Adam The God

He's not a starting mid. He's nowhere near as slick in the heat of the midfield. Turns it over and panics. Has a real swagger going now in the forwardline though.

We've pursued business very quietly over the last few years. Not all of it has come off, but we're very good at keeping our heads down, but putting feelers and deals out there. The upside to Melbourne is extraordinary and the media and the football world are starting to wake up to this. If we make the eight this year and even win a final, we'll be hot property for trade targets and Victorians looking to come home. We're not in the North basket - a list of pretenders that never had the list to take them all the way. Reminded me of Melbourne under Daniher.

This would be my biggest concern. Would Shiel be on $500k at GWS? They have a lot of talent to pay to keep them up in that hellhole. I just wonder if that would get it done. It may not. I might be dreaming, but doesn't mean I wouldn't try. And Toby Greene isn't a midfielder. He's a very, very good half forward. One of the best in the league for the last year, hence the AA wraps, but he isn't a mid.

Yep, we'd have to trade, but if we can convince him to nominate us, that'll go a long way to a deal being done. Given our good trading history with GWS, I reckon we could get the deal done. The way they're intent on spreading the age of their list, I wonder if GWS would take our next two first rounders? At this point, I'd back Jason Taylor with second and third round picks to keep improving our list.

Agree with the sentiment, Moonie, but not the targets. I'd be having a big crack at a Dylan Shiel (he is out of contract at the end of 2017). Quick, ball magnet, perfect age bracket (ready to explode) and disposal is improving. Dusty and Fyfe are too expensive and Shiel is two years younger than both.

Tells me Adelaide's midfield works a lot harder than ours. As our midfield progresses, and it's making great gains, we'll find Oscar becomes even sturdier as a defender. He stills plays a bit like ANB, in that he can panic, but I suspect that's an experience thing.

Slightly digressional, but Stretch's speedy development is something that has far exceeded expectations, surely? His sound decision-making and speed add so much to our midfield. I hadn't previously included him in the same conversation as Oliver, Viney, Tyson, Petracca, Brayshaw, Jones, Lewis, Salem and Vince, but he now sits alongside them and compliments them well. He had a terrific first half yesterday (aside from one costly clanger). What he's now adding to his game is the ability to find the ball consistently. He gets himself into good positions, which makes the opposition accountable.

It's worth noting that even in a game where he started with a hard tag and wasn't at his best, he still managed 28 disposals, 5 clearances (equal third most on the ground) and 8 tackles (third most on the ground). He is going to be a super, super player.

I reckon he was tagged during the second and early part of the third last week.

Not gonna happen. Carlton will want two top picks for Gibbs and will probably not want Bugg, despite SOS' involvement.

I'd also add that he's a lot better kick than this article gives him credit for.

And then it looks like ANB falls out of the bin...

Brayshaw was ordinary on the weekend, but he's being played out of position and will be a very good player when he gets a run at it. He showed this in the middle towards the back end of last year. If you're going after Lever, it's draft picks. You don't take from the midfield we're building. We still need to strengthen the midfield, so taking another player from that area is stooopid.

Nope, unfortunately. Upon reflection, I just can't see us satisfying the Crows. We might be able to convince Lever, but can't see the Crows coming to the table.

I still reckon we need a big A grade midfield acquisition, but adding Lever's composure to our backline would be massive. Maybe it's a case of putting up our first rounder this year and a future first rounder to acquire Kelly and Lever? If we could manage that somehow, we'd be a real shot at the top 4 next year.

Once they knew he wanted to go, they used it as an opportunity to spread the age of their list. But make no mistake, he would have been a massive loss for most clubs and may still prove to be a massive loss for GWS. And yes, his kicking is his weakness, but it's also the weakness of a lot of A graders.

Who was he behind out of interest? Just want to brag about him to my Carlton mate, unless it was Cripps that garnered more votes.

Bingo.

I think some are certainly catching on. If Oliver turns it on again tomorrow, there'll be no hiding it.

He seems to be playing high half forward as you say and historically he's struggled there a little bit, but seems to have some intensity in this position this year. I'm hoping he gets some midfield minutes soon. He was dominant for a period against the Saints last year when playing in the guts.

I want Gus to really lift his game this year. He's fallen behind a little bit.

I'm slow to the party, but his finals series last year swayed me and he's started beautifully this year.

I just wonder whether their easy draw last year covered up a few cracks in their drafting. They're certainly well coached, but my question over them has always been their lack of midfield depth.

Agree to disagree then about Bont.

The Bont is now elite IMO.