Chris Dawes?

[G-Mo77]

Re: Chris Dawes?

Jones will be a better player than him IMO. And I say very confidently that a player that is selected between picks 21 & 27 will be far better than him too. I hope we dont deprive ourselves the opportunity to draft that player

I'm very comfortable with Jones as well. I can see adding another big body to take a bit of the heat away from him as an advantage though but at what price? If we're just looking for a big body to crash packs then scout the suburban leagues and draft someone very late. It would be a hell of a lot cheaper. Maybe we have that guy in Redpath who is likely to be retained (big stretch)

I've warmed a little on getting Dawes, I'll admit that. Still I'd be happier if he chose Melbourne or Carlton. The Doggies have been on and on about building from within and drafting so I'd rather they continue that way.

[gohardorgohome]

Re: Chris Dawes?

I think that the Western Bulldogs should only recruit players who are deemed to be potential premiership players when our next window may open up in 2016+.

Collingwood would consider themselves as premiership potential next year and Dawes is not in their plans...

He is no Brad Ottens. I would not pay overs for him.

Wait till the Victorian Gold Coast and GWS young quality talls come out of contract.

I don't care if we don't win many games next year. The only thing that counts is getting the younger players going about it the right way.

[chef]

Re: Chris Dawes?

Emma Quayle: Lions chase Dawes.

[Mantis]

Re: Chris Dawes?

Emma Quayle: Lions chase Dawes.

The Lions list manager Robbie Kerr was on the radio the other night and said they were on the look out for a 'big' forward so it's no surprise from that to hear them being linked to Dawes.

They have cap space as well now they have Fev out of the system.

[Twodogs]

Re: Chris Dawes?

Emma Quayle: Lions chase Dawes.

Go, Vossy, go!!!

[Topdog]

Re: Chris Dawes?

Go, Vossy, go!!!

haha exactly.

[LongWait]

Re: Chris Dawes?

I'm not hell bent on us getting Dawes by any means but I think that some of the assessments of him that are made by our supporters are unrealistic and way too pessimistic. I'd like some objectivity to the discussion but I understand we can't, and don't want to, all have the same views on everything.

I really don't care too much whether or not we get Dawes unless the club really, really wants him and we miss out. I'm hoping that we don't overpay but I'm fairly sure that we will know what our walk away price is and that we'll stick to it.

I find it interesting that at least 4 clubs have joined the chase for Dawes - that doesn't sound to me like Dawes really is the pathetic spud that some are painting him to be.

[Hotdog60]

Re: Chris Dawes?

Reports are if we miss Dawes we may go after Gumbleton.

[always right]

Re: Chris Dawes?

I'm not hell bent on us getting Dawes by any means but I think that some of the assessments of him that are made by our supporters are unrealistic and way too pessimistic. I'd like some objectivity to the discussion but I understand we can't, and don't want to, all have the same views on everything.

I really don't care too much whether or not we get Dawes unless the club really, really wants him and we miss out. I'm hoping that we don't overpay but I'm fairly sure that we will know what our walk away price is and that we'll stick to it.

I find it interesting that at least 4 clubs have joined the chase for Dawes - that doesn't sound to me like Dawes really is the pathetic spud that some are painting him to be.

I don't think he's a spud but I don't want to pay overs. He's not worth losing two draft picks over.....unless they are later draft picks. If we give Collingwood pick 21 I'm kind of of okay with that but if we offer 47 up as well, I would want to get a draft pick back from Collingwood.

[LongWait]

Re: Chris Dawes?

I don't think he's a spud but I don't want to pay overs. He's not worth losing two draft picks over.....unless they are later draft picks. If we give Collingwood pick 21 I'm kind of of okay with that but if we offer 47 up as well, I would want to get a draft pick back from Collingwood.

I agree - to me the answer to the Dawes question lies in the price paid.

[Bornadog]

Re: Chris Dawes?

