Rumour GFC 2023 Player Trading, Drafting FA, Rumours and Wish lists Pt II

[cats_09]

Yep, this is making an appearance here also, and probably getting more useful as the season draws to a close and this discussion ramps up

 

[Vdubs]

Melbourne open to trading Oliver for the right price amid frustration and concern from teammates​

Tom Morris with exclusive info on a shocking trade development out of Melbourne.
www.sen.com.au

MELBOURNE OPEN TO TRADING OLIVER FOR THE RIGHT PRICE AMID FRUSTRATION AND CONCERN FROM TEAMMATES

BY TOM MORRIS 21 MINUTES AGO

Melbourne is open to trading star midfielder Clayton Oliver, with rival clubs already enquiring about his availability.

The response these clubs received has left the door ajar for the four-time best and fairest to depart Melbourne in the trade period, according to two sources with direct knowledge of discussions.

But the Demons will not allow their gun on-baller to leave for anything less than what they believe he is worth, given he is contracted until the end of 2030.

Equally, Oliver would need to agree to be traded.

Rival clubs believe Melbourne is trying to acquire a suite of draft picks – which would be aided by Oliver’s departure – to satisfy West Coast for Pick 1 at best, and Gold Coast for Pick 4 at worst.

They’ve long been keen on likely No.1 pick Harley Reid.

On Tuesday night, list bosses at rival clubs said Melbourne was not shopping Oliver yet, rather making it clear the club is open to discussions.



Oliver endured a horror season due to a three-month hamstring injury. In recent times senior teammates have become increasingly more frustrated and concerned in equal measure with his welfare, to the point where Oliver moving away from his Camberwell house and in with captain Max Gawn has been seriously canvassed as a temporary option.

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing, only that Gawn would support Oliver through a difficult period.

In addition to his public argument with Melbourne’s strength and conditioning boss Selwyn Griffith, Oliver became frustrated at the club’s medical and high-performance team throughout his long layoff.

He told friends the Demons should have handled his hamstring injury better. When he had a knee complaint in early September, Oliver elected to visit a non-club physio to receive treatment.

But Melbourne believed the three-time All-Australian did not show enough professionalism in his rehabilitation.

Suggestions that Oliver's foot became infected after he tried to tattoo himself earlier in the year were neither confirmed nor denied by the club when SEN.com.au made formal contact on Tuesday.

The club also elected not to comment publicly on whether it was open to trading Oliver, but several list management and player agent sources have confirmed discussions have begun to explore the possibility of him leaving, specifically and only for the right deal.

It was never revealed how Oliver had a foot infection, only that it was so bad he ended up in hospital.

“He was in a pretty bad way,” his agent Nick Gieschen told AFL Media’s Gettable show in June.

“When he said that he had an infection, I didn't realise how bad it was. I went to see him in hospital and he was laying on the bed and his foot was up, all bandaged.

“From what he's said, it was quite painful. Obviously, it's still causing him some issues even now.”

Oliver’s competitiveness and talent has never been questioned by teammates, but now there is even an acknowledgement internally from some that it may be mutually beneficial for the ball-winner to seek a fresh start elsewhere.

Wow, that doesn't read too well.
Not aware of any of that detail.
Still, we as a club, have been known to remind players that the letter I does not exist in the word TEAM

 

[Finknottle]

I hope I'm wrong but I don't see an AFL player with Mullin.

Then you must have a problem with half the players on the list including several in the 22. The upside with Mullin is huge. Can't say the same for a lot of players on our list.

 

[Shadow89]

Harmes
Oliver
Smith
Wines

They all want in [emoji41]


Sent from my iPhone using BigFooty.com

Even if in a parallel universe that were true, we don't have enough picks in the next 5 drafts to satisfy what all these clubs would want. Not to mention the floated notion of Cadman as well.

Wines and Harmes maybe. Smith an outside chance but for quite a bit. Oliver not a chance in hades. Only a club trading with WC for ther Pick 1 for a bonanza, that is then on traded with another club, could pull that off.

