Its Time Again

I had a calf issue caused by a nerve issue. In my case the nerve issue makes the calf muscle spasm and tighten right up. When you exercise a muscle in that state it’s almost inevitable that it will eventually tear. Mine flared up riding but when I stopped it settled down after each ride. If his was anything like that it would explain it.

Senior list min 38 to max 40. A Rookies min 4 with list of 40 to max 6 with list of 38. Up to 3 Cat B Rookies separate to this. We currently have 35 on list and have to draft 3 which at this stage includes 97 which is unlikely to be used other than on a rookie upgrade. If that was all that happened we'd have a list at the min 38 and 3 rookies left so would have to take 3 more. Put one place aside for Bennell and we'd take 2 in the rookie draft. Alternatively if we took a DFA like Murray and we kept a rookie place for Bennell we'd only pick 1 in the rookie draft. When you take that into account it makes it even less of a downside if Bennell doesn't work as he'd take the place of a 2nd or 3rd pick in the rookie draft. Don't know what the stat's on players taken there being successful would be but I'd be surprised if it was very many.

I'm all for this. Very low risk if it doesn't work out. High reward if it does. To put the risk factor into perspective how many players have come back from not playing for 4 years? I can only think of Daniel Menzel who was great for a couple of years and then faded out. Although to be fair Bennell played 4 WAFL games this year and 6 last year so got through rehab both seasons to start playing.

Agree. But it's virtually zero cost other than a few thousand bucks for him to train with us over the summer. If he breaks down at any stage that's it. If he gets through the summer we'll have a good idea on whether to gamble on minimum wages for 2020. The loss if it fails is minute. And lets face it based on the past 4 years don't hold your breath. But if it works. Oo La La!! And either way it's worth it just for a few weeks of excitement at a dead time of the year.

True but if his asking price of $700k+ is true he hasn't justified that in his performances to date. He and Bennell fully fit and firing would make a significant difference to our skill levels.

The Club has made a priority of improving the medical and conditioning departments. This play will be a great test if we've got it right or not. Hawks medicos have successfully delivered them Burgoyne, Scully, O'Meara, Patton and on their own have made them a destination Club. Let's hope that's what's about to happen to us.

I had the same thought. How sweet would it be to pick Harley up as a DFA and Martin in the other draft but he'd have to get a reality check on his asking price.

So 5 potential spots on the list gives us a bit of an idea of the parameters of what might happen over the next couple of weeks. From what I'm reading some think Young is close to Anderson standard with an elite kick which is exactly what we need. I doubt we'd split 3 and give him up. None of the rest sound like they are close to that standard. I think it's more likely we'll split 8. Pick trading is live now until 22 Nov and then on draft nights. So guessing we'll end up with 3 picks in the draft with one of the existing picks and one turned into 2. All players left on the list are contracted so more delistings will happen. It's still been 9 list changes which is a lot really including 5 from the primary list with 2 replacements. If we take 3 in the draft it leaves the list at 38 so I'm guessing there will be at least one DFA (I'm guessing Murray for pace. Swans rated him very highly but some say he's a terrible kick. I don't know.) and possibly one rookie upgrade as we have 4 rookies now and 1 Cat B with Bradtke.

Good to read a comparison with Anderson who I’m so upset at missing. Especially as all the talk is that this draft drops off a cliff after Anderson. Anyone else got a view about the two of them.

No wonder. I went back to find it for you. It’s at 48sec. Only problem, on closer inspection it’s actually Weightman not Young. Still a very good kick though. My 2 cents worth is the kicking skills of the top 4 in the finals was a clear significant point of difference. And we don’t have it. Young brings it Serong doesn’t.

The player I noticed in these highlights wasn't Serong it was the things Young did. How was that kick threading the needle to a leading forward inside 50. Just what we are crying out for. Just because he played half back as a junior doesn't mean that's where his AFL career will be. Hogan was the AA U 18 CHB. T Mac was a forward as a junior and recruited as a back. J Howe was recruited by Pies as a forward and we know how that ended.

I deleted the contents of this post but can't delete the post. Please ignore.

