Post Season 2003 - TRADE TALK

[commonwombat]

our tall defenders (Wakelin, Clement, Cloke and Presti) have, along with Johnson, been the rocks of the side and would not see any of these go. The only question marks may arise is possibly age with Wakes etc and we should look to the development of his long term replacement. Not sure on Clemo's age. Hope this comment does not offend people.

[Jonesy]

How old is Wakes?? 28, 29??

Assuming he is somewhere round that number, as a full back I think he could hope to have another 3 years atleast. Full back isnt the most demanding position, obviously strength and speed off the mark are the keys.

I think Jimmy is turning 28 next year.

[DaicosMagic]

Presti is as safe as houses. Name the better backs in the competition (apart from Brisbane). I know there will be a few, but not many.

Lokan does not impress me at all. he cowers as soon as his opponent comes near him. Unless given an instruction he is lost. He has not taken possession of the ball and gone for a run in about 4 months. He leaves his opponent goalside for easy goals. I would lick my chops if he lined up on me.

Lonie better get tougher and harder or his time is nearly up. We've had him for 3 or 4 years now. He has to be tried as a winger or half-forward flanker or else traded. What's the point of having him on the bench? tackling practise is needed.

O'Bree doesn't give enough value. Needs consistencey, especially against top sides.

Cloke needs to stay in the backline (F$#ken hell Malthouse, the game was lost before it even started). We on Nick's have prayed and prayed that he never venture forward ever again, and what do you do in the biggest game of the year? I cannot believe he wasn't even used across the backline once!!! Again, F%$K you Malthouse for never giving us a chance. Cloke needs more responsibility to develop his one-on-one skills. He has proven himself against Tredrea, Carey and Brown (see last year vs Brisbane at TD). Cloke is tough and courageous and is still very young.

Leon Davis must get tough or get out.

Williams is not the anwer in this team.

Walker still needs to be developed.

That is all for now...

[commonwombat]

Pace of the mark is a factor esp with the leading key forward. The Wakes and Clemo equation is by no means an immediate one and can be addressed over the next few seasons. However it would be shortsighted in the extreme to ignore it until it gets up and bites us on the bum because we haven't groomed ready made replacements who can slot it no fuss.

[Get Smart]

Leon Davis has played his last game for Collingwood.
Lacks what we need for finals football.

[ScottyMac]

Yet again the Talk is big and I would put money on it... That we have all turned into Jason Akermanis's!!!!!

Listen guys we have lost a grand final and god damn it hurts but the lists of trade possibilities etc IMHO is far to long... I suggest we lose between one and three players.. I don't think I am in a position to name those blokes because I don't think it is fair or just... EVERY SINGLE PLAYER on our list this year has done the job they were ask at some point.

Lets all just sit and wait to see what comes... I have a gut feeling we could be the silent but deadly type again this year... steer clear of the Brown's and Steven's!!!!

[JLC]

I cannot believe how much of a scape goat Leon Davis has become. Leon wasnt the difference between us winning and losing. The ball was hardly down there when Leon was up forward.

jlc

[Pa Marmo]

We need to place some faith in Guy Richards, Tom Davidson, David King, and possibly Dane Swan. We could use O`Bree as a trade bait for Brown or Stevens. I like Leon Davis but he is to small of body size to mix it with the big boys. Heath Scotland also should never be traded. Cameron Cloke will also come on next year so floreat pica

[JLC]

We have already shown a heap of faith by Guy Richards still being at the club. The time has come for Richards to stand up and command a role in the seniors team and repay the faith that Judkins showed by first drafting him. He cannot and should not be content with playing for Williamstown.

This is make or break year for Guy Richards.

jlc

[Joel]

On Nathan Brown, I thought he was leaving the Dogs because he wanted to play in a successful side, or was I mistaken in believing that? Is he just leaving because he wants more money?

Doesn't Brown have some say in where he goes?

[Morrigu]

Nick Stevens does not want that sort of money to play for Collingwood - but will put that price tag on his head if forced to go into the pre-season draft ( to avoid being picked up by the Dogs etc) Port are bleeding as they know the teams with the first picks are Melbourne based and that if they don't deal with Nicks prefered club - the Pies - he can go into the draft and get his wish to remain in Melbourne - very much like what Davis and Sydney did to us last year. Don't count out Leon to SA - his partner's family are from SA and she would like to take junior home. Taz and Browny looked pretty happy together on the Sunday FS - rumour is he kept postponing his decision until after the Pies played GF. All depends on how we manage our trades - but at least now people WANT to come to us. PLEASE trade/delist Kinnear - enough is enough !!!!

