True.

I should clarify. Apparently, we're only paying 95% of the cap now, and not paying Thomas $750K next year, alongside the probable 20% cap increase negotiated in the CBA, equals approximately $3 million. So, we'd have $3 million extra to pay above the 95% of the cap we already pay.

NOTE: I'm not sure I've actually clarified anything...

Lets tie up some kids to long term contracts for a start.
No Fyfe please. Too expensive. No more messiahs.
A really good mid should cost us $700k. I would rather 2 stars than one superstar.

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T E A M

This.
Also, if we are going to fork out for a superstar I'd prefer to do that when we are a bit closer to the mark and to choose someone who is going to spend a greater proportion of their best years during our best years.
Fyfe may be amazing for another 5 years, 3 of which we will not be.
The Saints are a much better option for him and he is a much better option for them than for us.

NB: Not sure poaching a superstar mid has really proven a successful strategy so far in recent times:
- Judd (nuff said)
- Dangerfield
- Treloar
- Ablett

You could argue that Buddy has been worth it as a KPF + marketing tool for the Swans - I suspect if he didn't hurt his ankle in the GF, they could well have won it. But you could also argue it has cost them Tom Mitchell...
Tom Boyd came good but that was more a coincidence of timing rather than the expected rewards of a brilliant strategy.

For mine, keep building organically (draft, trade) for another year before going the free agent.
Then perhaps open the war chest - but chose wisely and go for spread and need rather than messiah. And we should back ourselves to take a very very good, talented recruit and turn them into a great player. e.g. Docherty.

It's not such a scary proposition to go to the draft now that we have a proven recruiter.

May as well splurge for a couple of years on a good F/A while our kids are cheap but from 2020 onwards just stick with the draft.

Totally agree. The thought of chasing Fyfe this coming off-season smells too much of the recent Old Carlton and I am not sure that the cost-benefits fall in our favour and also think it may be a year too early.

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

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Carlton - Nothing's changed
I still love you, oh, I still love you
Only slightly, only slightly less
Than I used to, my love

B70 has posted on BigFooty that we're into Schache and also that Brisbane are keen on Byrne.

Schache in, Weitering back works for me. Imagine having tall forward options of Casboult, Schache, McKay, JSOS, Curnow, Jaksch, Kerr, BSOS to come with tall defenders in Weitering, Rowe, Marchbank, Plowman, ASOS, White, Macreadie, JGM.

He also mentioned Jones might get another contract.

And he mentioned Weitering may go back to defence this week. KJ time?

[twitter][/twitter]


Not interested to be honest. We need Mid's Tall's are covered IMO

Seems a real possibility we will end up with Lever and/or Shache next year.

We get Lever, Weiters plays forward. We get Shache, Weiters goes back. With the other players we have under development at both ends (and I include the eventual drafting of BSOS), I think we need to develop C Curnow as a midfielder. He has the tank already, and the size to play inside for patches as well as creating serious matchup difficulties for our opposition on the outside. He needs to work on his first touch - has seemed a bit fumbly - but if that can be cleaned up he may well be the ying to Cripps' yang.

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O say does that star spangled banner yet wave.

This. Please lets learn from past errors.

Agree with others.
No point selling the farm (salary cap wise) for 1 guy, when you can get 2 young above average mids for 700K each.
SOS has proven himself these past 2 draft / trade periods, so I have confidence he'll do the right thing.

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

Agree somewhat. Depends what happens with gibbs really.

If Gibbs goes, id be happy to go for Fyfe. He's a quality player and alongside Murphy, Cripps and SPS he would slot into the midfield nicely.

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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit"
- Aristotle

The addition of Hooper and Kelly to midfield and either one of Lever or Schache would just about make it a perfect trade period. ( I'd prefer Schache) and
I’m hoping we draft Darcy Fogarty with our Ist rounder.
If it all were to come to fruition in 2019/20 watch out, Baggers become a serious proposition.

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Go Blue Boys

Simmo can't go on forever however durable he has been, would have thought Byrne was a pretty handy long term replacement. I (along with others) could see early last year that Tuohy was a tradeable player as a means to an end for picks/players. Not sure Byrne fits that category.

Seems like we aren't all that bad at this drafting thing now, should hit it again for one more year before bringing in the FA's. Marchbank type deals no problem with though. Geelong and Hawthorn set up their teams by nailing a few drafts so they had a group of young players coming through together that formed a core that lasted for years, topped up with needs players to plug gaps. Bulldogs could seemingly do this now too. Luckily Buckley did the right thing and dismantled the Pies! Thanks Eddie.

We have young Penrith coming through the academy this year. Another small defender to take over from Simmo down the track.

Penrith? I'd be amazed if he ended up in a navy blue jumper.

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Looking forward to seeing our potential realised.

Just heard a bit of what Greg Denham said this morning on SEN.
Says that it is unlikely that Casboult will be at Carlton next year.
He said that the more goals he kicks the better trade we will get. Actually said that Carlton will put him up for trade.
What part of him being an unrestricted free agent does he not understand?

Has Denham ever got anything right?

Not very often.