I forced myself to watch some Freo games this year just to watch him because I had the feeling we were going to get him after trying last year. I hadn’t seen much of him before that either. I didn’t see the poor disposal many talk about. He didn’t dominate any of the games I saw but he’s a great runner and a good competitor. Bit as the seasons gone on he’s got better and better. As you say time will tell.

Ernest have a look at the trajectory of Langdons’s performances over his career. It keeps going up. His stats overall virtually match Brad Hill’s some are better. His disposal is not as good but had been continually improving. His last month was well beyond Hill and up with Gaff quality. By the end of next season he will be looking like the steal of this trade period and will make a big difference to our ball movement and defensive transition. Don’t be sad be happy.

Shish...we all see what we want to see. I see Frost for Langdon. With some minor drops in minor picks which with smart selections won't matter. How is that not a massive win. We lose a player in a position we have 5 players on the list for and pick up a player who has something we are desperate for. Pick 22 downgrade to 26 this year in a dud draft where we might have our eyes on a player at 22 who would still be there at 26 so no loss. Pick 42 to pick 50 in a dud draft. A pick is only worth what player you get with it. These picks will be a lottery anyway. We might end up with a better player at 50 than 42. I'm not concerned with this one. Next years second rounders. We give up ours for Langdon and get back Hawks which should be a higher pick than ours next year. Win, win and win. That's what I see

Genuine question. Not argument. Why?

Good theory depending on how highly you rate him and whether you are prepared to take the risk that another club will take him before then. The Swans regarded him very highly and really liked what they saw in the two years he was rookie listed there even though he hadn't played a game yet. They were very unhappy when he left. He had a very good start at the Pies. Has elite speed is a good size but kicking is not elite. Plenty to work with and he could release Salem up the field to be the weapon we so desperately need for delivering the ball inside 50.

Delisted free agency windows Friday November 1 - Monday November 11 Wednesday November 13 - 5pm Friday November 22

Apparently he still hasn't even told MFC he wants to come here. We've been talking to him for a year, trade weeks started and no decision on even coming over.

Will be an interesting negotiation with Hawthorn. We want your pick 30. What for a player you think so little of you didn’t even make him an offer. We reply he started at the $650k you’re offering him and wouldn’t budge that’s what he’s worth. Etc etc

My guess is that statement was a mistake. There's three vacancies including replacing Jennings, Rawlings & Casey coach as the fill in for Rawlings has moved to a development role. There's a lot to cover and get right in these interviews and some info you must not want to disclose. For instance he paused and stumbled before he announced the offer to Elliot was 3 years. I would have thought it wouldn't be in our interests to let other clubs know what that offer is so they know what they have to beat to get him. He probably wishes he hadn''t said anything and didn't want to make that mistake again.

Hand this man the box of chocolates. Great point.

Frosty apparently demanding $650k O Mac probably on $350k. If May and Lever play Hore can be the 3rd defender. I'd probably rather him in that role than Frost. Petty is building. O Mac fill in player if there's injuries .

Let's face it you could finish 3rd in the B& F this year and still have had a poor year. But I will say that I was pretty excited to see a bit of his explosiveness coming back at the backend of the season. He looks like he might be getting over the foot issues. That would be a relief and a real bonus.

Interested in Tomlinson "if he wants to leave GWS" judging by that article someone posted on the Tomlinson thread he is desperate to stay there. Seems like he'll be pushed out because of cap pressure. Wonder how it goes getting a player who is shattered he's been forced to leave. I keep forgetting about Hore in the conversation around Frost leaving. We seem to focus on O Mac being a more direct replacement. I'd take Hore over Frost any day. I wouldn't take O Mac. In the balance of the backline if May and Lever play I don't see O Mac playing and with a fully fit backline I would think Hore would get a game ahead of Frost. I reckon Elliot's main reason for leaving Pies would be Stephenson and Thomas are ahead of him for the same position. He might get a year more and a bit of cash more from us but I reckon that could be the biggest driver. I still be very surprised if he leaves. A third club has entered the picture on Martin. Wonder if it's us. What do people think about him. I reckon he's got a great package but hasn't delivered. Too easily pushed off out of the contest. But great skills and good outside run. GC want a first rounder. I guess if we split pick 3 and gave them a later one it might work. Can't see how Carlton will get Papley and him. Don't think GC will want future picks.