DomTysonsLeftFoot22

So how the land lies at the moment is the following. We don't have a first round pick. Our second round pick looks somewhere around the 27-30 mark. Our 3rd round pick looks late 40's. Don't be surprised if Brisbane request a priority too. So while Essendon are arrogant enough to think they can dig their heels in, they will likely end up parting ways for a third round pick, maybe with a sweetener attached. Some rumors around that Hurely will also head in our direction. This will be a tricky one. We'd need to part ways with the likes of TMac or a gun young mid like Salem or Brayshaw to make something like that happen I would imagine. Maybe with our first pick too. There are many blokes on our list who lack currency. Dunn is contracted for another year and wouldnt hold much for many clubs unless a Brisbane or Gold Coast wanted a tall back for a year or two. That being said we are increasingly short down back so having him on our list as an insurance policy for a final year won't surprise. Garland I believe has another two years to run.after we locked him in for three years post free agency. He is not in favor at all and has been found out with a lack of speed. He too is somewhat of an insurance policy when it comes to a backup player who can man a tall but he doesn't come into many calculations going forward. Lamumba I think would be a blessing in disguise if he was to pull up stumps due to his issues surrounding concussion and grieving over Ali. Terlich, Michie and Max King look in strife. As does Newton. We probably cant afford to hook them all so Newton might be lucky to hold on. I'd be palming Dawes off to another club for an old pair of boots, if not on the scrap heap for mine. He too could serve a club like Essendon or Brisbane but not us. Grimes and Trengove unfortunately just don't seem to be part of our future. JT is out of contract from memory. Don't mind if we re-rookie him as hopefully there is a small element of romance left in football but Grimes is a cooked goose unfortunately. He is playing seriously good football down at Casey so any trade would serve us well during trade week. Fact of the matter in, we are not going to land anyone else from another club without some sort of pain. It is hard to think about parting ways with guys who we dont want to lose but that is the business we are in. We seem like we are becoming a destination club at last so hopefully there is a big fish out there off our pier!

The CEO specifically stipulated at the AGM that we as a club had come a long way from a personnel, admin and financial point of view. But we would struggle to go any further without winning games. At the end of the day, we are in the business of winning games. Over to the coaching staff and the players now.

Sylvia in the group above is most certainly the one that got away. At least he actually had some talent. I'd describe the rest of the bunch soft. Maric = scared. Morton = tickets Gysberts = no engine Strauss = not up to it. Blease = no engine and soft. Pettard = lack of talent Scully = mercenary. Cook = worst drafting decision we have made. Colin could have been anything but was allowed to get away without doing preseasons or any hard running which meant he never gave himself a chance. By george he was powerful on his day.

I'd be more worried about building a war chest of sorts for the likes of Hogan (2018) McDonald (2018) Brayshaw, Petracca, Tyson, Viney. Howe was given his chance by Melbourne an owes them alot. Including a couple of cars. He is also coming off a couple of ordinary seasons. He should be rated on his B&F performances before commanding big $$. If he wants to go and the price is right, the current business environment says let him go. I'd prefer him to stay, but door is open.

As a kid growing up and taking summer holiday trips down to inverloch in the 90's. seeing Garry Lyon doing 100 100's along the back beach by the rock pools was a regular. Certainly not unheard of this stuff and glad to hear that he is doing it. Will hold him in good stead if he is to break into the side next year.

I was walking past the G on the way to training on Wednesday and saw one of the assistant coaches (the one with the big thighs) walking through yarra park with JKH. Both were in casuals and both had a coffee. They headed into the G. Hopefully all is well with him!!!

Also get the feeling that they are really keen on Lever and a chance to jump McCartin

Listening to Todd Viney and Jason Taylor tonight at AAMI park, Tom McDonalds brother Oscar is unlikely to be there at pick 40 but I have a feeling they are keen on him there if he is available.

Correct me if I am wrong. Don't we still have to delist someone to use Pick 40? In Jetta, Lamumba, Garlett, Newton, Frost, Stretch, Pick 2, Pick 3 Out Nicho, Clark, Byrnes, Blease, Strauss, Clisby, Frawley, Tapscott Thats 8 in and 8 out. I'd be all for putting Trenners onto the rookie list for a year or one of McKenzie or Evans to use Pick 40. Remembering that we have recommitted to Harmes and King and likely Tapscott which means we only have one live rookie spot let.

This Josh Kennedy stuff is really gathering legs. Initially it was pick 2 and 12 but that has fallen over. Melbourne are still likely to hold on to one of picks 2 and 3. Just how good would this be!

So curious about what responsibility Dave Misson takes for these feet issues? M Clark x 2. Trengove x 3, Garland, Grimes, Jamar to name a few have all had issues in recent years. No coincidence surely?

I'm with you big Gonzo. As for having Joey moving back to Melbourne. No chane but would be wise for Sydney to top up while they can with all their over 30's and inability to trade over the next 2 years.

Keep hearing rumblings about some A Graders on route to the dees. Talks with Port Adelaide are ongoing about the offloading of pick 12 to them but that is old news when it comes our way for Trenners. It will be a sad day to see the heart and soul of our club to go. But we will lose more off field than we will on field. His best seems behind him which is strange for a 23 y.o. He isnt going to get any quicker. As happy as I would be to head to the draft with Picks 2 and 3 and take home two of McCartin, Petracca, Brayshaw (who has injured his foot) I just cant see Roos going around with more kids. The expectation will be for Salem to really step up this year and unless traded the likes of Toumpas and Viney will be expected to have break out years after three preseasons. So with a little more than 60 hours to go until the close of trade week, some big names are to be thrown around and expected to land. Its the unspoken ones which seem secondary to Beams, Griffan, Ryder and co. Game on Roosey.

