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Summary of Mahoney on Trade Radio: Presence of Roos has ‘lifted’ the club. Club is aware that on-field results have been unacceptable. Discussions with Sylvia were very clear – he was a required player through the midfield. Free agency gave him an option, he rejected our three year deal in favour of chasing a premiership. Moving on… Still chatting to clubs about pick 2. Trade is a three week period; week 1 hasn’t even finished yet. It’s unlikely to be a straight swap, more likely to be players and picks. Pick 2 is a valuable pick, and the combine last week shows that it’s a quality field of players available. Still open to trading the pick for the ‘right’ deal, still ‘highly likely’, but it won’t be given away. We directly inquired about Rockliff. He and Shuey are the sort of players we’re interested in; both of their clubs said that it was no dice, and Rockliff wants to be at Brisbane. We did not offer 2 / Jamar for 7 / Rockliff. There have been no discussions re Jamar leaving the club. The Jamar story was not true, hence why we responded to the news story. Looking at Cross. Process is it will come post-trade period. Our ruck stocks are pretty well set, so Jolly would only come in if there was movements with our ruck stocks. Roos’ discussions with Watts have him ear-marked for Mundy-like role, who started as a half-back before moving into the midfield. The focus of the pre-season will be on him getting right for that role, but also expect him to be able to play back and forward. Rawlings has done a great job with our backline, and he’ll continue in that role. Really tough period not just for our skippers but our whole leadership group. Leading Teams comes with Roos, so decisions will be made after that process has run its course. Decision on Cuddles was made by the board as part of the structural changes to the club as a whole. There’s no guarantees we’ll be able to replicate Port’s climb back up the ladder, but if the correct decisions are made then hope springs eternal, with good young talent injected last year, as well as senior bodies like Matt Jones and Terlich. If you look at us compared to other teams, we’re 2-3 short in terms of midfield depth and experience. That’s what we will be trying to address with this trade period. Going through our process for the senior assistant role, Dew was a candidate who presented to the club extremely well. Right now, he would be one of the preferred candidates. Tudor was not involved in the process. Missed the stuff on Bassett; work interrupted. Trade period is difficult as it’s quite long now and players are overseas on holidays.

C'mon. Mitch signed before we became the absolute basketcase we are now and Dawes has said that Neeld was a major factor in him signing. It also wasn't on the back of a season of 2 wins. There was a faint hope the club would build upon Neeld's first season in charge. They were both also paid extremely well, more than their market value at the time. The club is very much on the nose as a destination. That isn't a myth, that's reality.

Would trade for him just so he doesn't torch us twice a season.

Mahoney on trade radio: Said inbound calls from players wanting to join the club. Discussion was clear with colin Sylvia that they had a plan and contract for him. Pick 2 is still up for trade and more likely it will be a player and couple of picks. if the right deal is out there pick 2 will be traded. wont be given away easy. Tom Rockliff has been contacted by the MFC. Though wants to stay at Brisbane apparently. Daniel Cross is right in our sights. Mark Jamar could still be traded. Didn't hose down the thought of Jamar being traded. Well sorted in the rucks and Jolly don't think will be in our sights. Jack watts to play a David Mundy type midfield role. Captains will be picked in a month time. Both jacks no certainty to remain captains. Nathan Brown see's a bit of light at the end of the tunnel if added extra midfield. Working through the Swans with Dew. Preferred candidate. Tudor wasn't spoken about. Haven't spoken to Bassett. Haven't spoken to Adelaide regarding Sloane.

Is this thread about Viv Michie?

You just gave me a bloody heart attack.

Maybe the inbound call was from Juice Newton?

Hmmm I dunno how I feel about it. Sounds like pick 2 for NQR1+NQR2+Late Pick. I'd rather keep pick 2.

His avatar pic.... how could you not trust a face like that!

evey time i see this thread get bumped i hope for some news, but nope its just 12 pages of crap

And we heard it here first?

It would be nice to complete one trade to keep the panicky woe is us dudes quiet for a moment.

I do find it interesting that there is a common thread here. Neeld - gone Watters - rumours of discontent Buckley - rumours of discontent All proteges of Mick Malthouse - common thread on their player management styles ?

