Lucifers Hero

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-08-24/keilty-upgraded-to-senior-list Congratulations to Declan on being upgraded to the Senior list. A sign that he will play this week? Where is @Drunkn167? I bet you and the family are absolutely rapt!

In a recent podcast Jason Taylor didn't sound enamoured with this years draft. He didn't comment on 2018 draft but by all accounts it is a seriously, seriously talented draft. So, that would be a serious upgrade benefiting the Crows. Would prefer to keep 2018 picks intact if we can.

No! What makes you think this? Tom and Oscar are in totally different contract positions. Tom is an UFA next year so he will be looking at all his options, regardless of what happens with little bro. And, Oscar is more than good enough to earn a contract in his own right without being carried on big bro's coat tails. There will be other clubs coming at Oscar next year! It is really important to sign Tom up asap to avoid a UFA media beat up in 2018. Last time he signed for only 2 years because he wanted to see how the club progressed. He has his answer. I think he will stay on a long term contract. He wouldn't want to bail now. ...Hopefully, this doesn't derail the Lever thread to a Mcdonald thread but felt it important to ask for clarification on the 'Macdonald brother bloc' theory before people start giving it credence and I wanted to show why they are in completely different contract positions so are not interdependent.

I can see the attraction of Frost to the Crows. They don't have a fast-running-take-the-game-on defender. We have Hunt and Frost. Both have one speed, more or less in a straight line with poor composure. Both players need to improve those 3 elements of their play. But I think a team can only really afford one with those deficiencies in a side. So we keep Hunt and Crows get Frost and both keep working on their deficiencies. If we get Lever and let Frost go it would suggest the club is confident of re-signing Oscar and Tom.

Lever quits his Adelaide radio show spot. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-08-21/lever-pulls-out-of-regular-radio-spot Sure sign he is leaving the Crows. Seems down to a two horse race: Dees and Pies. Given the pies don't know who their coach will be and its list is all over the shop, it is hard to see they have the nod. Conclusion: It must be the Dees...!

@Drunkn167's bro, Declan Keilty has been re contracted for another year on the rookie list. Big men sign on for 2018 season By the reports that his bro has given us he has worked very hard. Congratulations to Declan and thanks Drunkn for keeping us up to date with his progress.

If that is true it makes young Jake a liar - he denied it on air in Adelaide. The most practical time to have 'met' was in Darwin. Maybe a casual beer with mates (eg Petracca) after the game in someone's hotel and the likes of Goodwin and Viney walk in and say 'hi' and have a 'get to know chat'. Maybe that is a 'meeting' to a journo but not a 'meeting' to young Jake. For now I'll give him the benefit of the doubt as after Scully I detest blatant liars.

Updated version of article: http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-08-08/it-never-happened-crow-lever-denies-meeting-dees From original article: IN-DEMAND Adelaide star Jake Lever has denied reports he met with Melbourne officials. "I never met with Melbourne," Lever told radio station FIVEaa on Tuesday. "That's a rumour I just laugh at. "It never happened." I do not detect any spin, hedging or camouflage in Lever's comments. And, he doesn't seem the type to outright lie. He isn't coming to the Demons. Sad that he laughs at the rumour/prospect of coming to our beloved Demons. I hope that isn't typical of the players we may be targetting. Edit: the updated article gives a slightly different angle on what he said. He seems will entrenched in Adelaide with a weekly radio spot.

Really? That is a bit personal. I always contribute to such posts with my own opinions and comments which I think are quite articulately expressed! So not sure what you are complaining about!

David King has lost his marbles! He suggests we trade Jesse for Lever!! Don't know why some media folk make such complete fools of themselves! https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/media-watch-the-move-that-could-help-the-dees-land-jake-lever-the-mcg-tells-smokers-to-jog-on/news-story/fe0078efb26fcb8e45a222ce0ab7595c

Pick 12 which we gave to Geelong for Beamer

His team mate, Tom Lynch did exactly that two years ago when there was strong talk he was leaving (and if I recall the Dees were a long way down the track with him). As soon as the Crows blinked and gave him the term and $ he wanted, he couldn't sign fast enough. After the Crows blinked Lynch said: “I’ve got a young family ...I’m happy to stay at the Club – the intention was always to stay here at the Adelaide Crows". Its a game players and managers indulge. Maybe Lever is touring a few clubs...didn't his father recently connect with the bulldogs? To me Lever is still a young player with potential. Yes, potential to be elite (like many other players in our team) but doesn't really have runs on the board so I'm not yet as enamoured with him as some DL's . I would be reluctant for us to pay an 'elite' level trade value to the Crows or pay Lever an 'elite' level contract. If the reported $850K p.a. the Bulldogs are offering is true then I would walk away from the table. The only Dee player earning more than that would be Hogan (maybe Viney). Lever has a lot to prove before he gets to that level in my book.

