Redleg

How many rookies do we currently have WJ?

Read between the lines and I think you will find he has agreed to come to us, in this way. It reduces pressure on him from fans and the media, to play early, as he will be a rookie and then when he is available and has earned senior selection, he can then be uplifted to the senior list. It is a sensible method of him becoming a Demon, if he has agreed to come to us and IMO that now appears to have happened. Interestingly we would still have 6 spots on our list to fill and I note Taylor said we would take 3-4 in the draft. That suggests to me that we will take a DFA or 2 as well.

Agree. Bombers were offered 5 & 9 for Joe despite what was publicly said by them and Swans gave up when a star player had to be included. Bombers wanted a star player and top picks for Joe. We clearly identified May and to a lesser extent KK for part of the Hogan deal and if Jane doesn’t understand that, his problem.

We are probably a few good players away from being a good side. We have the chance to get good players with 3 and 8. Everyone it seems believes Young is the best available at 3. Unless everyone is wrong we have a very good player available and possibly will get another at 8. In hindsight the Kelly deal was probably wrong. If other clubs are desperate to get our pick it is because of the value of it. 2 best 22 players is 10% of the team. Add Langdon and Tomlinson and that is 20%. That is a massive end of season haul for a club. I would be thrilled with Young and whoever we think is best at 8. A bit of development from some of the younger players and a fit AVB and maybe Bennell and we are really improving our squad. I support our FD and hope we get it right.

And maybe Dr Peter Brukner and Steven May and possibly Nev.

Agree. If he can’t perform no biggy, as he can be given a one year incentive contract with another year if he can get fully fit and play. He will help with membership, attendances and excitement and our place as a destination club, given he is apparently being chased by 6 clubs. If it is a bust, he leaves with the other 5-6 delisted/traded players each year. To me this is a tiny risk venture, with a possible large upside.

How did Frost sneak into this thread?

No worries Kane you are entitled to your opinion. If May has a good year and Harmes gets back to his best, watch that opinion change. BTW, Kane, how have Curnow, Polec, Wingard and even Greene gone, since getting their long term deals, which you say are ok?

Love that 200 game vibe! He is a tough nut and has a real chance to cement his place in the side. Can take a good grab as well.

If that's true, Bucky is an idiot.

I would be. He will start the next season at 24 with 12 games behind him. If he played every game for the next 8 years he would be on 188 games. Realistically though, he has some good attributes, including courage and has a lot of scope for improvement. Would be nice to see him become a regular.

Well, it looks likely, unless we stuff up completely, we should get 2 very good players if we keep 3 and 8.

There must be issues at Bombers as they appointed Daniher, Fantasia and Myers to leadership group, dropping Hurley and Hooker. Apparently players on list were upset. Daniher and Fantasia wanted to leave at end of season and Myers asked to play second half of season in the VFL and then retired. Hope unrest is continuing.

Dodoro or Mahoney, I''ll stick with our bloke. it was never going to get Dodoro – a man some clubs simply refuse to engage with in Trade Period – to the negotiating table.

Must say this is a bit disappointing. He is about the 48th player people have suggested taking and I thought we would get to 50.

No "injury" is. But, If he comes to us, along with Langdon and Tomlinson, it will help arrest a possible membership decline. It will create some excitement among the fans and the players, which is good. It will be a club positive. What will temper that during the year, will be if he can't overcome the injuries. But as a few have said, what will we lose, very little. TBH I am as excited about him coming to us as I was with Guy Walker as I expected nothing. Actually that is what we got. This bloke however can have an impact as I said above though.

I don’t.

The beauty with pick 3 now that 1 & 2 are done, is we can say and do whatever we want. We take whoever we want and we can play with the minds of other clubs on 8 which is more up in the air. I think most clubs would know who we take at 3, as do most draft predictions. I can’t recall a draft where the first 3 picks at least, weren’t known by the industry. After the first few you can get a surprise or 2 that can throw selections around a bit, but that usually doesn’t happen until a bit later. in other words we play mind games over pick 8 and see where it lands.

? funny. Good to get a laugh in these times.

I wonder if he is saying Jackson to force Freo to deal on 8 with a promise not to take Jackson.

Martin looking very unlikely. Bennell subject to assessment. I would imagine a medical and attitude evaluation.

Great to see Picket and I unanimous on a player. I think we need as much high end talent as we can get, so to split a high pick and dilute our chances and get 2 moderate players is a loss. Of course you could possibly get two good players for lower picks, but the chances are less and you lose this kid. If we can guarantee 2 good kids added every year, we would be doing very well.

In the case of the one who played for us, did you say average talent or average character?

Of that group you would think GWS might miss if he prefers to stay in Victoria and the Tigers also, as they would be harder to get a game with. I would think the Roos and us would lead the group and unless money or contract was vastly different, the MCG might help us, as a venue to play at.

You have to look at Bennell as the last pick in the draft, on a low contract and who you would ordinarily expect to play some games with Casey and then be delisted. Anything better than that is a win.