Pates

Mitch Clark was a massive bust but also very unlucky, he'd been fairly durable over his career and early indications were very positive until he got an awful injury which royally screwed him physically and then emotionally. I'm another that looks back on the "Kelly Trade" in a mostly positive way, we had short term needs to be filled, got Tyson who made an instant impact and Salem who is a best 22 key player. We've had some very solid pick ups recently years: Melksham, Hibberd, Vince, and Langdon were all relatively cheap but been good recruits. In fact I'd say for the most part on the scale of things we've done reasonably well. Thompson wasn't a trade, we got bent over by Adelaide and they forced our hand. I'm definitely not alone in still feeling a little filthy about how it all went down. I still laugh at the comment his manager made of "he has given the club good service and now he would like to return home", by service of course he meant being injured for most of his time and using his time at the club for development before leaving just as he becomes a good player. ?

Ben Brown is the priority clearly right now and with good reason, I think the comments made about not landing Smith is to prepare for the possibility of us not landing someone to fill that role. Almost all the players mentioned have been tried in that position and failed to make a regular impact. I’d love it to be Hunt that takes that position and makes it his own but he just doesn’t seem to have it in him. I’m on the positive side with Oscar Baker, I think he hasn’t had much opportunity to show his worth yet and while one game is never enough of a sample size to get excited about he did show some good signs against GWS. That said I would personally be keener for us to trade in a mature player who has a proven record in that position, particularly if what Bartlett said was true that internally they want the club pushing into the top 4 next year.

It’s interesting that we’ve ruled out using pick 25, I’m quite happy for us to be keen to go to the draft with it but at the same time I would like a trade for Brown that is low fuss. Going to be interesting to see what our first offer is and what it ends up being.

That’s what I was thinking, no way does Phillips command a top 10 pick. If they can get a pick in the low 20’s that would surely get it done quickly on their end.

I guess if the player gets paid then there isn’t anything about breaching any rules directly but I still feel like the Pies should be answering to the AFL’s integrity unit for some kind of salary cap manipulation that is against the spirit of the game. I mean it’s like buying a Porsche for 80k and only paying off 20,000 for the first few (and it’s best) years then handing it to someone else expecting them to pay the rest when it’s deprecated in value. It’s really wrong and I’m now back on the bandwagon that Treloar should be staying put and the pies should be paying him what THEY promised him.

I'm not arguing their onfield success hasn't been good, of course I'm bloody envious. But many of us bemoan the fact that during the AFL's transition from semi-professional into elite sport we were garbage meant that we missed out on the opportunity to be a bigger and better club. North had that but are still in the position they are where they're fighting to survive, I'm just pointing out that they failed to capitalise when they had their chance, they should be a powerhouse with that success but they aren't.

And the media will say Buckley has “reinvented” TMac as a forward!

Truth is given North’s relative success it actually shows that having success is one piece of the puzzle, being able to capitalise on it is another. Given their 90s they should be a powerhouse. Since 2000 they haven’t had anything to ride home about and been sitting comfortably in mediocrity ever since, unwilling to ever bottom out properly (no choice now). I’m not saying we’ve been any better because we haven’t.

Interesting that the pies are not only keen but are intending to play him as a defender again. It’s a bit of a gamble given he has no form to go on for that position and wasn’t exactly setting the world on fire prior to his forward shift. Still the pies have form with turning Melbourne players into functioning members of their team. TMac for Treloar though seems to be counterproductive to what we’re moving him on for, if the pies pay $100k for Treloar salary would we consider it? Still means they’re essentially paying overs for Tommy. Would’ve thought a straight swap for Phillips would be more on the cards.

I think North fans better get ready for disappointment, they’ve basically made Brown staying at North impossible and they have only one piece of leverage, saying they’ll let him walk (which in their current situation they really don’t want). They’ve just moved on a lot of players, how are they stocked for defenders? Brown for pick 23 and Oscar perhaps?

