mo64

He's our only backman who takes regular contested marks.

Saw him play in a NEAFL game a couple of months ago, and brought him up as a recruiting target. GWS also has the likes of Marchbank and Ahern who may have surpassed Kennedy in the pecking order. A 3rd round pick should get it done.

Unfortunately Ernest, it's our lack of brilliance, particularly in the backline, that is hurting us. We seriously need some class and creativity in the backline, and Yarran can provide that. The way he is playing at Carlton/Northern Blues is not too dissimilar to Garlett. You can tell that he doesn't want to be there, and that will drive his price down.

If Dangerfield was 90% certain in his mind of staying with the Crows, I would have thought it would have been an incredibly uplifting gesture to the club if he announced that he was staying not long after Phil Walsh's passing. I'd say that he's 90% certain of leaving, with Geelong being his destination. Roosy may well have gotten into his ear, but he's also tried to woo Hanneberry, Prestia, Rockliff, Kennedy and Dangerfield last year, without success. There's a difference between making a play for a player, and actually landing them.

What, to Moggs Creek? If he had any thought of coming to us, he would have done it last year and allowed the Crows to get maximum compensation.

Don't agree with that. Regardless of which club takes him, his attitude will determine whether he succeeds or fails, because the talent is there. Freo thought that Sylvia was the icing on their cake, and look how that turned out.

Players/Player Managers don't play the PSD card unless the player is on the outer with his existing club. Howe seems to be happy with the club, so I'd say that a trade would get done. Plus the picks that Brisbane get for Aish and Leuenberger come into play.

Motlop has played as a an outside mid all year, and had a really good season.

I'd be more interested in the clubs B&F voting than Demonland. And you say that Jack Grimes has been unfairly treated on this site. Give me a spell. He wasn't in our best 22 at the start of the year, and has been dropped on more than 1 occasion. So it's fair to say that our coaching staff rate Lumumba more highly than Grimes, as do I. And furthermore, I don't see that relevance of mentioning Varcoe given that we gave up Clark, who continues to struggle to get on the park. Geelong are the club that should be dirty with the trade.

I reckon that 90% of free agents or out of contract required players have made a decision as to which club they'll be at next year. Opposition clubs court them 12 months in advance, as we've done with Hannaberry and Prestia. And players tend to get to their preferred club. If we weren't in the hunt for Motlop at least 6 months ago, I doubt that we're a chance of getting him. PS: Mitch Clark is the exception.

Shouldn't Hogan be included on that list? Whilst I accept that BP did a shite job, there's no doubt that senior coaches have an influence. Roos stated after his 1st draft at Melbourne that he has a simple mantra on what makes an AFL player and that is, "The ability to win your own ball and use it", or along those lines. And it's easy to see that Taylor has adhered to his philosophy, and identified players that fit that criteria. And it's fair to say that some of the players drafted when Bailey was coach failed to meet that criteria. Richmond have nailed their 1st round picks in recent years, with Deledio, Cotchin, Rance, Reiwoldt, Martin and Ellis (Tambling the exception), but have got little out of their latter picks.

If we think that King can develop into a forward/ruckman in a few years time, I don't see the point of investing in another one through the draft. It seems like the club is clear on where our ruck stocks are at: Gawn - 1st ruck guaranteed unless he gets injured. Spencer - Backup 1st ruck who isn't good enough as a ruck/forward. Jamar - Retire unless picked up by another club as a FA. Fitzpatrick - The club doesn't see him a a ruck, and isn't good enough as a key position player. Frost - Wouldn't be surprised if he plays as a key back/2nd ruck next year like Jackson Tengove. Assuming Jamar retires, and if Fitzpatrick is traded/delisted, I'd be happy with a Hannath or Lycett.

I'm ok with Dunn, Jetta and Cross as lockdown defenders. We need more creativity in the backline, and if we can't get someone like Yarran, I'd play Brayshaw as a half back/mid. He'd offer more than Grimes/Garland's combined 223 games of experience, for f'all wins. You seem to have too much of an emotional attachment to both. Having said that, I wouldn't be unhappy if Grimes remained at the club on a 1 year deal.

And I'm sure that the player he replaced (Salem) has a worse stat line. That doesn't change the fact that Salem has far more impact on the game than Grimes. Grimes hasn't been awful this year, but for us to improve, we need more creative players in the backline. Grimes and Garland are neither creative nor lock-down backmen, and both need to be replaced.

Not sure if serious or taking the pizz. Lynch is a legitimate mobile key forward who can impact the scoreboard, unlike Dawes. He'd be a perfect fit for Hogan because they both cover the ground and could rotate between CHF and FF. He's a late 1st rounder. Toumpas and our 3rd round pick for him would be a steal.

He actually had a 1st gamer in Scharenburg on him when he was leading up the the ground, so that shows how much respect the opposition have for him. When the ball went in deep, Hogan was quite often double teamed. His foil/decoy role is overrated. If Frost comes into the team as a backman/2nd ruck, I'd play Tom Mac as a forward.

The term "serviceable" isn't a compliment. Since moving down back, he's been our most consistent backman, especially in our poor losses. I'd rather have him playing in the backline than Grimes and Garland, who both seem to drop their heads when things get tough.

Interesting that this morning, Goodwin openly said that they've been working with Watts on his contested possession skills. Instead of hiding the fact that Watts has been soft at the contest and the perceived stigma attached to that, the coaches are treating it like any other skill of the game. Long overdue IMO.

Are you sure it was Pies supporters? It could have been Melbourne supporters booing him out of habit.

Can someone who watched the game last week tell me whether the booing of Goodes started from the 1st minute, or whether it was a reaction to him getting a free kick for staging, and later on not being penalised for a push in the back, and subsequent goal. The booing of Goodes had stopped over previous weeks, so maybe it was these onfield incidents that reignited the issue.

I'm pretty sure that Wayne Harmes is related to Norm Smith, so there may be a reason for the family supporting Melbourne.

Totally different type of player to Riley. Harmes seems to have a better skillset than Riley. His overhead marking is a standout, and can kick a goal. Riley is all grunt and not much else.

We're playing against a team devoid of forwards, and yet our backline is stacked with plodders with no attacking skills. Lumumba has to play half back, and unless Jetta and Garland don't start playing 2 way football, they become liabilities. If Brayshaw is fit, like to see him also play half-back. Lumumba, Harmes, Newton and JKH to come in for Spencer, M. Jones, Bail and Toumpas.

We've also got the fringe trade-ins: Riley - Won't make it Michie - Unlikely to make it Newton - Hopefully makes it. We are very thin for mids.