old55

I believe Bernie won last year's B&F. You may not have noticed but when we were winning 2 games a year with a percentage of 50% we weren't a destination club. Even though we have improved our attractiveness, we don't have a lot of currency to trade this year. We traded our 1st rounder to get Weidemann to the club who has now had a pre-season and 3 AFL games. We can make further incremental improvement with Hibberd and natural improvement in our young players and play finals in 2017. We can land a "big fish" to ice the flag cake when the time comes in a couple of years.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-08-30/dumped-dog-stringer-makes-player-ratings-team-of-the-year Max Gawn and Tom McDonald McDonald showed why his signature for a new contract was so highly sought after at Melbourne with his ability to not only beat his man, but also to rebound the ball out of defence.

We're not going to attract a very good ruckman who is prepared to spend all his time at Casey waiting for a Max injury. Jake Spencer is the best you can get for this role. If we recruit a ruckman he needs to be a forward-ruck who can play alongside Max.

https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/threads/trade-delist-fa-keep.1143776/ Freo fans on BF have Jack Hannath universally delisted. Also Zac Clarke is UFA - but the knock on him is lack of intensity which is not our mantra. Both worth considering and they probably come for free trade-wise. Not everyone fits into Ross Lyon's program.

I like Hinkley when I've heard him interviewed, but can't help thinking that Walsh and Richardson might have been keys to their success.

You're

Grimes needs to ply his trade elsewhere and the best of luck to him - I hope he plays another 100 games. I'd definitely re-contract Trengove for a year and see if he can force his way in. I agree it's a tall ask, but in 2017 if N.Jones or Tyson were out injured he'd be straight in. At worst - quality inside mid depth.

Emergency: Trengove, Pedersen, M.Jones - maybe an indicator to contracts for next year? I hope so, I think they've all got something to offer.

Hawthorn

I disagree, even though we benefitted, what happened last year was a distortion of of the intention of the bidding process. GWS used 8 picks to get 4 Academy players last year, including 34 and 40 on Kennedy at 13 and 4 picks starting at 48 on Himmelberg at 16 - they would need 8 list vacancies to do that this year and couldn't do it - they only took those 4 players. I think the changes are sound. I think the bidding process is a good plan overall.

Yes, the picks clubs for academy selections must equate to list vacancies. I think that could get restrictive when clubs have multiple academy selections like the Lions GWS did last year. It's definitely going to force clubs to hold onto higher value early picks. We got in once - now closed.

I'm willing to accept that Hibberd makes us better but I continue to believe HB is not our area of greatest need. We've got Salem, Melksham, Hunt, Harmes, Wagner and Vince (who increasingly out of the centre square equation as he ages) - together with Hibberd that's 7 into a maximum of 3 HB/bench slots. Posters say that Hibberd will free players like Salem and Hunt for other midfield roles but there is probably only "wing" roles currently occupied by Stretch and Bugg - maybe Bugg will be pushed out but that only frees one slot I've left out White, Lumumba and Michie who don't offer enough and will probably be gone. I think we should be factoring a trade of HBs into the Hibberd deal - maybe Wagner or even Harmes. Essendon get a younger like-for-like replacement which may appeal.

Nope Draft 'loophole' to remain despite some clubs' concerns The AFL has made one change to its bidding system that will come into immediate effect this year, with clubs no longer able to access 'hidden picks' during the draft. It means clubs will only be able to enter the draft with the number of selections that matches the available primary list positions at that time. Last year some clubs entered the draft with more picks than they had available spots on their list. The extra picks were purely held so they could pay for academy prospects that attracted early bids. The rule tweak means if a club needs to use multiple selections in matching a bid, and therefore require extra selections to be filled on its list, the new draft picks would be given to the club at the back of the draft so not to impact other clubs' picks. Clubs not being able to use 'hidden' picks means they cannot store points in late draft picks that they never intended to use. It reduces the incentive to trade backwards in the draft and for them to accumulate a large group of picks and convert them into points. In removing hidden picks, the AFL has stopped clubs from taking picks to the draft that they never intended on using on a player. Last year, the Brisbane Lions went into the draft with five spots open on their list and their first hidden draft selection was No.42. But that pick would have been forfeited under the new rules and the advantage they gained

Nope, Nasher banned him

Looked like it didn't it. I'm pleased to say they've done nothing since then. Long may it continue.

Boomer should go to GWS or Sydney and do a Brian Lake. "Barnaby" ???

If, big if, North win this week they will probably get the Dogs in Melbourne at MCG first week.

Timing makes sense, last game at Etihad this week. Next week probably back against the Giants in Sydney - likely game over.

Grimes is a Restricted Free Agent - it amazes me how posters continue to bring up trades involving him. He is free to go to any club he wants to and we would need to match the contract to force a trade. This is not going to happen.

We've backed up well from our disappointing performances this year, not all wins but good results, and that can be a good sign post to improved culture Essendon - North St.Kilda - Gold Coast away Port - Hawthorn Sydney - Adelaide St.Kilda - West Coast Gold Coast home - Hawthorn Hopefully we can add Carlton - Geelong

Right now, like others, I think our primary need remains fwd-ruck. Someone ~200cm who can at least compete in the air in the fwd 50 and bring it to ground, kick straight when they do mark it and ruck 5 minutes a quarter. This year I think we'd struggle to accommodate that type in our 22 because we have so many young players on reduced minutes so we need the extra "mid", but going forward this problem should start to ease. They are very hard to find though, you usually have to take a chance on a player like Vardy or Vickery who have known defects - that's why they are available, we've gotta believe we can fix them. A la Hawks and Fitzpatrick. Not this year, but in 2 years when we start to be really competitive I think we want to chase a player with mature class through UFA. Players like Gibbs, Dal Santo, Deledio, Burgoyne, Stanton, Wells - not them specifically because they'll be too old obviously, but the next generation who I guess are 25-26yo now. It's not obvious to me who they are! They will cost us big $s but will provide the icing we need to take the next step.

The problem with trading is that you can't trade picks you don't have and your picks are (at least) 18 positions apart - so it's pretty easy for a players value to fall in the middle. We'll have something like pick 26, we can't give them pick 20 if we don't have it. Pick swaps is the only direct way to fix this, yes other clubs can get involved but that is usually not straightforward.

No-one is fawning over him, simply pointing out he was right and those who questioned his input were wrong.

Our 2016 2nd rounder for Hibberd will be a reasonable result. Essendon may be interested in a player like ANB, their inside midfield could do with a boost - 2nd last for both clearances and contested possessions, might be a later pick swap in their favour required. Those hoping to pay less will be disappointed.