nutbean

Trades come up before the draft ( call me Captain obvious). Unless there was a specific player who really wanted out of his club and was open to coming to the Dees - for example - Travis Cloke entertained going to Essendon two years ago - (how nicely would he fit in) I wouldnt be trading like Collingwood have done. I dont think we are in the window like the Pies and Dogs to trade as they have but never say never

I think that nearly all other stats can be discarded with contested possessions and tackles always being the two KPI's I look at and to my mind the true indicator of how hard the team is working ( this can be a little deceptive when you walk over a team quickly - a no contest. What I did find interesting is that there was a huge disparity in the tackle stats that went up on the scoreboard on Sunday as opposed to what i was seeing on AFL. livescoreboard

I think that most coaches have to make hard calls but it is interesting to hear how scathing Bradshaw has been over Voss's handling of his situation. Maybe Voss doesn't handle the hard calls or difficult conversations as well as other coaches. I have no insight if Rischitelli would have switched to GC17 for the same money as the Lions offered ( re your fall out comment) but the article does suggest there was a lot more money offered for him to move. Probably the only one who didnt move for big money was Josh Fraser who was happy just to get a lifeline.

I was on the members wing when he backed back to make a spoil knowing he was possibly going to cop hard body contact and did a great job in getting it over the boundary line. My main beef is that he did some really good contested work and a couple of other times I thought he could have gone harder. I am still in the "give him more time" camp - 21 with a body and football brain that is still developing.

Did Rischitelli take smaller $'s to go to GC17 than was offered by the Lions ? I wasnt aware of that. Certainly Campbell Brown was most unhappy about being put up for trade by the Hawks the year before but he did say that he was offered significantly more money to go GC17 Edit - I know I am guilty of quoting they very refuse who i have constantly been saying to others to take no notice of HOWEVER ( lol) Courier mail september 10, 2010 "Bottom line is he was made a fairytale offer by the Gold Coast after being put up as trade bait by the Lions last year and decided to leave. As much as all the boys at the Lions desperately wanted to keep him we understand sometimes this happens. A lot of AFL players would have been tempted by the big money offer. He's only human. It's always a factor in any contract decision."

you had me right up until "but the longer the whole thing plays out the more likley it is that money is a major factor for him." Last August we were told what timetable he would like to work to - nothing has changed. Nothing is going on longer......

I think we need to call a spade a spade - anyone who leaves their club to go to GC17 or GWS does not rate their old club better or worse - they have rated the pay packet at the new clubs a whooolllleee lot better. Ablett can talk about lifestyle, acheiving everything, a new start at an exciting club but the bottom line is, had the pay packet not been substantially better from GC17 he never would have moved.

I said it with Jack Watts and I'll say it with Cale - when he gets to 23/24 and is still showing worrying signs then i will moan - but he is in development mode. Let him develop

Actually I thought he has taken some nice one on one marks this year - one of his redeeming features and has rarely been outmarked. On the downside - there have been a few marking contests that he hasnt got to where i think he should have - not quite committed enough to jump when he should have - for instance the Leroy Brown goal square mark last week

I heard from a reliable source that Tom is half brother of Steven Wright and Elliot Goblet. When we have to start relying on how he sings ther club song as an indicator to whether he is staying or going we are really scratching. A perfect example is Gary Ablett singing the club song - look how excited he is and look how that turned out ( Gary is obviously the bald one !)

This says it all. I guess he is as frustrating as our club - there is too wide a gap between his best efforts ( sublime) and his worst efforts ( ugggh)

The folly of "going early". Watts is still not there yet but his progress does show that you just have to give tall skinny key position players time to develop and mature. And Hurley, Cook, Watts, Darling and Butcher will all do it at different rates. Lets have the discussion re Hurley vs Watts ( although comparing players after the fact is a pointless exercise) when they are both 23

By your logic it is obvious the Gary Ablett Jnr rates GC17 as a better prospect than Geelong. Can you see any flaws in your logic ?

after malthouses article how its a disgrace that we can lose scully and then he goes to Collingwood ? hmmmm

i think with more experience and game time it will settle - have a look at Judd's footskills - he has his fair share of clangers too

I hope NikNat is the most brilliant ruckman of his generation and he has approximately 4 bad games a year - all against us including the grand final. I have so little interest in comparing him to Jack Watts - I only have interest in seeing Watts continue to develop like he is doing.

I swear to god if this thread doesnt get to 2000 posts I am going to tear up my membership ( always wanted to get soo passionate about something to do with the club that i threaten to tear up my membership NOT)

never a truer word spoken

I dont think he even needs to be labelled a brilliant bastard - the situation/rules make this game pretty easy to play - all you need to do is point to G Ablett last year. If you take him at face value , he was less than enamoured with Thompson and his behaviour about him possibly leaving the club and this was part of reason for leaving. The rumours about Ablett and their handling of the situation allowed the situation to degenerate down at Geelong. I'm with you rpfc - dont buy into it.

Are you suggesting they are not ? There is only one game in town for out of contract players at seasons end and it is called GWS. Throw your money laden net out far enough and you are sure to catch fish. The only given is that GWS is talking and the talk would not be restricted to player managers.

it won't be m.......ahhhh...eeeekkk...arggggggg( medic !)

Wow ! Must have been at a different game - we thought the exact opposite - You want your player running at the ball to take the grab as it is an easier mark than running back with the flight - whilst i dont know, I would hope the Green would have called out "Mine Tom" - since no-one was knocked out i would hazard a guess that a call was made ? Straight out of the under 12 coaching manual - very dangerous calling someone back with the flight of ball - right decision and right outcome - wrong post

And therein lies the gulf that exists between our posters - I am as emotional as any when it comes to my Demons - but I will not divorce myself from realities and fact. The cold fact for players is that for the players the team does comes first on match days and training and the sacrifices that must be made for a win and to secure the ultimate prize but players have a finite career and will put themselves first when assessing their contracts IF they are in a position to do so. The club (s) absolutely understand this fact and will act as it will with Warnock, Maric and Bailey (who have very little control over their contract negotiations) but have to take a different approach as they have ( and did in the past) with Scully, Green, Davey and Bruce because they are in the forutnate position of being in demand and are able to set the agenda. All clubs suffer from this same problem when it comes to the difference in negotiating with the 1st player on their list and the 44th. So supporters are emotional, whilst the club and players, when it comes to contract negotiation, in the main, just arent.

Yes - signal his intent - like Gary Ablett did, like Campbell Brown did and like Chris Tarrant did. Talk is cheap. I take everything players say about their undying love for the club with a grain of salt. You mention Jack Trengove as our beacon - all he has done is sign a 3 year deal and we have no insight if Scully was offered the same and rejected it. JT has professed his desire to be one club player and Scully did the same. I have no reason to believe JT will go anywhere but he is sure to be offered the dollars next year by GWS - lets see how he plays it.