P-man

I also can’t help but think that if Carlton absolutely nailed the draft in 2013 they wouldn’t be a total basketcase on the field in 2018. But maybe that’s an oversimplification ?

I take your point but the reality is we were going to take Billings. So in the real world, we wouldn’t have Kelly instead. We’d have Billings. Of course that in and of itself would have been a blunder so it’s fair to downgrade as a result. But at least acknowledge it to be the case. Saying it is “essentially Tyson and Salem for Kelly” is misleading and incomplete analysis. i think 7 is a fair rating when looking at the other club ratings, although there is a lot of creaming in pants over Sicily as the “steal of the draft”, whereas Harmes is almost mentioned in passing. That too doesn’t quite add up.

You’d expect a professional AFL writer to be aware that the club intended on picking Billings, not Kelly, which turns the debate on its head. It’s not as though it’s a well kept secret. That information is in the public domain and has been for years now. Again, maybe my expectations of people who get paid to research this stuff is too high. Or maybe they are being deliberately obtuse. Either way, it’s poor journalism.

Fritta must play. We need decent kicks and whether it’s wing or half forward, he brings that to the team. I don’t mind so long as he’s in the forward half of the ground. Hannan to make way and that would be my best side provided KK can impress in pre-season. Stretch will also be one to keep an eye on. Was looking like things had clicked before his injury.

He’s a big May fan from memory. Unsurprisingly. May has a healthy dose of mongrel in him.

He wasn’t given much of a chance. Feel for him after working so hard to get back imto the system. Still, he played 10 more AFL games than you or I.

From the pocket profiles on the club website. Fritsch: Fritta, Bayls Petracca: Trac Gawn: Dougy T-Mac: ....T-Mac Spargo: Spargs, Chuck Brayshaw: Stallion, Ticker, Rooster (not sure if this is Gus taking the [censored] on his profile) Some other well known ones: Hibberd: Pig Oliver: Clarry Neal-Bullen: Nibbler Kennedy-Harris: Jay Kay

Knowing he was in discussions with Fyfe and Lyon last year places a full stop on this for me. He has had one foot in Freo for some time. That was always suspected but it’s beyond a shadow of a doubt now. He’s a Fremantle player who once played for Melbourne. Good luck to him. Time to move on.

Fair call.

I’m content with the trade but some of the other trades are annoying me. Two first rounders for Beams. Burton (2nd in RS), pick 15 and second rounder for Wingard. Hogan is worth more than either of them. Grass is always greener etc.

Super pumped we’ve got him. We all know what he brings on the field but seems a really down to earth guy off it as well. Obviously as an ex captain he also brings strong leadership qualities and he more than paid his dues at the rabble that is the Gold Coast so he knows how to knuckle down. Another 6 or 7 years of Lever and May marshalling the backline sounds pretty tasty to me.

If it gets us May, KK and an additional useful player then that's a decent outcome. Not amazing. Not disastrous. Decent. I'm partly just glad it's done tbh.

Good god.

Cheers mate

@Wells 11 where was this reported?

I honestly can’t recall as many games being played as has been the case with this trade. It’s unbelievable.

There’s an important distinction between being open to trading Hogan and being desperate to trade him.

What do you mean put up no fight to keep him? Fremantle made an offer and it was rejected. What would you call that? This idea that the club is desperate to rid themselves of Hogan doesn’t seem based on anything but hearsay. Although I understand it fits a (predictably) negative narrative. The club has stated quite clearly that this has move been driven by Jesse himself.

Enterthestuie would’ve been a catchy name. Opportunity missed.

I conned myself into thinking Max was a chance ?

Did you watch the Brownlow? If that’s any standard then two and a half hours will be cutting it fine.

These “off field issues” accusations seem like a crock to me. In his time at the club we’ve seen no public signs of any off field issues affecting his performance or training habits. Outside of injury he’s been a consistent performer. It seems to be a concerted effort to suggest where there’s smoke there’s fire. Literally. We all remember smoking-gate. People losing their collective minds over Hogan smoking a cigarette at a music festival. After his father had recently passed away. A Fremantle muppet on Bigfooty suggested there were links on social media to Hogan “twitching his face off”. The link he provided was the daily mail article which showed Hogan at that same music festival merely dancing and having a good time. It always seems to be mountain out of molehill stuff and it’s no surprise it is currently being driven by media voices in the West, along with flogs like Watson who can’t seem to get past his distaste for Melbourne.

Part of me wants him to go to Gold Coast at the final hour for a mountain of cash just to see the reaction from Freo fans.