Grandson of a gun

Could it be that Melbourne know that Bruce is going. And that their compensation is likely to be a second round pick and therefore that is why they are happy to give up their original second round pick for Hale???

With the change in the interchange rules, i think someone like Hale could be very important to Melbourne as he would be a far better forward/ruck relief option for Jamar than Spencer, PJ or Newton have or will be.

Keep Warnock. Can't believe you people would think anything else. Open your eyes. Who comes in if there is an injury? Martin? This bloke is still very much a required player. And he may well be back in the best 22 next year. Have a look at Collingwood and Geelong. You need list depth to be a premiership team. That's why it is imperative that he stays. Wish people would actually look at the big picture instead of looking for someone to trade.

Great to see. I always wanted him to stay and think it is the right move. As for the other 4 signings. More positive steps for the Dees. Keep building and working hard boys.

Actually like the rule. It will hopefully eliminate some of this horrible congested footy we see. Will also play into the hands of blokes like scully who can run for days instead of needing constant rotations. And yes i agree that it will turn the clocks back towards the forward/ruck option. Hence the value of the Hale trade. He will be more useful as a forward than Spencer or PJ have or will ever be. It will then allow us to continue a primarily midfield rotation.

Think you're missing the point. Have a look at the big picture. If they do trade for him, it is with a short term view to allow the long term development and improvement of our other young players instead of having to rush them and risk injuries, burnout etc. A 7 foot bloke in the forward line still commands a decent backman from the opposition which in turn means that Watts, Jurrah, Petterd, Green and co can hopefully get the lesser defenders and therefore become more dangerous. It also allows Gawn, Fitzy, Spencer time to develop and build their bodies and game time at Casey instead of being thrown to the lions because we have a lack of other options. I trust the FD in whatever decision they make.

As i mentioned in another topic, i am slowly coming around on this idea if we can secure him in a trade along the lines of a direct swap for Maric or Maric and a late pick. Theoretically, if we do get him it will be as a forward who pinch hits in the ruck so Jamar can rest. He only needs to kick 25-35 goals to be effective. Moreso, it is the overall balance in the forward line that he might help with. Consider that if Hale is the full forward, his height alone commands one of the better tall defenders and if he kicks a couple of goals every game, he may start to command the best defender. This means that in turn Watts, Jurrah, Green, Petterd get the 2nd, 3rd, 4th defenders and can start to run riot. As i said, i am coming around on the idea more as a team balance and development factor than anything else as long as the price isn't too much to pay to get him.

Yeah he could be a handy pick-up however i don't think the Tiges would let him go given his late season form. This i agree with. Hale is in a similar boat to Maric in that he got bugger all time in the AFL this year so his currency has slipped somewhat. Of course North have to 'want' Maric but with a lack of small crumbing forwards and Boomer at the back end of his career they may be interested. I have come around on the idea of taking Hale as long as we don't give up too much. Having him as a long forward target, pinch-hitting in the ruck could be really good for our other forwards because he would almost certainly have to command the opposition number 1 defender, leaving the likes of Watts, Jurrah, Petterd and Green to run riot! It also gives Gawn and Fitzpatrick time to develop. Means we can get rid of PJ and use Spencer as the interim back-up should we cop an injury to Jamar or Hale. So Maric and 3rd round pick to North for Hale. Demons then somehow try to secure another pick. The draft is said to run pretty deep for a while with talent and i am still keen on drafting for success for another year or two. I also think that Harrington's comments on the MFC website about trading for specific needs in trade week will extend to the draft as he made the comment that "We also need to find out about our own list in the next 12 months - we found this year we had a breadth of midfielders, which was really pleasing and a defence that settled pretty nicely,” he said. Use our first pick in the ND on either a tall forward or a half back flanker with elite kicking and a big tank. Use the second pick on whatever we don't take with the third. Pick up perhaps one or two more kids in the draft anduse the last two to upgrade Spencer and McKenzie.

If we can secure a trade for him then i will be happy. If he stays on the list it will be for only one more year short of something Barlowish. Too many blokes ahead of him.

