End of season trade news

[jays]

thinking we will lad a big fish this year

[dragit]

Highly skilled, lightning fast, goal-kicking, big bodied mid, key position rucks are rare as hens teeth... We need to land this phish, whatever it takes.

I am a little worried about his spread and defensive running though.

[lintonstreet]

Love the sarcasm between you two from two - I'm in stitches.
I hope you continue to banter between yourselves as it seems to pleasure you.
Clearly both of you regard all midfielders in equal stature and have either never played the game nor properly understood its nuances to differentiate quite a common term and that is an A grade mid.
Look it up.

[Con Gorozidis]

Is Ernest Hemingway our recruiting manager? A lot of focus on landing a big fish.

[Bluthy]

Love the sarcasm between you two from two - I'm in stitches.
I hope you continue to banter between yourselves as it seems to pleasure you.
Clearly both of you regard all midfielders in equal stature and have either never played the game nor properly understood its nuances to differentiate quite a common term and that is an A grade mid.
Look it up.

Aw come on LS yes we had a bit of a dig at you but we didn't go to far and say you should be drowned so you won't get an apology. You have to admit you were pretty loosey goosey with your opening post, either deliberately or inadvertently indicating you knew of a particular KP player the club were trying to get into bed. Instead your scoop is what every Saints supporter knows since Lenny retired - WE ARE DESPERATELY LOOKING FOR A SUPERSTAR MID AND HAVE MONEY BURNING A HOLE IN OUR LIST!!!! You're no Damian Barrett - well actually maybe you are.

[st.byron]

LintonSt., Playon,

Please stick with discussing the footy. Leave the personal sniping out of it. Thanks.

But isn't that essence of this forum?!

It used to lean much more in that direction.

[loris]

Is Ernest Hemingway our recruiting manager? A lot of focus on landing a big fish.

Trouble is 'the big fish landed', nothing was left of it after the momentous battle?

Hope that's not an omen for the 'big fish Carlilse' our recruiters landed last season???

[CQ SAINT]

If it was JOM and he finished the season uninjured and GC wanted Longer and Billings and we got to keep our first round pick; what you say?

[CQ SAINT]

Isnt Nick Riewoldt a KPP/mid. We already signed him.

[saintsRrising]

Isnt Nick Riewoldt a KPP/mid. We already signed him.

Maybe we are going to sign him up for 2 years rather than 1.

[SMS]

If it was JOM and he finished the season uninjured and GC wanted Longer and Billings and we got to keep our first round pick; what you say?

You say NO WAY.
Longer and Billings will be a superstars by 2018.
JOM plays well and is fit .... Give them 2 fiest rounds and him a $5m 4 year contract.

[mad saint guy]

Gaff has been the Eagles second best player this year after Kennedy.

If we could get Gaff for pick 8 I would do it in a heartbeat. He is only 24. The knock on him is he doesnt tackle. But he still obviously easily worth pick 8.

Back to the OP and the kpp. I still think Essendon would love Patton to help out Daniher. They already have Hooker, Brown, Gleeson and Hartley down back. They can probably afford to lose Hurley and cover for him. But they are desperate for another tall fwd. Patton would be perfect for them.

Agree on Gaff but no way would Essendon willingly give up Hurley - he'd have to declare he wants out and Essendon would subsequently throw the biggest tantrum in the history of the AFL and demand the next three number one draft picks for him. Hooker is a gun but he's almost 28, Hartley looks ok, Brown is a forward and Gleeson is a spud flanker. Losing Hurley would leave them with very poor defensive stocks. Essendon will want to challenge for the finals next year and to do that they'll need Hurley.

[Bluthy]

I know this is a bit controversial but what about Armo for JOM? I feel like if Dunny, Ross, Acres and Gresh can keep keep developing over the next few years we can cover that big bodied inside gap. I feel like Armo might have peaked. IF JOM is determined to go, GC will be desperate for a big body experienced mid to take some heat off Ablett. ARmo is Qlder isn't he?

[saynta]

I know this is a bit controversial but what about Armo for JOM? I feel like if Dunny, Ross, Acres and Gresh can keep keep developing over the next few years we can cover that big bodied inside gap. I feel like Armo might have peaked. IF JOM is determined to go, GC will be desperate for a big body experienced mid to take some heat off Ablett. ARmo is Qlder isn't he?

yeah, that's right. Keep trading out our heart and soul players.