I could only see Essendon, GWS or the Dogs as possibilities in this scenario. Everyone else not a chance.

 

[Finknottle]

Agree on Oliver, but your point on De Goey doesn't really make sense.

Playing well doesn't change that he's a dickhead, and I don't think anyone ever questioned his ability.

There's being a bit of a flog on the field, and then there's harrassing/assaulting women. Two very different things.

Harrassing and assaulting are certainly different. Strangely, he is a very fair player on the field.

 

[Shadow89]

This is the bit ill be hated for...but this is the thread for being hated for unrealistic ideas, and i dont know if it's even possible, as i dont know the rules around how many picks a club has to take in a draft. But id give them 7 + Our Future 1st + whatever we get for Sav, even if that is a future first too. Hell id even consider throwing Parfitt in as well.

But im bullish on what Oliver would do to us for the next year or two while we still have Hawkins, Guth, Danger and Blitz. If it brings us a flag id take a few years of rubbish once those four retire.

We have to make the most of the time we have with Hawkins, Cameron, Stewart and the 3 big dogs in the midfield. Oliver would help us do that. Even if we mortgage the future to do it.

Our Future 1st could be a Bottom 4 pick if things don't go well again next year. Pick 7, Pick 4 and Sav (Pick 25ish), is basically mortgaging our future for 1 player that by all accounts may not 100% be right - in body or mind.

Smith for 7 and a Future 2nd was enough. Oliver for 7, Future 1st and a mid 2nd, would be far too much for us to gamble on just one player.

 

[Finknottle]

This is the bit ill be hated for...but this is the thread for being hated for unrealistic ideas, and i dont know if it's even possible, as i dont know the rules around how many picks a club has to take in a draft. But id give them 7 + Our Future 1st + whatever we get for Sav, even if that is a future first too. Hell id even consider throwing Parfitt in as well.

But im bullish on what Oliver would do to us for the next year or two while we still have Hawkins, Guth, Danger and Blitz. If it brings us a flag id take a few years of rubbish once those four retire.

We have to make the most of the time we have with Hawkins, Cameron, Stewart and the 3 big dogs in the midfield. Oliver would help us do that. Even if we mortgage the future to do it.

Nah, robbing from the future has to stop. It's a vicious cycle. Our greatest team was the result of a few good draft years which became the core of our 2007, 2009 and 2011 flags.

 

[moond0g]

Would rather smith than Oliver.

 

[ShaunWDT]

Wouldnt be the first time off field issues were covered up with long term injury, if Melbourne are even contemplating trading him it says a fair bit though, no thanks.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Nah, robbing from the future has to stop. It's a vicious cycle. Our greatest team was the result of a few good draft years which became the core of our 2007, 2009 and 2011 flags.

You keep saying this but it's not true. We haven't 'robbed from the future' in ages.

7 top 25 picks since 2019, with possibly another top 10 this year. That's without mentioning the other talents who came with later picks (Neale, Mullin, Dempsey etc)

This notion that we're ignoring the future is completely false. The closest we got was 2015, and when you're bringing in the best player in the comp it's kinda how it works.

The hole in our list isn't the 18-23 year olds, it's the 26-30 range. It's literally Kolo, Atkins & Parfitt..who while solid players, aren't exactly superstars.

That's generally the range that wins you premierships, it's called a player's 'prime age' for a reason.

We either have to fill that hole, or wait until Bruhn, SDK, Clark, Holmes, Henry etc are in that range.

 

[Cursed Cat]

Nah, robbing from the future has to stop. It's a vicious cycle. Our greatest team was the result of a few good draft years which became the core of our 2007, 2009 and 2011 flags.

I made that same argument for years; why haven't/hadn't we at least attempted to replicate the 2-swings-at-the-draft-pinata approach since it reaped such rewards?

