List Mgmt. 2024 Draft/Trade/FA Thread

[Scythe94]

Confirmed outs:

• Angus Brayshaw (Retired)
• Ben Brown (Retired)
• Josh Schache (Delisted)
• Kyah Farris-White (Delisted)

Confirmed ins:

 

[wingersclub]

Every club in the competition is peering over the Melbourne fence.
Geelong on Clayton Oliver. Collingwood on Christian Petracca. Port Adelaide on Kysaiah Pickett.

The Power’s Dan Houston was bound for the Demons as recently as two weeks ago but, in a major concern some of Melbourne’s biggest supporters are trying to ignore, he doesn’t want to go there anymore.

Houston has gone cold turkey on the Demons for its on and off-field issues.

He smelled the smoke, took a look, and spotted a fire.

Remember when Tim Taranto arrived at Richmond thinking he would join a premiership contender only for the bottom to fall out of the team which has since become a wooden spooner?

Houston doesn’t want to be that guy if Melbourne completely collapse in 2025. Why would he?

So he is looking at other options. Somewhere where the bath water isn’t scolding hot. A club where things are more in order.

It leaves Melbourne, only three years after winning the flag with a brilliant second half against Western Bulldogs, at a significant crossroad.

Rival clubs believe some of Melbourne’s most important players are getting twitchy fingers, sensing it could in fact all blow up in 12 months if the club can’t collectively maximise the riches on its list.

If Collingwood had the picks to trade, you wonder whether Petracca would request if not demand a bombshell move to the Magpies after he was left to play on in the King’s Birthday game with a ruptured spleen, punctured lung and four broken ribs.

Even the Magpies players knew he shouldn’t be out on the field and told him so, before he was shipped to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

No wonder the Petracca family are filthy, albeit in hindsight.

Petracca, who has a Norm Smith Medal and a premiership, has the power to fill his trophy cabinet over his career, and he has always been ambitious from the day he was drafted. He craves success, like all the greats.

Likewise, Geelong have kept an eye on Oliver all season.

Privately, the Cats think they could accommodate Oliver and Western Bulldogs’ Bailey Smith in its salary cap for next season, but a deal for both would be enormously difficult.

But the appeal is obvious.

Geelong has a phenomenal record of getting the best out of its players, even if there is risk attached.

Football boss Andrew Mackie lifted the lid on the club’s recruiting philosophies in 2022, saying the club was unafraid to be aggressive

“What’s the point of being conservative and safe?” Mackie said.

“We could do that. But we are really open and OK to explore outside the norm.

“We have had to. If we see something we like, we aren’t afraid to pull the trigger.”

They support each individual’s needs. Tyson Stengle passed out in a nightclub, was taken to hospital, and the club still played him six days later, when he was one of the best on ground only a few weeks ago.

That is backing your player, rough edges or not.

In any case, Melbourne are not interested in trading any of its midfield superstars, the club says. Even North Melbourne has tried to get in on the act with hard nut Jack Viney.

Viney’s dad, Todd, is the footy boss at the Roos, so he knows the lay of the land as well as anyone at Melbourne.

Alex Neal-Bullen and Angus Brayshaw are also gone. They are heart and soul men.

But do you hold players at all costs?

Not according to respected former Demon Jordan Lewis, who cut to the point on AFL 360 on Fox Footy on Wednesday night, saying “if a player has signalled they want to leave I am always of the opinion if you can make that happen it is best for both club and player”.

Hawthorn lost Lance Franklin and won three flags and Geelong saluted in 2011 after Gary Ablett bailed.

Nothing is impossible.

The nuclear option for the Demons is to blow the list up, trade Petracca and Oliver, and look to excel at the draft where recruiter Jason Taylor has the best hit record in the game.

Instead, Melbourne wants to keep its guns and reload for one more shot at it.


So the challenge for the club’s leaders is whether it can turn the crisis of the past few weeks, if not the past 12 months, into an opportunity to turn a new leaf. To learn and grow.

But it cannot rely solely on captain Max Gawn to carry the can for the whole team, on and off the field. He has been significant for Oliver’s personal turnaround this season.

