old55

Lever trade is probably the benchmark. 10 + F1st for Lever + 35 with steak knives in Adelaide's favour. DL thought we were ripped off.

That's an outrageous disgrace.

I don't like Geelong but that outcome is impossible for me to dislike. Flags are very hard to win. They played a nearly perfect season, managed their squad superbly and made the necessary changes to their game plan to bring success. I even felt good Scott, Selwood, Hawkins, Dangerfield and Smith - something I thought I'd never say - but excellence is excellent. They deserve all accolades - very well done.

This is the most likely explanation.

You're not comparing the right players. It's Stengle and Grundy in this thread.

Doesn't seem like a trade or draft related topic.

That's J.Smith if J.Hunt is gone. Hopefully he's not injured too ...

Agree. I don't watch the U18s and was amazed at the quality of the play.

I don't believe Sydney can win if Sam Reid doesn't play, crucial to their structure. Interesting if they go for Amarty or McLean as subs - that means they may play and underdone Reid and hope.

Two years isn't enough to keep Jayden, someone will offer more. It just sets the bar for an offer from another club to require 3rd round compensation. We reportedly upped the offer and signed J.Smith to 2 years after he got interest from Sydney. But I don't think this is necessarily a positive sign for similarly retaining Jayden, quite possibly the reverse. Particularly with reports Hibbo has been offered a year. We need list turnover and cap space, and Jayden's exit as a FA with some compensation - pick 51? - seems likely to me.

I really can't see Turner playing on Charlie Cameron and Tom Papley - we need someone else to replace Hibbo. Currently it's Jayden or J.Smith. We need to recruit in this role. Turner is 194cm and is a key back in genuine competition with Tomlinson.

No

Interesting on Baker. Surely he's untradeable, we'd have to put an offer in front of him to make that happen.

Agree. Fraser Rosman is gone gone for example.

Having two A grade experienced rucks means we don't have to play both every week. Goodwin will mostly want to do that to build "continuity" but if one gets banged up we can go with the other and Weid and still be very competitive. We do need an experienced state league break glass in emergency option as well, in case both Gawn and Grundy get injured. Can partner Weid in the VFL. I don't think we can necessarily rely on a Weid-TMac combination when we're contending. This year or next is timely for drafting a ruck replacement.

Who do you have in mind?

In addition to Jeff Kennett ... Andrew Newbold was Hawthorn President from 2012-15 and is now on the AFL Commission. Ian Robson was CEO of Hawthorn from 2005-09 and then of course moved to Essendon in the drug saga period. Now CEO of Rowing Australia. Stuart Fox was CEO of Hawthorn from 2009-16. Now CEO of the MCC.

My understanding is that the investigation was launched by Hawthorn after the Jeff Kennett and Shannyn Ah Sam-Rioli issue was published.

Thanks Binman for articulating how I felt about this. It is hard to process - happening at the same time as the apology to stolen generations, it's truly gobsmackingly horrible stuff.

Is there a Demonland thread that @picket fence has not tried to start a Spargo bash-fest? It's everywhere, it's tiresome.

Collingwood want at least 70% of Grundy's salary off their books, so will pay a maximum of 30%. I think it's a risk going with Cameron and Cox/Begg/Frampton/McStay - I think Hickey touched them up in the ruck in the PF and they couldn’t take full advantage against Heeney and whoever when Reid went off. Its happening and in the end, whether we give a late 1st or a 2nd round pick in this deal won't be the key factor. It will be whether 5 years of Grundy helps delivers flags. If it doesn't, then no-one will be saying, it's OK we only gave a 2nd rounder. Forget about worrying about the pick. Think about how this can work for us. Otherwise you're in for plenty of teeth grinding and unhappy thoughts.

More likely he'll be a delisted FA next year. Better for both parties he moves now.

Heppell re-signed at Essendon rejecting a GC offer, I read somewhere here that Jayden may be their HB fall-back option.

Others have complained that the reverse is true, our young players don't play midfield at Casey. I think that's true - White, Munro and Dunstan carry the Casey midfield. And I think that's wise because if Chandler, Bedford or Laurie do come into the MFC side it's not going to be in the midfield, it's going to be in the forward roles they play at Casey. That's what they need to master.

Prepare for disappointment