I just wish him good luck, hindsight is always going to be 20/20 but I think the better thing for Jesse before moving to WA would’ve been us trying to encourage support networks to relocate to Melbourne. Seems like WA hasn’t been a place of comfort for him. Will be interesting to see how he goes at GWS, if he gets his body right that’s step one, step two will be him making a clear effort to stay on the straight and narrow.

Can someone enlighten me on the rules of what happens after an offer gets matched? I understand that it means a trade needs to be facilitated but if it can’t does that mean it defers back to the old model of nominating of the PSD/ND? That the druggies got pick 7 for Daniher and Crouch gets pick 23 tells you all you need to know about how much of a messed up system it is. 100% Adelaide should match, as should GWS. Could be an interesting trade period now that the Saints (and likely the cats) will have to trade for the players they want. Bet you the AFLPA have a cry about their players not being able to get to their clubs of choice easy.

Shout out to Sean Connery, Never Say Never Again. I really hope we aren’t pinning out hopes on Baker though. That’s not to say I don’t like him but I really would like us to push for Phillips.

Just have a piece of gum instead. As for Brown, no news is not bad it’s just things still need to play out. If it’s between us and the bombers then surely they’ll have to pony up extra dough, hopefully we’re selling the better opportunity at finals.

It would be the ultimate irony if both Tom and Jesse went to GWS to reunite their powerful connection from 2018!

Surely the biggest issue with this trade is the Pies salary space is already spread thin. We will likely pony up a portion of his first year but can the Pies squeeze him in?

Bloody cats, hate em!

I’m not unhappy with these deals, Hore gives us backline depth so one year is about right. Spargo is clearly the polarising one though, after his game vs WC this year I honestly wasn’t sure I could see him breaking into the team again. We’ve seen some stinkers over the years but he was just horrendous. But he worked hard, and in a year with no VFL he still managed to do enough to earn his place back and when he did come back he was hardly the worst player in the team. In fact I would imagine he became one of the most efficient. I know Goodwin loves him, and he’s always looking to be damaging and creative in the forward 50. I think two years for a bloke who’s 21 and had a great first season in 2018 during our finals run is not the worst decision we’ve made. I am concerned as to whether that means Hunt maybe pushed out as I still think he has more upside.

His first “miss” in footy against WC summed up his year I think. Some magic, some excitement, but couldn’t finish his work. I’m hoping that another pre-season and a years experience will help him to rectify this issue as he got himself into some great opportunities at goal and had some costly misses (certainly not alone there). Early days.

Toumpas didn't play enough games to tear my hair out because he was too busy being ordinary at VFL level, then when he got to play at AFL level he'd barely touch the ball.

Can't believe I'm saying this but Oscar is way more of an AFL footballer than Toumpas ever was. Probably our worst top 5 pick ever.

If Smith isn't to come to us I'm not going to be overly devastated as long as we have someone else we're chasing to fill in that role, even if they aren't necessarily as good right now. Smith will be the short term solution, I'd see us getting almost 2 top quality years from him and the third almost being a mentorship role. Something frustrating about the cats being the ones to land him that would just make it a little more annoying, I hate losing to them in any way including them managing to entice a player over us.

If someone wanted to sum Frost up in one piece of vision this is it. Great speed and great chase, butchers the kick and I vaguely remember they ended up with a shot on goal anyway.

I mean I get what he's saying but putting ANB and TMac, in there is a bit ridiculous. Firstly both of those two are likely to be elsewhere (TMac in particular if Brown comes), and also both of those have shown very little in the last two seasons to say they would be dangerous. That said if feel like if players get into form seeing Brown at FF, Weid at CHF, Kozzie and Fritta in the FP, then the HFF positions filled by the likes of Jackson, Petracca, Melksham, AvB, Viney, Brayshaw, and Harmes (those last three I want to see some regular rotations through the forward line) gives me hope of us kicking a winning score.

Plus he won't even have to change his commute into training (well H&A season at least). I like the idea of getting him, I think he fits our side perfectly.