But after the club lost to Sydney Swans in Opening Round, and interview requests went in for Oliver to speak after his turbulent pre-season, the club wheeled out Gawn instead.

Out loud, the skipper questioned why the media load wasn’t being more shared?

It was all on Max. Again. Even after being beaten in the ruck by Brodie Grundy at the SCG that night.

Melbourne was once a humble football club pre-premiership. The doors were always open.

It craved respect after enduring some of the darkest days in the game over the previous decade.

But the chest-beating since the flag has been lost on no one.

Chief executive Gary Pert maintains he was taken out of context, but he said in a pre-season interview on SEN radio Melbourne had the best culture he had seen in 40 years.

No Melbourne fan could believe that now, and the phones at the club have been ringing hot this week.

At the Melbourne games in recent weeks, the seats are empty

The atmosphere, in comparison to Hawthorn games for example, is dead quiet.

In the background at Melbourne, former president Glen Bartlett has waged a legal war against the club’s directors over his exit.

He questioned alleged behaviours at the club, and was unhappily tiptoed.

Melbourne has said for years – to this reporter and many others – the Bartlett fiasco was simply not a story.

That was three years ago, yet it remains in the courts.

So can this galvanise the footy club in a way?

Can coach Simon Goodwin use this mooted breaking point, and the player frustration, and the inability to connect forward to manifest a new vision and fresh attitude for the Demons ahead of a make-or-break 2025 season?

Respected Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd, a man who doesn’t make big statements lightly, said Goodwin had 12 months to turn the Melbourne ship around.

“Simon Goodwin is on borrowed time, I’m talking this time next year if things don’t improve. I think he has got another 12 months and if things don’t improve I think his job will be in question,” Lloyd said on Channel 9.

Changes will come in the coaching department but officially the club has not lost any faith in Goodwin.

But he needs to implement a system that suits the players at his disposal and can connect forward in a manner that enables Melbourne to be able to consistently score.

Contest and defence, at least on its own, hasn’t worked post flag

So the refresh is coming in the off-season, and Geelong showed in 2022 it is possible to employ a more attacking strategy, albeit with Tom Hawkins, Jeremy Cameron and Stengle in attack.

St Kilda confronted similar issues this season and found its scoring power from the back half to lift the team’s performance in the second half of the season.

The Saints have nowhere near the talent level Melbourne has.

Maybe that was the plan with Houston at Melbourne.

Re-energise the ball movement in defence to quicken the delivery in attack?

The skilful playmaker who was coming to play at half back until he took a step backwards and considered alternatives.

Melbourne can’t put its head in the sand about the predicament it faces.

It might have been an attractive club to join in recent years, but the gloss has worn off, and the chest-beating can stop.

Imagine Trac going to a club with a player that kneed him in the back that caused all his problems and another player that ended his best mates career. Would blow my mind.

 

[Mich0]

Imagine Trac going to a club with a player that kneed him in the back that caused all his problems and another player that ended his best mates career. Would blow my mind.

And where he has **** all hope of a flag. Prob only club further away than us from one

 

[Crusty Demon]

And where he has **** all hope of a flag. Prob only club further away than us from one

Pies find a way to contend a lot more often than we do.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Imagine Trac going to a club with a player that kneed him in the back that caused all his problems and another player that ended his best mates career. Would blow my mind.

I very much doubt that makes any difference, they were accidents. Supporters hold these sort of grudges far more than players would I think.

 

[Mich0]

Petracca for pick 7, 12 and Mac Andrew

Who says no?

Side note Riley Beveridge reporting that Dees have entered into discussions with Viney camp to extend him beyond 2025.

 

[booshboy]

It's the sort of decision you expect from a football department under pressure and trying to keep their jobs. Glad everyone is hanging round another year.

Thank **** our incompetence saved us from our own incompetence. Shit is ****ing dire.

 

[Scythe94]

Petracca for pick 7, 12 and Mac Andrew

Who says no?

Side note Riley Beveridge reporting that Dees have entered into discussions with Viney camp to extend him beyond 2025.

