Older demon

Consider this option then. Freo I expect will not give up pick 5 & 6 (after GC compensation for Lynch) and I hope MFC say no deal, go away. Rightly so, no compromise and no deal and Jessie can be part of finals glory. Hogans manager cleverly requests a 1 year extension till 2020 which takes Jessie into restricted free agency and then he can accept the mega deal which MFC wont match and take compensation. Hogan will have done his 8 years of service is still only 25 and gets the contract of a lifetime. I don't think at this stage we will have a million dollar a year player yet, as we try to keep our list together and share the money . If we need another backman play Hogan at CHB where he made all Australian in the under 18's. GC will not let May go cheap and he is a free agent next year anyway and will be hunting dollars. We get Kolajazz for a third rounder

For those who believe it will all be fixed if Jessie signs on look no further than Mitch McGovern. Is at the end of the first year of a 3 year deal and wants out and will most likely get to his destination club. The only advantage is the club has currency and that is why MFC may well be best served now rather than at the end of 2019. All will be revealed eventually

Interesting timing with the changeover of CEO. I know Mahoney is doing the negotiating but the CEO crunches the numbers and who has the final say Peter or Gary?

I suspect all will become clearer in the next week. Vince and Balic have retired. Bugg, JKH, Kent, King, Johnstone, McKenna & Pederson out of contract and not sure of Vanders. I took this from the list posted early September on another post. Filipovic and Keilty out of contract on the rookie list. To me it doesn't make sense to move on both King and Flip I cannot see us letting 10 players go after 1 season as we only have 5 draft picks. Contracted next year and their age next season in brackets Tyson (26), Garlett (30), Jones (31) & Lewis (33). We could trade for extra picks but not sure who has any currency. I included Jones and Lewis only because of their respective ages and am not suggesting they be moved on.

This finals series has shown we are now in "Hunting Premierships" mode. We do not need to trade out our guns for speculative draft picks. Fremantle can come up with whatever they like but Hogan stays put and enjoys playing finals for the next few years, not travelling back and across the country every 2nd week and living through a rebuild.

You have to wonder where all the Norf money is coming from. They are a bit scattergun with their approach offering a fortune to anyone.kelly only signed on for 2 years at GWS and Norf were very confident that they would get him next time but cannot see that happening if Gaff goes there. If he is too pricey then move on as we don't want to disturb the pecking order at MFC. lewis has already spoken to the group about pay structure and keeping the group together just as they did at Hawthorn in the premiership years. I truly believe that if MFC offer was similar to GWS he would come home (as per Jane's info) but 1.2 for 7 years is crazy money. Target what we need to comlement our existing list do not get into a bidding war just to prove you can attract a player.

For years we have been looking for the Messiah. Roos often stated that the Messiah complex and expectation is what limts player development and in this case we cannot expect Weid to come in and emulate Hogan. Thinking about this I will be content for him to play his role as defined by the coaches. If he plays on McGovern then make every contest count. If he plays in the ruck, get the ball to ground to our mids and make a contest and drop back in defence. He has played 15 games and is still learning and cannot be expected to come in and clunk marks, kick a bag and dominate especially against such a well organised backline such as the Eagles. Will he however provide a better option in contested marks and rucking than Pederson? I believe he will and our goals will need to come from the mids and flankers. Last week pederson was on Heaney and one contest in particular he gave us nothing. The only alternative I would consider is Hannan as a key forward but then who backs up Max against Lycett and Vardy?

I can confirm Hoges is left handed. I asked him as he continually shot left handed at one of the MFC holiday programs at MSAC where he and Trac were shooting hoops. Both would not be out of place on a basketball court.

I have stated this before Hoges is left handed but right footed and that is why the weird ball drop. As a right handed left footer I can attest to the difficulty using you non dominant hand to drop the ball on your foot. Nick Riewoldt was the same and early in his career he had similar problems kicking for goal, but he got better with experience. I found that I could become pretty good on my right foot because I could control the ball drop better and maybe Hogan can kick in play on his left. He is a pretty good kick in field play.

