old55

Impressive footage - it reminded me that Dale Thomas is RFA.

Adrian Anderson on 3AW who knows what the "formula" is says it's unlikely we'll get a PP.

Mark Neeld linked with North Melbourne - Jordan Gysberts rapt!

Great work by PJ. I know Andrew Demetriou is not popular here and I expect to be howled down but if we get a PP we should seriously think about an award in his name. 1. Denied we tanked, then hosed down the tanking wildfire started by Adrian Anderson in his absence as best he could so we ended up with feather duster penalties and AA gone. 2. Organised PJ, gave us the necessary special funding, was instrumental in the Roos signing 3. PP?

Sloane won Adelaide's B&F

If Essendon players get infraction notices or have any health issues they'll be suing the club. What's more the majority of them crrently have no way of getting out of what they may believe was/is an unsafe working environment. If the AFL granted this option and Essendon players didn't take it up then I reckon those players would be on shaky ground suing Essendon in future.

Assuming Roos is coach, I'm in favour of sticking with Watts. Roos' impact is going to be cultural and psychological, I think game-style will flow from these. I'd like to see Roos work with Watts on his deficiencies. If Roos was still coach of Sydney and Watts was looking for a trade there everyone would be saying "well that's an environment where he can finally realise his potential".

Of course no-one is going to trade an established A-Grade mid for a pick #1 that will net another mid - - why would you? No team has offered to trade a pick #1 power forward in my memory - we're in a unique position, having picking up Hogan, Dawes and Clark in recent times. Money talks - if the trading club wants to do the deal, the player can be convinced but clearly we'll have to pay big time. Roos would be a big positive factor. I think quality IS important - and we can get more with pick 3. We can round out some quantity with pick 20 and 38 and free agency.

Yes I would for a quality player like Rockliff or Fyfe - if we didn't have Hogan it would be different story.

I think that mini-draft market was distorted because picks could be offered - that should not have been allowed. GWS couldn't actually use the mini-draft pick themselves but they could use the traded picks. In addition the mini-draft targets were a year off and possibly less definite. Here we're talking specifically about Boyd, available to play in 2014. And MFC can just opt to take him. It's going to take a desperate club - Pavlich and Brown are in their twilight and there's daylight 2nd on those lists, they need to act before the sun goes down - how's that for a mixed metaphor?

If somehow miraculously we end up with pick 1 we'd be trading for a mid from a club desperate for a key forward (Boyd). Dangerfield. O'Meara and Murphy are going to be off-limits Sloane, Swallow, Rich, Gibbs or Steven probably don't cut it. It would have to be Rockliff or Fyfe.

Are you in Bhutan? If so, please speak with Tammi !!!

pretty certain eh?

This gold from BF: Turns out it Essendon never employed Stephen Dank from Gold Coast and Cronulla. It was Stephen Dankoludin so they're in the clear. Don't know why it took this long to come out to be honest.

If there's a way they can help us while minimising the upset to the other clubs then they'll do it.

We may not be, but the AFL will be and they're the decision maker.

Really enjoyed Aaron Davey's game - great final note.

What does Garry think?

There's "AFL" logic in that idea. None of the other clubs could complain about being disadvantaged - just Melbourne advantaged. The AFL make stuff up as they go along - that would fit perfectly.

yeah right chip and ben cousins didnt use methamphetamines he used metamucil - all a big misunderstanding

The part that's the same is that both are taking action with the aim to win in the future - Freo sooner than Melbourne - I agree with that. The part that is substantially different is that Melbourne DELIBERATELY WANTS TO LOSE in the present to enable this, whereas Freo doesn't care if it wins or loses in the present. In the words of the great Robbo - I'd like to be "flabberbasted" people cannot see this difference, but really I'm unsurprised. I'm on record that I strongly supported the Melbourne approach - and I still don't have a personal moral problem with it. But I was wrong - I now believe it did have a substantial detrimental affect on our club's culture - greater detrimental affect than the benefit we have received in Tom Scully morphed into Jesse Hogan and Chris Dawes (or however you want to exactly cut it). The AFL however DOES have an understandable problem with teams deliberately losing - they even instituted a rule against teams deliberately scoring a behind for the opposition to gain advantage of possession.

Redleg, do you think the issue for Doc Reid is likely to be about medical indemnity insurance?

I'm not sure that Doc Reid's request for an open hearing is going to play out all that well for Jimmy. If Doc Reid insists he's completely innocent then surely it's going to make Jimmy look a bit guilty?

This thread is tempting me to start channeling Ben-Hur.

I already have. There's a difference between trying to lose and not trying to win.