Gold Coast. They don't need to invest even more in their midfield, regardless of how good Trac is. Miller, Anderson, Rowell, Flanders etc is plenty

Also zero chance he would agree to go there anyway.

 

[Scythe94]

Essendon's even picking Weid ahead of Wright now, so you imagine he'll be out the door

 

[booshboy]

Essendon's even picking Weid ahead of Wright now, so you imagine he'll be out the door

Essendon nuffie called into Kane an hour ago suggesting Parish & Wright for Petracca

 

[Scythe94]

Essendon nuffie called into Kane an hour ago suggesting Parish & Wright for Petracca

Parish is even less appealing as a player than Oliver is at the moment, lol

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

Essendon nuffie called into Kane an hour ago suggesting Parish & Wright for Petracca

What did Kane say?

 

[booshboy]

What did Kane say?

basically laughed at him.

 

[Daemon]

Petracca for pick 7, 12 and Mac Andrew

Who says no?

Side note Riley Beveridge reporting that Dees have entered into discussions with Viney camp to extend him beyond 2025.

I will absolutely jump on your Tim Lamb hate train if they sign Viney beyond 2025. That's ****ing insanity.

 

[Demon Attack]

Big yes to Peatling from me too.

We should move Viney but will get cucked into giving him 4 years.

Cucked.

 

[Bluelegs]

Just watching Peatling's highlights from the giants.

I'm surprised he's on the fringes. Looks great.

 

[Crusty Demon]

I will absolutely jump on your Tim Lamb hate train if they sign Viney beyond 2025. That's ****ing insanity.

Mate, you know Lamb will do something stupid. Pressure is now on..club needs a win. They think signing a cooked Viney is gonna appease the supporters. The truth is, most Dees fans will love the contract extension. I don't have a massive issue resigning Viney because he's one bloke who's worked his ass off. But only if Oliver is traded. Madness by the club if both Viney and Oliver are starting mids moving forward.

 

[Mich0]

wtf is Viney planning to do after 2025? Bloke is banged up and can’t play other positions.

 

[Crusty Demon]

wtf is Viney planning to do after 2025? Bloke is banged up and can’t play other positions.

If we offer more than 2026 then that's just f*d. And if we plan on keeping Viney, then Oliver has to go..

 

[Demon 16]

I dont really care, its about getting his contract off the books and using that money to poach some other star, one with their head screwed on ideally. Hard sell getting anyone to come here til there is a clean out however.

I reckon we are better off giving him another year and hoping his value increases.

Then we can decide if it’s worth a trade.

Surely he can’t get lower in value than now, and another year off that contract will help as well.

 

[A11dAtP0w3R]

I reckon we are better off giving him another year and hoping his value increases.

Then we can decide if it’s worth a trade.

Surely he can’t get lower in value than now, and another year off that contract will help as well.

Another year like this and he is untradeable , don't think he's ever going to justify the contract either way even if he is better next year. This is last chance saloon..

 

[The Dr]

Just watching Peatling's highlights from the giants.

I'm surprised he's on the fringes. Looks great.

I reckon he's a gun!


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

 

[booshboy]

Another year like this and he is untradeable , don't think he's ever going to justify the contract either way even if he is better next year. This is last chance saloon..

Even at his best he isn't worth that much, the game has changed considerably since he was at his peak and its moved past players like him (in terms of being the highest paid players in the comp). At the very least he'd need to add an overhead marking aspect to his game like Cripps has in the last year or two which definitely isn't happening.

 

[Bluelegs]

I reckon we are better off giving him another year and hoping his value increases.

Then we can decide if it’s worth a trade.

Surely he can’t get lower in value than now, and another year off that contract will help as well.

If we keep him we're backing him in to get back to his best and committing to the remainder of his contract.

 

[Scythe94]

Essendon's even picking Weid ahead of Wright now, so you imagine he'll be out the door

Scratch that, Weid is a KPD now apparently

 

[markm106]

Even if Trac demanded a trade to Pies it can’t happen. They only have one first to deal. And no players they’d be willing to trade that we would want. They have very few good young players.