Dees Open their Dawes

MINDFUL that Carlton and its new coach, Mick Malthouse, are in the race to lure Collingwood forward Chris Dawes, Melbourne coach Mark Neeld is still hopeful his relationship with the disgruntled Magpie could help convince him to join the Demons.
Neeld coached Dawes in his first four years when he was an assistant at Collingwood, and the Demons have also used one of his former premiership teammates - assistant coach Leigh Brown - in pitches to sell the Melbourne vision to Dawes, who is fielding rival offers.
Melbourne has spoken to Dawes several times and expects a decision by the weekend. But the Demons are one of three clubs waiting to hear from the 24-year-old within the same timeframe, including Carlton and Malthouse, who was senior coach of the Pies until last season.

The Western Bulldogs - armed with a bounty of draft picks inside the top 50 courtesy of the Brian Lake trade - are the other interested party, and there was speculation on Wednesday that the Dogs had already struck a deal that would include first and second-round selections.

But the player's management has since hosed down suggestions a deal had been done for Dawes, who still has two years to run on his Collingwood contract but is unhappy that the club signed Quinten Lynch from West Coast, effectively to play in front of him.
Neeld said having a previous relationship with Dawes helped in this type of trade talks, but he was also acutely aware of how close Malthouse was to him. ''We used [our relationship with Dawes] for everything it was worth … Leigh Brown and I went around to see Dawesy straight away.''
Neeld said having someone at the club with a strong relationship with a recruiting target had worked for the Demons last year when it lured another key forward, former Brisbane Lion Mitch Clark.
''Having [assistant coach] Jade Rawlings on our coaching staff, who coached Mitch while he was in Brisbane, that was really important.
''We know what type of player [Dawes] is; we would really like to have him at the footy club. We will wait until the end of the weekend, and he may or may not be.''
Neeld has also had ''preliminary talks'' with Essendon key forward Scott Gumbleton, but said he had received no indication during his 30-minute conversation as to whether the 24-year-old would leave the Bombers, who have offered him a contract.
Neeld said he was confident there was enough talent in the club's crop of young players that the Demons could afford to bring in up to ''four to six experienced players'' if they could get deals done.
Melbourne has already signed Shannon Byrnes from Geelong and is after another key forward to play alongside Clark.

Neeld said the club would take both Dawes and Gumbleton if it could. ''They would be all right, I reckon, Clark, Gumbleton, Dawes, they'd all get a game.''

read on here

The card we can use is you will be the main man and not competing with Clark and Gumbelton

[LostDoggy]

Re: Chris Dawes?

It appears that we are divided in support of recruiting Dawes, and thats fair enough given his short comings. I must admit I have also warmed to the chance of him coming over, but not paying overs. If 4 clubs are chasing him, its likely someone will do something desperate and stupid to get him & I dont want it to be us.
The discussions about Dawes have raised another issue, do we just need a stop gap with a big body to assist with the rebuild in the forward line? Surely we could find one in the lower leagues (VFL, SANFL, WAFL) that could do the job. I was even thinking Brad Miller when it was announced he was leaving Richmond. I know hes not very good, but he does have aggression and experience in playing that donkey work forward type role.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Chris Dawes?

The club needs a big player in the forward half with genuine pace and endurance who has the skills to mark, trap and dispose of the ball effectively. This isn't Dawes. We have to target a player in the draft and hope we get it right. After all, Hawthorn got it right with Franklin when many others wouldn't go there.

[LongWait]

Re: Chris Dawes?

@BulldogBanana : I guess Williams and/or Campbell could be the alternatives to Dawes as a stop gap.

If we don't land a key forward via the draft/free agency route we could build a forward line based primarily on smaller, more nimble goal kickers modelled on the Bulldogs forward line pre-Barry Hall. Problem with this approach is it didn't work well enough in big, pressure games.

[Bornadog]

Re: Chris Dawes?

@BulldogBanana : I guess Williams and/or Campbell could be the alternatives to Dawes as a stop gap.

If we don't land a key forward via the draft/free agency route we could build a forward line based primarily on smaller, more nimble goal kickers modelled on the Bulldogs forward line pre-Barry Hall. Problem with this approach is it didn't work well enough in big, pressure games.

If we draft a young key forward, I wouldn't expect them to contribute, or impact a game till at least another 4 plus years. If we don't draft Dawes, I expect Jones, Cordy, Campbell to step up.