John Demonic

The new future pick change was designed so this phrase would never be muttered ever again. The point you're making is you don't think we should use our future first round pick?

He's averaged 27 disposals per game in a midfield stacked with talent. I think he's contributed to their overall season that could have been 20-2 if not for losses that came as a result of poor disposals from Dean Towers under pressure. They have Buddy, Parker, Rampe, he's never really needed to stand up and make the winning difference, only to contribute. I just mean there will be more opportunity to take a stand and stem the flow of an oppositions momentum, like on the weekend against Cripps and Gibbs.But you're probably right, he's not a matchwinner. But I think we've already got matchwinners developing in the next few years in Petracca, Hunt, Oliver and Hogan

He's never needed to be one at Sydney.

His ceiling is high and would be valuable if he didn't come at a high cost. If he can't find consistency in a place like Geelong though, hard to see it happening here. But perhaps a wedge between him and Chris Scott has grown over the last two years and needs a fresh start? Perhaps a lot will depend on the finals, if Geelong are ineffective and he doesn't play well, I can see him being floated for less than a first round due to this years form. He could be a valuable asset if he provides outside run as well as a valuable source for goals. He's kicked 30 this year. Well, the bar has been set pretty low with the first poster Tom Mitchell rumour, at least this got a run on SEN.

http://www.zerohanger.com/cats-willing-to-trade-inconsistent-star-6905/#LuprohTeVTUbh7hY.99

The same reason some people were throwing up Dom Tyson last year, his best was not fresh in their memory.

Surely we can't be thinking of overpaying a player that hasn't come from Collingwood or Essendon? Can we look a little long term, considering the prospect of a 10%+ salary cap increase on the horizon?

How about Jacko?

What would we trade for Tom Mitchell? A 2017 first round pick? Salem?

Good. I want one big trade move to be excited about. I'm willing to settle for a fake rumour

I've always thought that there should be one team named QUEENSLAND. At least it can garner the half-hearted support of the entire state rather than one city, so that Nth Queenslanders and Gold Coastians can get behind the team that plays all over the state. As it stands, people from Townsville or Cairns are meant to cheer for Gold Coast or Brisbane? Gold Coast people don't want to support the city of Brisbane. It's a mess and the support that comes from good team performances is only concentrated in small area's rather than the entire state. The Queensland Lions has an air of class and royalty to it. You can discount everything I said if you think there is room for two teams, but i disagree. Failure in QLD is a disaster for the AFL's bottom line

I won't start a new thread because it's in the same topic as this one but, Jimmy Bartel or Boomer ?

As long as he brings his walking frame and his step ladder. He looks like he breaks his back whenever he jumps for the ball. Petrie looks in better shape.

Lachie

They permanently move to Tasmania

Putting the jokes aside, how do you actually hate footballers you've never met? I couldn't give a stuff about any afl player and what they've done on the field. We drafted Bugg didn't we? Approaching this purely from a logical and rational position in terms of his ability and potential contribution to the team makes the only sense.

"By not renewing the contracts of four veteran players North has freed up over $2 million of their salary cap and are going after Jaeger O'Meara 7 News just reported." Was just posted on /r/afl

You concerns are fair enough, but you're pointing out an actual list management direction they took in drafting many experienced players. I'm just asking that we bring in ONE player again, like Crossy to give us that extra touch to ensure standards are met, who's a proven consistent performer. Personally I think we've already had the 2016 story of a rapidly improved young team with a huge scope for improvement and potential. 2017 is the next chapter of taking an extra step and anything less is stagnation, Even improvement within the context of other teams improving around us can be stagnation as we could still be in the same ladder pos with the same teams around us. Bringing an experienced player in to help solidify some confidence and momentum and push us into the bottom half of the 8 for the year is a minimal risk, maximum reward type of trade. I think the club could use another 'out of left field' story to bring even more people into the gates and pike interest. Imagine if Stevie J came to us last year.

I have a question. WHich player would you take for one year: Dawes or Petrie ? (The answer is Pedo)

What if we're a 7-12 team looking to take the next step into the 1-6 group, and could face 2 to 3 years of similar form if we don't move on trades that add experience to accompany our developing youth? Have you got 3 years to spare? The right pick up could give us an added spike that adds gives us confidence and momentum to take us higher. Just because we have great youth, it is no guarantee we will improve over the next few years and others won't. I don't understand the rationale in the context of our current list. Do we have such a hot list that there are literally no spots? NO. Our VFL side is full of old Melbourne players in the 24-30 range. We can't get rid of them all in one year. We have such a young side that players are constantly cycling in and out due to consistency issues. An extra year in the VFL was essential 20 years ago, now young players have to play and develop? I think there will be no space on our list after two draft cycles, which gives one year to an experienced head we can trade in.

"Harvey’s manager, Shane Casley, said earlier this month the five-time best and fairest-winner would retire a one-club player if his contract at Arden St was not renewed for 2017." I hate that kind of mindset. When a club shows no loyalty at the end, then you don't owe it to them to be a 'one club player' I think the one club player thing is a loyalty circlejerk sometimes. Players play AFL football. There is loyalty to the sport. Boomer retiring actually sucks. I feel robbed of a great footballer who still has something left to give to the game. But if he doesn't want to go on, then fine. Bit of a shame really.

Aside from onfield benefits, It's also a PR dream recruitment for marketing department. He continues breaking the record and doing photo shoots in the demon jumper. Keeps us in the spotlight putting pressure on the AFL to give us better fixtures. Maxxy & Boomer, the new loveable couple.

Persevere with playing the elderly rung of MFC players in the VFL? Persevere with the constant cycling in/out of players like Michie, Bugg, Kennedy, Harmes etc ? A Spot on our list isn't hot property, yet. Two more trade periods, Which means Boomer could play one year with us and actually put pressure on those boys to take his spot by performing consistently when selected or spending more time developing in the VFL, while Boomer supplies AFL standard performances week to week. Though an experienced defender would be nicer.

What I should of emphasised was the general trait of the best footballers and leaders is their intelligence. There are of course outliers and exceptions. Viney might be one of those. But as it stands, Melbourne plays dumb football when things are not going their way and they do not adapt well enough and could use more footballers with a higher football IQ that have the physical abilities to swing a game when its needed. I think he needs time, so do you. Yes, he's very young and will develop but I think it will be a lot longer than you think. I hope I have egg on my face. By the way Dazzle, Dane Swan plays up the 'dumb' character for laughs. It's half a put on. He might appear slow (probably from drug and alcohol use) but he is clearly an intelligent footballer that reads the play well. I'm not talking about academic intelligence, i'm talking about an adaptable thought process that can make quick assessments as to what the team needs to do and then directs players around them and implement changes based on what has been learnt from the coaches and tacticians. It's not only verbally, but with their ball movement. How they bring others into the play, where they kick the ball. They understand and they communicate so that others understand. I'm not saying catagoricaly that Viney cannot develop that aspect of his game, just that he's far away from being captain material at this stage as i'd say he is more of a one gear bullocking player right now and with Jones progressively getting older, I think we either need to recruit in more leaders or have a 'bridge' captain like Watts between the older generation and the current 18-22 year old crop of developing leaders. Maybe the 'bridge' captain will be a premiership captain. I edit these comments so much that you can see that i'm clearly not a quick thinking sharp tool in the shed. Just adding my two cents for what it's worth. Not trying to put any player down if it came across that way.

How about we just Swap Hogan for Fyfe and stick him in the midfield so he can clear the ball like a machine down to Watts, Wiedemann, Pederson ? That would be another right step in the direction of raising the emotional intelligence of our club.