Pates

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.

Hard to argue with the OPs main point. I think the thing is OMac should be our first key defender. He's still too midsized, gets monstered by the big forwards with long reach. To be honest he kind of reminds me of Zac Dawson. I think there's potentially a place for him as our 2nd tall defender but both he and Frost aren't big enough to take on the big forwards. Its well summed up that in the other positions we are quite well represented. Jetta and Hibberd are having close to AA years and Hunt continues to do what he does best with his run and dash. But when it comes to balls coming into the 50 for the big forwards I'm always worried. I think we need to look at bringing someone in, obviously Lever appears to be the best option out there.

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.

That was a clutch goal at the end, killed any notion of Port winning. Never thought he'd find his place in the forward line but well done to him.

Disgraceful by those clubs. Both teams with traditionally low drawing numbers, maybe that's why their crowds are looking lower this year. Raising them against GC is absolutely ludicrous. As for us, I'd say we're an interesting position where we have enough fans coming out to get solid enough attendances to our games but are still not smashing it. So the powers that be have obviously decided for a little less revenue it's better the keep the fans coming out happy. That said maybe next year a cheeky extra $2 on each ticket except children's tickets for Queens birthday would give us another $50k-100k, it would be tempting. For that matter we'll also have the ANZAC eve match. But for all that I do say, keep tickets affordable. It's one of the best things about our great game that most people are able to go.

I know what you mean. When he went off the first time and I saw him grimace I thought, "he's been huge but if he's in pain you know it's bad". Then he came on and was big but restricted, then he went down to the rooms and with no coincidence we faded. I thought, "even with him being on he will be something of an inspiration, but realistically he won't won't be on his game" I was so wrong. I was a kid when Todd played and he was the first Melbourne player I remember thinking, this guy is indestructible. Jack has taken the Viney name to another level, and he was massive. I get this feeling that there would've been a lot of people feeling proud; his dad, Goody, Roosy, and players/coaches that were with him at the beginning like David Rodan. Nothing was going to stop him.

So we keep ticking them off, as someone said earlier in this thread we hadn't won at Traeger Park before and that's gone. But next week comes a very big one that I'd really love to see us break. Winning in Perth! Round 1 2004 was our last victory in Perth, let's knock this one out!

Hasn't put a foot wrong all year, one of the best recruits I've seen since following the Dees.

Respect. Best game I've seen from him, only one "McDonald" kick for the day. Everything else was spot on.

I was happy but cautious about us getting Hibberd, there was always that unknown after the year off as to how he would go. He would have to be up the pointy end of our B&F count, he hasn't put a foot wrong and again was a calm head down back. As many have said, Watts gets the plaudits (rightfully so it was a clutch goal) but it would never had happened without Hibberds desperate spoil. One of the recruits of the year for any team.

I'll put my hand up one that was less than impressed by OMacs decision making and disposal in the first quarter and I don't think I'm guilty of anything there, there were three passages of play I can remember that just simply weren't good enough. But credit to him, he shook it off and had a very good game after that (under injury duress apparently). His grubby kick to Harmes at the end was very clever and exactly the right decision, which shows he may develop more poise in the future as the heat was never higher than that moment.

Why'd they have to choose the goal against us after the siren first up?! I was shattered when he left, him winning the game against us with a kick after the siren was just the dagger in the heart! But they definitely got the rest right. He was the wizard at Melbourne but Jeffery Farmer at Freo. His 9 goals in one half springs to mind first for me, but 8 goals in a prelim is phenomenal. There are very few who could say they have done that. I was at the game but still in the corridors when he took that amazing mark, he was totally robbed of MOTY but he got GOTY for that run against the Hawks. I think back then you got a car for both so they couldn't give him both!

He's yet to have a game that he takes by the scruff and destroys a team. It'll happen, hopefully against Fremantle. But he does enough for me to suggest he will be an absolute gun for us. Brayshaw I feel could have a bit of Salem's luck about him. We were patient with him and it's starting to pay off, Brayshaw has it in him and I see him being a valuable mid for us in the future.

Really I thought the highest we ever got under Roos was 9th, always just missing out on the 8.