Wiseblood

I know exactly what will happen: Watts is capable of good games of footy, and when he plays one there will be posters on here who will cry foul about the trade immediately. Hell, it doesn't even need to be that good of a game. He might snag 3 goals, 2 of which are 'Joe the Goose' style, and they'll yell from the rafters that we should never have let him go, the trade is a disaster, Goodwin is an idiot and so forth. Then he'll go missing for a few games. So will those posters. Then he'll play another decent game and out of the woodwork they come again to get stuck into the trade. It will be the same as the boot camp stuff. The moment we lose a game, a team kicks a few goals in a row etc. we will get the smarmy comments about not doing the boot camp, we're soft, we're no good, it's been the same way for 54 years etc. Then we play well and, funnily enough, they go quiet. Until they feel the need to pipe up again.

Well said mate. I also like the fact that, if they do get a run in the seniors, that they have the proper leadership and support around them to succeed.

I'm just excited that we've got some terrific young talls on our list who can develop over the next 2-3 years and potentially play plenty of games together in our backline. It's bloody great stuff!

Does that really need answering? He is a terrific scout from his armchair.

Out? We still have picks from the second round onwards. You are putting too much emphasis on the draft. You can improve your list in a myriad of ways that doesn't focus on first round picks.

I would have thought, with the recent success of some smaller players, that we wouldn't be so negative towards a players height. Let's give the kid a chance and a few pre-seasons before we start judging him purely on how tall or short he is.

Who would you have taken then oh wondrous talent scout? Taylor must have no idea. You should apply for his job with all your knowledge.

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.