Left Essendon - Alex Morgan

Well, if you think about it, his name is terribly close to being an anagram of Malesexorgan so perhaps they’ve recruited him to be “the member”

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His pick was what we got from the saints in the Carlise trade. Pick 24 originally that became pick 29 after being bumped up the order, academy selections/priority picks. The pick we got for melksham was pick 25, which became pick 30, Mason Redman.

All that said, enjoyed the gif.

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Well

That does indeed make me feel less smug… especially is Francis can’t get fit.

Dons’ Saad deal forced young defender’s move
ESSENDON’S logjam at half-back was what instigated untried speedster Alex Morgan’s decision to leave the Bombers and take up North Melbourne’s contract offer.

The 21-year-old is the no-name mover in this year’s player movement period, having failed to play a match for Essendon in two seasons since being the No.29 NAB AFL Draft pick in 2015.

But Morgan also has the ability to be a major bargain for the Roos, saying he rediscovered his belief in the latter stages of this year after hamstring issues ruined his 2016 campaign.

“It’s been a weird two years, to be honest,” the former Oakleigh Charger told RSN927.

"My first year was hampered by injuries, then my second year I probably just struggled with form and consistency, but I reckon towards the back half of this year especially, I think I showed a lot of confidence and a lot of attributes and traits as to why I was drafted.

“So that gives me a lot of confidence going into this year, and getting to know the boys once pre-season starts back (on November 13) will be a real key in getting to where I want to go as a player.”

The Bombers’ gilt-edged recruiting spree in the Trade Period saw them net Jake Stringer, Devon Smith and Adam Saad as they prepare to go from finalists to contenders next year.

But Saad’s arrival, in particular, forced Morgan’s hand after already struggling to leapfrog the likes of NAB AFL Rising Star winner Andy McGrath, Conor McKenna and Martin Gleeson this past season.

The former Gold Coast dasher boasts similar qualities and plays the same half-back role as Morgan.

“I had to weigh up where I was at after two seasons without playing a game and probably felt that maybe North Melbourne was a better fit in a way,” Morgan said.

"At Essendon, you make a lot of friends and stuff like that, but … I sat down with Brad Scott and my management and the recruiting team and they kind of outlined where they were at as a club.

“It made sense to me that (at) a young developing club like North Melbourne, there might be a bit more opportunity there, so I had to jump at it with both hands.”

Morgan joined the Roos after their young players departed for their traditional high-altitude training camp in Utah, but he has already trained with some of the club’s older footballers.

“I still need to prove a lot to my new teammates, because obviously two years with no games doesn’t look great,” he said.

“So I need to go in there with a good attitude and start trying to train the house down and start earning the respect of my teammates and the coaches around me.”

Not good enough to play at Essendon so I will go play for Norf.

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North Melbourne are going down a very dangerous path.

Any culture that pathetic club had is now gone.

The last 2 seasons they have cut any player who is old, regardless of the season that they had. People say loyalty in football is dieing. Loyalty at the North Melbourne football club is now dead. They have sent a message to all the players in the league, that they have no consideration for the way you play football, or performance; but all to do with age.

They are a club who will likely spend the next 5-6 years in the bottom 4 of the ladder, and they are delisting players who finish in the top 5 of their b&f. And its not like they even traded them for something… it was for nothing.

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“I’m am not and won’t be better than Saad any time soon, so I left. Adam single handedly lifted the Suns to 17th on the ladder so his pedigree is clear for all to see.”

I get his move but, wow, so uninspiring.

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“North offered 2yr contract on significantly more money as they are desperate. I’m a mediocre player, they are a mediocre club. It was a good fit”

I am somewhat annoyed. Club took the risk on him given previous injury history, did all the work with him to get body right when same issues presented and then he bails.

Whilst he wouldn’t have deserved first choice HBF’r position if he was actually about to realise his potential he’d have been probably next in line. And obviously had far more upside than Jerrett.

Ah well. Shown his hand in terms of loyalty and good luck to him if wants to play for that rabble.

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I don’t rate him but him taking the 2 year deal makes complete sense and good on him that he could get one. Norf are ■■■■ and let’s be honest he was a mile down the pecking order with us, so for him it was definitely the right move career wise for opportunity, all the best to him

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No doubt, it just would have been nice if North offered a trade for him. Not that we would have gotten much at all. Luckily, we have the goodwill to delist him for an easy transition.

Alex Morgan at North…

It was a one year deal with certain triggers that lead to a second year. If his hammy problems come back then he’s just as fkd at the end of 2018 as he would be if he stayed at the club.

You don’t trade for players like Morgan.

We got Stewart for pick 77 and being a tall his value should have been higher.

Sometimes you just let players go for better opportunities.

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If we liked it then we should have put a ring on it.

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Can’t argue with his decision. Good luck to him

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I wonder if they’ll quickly grab another young no-name to replace Swallow now he’s retired.

Was GC ever interested in him?

The guy was a list clogger imo we passed up Mathieson and Riley Bonner for this guy.

Good luck to the guy i say.

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21 year old list clogger?

I think we’ve got different perspectives of a list clogger.

“…so I had to jump at it with both hands.”
Hmmm, is that to protect the dodgy hammies?
Wonder if he’ll seek permission to do his rehab back with us when the hammies inevitably ping again, rather than waiting for some tin-rattler volunteer to tape some frozen peas to his leg!

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Can they afford the peas?

Honestly the kid was like 5th in line before we got Saad

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