GOLF

All they need to do is make a rule forbidding Phat Phathers to make "binding agreementrs" before the season is over - that will avoid any Scully disgraces in future. Now all we need is something to deal with the Abletts. Perhaps they could recruit a piper dressed in motley?

Well I guess the staff are required and sporting media count as disabled above the neck.

Interesting theory re Blease & Morton. Who are they capable of replacing, and are there rumours about any of them? Can't see it being a tall or an inside mid, so are there two possible outside mid/flankers under a cloud?

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Not explicitly. If any leave, they are just like a delisting, or a trade for picks if we get compensation. Anyway, can you see any on our list who we would not try hard to keep?

Quantify before we speculate would be a good rule. If we don't want to use picks higher that 42 in the draft, that gives us 5 new players (including Jack Viney) plus any rookie promotions we want to do. That's the number we can be comfortable about delisting. Any other changes will have to come by trading for players or picks, and not using our picks 42 and earlier in those trades unless some oppotunity too good to refuse is presented. So delist 5 plus the number of rookie promotions. Then look at what is left in the bait bucket for trades.

Do you really think Brian Royal is looking competent as midfield coach?

How many games exactly did Clark play at FF for Brizzie? Lots of the 82 were as a ruck. He turns 25 this year. How about we leave him at FF and see if he learns. Or if our midfield learn how to deliver to him. Or if some other forward learns how (Howe?) to present to take some defensive heat off him.

Before you get rid of our midfield players and start your wet dreams about who we can recruit, let's get a real midfield coach. Royal must go. Find someone to replace him.

30 posts and no-one has noticed that we may be able to get a limited free agent this year. Try looking at experienced smalls that have been at their clube 8 years or more, and are coming out of contract.

Rule 1 of trading: if your target is any good you won't get him by offering our rubish. At this stage we should not really be trying to trade to fill gaps. We don't know exactly where our gaps are. Our window opens at earliest 2013, and that's when we should be looking to trade in players. There is only one trade we should be looking at this year: can we get one of GWS's 17yo trade cards, and use it to tie in Jack Viney? If the price is right, that would free up our first round pick in the 2012 draft. So what have we got that GWS want? And no, this is not another Scully post. GWS will be loaded up on young talent after the draft, but will need some senior players to protect the young and provide a structure around them. They can't afford for all these to be marquee players. For a 17yo card, which they have to trade anyway, they may well accept the likes of Warnock and Bate. Reasonably competent bodies who can be moved on when the 2011 vintage of draftees are ready to rock and roll. Worth a try if anyone can stomach the thought of dealing with Sheedy. And if you want a big gorilla forward, there is this bloke playing as Casey who may well go into the draft this year.

If Newton could bag five on average in the VFL we might expect an average of two in AFL. That would be good enough to pick him in the seniors. So let him get 5 three weeks in a row in VFL, or average 5 per game over 5-6 weeks, and then consider him.

He's been playing footy for a number of years now. The environment of a footy club does not seem to be what he needs. Seems to have led him on a downward path. He should get out of footy, and the footy club environment, for at least a year.

Lots of love for Bartram on this thread. Take a moment and re-read the TS Injury thread, and them remember Bartram's second year at the dees.

How good would he have been if fully fit?

Trapper. But you might be too young to remember.

Newton has played 24 games for 30 goals. Thats 1.25 per game, or 27 for a full H&A. Not good enough to warrant playing as a forward. He has to get this up to 2 per game (44 per season) or even 2.5, to get a regular run. But bear in mind that he is only 23 (24 on April 27) and is 193cm (talls take longer ...) so they might see he should be given 1 last chance. His objectives should be to average 5 per game at Casey, and at least 2 per game if elevated. Hopefully if they do elevate him he will be given a reasonable run of games. (Note: Miller had 133 games for 89 goals. That's less than one per) Forget his soi-disant "rucking". He's 193 cm. Just imagine him up against Sandilands. And forget defending. One game down back on the end of season trip when nobody was trying much is slim credentials indeed. He either makes it as a forward or dies. And who else to promote? Campbell as frequently noted was picked as insurance for Jamar. You don't push up a young rookie unless (a la McKenzie) he is showing loads. Only other choice realistically was Tom McMamara. Any takers?

It's London to a brick that GWS approached Scully's management, who would have said "We'll wait and see how things are at year end with the new salary cap deal", and then didn't bother to tell Tom about the approach. Thus GWS aren't the fools we may think, but TS wasn't lying because he knew nothing about any approach to his management. Posters may complain that this scenario puts player managers in a bad light, as devious, money grubbers with no principles whatsoever, but I can live with such complaints.

You may have missed one essential point - the ridiculous contract figures being paid have set a benchmark for Vlad's salary to exceed. He is now pulling in more that Ablett. So the second word of any response from the AFL is likely to be "off".

So the three things are: 1. We wont get a flag or top 4 in 2011, but should make the 8. 2. We should aim for top 4 in 2012, and GF in 2013. 3. Put those last two dates back a year if Scully goes to GWS.

If he is likely to get benefit from playing in a VFL side he could try one of the ones without an AFL attachment. Or maybe GWS. But at age 30, is this a serious proposition?

GC got a lot of good young talent in the draft. This good young talent, in their first year, will probably play like most good young talent does in their first year - enthusiastic start, slowing down midseason, injuries and that famous military man visiting in the last half. Older, tougher, heavier sides will push them around. They may not be bottom this year, but they will be in the bottom 4. In 2012 they will have some suffering from 2nd year blues. That's when we will start seeing if McKenna can coach. Might get out of bottom 4 if most things go right for them. In 2013 they should be settling into it. Top 8 finish? Maybe, but no guarantee. They look to be 2 or 3 years behind us in building. 2 years behind if we lose Scully, 3 years behind if we keep him.

Might still be some winners yet if players wise up and drop tricky ricky as their manager.

Win more quarters than we lose.

And .......action!