Expansion Cam Bruce signed with GC17

[krusden]

If cam bruce had been signed up the whole time and Mcdonald was forced to leave because of bruce being elevated to Veteran that is a dog of an act.

this.
at least Bock say for the crows didn't hurt anyone by going, he actually gave an opportunity to another player.

I don't agree with mcdonald going but of the above is true then why not just try to re-sign him up?

 

[Dr Awkward]

If cam bruce had been signed up the whole time and Mcdonald was forced to leave because of bruce being elevated to Veteran that is a dog of an act.

Well apart from the slight embarrassment of already having his supposed 'retirement' I don't see why melbourne can't change the decision and retain McDonald now.

It was a poor decision in the first place. For Melbourne to grow properly they need these older quality experienced players to act as an 'initial sheild' in the development of your younger players. McDonald and Bruce have kind of been like two openning batsmen protecting your young middle order from the new ball if you get my drift.

I predict that Melbourne will miss the 8 next year and may actually end up with less wins than this year.

 

[jonesy86]

Officially Bock and Nate Krak

 

[Demonheart]

Well apart from the slight embarrassment of already having his supposed 'retirement' I don't see why melbourne can't change the decision and retain McDonald now.

It was a poor decision in the first place. For Melbourne to grow properly they need these older quality experienced players to act as an 'initial sheild' in the development of your younger players. McDonald and Bruce have kind of been like two openning batsmen protecting your young middle order from the new ball if you get my drift.

I predict that Melbourne will miss the 8 next year and may actually end up with less wins than this year.

I disagree. Melbourne showed that they're capable of playing very good football without McDonald, when he was out injured for 7 weeks our midfield performed very well.

The facts are that if we retained both Bruce and McDonald then that's two more young players we have to delist. In the next couple of seasons we also have to get more game time into our young midfield group of Grimes, Scully, Trengove, McKenzie, Bail, Blease, Tapscott & Gysberts. Then there's the young defenders who also need more game time to assist their development like Strauss and Cheney.

Bruce has done nothing to protect our midfield group, he's been playing as a defender. I agree that he will be missed and he has played some good games but the reality is that at times he has also been extremely poor. On the weekend in the last quarter he gave away three goals. His loss will not be a big as made out to be in this thread.

It's also tiem for the next generation of leaders to stand up and take the reigns.

 

[King Elvis]

The list above needs Coad on it, he can play.

 

[Slattery_20]

The facts are that if we retained both Bruce and McDonald then that's two more young players we have to delist.

You're already cutting/losing Bell, Miller, Bruce. And I'd argue Paul Johnson is worse than McDonald.

Is your 4th pick - #65 - really much chance to be better than McDonald? I'd say really, really low.
We know he's only got a year left. We know he's slowing down. But for all that, I reckon there will come a time next year, when it'll get a bit hard for a team of kids, and you'll be wishing you had a hard, tough bloke to lead the way in there.
I think the Dees have gotten a little bit ahead of themselves.

 

[mfc150]

You're already cutting/losing Bell, Miller, Bruce. And I'd argue Paul Johnson is worse than McDonald.

Is your 4th pick - #65 - really much chance to be better than McDonald? I'd say really, really low.
We know he's only got a year left. We know he's slowing down. But for all that, I reckon there will come a time next year, when it'll get a bit hard for a team of kids, and you'll be wishing you had a hard, tough bloke to lead the way in there.
I think the Dees have gotten a little bit ahead of themselves.

You are definitely right about Paul Johnson. Junior could play out a season next year, or he could do a Brad Johnson or countless others and go one too many. Given that it took him seven weeks to get over what was thought to be a minor hamstring it could well have been the latter.

We will be definitely asking more of our young guys next year both in performance and leadership.

 

[mjr_42]

You're already cutting/losing Bell, Miller, Bruce. And I'd argue Paul Johnson is worse than McDonald.

Is your 4th pick - #65 - really much chance to be better than McDonald? I'd say really, really low.
We know he's only got a year left. We know he's slowing down. But for all that, I reckon there will come a time next year, when it'll get a bit hard for a team of kids, and you'll be wishing you had a hard, tough bloke to lead the way in there.
I think the Dees have gotten a little bit ahead of themselves.

It's got nothing to do with pick 65.

Three players have come off the list - McDonald, Miller, Bell.

At this stage, we'll elevate Jordie McKenzie and Jake Spencer to the senior list, taking up two of our three list changes.

Currently, we only need to take one player in the national draft, and that's our first pick. I am unsure of Green's veteran eligibility but if we can, I reckon we will move Green to the vets list in place of McDonald, opening up a second pick.

Can you explain how taking two players in the national draft and moving on an old player (McDonald) for whom we have a ready-made replacement (McKenzie) is "getting ahead of ourselves"?

 

[Wacky Tiger]

The list above needs Coad on it, he can play.

This

 

[Slattery_20]

You're relying on Moloney and a bunch of 19/20/21 yos to lead an entire midfield.
I think that's putting a lot of pressure on the kids and a couple of them might find the going a bit tougher next year, when other sides put a bit more work into beating you, which they will.
circa 2008 Essendon we were the hunters & found wins a bit easier to come by, a couple of years down the track some of our blokes get targeted a bit more and don't cope well with it. A couple more solid, hard players would be great for us & I can see the same happening for Melbourne.

{I didn't think you'd bother with Spencer unless Paul Johnson went. My bad}

 

[Demonheart]

You're already cutting/losing Bell, Miller, Bruce. And I'd argue Paul Johnson is worse than McDonald.

