stevethemanjordan

Well they'd be first on the list for me, but aside from them I'd enquire about Jackson Trengove from Port who I believe is a free agent. I've gone a bit off Mackenzie at West Coast, he keeps getting injured. Any of May, Lever or Trengove would be huge gets. I understand people think Tom McDonald, Frost and Oscar are enough, but as far as quality goes I completely disagree. You only have to look at St Kilda's injection of Carlisle and Brown to see what it's done for players like Roberton and Webster who both had to play much taller last year and sacrifice their natural game. Tom McDonald needs to play more freely as that third tall up and having Frost and Oscar in the same side makes us vulnerable, especially if our mids aren't on top. Frost is only a game away from committing crazy and bizarre errors. I like him, but he is hit and miss. We just need a really settled, strong and mature key defender who does a lot right and who can change the dynamic of our backline and give confidence to others to play their natural game.

That's yoyo enough for me. Losing any game because of one really poor quarter is exactly that. The gap between our best and worst footy is yoyo-like.

^ As has been said before, contracts rarely matter these days if a player wants out. If Adelaide had satisfied Carlton with their offer, he would have been there. They didn't and he stayed.

Bryce Gibbs and Adelaide last year? My point is that St Kilda are in a better position than us to satisfy a club due to the two first-round picks they'll have this year. That is a fact.

Maybe. I'm just going off gut feel and in the case that we were one of two teams offering the same amount. We're too nice a club for Dusty.

To your first point: Hibberd's best friend, literally his best mate was already at our club, (Jake Melksham). Simon Goodwin was an assistant coach at Essendon and clearly knew Hibberd well. I would say both of those things weighed heavily in our favour, don't you think? Second point: We're a yoyo team atm. We need to show more than one week of strong form.

Perhaps I'm speaking about Martin more so than Kelly. I don't know what will happen to Kelly. Maybe Salem and Hunt can get in his ear. I just couldn't see Martin wanting to come to us over St Kilda for example if both clubs offered the same money... One reason being that we passed him up in the draft.

^ It's horses for courses. Let's say we offered the same money as other clubs had to either of Kelly or Martin. Considering we passed on both of them in their draft years, do you believe they'd want to come to us? I think there are players who'd want to come to us for sure. But not bonafide stars.

We'll need more than the win against Adelaide to attract players of Lever and May's quality. There were a multitude of contributing factors as to how and why we were able to land Lewis so I hope posters don't feel the need to use him as an example. We're definitely in the conversation for target players now but as far as Martin and Kelly go, we'll be behind a handful of clubs. St Kilda for example will have two first round draft picks this year. Theirs and Hawthorn's so they'll have some serious bargaining power. Whilst our injuries have been unfortunate, they're definitely not as bad as some on here have said. We just won against near full-strength Adelaide at their home coming off a shocking loss. We won because of the way we played over four quarters. And we won without all those players that poster's said we sorely miss. We need to continue to play the way we did against Adelaide if we want to be in the market for any serious talent. Especially given how even the comp is atm. But like Wiseblood said, we need to fill holes rather than go hard for established stars. All energy should be put toward making stars out of our own young talent. A key-back and some class and foot-skills through our midfield is all we're lacking. I like Stretch, but not as much as some. He is nowhere near damaging enough with his disposal and I reckon we could do with a hard-running winger with elite foot skills.

If we don't tackle and play with the same level of urgency and intensity against North as we did against Adelaide, we will lose. It's time we got on a role. I'm sick of yoyo form. We'll be at a golden age when we start playing and bringing that intensity week after week after week. Like the dogs. It doesn't matter who comes in and out of their side, they always back-up weekly.

Get well J-man. Poor kid is being hit pillar to post. Already can't wait for his comeback game. Let's play for the great man over these next few weeks.

I still haven't seen the whole thing. At what point was Clarry's run down tackle? I want to see it.

Haha. I remember him from the Port game last year. Listen to him after Oliver's goal, he goes crazy. Sounds like Mario.

I hate these posts.

Back. That. [censored]. Up. Our culture will never change if we remain a yoyo in our form. Even if we have the odd amazing win like last night.

^ I think Gary's qualm is to do with what will happen next week. And that's what it's always been. Sure enjoy the win against Adelaide, but how many times have we seen this club get up for a 'response game' only to lose again the following week? I want to see us beat the kangas and then the suns. Then I'll a celebrate a bit more.

Didn't see the whole thing, but hard to point out any negatives from a win like that and from what I saw, Tom and Frost had great games with Oscar supporting. How about this. Do it again next week! ; )

Yes. Better ball use from our mids. One of two things that kill us.

Excellent post. Scenario two is my favourite.

I think we concede more shots on goal this way than any other side in the AFL. Errors such as mis-kicks including direct turn-overs or missing a target putting that player under extreme pressure, not killing a ball in a contest, too many going up in a contest, losing your feet in a contest, dropping marks.. it is an endless list. No team possesses three key defenders that are as inconsistent as our three. No team. They'll have at least one who is consistently good.

I'll be counting how many unforced errors both McDonald bros and Frost make that directly result in opposition scoring shots. Our mids will break even with theirs but I'll also watch closely the way in which we enter our forward 50. The quality of them. These two things are always wildly inconsistent and are the two things that need addressing at season's end.

He played his best game yet this year. But you wouldn't see that, because you don't allow yourself to.

This guy is a Melb supporter, right?

lol to those who think he can't use the footy.

I am in total agreeance of what Wallace said about our key backs and I have been for a while now. Two McDonald brothers and Frost as our key defenders will only take us so far because they're such limited players in what they can provide. Sure Frost 'took them on' and a few of his runs came off this week, but if supporters expect that to be the norm then they're kidding themselves. For every time he does create a positive passage of play like that, he'll almost certainly do something that costs us a goal or an opportunity for the opposition to score. Whether that's a dropped mark, failing to kill a ball in the air or not hitting a target by foot. I'm talking about basic errors. Oscar and Tom are exactly the same. And for everyone who believes that Oscar and Frost have time, I will point at Tom McDonald and ask what time has done for him? Nothing. He still makes the same costly errors time and time again. Oscar and Frost are totally limited players in what they can do and whilst they may get better at the things they're already good at, both have way too many question marks surrounding other aspects of their game. It's easily our most obvious weakness and it's not about potting players. It's about wanting our team to improve. And for that to happen, there's no way in the world those three defenders will help take us to the top. The best key defenders make mistakes at times. But nowhere near as often as Tom McDonald. Which is why he's not yet a 'great' defender. He doesn't do it consistently well enough for long enough. Frost is not a natural footballer and that's already a problem in an unsettled defence. Speed as a weapon is not enough at this level. Oscar isn't ready and just shouldn't be playing but we have no other option. We better bring in a serious defender next year.