old55

Because they wouldn't have to to get it done.

I'm very happy for @Grand New Flag to post rumours as long as they don't expect to be taken seriously.

I think one year deals for Hibberd and Melksham probably has to do with the possible exit of other senior list players. Jackson (replaced by Grundy), Bedford, Chandler, Tomlinson all for opportunities. Baker and Rosman (maybe rookied), Hunt - we probably need to recontract him for 3 or 4 years to stave off other offers and one for Hibbo and Melk is preferable.

OK well that's helpful for us because we could cover their deficit with our 4 picks. My numbers include the 20% discount. That's all our picks gone for 15 but we'll get some back for Jackson and some player trades like Toby Bedford, Adam Tomlinson and possibly FA compensation for Jayden - we've offered him 2 years, surely someone else will offer 3 or more. Probably 3rd rounders for all of them.

Brisbane have Will Ashcroft F/S who Cal Twomey rates at pick 1 (3000 pts / 2400 to match) and Jaspa Fletcher F/S rated at pick 16 (1067 pts / 854 to match). That means they need 3254 points to match. They currently have (subject to this weekend's results) 15 (1112 pts), 33 (563), 44 (362), 69 (49) = 2086. Absolute best case scenario they'll get end of 1st round compensation for McStay (948), but it could easily be 2nd round compensation (542). They're going to be way short of points either way. It would be nice to get our hands on 15 in a pick swap, let's say they get the 948 for McStay, that gives them 3034 and still leaves them 220 short. That means they need 1332 for pick 15 (1112) to make up the deficit. We currently have 32 (584), 41 (412), 50 (273) and 63 (112) = 1381 and if we traded all them for 15 to Brisbane it would bridge their gap but I think the AFL require Brisbane to have sufficient list vacancies for the picks so that could be difficult.

Agree. I can see the arguments for and against getting Grundy, but the FD seems committed to getting him and the most likely explanation is that Max is more banged up than we'd like. I think the Jackson trade could drag on while Freo try to negotiate their other deals to set it up. I wouldn't mind getting the Grundy deal done early for our future first with Collingwood paying a 30% of Grundy's salary. Then we can concentrate on some other deals like trading up for Brisbane's first.

Some posters live in dreamland, there is no way WC is going to trade pick 2 for LJ, Freo can't get anywhere near that and WC have the PSD safety net. The best achievable outcome from WC would be a top 10 pick from a split of 2, plus their pick 20. Jackson is going to Fremantle anyway, it has clearly been arranged for ages, WC involvement just keeps Freo honest.

I'm predicting ... Jackson will end up at Freo for their 2022 and 2023 1sts and some net-zero-value garnishing. We'll then trade one of our 2 2023 1sts to Collingwood for Brodie Grundy.

Max said himself that Jackson turned the game

And no 2021 flag.

Do the Dogs have more insight into Collingwood's financials?

No it wouldn't. There must be some existing mechanism in place for Collingwood to currently pay $300k of Treloar's salary on behalf of the Dogs, this is just an extension of that. This proposal doesn't increase the total salary cap across the league or introduce new draft picks that push other clubs back. I think it has merit. There is already the rule in place where a club has to use two 1st round picks over 4 years and that would apply to limit these transactions also.

I think it makes sense for clubs rebuilding through the draft who don't have a list that warrants paying the full cap. Teams like Essendon, North, Hawthorn and Adelaide could accelerate their build by buying in picks with excess cap.

I agree, a KPF drafted now is not going going to help us next year. We already have JVR in the hopper for next year and we're not going in with him and a draftee as our KPFs. There's every reason to believe that we'll get at least a season combined out of B.Brown and TMac each year for the next two years that they are contracted. Together with JVR and two ruckmen that's a full complement of tall forwards. Three years is when we will need a KPF replacement, but maybe this year isn't the right year to be reaching for one at the pointy end of the draft, it's risky with Cadman and Jefferson the only ones rated by Cal Twomey as first round prospects: https://www.afl.com.au/news/832462/cal-twomey-s-phantom-form-guide-top-draft-prospects-august-ranking Maybe someone like Isaac Keeler rated at #29 represents better value and should be available at a pick we receive in the Jackson trade. Additionally we can look to clear cap space and chase a ready-made KPF in the trade and FA market over the next two years. As I posted earlier, we have 11 expendable players coming out of contract over the next 3 years, there's probably $3M or $4M of cap space there: 2022: Hibberd, Melksham, Hunt 2023: Dunstan, ANB, Weideman, Tomlinson 2024: B.Brown, Harmes, McDonald, J.Smith

I think it's very fortunate that our 2021 pick fell where it did and we took JVR. From all reports we were keen on half-backs Chesser, Wilmot and Brown who all went earlier. They may all be very good players, Wilmot looks very promising, and I think we do have a need for strong players with sure ball handling in that area - but they are easier to come by than good KPFs.

Petty KPF, Weid KPB would be a free improvement worth trying over summer.

Yes but it's not all about the numbers is it. Have a look at Spargo's numbers in our run at the end of last year - small but important: https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pg-melbourne-demons--charlie-spargo?year=2021 13th in last year's BnF in some pretty illustrious company between Dogga and Angus. Spargo will play 200 games and multiple flags and old mate @picket fence will scream for him to be dropped in multiple posts each week. If you re-read my original post you'll see I do have Bedford and Chandler as an upgrade on ANB. They're just starting out in the toughest role on the field. Not everyone is Kossie ...

I did not say I didn't rate any of them. @Fat Tony said: "Compare these players to the small forwards in all the other finals teams and they are miles off it" That's what I was responding to. Our small forwards are not "miles off" the players I listed

Good, brave, right call by Joe.

Jason Castagna is a triple Premiership small forward. Brad Close, Gryan Miers, Beau McCreery?

Goodwin is right to stick with personnel and method. Trust and belief is a two way street. This group is going to be together for multiple campaigns. If we don't win it this year then there will be changes, but until that happens we should stay the course. We haven't been far off it, we could make changes now and still not win and what would that tell us? If we win this week, then barring injuries there won't be changes. Strap in!

Charles a Geelong fan after Timbertop?

Hopper: I made a picture called Super Mario Bros. (1993), and my six-year-old son at the time - he's now 18 - he said, "Dad, I think you're probably a pretty good actor, but why did you play that terrible guy "King Koopa" in "Super Mario Bros."?" and I said, "Well Henry, I did that so you could have shoes", and he said, "Dad, I don't need shoes that badly".

Wait, what? The team that beat Brisbane by 10 goals at the Gabba two weeks ago? Outrageous!

Better than Fritsch - you're joking surely!