SaberFang

He looks so natural with the ball in hand. Anyway, how about that Milkshake chap?

Only because we were embarrassingly inaccurate. We lost that game, they didn't beat us as such (if that makes sense). I'm not in denial!

Well, except their once-in-a-generation future key power forward.

Essendrug are certainly doing a good job stealth rebuilding their list by turfing out WADA infected players every year. Not sure the likes of Gwilt, Cooney and Chapman are sending them in the right direction though.

That's... a stretch. He was the whipping boy of the Bombers long before asking for a trade.

Almost every Facebook and Twitter comment section is filled with Bombers supporters basically celebrating that he's out the door.

Well based on his Twitter he's coming to us. He certainly wasn't as fast as Mitch Clark to disown his current club though.

There isn't a living football supporter that would take VDB over Wines, although they possess many similar attributes. Nonetheless, it's a good reality check that there are seriously good players out there; we just need to get better at finding and identifying them. Unfortunately, the success of VDB sent 17 other clubs into a frenzy, pushing them out into the minor leagues trying to replicate our success. Taylor would be doing VERY well to replicate a recruitment of equal success in this draft.

Geez the benefit of hindsight. Who the hell would we have taken with pick 4 if given the choice now? Wines. Macrae or Stringer? Fairly sure if Roos was around a year earlier then Wines would've been the exact archetype of midfielder he loves.

IMHO you don't trade pick 24 for a depth player. Michie and Riley were good examples of depth players we picked up for loose change. Ergo, the club wouldn't see Melksham as a depth player (certainly not with the reported contract offer).

How I wish the shark had won.

On exposed form, Bernie Vince had shown far more when we took him than Melksham ever has, including winning Adelaide's B&F. He also wasn't facing the possibility of two year bans from WADA.

Not happy with that deal at all. Pick 23 got us Frost, O-Mac and ANB last year and this year we want to settle for [censored] Melksham? A kid who may be ineligible to play for two years?? Abhorrent list management if true considering the huge risk he brings. Don't forget that players like Nat Fyfe have been taken in the 20's.

I like that he replies but sheesh, he must be wishing he had a pseudonym account right now. Something like boris.fernandez@melbournefc.com.au would do the trick.

I'm guessing we're just trying to improve our depth players, but it's one hell of a depth player contract. He's an improvement on the players we delisted today, that I'm certain of.

When we can get him via the PSD, why would we offer more than a third rounder? That's still a decent pick at about 42. Pick 24 is far, far too high for Melksham. In other news, our counter-offer to their trade request should be Howe for Melksham and THEIR first rounder.

They've kept Butcher??

At least Dean Terlich, Matt Jones and Ro Bail are available for selection in the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

Could be an $800k/year player once WADA gets their way.

I wonder if the club would build any clauses into the contract in the scenario he gets banned?

I'd back Taylor to find another Nibbler around pick 40 than take Melksham.

$400k for Melksham is insanity in a way that makes $500k for Dawes look sensible. Surely there is no way our footy department could be so moronic?

The other consideration is he hasn't been wallowing at some poor development club; say what you will about the club but Essendon's development program is one of the most lavish in the league. They're not exactly short of a quid. So if he hasn't exactly "blossomed" after 6 years in this system, when exactly will it happen?

So we're offering a contract he might not be able to fulfil half of? Maybe worth a punt for $250-$300k, but nearly $400k? No way.

The only universe where we should give up our second rounder involves Melksham and Essendon's 3rd rounder coming back, ala the Frost deal last year. But a second round pick in a shallow draft has much, much more currency than a third rounder. So unless Goodwin knows something we don't, this seems like a big mistake.