DeeSpencer

What's that bad taste in my mouth? Oh yeah it's Brett 'the Birdman' Burton reaming it down our throats. Lever isn't a one on one defender. The hope will be the game shifts to 1 key forward and his intercepting and rebound becomes increasingly valuable. Time will tell.

If he toughens up I think he'd make a good ruckman in a few years time. Reminds me a lot of Brad Ottens at the same age.

Might've been an oversight but he also got pretty badly torched by the Giants runners in transition on a dirty day for the team. I don't expect many votes were handed out for that game. I thought he was encouraging but also a fair way off it and that he was a bad selection given the Giants outside runners. Will be interesting to see if they try to develop Maynard as a forward next year. He has the size and a good competitive nature. Otherwise I see him a fair way back in the midfield mix given based on VFL form he needs to be in at the clearances to play his best. If his fitness was good the other role I'd like to see him used in is as a tagger.

I think he was 6th because he had rucked. Not so much the 2 games where Gawn and Spencer got injured and he had to hold down the number 1 job but in other games where he was pinch hitting. Shaun Grigg, premiership 2nd ruckman. Time spent in the ruck allowed Watts to get some very nice possessions playing on a slow taller opponent. He could run around freely and use the ball well. He's not a key forward - he gets monstered by good defenders He's not an outside mid, doesn't have the tank He's not an inside mid, doesn't win contested ground balls He's certainly not a defender - Neeld tried that long enough Playing as a 2nd string ruckman allowed him easy possessions from which he could be super damaging - see the goal against Geelong which was superb. The ruck role helped craft a position for him when his free roaming forward play wasn't contributing.

Turns 30 in December. Hawthorn would offload him for anything decent ie. a 3rd rounder. Pressure is still decent but that's about all he's got. I think forward pressure is a young mans game, and it's also a team effort. Garlett, ANB and probably Harmes are the incumbent pressure players - when on they are all pretty decent tacklers. I'm keen to see Vanders back. Think we can get something from Melksham or Balic on a flank. Talls need to do much more. Probably looking at one more pressure player. DJ the one on the list for that role. I'd go the draft for another speedy tackler.

Melbourne give: 2017 1st round (pick 10) 2018 1st round 2017 2nd round (pick 27) Melbourne get: Jake Lever 2017 1st round (pick 18) - from Brisbane via Charlie Cameron Given the strength of the 2018 draft and our unpredictable results - we could finish with pick 6-16 I'd say, it's a strong no deal from me. I think Charlie Cameron might be worth more than pick 18. If Brisbane are willing to pay pick 12 for him - he's in contract - then that's a deal I'd be willing to consider, although I'd rather keep pick 10. I'd also like some kind of swap of 3rd or 4th rounders just as a show of good faith back. Pretty much, if the 2018 first rounder is in play then the Crows need to show us some love back the other way. We also better make sure Jason Taylor has some quality names on his first round draft board. If he's not beating the table excited about a range of names available for pick 12 then it's a no deal.

As long as we don't have to pay any of Watts' salary it's a yes from me. I think a big reason the Cats are saying no is they want cash relief in the deal as well.

I doubt he's offloaded for cash but I'm convinced it's a factor. Got to have extra room to keep bringing guys in and money tied up in Hogan, T McDonald, Weids and Watts is a lot for 4 forwards when you might only play 2. The first we heard of Watts getting traded was after Frost unexpectedly re-signed. To me it was an indication that Tom McDonald was going to be a forward and they had to ship one out.

I'd be open to Clarke if he really is healthy and cheap. He rarely got to play as the number 1 ruck for Freo and played injured a fair bit. He's not a forward at all and was played there quite a bit. He has (or had) the size and athleticism to play as a mobile ruck and that's still a rare commodity.

I'd put that difference down to key forwards and the expectations on them. Balic can be useful half forward, wing, back, midfield and there's probably 8 players spots in the team he could get a game in. I expect he'll be competing for a spot in the team very early in the season. Schache might be 4th in line as a key forward behind Hogan, McDonald and Pedersen. Heck maybe even 5th behind Weeds, and we might go with only 2 tall forwards. He also probably won't want to give up the decent cash contract he signed mid year.

I think in this draft kicking 7 in the TAC grand final and having good athletic ability won't get passed pick 30. Maybe even top 20. Not sure about the name but the guy can play.

Terrible against Port, North and GWS on return from injury. Pretty ordinary against North and Hawthorn early in the year in important games. Was forced to ruck against Geel and Richmond after injuries to Gawn/Spencer in games and in both games he was great when going in the ruck for a quarter or so before being completely spent. I understand it isn't his position but after nearly a decade in the game he should've been able to compete for longer against Zac Smith and Nankervis. EDIT: It's really unfair to hold the games back from injury against him as he wasn't right and counting them in his B+F total is harsh as well, doesn't tell the full story. I'd be more interested in why he was so bad in those games than putting weight on it. Bad injury management from Watts or the club? Bad selection by the coaches or by Watts saying he was right to play? Bad offseason leading to poor fitness base or not?