Hey guys Sam Reid is up from my way and having gone to school with his brother Ben and being great mates with him i managed to have a beer recently with Sammy and Benny and couple of our old school mates when these boys were up. Good night too! Anyways i brought up Dew to Sammy and his thoughts about joining melbourne. He spoke very highly of him and said he is a ready to become a senior coach. He knowledge of the game and quick thinking tactics are very highly rated at Sydney. Said the absolutely love him as he knows how to build relationships with players and staff. Dew demands respect and when he talks players listen. But at the same time he loves to have a joke around with the players something player really respect. Interestingly he joked that if Dew become our senior coach Reid would love to player under him.. but there is a reason why the Swans are [censored] off with us poaching him, he is hugely rated at the Swans. Nothing but a bundle of positives for Dew which i was surprised. Players rate him and are bit upset at the prospect of him leaving.

Connolly was a nice bloke with the right intentions that was just in way over his head. I did some work with the club during the Bailey years and found him to be helpful and accommodating. He's a genuine people person, I expect he'd have been great in a relationship management role, playing guide for sponsors and so on. Those potting him or making snide remarks either never met him or are just being silly keyboard warriors. Craig was a good resource who clearly knows his stuff and had a good relationship with the players. I think it was pretty clear though that he became redundant when Roos was appointed.

Vince would automatically be our second best midfielder behind Jones. Beggars can't be choosers when you have the afl's worst midfield.

AFL latest: Adelaide's Bernie Vince meets with Demons Happy to take a look but please not for pick #2.

That is the third statement of 'fact' from you about a trade involving Pick 2. Stop posting for a while.

I will be highly disappointed if we waste another top 5 pick on an outside player. I believe you should all have a close look at the numbers captured by Champion Data over James Aish's junior career regarding his contested possession rate %, and it ain't pretty. We have him ranked 8th in the draft, with Kelly at 2. When questioned as to why they had him slipping outside the top 5 their response was damning: "Think Aish is a good player and a good user of the ball but we have looked at the correlation between low contested possession rate as a junior and eventual AFL output and if you're too 'outside' as a junior you will struggle to find the same amount of ball at AFL level. His CP rate falls in the same bracket as Cale Morton, Kane Lucas, Jimmy Toumpas and Andrew Gaff." For the record, I have wanted Kelly at the Dees since mid way through this year after covering some of his games for CD in the championships...poised and tough, can find the ball inside, as well as spread and use it outside. He's exactly what we need and don't be surprised if we go down the Kelly path on draft day.

Roosy will be so confused about what to affectionately call him.

Shuey had bad run with injuries for a while there and Fyfe was "another skinny kid" when he was drafted. I doubt they'd be the player they are today at the Dees. the Pity is not who we have picked but our 'development plan'. It seems like we planned to draft a whole heap of kids and throw them in the deep end and hope they learned how to swim butterfly. What we ended up with was a whole team of kids who can only doggy paddle.....

Btw completely off topic but good to see: Rory Taggert ‏@RoryTaggert 18h Nice early running session done. Good to see a few of the boys in at the club. #2014prep #MFC Go Dees. Good to hear the boys back into the swing of things.

Played a beautiful dead bat to every ball bowled. Still, yet to score any runs after 9 overs.

The FA period is dragging on and could be shorter, the players involved have known their status all year. But the AFL draft, trade and salary cap system has restraint of trade implication and FA has been introduced to lessen the AFLPA's possible concerns about this - the extended period is about that - not about our impatience. I reckon the FA period is having an affect on our trading, we need resolution of our Sylvia compo pick before we dive in with our 2nd and 3rd round picks - see the mooted Myers trade for example. BTW, I can see no reason at all why St.Kilda would trade Jack Steven - he won their best and fairest, or why Jack Steven would move to another struggling Victorian club. Pelchen is a very good list manager - he was key to that Hawthorn premiership list - I think he knows what he's doing and he's not afraid to be bold. I think the McEvoy trade is bold, a Steven trade would be stupid. That is dreamland.

Is this serious a post? Wow, it's another Demonland doozie.

Pity we took Blease (pick 17) instead of Shuey (pick 18) and Tapscott (pick 19) instead of Fyfe (pick 20) in their respective drafts. Trade them by all means. But only if the value's there. Otherwise I think we need to persevere with them.

1. The fact we have not done anything in the first of a multi-week period is not cause for alarm. Only Richmond, Carlton, Hawthorn and St Kilda have traded players yet. That's 4/18 clubs. Just 4. 2. Inert gases actually do many things.

I really think Bail should hang the boots up for his own good. Too many concussion episodes for my liking. Better to look to your future, I say.

It's BS. GWS are going to trump us. Pick 1 for Vince on 600k for 6 years.

I reckon they'd be eying off our second rounder. I wouldn't take Vince for our second rounder either.

I'd take Vince for a third or fourth rounder, nothing more.

If it's Vince for the pick we get for Sylvia I would see it as at least evens to us.