The 2022 flag ultimately justified the previous decade's list management philosophy.
And Scott is unproven in coaching a young developing team; he's always had a strong core of senior players to build on.
So I expect more of the same for the foreseeable future; an agile approach to list building that utilizes draft picks as bargaining chips more than an opportunity to invest in youth.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

I made that same argument for years; why haven't/hadn't we at least attempted to replicate the 2-swings-at-the-draft-pinata approach since it reaped such rewards?

The 2022 flag ultimately justified the previous decade's list management philosophy.
And Scott is unproven in coaching a young developing team; he's always had a strong core of senior players to build on.
So I expect more of the same for the foreseeable future; an agile approach to list building that utilizes draft picks as bargaining chips more than an opportunity to invest in youth.

The reason is you don't do it if you don't have to.

It's essentially shutting the place down for a couple of years. It's detrimental to club culture, performance, and revenue, while also hurting your ability to attract players.

And most importantly...there's no guarantee that it's going to work. You could end up like us, but you could also end up like Norf, Essendon, Carlton etc.

There's no guarantee with the current approach either, but the notion that we're ignoring the future is completely false.

• Bruhn (Pick 12)
• Henry (Pick 16)
• SDK (Pick 16)
• Holmes (Pick 20)
• Clark (Pick 8)
• Knevitt (Pick 25)
• Conway (Pick 24)
• Pick 7 2023

That's without mentioning Neale, Mullin, & Dempsey who all look like good prospects.

As well as Stengle, Close, Miers, Zuthrie, Bowes, & Jack Henry who aren't old in the slightest.

That's a better group of under 25s than a number of clubs, and we've done it without having to sink to the bottom for years on end.

If you can do it while still competing, why wouldn't you? The club remains an attractive proposition for players of all ages, and they end up leaving clubs like Norf, GC, & GWS to come to us.

Why would we throw that away when we don't have to? It's a culture of success, brand & system that took so long to build for a reason.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Even if in a parallel universe that were true, we don't have enough picks in the next 5 drafts to satisfy what all these clubs would want. Not to mention the floated notion of Cadman as well.

Wines and Harmes maybe. Smith an outside chance but for quite a bit. Oliver not a chance in hades. Only a club trading with WC for ther Pick 1 for a bonanza, that is then on traded with another club, could pull that off.

I could only see Essendon, GWS or the Dogs as possibilities in this scenario. Everyone else not a chance.

Unless Wines is in the Sav deal and Harmes comes cheap, we're getting 1 or 2 at an absolute maximum. Would hurt our ability to go after JUH, Cadman & Butters next year too.

All of Smith, Oliver, Harmes AND Wines would cost a fortune both financially and picks wise as you mention.

 

[FootyLad0]

He’s not a star but I don’t mind the idea of Harmes. Has a bit of pace and aggression and would be a good add to our midfield mix.

You need guys with a bit of c%%t about them. He’s exactly that. A guy who will stand up for his mates.
Those are the sort of guys you’d run through a brick wall for. Can do wonders for your club if you bring them in, especially on the cheap.

 

[Shadow89]

Unless Wines is in the Sav deal and Harmes comes cheap, we're getting 1 or 2 at an absolute maximum. Would hurt our ability to go after JUH, Cadman & Butters next year too.

All of Smith, Oliver, Harmes AND Wines would cost a fortune both financially and picks wise as you mention.

While I can understand JUH and Cadman to a degree, I have no idea where the hell the Butters rumours are coming from. Him and Rozee will likely be VC's as soon as next year, and then joint captains when they're ready.

He's going nowhere. Him and Rozee are basically Brayshaw and Serong, and Anderson and Rowell. Good mates on and off the field, future leaders of their clubs and the midfield, and probably will be paid more than anyone else on the list when they get their next contracts.

Only likelihood for mine is Smith, Wines and Harmes, which we could manage at an absolute stretch without using our Future 1st which we might need for a shot at JUH or Cadman. Butters is not even in the realms of possibility.

