Wiseblood

I think we did well to get him in the 40s. As @Deeoldfart mentioned above, he is clearly a bloke who has worked extremely hard to get himself back into draft contention and he has pace to burn. I don't expect him to play much next year but he has time to develop a bigger tank so he can involve himself with more consistency.

Good selection. Outside of Lever you could argue our other tall defenders (T Mac not included) are still projects as well, and selecting Petty not only gives us insurance but also gives him time to develop as well.

They commentators described him as the most competitive player in this years draft. For the moment, that sounds good enough to me.

What I liked the most about the small highlight package was the last goal - he ran from the back of the square through the middle and got the ball before getting round a couple of players and slotting the goal. Showed all the things you mentioned above as well as a willingness to run hard to position and not just look for the cheap possession. I wouldn't be disappointed if he fell to us at #30!

Username checks out.

No, it doesn't. Of course he is going to say something very positive about a coach who has given him a lifeline. He'll do anything to stay in the good books. Absolutely spot on. He played with Trenners for 8 years and saw how hard the bloke worked to get his body right again, and even that wasn't enough. I don't think that will change now.

I'm basing this on nothing but assumption, but something tells me we would have tested the waters with Kent to see what we could get for him during this trade period. After some promising signs you could argue he has regressed over the past couple of years - when he is on he is a very damaging player, but his tank is poor and he goes missing too often when we need him. We wouldn't have got so much as a nibble on him though so he will see out his contract with us. I think Vanders is more of a required player, but if he can't get his body right then his time at our club will be over at season's end. I hope that doesn't end up being the case.

Vanders still concerns me a little. Doesn't sound like he is making the progress they had hoped he would at this stage in his recovery. There is a long way to go, so hopefully that turns around as the pre-season continues.

Absolutely stoked for Trenners. I think the club made the right decision to move him on, but I also feel as though he deserved a second chance elsewhere as well. Hopefully it's a positive outcome for all involved.

Also, I'd wait on the membership panic until Round 1. People have a myriad of reasons for not signing up - money is tight, their auto renewal stuffs up because their credit card needs updating, some are still annoyed about the end of last season. We may be behind on last year, but we are only just rolling over to November. Plenty of membership water to go under the bridge.

I do the auto renewal and have had my 3 already go through. Will do that each and every year regardless. No worries, fairweather. Happy now to pay up during the good times but won't do it during the bad. Change your username to bandwagon and you're all set.

I wouldn't say he is passed his prime at all - he had a ripper of a season this year. The difference is they paid essentially the same price for a bloke who will be 29 when next season starts, while Lever is 21 and has a decade of great footy ahead of him. We paid a fair price.

Super article here on the trade if you can get past the paywall: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/more-news/melbourne-secures-star-defender-jake-lever-in-trade-with-adelaide/news-story/478b76c2d2f380b5c10dc191f2b54af5 Basically says we've done very well, while also discussing some areas of the trade that some would be concerned about as well. The line at the end sums it up for me - the time for early picks for us is over, and we need to add to our list to make a tilt at a flag. Jake Lever pushes us in the right direction in this regard in a big way.

If they turn out to be good. This is why it's hard to judge as there are so many variables involved.

Posters like @Nasher, @stevethemanjordan and @ProDee are three of many who have summed this up superbly. We've just added the best young defender in the league to our list who is a proven commodity. He instantly makes us better, and he not only beings on field talent but off field leadership as well. I couldn't be happier to have him in our side and I trust Taylor to pull a few diamonds out of the rough to add to our list, much like he did we Hannan this year. Onwards and upwards!

Speak English. And while you might not want it to happen, we are going to give up those 2 first rounders for Lever and Pick 18. It's as simple as that.

Who are the 'cows'? We're still getting a further pick back inside the top 20 with the deal that Jon Ralph and the AFL site mentioned, so to me it isn't all that bad.

Take it for what it's worth, but Jon Ralph is reporting in the HUN this morning that the Lever deal could be done by Friday afternoon. It would see us give up this years and next years first round picks for Lever and the pick Adelaide get for Charlie Cameron (which will most likely be #18.) If we can get that deal over the line then I think we've done very, very well. We will nab Lever and, if Watts still goes for a second round pick, we will have three of them to play with in the draft. That's not too shabby if you ask me.

I think you'll find, big mouth, that you need to read it again: "There is hope the deal can be ticked off in the next two or three days, with the Demons sending two first-round picks to the Crows (pick No.10 this year and next year's first-round selection) The mooted deal would see Adelaide send a late first-round or early second-round pick back to the Demons." I await your apology.

Says who? Lots of suggestions of what we will do at the minute. If we do the trade suggested on the AFL site, we keep our second rounder, get a second rounder back from Adelaide (or late first) AND we keep the pick we get for Watts. It's not hard to work out.

Not only that, but if we trade Watts for Pick 29 then we go to this draft with Lever and three picks in the second round that we can potentially trade for another player or package together to get back into the first round. Not bad, really.

The deal mooted on the AFL site would be fine by me - our first rounder this year and next for Lever and a late first round, very early second round pick. I think that's pretty fair to be honest.

I'm just loving the fact that every second post is referring to the Crows as the 'Cows'. It's fitting.

Adelaide are making themselves not only look like absolute fools, but proving Lever to be correct - if this is how they deal with stuff at their club, then I'd want to get out of there as well. Not to mention Tex apparently getting stuck into him for leaving as well. How old is Tex? 5? The deal will get done in the end, no doubt about it. I reckon Mahoney spoke well this morning and it sounded like we will be sticking to our guns and not budging on the deal.

Two first rounders is too steep, and I'll be a little disappointed if we cough that up. I still think our first round pick plus a possible pick swap in the later rounds will end up being the deal. I'd take out the Pick 14 as well, although what I'd like to do is trade Watts to the Swans for their second rounder (even though it's later than the Powers) and then stick that with our first round pick to make the deal for Lever. We keep next years picks and still hold one in the second round this year. Others will be right to argue Pick 31 is too low for Watts, and they may be right, but I don't see the Swans giving up their first round pick (even though I'd like them to).