Skuit

Yes indeed. But there's current needs (e.g. no one would really want us to trade for Wines anymore) and part of the response is also forming my opinion based on the available draft footage (which I will openly admit I get wrong just as much or more than I get right). Macrae seems a very balanced player but do you see anything in that footage that screams MFC must-have?

Really? I thought it a slight weakness. Good awareness but poor execution. We all see things differently at times though

But a draftee in a compromised draft? I'd trade out of next year for a ready-made player - and I'm just going on what is said to be a bumper crop - but would prefer to hold onto our chips. We already have a youngish midfield squeeze, with a number of untested players. In my opinion either we can wait a year for some more midfield talent from the draft, or have the cookies to strike if the likes of say Merrett were to come up on the table again. Love the idea that the club loves Finlay and want to bring him in, but I have to keep reminding myself that he's not Jackson; rather he's an unknown AFL quantity. Pick 12 would just about buy Jackson Macrae.

Naysayers need to watch the highlight vids. Accused of being a one-trick pony but finds space, arms outstretched, and can kick them from all points. Moreover, plenty of roved goals and sweet snaps, and has greater agility than all of TMac, Weideman and Hogan. Also happy to see a couple of holding-the-ball decisions in his favour in that highlights package from last year.

Can we pay his contract through a cashless debit card like the Centrelink one?

Likely to be a few rebuilding teams with multiple top end picks at the draft - which I guess means they can take a portfolio approach to spreading picks and draft strategy. Hard to keep up with all the permutations of the NGA's etc. - and I do think it's important to keep regularly bringing in talent - but I just feel other teams need a Macrae more than us right now. Would prefer we sat out rather than give up next year's first, or on-traded any early picks for a ready-made, unless it was another Pickett-type to plug a specific hole. We still haven't got any real return from our swag of mid-likes in 2018. Also seems the year to back ourselves in for a second-round bargain, or cash out on draft (over-)night if we hold an early second-rounder. The counter to that is if we do rate Macrae around 3rd and think we can get him at 12ish after pick-sliding. Or if we need to spread our cap - which I still have no idea if is tight or not but has become accepted wisdom on here. Moneyball is the wrong term, but I do see us as viewing our draft and trading in a holistic way, just looking to get an edge in points or development overall. Random question. Finlay is aged 18 - listed as 184cm (assuming that is still accurate). Jackson is 191cm. I can't anecdotally think of any of my acquaintances where the younger brother is a few inches shorter than the elder. But I also haven't witnessed any serious post-18 growth spurts. Chances of Finlay still growing taller? Will turn that one over to the Demonland hive-mind.

Interesting that Knightmare had him ranked 3rd in the pre-season - now sliding to 9th due to a lack of growth spurt. If our reported interest is on the money are we thinking we can pick up a bargain? Will pick 9 be enough still - and then we'd want to have a solid secondary target if we were to get trumped on draft night. He looks a neat and composed player with a good leg on both sides but doesn't strike as having any special weapons. Don't know where he fits in terms of our immediate needs - and trading out next year's first for a shot this year seems like a risky tactic considering the circumstances.

Dang.

Yeah, but gets pushed off the ball quite easily . . .

Good for you Biff.

Simples. No one on here has any idea about our salary cap. In June we were reported to have the second-most space, now apparently we're facing a squeeze. I guess it was all those big signings in the past three months.

What's our late-pick record? I recall Morton maybe going to WC for pick 88. Can't remember any bigger slaps in the face than that. Would you rather be delisted or traded for an eighth-rounder?

I like that our lesser-lights are bailing from the goodship MFC. Means to me that we have a pretty solid 22 and they can't see themselves getting much game-time in the future. Best of luck Mitch, Tomald and Braydon. Nice to have known ya.

Would just spend all that money on swimming and [censored] anyway.

On a reported $2.5 million contract offer over five years. Wow. I should have concentrated on football instead of girls and booze.

Tomald and Braydon seem like a serious odd couple. Would reality TV watch that.

Ahahahaha. The 'new thread' gatekeeper. We definitely need a dozen new threads every time we lose though.

Nice fit. I'm on the record as a fan of Brown's big fuzzy head, but by god that would look atrocious in a Freo or Essendon jumper. Should come to us for aesthetics-sakes.

Also - any idea how the club sees this one getting done? Seems a stretch at this stage. I'm in the mid-to-late-second-round camp for Preuss (would prefer if he stayed though), but not sure how a 23 and ~30ish gets us to pick 9. Future first and 23 is even pushing it.

Love it. Thanks mate. If we manage to hold onto Burgess and get a couple of other credentialed assistants across alongside Yze - together with the proposed player ins and outs (plus the junior Macrae!) - then I think it will be an extremely solid no-fuss off-season considering the chips we have at our disposal. Would love another small pressure forward as well though. Appreciate the update.

Will trade for pick 50, 40, 30, 20, 15 . . .

Or maybe I'm a high-brow writer/editor in real life and would never ever remotely consider eating a meat-pie and I'm joking? Good pick-up though. Respect. Any word on who might be coming to the club?

Had a lot of respect for the hard-nosed #11. But would be interesting watching him try to contain Brown and his Inspector Gadget Arms in modern-day footy. I suspect the reservations around Brown from some of the posters on here are due to his more gentle and low-key approach. Still get's the job done, but maybe less exciting than Cameron crashing a pack.

Maybe cool your jets a bit 58 . . . we're all variously excited and frustrated.

I don't know but I would think more. What's Kennedy worth, age forgiving, or Cameron?