RalphiusMaximus

I was about to say the same thing.

Not endurance, speed.

Not "I" but "We." We, as a body, are worth listening to. A club can't exist without the support of it's fans. There is a reason that Cam Schwab posts on these boards from time to time. The club understand that they need to keep an eye on what the supporters are thinking. If enough supporters take a particular stance, it is something for them to take note of, even if they then decide to follow ignore it and continue on their way.

Ray can't run like Bail.

Best draftees we can get our hands on. You can always trade second round and later for experienced B- and C- graders if you must.

Is it wrong of me to hope a little for this outcome if it stalls the mooted trades with Collingwood?

Imagine if Hawthorns board had not listened to the fans in '96. And are you really saying Dawes is as good as Dangermouse?

My opinion hasn't changed all that much. I still don't rate him and think we'd be better off putting time into our own forwards prospects. If we must get another tall forward option into the club go for Gumbleton or Pederson. Cheaper and probably better.

That's the spirit! Seriously though, what harm can it do to let the club know that their members (who pay a great deal to the club every year) are not happy with the proposal? If they were to get a few thousand members telling them that Paying a first round pick for Dawes is not on, they would be insane not to factor that into their calculations.

Quick though folks. Hit the Melbourne social media and let the club know that this sort of crap is unacceptable. Even if you only rate it a 5% chance of happening, that's worth telling them that it is the wrong move to make and that the supporters expect better from them.

This is just a rehash of some of the rumours from earlier in the week. Nobody in their right mind would believe that Dawes was worth a first round pick.

A much better option than Farren Ray. Could play the same role but has better pace and disposal.

But are they the best options?

I do not deny that Ray and Dawes will fill holes in our list. However, you don't turn around an average list by bringing in more average players. I see no point in hunting for solid C-graders. We need to bring in the B and A grade players to make a real difference to our team.

And this just shows what a Spud of a journalist Hutchy really is. The AFL has repeatedly said they will come down like a ton of bricks on anyone making deals about bidding or not bidding on certain players in the Father Son auction. It will be classified as draft tampering and penalties will be harsh. No way in hell is the club going to risk that.

Damn, I know people at the club read these forums from time to time, and I really hope they take note of this thread. Whether people like the look of Dawes or not, very few think he's worth one of our first round picks. Personally, I maintain that he's at best worth our third round pick, but others seem to rate him a bit higher.

Why do we need another young tall? We have the tallest list in the league as it is. What we need are quality mids and pockets. If you talk about drafting what we need this year then Hogan doesn't get mentioned.

Nobody ever said Dawes was Dumb. One of the reasons he wants to stay in Melbourne is to finish his Law Degree.

OK, there are two possible scenarios (or at least likely) on Monday Morning in the bidding for Jack. Best case: GWS - Pass GC - Pass WB - Pass PA - bid pick 7 or so. Melbourne agree to match PA bid with our second round pick. JV is now a Melbourne player. Worst case: GWS - Pass GC - Bid pick 2. Melbourne are now forced to either pass on Jack, in which case he is a Sun, or match the GC bid with our first pick, no 3, in which case he is a Demon. In all cases it will be decided shortly after 10am on Monday and from that moment Jack is on the list of the club that wins him. Effectively, by nominating a player for the F/S process the club remove that player form the draft entirely. He will be going to a club, whether it is the one that nominates him or not.

The best use for Stef is as a roving CHF/2nd ruck. He is more than happy to crash packs and his speed and agility make him very hard for a traditional tall defender to match on the ground. He has occasionally shown glimpses of being able to play this role perfectly, but it has never been consistent. I would love to see him stay at the club and master this role to vindicate the time and effort we put into him, but right now I think he has gone about as far with us as he can and it would be to the benefit of both parties for him to move to a new environment and see if they can get him to take the next step.

Dawes is worth a third round pick at best. No chance in hell we should be giving up a first round pick for him. Also, Martin won't be eligible for FA until he's 29. Plenty of time left there.

In all honestly, if Dawes is as good a forward as we can get, I'm all for focusing in mids and putting games into Fitzpatrick and Williams as forwards instead. Either one has more ability and upside than Dawes and I think is a better long-term prospect. If we do need to get in another tall forward, don't go halfway, target someone with real ability.

To keep them informed? Trade week hasn't started yet, therefore no deal has been done and nothing is signed. It could be that the Swans and Adelaide have already agreed to terms, but nothing can be submitted until Monday.

It's far better for Adelaide that he nominates the Swans. Now They are pretty much assured of getting a trade for him. If he had come out and said he was going to GC then he could have waited until the PSD. At least now GC have to offer up a juicy contract and a good trade if they want him, as do Sydney.

Col is an essential part of our future. He has had patchy form for a lot of his career, largely because he has never had a season that wasn't ruined by injury, but his best is as good as any at the club, and he is showing signs of maturity in the way he handles himself which will translate to better preparation and more consistency. If we can manage to get him through the re-season without some sniper taking him out with a cheap shot (which won't be punished), we'll see him come close to a B&F next year.