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Just sickening that the AFL are fawning all over this mob like they are returning heroes rather than the stinking drug cheats they are.

Don't care when it is as long as we obliterate them.

I'll try and not let bias reign supreme, but imo we had as good a trade period as any club. We went into the trade period with no first rounder. The only way to get a first rounder would have been to trade a required player, so penalising us in any arbitrary rating system for not improving our draft position is questionable. Is there a player currently on our list worth trading for a second round pick ? Remembering they have to be worth a second round pick in the first place. We retained every player we required, plus we traded for two players who are immediately top 10 players at the club (one top 5). What other club traded in at least two top 10 players without losing at least one ? Richmond arguably got two in, but they lost a top 5 player. Hawthorn got two in, but lost two (and where does Hill fit). Some think the Saints did well, but they traded for 3 players who weren't even in their side's best 22 by year's end. Freo did well, but Kersten and Hamling were fringe in their respective teams and McCarthy has issues. Hill is a great get. I don't think any club did better than Melbourne when one considers we went into the draft with pick 29 as first cab off the rank.

How massively out of touch have the head honchos at the AFL become? Not only are they rewarding this years wooden spooner's with prime-time viewership (something they have said on multiple occasions needs to be earned through good performances), but they are also glorifying these drug cheats. What a fantastic message these halfwits are sending out to the many young fans who idolise this sport. Gil the Dill, more like Gil the imbecile.

Can only feel sympathy for players who get delisted. Have you ever been sacked or made redundant? It's a hard headed business but I hope there is always a place for decency and respect.

I have never understood the need for vitriol directed at players. Chris Dawes can be critiqued. It was a trade that definitely didn't work for us and I don't believe he should be offered a further contract. You can ever be objective and point to his body fragility and his lack of impact or marking ability on the field. I suspect Dawes himself would not disagree with the critique. But the need to denigrate a player ? i just don't get it.

It should be our home game.

Barrett cops at least his fair share of flack on DL but I thought his observation in today's Sliding Doors was a good one: you intend to rough up Melbourne players next season ... ... make sure you go your hardest. We reckon they might like it. Viney always has. And now he's got Lewis to back him up. And Hibberd. And Melksham. And Vince, Jones and Kent augment those named with Oliver set to break in to the ranks in 2017. Intimidation should be a thing of the past.

It would be a lot easier for me to 'move on' if more of the AFL establishment and media acted like the club had indeed 'committed the crime'.

Having reviewed this thread. with a nomination for both Hunt AND Watts (arguably the two biggest surprise packets of 2016 along with Gawn's dominance), I declare @wretched.sylph the winner of the 2016 Crystal Ball

Although I don't like the idea behind it (Essendon welcoming back their banned players like they're long lost heroes), I'd be more than happy to see the club play on a Friday night in Round 1. It's a fantastic opportunity to not only smash Essendon and officially start the Goodwin era, but to let a packed MCG crowd and millions of TV viewers know that we've arrived, and we're here to stay.

Awesome......Given we have Hibberd and Melksham, and they have another 10 found guilty of doping, we could play off round one every year for the "pee in a cup" Cup........... F I hate Essendon. Nearly as much as Hawthorn!

May not have been a great on field performer for the most part, but his off field presence, professionalism towards training and his effort/voice and leadership on the park (when he did make it) helped turn the culture of the club around from the dark years following 186. I can't recall too many, other than the flash in his prime, running down/chasing/pressuring opponent defenders in our forward line pre Dawesy. I recall one particular speech post match day where he jumped in and cut Neeldy off on the "effort" comment saying that "coaches shouldn't have to coach effort, that's on the players" as being one of the rare noteworthy moments in the horrible year that was 2012. I would attribute him and Crossy as being significant in pointing our culture compass In a northerly direction on the huge J curve that was the (ugly) 'pre-Roos' MFC. A big thank you to this bloke (and any others eg, Crossy) for choosing to come over to what was then a complete basket case and helping turn the culture around. Crossy had much more impact on the field of course and was on it far more often, but I tips me hat to both these fellas and any other reasonable players (eg, Dunny) who stayed the course over this period and gave it their all (regardless of talent/injury woes). Thank you Chris. I wish you and family all the very best in life and all future pursuits outside of AFL (or in it if you land a contract) from here. Hopefully you remain at the MFC in some professional capacity off the field (if no contract is offered).

