Matsuo Basho

The Channel 7 news update about Melbourne digging their heels in was based on a 10 second soundbite Nathan Jones gave Mark Stevens at the B&F last night. Jones said “Hoges is a contracted player who we rate highly and expect to be at the club next season.” Jones also added “plenty of water to go under the bridge before anything plays out there” or words to that effect. So I take from that nothing really except that perhaps Jones has been told by club power brokers to trot out a defensive line and pushback on the narrative that the club is simply happy to walk our key forward to Freo on quick, friendly terms. Ie. The club is prepared to talk tough on Hogan, readying itself for a stoush at the trade table. Posters like Bing181 who can’t grasp this concept take note.

Petracca averaged 21 touches and 0.8 goals/game in 2018. Played some good games but still a bit too hot and cold with a tendency to drift out if it for long periods. I think he can get a lot fitter. A rampaging Christian Petracca who can average 25 touches and 1.5 goals a game will see us very close to winning the premiership in 2018.

Melky was there, finishing an admirable 7th. Absolutely rapt for James Harmes. A case study in application, dedication and self belief. 3rd B&F in a side that made a prelim is some effort for a guy that was in the fringe of selection 18 months ago. Brendan McCartney is just so good in that mentoring/development role. Best in the business. Next season it’s your turn Christian Petracca. A guy with that level of talent should be pushing for top 5 in the B&F every year from now on ... or he’s not trying hard enough.

Nothing’s a sure thing but it’s highly likely. The AFL have pumped tens of millions of dollars into that joint and it is teetering on the edge of being a failure. If they have to make a choice to give them Band1 or Band2 compo for May which way do you think they’ll lean? Despite being 28 heading into 2019 a number of clubs would still offer him 3+ years and good coin if he hangs around GC for another season. 28 is not old by the way for a fullback in his prime.

A strong club should never succumb to being deterred from drafting a kid from interstate. You draft the best available player and back your system and culture to retain them. If despite this they remained determined to return home to state of origin at some point then you cash in on their trade value to maximum effect. The moment you give in to the “go home factor” and allow it to limit how far you cast your recruiting net, is the moment you hoist a white flag and declare yourself an also-ran.

Damned autocorrect!

Bingo. Sounds like we are going to dig our heels in, do a bit of posturing of our own. Good stuff. This thing has the potential to drag on late into trade week if Freo think we’re just going to accept pick 5 and packet of Samboy chips for him.

Remind me which of his teammates didn’t?

I’d still pay it. Head to head I’d take Shiel over Gaff. Absolute jet.

Big body: tick. Tough: tick. Skills: bow-bowww.

Agreed on Kelly. However unlike Gaff and Shiel he is not available right now. We have the picks and capital to make a move this trade period. Next October? Who knows.

Shiel @ $850k is better value than Gaff @ $1.2m

If Vandenberg goes I’d keep Tyson. He’s a solid if no frills inside midfielder who’s been a bit harshly judged of late playing a role on a wing he’s not suited to. Jones is on a bit of a decline and Viney is forever one wrong twist of his foot away from a 6-week lay off. I wouldn’t be so hasty to be offloading a guy who can distribute the footy from a pack like Dom can. He’s not an A grader but he can play.

Our list still has a few holes but room for an ageing, sluggish moving inside mid is not one of them.

You tried to shut others down earlier in the thread for even having the temerity to discuss this topic. Stood up there with your red and blue goggles fastened, duffel coat and beanie on, ready to pot anyone who didn’t have what you felt was your version of a “pro Dees” stance. Go re-read the rest of the thread if your memory’s lapsed. Then you’ll see what your ‘missing’. Honestly mate, a bit of humility it isn’t that hard.

I’m EnterTheDragon. Hi. Happy to re-post your attacks on others throughout the thread but I won’t embarrass you. You’d make a horrible boxer. Glass jaw.

So in one breath you say “we don’t know what is going through his head right now or the reasons behind him leaving”, then in the next you declare that you believe that he’d be sticking around had he not gone through the things he had. You’ve been one of the more fickle and inconsistent posters in this thread, Wiseblood. Lambasting others for merely discussing the possibility of trading Hogan, then backpedaling and re-hashing your view to suit the new narrative. Seems like someone’s ego is a bit dented. Just man up brother - you were wrong.

