Wells 11

I agree, and I think all the player bashing that happened after 186 got the club deeper into the mire. It always looked like the club as a whole made them the scapegoaats for a whole series of inadequacies and stuff ups. Was it really such a shite playing group, or did we have shite fitness coaches or shite development or shite support for a coach the players loved ( Bailey) . One thing that is absolutey undeniable is that Neeld really brought the shite out in them. THAT he could really do. Neeld not only had no plan B......but he also had the worst plan A the game may have ever seen. Im just glad those tortured days are largely done.

Beat me by a second re your opening line BB.... I still the article is empty and meaningless but King still has some credit with me. He was the voice calling for Neeld to be sacked half way through his first season. It seemed such a sensationalistic, dumb call at the time but l wish we'd listened to that now. Although you could also say Neeld in 2013 created the path for Roos in 2014...but a fair bit of painful water under the bridge to get there.

Re Shiel, you gotta love these guys. .... "At the moment [the contract] is the last thing on my mind. I still have a lot of things in front of me [that] I have to work on to just get ready for the game," Which is now common football language for something like " This will be my last year at GWS and Im open to best offers. Within reason I'll try to do my best to play well for them in 2015 but its all about whats next for me now" Just hope Jones doesn't do the same thing.

you talking jones or shiel??!!

The interesting thing about Howe is that he can jump from the front or the back of a pack onto blokes shoulder., It's not that easy to stop him jumping unless he's double teamed

lol.....but only if that was tongue in cheek.

This convo is going around in circles. One last time....Forget SAFE. No such thing with draft choices. Scully was a local boy from Berwick...right out near casey fields. Take the players we think are going to develop into the best footballers. Not the best at age 18 or the highest ranked by the press at 18. If thats cockatoo....then Im sure the "go home" factor will be addressed in interview and gut instinct. For me pick 3 is cockatoo, Mccartin or lever. Unless we get Petracca.

why? This argument is old and cyclical. Apparently we didn't choose Natanui because of the "go home" factor and others think that doing that was a "disgrace" in that we didn't back ourselves in to keep him. If he looks like the one we want Id expect us to back ourselves. The "best bloody footballers" are not always the ones everyone thinks they are at 18! Id back roos in to spot one young in front of most...and if thats cockatoo Id be wrapped. I dont CARE wheres hes ranked. Fyfe was pick 23. Re Cook and Gysberts. Cook was a dumb mistake as he was taken as a "needs" player that looked good at 18 and Gysberts was well......... Gysberts. An inside mid with the body of an outside mid but with no pace, desire or application. I think our recruiting team isnt run by kindergarten students now. At least I hope so!

just quietly I think Petracca might go ok as well

What we really cant afford is to totally mess it up in the same way we have in the last 7 years. But low risk is neither the best option nor will it hold back the criticism and anger if we blow it. We've all been well and truly burned and thats the baggage we bring in to this draft as a club. Personally I hope we can get past that and that the recruiters think well and freely about it and don't get too affected by who's rated where when they're making their choices.

Love the pace and size of him. Super impressive. I think Im coming around to want to take the punt on him for pick 3. Massive upside and big time x factor. Given our recruiting misses, Ive got my heart in my mouth a bit this year. But, as many have commented on already, if history has shown anything its that rarely does the predraft order match the order of player value in 5 years. I hope we go with him.

El presedento?

Sounds like he fits the bill jarka. I sense that roos won't give a toss where players are graded by t media . If what you say is so I think he could very well go this way. We def need some pace.

I haven't seen him yet. What qualities do you think he brings?

