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Good that the deal has been done. Despite his talent, it was always been what he could do for us. He had some good games but overall his contribution was patchy at best, when we could get him on the paddock. He has not been the worth the coin he was being paid and certainly not worth more based on his performance. Sick of the constant speculation around this guy. We are building a team where everyone has a role. We were not building a team around one player.

Like Hawthorn, who in my opinion paid ridiculous overs for Wingard, we're a net outcomes based club who just gets deals done. I remember when Hawthorn gave up picks 9 and 16 for a 27 year old Burgoyne (got back 24 and 40), who supposedly had a knee that was "bone on bone". Hawthorn supporters were livid. He's still playing 10 years later and bagged another 3 flags. Hogan is immature with concerns re off-field issues and that doesn't help you at the negotiation table, especially when the circus would just continue next year. More importantly, just when we became the club he hoped we'd become he bailed. No problem, but that demonstrates to me he doesn't bleed for a flag. Our list now has never been more balanced in my time watching them. May will be a gun in a good team and make life a hell of a lot easier for Lever and Oscar. And if Kolodjashnij can get his body right, and in turn confidence, we've got another very highly talented player on our hands. Btw, pick 23 in a good draft is nothing to sneeze at. Taylor can recruit a 150+ game player with a pick of that nature. All things considered, in my opinion we've improved the list. But I do rate Weideman more than some on here. At 21 he has so much improvement left it's not funny. By the way @Baghdad Bob, there's disappointment and the usual addle-pates that would never know a good deal if it slapped them in the face.

No matter what happens today in the trades I can guarantee you that the same media [censored] that said Jesse isn't worth 2 first round picks will be the same [censored] saying we stupid for giving away Jesse for nothing.

I have it on good authority that the club is training Spargo to grow taller.

Looking forward to May and KK being highly invested in this footy club.. unlike Hogan

People were crapping themselves about Melksham...and still going on about Lever. No doubt we'll be hearing about Hogan and May for the next 2 years also. Meantime the dees are going to give the 2019 flag a real shot. For mine our football club is in very good hands.

It really annoys me that people have a go at the disappointed posters. Hogan is a generational player, he held our aspirational hopes for a long time and we became attached to him. I can't believe there is anyone not sad to see him go. Those knocking the disappointed are just jerks.

51?

Out: Hogan and a pick we didnt need. In: May, Kolodashnij and pick 23. I'm happy. Welcome new guys and all the best to Jesse.

There is a lot on here of Jessie's shortcomings. Many on here happy to pot him on his way out. I loved watching him play and he was an important part of our team while it was being rebuilt. He was our only key forward for a few years (Clarke and Dawes always injured). He deserves recognition for sticking around when he could have left and spent more time with his dad. Thanks Jessie for sticking with us during our tough times. All the best at Freo. Hope going home brings you the happiness you are seeking.

Hey, @EnterTheDragon, seriously mate, you couldn't read a phone book. ?

Hogan for May, KK and Pick 23. I'll take it. I'm sad to see Hogan go, but this pushes us further towards a flag, which is the ultimate goal of any footy club.

I wanted more, but such is life. At the end of the day Hogan had no real desire to play for this club. He had no real desire for success. His sole motivation was being close to his family and friends. There is nothing wrong with that, but I only want players who want to succeed and want to play for our jumper. Hogan did not. Lets get the May thing done and lets move on. At least we never have to have this "will he won't he" distraction again.

Let's not forget that a captain of another club has joined the Dees. When did that last happen ? Was Ditterich captain when he came to the Dees ? This is significant. Don't underestimate the calibre of people we're bringing in. Tough bastard too.

That's the most disappointing nickname attempt since someone here tried to start calling Trac 'Petraccattack'.

Can everyone stop posting until I’m caught up, currently on page 396.

Hogan and Lobb will be salivating with the likes of Lachie Neale sticking it down their throat... oh hang on. I was a fan, but like ProDee I question why any sane, driven player would bail out now. Take solace in the fact that Weid has performed in front of back to back 90k crowds. Something Hogan will never experience. I’m not 100% sure about May and KK, but if they perform well then there’s nothing wrong with this deal at all.

I don't understand how he wins... Made a big song and dance on Friday about pulling out of the Hogan deal and ended up paying what was offered on the Friday. Not much changed except for Bell doing a 180...

mate, he did not want to play for us and would have been gone in 12 months. they had no choice but to trade him out

Just saw Bell and Rosich arrive ?

For those wondering how we are going to fill our list vacancies: if the Hogan trade goes down as mooted (May, Kolodjashnij and #23) we will have 7 vacancies and 7 draft picks between 23 and 91. Options to fill vacancies: use the late picks to make rookies (Keilty and T Smith) senior players then replenish our rookie stocks in the rookie draft have a senior list of < 40 players (38 is the minimum) take delisted players, which don't require draft picks so some draft picks remain used. If 3. the unused picks can be traded to a team needing draft points for a higher pick. Pick trading can happen on Thur and Friday. Then again during the draft as we have Live Pick Trading this year. How many picks we take to the draft is yet to be seen but we have plenty of options to fill our list.

Removing 'Hogan's Hangers' as quarter time entertainment will save countless lives.

Go for the navicular

I'll say it again: We are closer to a flag in 2019 with May in our team than Hogan. Add KK, Preuss, Toby Bedford and things are positive. Who's likely at pick 23?

