Warnock should go regardless of the Kreuzer situation. I'd rather see Wood and Casboult supported by a rookie ruckman for 2016 than keep Warnock who is a 206cm dud. There will be another draft next year. Let's cover other needs this year while we can and then go for a ruckman next year or the year after. And another good midfielder then - etc.

I'm for cutting losses and paying out Jones. He is in Ackland class. I feel mean saying that as he is probably a great bloke, but just shouldn't be on our list.

I would give Watson another 12 months with work on his tank and more importantly work on his recovery/reactions when he hits the ground following an unsuccessful marking contest. That is where he is weakest. He was a champion player as a junior and his body has got too big on him for ground level play. Looking at the list choices however I think he is gone unless we get several acceptable trades.

Armfield and White may also both have to go for us to have the space to recruit. We cut deep last year and are yet to see much benefit out of that. Next year we may have another one or two retirements and it will be more obvious who we should let go out of last year's crop.

The relatively poor performance to date of the 2014 recruits has made us look much worse and the high turnover left us with little flexibility this year despite the ordinariness of the overall list.

I realise that we need to make space for the two FS selections, but otherwise I wouldn't be giving up players such as Armfield, White and even Watson for speculative picks beyond pick 30 which rarely work out - for us anyway. Use rookie draft for specs.

I'm not sold on using the PSD for the Essendon** bloke. Maybe there is someone better? Can we get lucky again with an Eddie Betts type pickup? They don't come along very often though. Treloar maybe if it could be done but I would prefer we don't commit too heavily to any one player. Need to keep some flexibility. Maybe next year there will be a gun player who actually wants to come to us. Club has drawn a few lines in the sand with player off-field behaviour etc and if Bolton can get some success out of the group next year we could become attractive again.

Overall I am glass half full as I think we might see some much better recruiting this year (and next). Fingers crossed. This has been a terrible fifteen years for us old bluebaggers. This really is the absolute bottom and hopefully the last spoon we ever win.

Some final comments on our list. One thing that I thought was much better throughout 2015 was that we didn't rush players back from injury like we have done for much of the past ten years or so. It was good to see that players who had been out for a while had to play for Northern for a game or two. I hope that policy continues.

Of course our problems were compounded by having so many injuries. We can only hope that the Irish lads Sheehan and Byrne get over their injuries for 2016 and can continue their improvement.

Giles could make a big difference to our structure if his foot has indeed healed and he can stay on the park. The mark he took in the development game a couple of weeks ago was awesome. Obviously got talent. If he comes good our luck will have turned. Real important one this lad. I'm not too confident. Surgeons and feet don't appear to have a great outcome rate. A hail Mary or two or a few OMs or 'Inshallah's from those so inclined might help.

Thomas could still be a useful player for us while we rebuild. Gibbs getting injured early stopped any momentum from 2014 which was easily his best season. Heat is going to be on him to perform in 2016 but I think he will. Several other players will benefit from going for early ops in time for them to have a full pre-season.

We'd have to be desperately unlucky to have our depth tested so severely two seasons in a row. Should be a lot more competition for places in the 22 next year and that should in turn help make our 2016 trade period a little easier than this one.

We need to build steadily. Several years of skilful drafting and list management required to get us to a level where we can make the eight and start to be competitive in finals.

Having more players actually available also means that our Northern Blues side can be more competitive.
It can't be good for development if your raw recruits (no matter how promising they may be) are playing in a seconds side that is getting flogged each week. So hopefully that will also improve next year and hereafter.

Walker has to play forward from now on. Also think if Yarran stays his temperment is better suited as a forward.

Unless we totally flower this draft and our preseason we should be capable of 8-10 wins next season. I'd like to see at least one game where we cause a big upset. Don't expect the world but that we will be a lot more competitive and hopefully look a bit dangerous. Enough of being crap.

I see the merit in paying Jones out in the context that we had 25 fit players on the weekend, a situation we're unlikely to have again in the next two years, and he was the only one not picked with AFL experience. May as well go one down.

In practice, paying him out two years seems ridiculous. Surely there's a team that need to make up cap room. I'd rather give up draft spots and trade him to another team than pay him out fully. Given how tight we are with cap space, I'd say its unlikely we'd be able to replace him, even with a minimum wager without compromising any other aspect of list management.

At the very least, I'd like to see him have a season at centre half back. May as well see if he's any worse than say, Rowe.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Depending on list and tpp position, I wouldn't mind giving an experienced extrovert like StevieJ a spot.

He could help out with instilling a bit of belief into a group that's been mentally smashed for too long.

just a thought, but is it possible to pull a good old fashion Carlton swifty?
We trade Kruzer to say St Kilda for $475k for 4 yrs, we then pick up the band 1 compo giving us pick 2. After we use that pick, we trade our second round pick to St Kilda for Kruzer. St Kilda get an extra high value pick, we get 1, 2 & keep Kruzer. Win/win situation for all involved- apart from AFL but like i care if they're happy...An actual reason why this couldnt work we be appreciated

I remember the first time I took Magic Mushrooms too.

Jones will get rag-dolled at CHB.

And you can't spoil with your chest

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O say does that star spangled banner yet wave.

Can't be any worse than what he's offering as a forward.

Admittedly, that quarter he played on Jesse White the other week was the stuff of legend...

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Jones and Tutt are good to have as depth players for the next few years while the kids are coming through.
We can obviously see now that they will in no way be around here long term.

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

Depth for what? We had 25 fit players to choose from on Saturday, Jones wasn't one of them, the other 2 had half a dozen AFL games experience between them. Are you anticipating a polio outbreak?

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Hahaha and even then Jones would prob still be listed as an emergency lol.
I just don't want the Club to throw money out the door, that's all.

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James Hird and Essendon* FC - #FOREVERDRUGCHEATS

Hence why I suggest you move him on by other means.

Google Javale McGee.

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

I thought compo picks were announced after the deals were done.

Everyone salivating over pick 2... what will be the reaction if it's pick 20?

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“I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned.” ― Richard Feynman

Pick 20 worst case is still good.

except in amongst the bizarre, McGee occasionally did some cool stuff...

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Congratulations CK95

Prob still take 20.

I can't see any reason to not ask Jones to leave early

Tutt is a keeper for now

The Larry Brown interview from earlier this year where he's asked about the trade/what he'll bring to the table without being aware that team management had foistered him onto the roster was hilarious..

""I would prefer not to comment".

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BLUES 2010: PAV AND JUDD = FLAGS. DOING IT FOR THE LOVE OF DICK PRATT.

HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR TALKINGCARLTON SUPERCOACH 2009 YET?

Dylan Buckley would give us more in the ruck than Warnock

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i don't wanna spend my life explaining myself. Either you get it, or you don't- Frank Zappa