Machsy

I've suggested before on this site that given Fitzy's incredible speed over about 30 meters (one of the top 6 at the club), and a credible and improving engine, I would play him as a midfielder on the wing and Watts on the other. They would be an impossible match up for opposition sides. Both would have to improve their in and under work,and defensive skills (which they will need to under Roos anyway no matter where they play) but would certainly give our midfield a unique look. I think this is just the sort of lateral thinking Roos so often applied at the Swans to great effect. I wouldn't be surprised if he did it here.

Otherwise, I fear we may trade trade Fitzy, just when he is starting to hit his straps as a dominant figure. he is potentially one of the really really big improvers at the club.

Fitzy on a wing?

Sure he can run, but what happens when he actually gets the footy?

Ever seen him kick to a target? If you think his goalkicking is iffy, wait til you see this!

Terrible idea.

What about him?

Saints would want pick 2.

They can keep Joey & GAGF.

Making the statement that we're not interested in Martin, imo is a move to hopefully see him stay, and keep Richmond out of the Taylor Adams sweepstakes. This kid should be top of our list.

I hope none of our players have Ralph Carr as a manager.

They don't.

He only has 4 afl clients: Dustin Martin, Travis Cloke, Nick Haynes from GWS and another I can't recall, who is of little consequence.

He mainly managers entertainers like Kate Cebrano, Vanessa Amorosi and creepy magician Cosentino.

It seems only poorly advised and naive players sign with him.

But it's obvious where his style of negotiation comes from.

He won't last long in the AFL game, imho.

I think the calculated stating we are not in for Martin, is related to our desire to lure Adams.

I doubt Richmond have room for him if Dusty stays.

We've all read rumours in the papers like that before, and it's generally meaningless.

There's still a lot of water to go under the bridge here.

Splitting hairs at best.

Agree with Nasher.

Preferred neither on the list.

You're probably right.

But in enjoying thinking of Roos as some footy-player-whisperer that can turn a spud into Chip.

I heard that the Gys did have attitude problems at Melbourne but?

Makes you wonder what the hell Neeld was thinking getting Pedersen on board!? We already had Sellar, Fitzy, Clark, Dawes, Gawn, Spencer, Jamar, Mcdonald, Frawley, Davis as our talls yet he decides to add Pedersen when clearly we were crying out for midfielders!

Then went out and signed Gillies as a delisted free agent to boot.

I actually think alot of prendo's decisions were based on keeping the big names happy, Blease is Scullys best mate, Tappy is Trenners i always wonder if they were selected perhaps early because of that alone.

I think this was definitely intended.

Watts, Scully, Fitzpatrick, Blease, Strauss all played in the same Vic Metro team together in 2008.

Blease & Gysberts went to school together, and Gysberts, Scully & Fitzpatrick played for Vic Metro together in 2009.

Trengove & Tapscott went to school & played for SA together.

Jetta & Bennell were mates that played for WA together and at local level together.

They thought these kids would stick together because they were all mates.

Recruiting their friends gave them artificial ties to the club.

(GWS, it has been speculated, have done that in 2012, selecting Whitfield, O'Rourke & Lachie Plowman, who all played together for VM & the latter 2 played together at Calder, overlooking the highly fancied Toumpas who was generally rated in the top 3)

I think the fact that we ended up with Pedersen on the list is a whole separate disaster. With my Harry Hindsight hat on I'd have preferred it if we'd just delisted Gysberts and ended up with neither of them on the list.

I don't know... If Roos can get an attitude change out of Pedersen, physically he is a lot more useful than a skinny midfielder with poor pace and a poor tank.

Pedo have the raw tools to be a much more useful player than he is.

It's just the 3 year deal that's the shame.

I've suggested it elsewhere but Stokes would be a great addition for us. He can play the small forward role and rotates through the midfield at the Cats. OOC free agent this year.

Hasn't Stokes already re-signed for 2 years?

Definitely worth getting into.

Been a year or so since I read the series, I can't remember Nakor - the name sounds Tsurani though??

My favorites were Tomas (pure power) and Meecham (for stealth)!

Are you guys talking about Pokemon..?

Oops... successful conversion to a Schwab thread complete.

It's like the old case of a bloke being made manager when he has no managerial skills whatsoever, but has been in the trade for 20 years so its assumed he's fit to run such a business.

No, Schwab desperately wanted to drag MFC to success.

That in itself is admirable, but, as I recall hearing in one of his old Whiteboard Wednesday videos, having the desire and work ethic and best intentions is one thing, but you also need to have the capability and the aptitude to perform your role.

I think Schwab had a critical misunderstanding of what it took to rebuild our club and what his role in that should be.

