Hate dealing with the Pies, but a pick 14 plus Brown (or even Dawes) would have been way better. Brown is in the same age group as our developing core, and pick 14 would have put us back in the first round so we could get anther young KP player. We'd then get 2 young KP players plus Mclean out of this trade/draft which would have been a more balanced result for our list going forward. We might have gone backwards next year as the younger KP forwards develop, but in the long term it would be a much better result. The problem is these 2 players don't suit our list needs IMO. Yes Bradshaw is a decent KP forward, but he's in his twighlight years, and the Lions have been struggling to get him on the park for the whole season. The other guy is excess to our midfield needs. Obviously a difficult situation for the Blues. Even though I rate McClean, when it became clear Fev was on the way out, they should have reviewed that decision. Perhaps they were looking for a KP option early on and that's why they stalled on the deal. Who knows. But we really needed to focus massive attention on KP draft talent this year.
Anyway, seems to be the deal is done. So all these what if's don't mean much. If the players in question are flying down, you can be assured they'll agree, and you can be assured Voss has already spoken with Fev, and he'll go there. Blues admin just want to get the deal over with.
They should at the very least hold out until Friday to give others the chance to put forward an offer after other trades get completed. I doubt they will. Yes we were never going to get market value for Fev, but I reckon it could have been handled much better.
Don't know for sure, but what if the talks with McLean and Melbourne were too far progressed before the Brownlow to back out?? If we backed out on a handshake agreement it would be a dog act, and our name would be trading mud. Not good for the future.
Unfortunately our friend Mr. F is the villain and put us in a pretty difficult spot.....not sure how it could have been handled much better with not too many interested parties.
The two years playing for the Ants brigade is la la nutso land.