At least it's better than the first draft...

Was inevitable but always a bit sad when players like this don't work out, not for want of effort but for just falling short on talent. Good luck to them all.

Disrespecting and degrading players says a whole lot more about the poster than the player it's directed at.

Oh good a thread that contains comments from posters who were never close to being good enough at footy to even have a chance at getting on a list, making pithy comments about a player who has a premiership medallion, something most of us could only dream about He came, he tried, he gave his all, thanks Chris for your efforts if your time is up at MFC

No way in hell do they deserve to have a friday night game. Wow so the efc want us to celebrate the returning of the players who were banned for 12 mths and the AFL will give them a friday night game to a club who bought the game into disrepute for a number of years. I do not want to play them r1. Im sick of being the away team. Play them in r10 or middle of the season. They want to have another one of those marches again. Eddie and Luke Darcy were right this morning. Essendon can just wait and get back to the queue for those games. This is a team that finished on the bottom. You know who deserves friday night r1. The bulldogs where they can unveil there premiership flag. Not against us though.

My initial reaction was "bring it on". Would be great having a Friday night game & the chance to rub their noses in it. On further reflection though, I want no part of it If the Goat Rooters want to celebrate the return of their suspended players as conquering heroes, let them do it on their own dung heap. And the thought of all those red & black swine marching from Fed Square to the G makes me want to throw up And if they want to play us at the G they can do it as the visiting team that they are My preference for them in R1 would be Sunday 4.40. At Etihad. Against North. They can all do their march from Spencer Street Station. It will get the coverage it deserves Everything about them gives me the shitzzzz

Did his best for us and wish him well in the future.

Re-signing Hogan, as it's had an effect on all of those other points. Lewis himself said that it was a big factor in him approaching Melbourne. In this day and age, it's huge that we were able to hold onto him.

I would rather play Essendon Mid year when they're drugless tanks blow up and their groins and hammys are shot!!

Sorry to hear that you are unwell.

I must remember not to ask you to deliver my eulogy.

It never fails to amuse me on posters who cant recognise the difference between everyone recognising the reasons that a player has been delisted (and most posters universally accept that the Dawes decision is the right decision) and giving that player a classless, vitriolic, plain nasty send off. Am I glad or happy he is gone is not a question that crosses my mind. Do i understand why he was delisted and do i agree with decision ? Absolutely. There can be obvious exceptions when we believe a player doesn't give it his best or is disruptive or dishonest about the way he leaves the club. But that is a rarity. Thanks to any player who came to our club, gave it their best shot and for one of many reasons didn't make it.

Easy. Firstly they are a bunch of cheating [censored], club and many players included. The players have served there time so should return, but it shouldn't be to any fan fair. The club have not done their time or even been charged! [censored] them. Secondly they finished last last year. By the reckoning of the AFL themselves that means they don't get prime time games. [censored] the AFL as well while we are at it, they are the most inept, misguided buch of sycophantic idiots I have ever come across.

Went to a draft information night the year we drafted Rohan Bail - his Qld Senior League highlights reel looked fantastic. Loved Rohan but the AFL is a big step up. Best of luck to Pat!

The answer is 42 of course. Pat McKenna was #42 at GWS.

Great. About time.

If the allegations are proven i.e that club officials were complicit in an attempt by a player to deliberately avoid a drug test then there should be a sanction against the Giants for bringing the game into disrepute. Take away their capacity to take part in the first two rounds of the draft and make it harder for them to recruit academy kids for a year or two. That's what I would expect from a competition with integrity foremost in its mind.