I also now subscribe to the train of thought that even purely as a CEO he was a failure.

Whilst he produced results at times, his work pales in comparison to what someone like Peter Jackson has done in his stead, in a relatively very short time.

By who?

Franklin?

Probably.

But Hawthorn are still relatively in the dark, and I think they are trying to pressure him to either make or reveal his decision.

We don't need to tell them.

GWS & GCS have both been actively seeking to do just that over the last 2 years.

They're all over it.

I don't think Schwab (in his mind) wanted someone he could easily control, but I think he wanted someone he felt he could work with.

Not sure what the distinction is.

But Schwab seemed convinced he had to be involved in the footy dept to ensure it succeeded, and in doing so was exceptionally counterproductive.

The management structure he set up is mind boggling, with everything filtering through him.

I think it's symptomatic of his background, having not come from business, but from purely football administration, even starting in recruiting.

He'd have been better suited to a Football Manager or GMFO role, but even then I don't think he'd have been very good.

Paul Roos would back himself 100% to get the best out of Dustin Martin as both a footballer and a person.

This is why we paid Roos the big bucks and why any of the 17 other clubs would kill tot have him.

I will be pumped if we land Martin.

Roos might back himself to get more out of Martin than most others, maybe even all others, but he's also smart enough to know that you can't get blood from a stone.

I think he's a Sydney type player.

I reckon they'll take him in the 2nd round.

Reading that article... my god.

The misplaced overconfidence is palpable.

And even watching that footage - the players have all gone so far backwards since then!

What on earth did Neeld do to them?

I'm just not sure what to say after reading/watching that...

It leaves me feeling cheated.

Buddy offer OFF the table

tis in the papers..

Also says the offer was rescinded back in July.

I think it's more Hawthorn trying to pressure Franklin for a decision, than a move indicating the hawks are moving on.

I would have thought Martin going to GWS would all but meant Adams will be at the Tigers as the GWS list manager already threw up that possibility (Martin for Adams).

Only if there is a trade.

With pick 1 in the PSD, GWS will be angling for that.

No trade.

I still maintain that the average supporter ( and even not so average supporter) are just not in a position to judge assistant or line coaches. Pure and simple but I'll let it go.

I am interested in the above on Craig. For the life of me I can't work out why people are so quick to judge personnel that they have little insight to enable good judgement but continually give enormous latitude to Neil Craig . (actually I do know why - he comes across as a good bloke). $400K a year for a mentor with vague role description and no real power ? He was brought in specifically to lend experience and guide an untried coach and coaching panel. By that KPI alone he failed miserably.

It's very difficult if you have no direct control over the head coach and he dismisses your advice.

Craig's role was to act as a mentor, and take a wholistic and longterm view of what the club was doing, whilst striving to innovate and maintain "elite performance."

He had no control over isolated coaching decisions.

He wasn't a coach.

From what I have heard, Neeld marginalised Craig's influence somewhat by taking his advice on board as another opinion, but ultimately still went on to make decisions as he saw fit.

And Neeld's judgment was poor.

I blame Shwab for his ridiculous counterintuitive organisational structure.

Craig's only real recourse for correcting Neeld's mistakes when he wouldn't listen, was to go to Schwab or the board, but that was akin to knifing him in the back, and the perception would've been that Craig was angling to take Neeld's job, rightly or wrongly.

Great arguement..

Do explain?

You're not comparing apples with apples.

Who would prefer: Jake King, Kosi & Justin Sherman...

Or Judd, Pendlebury & Mitchell?

It's a strawman argument.

You're completely misrepresenting what Aish is as a player, and what a young draftee is to boot.

Do you even know what Dangerfield was like as a 17 year old draftee?

Don't care - GWS getting Dustin Martin puts us in the box seat for Tay Adams.

Get onto it Roosy!

In all seriousness, the Giants & Suns have had an amazing advantage in being able to frontload a lot of contracts, but also by virtue of attracting bugger all FA signings in their first year, the majority of Scully, Davis and Ward's contracts would have been paid off out of necessity of frontloading to pay the minimum requirement of the salary cap in their first years.

Remember that rookie contracts are set - you can't pay them overs.

Although, so many would have signed extensions early on in their careers to again boost the amount of the cap GWS are paying now, to give them space for later.

Thank you Markc and Greeny.

I don't do Facebook, but am I right to say it's a far from reliable source for the trade/draft period ?

I believe the same source said on Friday night that Voss had signed on with Collingwood as an assistant coach.

That should give you an indication.

Either it's really good and the mainstream media isn't onto Vossy 4+ days later... or it's highly unreliable.