Dee-licious

Interesting how the signings have gone in the offseason. Maybe they are all done in batches and we are just announcing one by one, but in October Smith signed for 1 year (2 October) Petty and Sparrow for 2 years (2 October) Fritch for 2 years (5 Oct) Rivers for 3 years (5 Oct) Viney 5 years (7 Oct) Hibberd 1 year (27 Oct) Jones 1 year (28 Oct) Hore 1 year (29 Oct) Spargo 2 years (29 Oct) I'd assume that Jordan, Nietchke, and Bedford are waiting on list size announcements (could imagine 1 or 2 could be rookied if need be) and Hunt is anybody's guess right now.

You can go back and look at his posts, and yes he is pretty good with his intel. Plus - he is part of a "group" of about 3-4 posters who seem to get the same information at the same time. So either he is very good at reading tea leaves, or he has a What's App group with people at the MFC.

My understanding is that you then get access to the doctors, services, support etc. from the AFL and football club. It is a right thing to do, rather than the smart thing to do by the sounds of it. But everything is speculative.

With The Age you can go in an incognito window and copy and paste the link and it usually comes up. But the gist is what Lord Nev told us last week - he met virtually with the dees and we are asking for a medical.

Agree - Especially at that stage of his life, he needs to make sure that Melbourne fit him and his family. Think back to May talking about Melksham's kid running around in the hub. If he feels supported and that his child (they were meant to have twins) can spend the first few years of their life in this environment as well, will be important factors. I think that football wise he fits at the club for all the reasons discussed, he is the right age for our list as well, and we have the picks/players to get him. The question is culture, and if he and we believe this is the place for him to finish his career. Lewis thought so, Landgon thought so, Tomlinson thought so. I hope that Brown does as well.

Always liked Hamish - hope he comes back to Melbourne to continue his studies and play for Casey and see what happens.

I think you make a really good point @Axis of Bob - what I loved about 2017 Jayden was his defensive work - getting to contests he had no right getting to, being a 3rd man up, run down tackles, and then rebounding off half back. I dont see any of that with him playing forward. I think he has abilities that are different from the rest of our team, but I feel they are lost in the forward line. Wherever he is next year, I'm looking forward to watching him.

I think it might have been sexual and nothing to do with May…

Booooo! I love that you went early with it! I'm just waiting for the table that has Saad, Polec, Hogan, Brown, Smith, Merrett, (who else am I missing) in it :) I do love the rumour mill in the off season. And thank you for all the work you do putting this table together each year. This is the first place I go to (over FootyWire) as it is always accurate and clear!

See, I'd argue that opposite. We could have easily rolled over and given Smith a 2 year contract as is pretty standard. Instead, it seems we've questioned if he will be in our best 40 in 2 years time and only offered him a 1 year contract (or Smith didnt like what we offered in the second year). I'm happy that he is signed up so we have someone to play key back if someone gets injured, but is not signed on for a second year if he becomes surplus to needs. Lists are incredibly hard, and we dont have all the information at the moment. I acknowledge that it feels like some of these decisions are mind-boggling, but I think it would be tough to find a better replacement for Smith as a key back, on the money he is on, with the picks we have, and our list demographic. I hope Smith makes it, I'm not confident he will, but I am glad that we have someone there if May/Lever goes down.

Saw the Viney line as well and loved it!

The one that really stood out for me was the lack of Polec in the North list as he was top 3 for them last year (see link below). His work rate clearly feel off a cliff this year. Good to see that Brown's didn't. For us, Salem was up there last year as well. He is a good endurance runner and still for the life of me I dont know why we dont have him start on a wing. Also Jesse again with the running! Come back to the G and you can run all day with Langdon. https://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/249819/tracker-each-clubs-running-machines

Take it and run. Salary swap Polec for T Mac - makes our side better straight away. We've seen how our side looks better this year with a few additions (May (for reals this time), Kozzie, Langdon); those two would make our side better, or at worst, Casey better.

Jack Viney - 3rd in the B&F (2020); 3rd in the B&F (2019); 17th in B&F (2018; 10 games); 2nd in B&F (2017); 1st in B&F (2016); 2nd in B&F (2015); 2014 (11th; ); 2013 - best first year player (14th; 13 games). 8 seasons, 5 top 3 finishes. Yeah, I'm ok with Jack playing another 5 years with the Demons.....

It is funny because it is legitimately true. Erin Phillips would be the best in for them this week (probably for us too...)

6. Trac - Just looked composed, controlled, and brownlow-esc. 5. Gawn - I thought that he didn't look dominant after quarter 1, but still huge around the ground. 4. Oliver - Very confusing why Cripps is talking about as a star and Oliver is not in the same conversation. 3. Langdon - Last quarter was huge - was as important to the win as anyone else. 2. Hunt - The runs back to the goal square - we are better with him in the side playing well. 1. Rivers - I know he wasnt best 6, but love that we are giving him love.

It’s been said many times - you can throw a blanket over 3-14 in this draft. For example Jackson and McAsey(?) now being touted top 5 when 3-4 weeks ago they were 10 and 11. The drop down doesn’t really matter. We will get 3 potential players and then it’s up to them and us to make them great players. statistcialy the top 10 go on to make it and then goes down from there. A pick at 28 isn’t bad considering that Pickett has only shot up in conversations as we and the dogs liked him. Really could be there at 28 and 4 weeks ago 28 would have been a stretch for him (30-50 range)

Here here

Harmes is being moved to half back (why I don’t know) and I assume Jones will play less time as an inside mid. I just assumed that Sparrow will play a few games this year and ‘replace’ Jones in 2021 when we win the flag.

On Jordan - not to derail - but he is 2 months older than Noah Anderson and 1 month older than Tom Green (pick 2 and 3ish from this year). You have to think another year in the under 18s and he would have been taken a little higher than 33.

For me it is watching him live / online videos. Generally he is running full speed and trying to kick it 40m to a pack or 1 on 1 - it is up and under and generally in the right area but not on the chest. I don’t recall any footage of him stopping and kicking a stab pass or hitting a guy on the lead. Then again - those sorts of plays don’t really cut it as highlights when you can burst away from 5 blokes and send it 40m. Happy to have him in the red and blue.

I was really impressed each time I saw him play. Uses the football really well and has speed, both things that we dont have a lot of at the Dees. My only issue is that he would have one great quarter and then go missing for 3. I'm holding out hope that another year in the 2's with 1-2 games at senior level will set him up for a good 2021. I don't think we need him next year, but will be a good replacement for Hibbard down the line.

Id assume Browne hasn’t put 2 and 2 together. I’m sure both us and stkilda are keen - like we are both keen to ‘split our picks’ to have 2 mid-first round picks. A pick 15 wouldn’t be too high for Weightman if he tests well at the combine.

Agree both of them highly valuable for what we need. If we can get an early 20s back then Williams would complement them both nicely. Also on the Tomlinson rumour - he met with Goody mid season and my understanding is his management is talking to the Dees at the moment (well last week) about what the contract would look like if he decides to move.

Article on the AFL website with some insight here. Apparently ANB, J Wagner, Smith, KK, Baker all signed for next year.