Mega Thread 2014 Free Agency and Trade discussion

[Blackas87]

Murdoch for Toumpas wow! Good to know.
Do you think Toumpas will break into the senior side next year?

I think he will, I actually thought he played well during the NAB cup and the opening 2 rounds, only went back to Casey to work on his defensive game which you need to get a game under Roos. Another pre season and after working on his defensive game most of the year I think he'll be right to step up.

I highly doubt Melbourne are going to trade him.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Talk of the Dees trading Toumpas is laughable.

 

[stretcharmstrong]

I wonder if any of Watts coaches have ever actually asked him to take a pack mark.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

I wonder if any of Watts coaches have ever actually asked him to take a pack mark.

To be fair, he did average something like 1.3 contested marks a game over 2011-2012... don't know where that's gone, the last two years he's averaged about 0.4 per game.

 

[schmuttt]

I wonder if any of Watts coaches have ever actually asked him to take a pack mark.

I honestly wonder wtf they say to him. Like he has so much ability both athletically and technically, yet he has no intensity and is soft as butter. Do the coaches say stuff to him like 'You could actually be a top 20 player in the competition, but you aren't because you have no guts'.

 

[manboob]

Talk of the Dees trading Toumpas is laughable.

It's more that we are keen on him over on the Cats board

I guess have others have said he's had a rotten run of injury rather than being left out of the side for form/development reasons.

 

[schmuttt]

It's more that we are keen on him over on the Cats board

I guess have others have said he's had a rotten run of injury rather than being left out of the side for form/development reasons.

Pretty much. Apparently having a bad injury run as a 2nd year player means you automatically can't cut it at Melbourne and have to be traded ASAP.

 

[Turbocat]

Yeah that's not gonna happen for that deal
We would want a look at one of those pacey young mids , Murdoch or something like that
One of your reserve taggers ain't getting the job done

and that's the issue you will face I fear. If we were going to trade a player who is basically a regular in our best 22 , at 22 years old , I doubt it would be plus a pick for JT.
Hunt was only last year a regular , now he is reserve tagger. He has lost value that's just the way the meat market is now with FA , and I fear that any ex R1 player that has not become a solid regular will have lost trade value after a couple of years as well. Injuries are cruel.

 

[Topkent]

and that's the issue you will face I fear. If we were going to trade a player who is basically a regular in our best 22 , at 22 years old , I doubt it would be plus a pick for JT.
Hunt was only last year a regular , now he is reserve tagger. He has lost value that's just the way the meat market is now with FA , and I fear that any ex R1 player that has not become a solid regular will have lost trade value after a couple of years as well. Injuries are cruel.

To be honest I don't think we will trade any of the names mentioned on aw
You only get good value when people chase a player , slapping them on the table won't see us getting anything worthwhile for them

 

[Turbocat]

To be honest I don't think we will trade any of the names mentioned on aw
You only get good value when people chase a player , slapping them on the table won't see us getting anything worthwhile for them

True its sort of sets it up as a "Fire Sale" , the only thing I'll say is Roos is not at Melb for ten years, he will want to shake the tree.

I have not heard anyone say it but in regards to assistance id be all for a tradable pick like what GWS got. Its such an anomaly give help to a team that needs immediate help by giving them a kid. Seems contradictory to me . But give them a u17pick that must be traded , the best kid can be drafted (like Omera or Martin etc) by a team that trades for it , make it a criteria that you get players 22-28 and suddenly an immediate player infusion. Another thing id like to see is the AFL allow a couple of Rookies on your list and pay for them. Want a bargain , make it your self.

Melb is not alone is needing help but dolling out draft picks is a bit like feeding a starving man cake. If you really want to help bottom clubs thru the draft then the first round of the draft should only include the clubs out of finals , so the bottom clubs would get two picks in the top 20.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

I have not heard anyone say it but in regards to assistance id be all for a tradable pick like what GWS got. Its such an anomaly give help to a team that needs immediate help by giving them a kid. Seems contradictory to me . But give them a u17pick that must be traded , the best kid can be drafted (like Omera or Martin etc) by a team that trades for it , make it a criteria that you get players 22-28 and suddenly an immediate player infusion.

Wouldn't you be kind of upset if we traded it to Hawthorn or Sydney and in a few years they had another elite player?

 

[Turbocat]

Wouldn't you be kind of upset if we traded it to Hawthorn or Sydney and in a few years they had another elite player?

Well of course but Im looking at what I think Melb should get , not what is the best for Geelong. One would hope that enough clubs would be prepared to give enough that would make a difference quickly , and Sydney for one would be a club like that.
I look back at the pick which landed GC Omera and wish Geelong could have found a way to get it , I really think it was silly of GWS to do the trade with their direct competitor

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

Luke Ball anyone?

 

[Theseventhhamster]

Luke Ball anyone?

No way he'd work with Misson.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

No way he'd work with Misson.

Ohhhhhhh, lol.

 

[Footy Smarts]

I do think that 2 guys who would be no brainers for you to go for in order to increase your competitiveness would be Taylor Hunt and Jordan Schroder.

Hunt's clearly AFL standard having played 63 games now and will be 24 so a good age to really start becoming a consistent AFL player. He's been unfortunate since his injury last year that he's been played out of position. He's much better as a midfielder than a small defender and is a very similar type of player to Cross.

Schroder's almost 22 and has only played 5 AFL games but he's a Liston Trophy winner and showed real glimpses of talent in his AFL games. Very strong inside midfielder and has a real eye for goal when he plays forward. Is most similar in style to a Chapman. He's been hurt by lacking pace and if he played for us our midfield would probably be too slow hence why guys like Murdoch are preferred despite showing less VFL form. I don't even know if he'd be on the table but I think you should at least ask about him since I think he could be a very good AFL player if given time in a role that suits him.

