Pates

Normally this is true and he's got a very accurate long kick, but boy there were some shanks on the weekend. Don't get me wrong he was fantastic for us, and he was a key part of our third term destruction of the dogs, but that one that came off the side of the boot and went out would've made Simon Godfrey himself blush! Loving seeing Gus play great footy, gives me a warm fuzzy feeling every time I see him singing the song. He's done it the hard way, and boy he deserves it.

Jeez the wording in the title was really similar to the Jack Viney thread, I was worried he'd turned up on Monday complaining of a sore shoulder and being put into surgery or something! In terms of him leaving us to go back to Perth I wouldn't put any credibility on Harvey's word, he's not a former player turned reporter with his "ear to the ground" he's just giving his opinion which is based off other opinions. All reports say he's very happy in Melbourne and honestly if he didn't go back to Perth after everything that happened last year I feel like he'll be less inclined as the years go on. He also looks like he's enjoying his footy at the moment (why wouldn't you when you're hird on the Coleman medal), which to me seems a bit different from his last couple of years. Last year his head was obviously not in it, understandably so. Remember everyone said it was a foregone conclusion that Pavlich would return to Melbourne.

I mostly agree with with, but he took his eyes off the ball and looked at his opponent for a moment. The players know that if they do that they run the risk of giving away a free kick. He needed to disguise it more.

I definitely feel like he should be dropped, that passage play where he gave away the 50m penalty is not good enough from a leader and it's massive momentum killer. I think should we still make the finals like we all hope he will be a very important player for us, but for there here and now that kind of behaviour must be addressed as simply unacceptable. I would also add that if it was a one time affair then I'd let it slide but in the two years he's been a Demon he's done it more times than I can think of than any other player and it has cost us at times.

You'd struggle to find a better first 50 games from any player to pull on the red and blue let alone the competition. The kid will be a genuine superstar.

Unbelievably I agree, Petracca still flashes in and out of games whereas Gus played 4 quarters yesterday. Petracca has more upside and if he can pull everything together could become one of the premier players in the comp but right now it’s not happening. Gus is playing where he always needed to play, in the guys getting the ball tapped down his throat. Half back/forward was never going to work.

Back to what we know he could do. He needed confidence in himself and these games will do him (and us) a world of good.

Oscar has been flying under the AFLnradar this year but for the most part he’s been very good. He looks more confident in his ability to take marks (similar to how big bro developed) and more incredibly his field kick is much better. I still have kittens when he looks around for kicks but he’s more poised now and is making better decisions. If our defenders start to improve their communication with one another we will look much more solid down there.

Not in my list of people to be dropped, thought he was ok without being amazing. He’s got skills in him and did some good things.

He was very far from our worst, when he got the ball he did some good things. ANB and a few others in front to be dropped IMO.

FWIW this topic wasn’t designed to create a new whipping boy thread. I liked what I saw from him at the back end of 2016 and I can see talent in him. I just find it strange that a high draft pick entering his 3rd year had such little written about him. He may just be someone we have to be patient with, but with TMac our I hope he views this as an opportunity to find his way back in the team.

So with TMac out until rounds 6-8 (at best given no match fitness) it means there is an opportunity for someone to step up into the forward line. Weideman showed a lot of promise at the end of 2016 but 2017 proved to be difficult for him and was arguably played when he shouldn’t have. I’ve heard a lot about plenty of other players but I’ve heard next to nothing about Weids. He was a high draft pick and showed some promise in his debut, I hope the coaches are telling him to work his ass off to aim to force himself into the side.

Like the look of him, seems to have really good balance and likes to take the game on (fits our style). Also appears to be a competitor, with some of those tackles in the video, but best of all his body will be ready for the rigours of AFL life already. Welcome Oskar! (Side note, the pic of Chewbacca next to him made me laugh so much. I'd love for his nickname to be Chewy shortened from Chewbaker!)

It’s clear the club wanted to get this deal done and wanted to maintain the perception of being a good club to deal with. Personally I think we’ve paid a bit over for him but our defence had some serious issues this year and Jake can help with that. Will be interesting to see where players are shuffled to once he’s in the line up, does this free up TMac to move forward? Anyway, welcome to the club Jake!

Agreed, I know it’s his instinct to stick up for his son but what’s done is done. Adelaide have chosen to act like petulant idiots, let’s move on to the real business.

Adelaide fans retort to that is that Dangermouse was a free agent the following year so they didn’t have leverage to demand more. The crows have proven themselves to be the most petulant, unprofessional club with dealing with this issue. I have a bad feeling this will drag for almost the entire trade week. I really do think our offer of picks 10 + 27 is fair however if we are able to trade to a lower second round pick I’d be happy to give that instead of 27. This is a guy that they lowballed from that start and then didn’t even poll in their top ten B&F. How they can claim two first rounders is mind boggling.

I feel like Lever is the straw that broke the camels back, Adelaide seem like they’re losing quite a few players to interstate clubs and Lever is an easy target to get angry with because he’s a young up and comer and he is choosing us specifically. Scott Thompson’s defection to Adelaide stung me for quite a while, almost more than the likes of Scully and Farmer. We always knew he was going to be a gun and he was injury riddled at our club but we stuck fat and helped him through it. I still remember his management saying “he’s given good loyal service to the MFC” and I just thought, pull the other one! This will sting for the Crows, and all I can say to them is suffer in your jocks!

I gotta say, I'm actually getting a little bit of pleasure out of how the Crows/Adelaide media are throwing the toys out of the crib on this. Seriously how much more pathetic can they get with it? I will acknowledge this though, they've had some good players leave them recently to "go home" and it appears they will be losing two more in Lever and Cameron. But they opened the door for this situation by trying to pay such unders to Lever in the first place, Lever may have burnt the bridge but they poured out the gasoline. I still feel like Pick 10 and 27 is fair, maybe we can try to upgrade the second round pick or add a sweatener to it.

I haven’t been afraid to point that out many times that crows fans have been keen to call him a sook and and mercenary. Seems they’re quite happy to accept one but not so happy about it going the other way. Funny that.

Interesting reading that bit about what Dangermouse went for, certainly puts things in perspective. Maybe our first round pick plus a sweetener like Kent or upgrading future picks will be enough. If we were to give up either Watts or Salem in the deal you'd hope we would get something back for them as well. Lever isn't worth a first round pick plus a best 22 player (anyone that thinks either of those two aren't are kidding themselves).

I feel like it could be one of those big complicated deals if it goes through as hoped. The Crows are in a premiership window so picks aren't aren't as important, could see a 3/4 way deal that sees the Crows receive a player as well as our pick 10 and we get Lever plus a pick/player. Who really knows though.

Still only a youngster so before we proclaim him a future gun pick up let's just see how he develops. (Having said that some of my earliest and best memories of AFL are watching the Wiz electrify the MCG!)

I hoped he would be valuable but I didn't expect it to be in the role he's in, on that score he's been a real surprise packet. I was thinking he could be valuable rotating through the wing and half back line, but he's been bobbing up for goals quite regularly. We've managed to find multiple avenues to goal, that is massive for us.

But wait I thought he was certain to be a demon! Didn't his body language clearly state he wanted to play with his brother? Just having a laugh, knowing how loyal Nathan it's hardly surprising to find out his younger brother is the same.

What do we give up for Zac? What's his worth to the team? There is a definite romantic idea of him playing with his brother, particularly given Nathan is coming towards the twilight of his career.