DeeSpencer

Neal-Bullen was told to explore his options, that's just about definitive to see if he can find a new home. We had more picks than we ended up using last year, I doubt we would've been haggling over the price. Tommy there was clearly an imperative to move off some of his contract. I doubt we would've given him away if we had to pay for the full deal too but it wouldn't have taken much of a draft pick if someone would take on a share of the cash. They were contracted so they stayed. The respectful thing we did was tell them upfront they might move on and welcome them back in to the club when nothing came about.

We tried to boot out T Mac and Nibbler whilst they were contracted and no one wanted them. If another team had come for Tom McDonald last year we would've gladly paid some of his wage for him to play elsewhere. We seemed happy to let Weid go but no one wanted him either. Harvey was 38, Petrie was 34. I don't really see the link. Ben Brown they offered a decent deal to given his injury history. He declined as is his right. The relationship broke down for a number of reasons, they pulled their offer as is their right, and sent him to a team that wanted him for a fair trade/contract. There's questions for North to answer about their medical management of Benny. And in ways that relationship between club and player broke down and family dynamics. I'd suggest it's clear North in 2020 wasn't going all that well with coaching, fitness and a whole raft of issues. But when it came time for Ben to move on I don't think the way they handled that was wrong. Fortunately for them they've invested a fair bit to changing their coaching and management over the last year.

Watch this post game news conference from 9:40 on for about the next 2 minutes or so. Listen to Goodwin and listen to Petracca. Then answer me this question: Is Goodwin a coach who doesn't work hard enough and needs to be kicked in to gear? Or is Goodwin a coach who needs the right people around him to support and help him. I think the answer is pretty clear. Full credit to Glen Bartlett for steading the ship on and off the field. His time at the club can't be underrated. From Roos to Goodwin, Burgo, Jason Taylor, Alan Richardson, Choco Williams. The Casey upgrades. So much amazing work. Overall I think it's fair to say his time as President has had a longer and greater impact on this Premiership than Kate Roffey. But I also think it was time for someone else to step in to provide that support to finish the job.

In making a prelim then getting smashed by the eventual premiers in Perth they still had what would equal the best season for Melbourne from 2001-2020. That's without the sliding doors moment of what happens if Gawn is spoiled or misses the goal in round 23. If they ignored Cameron and picked Conor Stone with pick 15 and he played 3 games and looked ok does it drastically change their future? Or does he get added to the pile with Clark, Constable, Cooper Stephens, Narkle as younger players who might be something but won't get much of a look in. When they do pull the pin on this older group Cameron will given them something to kick to for 4 or so years, will help a young sidekick develop and will keep some experience and talent at the club so they don't end up without any veteran savvy. In the mean time they'll try to go again and they've been threatening to fall in a heap since about 2010 and are yet to do so. It's almost certainly going to happen at some stage of Cameron's career but that doesn't mean it was wrong to get him. The Cats have made some bad mistakes lately IMO. Giving up a real draft pick for Shaun Higgins. Bringing in Jack Steven and Josh Jenkins. Not getting a ruckman. Pretending Gary Rohan will play well in finals. Failing to develop Jordan Clark. Pick 15 for Cameron even if the best they do is a prelim isn't one of them.

Players put a lot of work in to win flags but if that was the sole aim the top 22 would all take base wages and join up at a super team. Playing with your mates is a huge part of it too. That’s why guys stay loyal at struggling clubs as long as they get offered a fair wage. Ben got a fair wage from North and his manager turned it down even though he was carrying a bung knee. So if Ben turned down the offer based on finances he made a mistake. If he wanted to leave north for success and other reasons he made the right call. My guess is he turned it down for cash but ended up eventually leaving when the North situation became untenable.

That assumes Ben wanted to leave North, which I doubt early on in 2020 or definitely before that he didn’t want to. If he wanted to stay at North he turned down a contract that with time was more than fair. He also joined Melbourne. Didn’t exact jump to Hawthorn post 2013 or Geelong post 2007.

Is she wrong? Financially it was probably the wrong call. 3 years 750 = 2.25. Didn't reports have him signing for us on about 4 year 500? Clearly he's gone to a much better footy situation and seems to be happy with the culture here where there was significant friction between Brown, his family and North towards the end. So financially he lost out but there's more to life than money. North also moved on and nabbed Stephenson at a cheap price who fits their list build and will now get CCJ from the Tigers who fills the void left by Brown. Larkey goes to Brown's role. CCJ goes to Larkey's role. They are happy.

