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I don't want to hate Howe once he leaves, but if he goes to North, I'll be left with little alternative.

The innovation I see is as follows JV7 ... vandenBerg was a risk in some people's eyes but all we gave up was a rookie spot. ✓ Harmes the same ✓ (hopefully) We gave up pick #2 ((probably Kelly) for an injury prone Tyson and an unknown at pick #9 (Salem) ✓ We gave up a "prized" 2nd round draft pick for an ageing veteran (Vince) ✓ We also listed another ageing veteran (Cross) who had been de-listed by a club that had only won 8 games that season. ✓ The Frost/O-Mac/ANB deal could end up being a good win and if Lumumba finds his form we'll get another win there. ✓ (hopefully) We gave up pick 61 for Garlett ✓ We held our nerve and used picks #2 & #3 on Brayshaw & Petracca ✓ (hopefully) Granted, there's been a few minor misses as well but all of the above examples were met with varying degrees of derision here yet there were also a number of people here who saw each move as an innovative one. The latest is the Melksham move or the possible trading of Toumpas, Howe, Watts and/or Dawes - we need to take risks to get better. Having one spot for an overseas project player is hardly going to destroy the club - that sort of thinking can lead to other positives. We shouldn't be worried about changing things up either - to my way of thinking Roos and co are changing things up. For the first time in a long time I actually have real faith in our FD.

and...

We did. Their names are Petracca and Brayshaw.

No way North are interested. He's under 30.

Wow.......If Howey was not at the end of his contract, no one would be say squat about him. He has gone from a good player to a spud, hack, ect and people want to swap him for a pick 26 or what ever on a untried kid. He is now (according to demonland) not intelligent, lazy, no loyalty, one trick pony that we should have got rid of years ago. He has played 44 out of 44 games in the past two seasons he averages 14 possessions a game (playing forward and back) 5 marks 3 tackles .5 goals I will concede that he is going but I for one think this is a mistake. Does he make mistakes.....Yes but so does Bernie Vince, Jones, Jeffy Garlett, and god forbid Hogan. and we want to spend a fortune on some Essendon midfielder. I think I will give Demonland a miss for a few months and wait until the stupid season is finished. It wont stop the knockers but it may preserve my sanity.

Could you just imagine the roar at the G and eruption of applause should it transpire Stynes Jnr took to the field in red and blue.Youd texta that in on the Calendar !!

Joke never gets old. Unlike North.

Brett Anderson ‏@BrettAndersonIF 41 mins41 minutes ago If Jeremy Howe opts for Gold Coast, potential deal could be Pick 3 to Dees for pick 6 & Howe. North and Pies other suitors. #TradeSENtral

I'm just sad we are going to lose the last member of the beer snake crew.

I'd take North's Pick 15 for him. Hopefully we find ourselves in the midst of a bidding war

Hope not, theres only so many bugg, melksham, kennedy like recruits we can do in one trade period before it gets excessive

Either way, our crowds should improve. Apparently he brings all the boys to the yard.

Clearly it depends on how we rate the top 6. I'll back our recruiters. Howe won't take this club anywhere or stand up in real 'heat'. He never has.

Ooooooh !!! It's nearly fun time

I'm sure that's not the full extent of the trade. GC would have to throw in pick 19 as well. The Tyson trade involved giving up 2 and 20 for Tyson and 9 + minor exchange of picks. I can see the Howe deal along similar lines.

That would suggest we are no longer after O'meara or Prestia. We must desperately want a specific player @ pick 3 as there is nothing to suggest #3 with potential will be any better than #6 with potential. It would be like giving Howe away, after all the draft is a lottery even at the top end...we should know better than any other club. I seem to be the odd one out on this going by other posters getting excited at the deal but I can't see MFC doing that trade.

I don't trust the Pies. Their m o is to get a player to want to go to them, then screw the club on the trade deal. Then they expect the players' club to just make it happen. It is similar to what they are doing to Aish and the LIons. It is the flip side of the Beams deal last year. They just stand their ground and wear the other club down. I just don't trust them! Hopefully, Howe does not nominate the Pies.

I still think Howe is GC bound. It seems they have chased him the hardest, and while others have shown some interest, GC seem to be the ones who have sustained it the longest. Or maybe I'm just hoping it's GC Howe goes to as I think they can satisfy us the best in a trade.

I admire norf minnow club low supporter base yet always put there body's on the line and continually play finalYear after year.

I don't want to deal with the Roos or Freo. If they help drive up his price, great, but I want us to be dealing with GCS. I'm sure our FD hold the same view.

Rubbish. Roos was on record saying that only one of those picks was ever on the table.

I can believe it. We drafted poorly. Development doesn't 'make a player' just improves what is there. With our picks, there was not much there. At all.

Brett Anderson reporting murmurings that Lachie Weller might want to return home. Wonder if Howe goes to Freo, Weller could be apart of a possible trade.

Freo now officially in the race for Howe. This could get interesting.

How disappointing is it, that the club that started the Irish Experiment, doesn't even seem to bother anymore? Latest two Irish boys have signed with the Swans as International Rookies.

GWS has a problem with the talent at the high end of its academy programme. It recently nominated eight players under the provisions of the AFL Club Academies Rule:-Jock Cornell (Mangoplah), Nicholas Coughlan (Albury Tigers), Matthew Flynn (Narrandera), Harrison Himmelberg (Mangoplah), Jacob Hopper (North Ballarat Rebels), Jack Irvine (Temora), Matthew Kennedy (Collingullie) and Lachlan Tiziani (Albury). The bidding system is likely to place the two players bolded inside the top ten and one would imagine the Giants would like to be able to draft at least three others. To do this they need to accumulate a certain number of points which they can only do by acquiring more draft picks. They also need to off load listed players to make room for these players, hence they are putting players like Bugg up for trade - it's an absolute necessity to enable them to take advantage of the strength of their academy crop at the same time as the draft pool is generally considered as shallow.

G Ablett and N Fyfe for M Jones and our 5th rounder?

Its laughable the two comparisons with Vince and Melksham. Vince actually had done something noteworthy in his career before coming to us, winning a best and fairest and being in the All Australian nomination. Not only that, he proved he was a noted ball winner aswell. In his 114 afl career Melksham has averaged 16 disposals and not once in his career has he ever hit the 30 disposal mark. For a midfielder thats played that many games and 24 years old thats a poor effort. He would wanna put in a big pre season this summer pull his finger out because we are currently the laughing stock of the AFL for picking him up on a 4 year deal work 400k a year.. Goody and Mcartney need to nail this one.

would have to be stuie

old man wasn't quick, but he was tough as old boots, bled red and blue, and could find the football. if jake ticks all those boxes, i'd like to add him as a rookie pick over some other anonymous player. there's still got to be room for romance in footy, and the idea of viney, stretch and lovett being in our side makes me a happy camper. i just wish dollars boys had shown some aptitude for the sport. any idea of how jimmy's lad is progressing?

Part of the Unequalisation policy Pipefitter.

Agree with you on this one 'stuie', every move we make at the moment must be calculated. It's why we couldn't afford to take a chance on someone like Bennell for instance.

If Goodwin & McCartney think he's worth it then we should trust them on this...my only reservation is what WADA have to say.

All of a sudden a late second rounder for Howe is looking like unders. If we have 3 teams with genuine interest we can really get something useful in return. Interesting times ahead. This thread is about to get busy with trade week kicking off on Monday.

Can't imagine what we'd want from North that they'd be willing to give up. I hate their list. All their best players are ageing imports.

We don't even look the same!

Sorry, didn't realise you were such a precious little rose petal. Funny though. The kid is not getting games & wants to leave for opportunity. Considering he's doing that, and the norm is to state a preference, why should he not be allowed to also? It doesn't mean necessarily refusing to look at any other options or holding the club over a barrel ensuring they get inequitable compensation. Simply he's looking for more opportunity elsewhere, and may exercise the now-common option of nominating a preferred destination. Why that has anything to do with being a spoiled brat or Gen Y is holed up in your little head. Unless you think he should be made to toil away in the VFL for another few seasons at Box Hill until Hawthorn decides to elevate or delist him because... Just because clubs should have all the power? Your antiquated logic doesn't apply here anymore. And to put a line through the kid's name for it would be the height of pigheaded stubbornness & ignorance.

You've missed the point of F/S selections. Until recent years, clubs had to give up little or nothing to acquire the sons, hence the risk/reward was minimal. How many times have you seen Jake Lovett play to make your assessment? Late selections/Rookie picks all come with an inherent risk. Call me a romantic, but I'd hate to see another club rookie Jake.

Norf.

I have no doubt that if Roos/Goodwin think JA would fit into our plans they'd have a red hot crack. That we haven't heard much noise about who the Club is going after is good news to me. Melksham aside, we haven't said too much (and a lot of that noise is from JM and his manager). Going to be an interesting trade period.

Dream bigger, mate.

Just a quick question.... many are saying that this year's is a weak draft, so what just exactly is considered a weak draft? The reason I ask is that on looking at the top 10 finishers in this year's Brownlow voting only Dustin Martin (at #3) and Dangerfield (at #10) were top 10 draft picks. The rest were Fyfe (the winner) #20, Priddis #31 in the rookie draft after being overlooked in 3 or 4 previous National Drafts, Sam Mitchell #36, Kennedy #40 (Father Son), Hannebery #30, Mundy #19, Ward #19 and Goldstein #37. If this is something that is repeated over multiple Brownlows (I haven't checked all, but I'm sure this year is probably not an exception), then surely the idea of a weak draft is a bit of a furphy.

JKH has to play better to get a spot? Why does the fact we have a similar player on our list mean we can't draft another? The Hawks have 3 small forwards Puopolo, Bruest and Riolo and they seem to go alright.

this ^

So it's his fault.

Wish some of our boys would go back and re-read that seminal work: See Spot run (both ways)

It might also be the case that some of the cap space money might be thrown at Hogan in a extended contract offer.

Victim of footy supporters seeing everything in black and white. If you are not a star, you must be a dud. Awful footballers just don't play 150 games.

If, sorry when, we win a flag we should have a demonland party. Come dressed as your favourite poster