JimmyGadson

I'm not basing it on his first game back and obviously I'm no expert but from what I've seen through vision of him playing is that his strengths don't lie in the areas we are lacking most as a side. It's got nothing to do with asking more of a 17 year old, it's about which top player is going to compliment our list and give us the best shot at a flag for the next X amount of years whilst we're competing. We are at the stage with our list that we can pick for position and attribute rather than best available in the first round. And in my opinion, I don't the Elijah is the player that fits best for us going forward.

Undoubtedly talented. But lacks too much compusure and good decision making imo to be considered for us. Even Wardlaw looks more composed and he's more inside than Elijah. I still want Sheezel. Then Cadman would be next.

Grundy has openly stated that he wanted to stay at Collingwood. They want him gone so they don't get to decide whether it's a first rounder unless they're paying a ridiculous amount of his salary which they would rather not do because they want him off their books! They can't have it both ways. And for whatever reason, you think they can. The dogs only gave up pick 14 for Treloar because they needed points to cover for bids on Jamarra.

Nah. It doesn't work well for us. You can't salary dump a player and expect a first round pick in exchange. The media have pushed that narrative and a second round pick is more than enough.

You sell him a mile short and in comparing him Billings you're neglecting the number one attribute that separates them. Competitiveness. Sheezel carries enormous intensity and energy around the contest which makes up for any lack of speed. Billings' biggest knock is that he lacks that fierce intensity around the ball which is why he is a vanilla player. The reason he'd fit so well for us is that he ticks the competitive box first and foremost which is what we look for in every player that we bring in. But he compliments us because his ball use, composure and ability to hit the scoreboard is absolutely elite. He is the perfect link up player and will be a huge upgrade on our half forward line once he builds his tank.

Would love to see us trade up for a shot at him.

My god, please stop man.

I wouldn't be so sure. Can see Freo missing next year given the amount of best 22 players they're about to lose plus Mundy. They had a dream run with injuries most of the year, (bar Fyfe who is past his prime) and will also have a much more difficult draw next year. In my eyes they'll be the most vulnerable of this years top 8. Can see them finishing as high as 7th and as low as 10th. So if we get a future first round pick for Jackson, I'd be quietly confident it'll end up being a top 11 pick which will be great for next year's bumper crop. Plus we'll have our first rounder so will have a bit to play with.

I could never envisage Gunston playing in our forwardline alongside Max Gawn, Ben Brown and Fritsch. And I thought it was strange that many supporters were into him. He's another player who requires great ball use to bring his best. He is not a contested marking beast. He's not KPP. He's a lead up forward with elite finishing skills and class. GNF's rumour aside I'd be highly surprised if we were ever actually into him..

Out of interest, does chook have good mail on this sort of stuff? I mean, I'm sure we'd have interest and have reached out to a number of forwards' managers etc. Why has this particular one grown legs on Demonland when not a word has been said in the media?

Good post, I can see clearly now and the fog has lifted. Taking Bowes and his contract would be ridiculous and I wouldn't associate with anyone who is for it. Including myself. Bye.

It's a lot, for sure. And maybe too much. Although it's for one year at that figure. Aside from the players I mentioned, you'd like to know how much we'll have to play with given the money we would have had for Jackson if he stayed. Plus Gawn, Lever and May would all be on significantly less given their age and contract status. But maybe that's been balanced out by us signing on Trac, Oliver and Gus on long deals for significant money. Zero idea. Just want pick 7.

I mean, I'm an anonymous nobody behind a keyboard on a football supporters website but... If we don't chase this hard, I'll be baffled. We have many NQR's we can move on to comfortably fit Bowes in. Was a top 10 pick so he clearly has attributes to work with. He's 24 as well. I'd be more than comfortable to move a player like Hunt on given he's 27 and has never become a consistent 22 player. And whilst he played the majority of this year, he is definitely replaceable. Then there's any of Tomlinson, Bedford, Weideman, Melksham, ANB who I'd be comfortable moving on. Pivk 7 would be an unbelievable gift to have going into this draft or on-trading for next year's bumper crop. It's just a no-brainer. Heading into the draft with two first rounders from the Jackson trade as well as pick 7 is ludicrous for a side that won a flag the season prior and finished the current one on second spot. [censored] do it!