 

[FootyLad0]

While I can understand JUH and Cadman to a degree, I have no idea where the hell the Butters rumours are coming from. Him and Rozee will likely be VC's as soon as next year, and then joint captains when they're ready.

He's going nowhere. Him and Rozee are basically Brayshaw and Serong, and Anderson and Rowell. Good mates on and off the field, future leaders of their clubs and the midfield, and probably will be paid more than anyone else on the list when they get their next contracts.

Only likelihood for mine is Smith, Wines and Harmes, which we could manage at an absolute stretch without using our Futures which we might need for a shot at JUH or Cadman. Butters is not even in the realms of possibility.

Don’t forget the GOAT Ollie Lord lol

 

[Grimoz]

Im sorry but if the Dees are even contemplating selling Oliver then he must be extremely damaged goods, you dont trade guys with that amount of talent and destroy your midfield group for no reason, id be running far far away from any prospective deal involving him.

 

[SkittleCats]

Nah, robbing from the future has to stop. It's a vicious cycle. Our greatest team was the result of a few good draft years which became the core of our 2007, 2009 and 2011 flags.

The problem is we wont be doing that, arguably you cant, that's not how it works these days, no team will be built like that again unless you get a package of picks like North have. Teams are too good at finding talent now for a few clubs to pick up generational players with picks in the 40's. How we did it last year is how teams like us have to do it moving forward: trade for the 20 year olds who show promise. In that sense we had our big draft year last year.

However, our list is still good enough to do well, just not well enough to win it all. Finishing in the middle of the ladder is the worst possible place to be. You cant get the good draft picks to build around and you arent winning anything, plus you dont have much to trade with. That probably will be us over the next 1-2 years if we dont do something about it.

Either we trash the last couple of years of the Danger, Hawkins, Blitz, Stewart and Guthrie era, or we get an Oliver type (a genuine top 5 mid in the comp) now and go for it in 2024-25. Once that core group is gone we are going to be in for a rough 2-3 years anyway as they will all leave more or less together from the end of 2025 (or thats my guess anyway). it'll be 2026-27 that we will be in for a tough time. But that's when we build via the draft, not now.

Then we will come out the other side with the Ollies, Bruhn, Clark, Holmes, SDK, Neale, Conway et al all hitting 25-27 years of age, if we recruit well between 2025-2027 then you will have another group of young kids coming in underneath them that have all been taken with high end picks. Sprinkle a few free agents on top, maybe a dash of trades, a smidge of cat b Irish talent...Bam! One newly minted premiership team in it's prime ripe for another dynasty starting from round 1 2028. But they'll be adding to the 12 flags we already have by then, not 10. And it may only cost us 2 years of us doing an impression of North Melbourne. Not a generation or two.

 

[CatRiot]

Are people taking the pi55 here saying they wouldn’t want Oliver? One of the top few mids in the league in his prime? In our weakest position. Deadset glad anyone here isn’t on the club committee. Also don’t give me the “no dickhead” policy. Same people probably said they same about De Goey, how’d he go on the weekend?

Bingo.

I hope I'm wrong but I don't see an AFL player with Mullin.

Needs to ditch the man bun, so he's not playing with his hair in the contest. Saw him do that a few times during the year, but that's only a minor thing. They should make him tag more, then he needs to learn to play the outside role better. He has the physical attributes to be a real weapon, but not sure about the game day mongrel or the game reading (yet). He might make it, I think we will be able to tell better by the end of next season for sure.

Agree on Oliver, but your point on De Goey doesn't really make sense.

Playing well doesn't change that he's a dickhead, and I don't think anyone ever questioned his ability.

There's being a bit of a flog on the field, and then there's harrassing/assaulting women. Two very different things.

Your social credit score was boosted by 20 points. You are now allowed to eat three portions of meat this week.

CO is a turbo version of Joel Corey.
His best is as ALMOST as elite as Petracca, and I am a massive Petracca fan, and know him personally, so always biased.
I thought Demons having Petracca, Oliver, Viney and Brayshaw should have them as head starters every year, given Gawn as well.

