Murphy to stay Blues captain in 2016

Not sure anyone is here by invitation.

If it doesn't interest you, stay out of it. No one asks for your delusions anyway.

There you go Samantha. You are wonderful when you talk footy. Just leave the Essendon law stuff alone and we can have a beautiful relationship. That stuff has nothing to do with footy.

Gibbs is doing PBs? It's about time!!!

The reason is that some people think Murphy and gibbs are good even though they aren't. I'm with you Macca. No one would want them.

Macca, I think they are just out of contract. Which probably means a trade if anyone wants them. Carlton probably wouldn't want to trade out to get them. Richmond and Hawthorn would love to get there hands on one of them I suspect.

I didn't say defensive small forward - I meant an attacking one. I agree back flank will be his best spot but I see him filling holes that can't be played by the kids.

Didn't Malthouse have him playing as a defensive small forward for a while and he was dreadful? Plus having a $700,000 player playing a shutdown role is the biggest waste of money since James Hird's appeal lawyer presented his schedule of fees. I agree he has to play as a back flanker, he's a senior player and theoretically one of the better players on the team - he can't play in the midfield, so play him as an outside quarterback type. He will be serviceable, nothing more.

Ward is a handy player but I would prefer to keep my powder dry for at least 1 more year and preferably 2 to get a players who will spend muliple years when Weitering, Mckay etc are in their prime not just a couple at the end of their career.

David C - Are they free agents or just out of contract?

Callam Ward is another out of contract this year and I have heard Carlton are one of a few teams interested. Any interest from you blokes?

I thnk it is the end of 2018 but while he is clearly going to be over paid I have a sneaky suspicion he could be a handy player for the blues this year. I don't see him spending much time in the midfield but as a rebounding back flank (like he was to great effect in his last couple of games of 2014 before he got hurt against Geelong) or a small forward he could play a role. At the very least I would like him to play fit so we can at least make a accurate value judgement.

Macca, GC have 2 really good young free agents in Prestia and Omeara. They would fit Carlton's rebuild strategy. Not saying they will leave GC but both have delayed negotiations until they are fully recovered from recent serious injuries. O'meara was reportedly unhappy with what happened last year but at this stage has told his agent not to speak to other teams. Prestia does have a local girlfriend but is worryingly uncommittal at this stage.

When does Dale Thomas' contract expire? You'll have some serious cash to spare once you scrape that overpaid barnacle off the hull of the Carlton hovercraft.

COl - I don't see them going the free agency route this year - first I think it is too early (a free agent they get this year will be 30 when the blues are coming into their prime years) and second I think I rmember reading there aren't a lot of high quality free agents this year. I would think 2018 or 2019 they will go hard for a big free agent.

Steve, cannot agree with that. As Macca said why hinder the development of Cripps, Graham, Cunningham etc. by trading away the experienced players they need around them for the next couple of years. We will most likely have a pick in the top 5 this year and we don't have the talent on our list that is going to attract other clubs to trade their first round picks for. I don't see the value of trading a proven player coming into his prime years on the chance you might pick up a better player in the draft. I think Carlton's strategy this year will be to get a good kid with their first pick and look at what they can get via free agency. I believe they have been freeing up room in the salary cap to do this.

Steve - Gibbs is just 26 giving him at least 5 years (probably 6) of football ahead of him. He is currently said to be doing PB's on the track. Let's just say he recaptures his 2014 form which saw him win the Blues B&F and in the 40 man All Australian squad. Why does it make sense to trade him and take a gamble that whoever you draft will pay off while pushing more burden onto the likes of Cripps and Cunningham at an early age? Especially when the blues won;t have a lot of older players post 2017. The blues will no doubt have two picks inside the top 25 next year, one of which will be inside the top 5. That will give them 6 top 25 picks over 2 years plus Cripps and more importantly - a CHB, CHF and Centreman in Weitering, McKay and Cripps that will be 10 year plus high quality players - that is a significant core to buiild around, especially in this Free agent era where the blues could poach a high quality 26 year old in 2019.

Macca, trading Murphy, no. But Gibbs should most definitely be trade bait at the end of the season. Carlton are going to need another 3 or 4 first round draft picks heading into the second year of the clean out and rebuild. It makes sense, some thought it made sense to put him up for trade a few months back.

Well Carlton do seem rather accomplished at making the same mistakes again but as I said,totally agree. Murphy and Gibbs want be getting traded. In actual fact,as you have pointed out, their value as support for the young players is going to be crucial both on and off the field. Any talk of trading Murphy in particular is just crazy.

Mattyb - I have plenty of time for players over 30 - just acknowldege the fact that very few get past 32 and even fewer play better footy after 30 than they did before it - Gibbs and Muprhy in 2020 will be support players in the midfield but important none the less. As for talk of trading them out - I always point to when they got recruited and the complete lack of support they had in the midfield and the expectation they had to shoulder and the negative impact it had on their dvelopment - why would we repeat the mistake.