Exactly. The success of a trade period can only really be measured in terms of what a particular club is seeking to achieve and what they have to trade with other clubs (i.e. players and/or draft picks). In this regard, our main priority was ring-fencing our own list in terms of the required players already on it .Tick this box - we achieved this prior to the trade period. Consequently, we had no valuable players that we were prepared to lose. And in terms of draft picks, we entered the draft period with a packet of stale Cheezels. We'd spent our entire draft inventory on super talented youngsters over several drafts previously. And we're pleased with the way this has turned out. In short, we have a list that we want to preserve (i.e. no players to trade) and no high end draft picks with which to attract top tier players from other clubs. In short, we had nudda. So - we enter the draft with pick 29 only - a pick of marginal value. And with that, we take out Jordan Lewis and Michael Hibberd, both experienced and super talented/valuable players who waltz into our best 22. That is simply fantastic 'trading' every day of the week. Sure, we had a bit of luck, but I'll take that. In fact, I'm bloody pumped. This club is competent now. Really competent. And, hopefully, about to be really potent too!

I have no issue with us getting a Friday night, I have a massive issue with the Dons getting one and the way they going to be portrayed as returning heroes! Their first game back should be low key and buried in the fixture. To not do so is to endorse the use of PED's.

we need to get the afl integrity unit onto this oh, wait

I don't understand how anyone could be against this. I would love to knock off Essendon in Round 1 in front of 80,000 at the MCG.

I don't hate Hawthorn. I'm envious of them but I don't hate them. I hate the Bombers, ignorance and arrogance rolled up in one stupid football club.

I'm with you Skuit, it may even be you, very clever. I have enjoyed the riddle and couldn't care less if there is an answer or not. For riddle haters, stay away next time. No it's not me.

Nowhere does he say that it will be this trade period.

Hopefully we've learnt our lesson from the last 2 losses against them when we clearly took them easy.

We are in an entirely different space to the "declining"clubs Hawthorne, NM, Geelong, and possibly Sydney who have serious salary cap problems with the arrival of Tippett and Buddy. Like GWS, Suns, and the Bullies, we are chock full of young rising stars. We don't need to have anymore. What we do need is experienced leaders (Lewis), and to fill gaps eg running backs who are excellent kicks (melsham, hibberd). The one area where we have a huge gap is a ruck/forward which the club has indicated will be addressed in the draft. I personally think Spencil is under utilised and could be devestating in tandem with Max who could play more down forward. We are in a great position, thanks in large part to our skill recruiters and coaches over the last three years

Interesting listening to SEN discuss this. The opinion seems to be that next year has better talent at the top but drops away quickly while this year lacks great players at the top end but is very even and has unusual depth. In essence we want high picks next year while this year second and third round will still get pretty solid players.

We did very well considering we walked in with just a 2nd round pick. Imagine 5 years ago, we rock up with just pick 29, lol. Helps when players actually want to come here now. We've come a long way in the last 3 years.

player ratings comments on his neafl seasons are here. consistent theme is 'hit targets'.

Getting 4 players with 1 draft pick must be some kind of record.

Nothing to do with gullibility...it's a bit of harmless fun and exercises for the grey matter.

Now that's the kind of pie-eyed delusion that I can only admire.

So many question Milesh. He's a middle order left hand bat and a handy slow left arm orthodox tweeter, we must be needing an all rounder, that is all I know.

Chris Dawes is a somewhat limited footballer but a ripping bloke that gave his all to our club at a very much needed time. He provided much-needed leadership off field, pushed strong training habits and on-field leadership in terms of his tackling, pressure acts, development of younger players as well as providing much needed physical support. If he is let go I will be saddened for him as a person and wish him nothing but good will and respect.

I'm of the belief that a truly great footy club leaves the players who pass through it's doors (no pun intended) as better citizens. Yes, it doesn't always go that way. i.e. Sylvia However, Chris Dawes is intelligent and articulate and conducts himself incredibly well. Did he succeed at Melbourne? Not really but you would hope and suspect that he will leave the club as a young man with a bright future and better for his experience as a top-line sportsman.

I'm not sure we'll have a winning draft period Mr Steve but we've done well in the trade period imo. We go into next year with Lewis, Hibberd and Melksham in our best 22, that's a considerable strengthening of our list that will be enhanced by the natural development of our young talent. Anything less than finals next year will be a fail. We are finally back. These last 10 years my mates have been mightily impressed with my knowledge of the new draftees coming through. I'd tell them all the things I'd learnt about their new young players trawling endlessly through phantom drafts. This year I know nothing about the upcoming draft class and it feels bloody good, long may it last.