Who should we look at off loading ?

[Plugger46]

Anyone who wants to trade Micky, loses all respect for mine. The bloke is an absolute gun. You don't kick 300 goals in league footy, unless you can play a bit. Some people on here have short memories, cast your minds back to last year, where he won several games for us. Had he played in the preliminary final, we may well have won. I would be absolutely devastated if Micky was traded. And it will NOT happen anyway, so it's ludicrous even suggesting it.

Some of the players I would trade, would be:

- Mathews
- Fosdike
- Saddington
- Ablett?

[caj23]

P46 you're probably right on Mickey O - only mentioned it as an outside possibility

i wouldn't trade him personally as he's one of the few genuine stars on our list (even though inconsistent)

[Donners]

Originally posted by Plugger46
Anyone who wants to trade Micky, loses all respect for mine.

I'm sure the loss of respect from "Plugger46" would be quite devastating.

The bloke is an absolute gun. You don't kick 300 goals in league footy, unless you can play a bit.

Minton-Connell kicked over 300 goals, including 169 in 48 games for us. That didn't stop three teams getting rid of him, simply because they had better options. It's all well and good to have "gun" players, but if they are somewhat redundant, it may be a good idea to look at the options of possibly getting something more. You can't offload useless players and expect to get something from the deal. Sometimes you have to make hard decisions.

Some people on here have short memories, cast your minds back to last year, where he won several games for us. Had he played in the preliminary final, we may well have won.

He didn't because he was injured. He missed eight games last season through injury, and has already missed six this season. It is irrelevant that he "could" have done something - if he is not out on the ground, he isn't helping the team. It sounds harsh, but it's a simple fact. The more games he misses, the less valuable he is to the team. A player like Crouch who plays every game is more valuable than somebody who misses 1/3 of the season.

I would be absolutely devastated if Micky was traded. And it will NOT happen anyway, so it's ludicrous even suggesting it.

No it probably won't happen, but it's as valid an idea as any. This would be a pretty boring topic if we simply discussed what will happen - then it's just guesswork rather than original thought. If traded now, we could probably get something decent for him, and strengthen a weak area of the side. I believe that would outweigh the likely contribution he could make.

Some of the players I would trade, would be:

- Mathews
- Fosdike
- Saddington
- Ablett?

With Maxfield 32 and Williams 31, and no real prospects among the midfield group (you even list Ablett as a potential trade) let's trade two of our top five possessions-per-game players. With a glaring weakness when it comes to tall defenders, no real prospects coming through and almost no chance of getting a ready-made key defender, let's offload Saddington. All this instead of trading a player from our strongest area, no less.

[NMWBloods]

Originally posted by Plugger46
loses all respect for mine.

Can anyone write (or speak) proper English these days?!?! What the **** is 'for mine' doing in this sentence!

[Diego]

you thanks the interweb for thats!

[sharp9]

I'm only going to offer comments on two players.

1) Jared is Crouch is THE BEST SMALL DEFENDER IN THE LEAGUE BAR NONE!

This year he has BEATEN Jason Akermanis, Jeff Farmer, Stephen Milne, Matthew Lappin, Gary Ablett, Aaron Davey and a few others...and that's just in 3/4 of one season. No other defender even comes close to that record. On top of that he has heart, integrity, speed and 140 games in a row. He is irreplaceable. Literally. If he were traded there is not another footballer IN THE LEAGUE who could do what he is doing week in week out.

2) Ben Mathews is integral to the team and that is a demonstration of the fact that we are not premiership material. He is a goer, strong body, lots of heart, knows how to get the footy. However his disposal is far too inconsistent to be one of a fab four premiership midfield. Time and again in the in the last couple of weeks he has coughed up the ball in crucial situations. He had a period early in the year when he did the same (and I was pilloried for reporting that he had five turnovers in five possessions...as if me saying the stat makes me a bad supporter). Then he was better for a while. Now he is costing us again. Against Adelaide he didn't cost us the game, but he was shocking. Against Geelong he was the difference (not counting the umpires, of course). The sad fact is that some reporters had him in our best....(similar to when Williams was getting named in our best early in the year despite disposal/handling that ranged form not that great to appalling)

The complicating factor is that I would still get pick him ahead of Ablett/Fosdike/McVeigh right now because we are a stronger team with him than with them (at the moment). His abilioty to get the ball and be so so with what he does with it will win more games than not getting the ball very much. However for the last eight weeks we have had enough of the ball but we can't get out of third gear. We are not getting the ball into the forward fifty very well at all.

I don't honestly know what the solution is but at the least I can point out the problem...our senior players in the midfield are not doing enough with the ball WHEN THEY GET IT. They are getting it enough.

For my money, Jude Bolton played his breakthrough game on Sunday....every time he got the ball it looked like something would happen. When Mathews/Ablett/Fosdike/Maxfield got the ball you just prayed they would not mess it up. How many unconteted marks did they take on our forward fifty, for example?

