Mach5

Once more in english?

Maybe, would be around correct weight for mine. But I’d rather it this year, as I expect we’ll get 10, then send 5, 10 & 13 to WC for pick 1, leaving us with precious little else. Brown & Andrew with later picks, maybe an SVR to make up the numbers. We have a good few spots to fill. Currently we have 5, 13, 26, 34, 40. I think we should expect 24 for Grundy. A combination of 3 of 24, 26, 34, 40 & F1 should get us pick 10, maybe with change. A decent return for Harmes would be helpful, but wouldn’t hold my breath.

After their trade today, the dogs have 4, 38, 46, 51, 67, 70, 73. If they want Harmes they might need to find something a bit earlier, unless we’re desperate to get him off the books. 38 feels a bit later than I’d like, but might be about correct weight. The problem lying therein is that they’ll need points to match a bid on Croft.

Overs for Fullarton based on output to date.

Sorry, unfinished thought. ...if he doesn’t go to Westcoast. If they’re hellbent on picking him, I think they may take him with a top 4 pick they trade in. Not pick 1. However I don’t see any other club picking him with a top 4 pick.

I really don’t see Curtain going top 4.

Might not be the case, unless we acquire additional later picks - trading a F2, F3 or F4 would prevent us from being able to use our F1 in any deals, to my understanding. Don’t want to hamstring ourselves & foul any potential moves. As a result, a move for Fullarton might be left until late in the period.

Edited for accuracy.

Brisbane’s giant ex-basketballer come forward-ruck has requested a trade to us... Unless I’ve fallen victim to one of those scam accounts. I see this as a proper win, depending on cost.

Is it? Unless we’re happy for it to be known we will listen to offers. There’s no obligation to make a decisive move, but I’ll now be very surprised if we don’t. It’s consistent with our approach, not being afraid to make bold changes. I’m sure it won’t be done without due consideration.

Sounds like Lamb & Taylor are whispering in the ears of Twomey & Beveridge.

No, but I believe May’s personality and issues are inherently different to Clayton’s. Their impact on the performance of the side and influence on the playing group are contrasting, in my opinion. I’m not swayed by media conjecture, if that’s what your angling at.

In preseason he was sublime. I was marvelling at how he had got even better. Even still, I think we’re better off to move on. Culture & standards above all.

I didn’t complain, but it doesn’t mean I wasn’t cognisant of this issue and the goalposts have now shifted. Your apparent lack of awareness doesn’t equate to revision. I’m not questioning his brilliance, but in a very basic Moneyball style assessment his brilliance is not translating to ultimate team success. Im for it - cut & run.

Yeah, but this sort of thing often takes time to land properly. Maybe time enough has passed for him to have some regrets but also realise that some bridges cannot be mended.

See, this is the quandary. But I just can’t reconcile that while Clarry is a genuine star, his excellence simply doesn’t appear to translate into team success. Or at least not the success or dominance that I’d expect. His brilliance to win the footy on congestion, but then blindly banging the footy on his boot & kicking it in a way that sees it travel vertically moreso than horizontally, he’s become somewhat of cliche. I know he’s capable of more, but he just doesn’t do it.

The problem I can see is that it can very likely be terminal for standards and culture. How do the younger players respond upon witnessing this recurring behaviour from one of our stars? And the subsequent reactions from the coaching dept in response? Our last 2 finals campaigns would indicate that some sort of change is needed. Time to be bold. We witnessed the wheels turning slowly in the back ground and then very quickly towards the end for Hogan at MFC. I suspect the same may be happening here. The club has flagged within media circles very early that we have eyes on the number 1 pick. Rumblings of Clayton unhappy, agitating for change. I believe we could see some quick & decisive movement here and be the better for it. The stars appear to be aligning for North. Simpkin being one of Clarry’s best mates. A bevy of early picks. Desperate for quality senior players & relevance. I know nothing, but past experience has me feeling something is definitely brewing.

Or have we just managed to maintain the value of our “asset” by having it under contract? I also doubt we would have been able to foresee tattoo-gate or a relationship breakdown.

I see Stafford as a ruck/development coach who became an effective kicking coach, but has since been thrust into a position that may be above his station (I suspect) as a cut price option for effective soft-cap management. Maybe it’d be problematic to shift him back to purely ruck coach, but I expected with the seasonal rotation of coaching duties this was likely to happen.

What’s with everyone’s hard-on for Stafford to get it in the neck?

The uh... second half of the season that he mostly missed due to injury? Expert appraisal.

I do wonder about the condition of Petty’s Lisfranc. I also believe Thilthorpe has been left out of the Crom side from time to time, which surprised me considering his lofty rating. The height fits our desired profile.

Yeah fair enough. Just seemed like a very confident statement about a bloke who spends considerable time discussing trade rumours for a living at this time of year! I agree, he is not like Kane or Hagdorn. But he might be prone to repeating something from a source with an agenda.

Doesn’t he?

“Given he’s probably getting his info from the people making the decision I’d be surprised if he’s wrong.” It will be interesting to see...