PaulR

That article has KK as “195 cm” ...?!

With Tommy and Weide playing good big forward finals footy and with our strength and size issues down back, rebalancing our list with Hogan for May is a big strategic win. Could well be the final piece. And we kept Vanders..! Winners wont be clear till well into next season, and I’m backing that we’ve nailed it.

Glad the circus that was “will Hogan stay or go” has moved on, was over it and we need all players at the MFC 100% on board in 2019 if we,re going to have a serious tilt at glory. Go Demons.

If it increases our chances of a flag (which I believe it does), then it was a good trade...

If this year is done and Jessie doesn’t sign an extension (ie likely to leave next year), we play him back to fill the role we’d have got May to play. Would only add to his value, more defensive skills and application, plus enables us to play our long term forward structure...

Yeah maybe, but meh!! Really Jessie, you’re in this business for cash not flags..? That’s sad.

Bell and Freo are in the classic bind, lose Neald to get Hogan, means a weaker midfield to gain a stronger forward line... and as we know without a quality midfield the best forwards in the league won’t win you games of footy. We should have anticipated this (as should have Hogan and his manager). Core question for me is WHY? Why does Hogan want to leave us as we set up to play finals and have a realistic crack at immortality to go to a crappy Freo? Why?

Wouldn’t surprise me it Sydney has a tilt at Hogan...

Was ok with Jesse staying or leaving, but the longer this drags out I find myself getting a bit irritable that he’s putting his fans through it (again)... that said don’t know the full story, so prepare to park it till I hear more.

When will it end

The cold reality is Freo’s list is average, one of their best mids wants out, and to get guaranteed talent in (Hogan) they’ll need to trade out of the first round of this years draft, further exacerbating their list issues. Theyre between a rock and a hard place, and I scratch my head wondering why Jesse might want to join them there.

A club players don’t want to go to unless they’re asked, because they’d struggle to get a game...

Reality is that Freo need Hogan now, delay, and the Eagles loom as viable alternative. And Freo need this deal more than MFC, we’re now top 4 irrespective and perhaps capable of acquiring May even with Hogan on the books. Freo’s Picks 5&6 gets it done, any less and we wait. Commentariat proposing less are afraid of how strong we’ve become, and how we only become stronger with two top ten picks to “rebalance” our list.

Off your high horse Pro, if his coaches want to trade him for a third round pick then they don’t rate him, despite your superior wisdom. If we pick him up our coaches are backing themselves to get value where Dees crew have failed or given up.

I put KK in same category as Ports acquisition of Mr Watts last year... a bet against exposed form based on pedigree (draft pick, “talent”, etc)... and Jack was getting games in a middle of the road team, whereas Kk struggling in a cellar dweller...

I’d have thought until the Eagles finished finals we (and other suitors) would have been told to “stay away”... now it’s time to mak e our play, as if he’s leaving the West as seems evident, it’s fairly likely he’d consider us a good option, assuming the numbers at North are not too insane...

The way he stood up in the first half vs Eagle in the Prelim reinforced my view that he’s built for finals and is the type of player (like Stewart Dew circa 2008), who can impact and change a big game with sheer physicality, tenacity and drive towards goal. Those who recommend him being pushed out by Fritz or KK evidently missed how brutally physical finals are to play in and win.

As we well know, bad teams breed the best back men, we’ve exported 3 quality backs in the last decade. So now the tide has turned we need in back, and May having played at the lowly Suns knows how to defend to the oft bitter end. Get him!

I think the MFC is playing a dead bat to the Gaff discussion as we have bigger fish to fry, with finals looming. There’s logic to Gaff to Dees, we need his type, have traded out of first round in draft so free agent seems our next move. Gaff himself won’t flag his real intention till Weagles are out of finals, and if he nominated a finals team (ie us) he’ll delay till we’re done. Did Gaff win a flag out west? If not which team in Victoria is most likely, and need his type..? ?

It was an abberation, that he’s taking full responsibility for. These things happen sometimes to all of us. I recall arguing with my now ex-wife while playing tennis (I was playing, she’d walked onto the court to berate me). I was frustrated, at the far end of the court from her, she finished speaking turned to walk off through gate... and I hit the ball in frustration back over net, opposition and straight on to the top of her head as she walked through the gate... did/didn’t mean it and was cringing before the ball hit her. But it did. She wasn’t happy (understandably), I apologetic and ashamed of losing control like that...

Maybe it’s mentioned elsewhere, but Gaff’s punch and subsequent 8 week ban has put a huge hole in the second placed Weagles attempt at winning this years flag. Equivalent to us losing Oliver. Given it was Gaffs fault/decision/impulse, there’d be many at West Coast seething at their star midfielders course of action... again, I’d be p!ssed at Carry if he’d done the same, and cost us a tilt at the flag.

In terms of keeping the current group together under the cap (and adding Gaff), what’s the value of a Premiership medallion or two to a player? Financially post-career? Emotionally?

Tulip mark II

I think that the MFC did he deal now (early) rather than stretching it out, because it has plans for the picks it gets from Adelaide. So probably need to wait and see what they now do with the picks. Also, I get the sense with the addition of Lever, the build of a team capable of attacking the top end of the ladder is almost complete.

Goodwin has from the outset been primarily focused on building a team and game style that will win finals. Physical, tough and aggressive players would rank highly under this criteria. Love that Lever is an in-your-face sledger of opponents, who also doesn't shy away from physically following it up.