Wiseblood

This is exactly what I heard as well. Unless someone can provide evidence to the contrary, I don't believe his stance on the matter has changed.

What rubbish. The fact you believe it, even for a second, is a sad reflection on yourself.

I love how he says the guy is his 'source' and then goes on to say that he has never met him and doesn't know him personally. Laughable.

Thank God for @Chook in Perth as the last few pages of this thread have been utter garbage. Some of the worst DL has produced, and that includes the week after we missed the finals.

For the next few seasons I'd say we will. If he were to sign a long term extension during the 2019 season (4-5 years) then those yearly rumours may pass. Until then we need to get used to them.

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

I hear you on this, Doc. Jack is not solely to blame at all. Before Roos much of our club was a joke and gave the kids no chance of developing elite habits as they should. However, it disappoints me that people are not also holding Jack to account for not keeping to standards that should be non-negotiables within a club. They are told clearly what those standards are and he is, supposedly, a professional athlete - he should have no problems as this stage of his career in upholding those, yet there were still problems and he couldn't contribute to setting the right examples for the younger players. The club would have been supremely annoyed and, for that, the responsibility is on him.

Exactly. I can forgive him for anything in the Bailey and Neeld years - he had zero support, our coaching and development structure was a joke and there was no positive atmosphere or discipline to help him get better. But when he reached out to Roos and wanted to get better, he did... for a time. Roos still had to give him some tough love and dropped him. That's fact. He then had a terrific 2016 and then backed that up by being totally unprofessional in his commitment to the pre-season program. That, I'm sorry to say, was his choice, and his choice alone. Clubs these days are very clear about expectations and he failed to meet his. That is totally down to him. I know he is a great bloke and some are worried about losing a terrific user of the footy, but at the same time, we need to see the bigger picture. For so long our younger kids have lacked the right leaders who set the standards for the footy club. We are beginning to add more of these to the club and Roos has helped us in a big way in this regard. Watts, as a senior player, clearly doesn't hold these standards as seriously as the club expects, and they don't want that to influence others around the club. To me that is more important. I really like Jack and have always wanted him to succeed. But this is a line in the sand moment for the club - we are letting go one player who hasn't been professional enough while bringing in a bloke who is touted as super professional and already a leader at 21 years of age. Time will tell of course, but to me it's a positive and important step forward for the club.

I understand the angst on here about the decision to trade him, but I'm mystified as to why people can't understand that it's happening. Forget the on field stuff - in his 9th year at the club, he was unprofessional in his preparation during pre-season and then didn't do the right things when he got injured either. Clearly, the club has had enough and feels as though they have come as far as they possibly can with him. Yep, he is a nice bloke who brings some good skills to the table. But our list is largely made up of youth and we need to be setting the right example for them. Watts clearly can't do that, even though he's been in the system for 9 years, and it's apparent that the club don't want that around the club anymore. And while some aren't happy how it's played out, Watts' own manager praised the club for how honest and transparent they have been since it's all unfolded.

It will be interesting to see how the Bombers pull it off. As you say, trading down for a couple of picks may help them complete the deal, but you also hope the Suns don't just fall for it easily and actually push them to include something else. I'll also be interested to see if they can fit all 3 within their salary cap and if they need to trade other players to do it.

Dodoro will offer up next to nothing for all 3 and throw his hands up in disgust when they all laugh at him. It'll be interesting to see how they fit all 3 players in over the trade period.

The fact you can't see this means you aren't worth wasting any more time on. I only want to discuss this with people who have half a brain cell.

Small response from a small mind. Stick to coming up with farcical trade ideas instead of analysing football issues. It doesn't suit you.

This is the same Brendan McCartney who played a huge role in the successful Geelong sides that won a few flags and was held in extremely high regard by the players. He was never cut out to be a senior coach, and his time at the Dogs proved that, but there is a line of thinking that suggests he planted the seeds for their flag last year and their implosion this year suggests the players are as much to blame. From all reports the Melbourne players love him and they regularly talk about him in interviews about his positive impact on the club as a whole. So take a good, hard look at your selective use of facts to try and make a point.

Yeah, nothing disgraceful at all about his clear lack of professionalism and maturity towards the club and the standards they have put in place. Before you act like a [censored], remember this works both ways.

No chance that trade happens. Mahoney mentioned O Mac as part of the backline that Lever will be playing in. We won't give up a key back to obtain another.

That wasn't the point I was trying to make at all. I was just pontificating about this possibly being a former poster under a different name. Nothing more than that.

Which is more than you could say for some I guess.

Congratulations on being the biggest [censored] talker during the off season so far - 'we are moving a step closer?'. His manager said today it's Essendon or Geelong. We've never, ever been in the picture, yet you've continued to trump it as often as you can.

For a bloke with 5 posts you sure know everything there is to know about Demonland. I wonder how you've done that... ?

What? He came back from injury, played like poo and was subsequently dropped before coming back for the game against the Pies this year.

Absolutely loved what Mahoney had to say this morning. The fact that they have high expectations, and that Jack has still refused to meet these, is good enough for me in terms of putting him up for trade. The club just won't stand for it anymore. They expect him to be a better player and to be setting a strong, positive example for the younger players to follow - something he is still not doing. You have to draw the line somewhere. If he stays with us, though, then I think he clearly know he is no walk up start to the side anymore and that it will take lots of hard work and commitment to earn the trust of the coaches, and the players, again.

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.

Good article, and as you say, looks like we will have some answers soon on a number of players. In regards to this last bit - I can recall Jesse talking about how great the club had been to him this year and was very thankful for the support. You would assume Goodwin would have been a major part of that. I know they keep trotting the line out, but in this case I believe it.

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).