Melbourne Football Club's 2014 Brownlow Medalist. Bit of a mouthful.

I think that people are missing two vital points. With most succession plans : 1/ You dont only do you own job - you are involved in the learning the job for which you have been annointed as successor ( as in Dews case senior assistant then becoming head coach) - he would be involved in the decisions and tasks that Roos does so he can learn the skills. It is a different apprenticeship from just being an assistant and then getting the top gig. It is working with Roos as head coach for next 2-3 years so at the end of his apprenticeship he is more than just an assistant that has taken over cold. So to all those saying that of the rumoured names "what has he done" - the experience to be a head coach is going to come over the next 2-3 years whilst it may not be there right now - thats why it is a succession plan. 2/ All succession plans I have seen are not locked in stone and there is an out clause for both the company and the successor - The likes of a Dew may get 2 years into the apprenticeship and say it aint for me and likewise Roos may say that he hasnt come along as hoped and all bets are off - it is not usually a clause made public but it is there. The clause usually comes with golden handshakes for the successor if the succession plan doesnt go ahead.

I reckon he'll be finished some time next season at the latest.

I'd like to put faith in our new administration/coaching crew that they could finally get us a 'champion' with pick 2. Getting 2 or 3 or 4 'never will be's' and giving a top club the chance to recruit a youngster who might go on and haunt us for years is not what I want to see. How long is it since we last had a true 'champion' at MFC? Who was our last 'champion'? I want to recruit someone who will draw people through the gate, play exciting and consistent football and be a top player for many years. Other clubs have them, is it too much to hope for us to do the same? A couple of 'good, average' players who last three or four years and then fade into oblivion is not the path I want us to take with pick 2. If we can't get a 'great' trade for pick 2 then choose a 'great' prospect in the draft.

Agree with most of this. His role as Neeld's mentor appears to have been an unworkable position. It was set up with a complete conflict between his role to support and develop Neeld and his other role which was to act on behalf of the Club in overseeing Neeld. I asked him about his role before the Sydney game last year and he said Neeld had done things he had advised him not to do. He didn't say what that was but I'm guessing appointing Trengove as Captain would have been one. Clearly Neeld's behaviour lost the players, I've been told from day one. What was Craig supposed to do about that. Support and Develop Neeld day to day but go to the Board and say this bloke is not up to it. It obviously didn't work, we know that now. But maybe it was never going to work through no fault of his own. I'm sure as he has a contract at Essendon now that MFC wouldn't have paid out his full contract. I'd be guessing they would be paying the difference between the contracts if he is getting less at Essendon. Essendon have limitless amounts of money for Football Dept spending so they can afford to have Craig doing whatever he is doing. We have very limited amounts of money and in order to pay Roos overs have had to cut back on many positions in the FD. We couldn't have afforded to keep Craig and I'm sure they didn't have to pay out his whole contract. Roos will be doing his role anyway. Frankly as much as I think very highly of Craigy I'd rather have Roos mentoring his successor. Personally I wish Craigy the absolute best. From what I've seen his contribution to all areas of the culture of the club was enormous. Eg I remember photos of him turning up to the dawn ANZAC service with some of the players amongst masses of extra's he contributed to the Club. He deserves to be treated well.

Did anyone catch Denham and Bartlett in SEN this morning? Thought I heard Dom Tyson's name come up as a possible trade target for us.

Why can't you say too much? You've said it's supposedly a done deal... So why isn't it announced?

No, it was from Magner... he had forgotten he was still at the club.

Elliot pick 10 and 11 for pick 2 and 20 would be fair I think

Forget Seedsman, go after Jamie Elliot I'd say. Can't see them parting with 10 and 11 though.

Please stop.

Depression sets in again.

Can't say too much. Viv is a done deal. He is a Demon.

The only reason I'm for keeping Blease and Tappy is because their current balance between value and potential is so uneven.

I'd keep Blease, under a proper coach I think there is enough to work with. Rubbish. Clisby performed at a far higher standard than Tapscott this year, and showed much more consistency, both from week to week and within a game. Tapscott has not played an AFL-standard four-quarter game his whole career.

You know you've done stuff all at the trade table when Viv Michie has 6 pages dedicated to him.

No surprises. CC is a great Melbourne person and when you see him at the footy I hope you treat him with more respect than shown here. You don't have to buy him a beer but let me know where he is and I will. Jumped on a grenade partly of his own making (w/ the rest of the MFC and Adrian Anderson) and I thank him for it. As for Craig - I hope the payout was not substantial. I have no idea why he has gone to Ess. From bad governance to worse - frying pan fire comes to mind. Oh well...