CO is a beast, and an absolute running machine. People under-rate Joel Corey and how much pressure he gave the opposition with his running power and inside game. CO and Joel Corey are/were two way running machines. In the last quarter, you will see CO running a lot harder than Petracca, albeit, Petracca is likely to finish teams off.

 

[Goggin Our Best]

Ive got no excitement at all football wise for Geel to recruit Bailey Smith

3

Bailey Smith

Age

24

Ht

185cm

Wt

86kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

8.5

3star

HB

9.8

5star

M

2.3

2star

T

3.8

5star

CL

2.7

4star

D

19.8

5star

K

9.6

4star

HB

10.2

5star

M

1.8

2star

T

3.2

4star

CL

3.2

4star

D

14.8

4star

K

7.6

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.4

5star

CL

1.6

4star

- nor did i have much excitement for Geel to recruit Darcy Parrish - i dont think either of them are that good at all

In 1990 Geel recruited Trevor Poole - i think he had won a Tigers B/F - he was a class player - he moved well and was a lovely kick

To put it in football terms i dont think Smith or Parrish are fit to lace up Trevor Pooles boots

I was very pleased when Parrish stayed at Ess - and i will be equally as pleased if Smith stays at Footscray

 

[Kobe Gryant]

Bingo.

Needs to ditch the man bun, so he's not playing with his hair in the contest. Saw him do that a few times during the year, but that's only a minor thing. They should make him tag more, then he needs to learn to play the outside role better. He has the physical attributes to be a real weapon, but not sure about the game day mongrel or the game reading (yet). He might make it, I think we will be able to tell better by the end of next season for sure.


Your social credit score was boosted by 20 points. You are now allowed to eat three portions of meat this week.


CO is a beast, and an absolute running machine. People under-rate Joel Corey and how much pressure he gave the opposition with his running power and inside game. CO and Joel Corey are/were two way running machines. In the last quarter, you will see CO running a lot harder than Petracca, albeit, Petracca is likely to finish teams off.

I get that you're joking, but it's not 'woke' to think that a guy who assaults and harrases women is a dickhead.

That's been the case for thousands of years. It's not exactly a new belief.

 

[Kobe Gryant]

While I can understand JUH and Cadman to a degree, I have no idea where the hell the Butters rumours are coming from. Him and Rozee will likely be VC's as soon as next year, and then joint captains when they're ready.

He's going nowhere. Him and Rozee are basically Brayshaw and Serong, and Anderson and Rowell. Good mates on and off the field, future leaders of their clubs and the midfield, and probably will be paid more than anyone else on the list when they get their next contracts.

Only likelihood for mine is Smith, Wines and Harmes, which we could manage at an absolute stretch without using our Future 1st which we might need for a shot at JUH or Cadman. Butters is not even in the realms of possibility.

If we're getting Smith, Wines & Harmes we'll need to be giving up our first and then some for Cadman/JUH.

With those names, a big pre-season and some injury luck there's every chance that pick is 18.

 

[Willo_]

Suggestions that Oliver's foot became infected after he tried to tattoo himself earlier in the year were neither confirmed nor denied by the club when SEN.com.au made formal contact on Tuesday.

LMAO

 

[Two Planks]

Melbourne would demand pick 7 and Holmes for Oliver from Geelong.

A club like North Melbourne would probably be in the best position to recruit him with a bevy of picks and cap space and a real need to improve quickly.

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Melbourne would demand pick 7 and Holmes for Oliver from Geelong.

A club like North Melbourne would probably be in the best position to recruit him with a bevy of picks and cap space and a real need to improve quickly.

He wouldnt want to go to north though.

 

[Mad_Hatter]

Would rather smith than Oliver.

Oliver would make a bigger impact and is a better player BUT would come with a far bigger price tag.
Future first for Smith or 2.5 firsts for Oliver? Smith every day thanks.