Red and Blue realist

Imagine being a 27 year old athlete who's excited about being able to run 16 times in a row without breaking down. Shows how tough the life of an AFL player would be.

Spot on, but it's all clubs and their supporters - at least those who follow clubs who haven't won a heap of premierships lately. The reality is all clubs have guys they have overlooked, Fyfe for instant was overlooked by every club, including Freo. There's so many variables when drafting, that only hindsight at the end of their careers says if they got it wrong or right. After 2 years Morton was a great recruit while Danger was a dud. End of their careers and it's so far the other way it isn't funny.

Worth asking the question now, because we do have the high pick to offer. But I think there's no way he'll move, apparently doesn't like the idea of the 'footy fishbowl' on Melbourne and knows to get the best out of himself he's best out of Vic. One thing asking the question now might do is push his price up a little, meaning that we might be able to pry a slightly better player out if we end up splitting the pick.

Hindsight is such a beautiful thing, after their first 2 years 2008/09 all the talk was that we had a great pick who'd easily play 200+ games. Morton averaged over 18 touches in his first year then bumped that up over 22 in year 2, well above Cotchin, miles above Danger and Ward. Then I think he got injured in 2010 and never came back the same player or developed in what he looked like he could be. Anyway, it's a definite no for Masten, his biggest attribute is his ability to run all day, but he's slowed down so much that he's just not worth a second of consideration.

Of course it's all speculation, at this stage the only known is we have pick 2 and GWS have picks 11 & 15 and there's been talk of doing a split. We're all guessing whenever we throw up any suggestions, but it's a bit of fun at this time of year.

The Hawks also have a father son coming through that they'll need picks/points for, he's not expected to get a bid until the 2nd round, so in the same regard that we're talking about GWS offering up their picks so they get their man and another high end pick, I can't see the Hawks giving up pick 10 then only getting Patton and the F/S. They'll want to get Patton, the F/S and retain some other picks too (well most other clubs would, lately the Hawks seem to hate taking young players).

Had a lot of 'other' issues, which is why he needed to leave Geelong and Victoria, so not sure he'd be keen on coming back to any of the Vic clubs. A lot were very surprised he actually continued with footy when he left the Cats.

Wingers have to have more than just speed, they have to read the play very well so their in the right position to either create an outlet from defense, create the play going forward or block space to make the ball movement harder for the opposition. unfortunately while Frost has great pace, he's probably the worst in the league at reading the play, so he'd make a horrible wingman. He's played best as a 1 on 1 defender because he has someone besides him leading him to the ball. I'm guessing the Hawks inquired then looked at how he would fit in with the way they run their defenses and cooled off, while he's much more suited to the North style. That's why I also think we won't be giving him big money, May, Lever, Jetta and Hibberd work best in a zone defense, but you need to know how to read the play to make that work well.

He'll get picked up for sure, and I'm sure that's an area we'll look at boosting and more than likely with a state league rather than draft. Liam McBean and Mason Shaw are ex-afl guys who have been doing well in the SANFL & WAFL, but Riccardi would be the pick of them IMO (from limited viewing).

They can't afford to pay out a coach for a full year, after all the payout they've had over the last few years. So if they drag it into the next season then it doesn't cost them as much and won't look as bad. Also Worsfold's wife and kids have already moved back to WA, I'm sure they might have wanted him to step away on his own and thought this might give him a little push.

Don't think we've been linked with Patton at all, it's been known that's he's going to the Hawks since before the season.

Hill just signed an extension and Daniels has played every game, I think we're more likely to be able to get at one of the younger kids who hasn't been given much of a go and might see themselves stuck behind a lot of others.

No completely agree, I was furious with the club that Gawn got another game after round 1 this year, Oliver got another game after round 10, that we ever rookied Jetta after his first few years. I know you see the bigger picture SWYL, but only based on their last performance??

That's a pretty ordinary comparison, cross sports normally are, but plucking out a guy who was suspended for 12 months then came back and played badly is a stretch - Smith also was picked on his form prior to 2017, how'd he go? Tomlinson played all 22 H&A games, but you've dismissed them and said only finals are relevant, and then only the final that you've watched is relevant. I really hope the footy club put more work and thought into selecting players/trading/drafting than you do!

