I know they were not direct swaps but its interesting to evaluate the 'swap" between the clubs and eventually I think we will win this one if we havent already.Mcgraths continuing efforts since about half-way last year and bannisters efforts in finishing top 10 in best and fairest last year at least equals the murphy and allan performances last year.
Allan is from all reports almost clapped out and this will be his last year and if the bombers bottom out as most expect them to murphy at 29 may be one of the casualities at the end of the year.Hopefully bannister and mcgrath who are both significantly younger than their Essendon* counterparts.
I think the performances of murphy and mcgrath were similar on friday night in terms of benefit to their respective teams and both Allan and Bannister didnt play so if we are in front at the moment it is not by very much.

I think at the moment both clubs are even with the trades, but come seasons end I expect us to be ahead.

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I think in the long run we'll be much better off.

Allan and Murph are way past their prime. I feel bad for Matty though, his injuries really robbed him of a great career.

Banno and McGrath have an opportunity to become long term Carlton players as they have age on their side.

McGrath is a fierce competitor, goes much harder than Murph ever would. Bannister could be a complete player if he works hard on his disposal, the other aspects of his game are pretty good. He can find the ball, has a great engine and is a good overhead mark.

I think it's pretty even. I think Murphy would probably still get a game in this Carlton side but I don't think Allan would. I also think that McGrath would probably now get into the Essendon* side but I don't really think they miss Bannister.

So it probalby comes down to an Allan or Bannister choice as to who you'd have at your club. With Allan being much older and more prone to injuries, and Bannister being handy but no star, but much younger, you'd go with Bannister.

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I'm a really big fan of McGrath. I think in the long run we can only be better off in this one.

I wonder how Allan's career would have gone if it hadn't been for the injuries. I think we really missed him

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Persoanlly I thought we were way ahead in the deal already. We have two players despite thier limitations will give 100% every game as opposed to two players that give, well, less than 100% all of the time.

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L.M 35-06

I think Sheedy only ever saw McGrath as a showy flash in the pan Rioli or Cupido type forward pocket specialist. He was never going to go too far with that rabble.

Pagan has brought out a largely untapped side of his game, with a defensive and midfield role and I think by mid-season we will be seeing Cory as a largely attacking rather than defensive midfielder. He has aknack for finding the ball around the clearances, and also for holding tackles in those crucial centre bounces. Too often we let them get first hands and slip out of tackles to get clear, but Cory holds them accountable.

Bannister will have his good games and his bad games for a while yet. He needs to recognise his counterattacking potential as well.

I think we are ahead on the basis that Allan hasnt been a great contributor and has been out injured.
Murphy has been good for Essendon* last year and had 26 possies in rnd 1 but I think he is facing the axe at the end of the year becuase I am sure Essendon* will have a purge of players if they dont play finals.
McGrath has improved under Pagan and is now a fair player who can is capable of minding a man and doing his bit around the ground...gives us some muscle in the packs and tackles well which has been a weak area in the past.
Bannister has been a fine player since crossing from the bombers and been a bit unlucky to be dropped IMHO. Both he and McGrath have given us depth and I think we are well up on Essendon* in the deals...

Frank, Liked Murphy when he was playing for us, but to say Mcgrath and he were equal on Friday night?????????? Murphy had a very average game with about 5 touches vs McGrath who contested hard, gathered a few and did the hard stuff all night. No comparison.

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I think we're better off without those two, regardless of how McGrath and Bannister perform while at Carlton. The club needed a new direction with the playing list, and I think the way Denis has trimmed the dead wood has been proven to be pretty much spot on. At their best Murphy and Allan were capable of winning games for the club. But, for whatever reason, they did not appear to gel with Pagan. And faced with a choice between Pagan or Murphy/Allan ... well, I think we're looking much better thanks.

The fact that McGrath (especially) and Bannister have and continue to play good games for us is just icing on the cake.

Let's not forget that Matthew Allan was one less David Allison managed player at the club, already we're miles in front!

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Spot on Camel. Both Allan & Murphy came with baggage quite separate from their footballing ability.

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The other thing is that the salaries we would have had to pay Allan and Murphy would have been a lot more than what we are paying McGrath and Bannister. We had a real TPP squeeze a couple of years back, and cutbacks were required to fit in Stevens and others. Remember that reductions in the salaries of the remaining senior players (including Kouta) occurred. Now, if Allan and Murphy would have stopped us from obtaining a bringing a number of other players into the club. So it isn't as simple as weighing Murphy and Allan against Bannister and McGrath - they have to be weighed against Bannister, McGrath and other players (whose identities we do not know).

cant just analyze on a purely ability basis and acknowledge other reasons for letting them both go and are fully supportive of those reasons.
However on the basis of performance alone I think we are just in front at this stage.
Kill I thought both mcgrath and murphy got about 10 possessions each on friday night so thought performances were not so dissimilar .Whilst campo beat him on the night didnt think he was too bad.Mcgrath whilst more than servicable wasnt outstanding either.

Never wonder about Matt Allen

He and his wonderful manager would've bled the club dry had he not been injured as ofetn as he was. He was a loss in the beginning but he became a liability and like many others played without passion.

If you wish to wonder what ...... would 've been

Corey came and we lost Porter, Corey now has his name on our trophy and is no more of a Carlton player than Tony Shaw.

Teaguey will be remembered as a Blue in years to come but think about McGuane and McKenna, ever thought of them as Blues?

The current confused footballer is Harf. Obviously he was retired and his role at the club is to finish off the contract. Will he be a Blue or a Hawk?

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Fair call frankie. Even just on age we're ahead.

To be honest I had low expectations for both of these blokes, and while neither of them will ever be in the league's elite they hace certainly been good servants of the club so far, and expect that to continue for a while yet.

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Told me in the Social CLub at TC at the WC Gf that he plans on going back to Hawthorn at some stage.

One can only assume that will be sometime next year.

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I thought McGrath was the unsung hero of our Wizard Cup campaign - and was very effective in the centre ball ups and clearances.

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