Lucifers Hero

Josh sound really tired and flat on SEN last night. It made me wonder who does the negotiations. I assume Taylor/Viney do the trade negotiations with clubs and Mahoney does the contract negotiations with the players. Most other teams have their head recruiter/list manager (Wells, Dodoro, Llyod etc) do the media work. Mahoney is our media spokesperson during trade week. I like that we have only one spokesperson for the club - consistent public story and all that. Maybe he has too much work in trade week and someone else should be our chief spokesperson?

I was a Howe fan but don't like the way he has gone about the whole contract/trade process. That aside posters may be underestimating his value to GC and Pies beyond any marketing: - He was our leading goal kicker in 2013 (28 I goals I think). Both GC and Pies need goal kickers. - He can play in defense so makes him a bit of a swingman. - He has the ability to be an on-baller who rotates thru the middle/wing. So there is a lot more to him than his 'speckies'. I think he will do well in a new environment. Anyway, the more players from our 'dark days' we move on the better so lets get a fair deal and be done with him.

If GWS do swap pick 8 for 2 rnd rnd picks it is more likely to be with Carlton. Carlton are looking to do a package trade to take 4 GWS players: Plowman, Lamb,Tomlinson and another (whose name I have forgotten). GWS would deal with Carlton before Ess as they need to reduce overall player numbers and have a good relationship with SOS who will be easier to deal with. Carlton don't have an extra 2nd rnd (yet) but they do have the first pick of rnd 2 and 3. The (small) incentive for GWS is to reduce player numbers. If they do it good luck to them. Essentially, it is no different to us wanting a deal to get us pick 3 from GCS. No need for a lot of angst. That's the system.

For those who asked - BRAYDEN MAYNARD: From Pies website: Renowned for his powerful and polished left foot, Maynard’s skills from half back are an asset. He has excellent vision and great agility. He is a smart player and, despite not being blessed with superb endurance, runs to the right spots. Could press his claims for senior opportunities this year. His father Peter played eight games for Melbourne (1980-1981) and was a star with Glenelg in the SANFL. But we just got a half back flanker in Melksham. They will all be on-ballers anyway so I gues Maynard may well be good for us. Appears to not have made his AFL debut.

Mahoney said on SEN that '...+ pick 6 and Howe for GCS pick 3 and there were other things around that' were part of the GCS negotiations that had been worked thru'. MFC will now deal with Pies. Trade will happen this week. A 1st to 2nd rnd pick will get it done. Mahoney sounded incredibly flat. We have publicly declared our hand. I am incredibly deflated right now. We will never know what the GCS deal was and what Howe going to Pies will cost us. Why can't we play hard ball...just once!

Wise, do you really think we don't understand that!! We are outraged because that could have been done on Monday! It wasn't - strongly suggesting we were not prepared to give up 25 on its own. We have! We rolled over - to that crap lot near the airport. That is the issue.

Peanuts?

The Age reporting the deal is done for pick 25! Can't believe we rolled over. At some point we need to take a stand during Trade week and show some mettle and play hardball otherwise we will always be seen as suckers and wimps.

Ooops! The panic button just went off at Seaford!! Hawkes will give up their 1st round pick that Ess want and may throw in a sweetner! I wish it had been us that made such a daring move on Carlisle! Edit: from the Age: "It would see the Hawks give up their first-round pick and Jed Anderson, and get Carlisle from the Bombers. Then Anderson would go to the Kangaroos with Essendon's pick No.41, and the Bombers would get No.15 and No.18." How can Ess resist two 1st round picks!

Given that Coll and North interest has been splashed around for a while it is incredibly disrespectful of them to not keep mfc informed. But then there hasn't much respectfulness from JH and his DH manager! Mahoney also said in that article"...(we) made it clear that the club had started negotiations with Gold Coast Suns." That is a strong statement! Doesn't sound like we are going to make it easy for him to get to Coll. If he wants to go there we should make Coll match the nearest best offer ie GC's.

Interesting outcome. I wonder, if Ess players are found 'guilty' if their penalties will also be backdated? I guess it depends on the new evidence that jnr has referred to and what light it sheds on player 'honesty'. It is highly probable that Ess players will be found to have different degrees of 'guilt' and therefore different penalties. And, the more honest a player has been the more lenient the penalty. So, we shouldn't assume that Melksham will receive a 2 year ban. Note: Ess players served a 6 month 'provisional' suspension last year for which they will get credit. FWIW, Ess will have about 10-12 affected players on their list in 2016. There about 6-8 at other AFL teams. My concern with Melksham is that the drugs affected his body in a way which stop him from consistently performing at his best...no 2012 Ess player has performed well in any AFL team in recent years. Could be coincidence but then again...

As one of those 'junkies' the CAS hearing starts Nov 16 but most unlikely the verdict will be known before the psd (Dec 3). So it is still 'buyer beware''

I think the issue with his pay is that Rich offered base fee plus match payments. He and his management want a more guaranteed income. I think it is stingy of Richmond to offer a game based contract. The kid has shown he can play very well at AFL in just his second year. Also, he has no direct control over how many senior games as it is up to the match committee, injuries etc. Rich should wake up to themselves and it will teach them a lesson if they lose him over penny pinching.

