praha

They're not offering more because we've publicly stated he will be playing VFL. No one else is prepared to take on 800k in their cap for a player that can't break into a side that finished 14th. We publicly diminished his value and are now going to actually get way below what he is actually worth. Behaviour aside, he is still worth a late first round pick at absolute worst. GWS is laughing at us. It tells you that we showed our entire hand to the poker table and still went all in despite having a 72 off, expecting others at the table to tap out.

Just makes my decision to suspend my membership next year all the more logical. Gobsmacked at the stupidity of this club. Tell the world he is a VFL player. And then get an offer for a third round pick, while still paying half his salary. Just an absolute shambles.

You new here?

Clearly Bailey is being held hostage by GC. Only one person can negotiate his release.

You can't blame them though. Equalisation was tracking well before COVID hit. Richmond, for as big as they are, proved that you can build a Dynasty through strong draft and player development. The Bulldogs won, Hawthorn had fallen... COVID really brought the league to the brink and they'll be looking to crawl it back for at least another decade. This means ensuring the big clubs are at the top, helping teams in smaller markets outside of Vic grow the game's footprint, etc etc. This leaves smaller clubs in established markets to fend for themselves now because the AFL is focused on getting back to what it was. COVID has played a big role in the current focus of the league.

Is the reason the deal hasn't already gone through for 7 and 8 because we are still trying for Humphrey? It doesn't make much sense to me that the deal wouldn't already be done if it's just for picks. Are there other dominoes we need to fall before doing it?

I volunteer as tribute.

It's not so much the pick itself in isolation. It's that we would effectively be giving up McVee and Trac for picks 7 and 8 in a compromised draft. It's ultimately too much and we are treading towards being swindled here.

Let's not forget that we managed to attract Lever, May, Grundy, and were front runners for Houston before all hell broke loose. If you run your club well from the bottom up, you will attract talent. Let's not forget that the AFL essentially nudged both Roos and Jackson to set us up, which they did, before we Melbourne'd it. As much as I hate Geelong, they do something right and make the most of their location and coterie. They are definitely pulling shifties though. As for Brisbane they are just super appealing to talent. Get out of the Melbourne bubble, and get to live in sunny Queensland where your dollar goes much further.

Almost as good as a centre square with Gawn, Petracca and Ol.... oh wait.

I agree. But it should never have got this bad. The club is not an innocent party in this.

I am so sad. One of our most decorated players of all time. Was well on the way to being one of our greatest ever. Set to be traded for a second round pick. AND we'll be paying him to play elsewhere. You'll never convince me that we aren't the most self-destructive club in the league.

He's not immortal.

Is he in the Swiss alps?

Melbourne's ability to openly and willingly trade with contending teams needs to be studied. I reckon other clubs pull their hair out when they see some of the trades we do.

Him ending up at Collingwood is another trigger for me to not renew my membership, unless we get something substantial in return that is overs, which isn't happening. This off-season, Trac for 2 first rounders, and/or Oliver to the Pies are the two triggers that would see me skip football for at least 2026. We absolutely should not be dealing a 4 time B&F winner to [censored] Collingwood. I know some people might think it's petty and just silly rivalry talk, but your club has to bloody stand for something. He CANNOT end up there.

Pretty sure it was Ben Cousins' gut that said that quote.

I have been to a few Storm games and also to a handful of Brisbane and Roosters games. Melbourne puts on a good show and it helps that the team is always good. But it has a gimmicky feel to it, unsurprising as they are competiting in a highly competitive sport environment. Roosters games are a bit like Demons games: soulless. Brisbane games and their stadium are top notch. It's like a party atmosphere.

They haven't fired a shot in the second half. Looks like a choke for the second year in a row so maybe we are more like them than you think.

I mean we're not in the business of helping other teams be better.

Roos was a teacher, he put his arm around blokes. Yes he was firm and he held players to account but he was also quite zen. Confident is a given. Goodwin was also quite tempered. I don't think he held players to account enough. And when he started to (ie. Lever this year) it came as a shock and fractured the playing group. I guess what I am saying is that King is coming in and speaking like as if he's the principal of a school for troubled youths. There is a tough balancing act, maybe King has been briefed that he needs to be a hard [censored]? I don't know. It might explain dumping May and Oliver, I am not massively hurt by that, but collectively with everything it does seem a little like we are losing control.

If GC agrees to this I'll eat my head on livestream.

crazy how people think adding TDK and Silvagni makes them finals caliber overnight. Didn't seem to help the Blues much.

I'm getting concerned. King has come in with very firm, confident lines, but the last time we saw that we ended up with a season percentage of like 52%. We're losing McVee, who chose to leave after meeting King. We have shown May the door. Let Petracca choose where he wants to go and now lost any chance of a reasonable trade with Flanders choosing St Kilda, unless GC magically decides to give us Humphries. We've told Oliver that he is a VFL player in a 14th-placed team, meaning we'll get peanuts for him and still pay $700k of his salary until the end of the decade. We have Jack Viney touring facilities. I don't know. I think everyone needs to buckle in.

Petracca and Pick 23 (Freo) and 27 (Freo) to Gold Coast Flanders and McVee to Freo Jackson and Pick 13 (GC) to Melbourne Who says no?