 2005 finals. Trading at 25 and fit would have had some value. Now we are left with an injury plagued player who struggles to run out a season and whose game has deteriorated. He just becomes deadwood on the list.

We need to act on other senior players who offer us potentially declining value but may hold some value to other sides who have deficiencies to plug to ensure we do not continue to a perpetual pension plan for players who have clearly passed their use by date.

i agree we need to act on some other senior players and if we do we will look at getting 1st and 2nd round picks...if you read my post in the 'edit your list' thread you will see where i think this list could head over a few years, especially if we can get 4 top 20 picks this year and next...

my issue is trading a 25 year old player who has shown he can be an amazing footballer but is injury prone. that would be a very brave move. trading a 27-28 year old before the slide is more likely to be a win for us. i think the first alternative has too much risk associated with it, unless you are sure he wont get up again.

and it is worth noting that our club has been in 'premiership mode' for the past 3 season...trading for players, expecting to win a flag...

i agree we need to act on some other senior players and if we do we will look at getting 1st and 2nd round picks...if you read my post in the 'edit your list' thread you will see where i think this list could head over a few years, especially if we can get 4 top 20 picks this year and next...

my issue is trading a 25 year old player who has shown he can be an amazing footballer but is injury prone. that would be a very brave move. trading a 27-28 year old before the slide is more likely to be a win for us. i think the first alternative has too much risk associated with it, unless you are sure he wont get up again.

and it is worth noting that our club has been in 'premiership mode' for the past 3 season...trading for players, expecting to win a flag...

Its clear our list has suffered at the older end by not delisting more players in the past and not carefully assessing the future contributions of other players. A few brave moves should have been made in the past and hopefully will be made over the next 12 months

I dont think our Club has been in premiership mode at all. Its struggled and limped into make the eight in the past three years and battled to win a final.

I dont think our Club has been in premiership mode at all. Its struggled and limped into make the eight in the past three years and battled to win a final.

i mean i believe the club saw itself in premiership mode. why else would it trade for pickett and holland? why else wouldnt it move on older payers like brown, ward, etc

it thought the list could get us there and kept trying for it. we failed, i think we are mid rebuilding, but we need to really sweep it out this year and next. i see us being 3 years into a 5 year rebuilding phase...lol

but i agree the list has suffered by holding onto players...

In a nutshell the club just needs to be almost brutally realistic. As any business will , you will stocktake your assetts and make some hard calls on their real values, not the heartfelt perceived ones and if required effect a massive write-down. Wheels would be a case in point for sure. May I suggest not too far behind is Beamer ( heresy I hear the calls.. clear headedness I'd retort!! )

The ol' grey mare aint what she used to be...and neither are some of the colts. its just reality. Im all for a fire sale and clear the decks. Yes Wheels mightn't fetch much in trade.. but better that than nothing going forward. Somer might accuse me of rounding up the injures and putting them in frontof the firing squad. I can understand the sentiment. No one wants to be the bearer of bad news, no one wants to be 'unthnankful" ..being un-matey etc...all i can utter is the argument of TEAM versus individuals.

Its brutal.. Its needed.

i mean i believe the club saw itself in premiership mode. why else would it trade for pickett and holland? why else wouldnt it move on older payers like brown, ward, etc

it thought the list could get us there and kept trying for it. we failed, i think we are mid rebuilding, but we need to really sweep it out this year and next. i see us being 3 years into a 5 year rebuilding phase...lol

but i agree the list has suffered by holding onto players...

I think you're right, and I think one of Daniher's biggest mistakes was to have too much faith in the list and expect it to be a contender over the last few years.

We've topped up the list with essentially very ordinary players. Pickett had no application, Holland is just ordinary, while Bizzell peaked at the wrong time. Thankfully, we've continued to put a lot of emphasis on recruiting good players with our early picks and we've also found some gems with late picks (thanks to CAC).

I believe (hope) that Bailey will partially rebuild around our 23's and under group, and over the next 2-3 years we'll see most of our senior players completely gone.

And just on topic, I would trade Whelan for a good deal, but we won't get a good deal for him. He represents more value to the MFC than to other clubs... and I want him to play as a small defensive forward next year.

Wheels should be traded if there the deal was a good one.

Wheels is worth more to us than clubs will will give to us, if that makes sense.

Wheels should be traded if there the deal was a good one.

That would apply to nearly everyone on our list I would have thought?

absolutely QC..with probably only one exception The idea that its always really open slather just doesnt sit well with some.. but youre dead right

That would apply to nearly everyone on our list I would have thought?

In concept Yes. In reality No. Any trade must be considered for what it provides to your overall list going forward. Realistically, this will normally only be capable with 1 or 2 players and not your everyone on your list.

In concept Yes. In reality No. Any trade must be considered for what it provides to your overall list going forward. Realistically, this will normally only be capable with 1 or 2 players and not your everyone on your list.

Oh I know that Rhino, I was talking in theory, reality is always vastly different.......

Besides I have always been what some here might call "conservative" in the trading department.

In that I am not willing to send everyone who currently wears our jumper out the door willy nilly, only to be replaced with players of equal, or even lesser value. This concept no matter how popular with the masses, especially after a poor year, will not help us in any way to get to that ever elusive Premiership.

To me trading is done only for the improvement the list (and I swear I have written that a few times now) and not just to shuffle the deck chairs.

So with that in mind, I have no issue with the trading of certain higher profile players (because after all they will always bring the better deals, not the second or third stringers, who, unlike some here, I am also not quite willing to just give away), but only if there is someone on the other end that deal that the club believes will better us serve in our quest for the flag. If this isn't the case then you are just trading for tradings sake, and not much will come from it.

Oh I know that Rhino, I was talking in theory, reality is always vastly different.......

Besides I have always been what some here might call "conservative" in the trading department.

In that I am not willing to send everyone who currently wears our jumper out the door willy nilly, only to be replaced with players of equal, or even lesser value. This concept no matter how popular with the masses, especially after a poor year, will not help us in any way to get to that ever elusive Premiership.

To me trading is done only for the improvement the list (and I swear I have written that a few times now) and not just to shuffle the deck chairs.

So with that in mind, I have no issue with the trading of certain higher profile players (because after all they will always bring the better deals, not the second or third stringers, who, unlike some here, I am also not quite willing to just give away), but only if there is someone on the other end that deal that the club believes will better us serve in our quest for the flag. If this isn't the case then you are just trading for tradings sake, and not much will come from it.

Extremely well written.

However, a few trades here & there is what our team needs.

Melbourne FC need a shake-up.

I'm happy for anything that the club decides to do as long it's good for the club & it's future.