I am not ashamed to admit my massive man-crush on this bloke! Get his hammer and tack right and the competition will see just how good this kid is in 2011.

How can anyone even say it is a GOOD idea? Seriously, what drugs are you on. He has the best build in the AFL and for 3 and a bit years has played in the best team in the AFL having the ball spoon fed to him and being given licence to go anywhere and he is still crap. 22 or not, the bloke cannot play. He has been given free reign and time to develop and he is still nothing more than an average VFL player. Imagine how horrible he would be made to look if he got the opposition number 1 defender instead of number 3 or 4. Lake, Fletcher, Presti, Chip, Gilbert, Grundy and co would be licking their lips at playing on a bloke like this. He can't get a kick playing in the ruck. He can't take a contested mark. He can't kick. He has no ticker. HE IS A DUD. Surely anyone with half a football brain can see. Thank god the MFC football department have more common sense than some people round here.

Good. Will end the nonsense.

That was amazing. Had me shedding tears. What a man he is and what a journey he is taking. If ever the higher powers (if there is/are ones) need to shine down on a good guy, it is time they shine down on Big Jim. He has galvanised this footy club and given us all hope and a vision of a bright and successful future. I hope now for the sake of he and his family all his good hard work is repaid in full in his recovery. Keep fighting big fella, we're all here fighting with you.

It will be the great balancing act this pre season. Getting him fitter but getting him stronger. At this stage i would lean to more of a strength orientated program (core strength especially). Can't wait for 2-3 years of this kid developing and watching him tear the competition a new one when he is at the ripe old age of 22!!!!

Seriously don't want to lose him in the short term. His hardness at the pill and desire to continually smash into packs for the hard ball are what we need over the 2-3 years it will take to put decent bodies onto the likes of Scully, Trengove, McKenzie, Gysberts, Tapscott, Blease etc. If we lose him we will get smashed at the stoppages more next year and everyone will be bleeding about him going. Still has value and at a crucial age where he can hopefully really take another step up this year as he will be looked up to by the younger guys.

Not overly fussed about this bloke. There's a reason he couldn't get a game at North and the fact he couldn't after Petrie went down again is concerning. He could be worth a punt however what we would have to give up is the big question. He isn't worth a first round pick. He is probably a late second round and a player maybe but what players do we realistically have that north want or need and that we would be willing to give up (especially in light of today's signings announcement)? Summing everything up i'd probably just say no.

100% Agreed. With Petterd, Jurrah, Watts, Bate, Dunn already in the team as lead up players, why on earth would we want this bloke??? End of discussion.

In Bailey's interview on SEN today he again highlighted the clubs desire for a tall, strong, stay at home forward. This is a fair indication of what they are looking for through the draft i would have thought (or by trade).

Won't be an issue as most of those will be locked away nice and early. The list management guys have been great the last couple of years and i have complete faith in their decision making and contracts.

They will draft say 3 new players with their first 3 picks. Use the next two to do rookie upgrades and then pass on the rest. What he said!

No. And No.

Ha. Once again people spewing out deluded ideas that we can offer up basically nothing in return for something. Talk, about trying to sell ice to eskimos. Get real. I would bank on very little trading or upgrading from Melbourne this year. I think the FD now wants to put time and games into the players we have to see who will make it and who will not. They will upgrade McKenzie and Spencer. Delist a couple and draft in maybe 3 more. Short of being offered something ridiculous for the like of Warnock or Jones (and i don't want either to go at this stage) then trade week will be pretty boring from an MFC perspective.

Those same people calling for him to be traded are the same people that bleat about our midfield being constantly outmuscled and beaten at the contests and clearances. Whilst he may not be in the best 22 down the track, until we get 2 or 3 pre-seasons into Scully, Trengove, Gysberts, McKenzie, Blease et al, then we need players with his size and strength still.

Again nothing that looked great in the highlights. But a bit taller than Darling and again could be worth a punt a bit later in the draft.

My thoughts exactly. +1 Not bad but not great either. Plus questions on work ethic are never good.