The silks have started arriving! http://www.theage.com.au/sport/key-sports-reps-seek-wada-audience-20151014-gk95uq.html The WADA Director General is in town for a 3 day sports law conference (albeit booked 12 months ago). The attendees are a 'who's who' of sport officialdom and legal eagles in Australia and New Zealand 1st day of conference is over, continues till Friday. If it hadn't been for trade week and that article by Sam Lane it may have come and gone and we would have been none the wiser. It won't slip under the radar now and the EFC/CAS case will back in the news. Time to get the popcorn out again bb!

Dawes and Lumumba have been huge wins for us, right?

One of the many problems with FA is that comp picks are attached to ladder position. It would be a lot better/fairer if comp picks were end rnd 1 (for the best players) and end rnd 2 (all other players) This maintains the integrity of the 1st round. Clubs have a good idea what pick they will get before/early in trade week. It will avoid the mess Brisb have: after passing on Suckling (for free as an FA) they get a crap pick for Leuey anyway and Ess now won't trade for him. Net result: No Suckling and pick 39 or keep Leuey. The AFL may need to bring back PP's but that is better than trying to make the FA comp picks defacto PP's The AFL has gone from Santa to Mr Scrooge with its FA comp picks this year. Thank God Frawley left last year!

I am so over him making us dance to his tune!! Two can play Howe's game!! Its time for us to show some mettle and play hardball: if he chooses Pies we ask them to match the best trade offer we had. If they can't match it they will have to withdraw their offer to Howe. He then chooses between (presumably) GC and North.

I'm supposing. The rationale: - there is no logical reason why journos etc are quiet on the subject, afterall CAS will sit in a month. - the AFL is very controlling and tries to micro manager its image and PR. - the AFL drip feeds news to journos so it is in their interests to tow the AFL line from time to time. but could be totally wrong... The good journos will report news objectively so in that respect they will fulfill their responsibilities when the time comes.

I feel ill...

Because the AFL has asked journos etc to keep it quiet while the GF, trading etc are happening on. But don't worry bb it will all hit the fan in a month when the silks start arriving in the harbour town...just before the Draft!!! AFL won't be able to control it then!

End of day 2 and nothing has happened! Saw this in the Age: "Zero Hanger understands that St Kilda was looking at recruiting Brisbane defenderJordon Bourke before Jake Carlisle became available and it is entirely possible they will revert back to that plan if they cannot achieve a worthwhile trade with Essendon, who stand to lose their star key position player for nothing". Would love to see this happen...then that Dodo at Ess will rue the day he decided to be such a pain in the backside. Double this perverse delight if Dodo holds up our trade for Melksham and we take our money elsewhere!!

Interesting comments about the 'Star' players likely for (current) picks 3-6. "Aaron Francis still shapes as an early pick, but sat out the testing because of groin and hip soreness. Darcy Parish didn't make the top 10 in any area, but everyone knows he can play...Charlie Curnow has been interesting all year, his athletic potential obvious from the start but his year interrupted by a knee injury before he had gotten himself properly fit. He didn't test quick - 3.1 seconds was his best time over 20 metres - but his endurance, for a powerful key position player who everyone can see playing on ball one day, came through".No glowing endorsements there...in fact, the much touted Parish did himself no favours at all. Ess seem to have fallen out of love with him! It has emerged that both StK and Ess are trying to trade out their (current) respective pics 5 and 4 for two later first round picks. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-trades-2015-saints-explore-pick-slide-for-jake-carlisle-20151012-gk7aji.html Just shows what they think of players available at pick 6 to 10 (after the academy players go at 3,4,5). Our club has shown not to be overly enamoured with draft picks so it will be interesting what we do with (current) pick 6!

With the Treloar and Aish deals floating around the Pies don't have any decent picks to offer for Howe.I bet they will want to do a trade that includes their Ben Kennedy who we are looking at. Plus some crappy pick. I hate the way the Pies swoon around, enticing players with their facilities, the ANZAC day game, their big $$ support team then play hardball in trading with the club. Hardball at the trade table is not something I have seen our club do so I fear we will come off 2nd best if Howe chooses the Pies. Maybe we can offer them Dawes back

That is not even funny!

This puts it in perspective. http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/jim-stynes-widow-sam-ludbey-opens-up-about-her-decision-to-remarry-20151011-gk6nq5.html I recall her saying in an interview (or his book) that they grew closer during his illness. Whatever their circumstances they deserve to remain private. Sam has undoubtedly shown great respect to Jim, the Stynes name, the Stynes family and their children before and after Jim passed away. She has been a courageous woman who stood by her man till the very end in extreme circumstances. Jim's mother gave Sam her blessing: "...it meant much to her when Jim Stynes' mother looked her in the eye, held her hand and gave her blessing to re-marry". She has had difficult times and deserves happiness in every aspect of her life. Can't help but think Sam would also have Jim's blessing.