Ouch!

Agree, Melbourne is trying to strengthen it's list for a crack at the flag, I'd be surprised that pick will remain ours for more than a few hours!

How is it that absolutely no one else (including probably Craig Cameron who said the words) actually get that read out of the comments made. The talk that the Hogan trade has fallen through was last Friday afternoon. Since then it has been reported that Hogan, Freo and Melbourne have been in conversations. Everyone still thinks something will get done with these players. But apparently thats not enough for you!

....okaaay if thats how you interpret it No club was mentioned. But the only thing Cameron has actually told anyone is that they are prepared to trade him to whoever gives them the best offer. Melbourne are still best placed *IF* the Neale & Hogan trades actually eventuate.

The way I read it is that May's camp has said that he wants to be traded, and GCN are saying to all clubs we are listening. They still know that Melbourne probably the best option based on having the best picks to offer and want the player. May would just be waiting for the Neale deal to kick it off... not really that much in the statement.

If we trade pick 5 for May, I'd love to see the GCS go for Rozie, Lukosius and Rankine then smile and give Jason Cripps the bird on draft night! Given the Saint's interest in King likely at pick 4 it could happen!

and the other 70 odd games? Using Schwarz (even when spelt incorrectly) doesn't add any weight to your argument. I've heard a lot of ex-AFL players saying that even playing one game, or a single season is a significant achievement. But you know what who cares! However tying the fact that those people who post on Demonland and supported keeping Jack Watts to whether they are entitled to post in this thread is poor. Jack might not have turned out to be the player you had hoped, but to suggest that he has had a failed career is just wrong. It's just an opinion, and in MY opinion, a poorly judged one!

I agree, but I think it says more about our salary space or 'strategy' more than anything else.

Thats a bit over the top. I didn't want Watts to leave, but I accepted that it would probably end up being best for him and the club to get a change of scenery. It's also completely incorrect to suggest that Watts hasn't succeeded at AFL level, you don't get to play 170 games over 8-10 years in the AFL and call it a failed career. Jack Watts isn't the first or the last number 1 draft pick to not live up to the hype. But he seems to be the one that has been scrutinised more than most.

If you were Freo or Essendon and know that it is looking likely that Scully could go to Hawthorn for pick 50 odd.... and that seems as much to do with Salary Cap issues as anything, why would you be offering Pick 11 (for Lobb) or 2 first round picks for Shiel. They can't afford these players to stay.... I think they've played this trade period only slightly better than Freo which is saying something. .... I mean they are looking at bringing back Mumford... that surely is as much about salary as it is about anything else.....

Probably because your 'opinion' feels based upon what will create the most chaos...

Just curious but how do you know that they kicked the goals against May? Not saying this is inaccurate? but is there a website that actually tells you how many goals were kicked against a particular player? I would imagine that Steven May would have matched up against most of these players, but he would probably have also been patching 3-4 other holes at the same time. For example he might have been playing on Darling not Kennedy, Hogan, not TMac... then moved afterwards as things got ugly with those players, but are you attributing his effort correctly?

May is at the right age bracket being 26-27 for our window of opportunity in the next few years. Statistically as a defender I think he's rated as Elite in many categories. I question his temperament, and it sounds like he has had a few issues coming back in a good state from a preseason, but he's a very ordinary club. It's a tough call, but ultimately its about the club, not about the individuals, and in terms of doing whats right for the club, Mahoney, Taylor and Todd Viney haven't made too many wrong steps, so I'm prepared to back them in again this year!

Because it gets them ahead of Port... and one of Rankine, Rozie or Lukosius is likely to be there. However that said, Adelaide would try and offer 8 and 13 to St Kilda who has pick 4 on the night first, but they seem to heavily be into one of the King boys.

yep?

.... then it would be no trade. Need all three parties to agree!

No... to be fair, in of itself this is a good trade for Freo because they basically didn't have a lot of picks this year... The problem was them prioritising that and taking it off the table before the Hogan deal had been done. Freo and Port could have undertaken this trade on Draft night... Live trading could have seen that take place at any point of time!

and rightly so... Barrett going hard on Bell and Rosich and saying that they are out of their depth and they are a joke. I didn't think I'd get this type of dialogue between Barrett and Wallace and agree with most of what they are saying!

Still need to trade for him unless they finish last.... and may be competing with WCE for his services!

Agree on this. That statement from Bell seems to indicate that they are pointing at Hogan AND Melb being the reason they are withdrawing. Hogan may as well sign a contract that sees him through to free agency, and remain. He can still entertain a trade back West once WCE are interested, or once Freo sack Bell and the other muppets over there! Perhaps we look to develop Hogan as a CHB for 2019, and we then have 2 high quality swingmen in the game in TMac and Hogan! Hogan's kicking in general play is exceptional. Since when is it a bad problem to have too many good players at the club. Keep developing Petty. I'm happy to keep Hogan, I was happy to let him go and get May too, but thats what happens. PS.... my daughter will be ecstatic if Hogan stays next year

Thats fine, then Freo should start 'negotiations' in good faith with the clubs that can help this get done. Do you think that with the way Melb and Bris are being stuffed around by Freo, that they give a damn about how Freo is able to land Lobb? Ok, so the current state of things (after 280 odd pages) is that Freo are rejecting an offer from Brisbane that is significantly superior than what they are prepared to offer Melbourne for Hogan. We all know the facts that Hogan is younger, a key forward capable of 50-60 goals a season compared to a very good mid, but there are dozens of very good mids in the competition to be fair, most clubs have 3-4 very good mids. How many 50-60 goal forwards to these clubs have. How many do Freo have, or have they had since Pav retired? The problem is that Freo seem ignorant to how desperately they need Hogan!

I'd love us to be working out something with Brisbane that takes pick 5 off the table and forces Freo to accept something less for Neale. If they have an interest in Hunt, possibly Hunt and our next years first round pick and for pick 5. It's not a good deal for Brisbane on the face of it, but it might put the wind up Freo if they think that getting pick 5 and attempting to keep it instead of using it for Hogan. Melbourne might then accept 11 and the future second round pick for Hogan. I know my pick values are probably not accurate, however what it means is that Melbourne and Brisbane force the play with Freo, and we still end up with 5 and 11 and make the trade period move!

I thought Sydney needed to obtain a couple of second/third rounders to ensure they can get Nick Blakey and some other academy player??

... read the post again, and maybe turn on your sense of humour this time!

Don't disagree, but I would argue that he is coming in armed with very little information, and as you indicate a fairly large ego. Coming out and saying it would be a 'feather in his cap' to turn the exit of Neale around.... ?? Really? I think more damage was done prior to Bell's appointment with Rosich effectively rubber stamping a few odd list decisions that now Bell is trying to unpick.

His value should be higher now, but demand for him next year could be higher if WCE join the race for his services.