Where the funk did this silly rumour start?

Is that last line a figmant of your imagination? I didn't say anything of the sort, so it's interesting you took the quantum leap to arrive at that statement. Impressive really.

Supporters are already imagining him to be a player that he's not. His forward craft is not in the ilk of a true forward. He doesn't have the class or goal nous of Fritsch. He has an awkward kick both set shot and in general play. He's a competitive beast who will be a strong second or third key tall. But he is not going to be in the Hawkins, Franklin, Cameron, Naughton mould. He's going to be much more like Balta from the tiges.

Would love Henry and Kossi roaming the floor inside 50. Chocco and Kossi can help Henry on his defensive efforts and intensity over summer. That's his knock. But those two could just light up the G and would bring enormous excitement to our forwardline, bring supporters through gates and kiddies would be jumping on the MFC train just to watch. Would love for it to happen.

Posters forget that we'll be having discussions with several list managers about hypothetical pick swaps to move up the draft order before the Jackson/Freo trade gets done. What's of interest to me is more around what the Freo picks will allow us to do rather than whether or not they can acquire a specific pick, because I'm not sure the club will be happy waiting until deadline day for Freo to find a way to get a pick inside 5, as an example. So if they end up paying overs in the way of lower end first rounders and a second rounder, that's fine. It'll give us more opportunity at doing what we're widely acknowledged of being masters at which is moving up the draft. And it'll give us great flexibility early on to trade for a player too. There's no loss in this for us, the club will have all bases covered. And even if the pick numbers for the Jackson trade seem underwhelming when it gets done, I'd wait until the end of the trade period and draft night before judging our net result.

How many goals come from a ruck-tap inside 50? It's a rare luxury to get a handful a season. I'd argue Gawn's strengths don't even lie in that area anyway. Whether that's oppo roving to him or our mids being our of sync it doesn't matter. I don't think that's the logic behind taking on a large salary for the second best ruck in the comp. Most of it would be around prolonging Gawn's career, squeezing the best years out of him while we're in the window and upgrading on Jackson for the short-term. Within that, there'll simply have to be some change to the way we play to get the most bang for buck.

We'd be taking the final two years right? I think it's absolutely worth pursuing even if it means trading out a contracted player or two ourselves. To be able to get pick 7 plus the Jackson picks could be a game changer for us going into next year and the years beyond. Especially if we can on-trade and get a couple of early first rounders for next year's bumper draft. I also can't see us giving up a first rounder for Grundy. Unless it's pick 18 and they're paying a significant chunk of his wage. Nothing earlier than that.

Our problems are ball movement going inside 50, inside 50 pressure and around the ground pressure. Grundy is a gun when fit. But he's not helping those elements of our game.

Were Jordon, Harmes or Brayshaw? I think his attributes would be of better use in that position than the above three names given our need for ball use and composure under pressure. We need a release player in that area of the ground. A player who can just set the next play up by hitting a target in a dangerous position. None of the players we have there can do that. Langdon's running ability is the only reason he plays on that opposite wind, his ball use is extremely dodgy and under pressure it's horrendous. And as good as Gus was defensively with his ability to cover, he similarly butches the ball and makes simple errors. We need some class there in the Steele Sidebottom mould. And Bowes is that. Gus and Jordan have learnt the defensive running patterns that is required to play on that members wing, Bowes would have no trouble with that. But he brings a completely different skill set and one we need.

Yep I'm wrong, thought I read "explore free agency" but it's "explore trade options". Still would like him.

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Wouldn't mind at the club making an offer to Jack Bowes, he has a lot of what we're missing and he's in a great age bracket. I think there's a position for him to play wing with his ball use, composure and clean hands being a strength and he's got good height and is strong above his head so folding back to intercept ala Gus is no issue. These are the moves I wish the club would make. Harmes and Jordon on a wing just does my head in. We just simply need to add some other components to our midfield mix.