Lucifers Hero

My GFG is active every year. But I sure won't be booking GF weekend city hotels!

I give us an A: Steele replaces Oliver, bringing leadership and able to play a more flexible role Mihocek for Spargo - a different type of fwd but brings balance and experience i50 we were lacking Jiath for McVee - a different type of defender and we have others to fill the gap Heath - much needed back up for Max. Three first round picks for Petracca plus free up sal cap I see much better connection to i50 especially with a revised game plan and better fwd structures. We covered our departures with equal or better suited players, except for Petracca. Hopeully, Langford can start to fill his shoes! If he does our list is much better than it was last week. And we add 4 1st round draftees over 2025/2026. I reckon we will bounce back to contention faster than most people think ❤️💙

Trades have set up Dees’ ‘next premiership’Melbourne have traded two “hall of famers” but list manager Tim Lamb believes the Demons’ moves have set up “their next premiership win”. Lamb echoed earlier calls thanking Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver for their stellar Melbourne careers which culminated in the club’s breakthrough premiership in 2021, calling them future hall of fame members. They were traded to Gold Coast and GWS respectively. Lamb believes the draft picks and new players acquired during the trade period will soon have the Demons back among the contenders for the premiership. The Demons snared Collingwood’s Brody Mihocek, St Kilda captain Jack Steele and teammate Max Heath, and Hawthorn’s Changkuoth Jiath but lost Charlie Spargo (North Melbourne) and Judd McVee (Fremantle). Lamb said new coach Steven King was excited about the mix of talent at the club while picks seven and eight could net two more talented youngsters or be traded up for a higher pick. “The person who was 100 per cent behind us was Steven King – it’s his footy club now,” Lamb told AFL Trade Radio on Thursday. “He’s thrilled with what we have done and super excited by our young talent and the new guys we have brought in. “It is a balancing act, but we are in it to try and win premierships, and we think what we have done has set us up to win our next premiership.” Lamb is also buoyed about the calibre of the top players in this year’s draft. “We think there is some elite talent that we will have access to,” he said. “The early picks tend to jump in and have an earlier impact because of their talent and athleticism – it’s going to be an exciting time for us and put pressure on for spots.”

The difference in latitude on here to our champions in Trac and Oliver is unbelievable. It is almost like everyone wants to tear down the 'tall poppy' (Trac) and find fault but talk up 'bambi' (Oliver) and expunge all bad behaviour. Nearly every criticism of Trac on here can be said about Oliver. Sometimes I wonder if there is any rationality left in the world.

So Oliver hasn't posted so is not a genuine, good fella?

Seriously, we didn't force him out. People need to stop using that line. Even if we did, what the club has done for him and the adoration of fans through thick and thin, deserves some acknowledgement. If he can't do that well it shows his true colours.

Ok that is for the first two years. Still leaves us with another 3 years @ $700k My point was Oliver's contract was not an issue as Trac's was almost identical. Otherwise the trades would have been similar. and they could not have been further apart as I demonstrated Other issues were at play to have us with a great trade (picks and no subsidy) with Trac and a terrible trade result with Oliver.

There was nothing wrong with Oliver's contract!!! Trac's was almost identical! And, we were not taking either of them back. But look at the different trade results: Oliver: F3rd pick GWS take only about 50% of the $1.3+ pa salary freeing up only about $700k in sal cap for 5 years Petracca: 3 - first round picks (2 top 10 2025, F1st in 2026) 2 - second round picks (ND 37 in 2025, 2026 F2nd) 1 - third round pick (2027) GCS take 100% of his salary freeing up $1.3+m pa in sal cap Giving GCS 3 - second round picks (ND24, ND28 in 2025, 2026 F2nd) The sal cap benefit of the Trac trade should not be underestimated. As much as we all love Oliver and feel that the club has 'shot bambi' people need to ask themselves how two champions can have such a different trade value. It isn't the contract!

That from his Manager's pov who I suspect didn't tell McCartney how Oliver contributed to the 'no way back' divorce. If Oliver played his cards differently he would still be with us. Burnt his bridges and slammed the door on the way out. Of course, the club would not take him back. Once the manager told GWS his version and the up to $700k mfc contribution we had no bargaining power. His manager did the club no service. Thanks to the Trac trade bounty the club will be fine. I truly hope Oliver finds a happy place off the field and gets back to his best. Being out of the AFL bubble should help

That would be true of 90% of tv chefs.

He has his issues but that is all class. it is sad that none of our departing players have yet sent a message let alone one as gracious as JUH. Methinks their is a lot of hurt out there.