I am really liking what the dees are doing at the moment. It will be out last opportunity to have a real swing and hopefully head up the ladder. Adding a Geelong player, Lamumba, Frost and or Merrett automatically makes us a 5 goal better side. Not to mention the new recruit down forward. What this will do is sure up our backline and enable the recruiters to put all their eggs in the one basket with picks 2 and 3. I think also you will see a bigger and better C Salem next year who will hopefully spend a bit of time in the guts. Unsure if her will have an immediate impact, probably not but Billy Stretch as an All Australian under age player can only be a positive for us too. Stockpiling talent is going to be important. early 2015 prediction: B: Jetta Frost Dunn HB: Howe McDonald Lamumba C: Vince Jones Watts HF: Salem Dawes Trengove FF: JKH Hogan Kent R: Jamar Tyson Viney I/C Cross Garland Grimes Gawn

Mitch Duncan would be completely off limits by the cats. He would be close to our best player if he did come across. I would take him in a heart beat. Hopefully we get something better than a Taylor Hunt who is apparently out of favor down there. Also no interest in their injury prone ruckman Simpson/Vardy either. Preferred trade would be with Collingwood. In my mind if we are to lose clark, why not fill a running half back role which is required with Lamumba. Now that it seems that Jaksch, O'Rourke are both heading home and likely to command first round picks. Maybe we can work come magic with GWS to send Petracca to them and have one of their mids come too us with a shuffle of picks.

No....Dees are well into Brayshaw if we use either of the picks. Petracca is the obvious one, but that ship has sailed as the saints are likely to take him or trade the right to him. GWS are the most likely to move players and probably pick 4 for the right to pick Petracca. Wont pick McCartin if he slides to their pick 4. We are unlikely too either. Who ever gets their hands on picks 2 and 3 are likely to have access to McCartin and Wright.

Party Boy seems to be 2 from 2........Danger is exactly what we need. Wont solve all our problems but would help Viney and Tyson walk tall in the middle. Add Hogan and another tall back and we would be heading in the right direction. Hopefully Billy Stretch can step in once ready and take on the role that Toumpas was supposed too.

Interesting to see big Tex out on the town last night with Bernard, Bock and Hudson enjoying a couple of froths in Richmond. Hopefully his mate Bernie can con"vince" him to come across to the dees. If the rumblings about a player exodus at the crows is correct, then happily be a recipient at demon land. Bernard didn't seem to think that Danger Danger was going to come to the dees, but other clubs are having a swing as well.

Gees you were really on the money here Party Boy......you must have really good in's at the footy club. Look forward to hearing some more of your mail about our trading.

Bit of chat about my mate Toby Green. Depending on what happens at court on his birthday later this month, he is a chance to return home. He is a bit mischievous at times but an accumulator of the ball and has a massive tank. Heard that we are über active with Adelaide and the Danger Danger trade is not that out there considering what we are offering. As previously posted Clark for Lamumba plus some change likely to happen but for AFL assistance if he was to walk. Yet to decide what that is until commission meeting on the 22nd this month. That's when we will find out about priority pick also. Same with attempting to swap picks 2 and 4 around with GWS with a player (watts) for possibly a sheil/treloar. They are in love with Petracca but we would want guarantee we would still get Brawshaw. St kilda taking Petracca would throw a spanner in our works. Roos taking off to Hawaii mid trade week so expect the dees to be busy early. Sam Frost likely done deal for a shuffle of picks. The blease, tapscott, Strauss currency will be speculative as they were 1st rounders and like Kane Lucas, may find a traded home. Expect not much more than an old pair of boots like we got for Cale Morton. Brisbane are all over Peter Wright at pick 3 so don't be surprised if they come to play come trade week. Midfielder and a pick not out of the question for pick 3. Love the statue of big Jim today. It is great to be a demon!

Heard the same from a well known player agent at a lunch at the MCG yesterday. Christian Salem was also there. Heading OS next week with Josh Kelly....Asked him about the Goodwin thing, he knew nothing of it. Think you are on the money Party Boy I would have liked Brett Ratten to be in the mix. Proven that he did good things with Carlton even if he was chased out of there for Mick. Now working under Clarko. Presume they would have sounded him out and were declined?

The season was a failure. The off season was a success with the likes of Tyson, Vince and Cross into the side and having them finish top 5 in the Bluey. But the season on a whole was just shy of a pass mark. What it did prove was that our list was not up to competing with most sides and the players we had drafted in the past, including Blease, Strauss and Tapscott are not upto the AFL or were upto it but have not developed as required. That being said, another pre season that will hopefully prove to be more rigorous than that of an amateur football club will be beneficial as will the implementation of a game plan. Hopefully the players don't fall foul to injuries either like years gone by. Liking what I am hearing already with potential trades being courted with the plethora of picks we have or will soon have when Chip joins his mate Riv down at the Cattery. Also liking the fact we have earmarked Brayshaw as our likely pick in the draft and happy to use the Petracca factor as the trade bait around with pick 2. Roosey has stated that all are on the table and some of the Adelaide boys sound like they are being dangled in front of the Crows. All for it. Plenty of water to go under the bridge.