Watts Jurrah Dunn?

Lever is a beauty but I'm not sure how he'd go one-out against Ben Brown, Joe Daniher etc? Are there any statistics on how much time he's actually spent on the number 1 forward? I was under the impression Talia is doing that job? The contested marking is infuriating. The Hawks did it so well the other night. It seems they are experienced enough to block/protect/not all get hands to the exact same ball and spoil one another and leave no one down. None of our talls are strong enough overhead. Gawn's a foot taller than most so of course he takes a couple. Watts and Hogan are useless overhead. I thought Hogan was supposed to be a contested marking beast?

If our first pick this year is pick 12-14 and next year is 14-16, I think we'll definitely have to give up two first rounders. We don't have prized top 5/10 picks anymore. Lever is 21. He's a KPP. He has 200 games ahead of him and we're supposedly offering to pay him A-Grade / Elite money. He was pick 14 purely because of his knee and missing the year as an 18 year old, and his value has gone through the roof since then, so he's worth much more than pick 12-14 this year in what is supposedly a weak draft. He might nominate us, but if he feels as though he owes Adelaide there's also a chance he asks for Adelaide to be well compensated. Brian Waldron gave that example on SEN yesterday with Aaron Hamill in discussing Josh Kelly's situation and North playing for pick 1.

5+ years at $800K+ = 2 first rounders

You'd like to think so. But the middle is probably this years first rounder and ANB, or this years first rounder and next years second rounder. I'm not sure you could offer him 5+ years at $800k a year but then tell the Crows he's not worth anymore than pick 12 in what is regarded as a weak draft.

Perhaps Tom McDonald would play the Blicavs big-bodied midfielder role or the hard running, strong marking winger role Riewoldt has played over the past few years. He's got the tank, and certainly his kicking isn't as much of a liability if they get him up the ground. Super impressive game from Lever last night. He just makes the right decisions every time, and executes perfectly almost every time. He's like a taller, 21 year old version of Hibberd. What a pity Trengove's foot didn't heal and we couldn't get that pick 12. Encouraging that Taylor rated him so damn highly.

Lots of talk about the money for Lever, but no consideration given to what you'd have to give in the trade. $850k a year means AT LEAST a 1st and 2nd round draft pick. It's probably more like first round picks in 2 consecutive drafts given this draft is apparently shallow. Lewis and Vince are almost done, Jones has to slow down soon, Brayshaw is a question mark. Those that want Lever at any cost must love watching ANB, Harmes, Bugg etc run around up the other end? I'd be recruiting midfield class to force the NQR's to "depth" status. Heck, for $150k more a year and similar draft picks you could go for Josh Kelly and get the type of player we really need.

Fans have to look beyond 20 possessions from a midfielder as a good game. We get 400 as a team, so everyone is a chance to get 20. I thought Lewis' undisciplined free kicks in the 3rd were atrocious leadership. We needed calm heads and the late high spoil for the 50m penalty, and the blatant push into Petrie, were just dumb. Thought he was just ok again.

Why are clubs so keen to lure Crow Jake Lever? If Lever does leave Adelaide and clubs are willing to pay him $800,000 a year on a long term deal, then it looks like it will take a similar trade to the Treloar deal. Possibly even more given KPD are harder to find than midfielders, and our picks over the next 2 years are not going to be as high as what the Pies' picks were. That deal was Treloar and a 2nd round pick for a 1st Round Pick in 2 drafts. What do people think about potentially giving pick 10-12 this year and pick 12-16 next year for Lever? Taylor's love for Lever and picks like Hannan at 46 make me think he'd be able to find a couple of pretty handy midfielders with these 1st round picks?

May is a good player, and if we were right on the cusp of a flag tilt he'd be worth paying the $700k and first rounder that it will take to pry a captain from a club. But we are not that close. Vince and Lewis are almost done. Who knows about Brayshaw's future. Use the first rounder on a quick, classy outside midfielder and offer Jack Leslie $250k a year for the next 3 years and give Gold Coast a pick 40.

He's a key position player and the captain of the club, so I don't think a combination of 2nd and 3rd round picks with NQR's like Kent, Watts etc. will get it done. Gold Coast would ask for our first pick (10ish) and a starting midfielder. They'd ask for Salem and hopefully you could get away with Tyson. I agree he's better than what we've got right now but are Frost and the McDonald's developing that poorly to give Pick 10 and Tyson for a 26 year old? I really like May as a player and he has some real mongrel, but with Vince and Lewis almost done, and our only Ruck/Forward (Pedersen) 30 as well, I'd have other priorities.

For those that missed it, Sam Maclure asked Garry later in the program "You've brought May up twice this morning in relation to Melbourne...what do you know?". Lyon said he knew nothing other than May was "very gettable". Personally, giving our first pick and $600k+ for May (who plays next year as a 26 year old) wouldn't be my first priority. I appreciate you can't have too many good players but we have absolutely glaring deficiencies with outside midfield pace, and a genuine 200cm forward/ruck. I'd be fixing those gaping holes first. Alex Rance wouldn't have done much on Brown yesterday with the way it was being walked in through the corridor.