Going on the Curnow and Petracca deals 3 first round picks with 2nd round picks going back is the price for a star. Hawks too stingy to put up for Merrett. Saints embarrassed themselves and Steele giving up their captain for a future 3rd round pick.

True but we still get their 2025 #37 AFL: The final deal will see the Demons get picks 7, 8 and 37 this year, Gold Coast's 2026 first-round pick and the Suns' 2027 third-round pick. The Suns will get Petracca, pick 24 and 28 in this year's draft and Melbourne's 2026 second-round pick. So that is We get 3 first round picks, a 2nd round pick and a 3 rd round pick and we give Petracca and 3 2nd round picks.

AFL is reporting we also got pick 37 from GCS ? Quite a haul with their 2026 1st and only giving up 24 and 28 with Trac

Very happy to death ride GCS and watch the smug, heartless Hardwick suffer!

I don't know about abuse but that is how it works. Its up to the player and manager to negotiate a new contract with the new club. The new club does not have to take the terms of the contract with the old club. If you mean GWS end up paying less than the 'nominal' value of Oliver's contract after deducting the mfc portion, yes that can and probably will happen particularly as Oliver said last year he would take a pay cut if we traded him - the pay cut was with Geelong not with mfc.

JUH's contract at WBD was for one more year. Oliver's is another 5 years.. A club can renegotiate a contract with a player when traded in which is what GCS have done. Every chance GWS will with Oliver but that contract stands separate to Oliver's contract with us for our $ portion til 2030. Once mfc $ for Oliver's contract are decided, I wouldn't be surprised if GWS re-write Oliver's contract. Less money overall, less guaranteed $, more $ incentives and behaviour clauses.

Morris can't count very well. A GWS F3 in 2026 will be around pick 60. Its 2027 even higher. Doesn't look like a steal at all. Embellishment ++++ by Morris

Surely, there is room for them in a $6.0m to $7.0m 'war chest'!!! From what we know so far Tassie will have a 'sign on bonus' fund for players but not sure if they have a higher TPP. They can't pay overs for everyone. And they will have to trade for them. If we are succeeding those guys won't want to go. Lets wait and see.

True we don't. But we need to do everything we can to change that and having a 'war chest' will help especially Vic players in other states. If we get our act as a club and on field performance that will be so much easier. Otherwise, yes we remain a middling club. I'd rather have the 'war chest' than not.

Hawks play a 'no holds barred' game at trade time. Renegged on a deal with WCE in 2024. Courted their captain. Courted Ess captain. And they wait until 24 hours before the deadline to give Ess what is essentially a pick only deal which they could have tabled a week ago. Deliberately timed to squeeze Ess into giving Merrett up cheaply. Low life tactics! I hope there is footy karma for them in the coming years.

I said it was a guess for Gus! If it is out by $300-$400k doesn't detract from the point that subsiding Clarrie at GWS won't affect our list management plans.

For those worried about paying Oliver approx $700k it will not impact us much if at all. Trac's contract of about $1.3 gone in 2025 Part of Oliver's contract of about $1.3m gone in 2025 May's contract of about $900 will be gone in 2026 at the latest. Gawn's contract of about $1.0++. will end when he retires, probably end of 2027 Gus subsidy (guessing $300k-$500k) will end about 2027-2028 Viney contract of around $1.0m will end around 2028 Lever may retire so his contract of approx $800k will end in 2028 That is about $6.0m-$7.0m reduction in player payments over the next 3 years. So, we will have a 'war chest' to reward our talent and attract players while covering the Oliver payment particularly if it is fixed $. It may hurt to see Oliver being undervalued in a trade but it won't hurt our list management forward.

His contract of $1m in 2022 is as a % of TPP. In the latest 2023 CBA it will go up by about 35% by 2027. So next year his contract will be in the region of $1.3m - $1.4m. His contract is until 2030 by which time there will be another CBA and presumably another TPP increase. It is reported he will then be on around $1.7m. That may be a bit on the high side but still significant especially for a player who has been under performing and will be in his 30's in the latter years of the contract. If it was backended it will be even higher in the coming years. Hopefully, we negotiate a $ figure with GWS eg $700k rather than % because the latter could get rather ugly by 2030.

In part, yes. We had the Petracca drama, Viney rumoured to be going to North, a President in the hot seat, a CEO wanting to trade Oliver. The club was under siege in the media. It took the path of least resistance. The club has known of Oliver's off-field issues for many many years. And rightly protected and cared for him but there comes a time when that wasn't the best for Oliver's welfare but no-one (except Pert) was willing to make the hard decision.