mo64

I think you've got your wires crossed. If McCarthy stays, there's hope for Tomlinson to get a trade.

This makes no sense. Who's waiting for Cam McCarthy deal to go through? Surely not GWS. If they lose a contracted KP player in McCarthy, they're not going to extend their generosity and trade another contracted KP player in Tomlinson.

I would have agreed until your last statement. Melksham's come off 2 average/poor years, so playing 100 games says as much about Essendon than him.

I agree with this. He has more talent than many on here give him credit. By not being prepared to negotiate on our initial offer, the club clearly made little attempt to keep him, and had a trade strategy that they believed would benefit the club. Whether they thought that GC was his only suitor, who knows. But we can't start whinging about Howe going to Collingwood when he wasn't part of our plans going forward.

Every year I read comments about how Melbourne have now got depth because we picked up X in the draft, traded for player Y and delisted list cloggers in Z. If the "depth" merely provides competition for the fringe "best 22", it usually means that they are borderline AFL standard. Bottom teams don't have genuine depth, they just have like for like. On the other hand, teams like Hawthorn genuinely have 25-30 players of AFL standard. Players like Simpkin and Spangher have been able to play in premierships because they are genuine depth.

Has shown no signs of being an AFL forward or a ruckman. Hawks may take a chance on him because he's a DFA and $cheap.

If next year's a stronger draft, why would you think that they would be able to extract more this year? A draft pick is only as good as the player that's selected with it. And while Prestia's still at the club, GC will always have hope of trying to retain him. Do you think Melbourne would let Hogan leave 1 year before his contract expires because he's keen on returning to Perth?

Seriously GNF, why raise something like this when we know that pick 3 is out of the equation?

What about David Williams. Didn't he kick 9 one day?

At the start of the year, would you have proposed trading in the players above for Howe ,Toumpas and whatever minor picks are involved? Nine months on, Bugg and Kennedy have hardly played in the seniors, and Melksham has been an average player in a poor team. Howe has played every game and Toumpas has looked ordinary. There's no possible way you can spin things to make out like we're looking to have a successful trade period. I know it's early, but nothing that looks like happening is anything to get excited about.

I know we are all impatient for a deal to get done, but I hope this one drags on till the very end.

The conspiracy theorists will suggest that Pendlebury arranged his wedding in Bali to coincide with Howe's trip.

Your comparison with American sports such is NHL and NBA is not valid. Those sports have on rink/court numbers of 6 and 5 respectively. You add a Gretzky or LeBron onto any team, and you'll immediately become a finals team. The same doesn't apply to the AFL. Plus the future pick that Geelong are giving up next year will be between 12-18, which you'd hardly factor in as a potential elite player. Also, by being successful you have more chance of being a destination club of choice for FA's and uncontracted players.

Sorry, your arguments are ridiculous. For starters you're underrating their list. They have a solid core of players in the 23-27 range, and a good core of emerging young players with x factor. You're also assuming that the draft picks will be better players than the players they've picked up, including an elite player in Dangerfield. If you can finish top 4 regularly, you put yourself in the hunt for a flag. I'd back Stephen Well knowledge ahead of yours.

Henderson deal confirmed and Walker is NOT part of it. I'd prefer Walker than Kennedy, if we're to give up a 2nd round pick. You can rule out Hawthorn, St. Kilda, North, Richmond and Dogs. If Collingwood get Howe, you can rule them out. If hewanted to get to Carlton, he would have been included in Henderson deal. That just leaves us and Essendon.

All these hypotheticals about picks 3 and 6 would be irrelevant if Howe has chosen Collingwood.

Are we still talking about physical appearances?

That won't be an issue with Treloar leaving and potentially McCarthy.

There's no doubt that the club aren't overly upset if Howe leaves, hence the "take it or leave it" offer. The FD obviously have their own opinions on Howe, but I'm sure like every player, Howe has the self belief that he can take his game to another level, just as I'm sure Melksham does.

My sources at Denpasar airport tell me that Bali are making a big move on a number of AFL players, including Howe, the Collingwood captain and coach. Essendon will be relocated there after the WADA suspensions, and they'll be known as the Bali Bombers. (Bad taste?)

That's not the impression I'm getting from 90% of posters. Would the same posters who are calling out Howe for lack of loyalty, be critical of the club if it traded out a player who loves the club and wants to stay, namely Jack Watts?

And yet we allegedly tried to do a deal with GWS last year, 2 hours before the trade deadline. The irony.

It doesn't work that way. As for Geelong, they'll back themselves to climb up the ladder, and future draft picks decrease in value. Hawthorn have been topping up since 2008 Premiership, and it didn't hurt them long term.

Has far more runs on the board than Melksham. Would have loved him at the Dees.

I like all the highlighted players. Too early to call on the 2014 crop, but McLean and Webb look ok for the Dogs. Of the others, McIness and O'Brien are developing KPPs at top clubs. I'd say more hits than misses.