Ted Lasso

We've implemented a totally different and much more attacking game plan and yet only conceded plus 2-3 points a game, i'd say that Rawlings who is in charge of team defense has done a fantastic job.

Obviously i can't answer that because i have no idea how much he's on. but if a player who's signed a long term deal is put up for trade it means there are most likely some sort of issues there, or the clubs salary cap is very tight, so i'm not sure they can move him on without being willing to pay some of his salary. the big question is if another club thinks he's good enough to be their number 1 ruckman.

Crameri is interesting now because if the dogs win his compo will reflect that the EFC cost him a flag. I personally don't believe the players should get compo, i believe they've been charged, they've failed to keep records, fill out forms correctly and so the only reason i can see the EFC wanting to consider paying them compo would be to avoid the true nature of the program becoming public, there is no doubt the players could paint a very different picture of things to what the AFL has painted.

It's pretty unlikely, but so is 90% of what's suggested on this thread,

Oh good, Scoop also said McDonald was off to the Swans so i feel better now.

I reckon Lobbe will find a new home, RIchmond and the Dogs could use someone like that, but i think the backup ruckman with a bit more experience idea has some merit, if we lost Gawn and Spencer we'd be stretched pretty thin. even if he didn't get a number 1 ruck gig, i doubt he'd want to be competing with Maxy for a spot. While i don't think it'll happen, i reckon ProDee's reaction was a bit over the top, seen far worse suggestions on this thread than Lobbe.

really feel for Josh, having to be an 18 year old key forward in that side with such huge expectations on him, i really think they'd do well to look at someone like Dawes just to provide him with some help/cover. and take the pressure off

I wonder if we'd be looking at Billy Hartung, outside mid who fits the age profile that suits our list, and i reckon he'd be gettable

Onya Dom! i reckon when he comes OOC next he'll be seen as one of the very best players in the comp

I don't see him as a great fit for us, but i am sure if he leaves he'll find a new home easily enough, i still think our culture is a big focus and it doesn't sound like he's a great influence in that regard.

Not sure, but they were all over him last year despite knowing they were likely bringing in Milera so i can only imagine that opinion won't have changed.

They would know they'd have to cough up a first rounder, so i think regardless that's the price they'd expect to have to pay to get Motlop

I reckon he's off to either the Crows or the Tigers. Perhaps a three way deal, Crows first rounder - Tigers Lids - Cats Motlop - Crows

we haven't leaked hardly anything since Roos took over, unless we've wanted it leaked.

Who says we aren't chasing anyone? you're just making an assumption because nothing has been leaked. which free agent are you hoping we land? Daniel Wells? Chris Mayne? the difference again is that they have draft picks to trade, we don't.

If you think about players who bleed red and blue and get everything out of themselves through hard work and commitment, Jack is a perfect example, Captain at 21 because of the example he set. I truely hope he gets another crack at AFL level and i think he will, i'll always remember in 2012 just after we were beaten by Essendon by 150 points or whatever it was, i went along to an open training and every Melbourne player looked flat as a tack besides Grimes and he was so vocal and so passionate and just firing everyone up all the best for the future Jack! you'll be missed

and what do you suggest we trade for these top liners? we don't have a first round pick and our second rounder is locked in another deal, and if we trade next years first rounder we could go two seasons without a first round pick which is not ideal either.

I take comfort from the fact Grimes knew it was coming and wasn't blindsided like i think some of the North guys were to an extent, but even though i think it's the right call, i doubt many Dees supporters weren't hoping he could find something and hang around, just because of the loyalty he's shown through such a hard time

It's making a comparison to a similar player or team in order to take certain lessons for your own development plan, the recent finals history is totally irrelevant it's a direct comparison of them at that time to us now. under Macca they focused on contest and defense and when Bevo took over they added an attacking layer to their game under Roos we focused on contest and defense and now Goody is adding the attacking layer to our game. ProDee was the one who suggested we were better, so using that argument against me is as irrelevant as their recent finals history to this discussion. i am suggesting they're a good comparison to where we are now in terms of the way they've built and developed their players and i think 18 months is a reasonable time frame for us to be finishing around the 7th mark on the ladder as they did this year.

as you said, you're more than welcome to your opinion, i just disagree, i reckon comparisons would be things used in the footy department quite often. telling Jack Viney to watch tapes of Joel Selwood to me is the same thing, he's a different person, different player, but aspiring to be like a team or player ahead of us would be fairly regular practice. it's not saying in 18 months we'll be exactly the same as the bulldogs but given we've built our side the same way (contested ball and now layering attack ) i reckon it's fair for us to compare ourselves to them and aspire to follow that pathway, the same way teams try to copy the Hawks and Swans and so on

I don't think what he's suggesting is that we'll magically wait it out, i think what he was suggesting that another 18 months under quality coaching, development and natural progession and this side should be a top 8 side like the Bulldogs, keeping in mind that they finished 7th, i think that should be the expectation. I do understand what he means when he uses the Bulldogs as a comparison because as a club they're quite similar to us in being a smaller, less rich club.

I don't understand this post Stuie, are you being deliberately confrontational? fairly certain ProDee is not a member of the footy department ( please correct me if i am wrong) so i don't understand why his post bothers you, it's not like a supporters attitude has any real bearing on how the players are going to play or train, you'd like to hope they'd be a little bit better than that.

That's true, but given we have no first round pick, and we're likely trading our second round pick and have to use 3 picks in the draft a second 4th round pick would be an upgrade on a fifth round pick, depending on what our intentions are with that pick

Given Grimes status as a free agent, i assume we don't delist him just incase we somehow get a compo pick for him?

All of that makes sense, but he also said in a seperate post that the club is not putting pressure on Hogan and giving him space, i don't believe you can give him space and pressure him for a decision sooner than he'd like to make it, they can't trade him if he doesn't want to go.