Haven't the past couple of years told/taught you anything. Ask Gerald Healy if you don't believe me. Anyway the guy has a dodgy knee ffs.

[magnifisaint]

I know this is a bit controversial but what about Armo for JOM? I feel like if Dunny, Ross, Acres and Gresh can keep keep developing over the next few years we can cover that big bodied inside gap. I feel like Armo might have peaked. IF JOM is determined to go, GC will be desperate for a big body experienced mid to take some heat off Ablett. ARmo is Qlder isn't he?

yeah, that's right. Keep trading out our heart and soul players.

Haven't the past couple of years told/taught you anything. Ask Gerald Healy if you don't believe me. Anyway the guy has a dodgy knee ffs.

I don't know Gerald Healy so what does he think?

[st.byron]

I know this is a bit controversial but what about Armo for JOM? I feel like if Dunny, Ross, Acres and Gresh can keep keep developing over the next few years we can cover that big bodied inside gap. I feel like Armo might have peaked. IF JOM is determined to go, GC will be desperate for a big body experienced mid to take some heat off Ablett. ARmo is Qlder isn't he?

No way. An A grader in his prime for an unproven dude with a dodgy knee. We have an 'injury project' already with Freeman. Nup.

[st.byron]

If it was JOM and he finished the season uninjured and GC wanted Longer and Billings and we got to keep our first round pick; what you say?

Crikey. That's a sillier idea than Armo for O'Meara. Longer AND Billings for a dude with a dodgy knee. Two top ten draft picks for a bloke with two knee recos. Nup.

[saintspremiers]

If it was JOM and he finished the season uninjured and GC wanted Longer and Billings and we got to keep our first round pick; what you say?

Crikey. That's a sillier idea than Armo for O'Meara. Longer AND Billings for a dude with a dodgy knee. Two top ten draft picks for a bloke with two knee recos. Nup.

Why try and recruit a fit player? How boring eould that be?

Freeman will be a triple Brownlow medalist. I'm convinced.

[saintbob]

Why is the club trading away draft picks for top-up mature recruits? Do we seriously think we are contenders?
This has Collingwood and Richmond written all over it. We are over-rating where our list is. So we might get up to 7th or 8th in the next two years.
Big whoops.

Pretty sure the club is committing to its 2020 vision of a flag and will do everything in its power to field a top 4 side in 2018 and a premiership side in 2019 & 2020.
Bit like RL did in 2008-2010 BUT with one difference that it will not ignore developing kids at the same time.
I completely understand your sentiments and I
m sure many will agree with you but I for one, would be happy to trade our top draft pick for a proven 23/24 year old A grade mid.

IMO we'll be trading Armitage or Dunstan as they're too similar in game style.

[Bluthy]

I know this is a bit controversial but what about Armo for JOM? I feel like if Dunny, Ross, Acres and Gresh can keep keep developing over the next few years we can cover that big bodied inside gap. I feel like Armo might have peaked. IF JOM is determined to go, GC will be desperate for a big body experienced mid to take some heat off Ablett. ARmo is Qlder isn't he?

yeah, that's right. Keep trading out our heart and soul players.

Haven't the past couple of years told/taught you anything. Ask Gerald Healy if you don't believe me. Anyway the guy has a dodgy knee ffs.

The last couple of years have taught me we took a brave, long-term strategic course of action that let us load up on elite talent that has a real chance of propelling us to flag rather than just stay in the mid-table mediocrity zone. I'm saying you have to explore all options and weigh up the pro's and cons. I'm not the only one a little worried about having all of Armo, Dunstan, Ross who are a bit too much alike in our midfield with the rotations down and maybe going down further. Obviously the first question is to decide if JOM's injury is too risky to trade the farm for. But if he was able to come back from it, he is that genuine powerhouse inside/outside superstar mid that every premiership team has at least one of driving the midfield. And we would have him for a decade with multiple flag tilts.

Where is our superstar classy ball using mid coming from? Steven is brilliant but his disposal stops him being elite. Armo seems to have lost some of his outside game - seems to either be carrying an injury or is having to play a more inside role not having others to do it. Acres could be anything but his disposal is a big issue. Gresham could be great but his size might stop him being at the highest level. Dunstan is a workhorse inside but not showing a lot of damage with the footy. Ross could be a very good mid but I don't think elite. We have Freemanstein still laying on the slab trying to be brought to life by whatever ungodly means we can experiment with.

