Wiseblood

Thank you. Salem was drafted as a midfielder. He'll slot in very nicely there for us in the coming years.

Mahoney just said we'll be going to the draft with these picks. So... no trade.

I don't know whether to be excited or curse your name GNF!

Ignore him. We could have traded a third rounder for the first 5 picks in this draft and he would still complain.

Good quote from Mahoney: “Importantly, the deal signed this morning was the original deal proposed with Gold Coast involving Jeremy Howe. We have just replaced the Howe to Gold Coast component with pick No.29 – the pick we received from Collingwood in the Howe trade".

Neither will last to Pick 10 IMO. We will take one of those guys at Pick 3 though.

Just confirmed as a done deal: In: Picks 3, 10 and 43 Out: Picks 6, 29 and a future first rounder Very happy with this deal, plus we can use either 43 or 50 on a trade for Bugg before the end of tomorrow.

Just being said on Twitter: We gain Picks 3 and 10 from GC for this years pick 6 and a future first rounder. Source - Brett Anderson We will also swap picks 29 and 43 as well, apparently, but the above deal is the crux of it. Welcome to the MFC Darcy Parish! Edit - it's all over Twitter now from all the journos.

So are Essendon going to package together Picks 4 and 5 to try and land Pick 8 from GWS? That's what everyone is trying to do... right?

I said potentially. I didn't say it was a sure fire thing. But we know you don't rate Kent and get a little upset when someone brings him up, so to avoid a meltdown we can move on from that. You mention 10-12 wins for us next year - I don't know what world you live in but that would be a huge improvement from the club, and clearly some of our players have really come on in 12 months time. To go from 7 wins to double figures would be terrific for the club, but I'm not sure we will get there in 2016. I know the club wants to but we will need to see some genuine improvement across the board to do it.

That's why I used it. There are no guarantees. But, without a gun midfielder on offer, the club have tried to build on our depth and potentially release some of our classier players to spend more time in the middle. Melksham has proven he can play there also and you would think he could spend some time in there also. The club have been creative and it's certainly given us some options going forward.

Melksham to half back means someone like Salem spends far more time in the midfield, while Kennedy can play a half forward role and release someone like Kent to also play more through a midfield/wing position. Our midfield instantly looks better. So, yes, we have potentially improved our midfield for 2016.

It's at least better than Carlton's... but that's only a tiny consolation.

You're under the assumption we bothered chasing either player. As far as we know we were never, ever linked to either, so they didn't have a chance to turn us down. Plus Boyd is on ridiculous money at the Bulldogs and is struggling already, while it wouldn't be unfair to suggest that there is still a question mark over Carlisle and his attitude. Plus he is going to be making $650k a year with the Saints, and frankly I don't think any poster here would be comfortable paying him that when we have some seriously talented players about to come out of contract in the next couple of seasons. And not to mention trying to sign Hogan up long term as well. When the trade period finishes we will have convinced at least three (I'm throwing Bugg in the mix here) players to come and play for us. This is on top of other guys like Tyson, Vince and Garlett who were more than happy to come and play for us as well. We aren't a destination club for the A grade type players, and rightly so. We're coming from a long way back. But if someone like a Treloar announces he wants to come home next year, or in 2017, putting more wins on the board and ticking more boxes off the field WILL make us a destination club. That's fact.

Bugg-er off in their Dune Buggy?

I'm not potting, it's just what I see. Go back through most of your posts on here during trade week and all you've done is talk negatively about what we have done or what you think we should have done. How you can be negative about things that have only just occurred is beyond me but, hey, if that's how you want to view it then go right ahead and take a simplistic view instead of a long term one. Thankfully Roos and co. have taken the latter. And we aren't a destination club. It's the truth and if we said otherwise everyone would know we're just yanking their chain. We are getting there, but further wins, further proof that the culture is much better than before and continued stability off the field will make us a club players want to play for regardless of where we have come from.

Maybe you should set an example instead of doing what you perceive them to be doing, which is saying negative stuff all the time. Kind of ironic to see you have a go at them for what you do on here constantly.

Forget the rest mate. Back the FD to get in another player who will fit our culture well and prove to be another excellent selection like the last few before him. I couldn't give a stuff who the rest draft.

They were always getting 5, but the Saints did alright to stay in the first round of the draft while getting Carlisle as well. I don't rate Craig Bird so that part means little.

Not sure if it's been posted here, but the mooted trade going down for Carlisle tomorrow is: Saints In - Carlisle, Pick 14 and 44 Ess In - Pick 5, Craig Bird Syd In - Picks 24 and 25

It depends on how things work out for them I suppose. Trading future draft picks will always be fraught with danger, but if they keep it as only trading future draft picks from the next year then I don't think teams can hamper themselves too much, unless they do it every year. It certainly has helped clubs get more deals done, which is what the players want, but constantly trading out these picks could leave a vacuum of talent down the track. It's an extreme case, but the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA traded so much away that they don't have a first round pick in a two round draft until 2019... and their team is rubbish. They might be able to nab a player or two in free agency over the coming years but trading ahead doesn't always equal success.

Another knee slapper from the glass half empties.

Name this type of player, who is at least of good quality, who we can actually go out there and get. They don't grow on trees.

How do you know we haven't been aggressive? With 48 hours to go we could easily complete a few more deals, plus we've chased hard after some very talented players who we have either missed out on or have gone elsewhere. Not much more we can do than that.

I would have thought the first 4 games of this season were excellent before he was injured. He finished off 2014 as well, particularly in the final game with some classy goals and goal assists. He's not overrated, his body just hasn't allowed him to string consistent games together.