Jack Martin

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

No big name player has cared that we won it, since we won it. With our age profile after 2016 you'd think some good players chasing the liklihood of premierships would've chosen us. But it's not really made a difference. Even our age profile and turn in form suggests good things happening. Not even that and more money could convince Martin to join us. Whatever the precise issue in us being over looked post 2016 by really good players, onfield success and higher wages aren't making up for it as yet. Can it solely just be 'big club' status and perceived crowd sizes?

Another cheap as chips trade period and I think the club needs to genuinely try to answer the question 'Do we smell bad?' and try and fix it.

[bulldogtragic]

Another cheap as chips trade period and I think the club needs to genuinely try to answer the question 'Do we smell bad?' and try and fix it.

Probably not going to help us make a bigger jump up the order next year though. Plus we have 5 picks inside the top 48 and enough salary cap to buy a small country. Cheap as chips is a last resort surely. We need to lock in Bruce & Keath, if an average pick gets Isaac Smith then I'd now look at it and look to using pick 12 on a very good player if we can identify one. Surely pick 12 is a great carrot to a rebuilding club to open up some positive discussions.

More kids this year and only kids next year makes the 'now' for trading for established good players of vital importance. But not to recklessness.

And I'm interested with Martin, does it go down in the 'just doesn't want to come here despite more money' column, or 'indigenous player not liking what he sees here'. Or both.

[hujsh]

I question the judgement of any player that chooses to go to Carlton when other options are available.

Either they aren't the best decision makers or their priorities don't place winning highly enough. I don't blame someone for thinking about connections and opportunities post football but if you've just spent years at the rabble known as Gold Coast I'd think you'd be desperate to go somewhere that has at least played finals or threatened the premiership cup in recent history

[Grantysghost]

No doubt, but it doesnt seem to make a difference for us anyway.

Big crowds, big games, big clubs thats what players coming to melbourne want.

And no Marvel? (unless Bombers)

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Probably not going to help us make a bigger jump up the order next year though. Plus we have 5 picks inside the top 48 and enough salary cap to buy a small country. Cheap as chips is a last resort surely. We need to lock in Bruce & Keath, if an average pick gets Isaac Smith then I'd now look at it and look to using pick 12 on a very good player if we can identify one. Surely pick 12 is a great carrot to a rebuilding club to open up some positive discussions.

More kids this year and only kids next year makes the 'now' for trading for established good players of vital importance. But not to recklessness.

And I'm interested with Martin, does it go down in the 'just doesn't want to come here despite more money' column, or 'indigenous player not liking what he sees here'. Or both.

I agree. I probably wrote that poorly.
We definitely don't want another cheap as chips outcome. It definitely would hinder our chances of improving rapidly.
Just saying if it comes to pass, like it has for the last 3 years, we as a club need to have a very thorough look at why this is the case, see if there are things within our control to alter that, or if not then we really need to find other avenues to maximising our ability to bring in talent from jnr and other levels.

[hujsh]

And no Marvel? (unless Bombers)

Carlton is Marvel too

[Axe Man]

Jack Martin set to join Carlton as Western Bulldogs and Fremantle bow out

While Jack Martin has not officially nominated his club of choice he has told others they won’t be landing him. Carlton lead the race for his signature and there’s one man they can thank for that.

Carlton is in the box seat to land Gold Coast midfielder Jack Martin as the Western Bulldogs and Fremantle officially bowed out of the race.

The Blues are likely to land Martin but, while they are zeroing in on him, he has not yet officially nominated them as his club of choice.

He has told the Bulldogs and Fremantle in recent days despite their strong interest that he will not be traded to them.

It means unless a club like Essendon strengthens its interest or another shock contender emerges, he will likely find himself at Carlton next year.

Martin played with Carlton captain and former WA junior Patrick Cripps as a junior and feels he could easily feel at home at the Blues.

They would have to broker a deal with Gold Coast, and also have interest in a host of players including Tom Papley, Eddie Betts, Darcy Cameron and Sam Jacobs.

It is another sign of Cripps’ powerful stature as Carlton’s co-captain when players like Martin are keen to be in his orbit.

While Martin has been a frustrating player who has not yet maximised his potential despite two top-three best-and-fairest finishes, no one doubts his talent.

The Dogs put in an impressive presentation and had offered him a significant salary to join him.

But he has always been keen to find the right landing spot that ticks several boxes, believing the decision will not be a purely financial one.

The decision is expected to fuel the Dogs’ interest in other targets including Josh Bruce and Alex Keath.

Last year they lost out to Hawthorn on star mid-forward Chad Wingard and had believed Martin was an ideal fit.

Gold Coast has confirmed he has requested a trade and would not have paid him anywhere near the massive offers that could hit $700,000.

