Mach5

Will they? Not too many older brigade in our 22 who will be giving it away soon, clearing space. Bernie & Jones the 2 closest, and they're not really that close.

It's like Pokemon as far as I'm concerned - gotta collect em all.

Interesting point. If Essendon players are to sue the club, should the damages awarded be included under the salary cap? If not, isn't that providing the bombers with a mechanism to circumvent the salary cap?

I'm sure GCS would say "fine, if you don't think he's worth it, we're happy to keep him anyway." It's not a fire sale; if anyone wants O'Meara, they're going to have to pay for him like he is fit or they simply won't get him.

Yeah, I wouldn't be in a hurry to go pushing into Nathan Jawai myself. I love his attitude on the basketball court, it'll serve him well on the footy field. He's already gone a long way to earning the nickname "Maddog" Maynard.

I like Hibberd as a player, but I'm yet to be convinced he is what we need to push us forward. While his hardness would be handy in the D50 along with his cannon of a left leg, I still think additional speed and backup ruck are where we need to focus our limited resources this year. I could see Essendon being more open to moving Hibberd though, if Hurley is to re-up. They will want to inject additional young talent and need to give up something for more half-decent draft picks. Although I did see that a few clubs are into Laverde. Like WHE, I think he'd add a bit to our side.

I think it would be insurance-related. I seem to recall a similar situation with Steve Nash at the Lakers. Injury-forced retirement and if he were to come back and play, he'd have to forfeit his payout even though he seemed more than capable.

Not really. This is an exceptional stat line, but Grimes tends to get a lot of ineffectual or less-than-damaging possessions and will work hard to get the ball back a lot of the time. Making the right decision doesn't mean your possessions have a lot of hurt factor.

Better pay day? To get regular AFL matches? It's not like a finals side will be knocking their door down.

Who is "they"? Paul Little is gone. The club doctor tried to stop it but was shut down. These players loved that club, and more than anyone else, would mentally make the distinction between "the club" and "those individuals that did us wrong" Leaving the club would be moreso an effort to in some way distance themselves from the whole saga in the long term.

I'd think the disdain would be reserved for those specific people responsible, not the club itself. As those people are gone, I'm not sure any of the players would share your animosity towards the bombers.

I guess with Brad Hill coming to play with his brother Stephen, and with an ageing Danyle Pearce still serviceable, Langdon is surplus to needs. I know he's fast, but I'm not certain he has the cleanest skills.

Any of it. He may have been in the rooms (although I doubt it, because my understanding is that his ban wouldn't allow it) but it still doesn't mean anything. These players are his mates, who he has a strong bond with, and plans for defection won't change that.

Maybe. I don't think we're lacking options that provide what he can. Maybe not in the one package. It just depends on what we'd have to give up. I don't buy the rumours peddled by Barrett though.

I'd like him at the right price, but missing out on Hibberd may be a godsend in some ways.

Surely not... The kid was a high-return prospect when he came into the league in 2009. Now that he has lost all that time to injury and actually has very little exposed form or onfield experience, that return is looking considerably lower.

I am. Don't think we need or want him, considering the probable cost. If Essendon are keen to send to us for Terlich, then I wouldn't turn him away, but our trade currency needs to be used to target an upgrade to our backup ruck stocks, and some serious pace to add to what Hunt brings.

Robert Shaw and Mark Fine. Shaw coached Hunt at Brighton Grammar along with Salem and Josh Kelly, and was waxing lyrical about his performance in an APS match (maybe a 'young guns' type match from memory?) where he dominated off HBF. Shaw said Hunt didn't play TAC cup because of tennis, but that he regularly dominated games with his aerial attack on the ball and pace, and it would only be a matter of time before it translated to AFL level. To be honest, I was shocked at the time how much they were hyping him up; starting to see why now.

Shocked to hear Hibberd played. I saw him playing VFL on the telly a few weeks ago & it looked like he dislocated his knee.

If we want Hibberd that badly... Probably. I'd be inclined to move our 2nd rounder early for Hibberd, then do a deal for JKH for Carlton's 2nd rounder, which will be earlier in the draft. Chuck in our 3rd rounder if we really have to. Seems that we're committed to bring Hibberd in, and if we have Carlton's pick, the bombers would hold out for that. Carlton may bailout at such a suggestion of their 2nd rounder, but I do think JKH is worth that much.

Still, if we're to part with him having developed him for a couple of years to being an AFL grade player, I'd want a 2nd rounder for him, minimum. Not to say I overrate him, but I'd happily keep him and they'll have to pay to take him off our hands... assuming we don't have designs on what we expect to receive for him. Maybe we've floated the idea to his management that there will be greater opportunities elsewhere. We do have little currency for trade in terms of picks.

Hamish Brayshaw may not be as talented as his older brother at this stage, but I'd be making inroads to bring him to the club. Like Angus, just seems made of the right stuff.

Absolutely. I haven't checked, but I'd wager that I was also an advocate of moving him on at that time, or at least re-drafting him as a rookie. Fair to say, we all had little clue how effective he'd be once he overcame injuries.

Hard to believe that many were suggesting him as a probable delisting this time last year. Now one of our most important pieces, because no one else gives us the line-breaking he provides. It renders opposition defensive structures inadequate, forcing adjustments that give us more space to operate with the ball when looking for gaps on the flanks.

Nah, can't be having that. Salem is untouchable for mine. Just adds so much.