45HG

Name a similar situation to this in the history of F/S selections.

Huh? The strategy has nothing to do with whether we lose him or not - in fact, we can't lose him. We can elect not to select him if another team bids - but that would have nothing to do with strategy talks.

So, why do you assume that he wasn't coached to say what he did in the article? Seems a little bit selective to me.

Pick 13 is our compensation pick - as far as I'm aware, compensation picks can't be used on F/S selections.

Todd Viney is not the MFC. Do you reckon Todd would recruit Jack even if the rest of the club were dead against it? The problem the club has is that the clubs up north know that if they bid for Jack, we'll pull the trigger. We need to try our best to make it seem that we won't select him if they do bid - that's what this article is. Hopefully it's enough, I'm not convinced that it will be.

A Melbourne supporter having a go at another club's supporters for not showing up. Ha.

Hearing that Wellingham doesn't want to come to the club is a big relief for me and has started my day off well!

This article doesn't fly in the face of what we think is going on. What we all think is going on is that the club are trying to get Viney in the second round. Do you honestly think it'd have been preferable for his dad to make the statement "we'll take Jack, regardless!"? I think this is attempting to make up for the mess we got ourselves in when we announced we'd committed to him all those years ago - we've now got to show ourselves as distant and non-commital to the kid.

All this says to me is that the club is trying a tactic of distancing itself from Viney. The result of which leaves Viney saying that he will go wherever he ends up and that, by extension, the Dees won't pick him at #3. Given he's rated (from what I've heard) between 5-9, I think that this is an attempt by the club to make other clubs think we'd let him go to them if they bid.

Why do you want him?

No wonder joining a club with a winning culture is an important part of the decision for a front-runner like Wellingham. Would be absolutely invisible in a poor side IMO.

I watched the game from a bar in Koh Samui on the first day of my Honeymoon. I vividly recall leaving the pub before half time pretty disgusted by what I'd seen. I received texts from a mate telling me what happened afterwards - I was praying that he was joking. No such luck! But yes - it was pretty dull by half time. Not sure how you can say it's a wasted year by Neeld in relation to Green, Davey and Moloney - it's not like he signed them up!

The only way I see him leaving is if the Magpies sit him down and say "you will not get a game in the seniors next year and possibly into the future also" forcing Dawes to agree to a trade. Otherwise he will not be forced out, offered up or placed on the table.

Yeah - I was thinking about that before. This must be as a possible trade scenario (or it's completely fabricated).

Comparing his 2008 with his recent form is terrifying.

I'm not convinced he has very good self belief. In the right environment I think he could flourish very well.

Spot on.

I'd take Dawes over any of the previous names I've heard mentioned (i.e. the likes of Rodan, Byrnes, Knights etc.). Would be a good get, perfect for what we're trying to create up forward. Completely disagree that Martin is a better player.

I understand what it is and why it is, I just hadn't really considered the notion of such a high profile player going to such a high profile club for nothing. The taste in the mouth doesn't get in any better after reading this article about Goddard. Cap space is a vice, but as someone around here would say, you gotta pay someone (YGPS).

And I would like it more. It appears I've struck a nerve with a few posters with that post. I was a bit distracted and probably didn't clarify myself properly. What I meant was that, I hadn't fully appreciated the extent of where FA could lead - that a club can claim a player without giving anything up. It just doesn't sit right with me - there seemed to be at least some element of fairness in trading (although there were the obvious downsides). I suppose I'll just have to get used to it but, for now, seeing Essendon land a player like Goddard without having to sacrifice anything just feels so, so wrong.

How's Adelaide's development (and then subsequent loss) of talented KPPs been. In recent years they've lost Bock, Otten, Gunston and now Tippett (off the top of my head) and they still have blokes like Rutten, Talia and Walker running around for them.

Because St Kilda are blessed...

It's also on the link I eventually posted above, too. Would love us to go after him...

If Co#$%#%#ood get Tippett I'll cry.

At least we're relevant enough to mention. How would the Doggies feel?