[Foreign Legion]

To effect a trade you must offer something that somebody wants.

Can't see too many potentials here but what about this one from left field:

We need another ruckman to replace Bally when he decides his time is up - or one of our backup ruckman get injured (ed: Doyle or LRT).

Why not offer McVeigh to Essendon in return for David Hille?

Essendon need pace and he would be happy to play with his brother. We need another ruckman and potential tall forward.

I know, I know, Mcveigh hasn't had much of a go but he may be keen to come back further down the track anyway.

I just think we need to be realistic - no point trading away someone like Fosdike/Ablett etc for a 3rd round draft pick. There are no guarantees in the draft.

[dread and might]

Originally posted by sharp9
This year he has BEATEN Jason Akermanis, Jeff Farmer, Stephen Milne, Matthew Lappin, Gary Ablett, Aaron Davey and a few others...

i agree with everything you're saying, but if i can be picky, i think aaron davey killed us. also IIRC bevan was on him most of the match which (if i'm right) actually just reinforces your point.

[sharp9]

Originally posted by Foreign Legion
To effect a trade you must offer something that somebody wants.

Can't see too many potentials here but what about this one from left field:

We need another ruckman to replace Bally when he decides his time is up - or one of our backup ruckman get injured (ed: Doyle or LRT).

Why not offer McVeigh to Essendon in return for David Hille?

Essendon need pace and he would be happy to play with his brother. We need another ruckman and potential tall forward.

I know, I know, Mcveigh hasn't had much of a go but he may be keen to come back further down the track anyway.

I just think we need to be realistic - no point trading away someone like Fosdike/Ablett etc for a 3rd round draft pick. There are no guarantees in the draft.

I have advocated getting Hille, but I cannot agree that he is worth McVeigh. McVeigh appears to have the wherewithal to possibly be a top ten talent...a real game breaker. Hille could be one of a premiership ruckman team, but he ain't no Primus/White/Everitt.
he is a guaranteed solid tall, rather than a superstar.

I would like him but I wouldn't trade a potential AA midfielder for him.

[Foreign Legion]

Originally posted by sharp9
I have advocated getting Hille, but I cannot agree that he is worth McVeigh. McVeigh appears to have the wherewithal to possibly be a top ten talent...a real game breaker. Hille could be one of a premiership ruckman team, but he ain't no Primus/White/Everitt.
he is a guaranteed solid tall, rather than a superstar.

I would like him but I wouldn't trade a potential AA midfielder for him.

But therein lies the problem - you have to offer something decent to get something - look at Collingwood and Nick Stevens - sometimes you might give away a good player but it depends on what the team needs at the time.

I'm not saying Hille is a champ but he has fallen from favor at least amongst the Bomber fans and I reckon both clubs would benefit from this trade.

[Newbie]

Originally posted by Foreign Legion
But therein lies the problem - you have to offer something decent to get something - look at Collingwood and Nick Stevens - sometimes you might give away a good player but it depends on what the team needs at the time.

I'm not saying Hille is a champ but he has fallen from favor at least amongst the Bomber fans and I reckon both clubs would benefit from this trade.

No champion means no premierships. Trading potential guns mean no champion in the long run. No win game, I am afraid.

[Plugger46]

Originally posted by NMWBloods
Can anyone write (or speak) proper English these days?!?! What the **** is 'for mine' doing in this sentence!

Do not know why you would say, that my English is ordinary. I am one of the few on here, who generally writes correctly. I take offence to that NMW, as I hate the fact that the majority of people, in today's society, do not write (or speak) correctly.

On other matters. Micky isn't having a great year, but last year he had an outstanding season. I can't believe, that anyone would want to trade him. There were a lot of games last year, that we would not have won without him.

[sharpie]

Originally posted by Plugger46
Do not know why you would say, that my English is ordinary. I am one of the few on here, who generally writes correctly. I take offence to that NMW, as I hate the fact that the majority of people, in today's society, do not write (or speak) correctly.

On other matters. Micky isn't having a great year, but last year he had an outstanding season. I can't believe, that anyone would want to trade him. There were a lot of games last year, that we would not have won without him.

Considering you, are defending your, ability to use, English, that is one, of the worst posts, I've ever, seen,

[Triple B]

Considering you, are defending your, ability to use, English, that is one, of the worst posts, I've ever, seen,

Heheheheh, I ,like it.

[Donners]

Originally posted by Plugger46
Do not know why you would say, that my English is ordinary. I am one of the few on here, who generally writes correctly. I take offence to that NMW, as I hate the fact that the majority of people, in today's society, do not write (or speak) correctly.

On other matters. Micky isn't having a great year, but last year he had an outstanding season. I can't believe, that anyone would want to trade him. There were a lot of games last year, that we would not have won without him.

I take offence that people get a considered, carefully structured response to their post which criticised one of mine, and then ignore that post in order to repeat weak, generalised points that eliminate any chance of a decent debate.