The criticism of Murphy astounds me. People need a whipping boy and for some unknown reason pick him whenever we lose.

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Between our dreams and actions lies this world

No-one should be immune from criticism after a bad game

Maybe I'm looking at it through rose-tinted glasses (or just trying to cope) but it almost seems as if this team is being set to peak when the others currently ahead of us (including other rebuilders like StK, Melb, Port, Coll and GC) have all had their shot and presumably missed them.

The exception of course being GWS who will be our overlords for many years yet.

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WADA medical director Dr Alan Vernec describes Essendon* FC drug case as biggest scandal in team sport the world of sport has seen. #WC2WB

#GUILTY

Criticism's fine just not the abuse he cops from fair weather fans who blame losing on him.

Bingo....
This is the unspoken part of a rebuild... When are you planning to be competitive?
It guides recruitment, development, contracts AND trades

Go you good things

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“Every single element of the Club has to be the best in the league, meticulously and methodically, and only by doing this will we be elite and challenge for number 17.”
Greg Lee

Lol - yeah we'll be flag contenders in 3-4 years, it's all laid out in the secret plan we've had since 2000. The problem is for Carlton 3-4 years is always 3-4 years away, it's like 1-2 weeks.....

Not what I said.
Just said it all has to be coordinated.
In the past we wouldn't have traded out Henderson, we would have given him a 5 year contract as he was a 'senior' player.
People often say 'he's not part of the next premiership'... In a simple way, that swat they are saying.

... And, at least, you need to have a plan.... How well you execute it, well that's another story

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk

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“Every single element of the Club has to be the best in the league, meticulously and methodically, and only by doing this will we be elite and challenge for number 17.”
Greg Lee

Very true. We've built a nucleus of quality players in the same age bracket which should see us being consistently competitive from 2019 onwards. WIth that being the case I'd be more than happy to trade Gibbs to Adelaide and on trade whatever we can get to GWS for Hopper. Recruit Fogarty with our first pick and suddenly we have a big, strong midfield for the next ten years with Cripps, Hopper and Fogarty. With Samo, Fisher, Polson and Pickett around them to provide the speed.

Given that Deledio was traded for a first and third round pick last year, I do wonder what we could get for Murphy. This isn't a criticism of Murphy at all, just an acknowledgement that at 30, he's unlikely to play much of a role for us when our nucleus are peaking. If we could get another quality young player around pick 15 (either a quick, skilled mid or a ruckman) you'd have to think it would serve us better over the next decade than what Murphy can offer for the next 2-3 years. Trading your captain is never a nice thing to do but it didn't seem to negatively affect the Bulldogs with Griffin leaving.

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Don't blame it on the sunshine, don't blame it on the moonlight, don't blame it on the good times, blame it on the WIGGINS!

If we trade Gibbs and Murphy, Simpson retires and White, Thomas and Armfield are delisted, then 2018 will be a very long year. Friday night is a just a taste of what we could expect. I think, at a minimum, Murphy has to stay and continue to provide leadership and experience. I think White will still be on the list too.

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@cecil_anderson

Sam Reid from the swans please.
Don't think he will leave but, 4 years at $750/$850??
Will help McKay develop and help Casboult also.
Sam is only 25, plenty of years left.
Trade out Gibbs for a first rounder, maybe a player for steak knife's.
We should receive a PP, lions did last year and if we don't win more than 3 games, its ours, pick 19.
Will end up with pick 1, 15/16(Gibbs) pick 19 and 20.
That's another 4 players in the top 20 plus Reid.
Just my silly thoughts boys and girls..

Watched some footy this weekend.
Geez I long for an exciting competitive team! Can't wait, just hope we don't @#$%&! it up again.

Won't have pick 20. We don't have a second round pick this year. Also don't expect us to receive a priority pick.

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@cecil_anderson

We'll most likely end up bottom of ladder, so AFL will need to support one of their premier brands quickly I'm expecting at least a priority pick 19, may get better depending on how many games we win, it's looking like 3 to 4 to wins.

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Go Blue Boys

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"You are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it." - Finch

Thanks for posting Effes.

Keep throwing them in there I say!

SOS wouldn't be thinking of trading Ben on draft night 2018 would he.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

It's a very long term plan. Mind you people thought GWS had gone too kid heavy but look at them now....

I think SOS and co have a plan, but coming out and saying we won't be a shot until 2022 doesn't sound very encouraging

Ok, my evil plan is coming together nicely:
1) Adelaide playing very well but hopefully just one seasoned, classy midfielder off a Premiership....
2) Gibbs is having a solid season
3) Kruezer holding up well and playing well
4) Mumford a bit up & down
5) Casboult's kicking is improving

1) + 2) = We trade Gibbs to Adelaide for pretty much the same deal that was on offer last year (1st + 2nd round pick, plus perhaps something Adelaide does to elevate their first round pick from 15+ to top 10)

3) + 4) = GWS, or another team, puts in an offer for free agent Kruezer - hopefully on big bucks for which we receive a 2nd round pick (or with a bit of luck, a 1st rounder...)

5) We can trade Casboult for another early 2nd round pick (again, with a bit of luck, perhaps Richmond will make a massive play for him to give us a 1st round pick).

The overall aim is to get at least 4 picks in the top 30, with hopefully two top 10.
If we can pick well (and the last 2 drafts provide some confidence that we can), the major restructure is done and we can focus more specifically on gameplan, development, and recruiting for need.
But we do need to get a bit more than the natural draft returns if we are to put ourselves in the frame for a flag. This is what St Kilda and Melbourne have done - giving up/losing some great players for which they received valuable compensation.
Otherwise, we'll end up more like Richmond or North - getting into the 8 and perhaps a bit better but never really competing for a Premiership. And no, I don't think Richmond will win a Prelim, let alone a flag, before they start to fall away (although at least they got something for an ailing Deledio...)

But, just to be clear, I think Gibbs, Kruezer and Casboult are all great and can help with our rebuild - especially Kruezer. And I would not trade any of them unless we receive the minimum cited above. But I don't think any of them will be there in 4-5yrs. Therefore, I'd rather get something valuable for them than lose them for nothing. (Again, emphasis on the word 'valuable' - an additional 3rd or 4th round pick is not worth it for any of these guys, IMO).

Sorry no way

x2

No apologies

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We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion.