DeeSpencer

Marchbank is a quality young tall. Steele a very solid midfield prospect, he could play the next 150 games at a solid level. I'd give both of them ticks. Ahern's done 2 knees in the same year. But no issue with where he was taken. Just bad luck. Pickett's had his own injury issues as well. The thing about all of these guys besides Steele they were probably all drafted ahead of expectations because GWS were going for needs (Marchbank) and the cream (Pickett, Ahern, McKenna). When you've drafted a bunch of gun talls and a midfield of Shiel, Coniglio, Kelly, Whitfield, Scully, Greene etc you can afford to make a few riskier picks. Overall I think SOS does a good job. Not a great job, but good enough. He was always going to miss on a few when he had that many picks. Now GWS have the advantage of the academy which means they can develop their own players and pick the ones they want which can make it easier to avoid busts and even avoid injuries.

Apparently Carlton wanted him. Seems we beat them to him. Can probably thank Bryce Gibbs for Carlton being a bit busy.

How hard will Bernie be going to get him to join his cricket team?

Yep. So in effect we gave up McKenna for 3 guys and now have McKenna. The problem with that line of thinking is GWS drafted McKenna very early looking for speculative talent instead of taking safer picks in positions they already had covered. So even if we liked McKenna we probably didn't like him as much as pick 23. Still we've turned pick 23 in to 4 players I'm happy we have on the list. 2 valuable young key defenders, a midfielder and a utility. I'm not sure any will be stars but quantity is important as well to keep pressure for games and list spots.

Marchbank and Plowman down back. His own son playing that medium tall role forward and he probably doesn't want to make it harder for him to get a game. I don't think it means Carlton don't rate him. They can't have every GWS reject!

I've been waiting for us to target a sneaky late Giant pick up knowing they had Deledio and academy kids coming in and condensed list spots. Really like this kid. Can play forward or back. Great size. Good ball user. He kicked 45 goals in 18 senior games for Gisborne as an 18 year old including a bag of 9. And the only time he played under 19's he kick 16! I think we'll start him off forward and hope he's the medium forward that our list could do with.

Seems unlikely Dawes will be on the list for next year, same with Max King. Almost no way both. Then Pedersen and Spencer need to be upgraded. Ideally 2017 would be the last year for both of them. That would leave us with Gawn and Mitch King as proper rucks and Watts as a very temporary back up. Adding a ruck, preferably one who can play forward as well is a high priority. We could even add 2.

My question is why would that have bothered you or anyone else? We didn't have much to give up or much to bring in. I'd be all for trading for a ruck or some outside run but both of those can be found in the draft.

Why? The only trade I've liked so far for a player that: A) Would've suited us B) Could've picked us over other sides Is North's pick 69 for Paul Ahern and he's coming off 2 ACL's in 1 year. There's a few other nice deals going on - Jack Steele, Nankervis, Hrovat - but they probably weren't guys that wouid've picked us.

Maybe, but they all knew Hibberd was coming and Lewis is just one guy and could play in a number of positions. ANB is the obvious one but I'm not sure teams would be all that interested in him and it's a big step to decide to up and move in one week.

A little disappointed that his goals on the run from 50 seem to only just carry the line and don't go thumping over the fence. I thought he had more kicking penetration than that. But he can still hoof it and we don't have a defender who can regular get forward and goal so it's hard to complain there. I think he'll need time to get back in to peak form and fitness but he's a good all around defender who does everything pretty well. That combination should really help our backline.

I don't believe that's true. That gets said every year. This year they are saying it's a deep draft for outside runners in an even top 30 or so picks and that's what we need. Without a first rounder this year I think it's important to have a 2nd rounder because you have a higher chance of a kid you rate very highly slipping to your pick. I also think the momentum of adding another quality skilled youngster is important and we can give this kid a good run at Casey in ideal development conditions. Staying ahead of the draft is a handy advantage as well, it boosts our list quality. All up I think the positives outweigh the negatives.

I guess we folded which is a bit disappointing but we needed Hibberd in and to do the right thing by him, and we got a nice little steak knives upgrade. Time to turn that upgrade plus Dunn plus next years 2nd rounder in to a top 30 pick this year.