[hotpie]

Firstly I can't believe all those slagging Jason Cloke. Jason has been one of the solid contributors in the backline throughout the season and the only reason he had a bad game on the weekend was bcoz MM put him up foward which clearly hasn't worked in the past (remember last yr against geelong?). For christsake his father may have been a full foward but jason ain't!! Why MM persists doing this really baffles me.
Secondly, Cole and Shaw were really exposed on the weekend yet even after shaws tool of the year moment he wasn't dragged?? I really doubt that either of these players would get traded, cole will improve and rhys well he's a Shaw.
Thirdly, we need another decent CHF. We simply cannot afford to structure the team around rocca ( we have lost 12 of 15 without him). What if he gets injured nxt yr or decides to miss a final again??? Nathan Brown would be a good pick up and would help fill that gap up foward.
We also could do with another good midfielder. Nick Stevens would help us out here. Clearly a decent midfielder now and with MMs coaching could only get better. Hopefully well be able to fit both brown and stevens into the cap. We probably wouldn't have to trade much to get them either as they both have quit their respective clubs.
Next, tradeble players. Kinnear has to go!! Weve waited far too long to get anything out of him and hes still yet to deliver. I would keep Mckee for another yr as from what ive seen hes been training up as a key position player at williamstown. Would NOT trade didak, the kids full of talent and just needs a bit more game time. Molloy will probably retire as would freeborn, but if not very tradeable!!
Lastly, willy players. We should see cam cloke promoted next yr, hopefully he can b rogans partner in crime. David King also looks promising.

[AGE]

....Taz and Browny looked pretty happy together on the Sunday FS - rumour is he kept postponing his decision until after the Pies played GF. ...

Of course he did. He didn't make it half obvious, postponing his trade talks with his own clubs so he could wait till Collingwood finished their finals campaign. Isn't it a little too coincidental he quits the Doggies the day after Collingwood's season is over. Only time will tell I guess. Either that or he's going to Brisbane?

Also I cbf reading 9 pages worth of trades/delistings, but to the people talking sh!t about trading Shaw and Woey I say this. They play one bad game and all of a sudden you want to get rid of them? Everyone hailed Shaw this year as finally coming of age, you all creamed your pants when he kicked "THAT" goal against St. Kilda and now he's tradeable. And Woey too, didn't he come 2nd or 3rd for our club in the Brownlow this year, and didn't he win one once??

[tdesmaele]

I agree with HotPie.

Cloke must stay. There was some good improvement in his one on one this year however more is needed.

I don't think we can continue to play Cole, Shaw and Lokan in the same team unless they continue to improve. At current all 3 still make too many mistakes. We can play one but to play all 3 consistently is asking for problems.

Hopefully Davidson becomes our 3rd tall forward for next year. However considering he missed all of this year with a knee injury we need to ensure we have a backup plan. I wonder if we could get Digby Morell from North Melbourne?

Also it may be wise for us to play Nixon up forward for Williamstown next year.

Shakleton, Richards, King, Maxwell, Davidson and Cloke hopefully keep improving over the pre-season and debut for us next year. Maxwell needs to bulk up a little but he had some very good games for Williamstown especially earlier in the season before a hamstring injury.

And hopefully Walker, Swann and McGough do likewise and play more games next year than this year. BTW I really like the look of Swann. He has class and could be a good crumbing forward.

Didak isn't going anywhere. He is all class.

[Jonesy]

Lets not panic too much, there are a number of kids coming through the ranks at Willi that are untried...wouldnt mind having a look at them before I start chopping and changing the list too drastically. Richards and Nixon, aswell as King all have pretty good wraps on them from MM so lets be patient.


But Walker, he is young and raw and I can see him in time becoming a real key to our side. Cole has a real dip, GF aside, Lokan has just finished a solid 1st year(they dont give out Rising Star nominations to duds after all) and Didak was the only player on Saturday who hit most of his targets plus snagged 3 goals himself.

There are bound to be atleast 3-5 retirements or delistings, lets retain our youth and try to pick up a Stevens or Brown or Solomon. That is the direction I hope the club takes this summer