For me it’s not a hindsight thing. Yes players sometimes do sign two year extensions (usually because that’s all a club is willing to commit to) but the difference there between the Vic boy Tommy Mac is the fact that Hogan was an interstater with intense speculation forever swirling about the possibility of him heading home.There was a real opportunity at his last contract signing to conclusively win over the hearts and minds of Demons fans with a Norm Smith-like “I’m Melbourne, Tony. I’m Melbourne.” But the lad chose not to do it. As I said, one foot in and one foot out. A bob each way on the nags. That was his right as a pro footballer. No issue with that. But he lost me a bit as a fan that day and I suspect I’m not on my Pat Malone.

The two- year extension he signed was always a bit of an alarm bell. One foot in and one foot out was Jesse. Never truly committed for the long haul. Talented player but I’ve long felt he won’t become the superstar many claim he will be. There are some problematic flaws there. Can’t get the journey from outside 50, drops the head when the pill isn’t delivered lace out, an oddly poor overhead mark at the highest point. And the record irrefutably shows he had a tendency to go missing in the bigger games. Personally I think we’re doing very well to offload him now while the hype is still there and Freo are desperate. A lot of our more emotional supporters can’t see through the fog of disappointment but this trade could very well reap the blessing that sees us win our first premiership in 55 years. I see only good things coming from it if we play our cards right.

You really going to double down on that silly comment? Glad you’re not representing us at the trade table binger! Freo: “Sorry boys the best we can do is pick 5 and Ed Langdon or maybe swing a second rounder your way next year. Best offer. Cheers.” Bing: “Gee shucks lads we were hoping for a couple of high first rounders now but we can see you’re in a bit of a bind and Jesse is a bit homesick .... look alright we’ll take that. But look after us next time golly gee!” Again, there is a time to cut a quick deal and there’s a time to recognise you have the whip hand in negotiations and make your opponent (yes that’s what Freo are - an opponent) rightly pay up. I’ll also say Jesse Hogan has uttered not one public word about being homesick, being depressed or wanting to go home. Not a word. Carlton played hardball with Gibbs when they felt they were being lowballed by Adelaide in 2016. Gibbs stayed on another year and finished top three in the Blues B&F. Don’t get sucked into an emotional pull at the heartstrings. Jesse Hogan is a professional footballer and he will accept a business decision the MFC makes concerning his and the club’s future. We owe Freo nothing. And the player in question is contracted. So I repeat, they can pay the freight or go away and roll with their rubbish forward line again in 2019.

Collingwood paid out two pick 7’s for Treloar. 5 & 9 seems entirely appropriate for Hogan given the circumstances.

The MFC’s first duty is to look after its own interests first, then consider the rights and needs of an individual player. Jesse has managed to play six seasons in Melbourne and only recently declared he was happy here. He gets along well with his teammates. If Fremantle won’t satisfy us in trade then I see no problem holding the player to the final year of his contract with a promise to field offers from both Fremantle AND West Coast next season. Freo came to us to poach our gun key forward while still on contract. That fact can not be stressed enough. They’ll need to come to OUR PARTY picks wise, not the other way around. Why should we? Because we’re Melbourne and we play nice at the card table? Sorry but the MFC’s interests trump those of an individual player on this one. I would be shocked if our FD did not see it that way.

Gut feel says Freo are going to try and throw 9 & 10 at us for Hogan while keeping pick 5 for themselves at the pointy end of this draft. Our position should be “nah sorry we will be having picks 5 & 9 if you want your gun key forward. Take it or leave it. Happy to keep him for another year and then deal with West Coast at the end of 2018 for Jesse’s services.” It may only be a five pick difference we’ll hold out for, but in this draft that could well be the difference between adding a good player and a genuine star to our list. Picks 5 & 9. You initiated this Freo. You have close to the worst forward line in the league and a coach and board under pressure. You want Hogan that desperately there’s a price to pay. Or no dice!

Brian Lake joined Hawthorn at the age of 30 to go on and play three seasons of top line footy at fullback for them, including three premierships. May’s age of 27yo should not concern us in the slightest. He’s in his prime and should be good for 4 - 6 years if managed well. If anything he’s a fitter specimen than Lake was!

North are said to be offering $1.2m/year for minimum 5 years for Gaff. Even in today’s climate that is serious huge coin. If we matched it it would make him the highest paid player at the club by some margin. He’s a very good player but that is stupid money in my opinion. A figure that could really destabilise the payment balance to the rest of the list. Let North empty their wallet on him and let’s look at a guy like Dylan Shiel who would come about $300k/season cheaper, leaving us other options in the market. Like others Gaff’s mental state also worries me. Those types of incidences - humiliating suspension for king hitting, missing out on a premiership medal after nine years of service - can do funny things to a man’s mind. Not worth the risk at that price.