Red and Blue realist

Naturally it's a lot easier to get players in when you are successful, a lot of players will sacrifice $ for the chance of a premiership. Does that make you a destination club or just a successful one? If Hawthorn crash and burn from here will they still be a 'destination club' in 3/4 years, who knows, plus there's heaps they have also been linked with but never went there, just Lynch is the biggest this year - Carlisle, Prestia, Wines, Wingard etc. What I was saying is that destination club is a term used by ordinary media performers to hype up any club doing a trade (if it suits their narrative at the time), we became a destination club because we got Lewis, last year Essendon and Port were because they got a few in. Nth, Brissy, Freo, Saints are apparently this years destination clubs.

So far only 1 guy potentially gone from our prelim team (AVB if he does go), and 1 who automatic best 22 (Hogan and he's still a maybe). I think we need at least 30 decent AFL ready players to content and we finally had that this year - the 22 in the prelim, plus Hogan, Lever, Fritsch, Stretch, Kent, Hunt, Vince, Peds and JHK. From that we're only losing AVB, Vince, Kent and Peds and quiet possibly Hogan. The others going are really just the deadwood end of depth. So we'll need only another 3 or 4 guys to either step in or step up to complete a squad that should again challenge. I'm hoping Petty, Baker and Maynard are guys to really step up to get in the team conversation, and that we get big improvement out of Weids, Hunt, Hannan, Stretch and Garlett which will ensure we stay in contention, plus whatever we add in the trade to immediately push to be in that squad. We'll always have guys who are developing or have been in the system for a couple of years and go no further, but we've lost some depth now but we're not in a bad position at all.

There's no such thing as a destination club, that's just media BS to hype up whatever agenda their trying to get through at the time. Each year there are more than 30 players (normally a lot more) who change clubs, either through trades or free agency, some are superstars some have other uses (role player, depth etc.). Given the media is currently driven by a heap of people trying to stay relevant to stay employed - Kane Cornes, Dal Santo, McClure, Llyod, etc, etc. They throw up terms like destination club, even if it's just getting a role player like J.Lewis for us a couple of year back, not downgrading Lewis' contribution (overall not in the prelim), but he was no longer a star when he came to us, but has been more than handy.

Sounds like GC will delist him if they can't get a deal done, so I imagine it'll be for a 3rd rounder at most, maybe a future 3rd/4th if he's not an add on to the May deal. I'm hoping he's done separately, right at the start of the week, as the Hogan/Freo/May circus could drag on a bit.

Sydney need points, not necessarily a pick downgrade. They wouldn't be attaching AVB in this, unless something else comes through. For instance Sydney pick 13 (points 1,212) Melb: AVB, pick 36 (563 points), 46 (331 points) plus 54 (220 points), so it would nearly come to the same point value but they get AVB and we get an earlier pick. I can't see that scenario working out, so it could be another 2nd (for Kent/Tyson maybe??) that we give up, so they end up in front on points, but I think it'll be too much of a stretch to think their first pick will be involved for AVB.

No he's not, was first on an AFL list in 2014, so will only have 7 years of service at the end of next year. That's the same way the AFL treated the GC guys who were pre-listed so Hogan will be the same.

Close, ANB and OMac were the guys we got. Still good all round business on our part! He played a ripper final in the NEAFL which is why we went after him, but injuries meant he just never got going. We paid nothing for him (minor pick upgrades), so we've clearly come out on top just a shame some guys just never get a run at it.

I agree with Billy Stretch, was really happy that he came into the team and played well and looked like a full time AFL player really for the first time this year. Hopefully he's foots right and he'll own one wing for years to come. Another name I'd put on the board would be Joel Smith, I feel like he's not really a key position defender, nor a 3rd forward type, but he does posses very good athletic attributes, so could be turned into a wingman more in the Richo/Riewolt mold than a traditional Gaff/I.Smith. I could see that Smith and Hunt could rotate between wing and defence and be a very hard match up.

Apparently Adams is now off to Brissy, I think Collingwood are the most likely to get May but are having a very hard time coming up with a suitable trade. We meet with May long before the Hogan talk started (seriously not the chatter that goes on all the time), and I would have assumed it would have been about lining him up next year if we were still interested. I think the most likely outcome will be Collingwood trading Moore to Sydney (he wants to go for lifestyle reasons) for their first pick then trading that and either their first round pick this year or next for May. Based on this years draft picks 13 & 18, that gives them the points value equivalent to pick, which would satisfy the suns as it's similar to what they'd get next year if May left in free agency which seems to be their wish.