We will only end up with something like pick 9 after all the academy s*** and that might be our highest in a while. It would be a bold move for shizzle, but now is the time to be bold. It might just be the move that lets us compete with the midfields of GWS, Melbourne, Collingwood who have stocked up on elite talent in there etc.



I

[saynta]

If it was JOM and he finished the season uninjured and GC wanted Longer and Billings and we got to keep our first round pick; what you say?

Crikey. That's a sillier idea than Armo for O'Meara. Longer AND Billings for a dude with a dodgy knee. Two top ten draft picks for a bloke with two knee recos. Nup.

plus one

[CQ SAINT]

If it was JOM and he finished the season uninjured and GC wanted Longer and Billings and we got to keep our first round pick; what you say?

Crikey. That's a sillier idea than Armo for O'Meara. Longer AND Billings for a dude with a dodgy knee. Two top ten draft picks for a bloke with two knee recos. Nup.

plus one

In a few years Billings and Longer will be superstars. At the moment they are struggling to to hold a spot. Statistically, those 2 statements rarely go together.

Both are young and have shown glimpses but Im not sure where the assumption they will be superstars is coming from at the moment.

Very hood footballers yes. But neither of them have set the world on fire. Billings could swing a game from half forward at his best but I am not sure if he will ever be a superstar midfielder.

At the moment he cant push Mav Weller out if the side as just a forward and has failed whatever tasks the coaching staff set him in the midfield. He got dropped and sent back.

I wouldn't make that trade though. I just asked the question.

[Linton Lodger]

Gaff has been the Eagles second best player this year after Kennedy.

If we could get Gaff for pick 8 I would do it in a heartbeat. He is only 24. The knock on him is he doesnt tackle. But he still obviously easily worth pick 8.

Back to the OP and the kpp. I still think Essendon would love Patton to help out Daniher. They already have Hooker, Brown, Gleeson and Hartley down back. They can probably afford to lose Hurley and cover for him. But they are desperate for another tall fwd. Patton would be perfect for them.

Agree on Gaff but no way would Essendon willingly give up Hurley - he'd have to declare he wants out and Essendon would subsequently throw the biggest tantrum in the history of the AFL and demand the next three number one draft picks for him. Hooker is a gun but he's almost 28, Hartley looks ok, Brown is a forward and Gleeson is a spud flanker. Losing Hurley would leave them with very poor defensive stocks. Essendon will want to challenge for the finals next year and to do that they'll need Hurley.

They can huff and puff all they like, but until Hurley signs a new contract with Essendon, he has no valid contract with Essendon.

[Sainternist]

Is Ernest Hemingway our recruiting manager? A lot of focus on landing a big fish.

Trouble is 'the big fish landed', nothing was left of it after the momentous battle?

Hope that's not an omen for the 'big fish Carlilse' our recruiters landed last season???

Nice work on that analogy there, Loris.

I actually reread that great novella in the last week. I think we still need to persist like the old man did when he hooked the great marlin. It's a wonderful metaphor: keep fighting for what you strive for. Even if it is taken from you, you have to keep dreaming of it.

[loris]

Is Ernest Hemingway our recruiting manager? A lot of focus on landing a big fish.

Trouble is 'the big fish landed', nothing was left of it after the momentous battle?

Hope that's not an omen for the 'big fish Carlilse' our recruiters landed last season???

Nice work on that analogy there, Loris.

I actually reread that great novella in the last week. I think we still need to persist like the old man did when he hooked the great marlin. It's a wonderful metaphor: keep fighting for what you strive for. Even if it is taken from you, you have to keep dreaming of it.

Actually Sainternist, when I read that post of Con's I immediately went to my bookcase and pulled out the book and re-read it. The pages are yellowing and a musty smell wafts with every page turn - but it was such an enjoyable experience to lose myself in such a masterpiece for a few hours. Hemingway's writing is just superb - with such simple diction, he creates incredible imagery, and yep you're correct, believe in the dream.

Thanks Con, for setting me off on a reread of The Old Man And The Sea.