They had a massive leg up to start with and have played it very smart since then, and will/should continue to reap those rewards for years to come. Shiel, Lobb, Smith, Treloar, WHE, McCarthy plus guys like Wilson, Kennedy, Phillips & Plowman, Marchbank, Steele, O'Rourke, Frost have all been moved on for either first round picks or to move up the order over the last few years. Losing a star or 2 a year is much easier to take when there's always a turn over of good young talent coming through, plus it's much easier to manage the salary cap. They simply got given too many concessions, and should have been forced to try and be competitive early like the Suns, as compared to just banking talent.

I think most of the talk is it's, Rowell, Anderson and Green, then throw a blanket over the next 15 - 20 or so picks, then it drops dramatically from there. GWS might be happier to move on one of Caldwell or Hately before they ask for a contract extension and pay rise, it'll potentially easier to keep the other and not be using money they need for Cameron/Whitfield next year. No surprise they seem to take most of their top end picks from Vic so then they have the most ability to extract value for those who they do move on.

No doubt he had a shocker, no debate there. But you previously said that finals maketh careers and that you don't watch much GWS, so trying to give some context to what he has achieved in past finals is relevant. If you're just going to argue about the only game you've seen him in, then really you're a bit irrelevant to this discussion.

That was the 8th final he's played in if that's the only criteria, and he was probably GWS's best in the 2017 prelim.

He's not in the best 5-10 players you'd have in any team, but is a very hand 15-22 type guy, a real role player. He's also not a cast off either, the giants want to keep him but he's been squeezed out because of the re-signing of Cogs and the need to have cash for Cameron and Whitfield next year. Certainly wasn't his best game, but I wouldn't be judging a player off 1 game alone.

Never thought Patton will get them anywhere near 18, but it should get them some extra points so they might only need to top up with their later picks or go slightly into deficit for next year (not sure what academy kids they've got coming through for 2020). If you had the choice would you want Green and pick 36ish (maybe higher) or Green and pick 3 if it also cost one of those players mentioned? Surely they'll be assessing who might get squeezed out anyway and hanging them out there so we do a deal??

If they want Green then it's going to push their picks back even further, so pick 12 becomes 13 etc. Plus there's also the Freo, Hawks and Port potential early bids as well (Henry, Maginness and Mead), so getting a 2nd round for Tomlinson blows out to 38 and 52 to 56. Dosen't seem like much but points wise 38 & 56 equal 659 so they'd need to find closer to pick 18 than 22. But remember they'll get picks for Patton and whoever else leaves as well. This shouldn't weaken our hand - pick 3 for 13, 17/18 and a player, but actually strengthen it - the same with Freo, they've got a kid who might get a bid in the late teens, so they might prefer we hand over one of the 1st rounders we get from GWS, plus our 3rd for Langdon and their 2nd coming back to us. So we could give up 3 & 60 to GWS for 13, 17 & Caldwell/Hately/Bonar/O'Halloran/Cumming/Perryman/ZLangdon (the most likely IMO to be able to be obtained from the GWS list). Then we give 17 & 42 to Freo for Langdon and 28. We'd go to the draft with 13, 23, 28, while picking up Langdon, one GWS traded and Tomilinson, and possibly Elliot as well. 4 ready to go players and 3 picks under 30, all for our 1st, 3rd and 4th round picks.

Interested in hearing the reasoning, I know he hasn't set the world on fire in his limited senior games, but have you observed his NEAFL or junior games? I think he'll be one to be thrown up that's all.

Don't think Smith has quiet the aura that Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis or Silk have, hence his paycheck might not be as padded out or the option of coaching after retirement might not have been discussed as much as he wanted. Therefore those associating a straight swap with Frost can probably rule it out. .

There's a fair emotional investment in Gaff from their supporters, so they might not be as accepting of it as you think. Plus as I said, the Eagles are going after Kelly without having to move on any bigger name players, so if I was one of their supporters then I'd be wanting both.

Even if it's not a player coming to us, they might then consider future picks, for instance 3 plus next years 2nd for 13, 17 & their 1st next year. Might all depend on what other academy kids they have coming through in the future.