Should we go after Nathan Brown (WBD)?

[TheMightyDons]

With Brown and Darcy and Murphy (among others) to come out of contract with the Bulldogs at season's end, should Essendon seriously consider chasing one of these signatures? If so, which one and why? At what cost (both monetary and players/picks)? Do we have enough money free (Hird's veteran staus freeing up enough $$$)?
Personally I would love to have Brown at the Bombers as I think he fills our needs perfectly, ie Speedy midfielder with good foot skills and/or small/medium forward capable of kicking 50+ goals a year without having the opposition's best defender on him.
Darcy is a very mobile ruckman but not the real tap ruckman we need (ala King, Gardiner etc) plus we are grooming Hille into that role anyway (as evidenced by his game against the Dogs in round 4).

[Darealrath]

Brown would be great, but the cost would be massive.

btw i don't think Hird going to the veterans list will help much as his salary is apparently weighted so heavily backward that it probably wouldn't be counted very different than it is now.

[Dave]

In a word, yes.

[The Doctor]

What kind of trade do you think Essendon could come up with? Please be realistic.

[pazza]

If we went for Brown, we'd have to give up at least a draft pick or two, plus at least a player or two on the current list. One area that we aren't deficient in is the 6 foot 2 to 6 foot 5 player (key position player). Perhaps if we were to offer Henneman and Davies with a draft pick that could be one way of doing it.

The look of having Brown and Cupido under Lloyd up forward would be like a dream.

[Bombers_Forever]

Yes, but not at $500,000.
I still think our midfield is the area we need to strengthen first.

[mongrelpunt]

We clearly need a crumbing goalsneak - I always thought that Shane Harvey was that - but I think the cost of Brown to start with would be too massive for us. Plus, most of the time he plays as more of a key forward rather than a pure crumber, and we are in dire need of a couple of big blokes to sit at CHF to at least make a contest.

If the club gets him, I won't be too upset, but if he leaves, $500 says he goes to Hawthorn. They'll be cashed-up next year when they get rid of their deadwood (Holland, Barker etc) and will be using all of it to grab Brown.

[rednugget]

I'd much prefer Darcy, Brown is great talent but doesn't give a stuff we have enough of these sorts.

Darcy anyday.

[dodgey]

I'd take Chris Judd who's also coming out of contract ....first

[peruka]

I say stuff Brown and go for Darcy and Judd. Id even try again for Campbell Brown or Gary Ablett jnr.

[go team]

wasn't there a quote in bomber magazine earlier in the year about how we were gonna have some free cap space in the next few years, and how the hunted would now become the hunter... essendon with cap space is a scary thought for any club with out of contract players - even if we dont sign em, we offer big bucks to them and inflate their market value

[Essendon Fan]

If Browny was affordable then yes,
I would say take him,give him ago.
Why not? If we had the moula..

[OldSchool]

Sorry to intrude.
Would you part with Jason Lay(ock and your first round pick this season for him ?

[pazza]

Originally posted by OldSchool
Sorry to intrude.
Would you part with Jason Lay(ock and your first round pick this season for him ?
First round draft pick? Yeah maybe.
Lay****? Nah. Henneman and one more maybe.

[grinspoon]

sorry but yourve got to be ****ing kidden me. lay**** is **** house. and id say you would have to give up lets say soloman, or rama. but then you will still be over the cap. cheers dreamers :cool: :D :D

[pazza]

Aaah grinnie...young "Chook" has yet to be proven at the highest level and probably isn't ready yet. Be pretty stupid of any club to turf out a player who's still developing, as "Chook" is, a season after drafting him.

My theory on Henno (and this isn't being mean to him in any way) is that Essendon have probably too many players capable of key position play (Fletcher, Wellman, Lucas, Jacobs, Bolton and to a lesser extent Hunt, Solomon, with Hille, Alessio and Cartledge capable of playing that role also).

Tonight sees Davies getting a chance to prove himself (he's probably under a fair bit of pressure to boot). Richards is likely to come in replacing Lloyd (Ted is another of these 6 foot 1 to 6 foot 3 players on our list), with pressure on him.

With Barney under pressure to retire, and Hird due to be on the veteran's list, the room in our salary cap could be substantial.

[Bomber12]

Cant see y not, get rid of the blokes around the club that aren't performing!!! the likes of misiti and mercuri, give blokes like bannister, harvey, welsh a consistent go as they show promise when they play, and play brown as a forward flanker, centerman, this will add alot to an already dangerous forward line