Matsuo Basho

Sorry, Dad. Can I borrow the car?

Please. 9 goals from 8 games is poor no matter how you want to dress it up or justify it. Hogan is not 19, he’s s 23yo big bodied forward at peak physical fitness. He failed in big games this season. If supporters want to rightly give him his due and pump him up, then we also need to accept that dose of cold water. There are some flaws in his game. He is not Wayne Carey or Buddy Franklin and frankly never will be that good. Will he be as good as Josh Kennedy? Who knows. Might, might not. But that wasn’t the crux of the “West Coast got a showbag if goodies for Judd. So should we for Hogan” ... was it. Be optimistic but realistic on Hogan. That’s all I’m saying.

I’ve heard that Hogan becomes a restricted free agent nextt season? This could greatly affect things should he stay at Melbourne.

Interesting left-field scenario OlderDemon. I reckon there is still a 25% chance he stays. Not cut and dried at all yet that Dees and The Purple Haze will reach an agreement satisfactory to both parties. I still think it’ll happen but the alternative course you chart has some merit. A year extension until 2020 gives Hogan two cracks at playing in a premiership with the club he started with and who he has been through the hard times with. Then off home for the monster contract. Might have appeal to him ... and us. Job security the major sticking point in that scenario. Go down with a buckled knee, huge disaster for him.

Not saying Hogan didn’t have a good year and isn’t a good player but it needs mentioning again that he consistently did not play well in games against quality opposition in 2018. 9 goals in his 8 games against the top 10 clubs on the ladder. It’s not “fall over yourself spectacular” is it? Hogan is a good footballer and a great prospect but he should not be mentioned in the same breath as the Chris Judd trade to Carlton, as Olisik did. That is my point. If we can land picks 5 & 10 for him you take it, pat yourself on the back and move on with life. That’s the best we’re going to do here. Freo will knock back an ask of Picks 4 & 5 and go to the draft if we refuse to budge. You can drive a hard bargain but be realistic. They could take BOTH of the King Bros or a King brother and an elite midfielder with those picks. Something is going to have to come back their way at the table.

Some nice lateral thinking there, DL5. Like it.

Agree. Don’t mind Colyer at all.

No, it’s Reality. Yoh might want to become acquainted with it one day.

Are you sure it’s not our supporters overrating Hogan? Did not finish top ten in B&F. Played 20 games.

No, need to correct you there. Judd had ALL of those decorations on his CV before the trade to Carlton. Give up on this one mate.

Chris Judd was a three time All-Australian, Brownlow and Norm Smith medal winning, Premiership captaining superstar. In. His. Prime. Not even in the same conversation as Hogan. Now you’re just being silly Olisik.

Treloar is a player of commensurate talent and influence at AFL level to Hogan. 7 & 7 is pretty much on a par with 5 & 10. Of course Mahoney said that. It’s his job to set the bar high in advance of negotiations. Spot on. 4 & 5 is too high for Hogan. Freo will strongly consider taking those picks to the super draft if we refuse to budge on that opening gambit.

We’re not getting picks 4 & 5 for Hogan. That may be our starting position but we will give a bit back to Freo in negotiations. 5 & 10 is much more fair and realistic, with Freo retaining pick 9 in the draft. Also, no club is trading speculative third round picks and a fringe 22 player for pick 13. Take the red & blue goggles off.

Right on brother. The real trade victory will come if we can somehow convince GCS to let May go for pick 10 and hold on to pick 5. We might have to sweeten that deal for them by including a couple of mature players like Frost and Tyson. The aim of the game for us should be to get May in the door for pick 10 and manage to hold on to pick 5 in the so-called superdraft.

Relax folks. Here’s how it will go down. 1. Dees will ask for picks 4 & 5. Straight up. 2. Freo will pizz and moan, say the deal is off and then eventually offer us the 9 & 10 that they receive from Port for pick 4. This process may take some time. We just need to sit tight. 3. We will ask for picks 5 & 9 and give Freo a deadline of say 24 hours before trade week closes or Hogan remains in red and blue. 4. Freo will pizz and moan and journos like Slobbo and McClure will continue to proclaim how unrealistic we are, only for the Dockers to relent and shell out picks 5 & 10 just as Mahoney gets out his mobile to call Hoges’ manager to tell him “deal’s off”. Don’t be fooled what any hack journo is reporting - the driving force in this negotiation is the Dockers’ desperation to get this player they’ve been chasing for half a decade, on its books. Dees just need to be firm, patient and ready to get up from the table if need be. They will cave at 5 & 10. Mark it down.

Not what I’ve heard. We’re there at the table just not as vocal as others. - May gets Hogan’s cash, give or take. - Kolodjashnij on no more than an outgoing player like Dom Tyson would be on. - There was enough there to make a play did Gaff. Why not Shiel?

Sorry Dodoro. He wants to go to a power club like Hawks or Dees.

It’s hard to make a case for guy who St Kilda deems delist-able. In fact it’s close to impossible.

Hibberd, too. Scary unit bearing down on you at full tilt.

Mahoney said on trade radio today that KK has already undergone a full medical at the Dees. Sounds like this signing is a definite goer. Great get by our FD.

It sounds like we are pretty far along with the Kade Kolodjashnij recruitment. Mahoney said he’s already done a medical at the club.

No a club would still have to come up with a trade offer next year. However because the player is coming off contract we wouldn’t hold as strong a hand in 2019 as we do now. For example Hogan’s manager could threaten to walk him through to the PSD next year. Not an option he has now. Say Freo finish 12th next year and have pick 6 in the draft to offer us. That’s all you’re probably going to get. Possibly even worse if it’s a West Coast he ends up nominating. Then you’re getting a pick 15+ and not much else. The opportunity cost to Freo for securing a gun key forward now is the extra top 10 pick. I can’t believe they would go to these lengths to pry Hogan off our list whilst still under contract and not at least tacitly understand this. If they’re coming to the bargaining table with pick 5 and chump change then Hogan will be playing in the forward 50 for Melbourne next year. And Fyfe can keep looking up and still have no-one decent to kick the pill to!

Dead bat. Gave nothing away. The one thing we can glean is that we are more than prepared to call Freo’s bluff and have Hogan play out his contract in 2019. If they try and lowball us.