Hogan has a lot of improvement still in him and every other club would offer a trade for him. Talk of trade is nonsense as we don't have enough A listers or key position players now. We need to replace Jones, Vince and Lewis in the next 2 years as well as a backup for Max. Trading Hogan out for their replacements will yield nothing. Gaff is a RFA and will come to us if the Eagles don't match his offer.

The proposed parkland is where the club held its family day this season. It is a great location and much better suited to being an open park and oval. The only drawback is it is on quite a slope so no jokes about downhill skiers plaease.

Jane02 wont kiss and tell but I will. Same source close to the Gaff family. If he returns to Melbourne MFC is preferred location. As RFA the Eagles can match whatever he is offered but historically very few if any clubs match offers made to RFA's. Sorry Jane

If Gaff returns to Melbourne it will only to play with MFC despite what others offer atm.

The throw away line in the news articles is that this has the approval of the AFL. Last week on radio one pundit stated that PJ favoured a succession plan as did some at MFC but the AFL did not like this idea, for whatever reason. Maybe they thought Mahoney was a risk or lacked experience. Pert's credentials are impeccable and far more advanced than any of the internal candidates. In some ways the AFL still owns MFC and dictates our fixture, where we play and who we appoint to senior positions. There is still a little way to go before we start dictating who we play and when and where. This has AFL all over it

You didn't mention Balic! I thought he was on a 1 year contract for this year. Agree McKenna if he cannot get on the park and similarly Vandenberg and when Gaff nominates MFC I suspect JHKH will be surplus too. Mitch King is a ruckman and they need time so doubt they would discard. Bernie and Pedo might get another year. Then there might be a left field decision like Jack Watts last year which no-one saw coming

Too early to call who is more polished. When recruited together all they wanted to do was play in the same team. Trac does a knee in year 1 and is a season behind. Gus has a great first year, gets knocked out and basically loses a season and a bit. I would be interested to see how many games they have played tgether. On the weekend, don't forget Trac spent 4 days in hospital prior to playing and was a little sluggish. That was the best game I have seen from Gus since his first year so it is a bit early to call who is better. I seem them as 2 different styles of footballer who will compliment each other and form a very formidable team with Oliver and Viney in the midfield. I like that each brings something different to the mid field and hope Angus signs up soon.

At last a rover who kicks goals, crumbs packs and has attitude. Go Charlie

Well done Charlie congratulations. My son will be spewing as he is a Kangas supporter and rates Charlie highly and cannot belive the Roos didn't pick him. They couldn't get him as a father son as his old man played 81 games with North. Charlie has followed the path of his father, Paul (North Melbourne and Brisbane), grandfather, Bob (Footscray), and great grandfather, Bob snr (Footscray and Melbourne), in making the big-time.

Just posted in the Goodwin forum the same thing. Things notgood in the box for the first 4 rounds and macca will sit on the boundary line. Mentioned elsewhere that there may have been a clash of egos. When asked to elaborate the reporter stated that Macca wants to be in the boc so I am not sure who he has upset but clearly not a happy camp

I like the look of his play and it was Buckenara who suggested we got a bargain as he rated him at 22 in the drafte and the best key position player available.

Not sure why he was cut from brisbane Academy but he looks well balanced, has some pace and hits targets. Clearly the FD have kept an eye on him

And now pick 28 has been used by carlton to get their GWS player. Just got a bit easier if we want Fritsch

Bulldogs have traded picks 28 and 30 for pick 16 to Carlton. MFC have shown that they are prepared to list or rookie Casey players

Note the rumour came from a Kane Cornes tweet. This year Kane has been incorrect, rude and insulting with his tweets. I still think Lever is worth 1 first round pick only but they sound like the new Essendon

There are some in Adelaide according to the news who think Lever shouldn't play this weekend as they are sure he is leaving. That is crazy IMO and thankfully Richard Douglas reckons while he is contracted to the Crows all they want is Lever's best. How different is the attitude from NRL where players declare mid season if they are going. We all believed Frawley was going and Roos played him up forward to groom a replacement backman but still played Chip. Adelaide demanding Trac or Clarry tells me they aren't coping well with someone wanting to leave Adelaide to return home.