Is your 4th pick - #65 - really much chance to be better than McDonald? I'd say really, really low.
We know he's only got a year left. We know he's slowing down. But for all that, I reckon there will come a time next year, when it'll get a bit hard for a team of kids, and you'll be wishing you had a hard, tough bloke to lead the way in there.
I think the Dees have gotten a little bit ahead of themselves.

Great, why didn't we think of playing James McDonald in the ruck

We have to make room on our list to promote McKenzie and Spencer as well as the standard delistings as directed by the AFL.

This is the problem when people make comments about a list when it's clear they only have a small amount of information at their disposal.

 

[Demonheart]

You're relying on Moloney and a bunch of 19/20/21 yos to lead an entire midfield.
I think that's putting a lot of pressure on the kids and a couple of them might find the going a bit tougher next year, when other sides put a bit more work into beating you, which they will.
circa 2008 Essendon we were the hunters & found wins a bit easier to come by, a couple of years down the track some of our blokes get targeted a bit more and don't cope well with it. A couple more solid, hard players would be great for us & I can see the same happening for Melbourne.

{I didn't think you'd bother with Spencer unless Paul Johnson went. My bad}

It's only one player less though, and as McDonald missed a third of the season anyway its' not going to be a huge difference compared to next season.

One player is not going to break the midfield, especially an aging one who is obviously slowing down. McKenzie is the perfect replacement and he'll excell with the added responsibility.

 

[Dr Awkward]

I'm not saying you will be broken because you don't have McDonald.

I'm saying Bruce and McDonald have been 2 of your best 5 this year and I think your club might underestimate the impact that losing them will be. Especially Bruce, he is quite a high quality player I know he is old but he is still about your 2nd best player imo and I think he would have a few good years left.

I think many clubs are just slightly overrating 'youth', but we will see how it pans out.

 

[Sebass83]

Agree with Demonheart. He has been a good member of the team and everyone underestimates him, but he wont be around when Melbourne's so called premiership window is open.

 

[armstrong35]

its no loss losing miller and bell ?
they didnt even get a game anyway
if we had of kept mcdonald that would keep a young kid out of getting experience playing the game...
the young players need to get as much experience as they can. at the previous aftermatch we were told that a winning premiership team has the game experience of 126 and they were trying to build towards getting every youngster to get as many games as possible.

 

[whelan=legend]

Especially Bruce, he is quite a high quality player I know he is old but he is still about your 2nd best player imo and I think he would have a few good years left.

Jesus.

 

[Demonheart]

I'm not saying you will be broken because you don't have McDonald.

I'm saying Bruce and McDonald have been 2 of your best 5 this year and I think your club might underestimate the impact that losing them will be. Especially Bruce, he is quite a high quality player I know he is old but he is still about your 2nd best player imo and I think he would have a few good years left.

I think many clubs are just slightly overrating 'youth', but we will see how it pans out.

Mate, Bruce is not our second best player.

 

[Eth]

Sauce?

 

[19thcrow]

If they only announced Bock and Krakouer today must mean all other signings are playing finals I guess. They did say they will only take 8 to 10 players. If Ablett signs for massive pay then can't take too many then.

 

[Supermercado]

If they only announced Bock and Krakouer today must mean all other signings are playing finals I guess. They did say they will only take 8 to 10 players. If Ablett signs for massive pay then can't take too many then.

Today's signings were the absolute sitters, now they can get to the ones we didn't see coming (the fact that every player in the league has been linked with them on BF aside)..

 

[melbournemartin]

Any confirmation yet?

Hardly a big loss. We either get 1 more year out of him before he retires/gets delisted or get a reasonable draft compensation pick for him.

I wonder if the compensation picks will be graded based on all players on the comp or the players acquired by the GC?

 

[Marc Shmurf 3]

Grigg is staying a blue boy.

 

[The Flash]

I'm not saying you will be broken because you don't have McDonald.

I'm saying Bruce and McDonald have been 2 of your best 5 this year and I think your club might underestimate the impact that losing them will be. Especially Bruce, he is quite a high quality player I know he is old but he is still about your 2nd best player imo and I think he would have a few good years left.

I think many clubs are just slightly overrating 'youth', but we will see how it pans out.

You taking the piss on Bruce yeah?
Cam wouldnt be in our top 10 this year mate, he is over rated big time, im very suprised he lasted this long tbh.
You obviously dont watch many dees games hey?
I shudder everytime the ball is in his hands.

 

[Andy_Mac]

You're relying on Moloney and a bunch of 19/20/21 yos to lead an entire midfield.
I think that's putting a lot of pressure on the kids and a couple of them might find the going a bit tougher next year, when other sides put a bit more work into beating you, which they will.
circa 2008 Essendon we were the hunters & found wins a bit easier to come by, a couple of years down the track some of our blokes get targeted a bit more and don't cope well with it. A couple more solid, hard players would be great for us & I can see the same happening for Melbourne.

{I didn't think you'd bother with Spencer unless Paul Johnson went. My bad}

Not true at all. Moloney will have Sylvia, Davey and Jones along side with Green and Bruce rotating through if required. The Bombers really only had/have Jobe that mixed with the loss of Lovett, Lloyd, McPhee and Lucas and of course Matty Knights super coach its completely different.

Knowing we need to delist/retire 3 people off the senior list in your opinion who should they be: Miller, Bell and .......

McDonald was the only real option. As other suggested McKenzie will be elevated Spencer is TBC, but if he is that leaves us with 1 pick in the ND which is not enough so their will be more following the trade week.

Besides this year and next are not about winning at all costs if it was Miller would have played a lot more footy than Watts. If Bruce goes then the club may very well have a change of heart about McDonald.

 

[nickh32]

Houli will be more likely than Stanton. Stanton wouldnt go purely on the fact he dosnt like flying and he would be flying 10-11 times a year.