I don't rate him at all but the reality is if he got himself right he wouldn't be all that far off getting games and could still an option as a third tall defender against teams that have a leading up the ground 3rd tall forward. He could push Frost and Oscar for a spot. But it's going to take a fair turn around for him to be in the best 22.

You are way too interested in what players make. You sign the players that you can get for the price you can get them - knowing recruits often get extra to move - and then you play the best 22. Sure the club will be keen to play Melksham given they recruited him but if he's not best 22 then he's an emergency. I think there's always an injury or underdone player come round 1 so he'll be in the side either at half back or on a wing. I don't think we'd be getting rid of one of our best one on one defenders and cooler heads in the backline to trial Melksham as a deep defender. Although I have wondered about using Jetta as a defensive forward pressure player and going with a more attacking backline so it could happen.

They can't stockpile picks this year. They have to have a list space for every pick they use and they have a pick (or picks) to come from Carlton as well as already owning 2, 15, 31 and 37. We also need to add depth of young talent. Better having 3 goes at Jayden Hunt types than taking 1 top 15 pick. GWS might actually trade more late picks for an earlier pick not the other way around. We could move back from 29 to 31 for and bump up our 5th round pick to the 4th round or something like that.

That's a little overdoing it. We aren't going to give up a young player we like (even just a little) as steak knives. They won't give up pick 41. But I'm sure both clubs are going through their late picks trying to find a swap to make it work. Or at least have that option open to them. Our pick 68 for their pick 59 if they do it their way. Our pick 68 for their pick 77 if they do it our way.

Serious question: I know Mahoney is the head of football and the spokesman during the Trade Period but isn't Viney the list manager? Would he really have to clear things with Mahoney? Josh does a good job but he's our administrative guy isn't he and as part of that he might have a list plan, but Todd, Jason Taylor and then Goodwin should be in charge of actually picking the players to draft or trade for?

Essendon are smart. I love Dodoro. He doesn't bend until he has to. We should wait it out. Otherwise, GC still have picks 24 and 26 with 2 first round picks and 2 more to come for Prestia and O'Meara. If we give them our future 2nd rounder and Ess (or Melb) pay the difference with some 4th round picks or 3rd round upgrades then both clubs get what they want.

They have 47 and 65, both a spot ahead of our picks before we downgraded them for Lewis. I want 47 for 57 but that might be too much to ask for. I don't think it is for a key defender. Talls don't grow on trees.

Surely we went after Lewis because after Jones and a declining Vince there was nothing leadership wise to Viney and Gawn. Previous leadership group members and senior players in Garland, Lumumba, Grimes Dawes, Dunn can't get on the park and at least 3 of them will be gone next year. All 5 should be if we could. I guess I'd rephrase and say Jones does a good job in a very difficult situation not having a lot of help. He needs helper not to be replaced or have his title shared. 2018 will probably be the right time to make Viney captain not to give Lewis the job after 1 season when he only has 1 year left.

FB: Jetta Frost/Oscar (Hibberd) HB: Lewis T Mc Hunt C: Salem Jones Stretch HF: Petracca Hogan Kent FF: Garlett Weed/Pedda Watts Foll: Gawn Viney Tyson Int: Brayshaw - forward/mid rotation Oliver - inside mid Vince - outside mid Frost or Oscar/Wagner/Melksham - half back Rotations will be vital. Viney and Tyson should play half forward. Jones to half back or wing, with Lewis and Vince going on ball. Salem to half back. Watts to a wing. Hunt to a wing.

The Pies have the 2 picks ahead of the ones we just swapped for Lewis. I'd like to swap the ones we got from Hawthorn back to Collingwood for the picks ahead of our original ones. So we end up with Lewis for Dunn and two 1 pick upgrades. That might be a little ambitious but I think Dunn has enough currency for slight upgrades.

Just no need. Jones does a perfectly fine job and continuity has been important. To put it in coaching terms: Captain: Jones - Paul Roos Vice captain: Viney - Simon Goodwin Leadership group: Lewis - Brendan McCartney

He'll be good for the Pies, but we have to continue to find someone better going with Frost and Oscar. Saving some coin not a bad idea either.