Whispering_Jack

I’m grateful to Isaac Smith for moving across to Geelong where I’m sure that he’ll have an impact in 2021 and possibly in 2022. It was that third year of the contract he might have entered into with Melbourne that had me concerned and Smith’s own decision to go with 2 years confirmed that he has his own doubts. That makes it a win/win for all concerned. Expect more big news from the Cats when the results of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety are handed down in February/March next year.

So the real thing starts tomorrow with the start of the free agency period and the question is what will be the first done deal? Past years ~ 2017: Jackson Trengove joins Western Bulldogs (Friday) 2018: Reece Conca joins Fremantle (Friday) 2019: Gold Coast’s offer for RFA Brandon Ellis (Friday) The first trades in those years were ~ 2017: Jake Lever’s move from Adelaide to Melbourne (Thursday) 2018: Lincoln McCarthy’s move from Geelong to Brisbane (Monday) 2019: Tim Kelly’s move from Geelong to West Coast (Wednesday)

Strangely enough, a lot of AFL Trade Radio over the past few days has been about things other than trades. For instance, the big news seems to be that Essendon's football boss Dan Richardson has been shown the door after three years in the role. There is talk of Allir Allir’s mooted move to Port Adelaide and the Treloar story continues to garner discussion. On Isaac Smith, I wouldn’t be devastated if he decided to go to Geelong or remain a Hawk. He’s 32 years old and you would expect him to have slowed down in the third year of that contract.

"Clayton Oliver doesn't need to have 30 touches a game. He needs to be tough, he needs to score, and he can do that with 20 touches. At the moment Melbourne look like a selfish midfield but they have the potential to be great." - Kane Cornes

"Sam Weideman needs to have the toughest pre-season of his life. Toughen up, Sam. You have all the talent in the world, but you need to get stronger and harder." - Matthew Lloyd

Discussion early this morning on Melbourne’s trade strategy ~ https://www.afl.com.au/trade/podcast

AFL Draft Central is featuring this player and his exciting attributes which might well suit the Demons ~ Archie Perkins

Once again, a lot of talk and speculation today with few highlights. Here are some points that of interest from AFL Trade Radio’s day - * Bombers will find it difficult to get the Dogs talking for Josh Dunkley. Draft picks won’t do it because any picks they can give will get absorbed for Next Generation Academy prospect and prospective number one draft selection Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and a player swap won’t do it either because Essendon doesn’t have the players who will make a difference for the Dogs like Josh Dunkley does; * The names Lochie O'Brien and Paddy Dow are part of the Saad trade conversations; * GWS believed to be the likely 2021 destination of Jesse Hogan; and * Richmond will release Jack Higgins and the Saints are said to be the most appropriate suitors.

Like to be a fly on the wall when Jesse meets up with Toby Greene.

Reuniting the Hogan / T Mac combination would be interesting.

I think that it would be fantastic to see him get to 300 games and Nathan Jones is a strong enough character to know that he can’t accept any games as gifts. He will earn them as he has done throughout his long career.

Not sure how the author of this piece can say that some of these players can make an immediate impact next season because most haven’t played this year. However, FWIW ... AFL Draft 2020: See which players are ready-made and will make an immediate impact next season

At this rate we are going to break an AFL record for the number of Smiths on a playing list. Norm must be up there in heaven beaming at the prospect.

That’s not Dr Evil but he is another one of our posters. Name escapes me at the moment.

Nothing much to report for today from AFL Trade Radio other than a regurgitation of what we’ve heard everywhere else over the past couple of days. Hardly worth staying tuned at the moment.

Kane Cornes just suggested on AFL Trade Radio that the Dees should consider a call to the Collingwood midfielder. “They’ve got all those inside mids, he would be the type of midfielder they need."

The opening day of AFL Trade Radio was more or less as expected given that the Trade and Free Agency Period hasn’t started yet. We had some list analysis including Melbourne as mentioned above and some discussion on players mentioned as likely to change clubs, most of which are already covered here on various threads. In the first instance, one of the restraints on clubs at the moment is the fact that the make up of list sizes for 2021 remains unclear. Other points of interest are:- * Jack Higgins could be on the way out at Richmond with Carlton a possible suitor. Melbourne has also been mentioned and my view is that if he’s fully overcome his health issues from late last year, he would be worth looking at as a small forward; * St Kilda is interested in securing Shaun McKernan who was recently delisted by Essendon. Again, I think the Demons might also look at him as a potential back up ruckman in the likely event that Braydon Preuss ends up at GWS; and * Essendon’s double play for the Dunkley brothers is still bubbling along despite the fact that Josh Dunkley still has two years left of his contract. The Demons delisted Kyle after the last game of the 2020 season. The other trade story that intrigues me is the situation with Collingwood wanting midfielder Adam Treloar out of the club ostensibly because of salary cap issues. The Pies must have been having some interesting list management meetings these days.

It’s back again and the first whisper of the week is ... Melbourne has its nose in front in the race for Isaac Smith. But is the delay on his decision because the Cats were still playing?

There are reports that we’re actually trying to get the real Jack Higgins (not the author).

I think Collingwood has denied the Neville Jetta story.

Storm, Vixens, Melbourne Cricket Club (District Cricket) won this year. Melbourne Renegades (BBL) and Melbourne United (NBL) last year. Melbourne Victory (A League) not so long ago. Any others? We must be due soon?

On the main topic, I think it’s unlikely we would let Harmes go and rightfully so.

Could be missing for a few games early in 2021.

I was disappointed that Simon Goodwin persisted in playing Harmes off half back for so long but also understand that the coach may have considered his midfield as somewhat one dimensional and was less inclined to use him as a tagger, therefore requiring Harmes to fulfill a different role. IMO that didn’t work out. While Tom Sparrow is also another of the same kind, we don’t know yet how far he can go with his development so clearly, if the club might feel it necessary to offload someone from the midfield, Harmes is a possibility. This would mean that the club has somebody in mind to recruit because you don’t let go lightly, a loyal player invested in the club like Harmes who supported the Demons as a kid. Do you have any intelligence that suggests the club is targeting a reasonably high value player that would necessitate offering Harmes as a trade?

The only look at football available in the period after the football season was postponed after round 1 was through the medium of old replays on Foxtel. I loved the 1991 game against North Melbourne when Allen Jakovich kicked 11 goals 8 behinds and one out on the full. His marking and kicking (including the scissor kick goal) were just so exciting and the game was enhanced by the fact that John Longmire’s six goal performance for the Kangaroos was pretty flash as well. We also had Darren Bennett and Garry Lyon in the team and they were also strong marks - and not to mention the sublime Jimmy Stynes in the ruck. The high marking of forwards, particularly in pack situations is almost completely out of the game and high scoring has dried up as a result of the way it’s played these days. The 20% reduction in game time this year hasn’t helped. Watching the Richmond v Brisbane game highlighted this. Tom Lynch took one strong contested mark but they were otherwise few and far between. I do like the way Ben Brown has played in the past but I’m not sure that we’re going to see too many full forwards produce 50 goal seasons in the future. Key forwards are going to need a few more arrows in their bows to succeed in the AFL in the years to come. Unfortunately, there aren’t many around like Jako these days.