Its hanging on his grandparents mantle according to cousin Jeb Ross of StK, even tho Gil was adamant in was in his draw! Of course we know Gil has mastered the arts of spin, red herrings and camouflage!! See post below.

It seems Lever is very gettable! Apparently, Crows have a very strict pay scale and structure. eg reportedly offered McGovern $350,000 for 2 years (barely above the average). Offers from Freo are reported to be around $600,000 for 5 years. Unlike us where our policy is to pay around the market but not overs. The Crows offer to Lever is reportedly also well below market increasing the likelihood of him returning to Victoria!

Lots of high draft picks or contracted players - we do not have any OOC players with reasonable currency - only Frost and ANB

If Lever decides to go it will be interesting to see what Adelaide want for him. Their best offer for Gibbs was '2016 year's first-round pick (pick #15), a small slide of an early future draft pick and former rookie Jake Kelly'. Lever and Gibbs are at different stages of their careers but it would be hard for Adelaide to demand more than they offered for Gibbs. And technically they had to offer overs for Gibbs as he was under contract. So on Adelaide's 2016 value system a good first round pick and steak knives should do it!

Joel is mfc's 'nominated rookie' for the rest of the season. http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-07-06/smith-named-nominated-rookie "It means that Smith, although a rookie, is eligible for selection in the AFL for the rest of the season." I'm guessing he will be in the team sooner rather than later. Edit: that story looks a bit weird as Joel Smith signed a 2 year deal a few months ago http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-04-05/fifteen-minutes-of-fame-enough-to-earn-dee-joel-smith-new-deal ...I wonder if it means Tim Smith... Edit 2: It is Joel, see 'Nascent's post below.

As of this year the AFL does for Etihad tenants. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afls-etihad-stadium-bonuses-for-clubs-20170330-gvaewt.html Not fair in my book. Its not as if Carlton and Essendon or even the Bulldogs need an extra recurring money leg up given they are running record memberships.

Dynamic pricing doesn't really work when there is a low chance of a sell out. It works when Demand is greater than the Supply so they can increase the price and the tickets will still sell. Those that raise prices when that isn't the case have low(er) attendances as my post above has highlighted.

That is why the recent Nth vs Sk game had only 26,000 and StK had 15,000 at the weekend. Their members won't pay the extra so voted with their feet! And rightly so!

Its somewhat of a dubious honour as 'dynamic pricing' is used when they expect a full house. Which we never do at Home games. We don't have enough supporters to fill the G and the Home games we play there are vs interstate teams or Etihad tenants with low members (Nth. StK. WB) so our Home game attendance is low. I suspect if mfc had the opportunity to use 'dynamic pricing' we would as we can ill afford to give up extra revenue. Having said that, what Essendon did to increase the price of ANZAC day tickets by over 40% was blatant exploitation of footy goers. Completely unethical especially in light of the occassion on which the game is held.

I have no particular knowledge of how many concussions it takes for a club to be really cautious with a young player. But it must put a lot of pressure on the player to keep playing when the coach (Richardson) says: "Paddy would've played this week if he had have pulled up well but the reality is he's still a little bit off and so he won't play this week," http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-06-26/six-and-out-for-concussed-st-kilda-forward-mccartin The kid has had 6 concussions in a 2 years. I hope the AFL doctor's monitor this sort of stuff. I can't help compare how mfc is going about an almost identical situation with Gus. We pulled him out altogether and told him to take his time physically and psychologically. Every week Misson says he is coming along fine but there is no time frame for his return. If I was a parent i know which club I would want my son at

A really good insight into where Oscar is at http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-06-16/mcdonald-making-strong-strides Highly regarded by the club and he seems well aware of his weaknesses and what he needs to improve. I've been wondering whether his improvement has been faster recently when big brother isn't in the backline. They do tend to look for each other a bit and when Tom isn't there Oscar has to make the play more often and goes forward more often. Oscar may yet become the better McD player!

I remember when Roos said that and thought he was bluffing. In part because he is a master at playing with a straight bat and in part because I thought McCartin was a strong, burly (lesser) Hogan type and and we didn't need two of the same. I thought we would be better off with a different type of forward eg 2 meter Pete (or later a Weideman type). So if StK had taken Petracca at #1, I would not have been surprised to see us pick Brayshaw and either Lever or Wright.