Wiseblood

Did we try Dom Barry on Hill last year? I can recall him doing a decent job on him in patches but Hill burnt him on the rebound far too regularly.

Which will look ridiculous if he has an average year, decides to leave anyway and gets less money. If he was so emphatic about knocking back the deal then I'm shocked that he hasn't re-signed with us yet.

Lyons has had the opportunity to leave in the past for more game time and he turned it down. I think he would regret that decision now as I doubt any clubs would be interested in him for 2016 as he can barely get a game.

It should be scrutinized no more than anyone else's game down at Casey, but I know it will be anyway. It's how the world of some supporters work.

Different era, in that Thompson left when there was no free agency and we were very proactive about it, but I do agree with the sentiments.

You're forgetting that his game at Casey will be analysed like no other game before. There's no escaping it!

Wasn't that Rockliff... ?

We're in a quandry though - this week we have the hard runners who can't kick, and in previous weeks we haven't had enough hard running but blokes who can kick (generally). It's tough for us to get the mix right. I agree that it's great we have persisted with Spencer, Stretch and Toumpas, although you would think another average performance for Spencer may see him get the chop.

JKH has an injury, the rest are dropped. And against the Hawks, who are deadly on the rebound and when there is a turnover, we decide to bring in 3 blokes who butcher the ball regularly. First time this year I'm not all that happy with the ins, but we aren't going to beat the Hawks anyway so I guess it's a moot point.

Restricted or not? I could look that up I guess but, you know... lazy....

In a heartbeat. We have enough kids.

Would both Sloane AND Dangerfield leave... ? I'm pretty sure one will go but I don't think the Crows would allow both to leave. With Thompson's impending retirement it would leave a major hole in their midfield. But I wouldn't say no mind you, he would be a terrific get for the club.

Edited for accuracy.

It was one of those websites on Angelfire back in the late 90's - 3D glitter headings, a few links on the side, page hit counter at the bottom. It had all the bells and whistles.

Going by that summation it would take 2 first round picks to get him. Let's not get carried away.

True, and they are lucky enough to have the depth to take that option. I'd love to see our kids play the majority of their games in the twos but it just can't happen. I'd be all for recruiting Jones IF he brought something we need to the table - can he find the footy, have good skills etc. If not then I think we need to look elsewhere.

You could say exactly the same thing about Yarran, and most people would say that Yarran has been more damaging across his career so far than Watts has.

I think we have to hope they stink it up for the season and just decide to do a major cull of the list - they will want plenty for some players (Murphy, Gibbs) but if Yarran has an average season then they might just be happy to ship him off somewhere and cut their losses. We won't get him in a Garlett type deal but I'd be happy to cough up a third rounder for the risk he may bring with him in terms of his consistency on the field.

If we could get him for a cut rate price if Carlton pull a fire sale then he would be worth the risk. But I have a feeling that if they want to trade Yarran they will ask for something ridiculous in exchange that no-one will come to the table with.

It's Stafford's job. They could draft someone who was 4ft and want him to ruck, so it's Stafford's job to try and teach him the craft no matter what. He is on the list so he will be given the time. It's still going to be a miracle for him to make it. And Gawn's knees have given way - they gave way before he was even drafted. There will always be that risk with him. I'd love to see it not happen again but reality suggests that it's a distinct possibility. Plus not many complained when Spencer got selected - he had been in fine form for Casey and deserved a call up, and most would have agreed at the time. Many of us were disappointed with his output on Saturday night and rightly so. He'll need to improve upon that to keep his place in the future.

Don't worry Saty - we don't need reminding as you tell us every chance you get. It's clear that the modern game calls for a ruckman who moonlights as a midfielder. Jamar can't do it, Spencer can't do it and more than likely Gawn can't do it. Once the ball hits the deck it's all over for them. We need to add a ruckman to the list who can offer more around the ground and bring some skills to the table. Until we do that we will continue to struggle against many of the better sides.

Would Jed Adcock be worth a look? Might be keen for a change of scenery and might not cost too much to get either. Stick him on a back flank and release Salem into the midfield in 2016...?

Very true. I firmly believe that Roos is setting us up for whatever the future holds. It sounds silly but over the course of the next year and a half he will stick to ingraining the very basics into the fabric of our club - work ethic, defensive pressure, a good culture etc. so when Goodwin takes over he is ready to take us to the next level with wherever the game is heading and the club will be ready for it this time around. We can be quick to get angry at how we are playing but Roos is setting us up for the LONG term. Not the short term. When he hands the coaching reins over to Goodwin he will have us in a good spot for taking that next step. It means we need to be a little more patient but I believe the rewards will certainly be there down the track.

Back in the day there were some recruiters who were saying that they would have had Morton as a possible #1 pick. However he was the wrong pick for our club at the time. He may have become a better player elsewhere but at the time we needed someone who displayed the attributes Morton did not. It's just a shame we didn't know that until years later when it was too late.

We've been spending most of our supporter lives living in a flanker's paradise...