Red and Blue realist

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!

There's lots of crows fans who've been hating our rise into the top 4 because of the impact on the Lever pick! But it has been nice having a season to think about the next game, not the next lot of draft prospects.

I disagree with this, what those other sides had was a well organised back-line and a very good intercepting player - Rance, McGovern, Howe, Sicily etc. We have Lever for that role, he did struggle early in the season with the organisation side of things but you expect that coming into a new team and once that was sorted we went on that great run of wins, unfortunately he then did his knee. I don't think May is a very high priority, and would be happy to wait until next year and try and get him for free (free agency), because even with him in the team it won't solve our biggest issues down back. Lever coming in will, or a player similar to Lever anyway.

Really, i've loved been invested in the finals to waste too much time on the draft!!! Luckily the FD will have been doing all sorts of scouting just in case a situation came up like this. It's too hard to really think about what might be available until we know what the draft pick/s are though. Who knows we could turn around and offload them for other players and not use any?

Been offered 3 years, whereas we probably only offered 1 or maybe a second with a trigger (not get injured all the time!!). I really like what he brought when he was out there, but in reality he's fighting with Melky, Trac, Spargo, ANB, Fritsch and then jeffy and JHK for 3 or4 spots in the team each week.