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He’ll take the number one defender which will hopefully stop the opposition from double-teaming Weid leaving him to do his thing and allowing Jackson to develop. No brainer IMO.

Damian Barrett on the Sunday Footy show just said he believes we are now front runners for Ben Brown. Very interesting.

This is simply not true. I'm somewhat ambivalent about Brown, but if Clarkson suddenly wanted him I bet the attitude would change around here. If it was at the end of 2019 and he was wanting out of North there'd be a different sentiment. Weideman covers a lot of ground and with good coaching the two can play in the same half. Here's some brief highlights of just 2018 and he gets many goals where he's not hit lace out on a long lead, including a lot in general play.

If he is on our list and kicks 60+ goals I couldn't give a [censored] what he looks like

A serious Key Forward, pending a full medical Excellent. I don’t understand those who are against this Weid as the 2nd Tall. TMac to get fit Luke Jackson as The Follower...

Damien Barrett on the Footy Show just mentioned that Melbourne are leading the race for Ben Brown.

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2020/10/11/the-victorian-club-who-is-now-most-interested-in-ben-brown/

Dangerflog can play, but jeezus he is a [censored].

For those who can get past the paywall, article is here: VINEY REVEALS WHY HE TURNED DOWN A MOVE TO THE CATS A few choice bits from the article: One of the main reasons he re-signed was his faith in Goodwin. Did have his father's blessing to leave if that was what he chose, but he felt he would be abandoning the club and Goodwin if he left. He did, for a time, seriously consider the offer that was on the table from the Cats. Losing the captaincy stung at first, but that is well and truly in the past. Really believes in the vision of the club moving forward, but he knows we must deliver on the promise. Happy to provide more, or direct quotes, if you want them. Happy to PM the article if you want it as well. Cheers.

That’s why I would try couple with Polec as North paid $200k Over the odds to get Him, if we can get him at say $400k, then we have Brown/Polec at $800/900K compared to $8-900k Carlton is paying for Williams. Then I would have a crack at Higgins from the Tigers or someone similar 3 years @ $300 - $350k and the only other spot I’d want extra coverage is perhaps that small defender role. Then in one hit we’ve covered two weaknesses key forward and wing, plus given ourselves an extra option for a small forward and small defender. With Petracca, Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw and Harmes if used in his right role, Langdon you’ve got a powerful midfield in right age range24-26! Add Max who is 28 going 29 but rucks last longer, plus Jackson as a backup! The other thing I like about Jackson is he is a totally different rucking style to Max, making them a hard rucking combination to match. Defence, May, Salem, Lever, Rivers, Tomlinson (played a lot better at CHB than wing), with Hibberd, Lockhart and another small defender from one of Giants/Brisbane/Gold Coast/Tigers not getting a crack. Hopefully Petty comes back as a back up defender/swingman. Yze improves the Kicking skills and an improvement in strategy vs opposition, it’s a different team. If Brown kicked 2 per game, add 34 goals or 44 in a normal season, as we got nothing out of 2nd key forward this year, you probably add 10% in percentage and win two more games from that stat alone. Yze sorts out Fritsch to 30-20 instead of 22-28. It’s a totally different forward line, Pickett improves and learns to steady, add in a Higgins like forward and our forward line is transformed. Hunt, Spargo, Melksham all have to lift to get a game! 2020 was a fail, but we have a huge potential and a lot of our best players Are heading into that 24-26!age bracket 100 games plus zone, a few exciting kids, 2021-2025 is our opportunity!

The problem is that he's not filling a role that we are missing. He's a good second forward, but we already have a few of those (Weid, Jackson, Fritsch), but not a number 1 bail out option. He just doesn't have the size it the presence. That's why Collingwood keep persisting with Cox despite his issues. As Buckley said in his post-game press conference, those number 1 forwards are pretty hard to find.

I think this is absolute rubbish @Lucifer's Hero. He's been a captain of the club. He's still VC and a leader. Goodwin, Gawn and the club make that point about him all the time. He's 26, much of our list is younger than that. There's nothing at all wrong with what he's said here and I think it's horribly unfair to suggest he has tickets on himself. The last sentence is what the journalist wrote, all Viney said was "something really special". Maybe that's a plea to his teammates to stay, not a crack at them. His actual quote: “We have all got to sacrifice a little bit to work well together because there are only so many positions in the midfield,” “If we can rotate through and work well as a unit, there is so much talent. “It can be something really special and massive advantage for us.” Doesn't sound like he's having a crack. Sounds accurate, for one, and a sign that he understands that the midfielders (him included) need to "sacrifice" and "work well as a unit".

