Watts Jurrah Dunn?

Does anybody know whether Hogan will be playing any of the NAB Cup/Challenge matches the way Jaeger O'Meara did last year with the Suns?

I wish Frawley would just concentrate on getting a kick. Had a pathetic year and has now partied at the cricket like a bogan yesterday, and at Eve on Saturday night. People will say 'they're on holidays' but the elite players don't get on the [censored] twice in 3 days. Appears to strut around the night clubs like a dead set [censored] whose AA year has gone well and truly to his head. Just get a kick chip.

There's always an exception to the rule mate, but for every Cox there are 10 Paul Johnson's. Spencer's been in the system now for 4-5 years. At what point do you stop using the same old dean cox example and start to question how much longer this project runs? After all, when you get into a premiership window you can always take a Ben Hudson very cheaply as back up. It just doesn't seem worth a six year investment to get, best case, a handy back up ruck.

The only disappointment for me is taking Matt Jones, a 25 year old that didn't feature in a single phantom draft or 'VFL prospects' thread, over a tough inside midfielder who won the Morrish Medal and was BOG in the TAC Grand Final. I don't care about the earring and blonde tips, Nick Graham would have been the go for us at 52. Has Matt Jones been training with an afl club? Surely we could have got him down to training and rookied him if we were still keen. I know for a fact Hawthorn, who are right across Box Hill given their alignment, didn't have jones in their top 150 prospects.

Quigley's observations about Wines being a bit of a fumbler are interesting. Please correct me if I'm wrong but Wines didn't feature in the top 10 of the clean hands test at the combine. I know it's only one test but it doesn't really warm the heart when taking an inside midfielder at pick 4 and his hands aren't elite.

I think that with Watts, Garland, Strauss and Nicholson all potentially back there, our backline is very timid. They are 4 blokes that the opposition would target physically. I'd have Tapscott competing with Joel MacDonald as that tough half back flank that the opposition forwards have in the back of their minds as they're standing underneath the high ball. I see Tapscott as a bit like a Campbell Brown wrecking ball. I also think that with Watts, Tapscott and Nicholson back there we'd at least have 2 lovely kicks and one real line breaker. The days of Bartram and Rivers hatching the ball bringing it out of the backline would be long gone.

I'm happy to write off pick 70 but I'll be really disappointed if we don't use pick 53 in the National Draft. Joel MacDonald and Gillies are very similar tough, third tall defenders with ordinary disposal. We also have Garland, Watts and Dunn back there as third tall options. Time for MacDonald to now get the flick and take the best midfielder available with 53. Jump on the Draft portal and watch Will Hams, Nick Rippon and Jake Lloyd's highlights. You should still get a decent midfield prospect at 53.

I support Neeld mate. I just don't support the bloke who has been making atrocious list management decisions for 3 years. When you're the list manager of the worst list in the league, some questions need to be asked.

This isn't a thread to cry about losing pea hearts, because I support today's offloads. This is a thread to question how Harrington still has a job when he has been involved in the recruitment and retention of players that Neeld has shown the door to in no time. Harrington thought Cook and Gysberts could be a part of a premiership model when he was involved in list management meetings with Bailey and Prendergast. These meetings determined we needed another skinny key forward and a 190cm skinny midfielder. He must have thought Morton and Martin would make it too when he signed them on contracts which still have a year to run. How bad is his judgement if Neeld, who does know what a premiership side looks like, has axed these players within 12 months, and while they are all under contract. And I shudder to think how much we are paying some players if his negotiating skills over trade month are anything to go by. Not a single deal where we didn't pay overs!

Please correct me if I am wrong, but as I understand it Tim Harrington assumed the List Manager role at Melbourne at the beginning of the 2009 season. Given our 'fire sale' of Gysberts, Martin and Morton today, who were all contracted, and the fact we are realistically looking at turning over a third of our list before next season, would it be fair to say that Harrington, as List Manager, is just as culpable for this mess of a list as Prendergast and Bailey? After all, the list manager works extremely closely with coaches and recruiters to address deficiencies in the list. I am sure that he would have been included in the conversations that determined Lucas Cook and Jordan Gysberts were worthy of selection. I just don't understand how Harrington is still in a job, let alone has the audacity to go on radio and smugly talk about 'premiership models'. I have cringed every time he has spoken over the past month because as far as i can tell Harrington, Schwab and Connolly are the only constants from the Bailey era which compiled the worst list in the AFL. Clearly Tim would not understand a premiership model if it smacked him in the face. After all, it's been deemed that a 29 year old that has had 2 knee reconstructions and is onto his 3rd club will seriously bring something to a list that he has now overseen for 3 years. Please Mark Neeld, get rid of this clown.

Gysberts for pederson & Campbell? Both 25/26 so at least we'd get 6 seasons / 120 games out if them combined.

I hoped they'd trade Martin at the end of last season when his value was highest. Now I almost hope this trade falls over because pick 33 for pederson is obsurd. It also helps us if north can't get the Jacobs deal done as he might be there for us in the PSD.

The problem is that his recent shoulder surgery will prevent him joining in full training until close to Christmas. His upper body will still be tiny next season and we'd be saying the same thing in 12 months.

