whatwhat say what

that's guaranteed. fingers crossed whoever we trade it for can come in and be our best or second best midfielder from the get-go, and for another decade or so.

the reason why i regard the compensation as 'not much at all' is more cumulative (i.e. sylvia, moloney, rivers for pick 21, 48, and byrnes) than a singular instance like col. but if you take him as a single instance example, we are losing our arguably second best midfielder, third most experienced player, who in 2013 averaged 20 possessions and 4.5 tackles a game for a speculative pick. my biggest complaint is that freo don't have to lose anything to get him; under the previous system if they wanted him they would have had to trade him. their pick would be around that 21 mark due to their finishing position, say pick 18 or so, previously to get to freo they. would have had to negotiated a trade - so it may have been pick 18 and viv michie for sylvia and, say, our third round selection. the way it works now is that clubs that want to 'top up' can do so with impunity.

what has changed with free agency is that clubs used to have to give something to get something. now they just can take, and the team that is taken from gets a compensation pick, which in our case, does not equate to much at all. i didn't want it in, and i fear what the future holds for clubs such as ours follows its introduction.

demonland forever! welcome back, and great work as always.

Cos we will take Zak at 20? Or not at all. In Roos we trust...

His shoulders are cactus. Caveat emptor.

For free, ie as a delisted free agent, or via trade? As I said earlier, Freo supporting mate rates him really highly, saying if it wasn't for injury he'd be in their best side. He's also not a happy camper re Sylvia being acquired, he wants players who look for targets then kick, not just blaze away up ground the second they get the ball.

The operating table, presumably? His shoulders are shot.

Dew or Sumich for me.

personally i'd be very happy with dew. has been under williams and clarkson as a player, and roos and longmire as an assistant.

we may need to sign him up on a big deal this year to try and pay 95% of the cap. we can't be that close to it, having lost sylvia, rivers, moloney to free agency and davey retired.

Why would we give pick 18 for a bloke who can't make the North side?

i think unfortunately it's too late - it seems we are likely to lose him.

So what do you want to accept? All of these guesses are speculative and not trying to be too outlandish... Adelaide - Rory Sloane and David McKay Brisbane - Tom Rockliff, James Polkinghorne and their first pick for 2 and 20 Carlton - no idea Collingwood - Sidebottom, their Thomas compo and their second rounder for pick 2 and 20 Essendon - no idea Footscray - Wallis and their first rounder Freo - Mundy and their first round pick Geelong - Duncan, Smedts and their first round pick GC17 - Swallow and their first rounder for 2 and 20 GWS - Adams / Shiel / Tyson and their mid round 1 banked compo pick for 2 and 20 Hawthorn - Lewis, Savage and their first rounder for 2 and 20 North - no idea Port - Wines (ha!) Richmond - Ellis and Vlastuin St Kilda - no idea Sydney - Kennedy and first rounder West coast - Gaff and their first round pick for 2 and 20 Sydney is probably the most likely which is laughable. Surely they have to free up some cap space!

I really hope he comes through for us, and turns into a star. Used to love watching his dad take hangers

goodo, now sign up.

I can see the headlines now... Highly rated #4 draft pick in 'getting better' shock

and by two picks i mean their pick and another. barrett's theory is that hawks offer to match the deal, and then engage in trading - swap mummy and swans' 1st rounder for buddy and something else, presumably. i'd tell hawks they could keep him then if i was sydney, cos you'd want to trade mumford as per yr wishes rather than be forced to trade him to the swans.

deal is done. buddy to the swans as a free agent. their ability to get deals done is extraordinary. they're going to trade white and mumford and end up with at least two picks in the first round as well.

Hope Swans land Buddy. Eddie's head might just explode over the cola. Swans have had a host of players retire, might lose Mumford, no wonder they've got cap room.

crackers keenan said on mondayitis that scott burns is looking increasingly likely as the man. interesting, cos i was told on the weekend that he'd been told he was out of the running, and was likely to be at the pies next season! (ahead of taking over from figjam when there's a putsch on mcguire in 2014, and then buckley, in 2015, haha.)

i hope he is the sole captain in 2014. an excellent leader of men, speaks brilliantly in both a casual and corporate environment, and i think he's under-rated as a footballer.

this. 10kg of muscle should see him maintain his mobility but be a tough fella to move off the line. if he can maintain fitness and we can build a midfield around him, we'll be right.

Thought he was our best player this year. Imagine him in a side not copping so much ball in the defensive 50.

What did he poll in the Casey best and fairest? Lots of people raved about his games at VFL level, but I seem to recall he didn't make the top 10 in the votes - does anyone know how he polled?