And yet you've said you'd be happy to do a straight swap with May who also didn't finish in the top 10, and before you say it's because he only played 17 games, Martin and Thompson both finished top 10 for them and both played the same or less games than May. Whereas all the Melbourne top 10 played more games than Jesse.

I completely agree, I can see OMac taking another huge step forward over the pre-season and the whole defense going to another level with Lever back. At the same stage of their careers OMac and May are tracking very similar, and going into year 5 was when May really elevated his game, so happy to wait and not pay/trade next year if he's still of interest.

I just think GC will want an early first round (pick 5/6/7) rather than something after pick 10 as their starting point. As I said I hope we don't give up anything for him, but surely unless GC get a great offer they'd just hang onto him for 12 months and take the free agency comp which will be very likely to be in the top couple of picks.

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how GC and Carlton use those mature agers in the trading schemes.

If Moore goes to Sydney they'll ask for their first pick which will be pick 13, I'd guess they might bundle that with their 1st round next year and hope GC accept (if May nominates them). I wouldn't be surprised if our offer would be something similar - the lower pick we get for Hogan, if he leaves, plus next years 1st for May and KK. Assuming we get picks 5/6 and 10 or 11 (seems to be the talk after Freo deal with Brissy & Port), we'd give pick 11 and a 1st next year which if we finish in the same position, actually works out to around pick 3 in points value (I know points value means little especially to us, but might help appease GC if we get May). I actually hope we don't get May, but that's just my thoughts.

With Hogan potentially going, we've at least asked to have a conversation with him. Will probably go nowhere, or he might not even meet but I'm sure the Gold coast and the AFL would be happier if he came to us then we pay overs for May and KK

If he does go back for family reasons, I hope we are taking to both the Swans and GWS, understand we are helping him out but we've got to get the best return which might still be the Swans but may as well see what the Giants have to offer

That was when they were in a grand final a few years ago, pretty sure it was the year he was at Casey and since then it's been brought up each year

Short answer is yes, they can also be on a higher salary than the minimum rookie contact, which I imagine they would be

They've known for most of the year and only lost 4 regular season games. I would say Lynch coming in had absolutely no impact on their prelim. Gaff might be going from WC and they toweled us up.

That's just not right, there's still players on our list that are unsigned and guys that are signed right now that might move on. Just because someone is out of contract at the end of the year shouldn't make any difference as to how their team mates play alongside them for the year. It'd be like saying the team don't 'believe' in Lewis because he's likely to retire at the end of the next season. This is one area the NRL really excel at, player movement happens a year out and it makes no difference to how they or the team plays.

Didn't Jack Watts say something about loving the club last year and he ended up been shown the door. By not saying anything the narrative can be controlled if it turns out the FD are going to take a god-father offer but haven't told Jesse about it yet? Same as for the football club, they don't want to come out and say we aren't going to let him go if he comes in and says goodbye.

So far only the journo's have said anything, I love it that the club has stayed silent. Clearly they must be meeting with Jesse this week and sorting it out. There's also be silence from Jesse and also from his manager. Could be the biggest non-story of the post-season (and likely will be every year even if he re-signed for the long term).

No, he's not. With GWS clearing the decks I'd say he might sign another 2 year deal which would take him to free agency (end of 2021) and then assess his options.

I'm not in favor of May, unless he comes as a free agent next year. I just don't see that any potential upside is that much greater in what we already have in OMac and Frost, in fact if you track their careers at the same point OMac is equal too or better than May and May only kicked on from where OMac is now (so with another pre-season OMac will be even closer to where May is now). May has never played more than 20 games in a season, and for all those saying that we get big bags kicked on our defenders, Reiwoldt kicked 10, Kennedy 5 and a few big forwards kicked 4 against the Suns with May in the team. Yes I know they were easy to score against, but clearly May still wasn't the gorilla tamer people want. His best roles have been when he's had a the freedom to go and mark the ball, but that's what we've got Lever for.

That's what makes me a little mad when I see the media or Geelong/Hawks/Swans fans talk about how they had to make do without an early first round draft pick etc etc, surely making and winning finals is a much better outcome that getting excited about an 18 year old kid!