Ouch!

It would be a disaster to accept a single pick, however there is no reason to suggest that Freo don't offer pick 5 and next years first year pick would be similar type of pick (5-9)

the stupid thing with Maclures argument isn't that we might have to give up pick 5 to land May. Most people expect that is likely to be the case... it's thats he is making trade 1 = trade 2. Trade 2 is between the MFC and the Gold Coast. Trade 1 is the trade for Hogan is with Freo, and we should land pick 5, but Melbourne demand and expect more than just that. I don't think that the muppet knows how to do maths.... yet he is taking pot shots at Dal Santo for spelling!

I can't stand listening to him, but I can't turn it off. Been a long week, trying to get to the end of the day, and I think I'm being fuelled by my hatred of him to get me there!

Yet all of these other trades on the table such as Shiel, McGovern, even Neale... they are all under contract and the consensus you hear from most list managers is that it takes a little more to shake a player loose when under contract. Who cares if he'll go home anyway, it's irrelevant. Bryce Gibbs got done for 2 first round picks... I mean really is he even remotely comparable? Sam McClure doesn't get attention unless he says something controversial to make people notice. Watch this space, I bet that if we secure 2 first rounders or anything more than just pick 5. McClueless will come out and state that he thinks that it's a fair deal for both parties and thats what he expected the outcome to be all along!

At this time of the year people like Sam McClure show up how little they actually know about player value. All they are interested in is seeing trades actually happen, rumours being floated, and activity in general. There is no risk in this draft/trade journalism because if it doesn't happen there are so many excuses that they can fall back upon. Simple facts Hogan when compared to other key forward greats is tracking better statistically than most of them. He's had multiple 40+ goal seasons whilst often not playing the whole season. Hogan is still only 23, he's got the bulk of his career ahead of him, he's coming into his prime. Treloar was traded for 2 first round picks (7 and 7 in the following year) and key forwards rate much higher than midfielders in terms of trade value. Freo are desperate for a quality key forward, and they are the ones who need to pay overs to get him out of contract a year early. Melbourne don't have to trade him, and if we get him to honour the contract I have no doubt West Coast will become interested next year. No doubt in my mind that the MFC are definitely in the box seat for this trade, we are going to accommodate an offer by Freo if Hogan wants to head home, but we are not giving him away for nothing. The only thing that would see us accepting a single pick would be if there is a player, worth a first round pick, being thrown as part of the deal instead. Which could play out if they are desperate to get Lobb in as well. My only concern is that Lyon is saying 2 first round picks. I'd be saying 2 top 10 picks and one needs to be around the 5 or 6 mark.

Not if we already had the money for him factored in.... Mahoney said two more upgrades didn’t he?

Have to agree with this. We have a chance to trade someone like Hogan who wants to return to WA for possibly something quite remarkable. if it secures two top 10 picks that allow us to pick up May, KK and still retain a high pick, to possibly offload some salary and secure Gaff... that could potentially be an incredible return!! considering losing him and still having TMac and Weid up front, strengthening our defence and possible getting two players who can play on the outside with pace with good foot skills... and still with a top 10 pick in the pocket to play with. One player can unlock that for the club... remember we also have some picks likely to come back in for both Kent and possibly Vanders as well!

Weid might not be good for all 47, but it should be expected that he covers at least 25-30 of them. So don't be too dramatic about the impact. Hogan will also replace one of their forwards who has no doubt kicked some goals this year. That being the case, there is still a shortfall we would need to find, however what happened this year is that other's stepped up and kicked goals in his absence, it's likely to make the forward line less predicable, Gawn, Melk, Fritsch, ANB will all need to be able to cover some of the difference. It's not as terrible as it sounds.

I agree completely. If Hogan wants to head back to WA, which admittedly is contrary to a lot of the media this year. If he is offered a monster deal in excess of 1mil per season, and Freo are going to offer up two top 10 picks, that is hard to ignore. Equally it could also have a couple of spin off benefits. Firstly could we secure May, who is certainly an upgrade in defence for us along with Lever returning next year. Secondly it is likely to free up salary space to make a late play for Gaff to disrupt North's plans for him. Depending on how much we have to pay for May. We don't have Vince and I'm still not sure whether Lewis could be quietly asked to consider taking up a coaching role in 2019 with the club. At the end of it, if we enabled us to pinch Gaff, May and bring in Pruess along with a top 10 pick. Could anyone complain? (Except my 13 yr old daughter who has bit of a crush for Jesse!)

Agree! Been a very long time since I’ve been Rick Rolled! A classic!

Fixed.... looks like you were in a bit of a timewarp. At least this makes a lot more sense!

