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It's a good deal, but I don't like surprises like this. The TJ deal was rumoured for a week before that was done, this trade was agreed (in the Principal's office) pretty quick. Good for midfield balance. We Better [censored]!ng Keep Davey Though... WBFKDT.

Considering I have a go at those with bad grammar... Can't spell. I'll fix it, so most are none the wiser... Except for this post. Which I will later delete. Cunning.

You make a compelling case, and I often wonder whether Maric, Blease, Scully, Trengove, and Bennell will force out one or more of McLean, Moloney, and Jones. If I was to trade, after 2008, one of those three it would have been Jones. If I was to trade now, it would be McLean. However, I just don't see the need to do that trade this year. It's a widely known fact that McLean had an interrupted preseason and dealt with a few injury issues during the season. If offered Pick 11 I would ask BP if there was a precocious talent still available. Given the eligibility changes, BP may say that the talent on offer falls away before pick 11. If BP says 'no', then I would continue on and reassess after 2010. After all, McLean may still have injury issues, Moloney might have more problems with OP, or Jones might digress. If they all play OK in 2010, and we still feel the team is not balanced - well, there will GC17 willing to throw picks and big bucks around to entice clubs and players to move on.

Might not be wrong on a couple but Spencer, Cheney, Sylvia, Davey, Jamar, McLean, Maric, Batram, McNamara, and Miller are OOC. Jurrah may be on a one year deal too.

The best thing about Frawley is that he is a 'gorilla-tamer' with a desire to be involved in the counter-attack. He won't sit back like Presti and allow his team to attack a man short, he will take players on give a handball in traffic, or take one under pressure run 20m and kick it 50m. Will be even better when we can restrict the amount of ball he sees.

Miller hasn't come on, will he in 2010? I don't know. But if those at the club think that he cannot develop into that forward that has become is only attainable option they should cut ties. Depth is overrated. If Watts, Jurrah, and Bate are out (I have no idea why you mentioned Newton) we will struggle. You can't replace your best players. As an aside, I hope you are not using the rare appearances of Jamar, Meesen or Spencer, or their deficiencies as a scapegoat for our midfield. We have an ordinary (and young) midfield. They have trouble getting the ball, tracking those that get the ball, and they have all sorts of trouble kicking the ball properly to the forward line.

Look, that is the way I would do it and with a level-headed player and a manager with a bit of integrity will be happy enough to make it work. But I have the distinct feeling that, in this hypthetical scenario, the manager of Morton will be slipping secret notes to Hutchison to say that Morton, 22 with 80 games experience, is on an insulting salary at the MFC and that it would be hard work to keep him. Here's hoping we don't lose anyone in 2012/13/14 because we have no room...

Big games? We haven't had one of those since Freo in 2006. He has also played as the number 1 forward and got the attention that comes with that mantle. And he had a very consistent year through that attention. Jurrah, Watts, and, possibly, one of Garland, Morton, and Wonaeamirri will relegate Bate to 3rd/4th 'attention-grabber' in the future. Haven't seen him shirk a contest, his lack of lateral movement means he doesn't get to enough contests but I see him as hard enough. As for the marking, he can have days where he is a 'one-grabber' and days when he is not. But he is 22 and has more than enough potential to get me excited, and he has done enough so far to justify that excitement.

That would effectively mean that in this hypthetical Morton has been given $750k over 10/11 when we wanted to pay him $500k in 10/11. It just screws up our wage structure.

And that is the danger with taking Jacey's approach. A little frontloading can be a helpful thing, a lot of frontloading can screw up our wage structure. I think Davey will get a very good wage for the next two or three years...

And McDonald staying. And Bruce being on big money (which a few on here complain about whenever he plays a bad game). I have the CBA on hand so those figures are correct.

The more things change... Riewoldt is your prototypical CHF of the modern era. Moves up the ground when needed, runs into space in all directions and attacks a pack when a long kick is directed forward. I think Watts is more suited to this 'CHF type role.' (And that was the point is was trying to make with my Watts remark in an earlier post. Lots of things taken the wrong way recently on 'Land. Just saying...)

