Redleg

I am so happy for a team that knocked us out of the finals, to know that they are getting the number 1 kid in the draft, while getting to a PF and are also picking up another father /son in Fletcher. Some are saying Ashcroft could have a Nick Daicos like impact in his first season.

I would imagine we would be examining him with our medical team pretty closely, before any deal is done. Of course there are no guarantees. He could do his knee in a scratch match. I am thinking that the FD see this as Grundy being the main ruck during the season, doing lets say 60-70% and Max maybe the rest, with only a small amount of time forward, maybe just to unsettle defences. This would allow Max to remain fitter and fresher for finals and hopefully to play on longer. If a key forward went down in a game, Max might play a bit more there. I could also see him not playing some interstate games as well. I see this as a way to prolong Max's career and have him as a fresh weapon in finals, as opposed to the banged up Max we had this year, with multiple injuries that he played through. It is obvious to me that the Max of this year's finals, was a shadow of last year's. This could all be down to us managing one of our key assets.

WC come out and say they really want LJ, but won't include Pick 2 and we are helping a club salary dump, a currently injured, 29 year old and a first round pick is being thrown around as the payment. Wow! I think Grundy will be good for us, if he is fit, btw.

Makes sense. “We want the most exciting player available this trade period, but don’t want to pay a proper price for him.”

If you look at him on the ground he doesn’t look 190cms.

Ben is 29 not 35 and has been made to play in a way that completely disadvantages him. He is a lead up FF, who has been made to go to the pocket and sit under a long bomb, while 3 opposition defenders hang off him, jump all over him, push him, grab him, chop his arms and spoil him, with his resting ruckman also coming into the contest and making an even bigger mess of it. This is all designed to create a contest, where the assumption is that our brilliant small forwards will crumb and goal in the chaos and if not, then apply enough pressure to maintain the ball in our F50. How could any key forward succeed in that predictable mess? Get him back to playing his game, have the other forwards also make space and create options and commit to relentless pressure. Oh and play a second key forward, so that not all the tall defenders are all over Ben and we have other marking options.

I don't think WC are back in the game at all. That to me sounds like WC acknowledge he is Freo bound, but that they will now ask the question of LJ's management. The question is a very simple one, "are you wedded to Freo, or could we sway you with a better all round offer"? If they were serious about LJ, they would have had discussions with his management by now. Seems this is what we thought all along, he is off to Freo and has probably already committed to them. Now it's time to get the best deal we can.

And the team that really could have benefited with that tactic of keeping the ball low on I50 entry was us and we never employed it.

A lucky young man.

Agree with you on Melk and I would also have let Hibbo and J. Smith go. Melk and Hibbo will only be one year though, so they won't be stopping us chasing a player next year. Salaries are obviously factored into what we need in the cap for 2023 and then beyond. As for Grundy I absolutely would be furious if we give in and give a first rounder, that is a joke on a salary dump. I would wait until the last second of trade week, with a second round pick offer and not budge and call their bluff. We have been dudded by the Pies in nearly every trade I can recall. The money paid to Grundy, at say $600k-$650k pa, is not that much more than average pay and we would be giving average pay to someone else anyway, who is probably not an AA Ruckman and filling a major need of ours. Grundy's wage will not stop us getting someone else next year, as others will be leaving and it's a moving cap and list every year. McKay will not leave the Blues and Ben King is unlikely to be available as well. We will probably be adding some young players so the demographic should be fine.

It's a PF and there is no damage to Clarry and he was pressing down on Berry's jaw/neck with his elbow. Can understand why he was given the benefit of the doubt. BTW I am hoping for a Lions/Swans Grand Final and would cop a Swans flag. It would be funny all Victorians not giving a damn about the GF.

Well he is a character.

Height: 192 cm (6 ft 4 in) Date of birth: 28 September 2001 (age 20)

SD I know they are highlights, but he looks pretty impressive. Wonder why Hawks delisted him. They do have a lot of talls.

Well if you are right, we are getting screwed on both trades IMO.

No you aren't.

This week's post of the week winner. Congrats!

It's a 7 hour round trip Melbourne, 9 hours Brisbane 8.5 hours Sydney. Plus all the waiting around, getting to airports and back etc.

Well actually, no he won't.

This is the key line in the announcement for me: We will now work to secure a deal that compensates the club accordingly."

I might send her a fruit basket.

There you go, the possibilities are evolving. I trust JT and Lamb to be smart to get us a good deal, which on the initial look of it may disappoint some on DL, but eventually wins out.

Hasn't Allen been injured all year? I can hear it already.

Maybe not now, but deals create outcomes. As an example GWS have 3 and 21 and will get plenty more via Taranto and Hopper. They may do a deal for 2 with 3 and another pick for example.

As I have said on here before and even started DL's longest, biggest and best thread on it, there is only one player who left us who I have booed and that was not because he left, but the way he acted in leaving. It is ridiculous to treat players who come to us as heroes and ones who leave as traitors. It is just the nature of the game and for those who don't like it, they need to get used to it, or follow another sport, probably not team based.