Nasher

No, there's several father sons on here. The site is run by a father son combo for a start!

Exactly. Round 1 seems as good a time as any to break our duck there and against the Saints. A few fans need to toughen up a bit.

Can't be bothered trying to jockey them in to position, but I have 20 players I'm confident will start: Hogan Jones Watts Petracca Viney Brayshaw Gawn Tyson Oliver Stretch Kent Melksham Pedersen Vince McDonald T McDonald O Hunt Jetta Hibberd Lewis And 6 players competing for the last 2 spots: Salem Garlett Frost Harmes vandenBerg Bugg Each year there are fewer and fewer plonkers in the mix. It is heartening. We're not at zero plonker stage yet though.

Less known than Newton et al, more known than a 6th round draft pick. I have low expectations, but I'm comfortable with the strategy.

That's a contention that can't really be put to the test. Anyway I'm not saying I see his position under threat yet. Just that it could plausibly happen. Time will tell.

I agree. We've just drastically increased the competition for spots in that back half by adding Melksham and Hibberd. Add in organic improvement from Salem, Vince being pushed back by Lewis inclusion, it gets tight. In 2016 he was "first picked" because of his disciplined style of play, but as the standard is raised to the point where that's the minimum requirement, Jetta may no longer have a point of difference over other players. We'll see though.

heh. I've always found "my mate said" comments funny too. Spend 5 minutes on Demonland and you'll see a huge variation of views and heaps of people who talk nonsense, yet people assume their mates who support other clubs are oracles. Funny.

The difference is Bugg and Kennedy get the ball. Newton had one game in his career where he got 20 possessions; fewer in every other game. Just not good enough for a midfielder. He had strengths, though, he got the ball in dangerous positions and kicked goals in more games than not in his Melbourne appearances. Great example of how you only need to be a whisker off standard sometimes.

The Lewis one is not far off the worst effort I've seen in professional use. Edit: And then I look at the Hibberd one a bit more closely. Jeez. Hard ask, this.

No, I don't think so. Senior management are forced to tell public lies about their own coaches and players in order to avoid serious disruption - usually in a situation that is already volatile. I can't see any realistic motivation for Mahoney to lie about talking to Rockliff.

No, different person. That bloke chucked the full nana and "quit" the Demons after someone on Demonland upset him. It was definitely one of the most bizarre things I've ever seen on these forums.

You can't look at it like that. What if pick 30 had a better strike rate? Would you then conclude that you'd prefer to have pick 30 than pick 29?

If they feel like going through the rigmarole of court proceedings. Far too late in the day for that now.

Not a free agent.

I've said it before but I don't know why anyone gives a flying fig what the players are getting paid while it's not having a any practical implications on the team. All clubs pay "dead money", it's the nature of the business. In this case, it would assist in getting a player, who has been a loyal servant, to a club that enables him to continue his career that has stalled. You might not see him as surplus to requirements, but clearly the club does and Dunn has read the writing on the wall, or he wouldn't have asked to be traded. It's just good form. We sook about wanting to be a destination club and we're obviously becoming one; looking after your long term players will certainly help in that regard.

I admire the tenacity of those still willing to believe this.

Because that would be a massive, massive pain in the arse?

Who cares if we do? It's for one year and I doubt we're tight for space. He's contracted, surplus to requirements, and has earned the right to the club doing the right thing by him. If it gets the trade done, pay our slice and get him to Collingwood.

Was definitely "Superboot" Wheatley.

Got overtaken by Oscar McInerney. Not good for one's career prospects, I'd have thought.

Probably wasn't a very funny joke. Was just amused after reading the last 5 pages of this thread, where every post is "it's not happening, DER".

No, and no. Was joking - obviously not happening.

Are you suggesting the trade is off?

Mitchell is going there for one year. We get Lewis for three, of course he is going to be dearer in price. Besides, precedents don't mean anything. Each trade is its own beast. Do you really think the conversation would go like this? Hawthorn: We want pick 44 for Lewis. Melbourne: You only got 88 for Mitchell. Hawthorn: Oh, you're right! Darn, our mistake. Pick 100 will do then.

I love people's enthusiasm, but I find things like this cringeworthy. I know, such a Grinch.