You're right. Let's stick with tough insiders with terrible skills.

You're such a limited football observer if you think Tyson's issues are purely pre-season related. He can't run, his field kicking is terrible and he is nowhere near aggressive enough. GWS knew which one to let go. Tyson was great in year 1, when the opposition had no idea who he was, and he was only competing against Nathan Jones as that first-possession midfielder. The opposition now know he's a left footer and that he doesn't have a right side, meanwhile Oliver and Viney have now gone ahead of him and he has no other strings to his bow. With Lewis back this week, I hope Goodwin sends Tyson back to Casey. You can't play all our slow mids at Etihad against the lightning fast bombers. We will almost certainly have to trade one of them out at the end of the year.

Lewis has been given 3 years at big money. He probably has 1 year of good footy left, 1 of ok footy, and then 1 at Casey. Obviously, we had to do it, but missing him now in 3 close, winnable losses has almost made this acquisition a failure before it has even started. We recruited him for matches like these past 3 and now our season is slipping down the drain. I hope Goodwin isn't always as friendly as he is in his post match pressers and has told Jordan how much he owes this club. The honeymoon is over.

Meh. Did you see a kid for Footscray the other day called Bailey Dale? He can run AND kick. Pick 45 2014. Brad Lynch off half back? Rookie draft. They're out there, and you've got to turn over the Matt Jones' of the world and use late picks to find them.

With the interchange cap on the way down I'm also a bit nervous about Wiedemans "red zone" endurance compared to Curnow's elite endurance. But if they were evenly matched overall then you can't pick the kid who is stupid enough to drink drive, and drink drive the week before the draft. Wiedeman's character seems flawless. Let's hope he can get a clear run at it and build his tank.

Brett Anderson ‏@BrettAndersonIF 2 hrs2 hours ago @ChaserJay One thing I am sure of though, is that Parish isn't in mix at 3. Could be there at 7 still.

I'm not sure anyone is dragging the molan name through the mud. Craig Cameron and Daniher got it horribly wrong reaching for the most aggressive player in the draft. Lesson learned. Best available at the pointy end. Best available with 3 and 7. Hogan will be happy with a plethora of quality midfielders and half backs putting it down his throat.

Is this a joke? Most recruiters almost fell off their chair when we called Molan's name. He was rated no where near pick 9. A quick google will tell you callum twomey's 2001 phantom draft had him at 26. Yes he had terrible luck but he was also a terrible selection. Don't defend the indefensible.

Melksham fills a half back flank, where he has never played, better than Suckling would? Suckling is a dual premiership player and the best kick in the AFL. I'd pay him $400k just to take the kickouts. Melksham and Suckling would both struggle in our ordinary side, but one wouldn't have cost you pick 25.

Good luck to Jake. I hope your best footy is ahead of you at Melbourne. I'm still stumped though. Melksham for Half Back Flank at pick 25 and $1.6m over 4 years. Suckling for Half Back Flank for nothing and $1m over 3 years. If we wanted a Half Back Flanker wouldn't you get the dual premiership player and best kick in the comp who doesn't cost you a pick? For the money we are paying Melksham he had to nominate for the PSD.

Old Chris from Camberwell is a classic. Not as good as Terrence from Toorak but surely Chris has to be taking the p155. The fact he genuinely believes the club has overlooked a top 5 draft prospect as a Father Son selection is just brilliant.

For Toumpas to make it at Port he will have to completely change his running and strength/power. At the moment he looks as though he runs up and down on the spot. We have never really seen any of his football skills because he is always under too much pressure and can't get any separation from opponents. He doesn't have any agility/evasive skills, he doesn't have a burst of speed, he doesn't have power to break or shrug a tackle, he has no vertical leap. He's a poor athlete in football terms. If Port can change that, then good luck to them. All it would prove to me is that Misson has no idea. If we can trade Toumpas for Melksham who has some strength, some toe, some mongrel, and can kick a goal, I'll be doing cartwheels, because unless you can completely rebuild Toumpas, he is absolutely no hope.

I really hope we're into Scott Selwood. Fully fit he's a genuine B+ midfielder that would cost us no draft picks as a Restricted Free Agent. There's talk of giving pick 25 for Melksham and paying him $400k a year when Selwood and Suckling as free agents would be much better targets IMO. I know Selwood wants to get to Geelong to play with Joel but again, make him an offer he can't refuse.

Greg Denham just reported on SEN that the Bombers have asked for Melbourne's first pick & Howe for Melksham. Oh dear. You can only hope that with such a ridiculous request, the Dees and Dons don't get a deal done and he comes to Melbourne for nothing in the PSD.