Wiseblood

Balic for Pick 47 will be fine by me. We take 3 second rounders into the draft while also adding Lever and Balic. Not that bad if you ask me.

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).

So essentially we pass on picks 10, 14, 27 and Watts for Lever and Pick 35. Seems a little steep if you ask me.

I have some faith in this info. The HUN tried to drum up some controversy with an article about the Pies scuppering our deal, but it was only based on the idea that they could offer more. Means nothing if Lever doesn't want to go there, and the above information is consistent with what's been said for a while now.

Crows have short memories. We were happy to trade Scott Thompson to them for just a first round pick when he was desperate to go home. We did it early in trade week too if I remember correctly, and we did it with minimal fuss. They would do well to treat Lever the same way.

Good to see you still around @dazzledavey36!

He had a tough game in the GF, but so did many of his teammates. The way we want to play will suit Lever superbly. We play a zone defence and we need players who can actually zone off, support their teammates and effect either a spoil or a mark. Lever is already one of the best in the competition at this. We can still have Oscar, Frost and even T Mac playing the key defensive role with Lever roaming as a support player. It will be absolutely invaluable and he will save us goals week after week. I don't want to pay a steep price for him, but I'm confident that whatever we do pay he will pay back ten fold in the coming years.

Deal of the century. Sign him up now!

I think you'll find you are forgetting Mitch McGovern, who would play ahead of Watts.

Why would the Crows want Watts? Makes zero sense.

5 years and 900k is what he will be paid on average over the life of his contract. We might back end it or front end it to suit what we currently have on the books and what we may have in the future, but the days of them being paid that same amount every year are well and truly over. It's nothing to be worried about.

Winner winner, chicken dinner!

Almost at 100 pages. Well done people.