Nascent

Not sure this would be a significant block unless we are fighting for the same player. Footy fan speculation I've read suggest the Eagles are keen on McKercher. While I haven't heard anything concrete on us apart from our offer for Reid, we could very well be keen on Duursma. Therefore it wont matter who holds 2 or 3 if the end result is the same. Club targets will probably be well established and known between clubs which may help facilitate or hinder the deal.

I think Pennant was talking about Collard.

Blind Freddy apparently does

Probably not hugely significant, but if be angling for their first pick of the 2nd round, currently 23. This often has good currency with teams often willing to part with future firsts for it as well if a player slides through that they like. We could flip 6 into WC F1 and perhaps another F1, or take 11 and 23 to the draft. Still, my preference is to take the best player available at 6. Only way I'd be angling to stock pile picks into next year is for trade purposes if we have a near certain fish on the hook.

If West Coast are desperate to add a top 6 pick, they will be the ones adding the steak knives.

Maybe there's a three-way scenario involving us, WC and North that results in us giving up pick 6 but receiving pick 3 from North, with North receiving WC's future 1st. Other factors would need to be involved obviously.

Think someone posted this a while ago but could be very apt for this situation.

Will have to see it in the flesh but would normally prefer to keep things as simple and clean as possible. Ideally would love the Zurich logo to return to the same navy blue that blends onto the jumper as we had in our premiership year. Imagine they prefer this variant as it stands out more.

Can't say I'm a fan. We've done exceptionally well to get pick 5 off freo this year, can't see it being worth a gamble to improve our draft position by a few spots next year. West Coast are no certainties to finish bottom two next year either in my view. A large reason for their horror two years has been their injury list obliterating their player availability. While the overall list isn't in a good state, you still have Allen and Darling fwd, McGovern and Barrass back, Sheed and Kelly in the midfield with some developing talent and mix of experience around that. They won't challenge the top 8, but with a full list and a significant home ground advantage it wouldn't surprise to seem them score 4-8 wins and finish as high as 12th. Throw in a potential top 3 f/s in Levi Ashcroft and we're looking at a serious possibility of our pick being equal or worse than this year. And that's before we understand if there are any free agents that may leave low clubs for high compensation or NGA and f/s talent that may establish themselves as high end prospects (welsh for ade - Camporaele twins for Carlton, Marshall for bris). The only way I see us being keen on this swap is if we don't rate the talent that's left at pick 6 (Curtin/caddy/leake) and we want to have multiple first rounders next year to trade for an established player which we may be engaged in conversations with now (JUH/King/McCluggage etc)

Absolutely a sliding doors moment. Obviously can't predict how our seasons would pan out if this trade was successful, but this trade means no Luke Jackson and his influential 3rd quarter in the 21 flag. Jackson has since netted us Jefferson and our top 6 pick this year as well as further draft capital utilised to bring us up to pick 11. I love Butters (and hope we can trade him in at some point) but thank god that trade didn't eventuate.

Ethan Read and Connor O'Sullivan perhaps to round out the other invitees. Can't imagine we'll see another situation of a player being invited to the first night and not being selected like Robertson from a couple years ago.

Any word on where O'Sullivan might land dazzle? I'm hoping he's there for us at pick 11.

https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/meet-the-draft-prospect-tipped-to-kick-as-many-goals-as-betts-breust-and-co-20231030-p5eg6h.html

Has been delisted and will be re-rookied for the 2024 season. https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1459119/list-update-melksham

You hiding in this video somewhere @WalkingCivilWar?

Mate sent me this Simpsons inspired AFL satire. Good for half a laugh. https://www.facebook.com/TYPEMediaau/videos/afl-simpsons-season-review-2023-/1361681894556646/

I like the creative thinking. All depends on how GWS rate the prospects as Curtin or Caddy should be available to them at pick 7. Essentially we'd turning pick 11, 42and future 1st into West Coast future 1st. In my view, it would be West Coast needing to add something to get it done. They're buying a top end first round pick after all which should come at a premium. And as much as the Eagles are likely to be anchored near the bottom, their home ground advantage could see them pull a few wins and all of a sudden we could be looking at a pick around 4-6 anyway, and that's prior to NGAs and f/s (aschroft etc..) pushing those picks back. If Eagles are keen on Curtin at 6. It's future 1st and their pick 23 minimum. We'd almost have more luck just offering 6 and 7 for Reid outright.

Yep, difficult year for him due to injuries. With a draft fairly devoid of genuine midfielders I feel he may appeal to a club looking to add to their stocks. I like he's game and those traits you mentioned I think are AFL quality. I don't really rate St Kildas midfield and they traded for Dow in the hope he will provide some burst from stoppage. Think Simpson will provide that for them with a couple years development.

Put together a 1st round mock without trades, will attempt one later with trade guesses which will be laughably inaccurate. I've tried to be a little different, combining my rankings with media speculation and guessing club needs to a degree. I've started out with WC bidding on Walter as he would combine perfectly with Allen to be a dominant key forward pair, GC will obviously match but will be paying full price. With apologies to SA and WA prospects who I just don't see enough of throughout the year outside of champs. 1. GC - Walter (NGA) 2. WC - Reid 3. NM - Duursma 4. NM - McKercher 5. HW - Watson 6. WB - Sanders 7. MELB - Leake 8. GC - Read (NGA) 9. GWS - Curtin 10. GEEL - Caddy 11. ESS - Windsor 12. GC - Rogers (NGA) 13. ADE - Wilson 14. MELB - O'Sullivan 15. SYD - Murphy 16. WB - Croft (f/s) 17. StK - Simpson 18. ADE - M Edwards 19. NM - Collard 20. GWS - Tholstrup 21. NM - Morris 22. HAW - McCabe (f/s) 23. NM - Schoenmaker 24. COLL - Hastie 25. ADE - DeMattia 26. StK - Hardeman 27. CAR - Jiath

Think this is correct.

Saints getting the job done over the Lions. If I'm not mistaken, saints winning all but guarantees us to take out the McClelland trophy.

Ben McKay and Nick Haynes will be the two highest paid AFL players next season. I doubt either would crack most peoples top 100 players.

North would be laughing if that's all it cost them in my view.

Great work @spirit of norm smith If I could add some names to the mix for potential 2nd round-rookie prospects. - Lachie Charleson - Kobe Shipp - Matt Carroll - Bodie Ryan - Will Lorenz - Will Patton - Vigo Visentini - Joe Fonti - Jack Callinan - Cam Nyko - Ben Hopkins - Mahmoud Taha And of course Kynan Brown.