Look mate, I don't really care if we get him or not, but I'm not particularly swayed by the analysis of the football Einsteins on here. We need another key forward and this guy averaged over 60 goals per year prior to 2020 and he's available pretty cheaply. If the club thinks they can benefit from him in his prime then it makes sense to me. Of course, I could try and overthink it and rationalise why it won't work, but I've got better things to do... I just want to get better. I can't imagine he makes us worse.

Hate him on a cellular level.

Disagree here. Brown is you classic lead up and mark forward whereas Weed is your pack mark type player

My concern with a Weideman/Brown forward line would be the lack of defensive pressure once the ball hit the ground. Both of these blokes apply very little heat on defenders when they have the pill.

He can run in 100m if it means he kicks it straight. In fact he can do whatever and look however he wants on field if he has his 4th 60+ Goal season. As an opposition player I have always found him annoying due to his quirks. I’ll embrace them if they are ours. As long as his knees (allegedly what was physically challenging him) face the test he should be our number 1 target based on a balance of need vs likely cost. Brown as the main man deep with Weid and LJ with room to roam. Petty can develop as a swing man with no pressure. Then we need to find us some more run and polish at the right price and let’s go.

If he gets a haircut and reduces his run up I’d take him.

Not sure why we need a new thread just for this, but you can read the article for free here: Jack Viney on his decision to turn down Geelong and how he feels about the captaincy call

Gets way too many cheap free kicks and has this habit of leading up to the ball. No thanks. Also, this technique of taking a long run-up and kicking through the ball on a set-shot - wtf?

100% this. Brown and Weid as legit key forwards who provide a contest and hit the scoreboard. Jacko as a roaming mobile third tall whose time is split between forward line and ruck. Give him license to roam up the ground as a marking option along the wing and work back inside 50. Would be a great setup and 100% can work with the right players. Wouldn’t work with say a Pruess roaming instead of Jacko.

What happened to the "full review" we did half way through 2019 and when we shuffled the coaching deck chairs. Every role changed except Goodwins. There's only so long you can blame the assistants and the strategists and the medical staff and the fitness staff before you end up back with the guy who has failed when the finals were there for our taking in 2017 and 2020 and failed in 2019 when they blamed injuries. Goodwin even came out this year and said we "overachieved in 2018" We are the Kings of excuses. And revisionism. It makes me sick when I look at what Brisbane have been able to do in 2 short years. And even St Kilda in 1 year.

You've got no idea what was offered, when it was offered and what the final contract offer is. If you believe media on this you're silly. Players, managers and clubs will fill this space with misinformation. Time to get smarter.

Shane Savage?

As much as I am not a fan of Brown, we are desperate for a solid, mature tall fwd. IF his body is ok we should go for him. He has kicked 60 goals is three consecutive seasons which is probably the best record of any fwd in the comp. and he can tuck and bit and take the pressure off Gawn and LJ. We will need to pay more than a second rounder for sure. Even though north want to trade him. He has a proven record and has more trade value than a Frost. if his body is not ok, no deal. We don’t need another crocked big man

As a footballer I’d always look hard at any offer made. You are a long time retired in this game. I love his honesty, his passion and his dedication. Long may he hurt the opposition players.

Just get him ... please.

Let's get Jesus Christ!

The difference here is that Brown did it in 2017, 2018 and 2019 not just 1 year.

It's been revealed than Nathan Buckley sent his team out with one goal in mind and Jamie Elliott kicked it.

Thanks for sending that on @Hannibal Inc., I for one thought a lot of his goals were either pin point passes or 'staged' free kicks. Clearly not the case. Good to have your reality updated every now and again...

If we get him i think we start looking at West coast or Brisbane structures with 2 big key forwards and then the third being the second ruck. We would be doing alright if we could perform like them.

100% this and i absolutely guarantee he's not the only required player feeling this way. if we don't, not only make finals, but comfortably make finals and push hard in them in 2021. we could be in the same situation Essendon are right now.