I think Neeld will accept anything to get rid of Morton and avoid having to pay the last year of his salary. I wouldn't be surprised to see him traded for pick 61 which we might just use to upgrade Nicholson. Or perhaps we could do Morton and 58 for their pick 44? Having said that I agree with some posters in that if anyone can get anything out of Morton it will be as a 7-8th string midfielder at WC on the wide open spaces of subiaco.

I can understand some apprehension towards O'Rourke because the last time we took a skinny, skilful kid with pick 4 it didn't end well. I really can't split O'Rourke and Wines. We just need quality and Sydney proved you can't have too many inside animals. The thought of Wines, Viney and Hogan throwing opponents round in 2014 does warm the heart. With Neelds emphasis on contested possessions I expect it will be Wines at 4. But I think there is a bit of confusion about O'Rourke being a 'skinny outside runner'. Here is an excerpt from a draft preview article on the Richmond website: http://www.richmondfc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/6301/newsid/143924/default.aspx

It is just staggering how pick 49 would not suffice for a 25 year old who played 2 games this season. Pederson has showed some promise but not getting a game ahead of Aaron Edwards, Robbie Tarrant and no-names like Delaney, Black etc. is a bit concerning. We went early on Byrnes and watered down our compo. We paid overs for Dawes (pick 20 should have been more than enough but some turkey put pick 13 on the table for Dawes and forced our hand). Don't pay overs again Melbourne. We'll get 3-4 years out of Pederson. Pick 33-38 could deliver a 10 year midfielder, like (we all hope) Taggart is, and Sellar can play a similar swing man role.

The game's gone past petterd. It's played in a shoebox with no space for forwards to lead into. He doesn't have the pace to beat his opponent in a sprint back towards goals. At the moment you are best to play 3 hulks that split packs and take contested marks, and 3 mosquitoes who rove the packs and tackle.

But mate Pearce is 2 years younger than rivers and got a 4 year contract at freo as opposed to rivers' 2 at Geelong. It's based on age and contract so seems to make sense.

Pick 8 for Port is overs (I think a mid first round would be right if it was available), but I think they should be looked after. They've been robbed of their best outside midfielder and their centre half back while they're in their prime. If Jones and Tom McDonald continue as they did this year and become good B Grade AFL players I would be livid if they were picked up by someone for free when they hit 26, and all we got back is two second round picks. As for the trade value argument, that is completely irrelevant. Geelong would not have given you pick 40 for Rivers, Essendon wouldn't have given pick 10 for Goddard. It has nothing to do with trade value.

I'm pleased Rivers has left. We get told how unprofessional the place is; senior players postponing time trials in the pre-season, senior players arking up about losing their free time on interstate trips (from a collingwood official who spoke with neeld mid year). As far as I'm concerned the likes of rivers and moloney are responsible for the poor culture, which is why Neeld demoted them from the LG and let them walk.

Port has lost two important 26 year olds to 4 year deals. That's about 8 years of service from two B Grade players. Poor clubs need to be looked after. They should receive pick 8 as compensation. If we receive any more than an end of 2nd round pick (42 odd) then that's a win. The dees should have played it smarter with Byrnes and traded a late pick for him, like port with monfries. Didn't need to rush into Byrnes with the Geelong list as tight for spots as it is. This, and talking to collingwood about Dawes for pick 13, are the two blunders from the MFC this trade period.

Best post I have read on Demonland or Demonology in years. Sums the list up brilliantly. It is always refreshing to see a Melbourne supporter accurately critique our players. On his 2012 form Trengove would seriously have struggled to get a game in any top 8 side. Yes, we all hope that Howe turns into a player but people are very easily seduced by a few spectacular marks. We rubbish Naitanui as being a highlights reel but that is all Howe is too. Needs to do much, much more. Only change I would make, if he can finally complete a full pre-season, would be including Sylvia as a walk up start in the middle.

I think O'Rourke will be the most complete midfielder. Can win it on the inside and has exceptional skills, pace and endurance. Here's what Martin Allison, former Calder coach, says about him: "He has exquisite kicking skills, which makes him stand out. Whilst he's more than capable inside the contest, I think his strength is on the outside," Allison says. "He glides across the oval and he's a fantastic runner. So I think he's going to be a pretty handy acquisition." I wouldn't be unhappy with Wines but I really want a skillful mid with pace. I get the impression Wines is a josh caddy battering ram but doesn't really hurt the opposition with his possessions.

Does anyone have any inside knowledge on whether the MFC has approached Young at all? I realize we threw the kitchen sink at David Mackay and Wellingham, but as active as we've been this trade period we have not addressed our slow midfield. Young is an 80m player who breaks lines. We are screaming out for someone like this and all it would cost is money. I just can't believe we haven't been linked with him, or did he perhaps turn down our approach?

Averages 16 possessions and a goal from his 19 games. Would have finished top 10 in our B&F this year with stats like that. In his best match he had 24 disposals, 8 tackles and kicked 3 in a 10 goal loss. Would suggest he has some more upside than Bate, Bennell, Bail, Jetta etc who have never had a game like that. Having said that, at 179cm you need some tricks. Does he have elite speed or kicking?