I feel for you Ash. As a passionate supporter you must feel the pain of the actions your club took at that time deeply. And despite that yes, of course you gotta buy your membership and keep doing so! Yet Its an unpalatable truth that the results you got at the start of that year were very VERY likely the direct result of drug use. Its absolute rubbish to think that they dont have records of exactly what was given. I feel frustrated that, via robbo and some of his cronies, everyone has banded together to attack ASADA and defend the club/ coach/ doctor from indefensible positions.When the dees were slugged and shamed re the whole tanking that was an AFL issue that got directed at us. This, sadly, is a club issue that some people have tried to turn back the other way and have it be an AFL issue or a ASADA issue. It isnt. Essendon is a power club and will bounce back in ways we mightn't have had we been in your shoes. dont I wish we had the media defense unit that your club has. ! But imo evans was right at the very beginning. Own up to it...take the whack.....move on as best you can...and let it wash away over time. It IS a shameful chapter in the clubs history .....and no one can undo that regardless of which action is taken. But leaving the coach intact only riles up everyone else watching on. Its good you want a new coach as If a new coach AND board isnt put into place you cant expect much sympathy from the public in general. It feels like a refusal to see the magnitude of what they organised/ agreed to. Which is the flavour in the air atm.

Given that the Dogs and GWS will probably be arguing up to the deadline ,and each trade they're trying to do affects trading with Stkilda, theres got to be a chance that the saints are forced to keep pick 1 and go w McCartin. Which could mean that Petrecca is available as well. For all the Kennedy talk I think Id be more excited about that duo coming to the club along with pick 23.

I agree except whats he actually being offered? a 3 yr deal at 400 isnt it? gotta be 2nd round

Really good point! Except he'd probably get band 4 after all the shite about Frawley

The AFL dont want the drug mess to get even MORE messy by Ryder taking the bombers to court. They will bend over backwards to avoid that.

For mine, In an ideal world we get him next year. Everyone saying this is the only year we can do it as we can offer best trade to Adelaide and a big pay day for him. But this year or next Danger has to WANT to come. I think theres a much better chance of that if we use the picks and trade really wisely and finish middle of the ladder with a bullet in 2015. Then its cash, Goodwin AND possible success. I agree with some other posters here that say we need to build a team with those picks this year not chase a superstar.

Does anyone know the exact size of the contract he got?

Thompson to the Suns and the hole gets deeper. Maybe ONE DAY we'll all find out what actually happened at that club.....or maybe Im hoping for too much?! What it is to have friends in the media...can you imagine what would have happened to Melb had we been in the bombers shoes! Imagine Damo..... Somehow the actual drug taking has never been central in the reporting of this. In fact If what you read holds any weight the players are innocent, the coach is too, so is the club doctor as well as the senior assistant coach. Amazing that ALL those injections happened (that theres no records for) and everyone in charge is innocent! Not just innocent but terribly hard done by! ....amazes me.

Yep, but managers know all about how to get players through this kind of stuff now. He'll survive but people will wonder why his output is down. Theres a new manual they read now called " 1000 lies to tell the public and your footy mates to make it to the club you want" its recently been reprinted as Clarke added a whole new chapter

I agree...but he wont resign with Adelaide. I think he's going to say something like " I need time to see who the coach is and how he operates before I can make up my mind and sign" which will turn into " Im just concentrating on my football and will decide by the end of the season" which will turn into the headline this time next year..." Hawks get their man" and "Danger glad the decision making process is done and wrapped to be a part of HFC" and a story that includes the line " I love the AFC but its better for both parties etc etc and I just want to win a flag" its already predictable Where is this all going??......I think the AFL is changing before our eyes. Clubs like ours will most likely never lure a big fish... again. In fact we now will probably only ever get a few years w the players we'd want to keep before they're going to want to leave to bigger clubs. Bigger question is........How long before the fans start deserting a comp like this? I wont stop buying a membership but Melbourne heart is looking increasingly enticing

So true re the feral pressure that will come down on him. As we've gotten more used to FA the pressure is obviously being brought in earlier for players to resign. The standard " I want to leave trade negotiations til the end of the year so I can concentrate on my footy" can't wash in the break can it. So whats Danger gonna say " Id like to leave trade negotiations til the season starts so I can concentrate on having a holiday?" If he doesnt sign by the middle of the trade period I reckon Adelaide will move.