Matsuo Basho

I’d push for a sweetener, say a swap of later picks and/or Kolodjashnij thrown in there somehow but yes I’m down with paying pick 5 for May. 27yo elite fullback in his prime strengthening our defence as we enter premiership window? Yes please. What would you do with pick 5? Take a King brother and wait to see if he’ll be any good? You do realise that’s going to be a minimum four year process whatever happens. The Dees have entered “The Window”. Whole new ballgame.

Jeepers Leoncelli, have a Xanax and a lie down old boy. Freo could just as well finish bottom three next year and we’d be absolutely laughing. As it is they will not make the finals in 2018 which means we would at minimum get pick 8. Pick 5 now and pick 1-8 next year is a good deal for Jesse Hogan. Forget the strong draft/weak draft hoopla. Taylor will pick us a gem next year in the top 8 of the draft if we do this deal. Maybe grab another key forward even better than what Jesse Hogan is. Two cases to underline ... Tom Lynch was taken at pick 11 by the Suns in 2013 and the Blues nabbed Charlie Curnow at pick 10 a couple years back. We can and will come out ahead on this thing. This is not Melbourne recruiting circa 2011.

Almost no chance Frost’s skills improve by his age. What you see now is what you get. He’s NQR in my view. Handy back up only. Re Oscar’s purported lack of mongrel, stick May back there with Nev, Hibbo, Lewis and Salem and you’ve got more than enough hard man slots covered. Skill errors in the back six cost you big time and potentially mean the difference between premiership and runner-up. Can’t have it. Think you’re going to find the FD see it the same way.

I reckon it’s an even 50/50 split. Freo took the car out of the garage then we took over the wheel halfway to Perth.

Forget the strong draft/weak draft groupthink, Pick 5 this year & Pick 8 next year is a fair deal for Hogan. If that’s the compromise we should take it. Watch Jason Taylor add two absolute rippers to our list next season with picks 8 & 18.

Relax everyone. Freo list manager Rosich just posturing and peacocking before trade week kicks off. Gotta look tough for the fans. Truth is it’s the club that doesn’t come out with empty bluster and bravado that usually has the whip hand. Freo will end up accepting pick 4 for Neale plus a sweetener, and Melbourne will get its two firsts for Hogan. Likely to be pick 5 and Freo’s 2019 first rounder. We add May to the back six for next season and then let Taylor work some magic with two choice first round picks at the 2019 draft. Have a crack at the flag next year by all means but keep adding young talent to the squad as we go. That’s the key to remaining a powerhouse for the next decade.

Oscar might not be as dashing and agile as Frost but he has the better skills and is more composed with ball in hand. Much more composed. He may not be the finished article yet but Oscar played some very good footy this season, especially when Lever was up and about and he could play second fiddle back there. Add May to the back six, get Lever back from injury and watch Oscar thrive with main glare of a key defensive spotlight off him. That’s the added blessing of having tough-ass gorilla-minder like May come into the side. Takes some of the heat off Lever and OMac. Frost will be the one pushed to the back of the pecking order if May is brought in. Skill level is not at the level for a side with premiership aspirations. Couple of those fumbly turnovers and wonky 30m passes against an Eagles or Tigers and wooshka ... it’s game over.

Didn’t Karl Langdon say not five days ago that he was “100% adamant Hogan would be staying st Melbourne” coz he bumped into Hogan’s Mum and got the inside goss? Same thing here I reckon. Empty goss from numpty Gossage. These journos generally have as little idea as anyone else. Gotta sell papers and clicks to stay relevant. What we do know as fact is West Coast have publicity declared their interest. That’s on the record.

Higgins was a very good get by the Roos.

What makes you think Rankine would be risky and not be tough? Could be the complete package. In which case he may well go No.1. Even if the Dees went to the draft with pick 4 (effectively pick 5) chances are both Walsh and Rankine are both gone. In which case give me an elite prime-of-career fullback in May over a five year project to see if a King brother is any good every day of the week.

Would love Rankine but can’t see Gold Coast passing up on him at pick 2 or 3. They’ll be taking a tall (Lukosius or a King brother) and the standout x-factor player in the draft. That’s Rankine.

1. Premiership window 2. Respected coach and line coaches whom the player feels will help them reach their potential 3. Off field stability, reputation for integrity 4. Opportunity to play in front of large crowds in blockbuster games 5. Quality of training facilities

Many won’t like reading that, Blue. But an element of truth in what you’re saying. Don’t reckon we’re fighting that hard to keep him to be honest. Club has seen an opportunity to sell stock at inflated value. And is duly taking it. Good on us.

Computer says “Yes”.

Exactly. Or pick 1! Personally I still can’t see them being much chop even with Hogan.

Yes. May is a lock for us if Hogan deal gets done.

A small forward prospect who couldn’t kick goals. Adios amigo. Wish him well.

This footage of Jesse at Freo’s training facility basically cements them into handing over the two top ten picks. Very bad PR for them to be tapping up a contracted player, getting their fans all excited then trying to stiff the selling club and walking away from the table with egg on their face. Freo have no choice now. They’re all in on Jesse Hogan and will be paying us his due price.

That has been crossing my mind, too. Especially with Jones in his twilight, uniting the Brayshaw brothers as midfield linchpins for the next 8-10 years might have great appeal. If that doesn’t happen I’ve switched my thinking now away from the 5 & 9 scenario (Old55 is right - Port not guaranteed of landing Lukosius of Rankine in that scenario by trading up for pick 4) ... to pick 5 and Freo’s 2019 first rounder. That seems a very fair and reasonable trade to me. Without Hogan Freo’s first round pick would surely be a top 6 pick with their list, but with Hogan in their forward line the onus is on them to back themselves in and finish higher on the ladder, say just outside the eight. That would translate to roughly pick 9 or 10 in next year’s draft. Leave Port out of it. Demand picks 4 & 5 now and then soften to picks 4 and their first round pick in 2019. That’s the deal we should be looking at if an enquiry into Andy Brayshaw falls flat. You should always plan with an eye towards the future and the possibility of having two solid first round picks in the 2019 draft, say picks 7 and 16 opens up some nice options for us next year. Either to draft in more young talent or trade some quality in for specific needs. That sort of draft caché could put us in the frame for a Josh Kelly as well.

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.