MadAsHell

What about Jono Freeman?

And Grimes is a FA, so trading him isn't an option anyway.

I wouldn't mind Lennon for a good deal, but feel he hasn't put enough runs on the board to warrant what Richmond will ask for a contracted player. Would rather us chase Tom Lamb for a fraction of the price who can also play back as well as high half forward and mid. And for those suggesting he could be part of the Prestia trade. He may, but he'd have to agree to it. And he strikes me as the can of kid who would want to stay in Victoria.

2nd Round Pick already gone. Pick 6 off to Gold Coast for Prestia. Richmond's rebuild looks on track......

I'd love to see Garland succeed. I found his reaction after our ANZAC Day Eve win over Richmond last year quite moving to see what it meant for him. Sadly the times i've seen him at Casey this year he hasn't been great. Given that i suspect if they can get a trade for him they'll do it. I have no inside info on that though.

Cheers mate. The reasoning behind a lot of my suggestions is improving the average games experience/age of the team with players that still have something to offer. With the tall defenders, i agree that both Frost & O. Mc show promise, but after them and T. Mc there isn't much else. I think we all agree the Dunn & Garland are toast, and if Tommy were to go down we'd be in all sorts. This is where someone like Mitch Brown would be handy as he is still capable of playing quality football and provides competition for spots back there. Dal Santo although i agree is not fleet of foot, is a quality user of the football. Through quick and accurate ball movement quick transition flows. Rotating through the midfield and off half back with the likes of Hibberd & Salem would suddenly provide us with some deadly kicking that can set up goals. As for Nathan Vardy, other clubs may also be keen, but it's up to us to convince him that we're his best prospect. Everyone knows that we have this vacancy on our list, if he can produce his best football there would be a guaranteed spot for him. Finally i'm happy to hear Pedo may be retained. Where did you hear about him going in for surgery?

I don't think it's as a ridiculous suggestion as others do. However it's a no from me as he isn't a 2nd ruck. Nathan Vardy or Zac Clarke would be better options.

Has there been a player Essendon haven't been linked to yet? Sick of hearing about the drug cheats.

You make a good point IWS, canny trading/recruiting will be very important to our ability to make the jump into the 8. But after the effort of our team over the last 2 trade & draft periods, I'm confident they can make something happen. As for the question of exactly who falls out of the 8? Well i think we all agree North will. I'm also not convinced about West Coast, despite their recent strong form. Hawthorn will slide a bit, question of how much? And personally i don't think the Bulldogs are bullett proof if their game plan can be picked apart like what happened to Port. So i think there's 4 sides in the 8 that are vulnerable. How many slide i don't know? But i think we're pretty well placed to be one of the beneficiaries and would be pretty annoyed if we weren't one.

And that's different to the last three off seasons how?

No i do. That's why i mentioned earlier that it was clear we were cooked these last two weeks. Round 22 we played a shocker, but still managed to hang within 20 points. If anything that is part of the building mental strength of this team to hang in there. The Melbourne of only 2013 would have lost by 10 goals. Round 23 the walls fell in and they lost the ability to hang tough. Part of being a young inexperienced team. The two other teams with similar list demographics this year were Brisbane & Gold Coast. Ask their supporters about inconsistency and how often their teams hung tough this year. My goal at the start of the year was at least 9 wins and no more 10 goal + losses. We managed 10 wins and were one week off avoiding any 10 goal losses. My expectations for next year will increase, as should all supporters and everyone involved in the club.

Sorry about the way the response came out there. Computer playing up.

I agree that the loss was pathetic and not good enough. I don't agree that it's because the players are mentally weak. I think for such a young team we've shown that we aren't this year by being in every game bar this final match. This young group is different to the past.

This was covered earlier in the thread. See post 45.

Fair enough jackub. For me I see us as tracking as I thought we would with the final two weeks being the exception, not the rule. I expect to see our improvement come mainly from within, but also with some astute trading/recruiting from the likes of Taylor, Mahoney, Viney etc. As I've mentioned in the who are the Dees targetting thread. It could be the likes of a Dal Santo or Harvey on a short term deal along with players like Nathan Vardy, Mitch Brown or Tom Lamb who could do with a change of scenery. But maybe I'm being to optimistic? Don't forget, the Dogs improved from 2014 to 2015 without any major changes outside of the coach and loosing their captain. No one saw that coming.

Cooked, mentally and physically after carrying such a load. Our leaders consist of one 200+ gamer & one 150+ gamer. A player who brought up his 100th this season and two others who only just brought up their 50th. The rest of our leaders are either injured, returning from injury or not good enough. That includes the likes of Lumumba, Dawes, Trengove, Grimes, Dunn, Garland. To much has been asked of too few of our leaders this season for to long. I'm not happy about it. It was a pathetic, insipid performance. But there are reasons for it. Saturday was the perfect storm. Long season coming to an end, players would have been down after their season effectively ending the week before. And playing against a top 2 team at home chasing percentage for their positioning in the 8. It is what it is. But for me this was a game to forget about and move on rather then see it as a sign of things to come.

Shifty?

Carlton just delisted Dlck, Wood & Foster. Judging by the inside football write ups, may I submit no one make the suggesting we pick up Jayden Foster. http://www.aflplayerratings.com.au/Ratings/Player/119567/Jayden-FOSTER

Matthew Boyd type role. You don't get many slower then Boyd. Dal Santo & Hibberd into the team along with a fit Salem would improve our disposal out of sight. Same thing said about Darren Jolly years ago when Sydney cam knocking and he wasn't even in our 22 at the time. Richmond gave up a pick inside the top 30 for Hampson who most considered a spud. Experienced ruckman don't come cheap. Especially if they're contracted which Longer is. St Kilda would rather keep him then trade for a 3rd Round pick or whatever else we could offer.

Achillies is stuffed.

Would be interested to see what Collingwood could offer?

Hawthorn are sliding. I expect us to rise. Whether that means we cross eachother, well that's a story for next year. Sorry I'm not into slitting my wrists like the majority here.

It was certainly on display when Hawthorn were threatening to run over the top of us in Round20... Oh wait a minute

Saints will want a 1st Round Pick for Longer. He was their number 1 ruck last year and they'll say the only reason Hickey went past him is because of injury. He also signed a contract extension this year, so would cost overs. Finally he doesn't have the ability to rest forward which is what we really want.

We've actually won more games this year then i tipped us to at the start of the year. Vince i think should be moved to a run with role and Jones output should become less relied on as Viney, Tyson, Brayshaw, Oliver etc start to take more responsibility and the addition of Dal Santo, Hibberd & Melksham will also help here. Dangerfield's, Fyfe's etc are hard to find. Your actually more likely to produce your own then trade them in. Hopefully as you said Petracca will become this. And as for Hogan, he's still very young. I'd be confident in saying that his output is far greater then most 21 year old key forwards. Where as i'm hoping Kennedy & Kennedy-Harris will keep Garlett honest next year if his form drops.