We're usually on the same page LH but I don't read this the same way. I love what Jack has said in this article. He IS a key element to our future success and he recognises that. I like that he says everyone has to buy in to what's best for the team, and for example if he is required to spend some time as a small forward then he would do it if he is true to his word. It really resonates for me that he has aligned himself strongly with Goodwin, he has unequivocally committed his support, that's what I want to see. Goodwin will be coach in 2021 and it will be a pivotal year for him. I don't want to see any players second guessing that.

Unsure if this will surprise others as much as it did myself but Browns contested mark % stacks up against most of the key power forwards. I have always thought of him primarily as a leading mark (which would straighten us up). He also averages the highest “frees for” of key forwards.

I see no problems with what he has said at all. In fact I applaud his honesty and his commitment to the team. The fact that he doesn’t want to leave and hold his coach out to dry says a lot about his character.

I think you're looking for problems. When he speaks of players being unselfish and working as a unit I read it as he includes himself in that. There is no hint of him taking pot shots at others by my reading. I did like the fact that he sounds impatient for success, and there's no doubt the midfield is taking some management and players, like Oliver did somewhat this year, need to refine how they play. The main take away for me is that stuff we heard this year from some posters about how Goodwin had lost the players is BS so far as this leader is concerned. Viney's comments about being a leader are also significant for me because the way he spoke at the BnF to those who did not get a game, including them and recognising them was a genuine mark of leadership. I did not want to lose him and I am happier now that he stayed given how committed he sounds.

Weid always does better as second banana, so having Brown would allow him the second defender and his more normal role

I would rather address needs and get 2 best 22 players, while also moving on nqr players, who won’t make our best 22 and then concentrate on developing our own and drafting possible future talent. I dislike the scattergun approach of say the Saints, who while they made the finals, got nothing from their high priced newbies, when it really mattered and who now are taking up a lot of their salary cap and probably stifling future development of young players.

While I think Mahoney's time is up if he is made the scapegoat and we go into 2021 with basically the same list of assistant coaches and FD staff it will be a joke.

Its family related. His kids live back in SA with his ex wife and he wants to be closer to them. Bit like the Brad Miller situation years ago.

Hassa is my uncle. Hard to believe he is 80. The guy is as fit as they come. He’d probably run rings around me 30 years his junior. Whatever his reasons for going to WA, he is Melbourne through and through. He loves the club as much as any football tragic. Happy birthday uncle Hass

What do you mean by any other club, or as that wallowing in MFCSS. IMO we are not poorly managed and haven't been for a long time off field. Don't think for a minute with Viney is locked away the club aren't looking at renegotiating Olivers contract and probably have been for a while. I'm not sure I would be paying Oliver $900 over 5 years on current output, I love him but for that coin you want greater impact on the scoreboard. The club need to sit him down and state that to him, because he's not yet reached his peak and needs to have a Trac like impact (which he has the potential to have) from next season onwards. Those figures won't be that high for a player who has the potential he has

An archival rarity:

I don’t know why it’s so outrageous for shareholders to want to know what is happening with the business they’re investing in. The club is asking me to fork $600+ in a very tough economy. The least they could do is tell me they’re not happy with constantly being a mediocre performer and that they’re trying to change things to improve performance. It’s what I would expect any entity reliant so heavily on investor dollars to do. Those who constantly put down members who want to know what’s going on and the plan the club has to improve is bewildering. Why shouldn’t we be entitled to the plans the club has in place? Or are we meant to be happy with a 56 year lack of success?

Here is the segment with Hassa Mann.

Great idea. Pity he spent all of last preseason with Petracca only, instead of performing his role for all players on the list.

That's why you don't trade players who bleed and red and blue. We almost took it for granted he would he sign on.

Will be really good to see what wounders the Ooooz can do with Fristch. If he can turn around Fritta's pretty ordanary set shot goal kicking from this year, we would be a 1 or 2 goal per game better side from that alone. I'm interested to see what the core intended role for Yze is at the club, but surely whatever it is his kicking coaching will form a pretty important side role.

Or perhaps the fact that Goodwin wanted Yze to join last year when Jennings left but couldn't get him because of contract, shows that Goodwin knows its an area he needs expert support and is thrilled to have him on board. If Yze helps us succeed it just proves Goodwin was right to try and get him last year!