They got the 2 decent second rounders back. Essendon and GWS made those picks slightly higher than you'd like but at the end of the day they downgraded from the most compromised draft of all time to solid picks in a more open and exposed draft. Jeremy Cameron is going to give you better games of footy for years to come than Conor Stone I'd imagine. Or certainly better than most pick 15's if Stone is an outlier. They traded up for Holmes, who I assume they liked as much or more than Macrae. Maybe they could've had both, but let's assume they were unlikely to get both of those guys. Is one of those better than pick 30 this year - yes. But how much better? If the Cats come away with a Sparrow, Jordon, Spargo or Fritsch this year probably aren't worried. Then Brayden Cook for pick 32 this year. There's no real difference there. It's a bit like when we gave up 2 firsts for Lever but got a 2nd rounder back and used it on Petty. The downgrade from late first to second is severely overrated. Cameron for pick 15 and change - you do that every day of the week unless you're so committed to a rebuild that you're looking at trading away players. If you've just lost a grand final then end up seconds from being top of the ladder in round 23 it's a great deal.

It's been long enough for Essendon to get a coach who knows what he's doing. And a handy head of footy too. The list of teams interested in Melksham surely has to start with the clubs who don't value pressure. Or in other words aren't very smart.

I would’ve deeply enjoyed giving Peter Bell the Dodoro treatment. Especially after his nonsense with Hogan. But it would’ve been really unfair for Cerra knowing he might end up in the draft, and it would’ve opened up our list for poaching. The Hawks going all in on Wingard and forcing out a good young player in Burton was the best case result and hardly guaranteed

He had a strange old career because he was a forward for so long and never really cemented himself, but I think in 2007 he was a huge part of that flag and probably pushed himself in to the A grade category, after that he turned up in September when needed. I'd have him just in the A grade category for those years. And a class above Nankervis/McEvoy/Hale from the recent Tigers and Hawks runs. Being able to get so much value as defensive interceptors and as forwards is what makes our guys so exciting. Clearly it's unlikely we see a stoppage run as good as the 3rd quarter, one where Jackson wasn't even smashing the hit outs anyway, but to get an extra tall at either end is such an advantage.

I’m a Nank fan, I think he’s exactly the kind of ruck you’d want if you can’t have a superstar. But he’s just not an A grade ruck like Gawn, Goldstein, Nic Nat, Grundy. He’s a very capable B grade type, and below Lynch, Riewoldt, Cotchin, Edwards, Houli, Vlastuin, Grimes from the best Richmond sides. I’d argue Gawn is the first A grade ruck to win a flag since Brad Ottens at the Cats a decade ago.

We can’t match a bid if he goes top 20 and he seems very likely too. He’s gone

I’m actually with DH on this one. I don’t want our club becoming a big club that’s impersonal. Obviously the club will grow with success and that’s a good thing. But it has to keep that connection. Nothing means more to kids that personal access to the players. We won’t be getting that any time soon in Melbourne. There was an opportunity for that to happen in Perth. They had 4 days, could’ve spared an hour or so. Collingwood lost their way turning in to a footballing mcfranchise. It would be a travesty if we won a flag just to lose our soul.

We'd probably only be able to get a pick right at the back of the first round 17-20 ish anyway even if we offer our future first and a 2nd rounder for this year. Teams don't usually want to give up the pick they've got unless it's worth their while. JT's certainly earnt our trust but I doubt that's what he'll be thinking now. Now's the time to find a few more Petty, Spargo, Sparrow, Jordon types and make sure we've got depth coming through to keep a strong line up.

Richmond have had major injuries in each of the last 3 years and they've pretty much taken a look at Naish each time and quickly got him out of the team. Only this year when they probably knew they had to have an extended look at him did they give him 4 games in a row and he did nothing. I'm not sure why exactly we are keeping Baker but my guess is they know he's much fitter now and his pace is still a rare attribute even if his kicking, contested work and decision making is a way off it. He has that one quality attribute and they can work on adding to the rest of his game. Plus he knows the system and can shadow Langdon all summer again. Naish has a lovely boot but the weaknesses in his game - size, speed and more than anything his competitiveness probably just aren't going to improve. Doesn't matter how good you were as a junior and how good your VFL form is if you can't handle the step up in physical pressure at the top level. Declase probably gets the nod as that taller more defensive winger as back up to Brayshaw and that's definitely not a role for Naish.

I feel like Bevo and Chris Scott and the coaches that don't invest in old school ruckman are philosophically on the right track because why get a dinosaur type if you can try to find an extra midfielder. Chris Scott loves Blicavs, he's routinely at the top of the Cats B+F. Bevo really liked what Roughead and Boyd did and they've been chasing Stef Martin for years because in his prime he could hold up in the hit outs and provided a lot around the ground. The question is should you chase the hope of an extra mid when it's more hope than reality. Tim English and Rhys Stanley are both rucks who on their best days look similar to what Jackson can be, they just don't always have their best days. So do you just suck it up and get yourself an old war horse type. Someone like John Ceglar is never going to be considered an extra midfielder but his size and strength would make life harder in the actual ruck contest for Jacko to just halve it then follow up. It's funny how these coaches get the reputation for not rating rucks when it could be they're just too desperate for the perfect ruck and not appreciative enough for an honest battler. They player they all want in the ruck is the player Jackson is hopefully becoming.

