Why isn't he leaving like everyone else???

Graham, Palmer, Smedts & Boekhorst are mature age players who can't get a game in the team with the worst midfield depth in the completion + Cripps & E Curnow out.

Smedts has another year on his contract (I think) but the others should be moved on at the end of the season. Throw some money at the NB so they can retain Graham or Palmer for VFL leadership if you want - but if those guys can't get a game at the moment, what is the point of having them on the primary list?

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It's never as good as it looks and it's never as bad as it seems.

Yeah, second ruck really isn't that important unless we are seriously challenging for the next flag.

We can spread the role around ASOS, Jones, Curnow, Cripps, McKay, White or even just don't bother with a ruck, just let the other ruckman go alone and tag everyone around the ball for 5 mins. We didn't get much advantage when Kruezer was allowed to go alone.

Yes I'd like to see Levi stay but I wouldn't fight too hard if he gets a great deal to leave.

Whilst I am hoping Boekhurst makes it, and thought Smedts and Palmer would cement a spot in our 22, it looks like they are superfluous to our needs.

We need replacements who would develop and demand a spot in the 22, or at worse case scenario, replace an injured player without being a liability due to speed, grunt or class issues.

Graham and Palmer are very good at VFL level and would be good if they wanted to stay as VFL NB players. I wont miss them in the seniors.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

I thought Palmer was picked up for exactly the scenario we are in at the moment. Injuries, players tiring, needing some midfield insurance......
So if he can't get in now.... No point in him being here.
Boekhurst has improved (even if it's only a little) every year.... Probably won't be kept, but could be on the 'maybe' list

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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

Palmer's recent form has been ordinary. He started ok. Boekhurst has played well enough to deserve more senior time but it hasn't happened. Graham doesn't impact enough at senior level. Smedts is a hybrid of Boekhurst (ok form) and Graham (limited senior impact).

I don't think we should re-contract Daisy either. Great bloke or not, good trier. No impact. I'd rather persist with Lamb.

I like Sumner but he has had about 6 years in the system. Injuries have cruelled him and he is likely done.

Jaksch seems to have stamped his own papers and it is hard to think of a more frustrating footballer with tools but no (apparent) ambition.

Hopefully White goes too. Great trier. Good team man. We are flush for defenders.

The hardest of all might be Rowe. Playing good footy when injured but his role has been taken by Jones. He might survive but you can't keep all your mature footballers when season after season you are mired at the bottom. Believe he should go.

Buckley looks to be stamped as well. I think he should have played more senior footy this year. If Simmo retires or is moved on he might survive but it seems very unlikely.

LeBois, Korchek, Gallucci, maybe JGM and Sheehan complete the rookie clean outs.

One or two of the above might survive depending on who goes in or out in trade week.

I often wonder whether Hughes, Icke, Rogers, Swann, Sticks et al ever look at the mess we're now forced to clean up and feel any responsibility for it...

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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

I think the list turnaround with what we had to now has been nothing short of remarkable.

We were had nothing.

In two years they have built a really solid spine.

Midfield next up for the next 2 drafts.

Yep, and some mids with some size please. Petrevski-Seton, Cunningham, Fisher, Polson...there's not a lot of size there. Been evident the last 2 weeks that without Cripps, w're terribly undersized in the midfield. And that's before Gibbs possibly leaves.

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Mens sana in corpore sano.

Bring back the laurel wreath logo!!!

You can throw McKay's name in there too. At least he is helping clean up his own mess.

Yeah, I agree. You've got to draft talent. But we've got far too many midgets on our list.

Bolts is big on developing a winning culture and it starts from our VFL side. So It wouldn't surprise me to see SOS pick up one or two older players very late in the draft to bolster the billings squad

I don't think BB and SOS are silly enough to believe with additional big bodied mids we have a solution for our midfield deficiencies.

We have done really well with the Cripps pick. He's a raging bull who can't be tagged.

After him we really went for Talls and more Talls who take a bit longer to come on.

Followed that with the midgets who will take time to build their bodies and their game.

Last piece of the puzzle it seems to me is the recruitment of big bodied mids (this year) who are strong enough to learn their craft against seasoned mids.

From that point we should have a group who will grow together and likely to peak together.

I'm thinking the peaking starts in 2020 followed by sustainable success over the next decade.

I'm hoping we have a Hawks 2008 lucky year in 2019, but that's wishful thinking.

Hey if we get a FA or a Trade in 2017 and 2018 that fills the beacon missing in the forwardline and a power mid we may see success in 2019.

I'm sure there's a long term plan given we cant have a quick fix given how dire our list was pre SOS and BB.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

One day I'd love to learn what led to the demise of Jaksch.

I was at the game against GWS where he gave Waite a bath, and he was only 19yo.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Perhaps John Schumann can help clarify.

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

Winston Churchill

Personally, I'd ask Mum and Dad and Denny......

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Never argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience!!!

After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says W T F .........
Visit http://fromthemoshpit.com/

No wonder the sound of the channel seven chopper stills chills him to his feet.......

and can you-tell me Crai-gy why you still can't train-his-brain-?

Graham has brought much more to the vfl team than Palmer has.

A poster on BF says that White has been offered a one year contract.