Yeah that’s fair enough. If we could trade one of those first rounders for one next year that wouldn’t be the worst outcome.
We offered pick 2 for Dunkley using the AFL’s fairy dust points system if we finish 2nd last next year. No players has ever been traded with picks to that value including Cameron.
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I wasn’t for or against getting him fwiw.
I just find the thinking of, oh we have 3 draft picks so that’s better, or the price is to high.
If they thought he was as professional as they say, and a leader and the like, then 2 first rd draft picks aren’t too high a price.
Guess i’d see him coming in and trying to help change the standards and culture as a higher chance of succeeding, rather than 3 kids coming in, into an environment that the off season has shown to be not so encouraging of younger players.
yes he prolly wouldn’t have made much difference next year alone, but as i’ve said elsewhere at least the midfield issue would be solved for a fair while, and next year and beyond you could target focus on specific areas and needs.
Now as it stands, all 3 areas of the ground still need work, and need to find players via the draft now to fill them.
but again for me it’s simply about which avenue was in theory better served to changed the status quo.
dunkley would have had a better chance imo then 3 kids who will, by default of their age and just getting in the door, will ultimately fall in line with the status quo, whether they turn into “essendon versions of guns” or not.
We have 3 strikes to land ONE gun player. Lets see how this turns out 
Um, isn’t it:
Out: JD, Raz, Saad, #48, our 2021 second and some late pick moves
In: Caldwell, Wright, Hind, #7, #8, #44 and a future third (Port).
With McKenna also lost.
Just listing the players that moved is a pretty strange way of looking at it.
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Given the hand we had at the start of trade week, my views would be:
- #7 for JD is a win, but not one EFC did anything to influence. If he really is injury free, then its a huge loss.
- #29 and an upgrade of picks for Raz is a HUGE win, since at the start of trade week I’d have taken a third rounder.
- #8 and downgrade of picks is a loss for Saad, who should have been #8 (or preferably Carlton’s 2021 first) straight.
- Caldwell for a second and a second downgrade is overs compared to historical GWS prices. But has a lot of potential for us to win big despite that cost.
- Wright and Hind are guys who could be useful, who cost virtually nothing.
My main regret is that we couldn’t trade more of our older and fringe players out, and we didn’t possibly capitalise on some cheap opportunities that were around.
I’m fascinated where Reef McInness might go - he could easily wipe out Collingwood’s picks. They might be interested in trading them and/or a future first to get ahead of a bid (cough, would we? cough) which would give us more shots at hitting someone.
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I am still gutted for him.
Kids being paid unders at the dogs and wants out…
We offered significanty more than what the dogs paid for treloar, an older but still more proven footballer and they still didnt cough him up.
Its a ■■■■ no trade. But can’t force em.
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Had a lot of quality players exit and they were all in their prime years so it hurt. However to replace them with effectively 4 top ten talents(Caldwell was pick 11 so close enough) really sets us up well. Nail those picks and our list will be in much better shape.
2MP was decent for what we had to give up.
Not so fussed on Dunkley he’s good but the price was very steep. If we’d known Collingwood was doing a fire sale I would have preferred we didn’t chase Dunkley and saved our efforts to get Stephenson or Phillips at bargain prices who both would have filled a need.
Made the best of a bad situation now just have to nail that draft.
You mean the kids who just missed a year of footy? Those are the kids you want to be AFL ready?
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So don’t expect anything next year Essendon, unless Stringer gets fit
Yeah ■■■■ for Dunkley but realistically he’s now playing at a contender
Doggies smashed it this year… treloar for a packet of chips with Collingwood paying his wage is a legendary trade and JUH looks ■■■■■■■ amazing
I would set expectations for us to come good in 2022-23, we will get a good look at Rutten as a coach next year
3 midget half back flankers coming right up.
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When you put it like that: ouch!
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Which I could definitely live with. I’m just a little annoyed that the club wants to play footsies with a rebuild. There are some more players with value on the list who won’t have it in 2023. Trade them out now, get better picks in 2021/2022… Get games into Jones, BZK, Eyre, McBride, Cahill, Mozzie, Ham over the next 2 seasons. Hope we start building for a challenge in 2023.
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This Dunkley non deal will haunt us for a long time to come. I’m absolutely gutted we didn’t get it done.
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No, trade them next year.
Finish bottom 4. Merrett fa pick 5. Shop tippa, hepp, Smith, Shiel. You could squeeze a couple more first round picks out of that. Go to the draft with 2 maybe 3 to 10s and two in the teens.
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Not if the two first rounders are good players. We will forget about Dunkley then. If they are busts on the other hand…
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We couldn’t do that because no-one else is fkg stupid enough to want them [let alone keep renewing their contracts like we do].
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Dodoro is so adept at recruiting elite talent 
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