Wiseblood

If he wants to come back home for money then I don't think we're ahead. You would expect the Saints, North (who have tried to poach anybody with two legs over the last couple of years) and Carlton to have more money to give. The Bombers wouldn't have a whole lot of wriggle room and us, well, we must have something to spare lying around. However, if he wants to come home to potentially win a flag, then the decision at the moment is a no brainer. Three of the mentioned clubs are absolute poo and going nowhere fast, while North are batting above their average, just like Mick Martyn did with any woman he dated in his lifetime. If we can offer him competitive money then we're a mile in front of all the clubs mentioned. I still think he's more likely to sign with the Eagles but I'd like to think we're a sneaky chance of nabbing him as well.

I'd be more than happy to get him, but the article doesn't reveal a whole lot. I'd be surprised if he didn't re-sign with the Eagles.

I've heard he wants nothing more than to stay a Demon and will sign a contract sooner rather than later.

The whole injury list is here: Harley Balic (plantar fascia) – 2-3 weeksLochie Filipovic (rested) – 2 weeksJesse Hogan (knee/ankle) – testDean Kent (hamstring) – 4-5 weeksMitch King (elbow) – 5-6 weeksCorey Maynard (hip) – 6-8 weeksPat McKenna (hamstring) – indefiniteChristian Petracca (finger) – testChristian Salem (thumb) – 1-2 weeksAaron vandenBerg (ankle) – 4-6 weeksJack Viney (foot) – 1-2 weeks It's certainly getting longer which is not a good thing, but the positive is that outside of Hogan, Trac and Viney they aren't really best 22 players. And those three won't be on the list for much longer as well.

So one minute he is never in the box, the next minute he does both during games...? Why anybody listens to a thing you say or backs you up in anything is totally beyond me.

Before we start jumping off the West Gate, again, let's wait and hear from a trusted source about issue first. Right now all we know, from a rumour, is McCartney will be on the bench instead of the coaches box. We know nothing else, regardless of what someone like Tom Morris (who has come up with some absolute shite this year) has to say on the matter.

Just like you ignored all of the messages we sent you in regards to the Ultimate Footy League, which almost ruined the league for the entire season?

See, this is simply not true. People who want to push this idea are way off the mark. However, so are those who think Watts will be a super acquisition for Port. Bottom line is that he will provide for Port what he always provided for us over the last few seasons - a couple of ripping games, some good ones, some average ones and then a few absolute shockers. That's it. So it's time to move on. Love him, hate him, wish him well, whatever. While he still might be a Melbourne person or supporter in the future, he isn't a Melbourne player. Let's focus on the 44 we have on our list and our hopeful rise up the ladder. Dwelling on Watts - either positively or negatively - does absolutely nothing for us.

This. I can't believe that the season is well under way and this thread is constantly being bumped with mindless posts on both sides of the coin. He's gone - some are happy, some are ambivalent and so are still annoyed about it. Great. Feel that way in your own time.

I've heard otherwise. Good enough?

What a load of crap.

Which means what? You seem to be trying to insinuate something off one piece of play.

You would expect that figure to jump a little again on Sunday. I think the number is pretty good considering the bitter taste our end to last year left in the mouth. We would surely be above 40,000 by now if we had of made finals, so this is a fair number all things considered.

He has a really good mix of the attributes you want in a player - he clearly works hard and puts in on the training track, and he has the swagger and confidence to go with it that screams 'I'm better than you, and if you give me a moment, I'll show you why'. I hope we go with Gawn, Oliver, Petracca and Jones in the guts on Sunday. We can smash those buggers into the turf from the moment the ball is bounced.

Yes, you're right, Doc. I think I was playing with a few cards short of a full deck last night. Cheers.

No it won't. Journalists might get a kick up the bum, but fan sites? Unless it's horrible nothing is going to happen.

Let me clarify - is it 15% over 2 years (eg paying 7.5% each year) or do we pay 15% of his wage each year? That's different.

15% is what PJ said we are paying over two years, unless I misinterpreted it wrong and that we are paying 15% each year for two years...?

Wrong. We are paying 15% over the next two years of his contract. So that's 7.5% a year. That's nothing. By doing that we got a slightly higher pick for very little in terms of payment towards his contract. It's a drop in the ocean and freed up hundreds of thousands of dollars for us over the next few years.

He did have something to do with it, even if it was indirectly. Getting Lever on a large contract meant that something had to give - we still have a number of players to sign and the salary cap will probably be tight. We obviously wanted to move Watts on, but in doing so it freed up some of the cap room that we gave up to sign Lever. It will no doubt help in our quest to re-sign all the young players going forward, even if it's just in the short term. Keeping both Lever and Watts wasn't an option, so Lever played a role, even if it was small, in helping to move Watts to Port Adelaide.

There are a number of posters on this board who provide insightful, worthwhile and interesting training reports and photos, and it's incredibly disrespectful to say that we rely on 'one poster' to get them. I, for one, appreciate what the others are able to bring to the table over the summer and we should be thankful we get them. So, thanks to the others who go along, give us a huge training report and answer all questions without bias. It's always appreciated.

I'm the eternal optimist at the best of times, but if we miss finals this year then the season, as a whole, will be nothing but a failure. Unless we (knock wood) have to deal with a plethora of injuries to our key players, then not making the finals will mean questions are asked of the coaching department and of many players on our list. On the flip side, I just don't see that happening this year. I expect us to play a great brand of footy and finish anywhere from 5-8. I think finals and possibly a win in week one of those finals is the goal, then Top 4 in 2019.

Doing 3 word comparisons now, joeboy?

It sounds like the market was very cold for Jack, and we added in a bit of incentive to get the deal we needed.