.... and lets face it at the end of the day you play the position that you are told to. We all know how it worked out for Howe moving to Collingwood, he wanted to be a forward, thats why he moved. Roos had him pegged in defence prior to leaving us. Howe goes over,.... played a handful of games in attack, Buckley moved him back and it was apparently a 'masterstroke' I'm fairly confident we are still in the mix for Gaff, and thats purely based on the fact we are still in the finals, we are an attractive team with a huge upside and future. We won't offer the money that Nth will, but we will offer a better chance for a premiership which is a currency in of itself.

Which sounds a little odd, given that Gaff and Polec would be drafted in by North for one reason only, and that is the Outside hard running wingman roles. Don't know if North need any inside mids currently? Cunnington and co seem to be doing ok in there...

Totally agree, Free agency is really all about salary space... also crucially it is something that you need to be decisive when the club sits in that window of being a 'destination' club. A destination club sells the future (and presumably premierships) to prospective free agents as along with the contract. Non-destination clubs really only have the contract that they can offer to free agents. They also risk having to pay overs as well. Lesser known free agents may be lured by the appeal of more game time, or a specific role in the team, but the bigger free agent names already get that!

This whole thing is very emotive, even Pavlich and Ross Lyon are being a little 'expansive' with the truth, both saying that the hit was 100 meters off the ball, blah blah.... You can clearly see it's only about 20-30 meters in front of the ball. Media and Journos seem to be getting carried away in the hype,... Can't recall an AFL season with so much going on this late in the season!!!

Shocking act, AFL needs to make an example of it BUT. I don't think for a minute Gaff intended to strike him in the face, in my opinion the action is reminscent of what a lot of players do to strike the arm/chest etc in order to break a tag or run off their opponent, but Gaff in this case misjudged his aim very badly, and the resultant injury is horrific and he's done for the year... and possibly then some. The hysteria on social media and by all and sundry is getting too much however. Let the tribunal judge him, and lets see where it goes from there. The talk about criminal charges ... dunno bout that, it's not condoned, and was a brutal hit on Brayshaw, but I don't think that these lawyers are helping anyone (except for their own profiles) by making comment. Leigh Matthews is even worse, he was a known thug in his playing career, I don't remember how many people he hit whilst on the field, but he should just shut up and stay out of it. What the AFL needs to come out and say as a result of this incident is that any striking actions (jumper punches etc) are going to be treated with a lot more severity. They cracked down on it last year.... for all of three weeks,.... and then let it go again, players get a fine at most. Don't fine the players, suspend them from games, that hurts the club AND the player. EDIT: Oh and if they are mates off field (including Hamish) it does add another level of intrigue to the whole thing. Won't change the impact of what has happened, nor the outcome, but I suspect the family will accept the apology knowing the person behind it a little moreso than it would from a stranger!

.... and apparently coming off the stunning logic that refers to St Kilda as being the only club into Gaff, and therefore why would he leave the WCE because they are closer to a flag than the Saints ?

Nah, sorry don't buy that Saty, if that's the case imagine how he looks with Oliver, Brayshaw, Petracca, Viney and co!

... and yet I defend people's right to play pokies if they so chose. I don't like that it's in all the pubs and clubs, and would prefer that it was in the Casinos. But I am also sick and tired of the way governments all over Australia are making us a nanny state. People have to be responsible for their own actions. A lot of things offer their users no benefit, but that doesn't mean you should ban it either. It's a sad fact but I believe a lot of people would find another thing if it wasn't pokies. I'm not saying we shouldn't help people who have addictions as a responsible society, but banning something doesn't automatically solve the problem. These people could turn to internet gambling, and that's even less regulated and grey market without any of the 'levies and taxes' that come back into the Govt.

As DrDrake mentions, these will be assets that are sold off, if it means clearing down some debt, or investing money into other ventures that can make the club money then thats the key here. Those numbers are misleading as all they do is say how much of our profit comes from gaming revenue. Can't just say now we don't have pokies therefore we don't have a revenue source. What the club does with the profits from selling these two assets will be the key.

I guess it depends how much money the AFL gets from the Fed Govt to conform to the WADA code.... if it's a couple of mil... the AFL can just cut back on some of the funding to the Gold Coast and Brisbane, and wear it.... however if the AFL was penalised through other means such as fed gov funding for grounds, sporting complexes and training facilities, perhaps it's a bit of a harsher pill to swallow.

Presume they are threatening to split from ASADA if ASADA is unable to prevent the FoI request through the courts. Essentially fighting along side them, but saying if it fails, we will part ways so that such a thing can't happen ever again... EDIT: An FoI request can only be made to a Govt agency I believe? or possibly to an organisation that receives public money to fund it's operations. Can't quite remember the details.

Just remember Nth had an offer in front of Kelly and Martin rumoured to be 1mil-1.2mil over 5+ years.

He won't be involved in anything at Collingwood until after this trade period. Guy has already said Lever is at the MFC. Not too much to worry about.

I'd advise you not to look in the Jack Watts thread....