In terms of a trade they're probably each worth a pick in the 40s. I'd be interested in Toumpas but I'm not sure what we could offer for him. Assuming Geelong get knocked out in the prelim something like Toumpas and pick 23 for pick 16, 35, Hunt and Schroder.

It's a bit of a bunch of speculative gets for a talented youngster but if Toumpas needs a change of scenery and the dees want to massively turn over the list like Roos is suggesting it could be the type of result you go for. If Toumpas isn't on the table perhaps those 2 players for an upgrade of second rounder (mid 30s up to early 20s).

 

[The Dr]

I do think that 2 guys who would be no brainers for you to go for in order to increase your competitiveness would be Taylor Hunt and Jordan Schroder.

Hunt's clearly AFL standard having played 63 games now and will be 24 so a good age to really start becoming a consistent AFL player. He's been unfortunate since his injury last year that he's been played out of position. He's much better as a midfielder than a small defender and is a very similar type of player to Cross.

Schroder's almost 22 and has only played 5 AFL games but he's a Liston Trophy winner and showed real glimpses of talent in his AFL games. Very strong inside midfielder and has a real eye for goal when he plays forward. Is most similar in style to a Chapman. He's been hurt by lacking pace and if he played for us our midfield would probably be too slow hence why guys like Murdoch are preferred despite showing less VFL form. I don't even know if he'd be on the table but I think you should at least ask about him since I think he could be a very good AFL player if given time in a role that suits him.

In terms of a trade they're probably each worth a pick in the 40s. I'd be interested in Toumpas but I'm not sure what we could offer for him. Assuming Geelong get knocked out in the prelim something like Toumpas and pick 23 for pick 16, 35, Hunt and Schroder.

It's a bit of a bunch of speculative gets for a talented youngster but if Toumpas needs a change of scenery and the dees want to massively turn over the list like Roos is suggesting it could be the type of result you go for. If Toumpas isn't on the table perhaps those 2 players for an upgrade of second rounder (mid 30s up to early 20s).

I like the idea of getting players like Hunt and Schroder in principle but there's absolutely no way we'd give up on Toumpas after two injury-plagued years, certainly not for the deal you offered up.

Watts on the other hand....

 

[Footy Smarts]

I like the idea of getting players like Hunt and Schroder in principle but there's absolutely no way we'd give up on Toumpas after two injury-plagued years, certainly not for the deal you offered up.

Watts on the other hand....

Fair enough. To me Watts is just too far gone. He's got some elite talents but the weaknesses in his game are too obvious and he's shown no signs of improving them. It just doesn't fit into Geelong's style of having versatile players with very few weaknesses.

 

[The Dr]

Fair enough. To me Watts is just too far gone. He's got some elite talents but the weaknesses in his game are too obvious and he's shown no signs of improving them. It just doesn't fit into Geelong's style of having versatile players with very few weaknesses.

I completely agree. Hopefully there's a club out there that is sucked in with his elite traits and thinks they can sort out his shocking weaknesses...

 

[Topkent]

I cant remember the love for Watts across this board being any lower, Is it team related or have the majority given up
Even his big defenders aren't really trying hard anymore ( looking at you TPM)

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

I cant remember the love for Watts across this board being any lower, Is it team related or have the majority given up
Even his big defenders aren't really trying hard anymore ( looking at you TPM)

I still have faith, I just know how it is with the majority of Melbourne supporters and Watts - a lot of people see him as a symbol of our failure and as such rip into him no matter if other players put in worse efforts than him (which they do), every thing he does (good or bad) is magnified under his scrutiny and I just don't see the point in arguing anymore.

 

[CWaffles]

I cant remember the love for Watts across this board being any lower, Is it team related or have the majority given up
Even his big defenders aren't really trying hard anymore ( looking at you TPM)

Pretty sure all the people that really thought Jack would turn a corner have given up. I used to be a big believer that someone with that much talent just cant be that bad, but unfortunately I have come to the realisation that he is just to soft to succeed in football at the highest level.

I'm happy to part ways with him, I just hope we can get salvage something half decent.

 

[Footy Smarts]

I completely agree. Hopefully there's a club out there that is sucked in with his elite traits and thinks they can sort out his shocking weaknesses...

I'd probably get sucked in by his elite traits if it cost us almost nothing. Straight swap Hunt for Watts I'd consider. He is only 23 and maybe a different environment can completely turn him around. He's got enough elite talent that he's worth the risk of a list spot. But he's not worth a list spot instead of a top 20 pick which is what you'd probably want for him.

 

[IanW]

I'd probably get sucked in by his elite traits if it cost us almost nothing. Straight swap Hunt for Watts I'd consider. He is only 23 and maybe a different environment can completely turn him around. He's got enough elite talent that he's worth the risk of a list spot. But he's not worth a list spot instead of a top 20 pick which is what you'd probably want for him.

I'd trade GWS' end of 1st round compo pick for Jack Watts - he could be the elite disposal chipscab halfback flanker/3rd tall that can seagull chaep possessions, and then be the linkup man.

 

[Dez!]

I still have faith, I just know how it is with the majority of Melbourne supporters and Watts - a lot of people see him as a symbol of our failure and as such rip into him no matter if other players put in worse efforts than him (which they do), every thing he does (good or bad) is magnified under his scrutiny and I just don't see the point in arguing anymore.

I've still got hope, given up defending him though because people will use him as a scapegoat regardless of what he does to protect their favourites.

Still only 23, there's still time.

Besides I'm of the opinion he either becomes a good player here or rots here, I'm not giving any other club the chance to turn into something good because they will.