Curnow signed, Cripps next focus for Blues

Carlton sitting 6th for average attendances this year Macca. That’s pretty good for a team that’s only 1 game.

I certainly don't feel safe in any way yet for the Pies but if we beat Carlton, Suns and Bombers we will be 11-4 and surely can't miss then

Was being facetious Paul, as I know you think Elliott is a dill. Fasolo will seriously be up for grabs IMO. Oxley is a hard running slightly built mid, got 35+ disposals in our seniors a year or two back but had injuries since. Not a bad user by foot.

Wallis is a free agent. I'd be happy if we got Anthony Miles, he'd get a game in most midfields but because Richmond's is so strong he can't get in there. He's proved he can play at the level and play well and I don't reckon he would cost much. He'd be a great foil for Cripps.

If Cripps does sign a extension, it will be only a short one anyway. He will be playing out his career with the Eagles unfortunately not with Freo. Carlton will have to show a mountain of improvement next year or he will be at West. Coast in 2020

Agree Paul Would like to see Mitch in the middle with Cripps. I think he needs a change of scenery, and could be enormous in the Carlton midfield Always thought Wallis played better with Liberatore around. Think the same could happen with Cripps, and God knows we could use his help.

A Coll v Rich final in any capacity or week of the finals would be an awesome way to round off this year. As you say it would be monstrous Yeah maybe 1 or 2 in current 8 likely to go at expense of Hawks for sure and one of either GWS/Bombers - North and PIes most likely candidates to get the chop. I reckon Port will make it this year. Dees bolters to miss again - now that would be a story

Elliott's a luxury player - the sort we don't need right now. Bit like Eddie Betts, adds a lot of finish and potency to an already good side but is wasted in a bad side. Also - love? I think he's a bit of a prat. But he's good enough at footy to get away with it I like Fasolo because he can kick goals, he is a pretty good set shot and has a booming kick making him a real threat from anywhere within about 55m. Blair is too small, Greenwood too limited and Oxley too unknown (seriously, never heard of him) Edit: will just add too, I reckon having someone like him lurking around 50m would take a lot of the heat off guys like Hipwood and Ballenden next year because he offers a real danger that defences will not be able to ignore, and will give our mids more options further up the ground. We need to give them genuine multiple targets to work on hitting up reliably and in space of their choosing if we're going to make them better footballers, can't just be look for Eric and bomb it in his general direction and concede it's going to be a 50/50 ball before you've even thrown it onto the boot, as he's had no chance to lead

Yes Paul well unfortunately it is more and more less likely that the big four will all be up and about at the same time. Look at the Tigers, hardly played finals since 1990 before going the whole way last year. Bombers still not quite there you would think and if the Pies progress continues I guess the only possible big final could be a Coll v Rich which could potentially happen this year. Now that would be a big game. Still some chance of a Coll v Ess knock out final which would also be pretty big. In another groundhog finals, it seems the usual culprits will be there in September, Geelong, Sydney and by the look of their draw, Hawthorn too.

Fasolo has the most upside if he can just stay on the park. I reckon he would do well at Brisbane actually. The others are all coming out of contract and may not get one offered at the Pies so would be up for grabs in the preseason draft for nothing I'd say. Fasolo might be the only one the Pies try and get something out of. Jamie Elliott is also coming out of contract and I know you love him Paul.

This is what I'm saying Peter. That elim final Carlton v Richmond in 2013 remains the BEST atmosphere I have heard in a final in the last 5 years. The G was rocking This is why I don't mind the Big 4 being big off the field - and why I do wish them well, because meetings of these titans is like those moments in astronomy when the planets align - they don't happen often, and there's something incredibly important about being there to witness it in the moment, even though in the greater scheme of the world it means absolutely nothing. The fabric of our game has been poorer for lack of meetings between the big 4 in finals matches. I think Richmond v Carlton was only about the 2nd since 2002? I don't mind equalisation but I think if we had less sides in Victoria we'd get to see some bigger games a lot more often. Sides like Dogs, North, Saints and - maybe, Carlton, if they keep going like this for another decade - just don't make enough of a splash anymore in the world.

Fasolo is about the only one of those I would want at the Lions, and if only if he was going for cheap and had played a bunch of games to finish off this season. He can kick goals but there's a lot of risk to him in terms of his longevity - at 26 you might get 6 more years out of him or maybe 1. Hard to say at this stage which it would be.

As with Wallis Peter it all depends on what we have to give up for them. Currently the blues have picks 1, 23, 26 and then I think nothing until about pick 64 - to me we either trade for top end talent (or hopefully grab them as free agents) or just go to the draft. I would also be happy to trade pick one for multiple first round picks given the likely first picks are talls and we need mids. On the players themselves I don't know a lot about Oxley, I could see a use for Greenwood to provide some muscle to help out Cripps but given his age he would only be a stop gap Blair and Fasolo hold no interest for me at all.

The last time both sides were up and about together was 2009-2011 with a finish of 7, 8, 5 for the Blues while the Pies went 4,1,2 but sadly the great traditional rivals never met in the finals, it was all about Carlton V Richmond back then.

I reckon you could get any of the following from the Pies Macca, Levi Greenwood, Jarryd Blair, Adam Oxley, Alex Fasolo...any of those float your boat?

Leonard, the seven 90,000 plus attendances Collingwood V Essendon are all Anzac Day matches which are an AFL blockbuster game. Collingwood would be pulling in comparable figures on Anzac Day against any of the big Melbourne clubs.

I'm hoping the Bombers grab him.

Ok, we'll have him then. Your loss.

Meh - he doesn't excite me that much, if we got him for virtually nothing I would take him but he has only played 20 games in a season once, his best year was 2015 where he averaged 23.4 touches and kicked 15 goals and in the last 2 years he is averaging just over 20 touches. Considering there is clearly something going on with his attitude or relationship with the coaching staff I am not certain he adds much more than a Kerridge type does.

When the average attendance this year is 35k while the blues and Collingwood over the 2015 to 2017 period have averaged 59k, so while it isn't what isn't was when both teams were in finals between 2009 and 2013 it is hardly panic stations.