So, are we going to keep JOEDAN, or is he up for trade too?
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Brian Lake was still dominating at full back well
into his 30ās, so was Darren Glass. I expect Hooker will be switched back once we can secure another quality kpf but in the interim we need him up front.
Did I say he wasnāt needed?
I doubt that will happen. Do you honestly believe the coach will make a change like that?
If we get Stringer and he can play 3rd tall - then this flip makes even more sense. Hooker is one of few players on our list that would have trade value that we could move on.
If we can walk away with Stringer and then turn Hooker into a gun midfielder and picks then we are on the right path.
2018 we will not make finals, so we need to decide what we want to do with our assets - I think we need to do a mini-rebuild to give our youth class a real chance in 2-3 years time.
I also think after 2018 we totally pass the baton onto the next generation (post SAGA generation) - my leadership group would be Zerret Ā© - Joe (VC) McGrath (VC) Zaka (VC)
I am worried that 2018 and 2019 will be a fumbly in progress and we will finish around 10th both years as the club cannot move forward from the SAGA cloud.
Again I am not doubting Hookers talent/value to the team. I am not, I rate him, this is not the discussion.
If you go through our list, who has trade value
Probably Hooker and Hurley
What are our weaknesses, midfielders and midfielders.
Yes letās draft midfielders (but history tells us this wonāt be as successful as we would like) but we also need to trade in.
We need to give up something. EFC overate our assets and hold onto players for too long. We need to change tactics.
Or we can finish 10th for the next two seasons and Hooker will then 31 - then what?
It may sound very clever to trade Hooker, but he was originally a fair way behind Pears as a key back and worked very hard in the face of us wanting to trade him West for not much, only to become an All Australian defender.
He also didnāt complain when changed to the forward line when in AA defender form in 2015. He also didnāt walk as a free agent to Fremantle this year for some very nice coin and was given a 4 year contract.
Why would any players show us any loyalty and show any respect for their contracts if we turned our back on Cale now.
You could only trade him, to my mind, if he requested it. The level of commitment and loyalty and value he has been for our club has been extraordinary.
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Trade 1/2 of the āHard Tagā team - no way
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I get that, I really do. But this new age AFL is not about loyalty - has not been the case for the last 10 years. Players move for $$, opportunity, lifestyle and will request a trade or break their contract as required.
Did Ryder show us any respect when he had enough of our club or Carlisle? Look at all the player movements over the last 5 years - players will move for their own interests and IMO if we build a strong young core we might become a destination club again.
The AFL is becoming more and more like the NBA and we have been slow to take up the free agency era so far - with free agency and trading.
Except that Caleās track record suggests that he has no desire whatsoever to leave. We tried it once and he flatout refused (thankfully!). The whole āRight, we need to trade Hooker forā¦ā is predicated on far too many assumptions. Personally, given we got monstered in the air on Saturday in defensive 50, Hooker is one i wouldnt even consider trading atm.
And I dont share your pessimism about 2018/19. But thats impossible to know, obviously.
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Hooker is contracted, so he would have to agree to the trade.
Considering he has twice chosen to not leave the club, I highly doubt itās gonna happen now.
EDIT: What Sal said.
Happy to trade Goddard if anyone wants him.
I donāt, I rate him and he is one of few players that has trade value on our list
Why are you happy for our club to finish 8-13th each year?
Stupid argument though.
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Hey Hooker Trade Crazy Man
Loyalty isnāt dead. Thatās some BS people like to say. Yes there is less on some occasions.
But plenty of players from plenty of sports display loyalty everyday.
1 Judas does not make many. But a club showing 0 respect can tear the fabric.
Hooker = loyal to Essendon
Essendon = loyal to Hooker
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Trading Hooker is lunacy. Stewart does not provide any support in the air for JD. He is a running forward. Joey would get monstered each week and weād have literally no one to bring the ball down for our running smalls. Weād become very predictable. Weād end up returning to the days of 60 plus inside 50s for a 10 goal a game return. No thanks. Keep Hooker.
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You are showing your lack of Age, htcman.
Players have been moving for money for nearly 100 years in the VFL / AFL. In recent times, like 1974, Barry Davis, our Captain went to Nth Melb for money !! And that was before we could blame Footy Managers.
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Would have worked well for Tuck and OāDonnell then
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Dipper as well !
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