Essendon and Port were the premiers and runners ups in last October's trade period. Both clubs were in Bali, Thailand, the US and Europe by September 1 2018.

was he singing..... when my baby smiles at me I go to Freo ??

If it gets us a flag who gives a [censored]? Sad to Jesse go but business is business.

Overall I think we did well. Got Hogan off with his big salary who did not want to be in Victoria as well his other issues for a first and second round pick.

Let the melts begin Paging @EnterTheDragon

While egos might get bruised, this should not be viewed as just Melb vs. Freo. It’s overall outcomes. I think Freo have done well. GCS have given up quite a bit. Melbourne have moved one player out and replaced with two that fill big gaps in the team. Add on the intangibles and information we aren’t privy to around Hogan and I suspect Mahoney and co. would be pretty happy. Especially if there’s also pick 23 in there that is exactly the type of pick Melbourne offloads for ready made gap filler players. Simplistically this could end up +3 players that address gaps for a 2019 flag tilt, for the cost of a player who has emotionally checked out of the club and not able to be retained and Melbourne have coped quite well in the past when absent.

Channel 7 reporting that negotiations are suspended until Demonland thread hits 400.

Puzzle pieces falling into place. Let's hope there are still nice biscuits left in the jar for us. See what I did there. I'll get my coat.

Quite the opposite: "Jesse Hogan has taken a significant pay cut to get back to his family in Perth and play for Fremantle". https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/hogan-accepts-pay-cut-to-join-fremantle-as-stars-switch-clubs-20181017-p50aa2.html It makes his decision to go to Freo even more baffling: leaves a team on the brink of success for one at the bottom, takes only a three year deal and a pay cut. Baffling. Its no wonder we weren't able to get a better trade deal - much easier to get top picks if player is on a long-term multi $m deal. Mahoney did a great job getting the deal he did.

For those who believe Mahoney caves too easy and should take a harder stance, consider Adrian Dodoro at Essendon, who has not for the first time just failed to deliver a trade for a big name player who wanted to go there. Edit: I’m dumb, trade period not closed yet. Hopefully this turns out to still be true in a few hours ?

I reckon Hogan's days at Melbourne were numbered when it became apparent we played a better style of footy when he was missing. Not saying Hogan is no good, just that we seem to gel better all over the ground when he is out. After that it was a matter of the footy department deciding what style of players we most needed, and could trading Hogan get those players in.

My inflatable Jessie Hogan is sitting in the corner of the lounge room right now . . . Scared . . . Scared of the fork that's coming from the kitchen drawer . . . He knows he's going in the bin (aggressively deflated) but doesn't know exactly when. I'm actually having fun with this

I’ll back in our footy department everyday after what they’ve been able to achieve over the passed 4 years. Thye have earned and deserve trust.

Overall, Hogan to Freo was the equivalent of pick 2.

Poor bastard

I have no idea what I want to happen today. I know what a talent Jesse is already at 23 and what he potentially could become. I also have a nagging concerns (perhaps my MFCSS) that he won't live up to that potential. I also respect his wanting to "go home" and if that's truly the case then that reason sits better with me then us pushing him out the door. If we lose him then I want to be compensated fairly but I also realise that sometimes you have to pay overs or get unders just to get the deal done and hopefully it works out in our favour when it all comes out in the wash. Having said that, we always seem to pay overs and get unders but I sort of like that we don't look like [censored] but would sometimes like us to be mongrels at trade time. Regarding May. I'm constantly going back and forth in my mind. Some days I want him and others I don't. He's older than Jesse but does fill a need but in a straight swap I'd rather keep Jesse. But then another club's name is thrown in the ring for May and that makes me want him more. Ideally I'd love 2 first rounders for Jesse and then use one for May and use the other in the draft but I'm resigned to the fact that that won't happen. My second wish is for a first rounder for May and another young Freo player but I'm also sure that won't happen. I guess I'll take the first rounder and pick 23. If Jesse has to leave I'm happier that he is going to Freo than to anyone else where I'm confident he won't do much damage in the short term in the bottom 4.

I despise Geelong, but I do feel they are within their rights to be seething about the Kelly trade. I know there are extenuating family circumstances, but the fact that he is wanting to go back to WA for family reasons, but is only willing to go to one club is farcical. IMHO, contracted players should be able to nominate the State that they would like to be traded to and the money they would like to receive- then it's over to the clubs to sort out the trade that's best for them.

weeds has yet to do a preseason ( properly) apparently he's already in the gym not making a judgement...just noting this

first post in years. looks like we will have to get a deal done, a work colleague, she's a big dees fan, who's brother was in Bali with Jesse, from WA, good mates, Jesse has said to him he will not sign a new deal with Melbourne if he isn't traded, he will walk end of next year, Freo are aware of this too, they just think his demands are too high. Sad really. So will it force us to take unders? Or Hold tight? seems determined to go home. Casey seconds might have a new power forward next year!! HaHa

I'm not sure the Demonland server would survive this.

In the last quarter when Gunston got that free for taking out the legs, when they were coming hard at us. He missed the shot but up in the Olympic stand it looked like it went through. A couple of Hawks supporters in front of us jumped up and celebrated turning around really trying to rub all the Melbourne supporters noses in it. You think by the silence they would have worked out that he missed but no they were just loving being complete [censored]. I even had time to say to my sister, "wonder when someone will tell them that he missed" her reply "Let them go, this is Gold" ????