Matsuo Basho

$$$$$$$$$$ “KACHING” !! Might not be the only reason but I’d suggest it’d be the main one. At the end of the day you’re a professional footballer at the elite level for ten years, with the ever present possibility of going down with a buckled knee every time you run out onto the park. Make hay while the sun shines. Who can blame him? Few would say they’d knock it back and keep a straight face. Plus his Mum is there. His only remaining parent. The lad is only 23 and been away from his Mum since he was a teenager. Let’s cut the lad some slack. Good luck to him. We move on.

We shall see. They’ve also balls’d up a fair few. We have every reason to lean hard on Freo here. That’s not being faux tough it’s just the way the cards are stacked. In our favour.

Worth a watch if you didn’t see it. Good man Joffa. Puts all the million dollar trades and billion dollar rights deals into a bit of perspective. “Quite a few people out there won’t have eaten very well the last few weeks tucking a few dollars away to pay for a finals ticket.” Honestly don’t care who wins today but if he’s waving that stupid gold jacket around at half five pm I’ll be happy for him.

I’m nervous that Mahoney and Co are not going to drive a hard bargain. If we lose Hogan for May and chump change that will be a seriously disappointing outcome. It must be May and either a very good pick or a very good starting 22 player. I want May but no way is he of equal value to Hogan, not to mention the fact that we have the whip hand over Fremantle in this exchange. They need the player more than we need to give him. Like many Demon supporters I will be watching on with keen critical interest as to how shrewdly we negotiate this. We traditionally have not been renowned for coming out on the winning side of trade table deals. A few yes but more often than not we’ve been the ones picking up the dropped soap in the prison shower. I hope those days are over.

I think we’ve got the ‘tough nut’ factor well covered these days. Add Steve May to the mix and if anything we’ve overcorrected from the bruise-free days of yore. A little less Vanders and a little more silk is what this 22 needs now. He will find his niche in the system elsewhere - Sydney sounding likely - and we’ll wish him well. It won’t affect our premiership tilt much none.

I get that and it’s probably a long shot. However there were stories coming out of Perth during the year that he was/is unhappy playing under Ross Lyon. Lyon himself even came out publically to try and quash the rumours. It never hurts to discretely ask the question. Never say never. Things change.

You “win” the trade period if you emerge from it having corrected weaknesses and strengthened your likely starting 22 for the following season. Even if it’s just by a 5% margin. That’s all some clubs can realistically achieve if they go into the post-season without a whole lot of cachè to offer in terms of trade. Other clubs will have more to offer with perhaps greater scope to improve their list. Say a 10 - 15% improvement on the balance of it. When we saw Port leave the 2017 trade table with Watts, Rockliff and Motlop it looked flashy on paper but for mine did not improve the overall quality of their best 22 at all. They did not need another inside grunt midfielder (Rockliff), Motlop was okay I guess but remained true to his hot and cold style of football, and Watts added absolutely nothing of value to their team. Pick 32 for him ended up being a steal on our part. Port failed because they went for a few big flashy names they thought would automatically haul them into the top four. Bad strategy. Essendon on the other hand carefully went after three players (Smith, Saad and Stringer) who they clearly felt would strengthen areas of their team they assessed were weaknesses the previous season. They started off shakily the Bombers but I think that approach began to bear fruit for them in the second half of the season. I reckon they will go past Port as a genuine top eight challenger next season. Port and Kenny H. are in trouble I reckon. For Melbourne to have a “win” during trade week we need to do similar and methodically set about addressing key needs, in order of priority, that will serve to strengthen the 22 we put out in the park each week. 1. An upgrade at full back 2. Outside midfield silk 3. Genuine ruck insurance for Gawn Tick off at least two of those boxes, rather than just throw our hat into the ring for whichever flashy player wants to join a club entering a premiership window, and we will undoubtedly emerge from trade week in the “W” column. A Hogan departure should mean we can tick off all three and enter 2019 brimming with confidence.

Care to elaborate? Triple premiership wingman and Doig Medallist (2017). Still only 25yo. Hogan not averse to staying out ‘til the wee hours himself on occasion. Does that make him “damaged goods”?

Take it you both won’t be watching the game then?

