Matsuo Basho

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.

Most media pundits don’t want Melbourne to receive two high first rounders for Hogan. They still see is as a minnow club who should do as we’re told and accept what we’re given in the manner of the third born in a poor family. Mark Robinson was on FoxFooty the other night adamant the Dees should not receive two first round picks for Hogan. I wonder why? Could it be that an even stronger Melbourne outfit makes it that much harder for his beloved Bombers to lift another Cup? Vested interests left right and centre in all this reporting on potential trades. All we need to be concerned about is laying it out very clearly to Freo what we expect in trade and then stick to it. Any media noise that suggests we are being unreasonable or that we are overvaluing Hogan is exactly that ... noise.

Close isn’t it. I lean towards Shiel because of the burst acceleration factor out of congestion. Perfect compliment to Clarry, Gus and Vines. Race is hotting up for both though. Saints have now upped their ante for Shiel to $8m over 6 years. Reckon he’s the type of guy though to settle for a bit less coin to play for a Vic club with genuine flag aspirations. Reckon it’s out of Hawks, Bombers and hopefully ... us!

It’s about finding that better overall team balance. If Weid can kick 30 (very achievable) and Petracca can increase his goal output (also very achievable) the loss of Hogan can be ameliorated or close to. At the same time the trade should allow us to strengthen our back six (May) and add some class elsewhere on the park, preferably outside midfield. On the balance of it, this trade can and should strengthen our best 22, particularly it should make us harder to score against.

Only Hunt of that grouping has the tools necessary to become a run-and-carry winger.

I agree with that. Look at the fitness levels on guys like Gawn, Oliver, Viney, Harmes. CP5 still looks like the penny hasn’t dropped on the sort of aerobic capacity you need to dominate at this level. Eating habits as well. A big mindset shift required from Christian this preseason.