Even happier for Jackson, Pickett, Rivers and Bowey 'when they're cherry ripe' meant about 15 minutes after they walked through the door.

Our trade with Brisbane meant Laurie was pretty close to being free. We swapped 2nd round picks that both would've ended up in the 30's and traded picks 18 and 19 last year for pick 18 this year. A very nice piece of business. I'm hoping we keep the ability to hunt at the contest when needed. That should be our strength and is needed for finals. But for the home and away season next year instead of having to crash and bash through the whole season we should be looking at using Rivers, Salem and Bowey off half back to control the pace of games and play a more uncontested style. There's a logjam with Sparrow, JJ, Harmes, Spargo all impressing across half forward this year but some of those guys will have to play up through the midfield and Laurie should push his chances.

In defence of Dwayne a little the segment was based on Leppitsch saying rucks are the least valuable position on the ground. Which honestly might still be true to an extent. Although the 3rd tall at either end, the 5th best mid and the 7th best forward or back gets an easy run sometimes. No one ever says don’t draft a 3rd string forward flanker early! But it’s still one of the key positions to have a player who doesn’t get destroyed. Getting smashed in the ruck is still the fastest way to lose a game. Leppitsch himself is probably undervaluing Toby Nankervis who has been a warrior for the Tigers. Just because Nankervis was cheap and underrated doesn’t make him bad or easy to replicate. The conversation should be that hit outs are overrated. It’s the least valuable part of Gawn’s game, which really is built on around the ground marking, follow up and positioning. And Jackson’s game is based on follow up and athleticism. He absolutely can be a ruckman, which Dwayne was incorrectly worried about. He’s just not going to be a hit out machine. And he’s hopefully going to be more than a ruckman too. I’d love to see him play CHF with a summer of Ben Brown teaching him leading craft.

1. Jackson was very good but Tim English was his opponent. There’s a tick and a cross at the same time there. Positional value should always factor in drafting but shouldn’t be the defining factor one way or another. 2. Not the mail I’ve heard. Jono Brown was meant to come to Victoria. Riewoldt to the Suns. Gaff and Shuey to Victoria. Even Petracca to the Pies! You start winning he likely stays a long time. You lose and he’s out of there. 3. Every ruck wants to be the number 1, no news there. 4. Love Todd! Where’s the trade? 5. Talia at Geelong is too funny, the best thing is he’d be a young recruit for them! 6. Nah, he’s not their preferred next option forward or back. Harry Edwards and Oscar Allen are. Anyway, felt like getting my frustrations out on 6 trade radio points. I could go on and on with all the drivel but it’s best to just get it done then ignore it

It wouldn’t bother me if we weren’t subjected to 7:50 stars every Friday, 3:20 on Sunday, endless debate about moving the grand final later and so on.

Higgins had a bad start to the year but he’s a very good footballer. The Saints gave up the equivalent of a pick right at the start of the second round for him. His finish to the year was very good. Melkshams lack of tackling and pressure makes him more like a tall forward than competing with a small. And the Saints have King, Membrey, a second ruck and Sharman who really impressed. Plus can’t find room for Battle. It’s very hard to know who’d want Melksham. Port being keen on Finlayson with Robbie Gray (plays tall) ageing could do with a bit of marking to go with their smalls and he fits their fast flowing ball movement. Melk always plays well against the Eagles and he’d be great with their kick mark game but they probably want to get younger. Freo need to bring in some mature players but aren’t in a rush and I doubt they are keen for a non defensive worker. Brisbane for 10 weeks of Hipwood insurance as the lead up 3rd tall?

Not sure there will be any takers but I'd imagine we'd be willing to pay a bit of his 2022 wage if it gets us out of the bulk of it. We don't really have anyone in the VFL for that mid size forward role though, so he'd always be close to a game but on what he showed this year it's hard to have much confidence in his performance.

I don’t believe it was though. Fritsch started his career forward, looked talented but still flaky. Defensively did little. He gave us something on the wing when we didn’t have wingers, then moved back when Lever was out and we needed some intercept. We had Melksham, Petracca and Hannan as medium forwards, plus Tommy and Hogan in great form and Fritsch could develop his game in roles where we needed talent. It took too long in 2019 to move him back forward when we needed the help there. But we were also completely desperate for wingers and tried about a dozen options that didn’t work. So I won’t hold that against Goody. If anything I’d like to see Fritsch moved up the ground more often next year. Teams will put a lot of work in to stopping him. It won’t hurt to add some versatility back to his game.