If the deal on the table for Hogan was pick 5 & Brad Hill ... would you take it? Send pick 5 and Frost to the Suns for May and Kolodjashnij. 2019 R1 Side: Jetta May OMac Salem Lever Hibberd Hill Oliver Kolodjashnij Petracca Weideman Jones Spargo TMac Melksham Gawn Brayshaw Viney Harmes Lewis ANB Hannan To me this is would be a significant improvement on the 2018 version of Melbourne. Shore up the defence with May while adding some class run, carry and delivery on the outside of midfield. We’ve got the grunt covered. Now’s the time to add a bit of polish. Be very happy if we emerged from trade week with an outcome like this. Pretty much all depends on what Hogan does of course.

No to this guy from me. Absolute dud.

If a Fremantle player comes into the equation (other than Cerra or Andy Brayshaw) I wouldn’t be interested in Ed Langin, I’d be asking after Brad Hill. He’d be very handy on a wing for the Dees, won their B&F in 2017, triple premiership player and still only 25yo. There were rumours during the year too that Hill isn’t entirely happy playing ‘Ross Lyon footy’. https://coupler.foxsports.com.au/api/v1/article/amp/afl/afl-2018-ross-lyon-shuts-down-rumours-about-brad-hill-departing-fremantle/news-story/15a6cf9f731b0fec4d26c1e59415f18d

Don’t mind Vanders but he doesn’t make our 22 any quicker. A second or third rounder back that we can pass on to GCS for Kolodjashnij would do.

https://youtu.be/LGS4RG-mnIM

West Coast by 14 points. Norm Smith: Josh Kennedy First Goal: Jaidyn Stephenson

My understanding is we left the Gaff poker table some weeks ago. Buy in price way too high. He won’t be at the Dees next year.

I say yes. What’s a quality fullback worth to a side that hasn’t won daytime silverware since 1964? $800k sounds about right to me.

That’s not what you said. You said Collingwood has no relevance if May nominates Melbourne. I then explained why you’re wrong. The Suns will have a say in where May goes. Just to reiterate.

Not correct in this case. May is under contract until end of 2019. If the Suns don’t like what Melbourne (or Collingwood) offer in trade they have the option of holding the player for another year then getting in all likelihood Band1 FA compo for him at the end of 2019. They will be telling May “look after us or we will hold you to your contract.” No way they are letting him go for anything less than a first round pick.

Very unlikely scenario. To get May we need to trump what Collingwood have to offer the Suns. Without the booty of a Hogan trade we don’t have much.

32 might just do it. Or straight swap for Tyson. I doubt they would accept a third rounder for him. That’s a pick in the 45-55 range. Can’t see that happening.

Yes! Worth a second round pick (20 - 30) Was pick 5 and showed great early promise. We have to plan for life after Nev and Hibbo. Both 29yo going into next season.

Agreed. And in reality we’re not that far off each other. With Freo under the pump two early-ish first rounders is a very achievable price to demand. What are they going to do? Go in again with McCarthy, Sheridan and Taberner? Say hello to the bottom four Ross. Lock it in. We’ve got our foot on their throat on this one and they know it.

I thought someone might take exception to the “generational player” and fawning epithets comment. Fair enough, you are entitled to that view and make a reasonable argument. However I would dispute your assertion that “the larger football world would have have him as the best KPF under 25.” I think if you put Hogan up against Charlie Curnow and Joe Daniher many would have him third picked in that group. Many wouldn’t sure, but no way is it a clear cut thing. The knock on Jesse at this stage (and I think it’s a fair one) is that he’s shown a propensity so far to beat up on weaker teams and go missing a bit in the bigger games. This is something a casual look at his goals to games ratio doesn’t show up unless you take a closer look at the statistics. Im not saying he isn’t a very good player. He is. But a certainty to be a Carey-esque superstar? A “generational player”? Sorry but that’s a big stretch based on the body of work I’ve seen. Plenty of potential absolutely but more than a few rough edges remain that need ironing out.

Can’t name. Realise that’s an unsatisfactory answer but as I said is it really a surprise we’d have a crack at him? With Vince retired, Lewis to follow and Chunk looking not far off joining them a midfielder of Shiel’s calibre and age suits our profile perfectly. It’s premiership window time and we are finally getting fair dinkum.