Aware of the scope of those deals, it will still ask for a first-round pick back given how strongly he has been chased by rival clubs.

Martin is also keen to partner up with indigenous players Liam Jones and Sam Petrevski-Seton at Carlton, with Betts potential addition another bonus.

He has been pondering his decision in Broome on holidays, on the coast in the same area of the state from Petrevski-Seton’s Halls Creek, which is 700km inland.

[bulldogtragic]

I agree. I probably wrote that poorly.
We definitely don't want another cheap as chips outcome. It definitely would hinder our chances of improving rapidly.
Just saying if it comes to pass, like it has for the last 3 years, we as a club need to have a very thorough look at why this is the case, see if there are things within our control to alter that, or if not then we really need to find other avenues to maximising our ability to bring in talent from jnr and other levels.

The recruiters have been saving our bacon. If they missed on a few top picks post premiership (English, Naughton, Richards, Smith) then we'd not be feeling as good as we are. But if they happen to miss while our pitch to opposition players isn't strong enough, then things might catch up a bit more with us.

Putting a detectives hat on, if Melbourne are giving Tomlinson 4 years of $500,000+ then I don't think they've got enough cap to offer Keath 4 years at $500,000+. Then of the team's he interviewed with last week, it's us or St Kilda. But they've since confirmed Carlisle is staying at $600,000 a year. The rumour mill says they get Brad Hill & Zak Jones for about $1.5M. And they're still after other players. Is their aggression to land Keath going to be matched by ours, I doubt it. So we must be into the finals on him, surely he sees that in mild form he's amongst the first picked defenders in our side..

On St Kilda and Bruce, I think this probably gets done for salary cap (to keep pursuing the other players) but moreso draft picks. This will likely land them a mid second rounder which probably locks away Zak Jones. They have to do something with pick 5 and getting Hill at a better rate than that. I'd think we are a good chance on this too.

These two strengthen our spine. Of the later options, Isaac Smith could add immediate polish and run. Zak Smith is a good back up ruck. But a really classy player in his prime or about to come into it would be nice.

[Murphy'sLore]

If the issue with trading star players in is our perceived lack of 'bigness' then I struggle to see how that can change. The AFL's joke fixturing ensures that the 'big' clubs will continue to be awarded blockbuster games and big crowds, which enables them to attract star players, they become more successful, therefore 'deserve' more blockbusters (eg Good Friday) and the cycle continues.

It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and we are powerless to change it.

[bornadog]

If the issue with trading star players in is our perceived lack of 'bigness' then I struggle to see how that can change. The AFL's joke fixturing ensures that the 'big' clubs will continue to be awarded blockbuster games and big crowds, which enables them to attract star players, they become more successful, therefore 'deserve' more blockbusters (eg Good Friday) and the cycle continues.

It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and we are powerless to change it.

Absolutely right - they won't allow us to join in or do anything to upset the existing so called big clubs.

[Grantysghost]

Carlton is Marvel too

It's a split with G. Five games at MCG, Six at Marvel.

Your point is valid though, especially if Aints land some big names. I only raised it because I've spoken to players and they to a man say it takes longer to recover.

I tend to think it's probably not a decisive reason though, even though I had that thought.

[Yankee Hotel Foxtrot]

Absolutely right - they won't allow us to join in or do anything to upset the existing so called big clubs.

The more this happens, the more I think AFL has to challenge AFLPA amd advocate for clubs to instigate and choose who to trade a player to.
Players have too much control.

[Grantysghost]

Absolutely right - they won't allow us to join in or do anything to upset the existing so called big clubs.

Are we doing enough behind the scenes to get a blockbuster type game off the ground?
Maybe a game celebrating our great trades across Melbourne, Dogs v Pies (clubs with working class roots) the tradies game. Anything surely!

[bornadog]

Are we doing enough behind the scenes to get a blockbuster type game off the ground?
Maybe a game celebrating our great trades across Melbourne, Dogs v Pies (clubs with working class roots) the tradies game. Anything surely!

The club tries and tries. Even when we thought Good Friday was ours, we are booted out.

AFL is probably the worst run organisation ever. If the board were a public company, the shareholders would have thrown them out by now. Over 600 people in HQ, what a waste of funds that should be going back into grass roots footy.

The constant tampering with the rules, making up things as they go along, AFLX, pretending to back the women's league, rigging the draw,allocating games to teams that don't deserve it, it's just farcical. We just have to keep running our club well, and make sure we plan well so we are viable in the future.

[bulldogtragic]

Essendon plays 'country game'. Keilor is not the *!*!*!*!ing country... We are opening up the Ballarat market for us and the AFEL, yet I hear no calls to give that to us as the only home team to play/host H&A games in country Victoria (outside of Geelong).

It's a bullshit game, but I don't see the AFEL thanking us with any sort of game for what we are found.