177cm and not getting any bigger or harder at it and butchers it. Goodwin has said he doesn't categorise midfielders as inside and outside, although I don't fully agree with that I can see the game shifting from the Hawks style of getting it out to runners to a more consistent run of players across the field. Inside mids without pace were found out this year as the game got faster. We really need some pace and endurance in the midfield mix but I don't think we are that desperate are we? If we want a running machine type isn't there one out there with either size or skills (if not both).

Hard to know and judge on the first 7 years of his career but he had a great preseason going in to the 2016 season and had a career best year. Followed it with a poor preseason and an up and down year consistent with earlier in his career. There's lots to debate about his role in the team, his role at the club, his value as a player etc but trading him will depend on (a reasonable pick ensuing) if you forgive him for a poor summer and expect him to not produce the same thing again or not.

Nope. Had one good year at half back for the Eagles but otherwise has been a disappointment. At 29 I doubt he turns it around.

Every team takes chances on other teams cast offs. We really had no midfield when Michie, Newton and Riley came on board, all worth a go. Ben Kennedy we swapped in for Toumpas. Hardly a costly move and if our list hadn't progressed we could've easily played him more and kept him for another year. As for Balic being a state league player, in his second year this year: 2 state league games, 4 AFL games before a lay off with personal leave, then first game back in 8 weeks in the WAFL he had 27 touches. He's a promising youngster and the concern is more his injury and personal stuff than him being a state league talent.

Bills Jaguars Vikings

Have you confused Josh Gibson and Sam Gibson? We don't need either.

That's why he has to go. You can't have senior players who are so inconsistent through seasons that they deserve to be or have to be dropped. Building a side usually takes multiple years of guys playing together regularly and adding to that. Also the reality is you can't just drop Watts at the MFC. He's too high profile these days and missed that development time. It makes a story every time he's dropped. At a new club he could fight to earn his spot in a much fairer way. Also we'll get a decent pick for Watts and either back JT to find us a player better than a fringe player or possibly on trade a mid 2nd rounder and the spare Watts cash for a Hibberd (or possibly a Melksham) and get a more consistent hardened player without the weight of expectation.

On the Lever money issue I think if he plays like a 750k player there won't be any issues. That's every chance of happening. Prestia was bought to Richmond on big money and people weren't happy mid way through the year but after a solid end to the year and obviously the team success no one is questioning it now.

I think he's right that players should try to maximise their wage whilst also understanding quality of life is important, as is family, as is injury management, as is development etc. The most money up front isn't always the smartest money. Same with his take on loyalty. AFL clubs can be very loyal in terms of caring for players post career, looking after families, taking the high road defending players. Loyalty is a key part of business - when you treat people right as a business they keep coming back. Players who do their best for clubs will be rewarded with longer deals, clubs who do their best for players will often see those players happy to stay. He's spot on about when players have no value they'll be moved on, I think it's overplayed as a modern concept, that's been happening in footy for decades.

He's soft as butter and mentally weak. A few good hits and a tag and his March form disappears every year. We need outside run but not at the cost of adding a player who will go to water in September (if we make ever make it). Get our young mids fitter and faster and then look for some running players in the draft rather than take on speculative types.

The end of year Misson injury update stated that they finally got a correct diagnosis and surgery for his heel condition this year after he carried it all through 2016 and that he was back running. There's no way of knowing if he's 100% until he's back training and playing but it's clearly on the right path.

They might because they are keen to avoid having to use a good pick on father-son Patrick Naish. If they upgrade one pick to 10 before any team bids on him then they get to pick a guy they want before giving up later picks for Naish anyway. I think they'll ideally want to hold one over for next years stronger draft but if that's not achievable they might want pick 10 now to get someone in like a good midfielder who can given them a bit of extra depth for another September run.

750k isn't that much these days and I'm sure it will be frontloaded. You pay extra to get a guy, there's no doubting that and it doesn't necessarily throw out your payment schedule for the rest of the players. In terms of established senior players I think the likes Jones, Hibberd, Jetta, Garlett, Tommy Mc, Gawn, Lewis, Viney and Tyson should be signed and sealed on generous contracts, why should they complain about getting in a good player? There's room to sign Petracca, Oliver and Hogan to deals worth more than Lever's if they prove superior players. Lever is already one of the best in his position and in the AA squad. A versatile intercepting defender might not be as flashy as a key forward or midfielder but it might be just as important the way footy is played these days. The Dogs paid a lot more for Tom Boyd and it didn't stop them winning a flag.