That belongs in the Jack Watts thread. HFF, roaming up the ground if the mids are under the gun or moving into space in the 50 - is a very good lead-up target. But Jurrah will need his room and so will Watts. Bate in between them being ignored would be my ideal.

It's a fantastic short term fix. But if you do that, what about 2011? You have already frontloaded so much that the shortfall is even greater. Do you throw out Morton's contract and give him his $450k again? That would mean he was on $900k over two years and not $500k. And then do you give him more on his next contract? Considering it was artificially inflated you could say no, but Connors, Nixon, and Pickering would maximise what they can get for their clients and you've opened the door to their players being on big money.

And what of Jurrah and Watts? If we can't develop them into players who can kick 50 goals a season with good service then what are we doing here? And Bate kicked 27 goals and had 25 assists with awful delivery and scarce service. He will get worse as we get better?

(The $7.53m minimum is for next year.) Let's say that there is a wage inflation to various players of $500k (conservative figure, it may be more). That wage inflation is caused by having to reach the minimum. Our youth and lack of senior stars means that it is in the hands of that promising youth. 5% more here, 10% more there. All designed to get us to the minimum. Now if that wage inflation remains in 3 or 4 years time, it would mean that $500k is tied up in wages to players that are overpayed. That $500k is the wage of one very good player. A very good player that we may lose because we haven't the room. That is all I am worried about. I applaud the frontloading of contracts, and it will be a short term fix to get up to $7.53m. But the fact remains that our younger players are paid more than their counterparts at other (older) teams and it may come back to bite us in a few years time when someone is squeezed out that needn't have been squeezed out. A large contract, like the one Burgoyne would be given, short-circuits this problem to a large extent.

I have nothing to add (as I have seen little of any of these kids) other than I don't want another Molan situation. Just take the best player available and develop Jurrah, Bate, and Watts. And teach Martin how to kick.

If I was Eade, unless there was a silly trade, I would tell this kid that a contract is a contract and if you are good enough you will play.

Possibly, although I just recalled the fact that he is on the VL, so half is wage is not included. So it would actually be less. Also, Bruce will be on the VL in place of Robbo so half his wage doesn't go under the cap. Makes it even more difficult to get to the $7.53m.

This is his manager regretting the advice he gave his client mid-year and trying to orchestrate a trade, the Bulldogs would be anything but agreeable. I mean, they signed him a few months ago...

Yes that is one way to do it. Bruce is on $500+, Green $400+, JMac would be looking at $250k-300k at a guess, and Davey's contract is being negotiated right now. But there is still a ways to go to reach the $7.53m minimum that we have to pay. Chris Connolly has already said that we are frontloading contracts. For instance, if Morton is getting $500k over 2 years they might pay him $300k in 2010 and $200k in 2011. Those numbers have no source, they may be well off. It is just an example to help people wrap their heads around what I am saying. But the fact remains that our youth and our lack of stars means that our kids will be payed more than their counterparts at other clubs. This is not a problem at the moment. It only becomes a problem when these inflated salaries are renegotiated when we are good in a few years time and we have to pay even more over-the-odds salaries. I am having trouble figuring out how this is that difficult to understand. And it is not the overriding reason why I would like to pursue Burgoyne, merely an added bonus in my eyes.

Nothing spectacular, but a solid season never-the-less. He will never be the dynamic mid, but if he can clean up his disposal and have more run in his legs, he will be a very good accumulator of valuable possessions. Might not be as good, but much in the style of Lenny Hayes.

It's amazing how opinion changes on Bate. Very happy to have this consistent, versatile, and mature 22 year old spend a decade in the forward line as we push for a flag. Very capable of kicking 40 goals next season, or averaging 25 touches in the midfield.

I'm not talking of a 'break-out' season. I can't speak for all but I want Watts to play 16+ games. If he happens to play well in 5 of those games, well that's great. Performances do not interest me, development does. We need to give him games; if he is fit and his head is on straight - he plays.

Everitt signed a contract mid-year, this is his manager stirring up sh!t. He won't go anywhere.