pantaloons

The day of the Brownlow - the 23rd.

Yes, hopefully it continues Dave. He's solid, doesn't make many silly mistakes, and we've got a great RB in Charles to ease the load. It's baby steps for KC after such a poor season, but the makings are there of a half-decent team. The D is potentially one of the NFL's best but with a long way to go to get there. It should be, after all the high draft picks invested in it (2012: Poe #11, 2010: Berry #5, 2009: Jackson #3, 2006: Hali #20, 2005: Johnson #15 - even Flowers at #35 in 2008 was an early 2nd rounder). Anyway, hopefully waking up early on a Monday morning for NFL this season will be even more enjoyable this season.

Well, we've equalled last season's win total. Good times. This one was closer than I thought it would be, after watching what was a pretty lacklustre Dallas performance last week, but I'll take it after a very tight game.

I don't know if you're suggesting this by 'few', but I think a long-term contract for Watts would be difficult. On actual on-field output to date he'd be lucky to get near $200k, but he'd have to figure that a coach like Roos could help improve his game and his value would increase nicely in a couple of years. A two-year deal would be in his best interest and that would be my guess as to what we end up with.

Yes, his value will be low. If we get Jolly, then the value is I suppose in just dumping the two years of Jamar's contract to another team. Having both Jamar and Jolly would be silly, so if there's little interest, even a Jamar + 53 to GWS for pick 52 is preferable to keeping him. So that's a long-winded way of saying that I don't know that either of them will be particularly awesome next year, but Jolly for 1 year sounds more sensible than Jamar for 2.

This is where we sit Swallow, Adams, Conca and Cross in a room together, tell them they can earn decent coin and together form a decent midfield instantly. The key positions are in place for them.

Seriously though, does this impact at all on the trade value of Jamar? If Jolly returns, then it's visibly obvious Jamar is expendable. Maybe that's not a big issue though. His value would be pick 60+ these days.

Do we really want to go into next year's Grand Final with two relatively inexperienced ruckmen though?

That would be a reasonably handy preseason draft acquisition.

Jock McStrap maybe.

Hodge? I'm going to leave it in Grimes is Great's capable hands. I like Watts up forward, but he is a great kick. I just assumed the 'one position' Roos talked about was up forward but who knows.

Gary Ablett often reminds me of a less attractive version of a young pantaloons. Alas, a career in brain surgery beckoned and we never got to see the extent of pantaloons' footballing wares.

I'm pretty sure I can turn pick 107 into Ablett if you give me enough transactions. As for finals, our 22 would look something like this under your (wildly optimistic, even by my standards) scenario: B: Garland Frawley Terlich HB: Grimes McDonald Kent C: Swallow Jones Trengove HF: Stokes Dawes Sylvia F: Hogan Clark Watts R: Jamar Adams Viney I: Howe Mckenzie Toumpas Cross It's nice to actually look at a team with a potentially functional midfield. I can actually ask questions like 'Is our forward line too top heavy and will they be able to give enough chase?' At the moment it's tough to even wonder about forward line nuances because the ball never gets down there. Anyway, if you can make those personnel moves happen, that'd be great. Thanks, pantaloons.

Good. That's the part I was wondering about. Thanks.

I stopped reading after seeing that apparently Blease showed promise in his first two years. Perhaps he demonstrated some killer skills on NBA 2K9 or Leisure Suit Larry III while his foot lay next to him.

I believe Tom Scully is quite adept at this role.

Can someone inform me exactly why it is important that all 17 clubs oppose Melbourne gaining a priority pick? Why should they have a say? What is their "mutiny" going to involve - boycotting the Grand Final? Of course they oppose the extra pick, it pushes them all down a spot.

There's no point throwing a wobbly about this. I expect improvement under a new midfield coach AND with new midfield personnel.

I missed out on the point last week 1987 VFL prelim style - with a 15 yard penalty to Tampa Bay at the death costing them the game. I'll take Denver, New Orleans and Detroit this week. Tough to find three road winners.

Usually you'd be right, but it doesn't matter how many times you ask the question, we know because we have watched this disorganised unit on a regular basis.

According to SEN last week, Adelaide offered him $2M over 4 years. Would not touch with a hefty pole at that ludicrous price.

People, this took me a lot longer than I care to mention! And yes, while it was certainly tongue in cheek, I've always had a sick fascination with moving up in the draft, or trades involving purely picks. If I had more time I would have moved that pick 14 up to pick 1 for the sake of the exercise but it was just taking too long. I also thought I'd give the old "3 bits of slop equals a dollar" a run with some of the aforementioned trades. Vibes, I'll give you pick 100 for TOA and 101, but only if Sampson is thrown in. RPFC, thanks for the Sewell heads up. I won't edit my post, but you can substitute his name for Cross.

Assuming we don't get a priority pick, my ideal trading period begins in the spirit of 'One red paperclip', which centres on Kyle MacDonald, who in twelve months began with a red paperclip and traded up to a two-storey house in fourteen transactions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_red_paperclip 1. Melbourne trades Mark Jamar (a rather large paperclip) to GWS for pick 52. 2. Melbourne replaces Jamar's short term ruck role with Darren Jolly via free agency. 3. Melbourne trades picks 52 and 53 to Essendon, keen for more picks, for pick 43. 4. Melbourne trades picks 43, 89 and Lynden Dunn to the Gold Coast for picks 38 and 74. 5. Melbourne trades picks 35 and 71 to Sydney, backing their development, for pick 30. 6. Melbourne trades picks 30 and 74 to Carlton for picks 28 and 100. 7. Melbourne, with the threat of the PSD, trades picks 28, 38 and 100 GWS for Taylor Adams and picks 70 and trusty old 88. 8. Melbourne trades picks 18 and Cam Pedersen to a ruck-short Hawthorn for picks 16 and 69, agreeing to pay half his salary. 10. Melbourne trades picks 16 and 69 to Geelong for pick 14, still feeling guilty for the Gillies move. 11. Melbourne trades pick 2 to Gold Coast for David Swallow. 12. Melbourne signs free agent Brad Sewell to a two-year deal. 13. Melbourne heads to the draft with picks 14, 70 and 88, selecting the best available midfielder at 14, a state league midfielder at 70, and a gangly 218cm West African ruckman at 88. The wash up of all of this is that Melbourne adds Swallow, Adams, Sewell, Jolly and three national draft picks in addition to their second pick in the PSD. Off the list go the traded Jamar, Dunn and the albatross contract of Pedersen, as well as the three retirees and the delisted Gillies, Sellar, Magner, Couch and Davis. Fill in the rest of the list gaps with masterful free agent signings depending on whether Jetta, Nicholson and/or Tynan get the chop, and Bob's your uncle.

Hutchy last night on Classified suggested Melbourne would not be getting a priority pick. "Won't happen, don't worry about it. No chance." Demetriou gave nothing away on Talking Footy.