The three scenarios for Ben Brown and North Melbourne

I think North have a pretty promising young core. Larkey, Zurhaar, Thomas, Simkin, Scott, Davies-Uniack, Taylor, McKay, Hayden, Xerri and Bonner. In the next age bracket they have Anderson 26yo, MacDonald (25yo) Dumont (25) There's 14 players. Simkin, Davies-Uniack, Zurhaar, Scott and Larkey have shown enough to say they are tracking to be possible A grade players in another 2/4yrs. Above that Polec (27) J Walker (27) and Brown (27). Ahern (24) showed promise when he finally played 2yrs ago and was chased by rival clubs but has struggled since as he has been tried in multiple positions. He's a midfielder. Probably a depth player. Vickers-Willis (24) has shown real promise but has had a terrible run with injury. Turner (24) has shown promise but doesn't score enough and lacks elite pace. Depth player. If Vickers-Willis can get continuity he looks a solid player in a best 22. Keep Ziebell, Tarrant in the side and build from there. Keep Daw also. It seems North will get pick 2. I'd be trying to trade it for a player like Josh kelly (25). Gives North an instant A grader in the midfield young enough to grow with this group. Aim to get a 2021 second round pick back possibly. Pick two is more valuable than two 1st round picks in the teens imo. Could North move their 2021 second round pick to the suns for Peter Wright (23) and Will Broadie (21) these two are both gettable and Wright has shown promise. Would fit in well. Carlton is desperate for a big bodied inside mid to help Cripps. Cunnington would be ideal and is worth two 1st picks or could you get creative and possibly get De-Koning (21) Fisher (22) and a 1st or 2nd 2021 pick? Maybe Paddy Dow instead of Fisher? De-Koning plays ruck, Fisher or Dow off half back. Win for both clubs? Would Goldstein get a 1st pick from Geelong for either 20 or 21 draft. Add Higgins in and pay their salaries for 2021. Get creative and possibly get Nakia Cockatoo and Charlie Constable in the deal. Fresh start for both. Goldstein and Higgins go to a contending team. North still has Melbourne's 1st 2020 pick. Is Angus Brayshaw gettable? Could North trade Melbourne's pick back in exchange? Or something similar next year. Ben Brown is worth a late 1st round pick. Collingwood and Essendon both need a forward and can give one either this year or next. North needs to be ruthless and cut 10-14 players. They need to get creative and build better depth. They need to unfortunately trade some senior players, trade picks and pick swaps to do so. If North can get a core of players in the door like the players suggested it brings their age demographic down and gives them depth they desperately need and haven't had for over a decade. Keep hitting the draft over the next 3yrs (they'll be a bottom 6 team) then hopefully the list gels, the young guys mature and some become the A grade stars they are leaning towards. Hit free agency again in 2yrs and hopefully push for finals.

Want Tom Phillips Col? Outside mid, can run all day, average disposal, probably gettable end year.

But Brown is no impediment to a rebuild. He's better than gut punching Lynch for example, who has only just ticked over to a 2 goal average and gets paid a fortune. This draft is dodgy at best. And the draft is the opposite of certainty. Brownie is a pick 47 who has given the club way more than his perceived value. It it's difficult to believe that North would dump a rare proven forward for the unknown. Plenty of negotiation to be had yet.

:thumbup: 3 scenarios that have a 0% chance of happening. Casboult-McGovern-Curnow-McKay-DeKoning SMH Daniher is damaged goods exactly what the Kangas need rebuilding SMH Bobby Brown already turned down the Kangas 3 year offer demanding 4 years, Kangas have had enough of him and are finally realising they have to rebuild. Trade Bobby and an asset for Papley or just go to the damn draft. The Melbourne 1st round pick aint looking so good now.

Mate I agree with you agreeing to me, the player has to bring a 'successful experience' as for speed, spread, strength or height etc not that important 'Leadership' would be the key words for me.

Cracka, we have Cripps, Setterfield and Kennedy who play inside and lack pace. Next year we will see what Kemp brings but he is more an insider as well. We really do need an explosive midfielder who can feed off those guys. I think Walsh will develop into a one but we definitely need a mature one.

Carlton need a 26 to 30 yo fit experienced inside mid.

Carlton definitely don’t need anymore tall forwards. What we need is a quick outside midfielder & a small forward eg Papley.

Someone would not be happy stuck in the reserves.

Don’t forget Levi.

Why not have both? Brown is North's best key forward since Carey. No mean feat as North bigguns include Sav Rocca, N Thompson, Petrie and Waite since that period. I can't see how having capable targets like Brown and Larkey, with Zurhaar and Thomas lurking about, could possibly be a bad thing? It's not like North are short of cash and they have a couple of early picks to snare that missing link in the mids. Plus this has been a hellish season for North that has little to do with Brown's form. I reckon they will reach an agreement and Brown will stay at North.

Top comment Footy guy. You should post more.

North also has Nick Larkey and he's looking like he'll be more than capable of been North's leading key forward if or when Brown leaves. Josh Walker is also able to swing forward if need be, which could be handy as North can continue to develop Tristan Xerri (who's seen as a long-term ruck replacement for when Goldstein retires, but can go forward too) and also Charlie Comben.

Carlton, i disagree carlton is not a perfect fit have mckay, mcgovern, curnow, if you have brown that might hinder someone like mckay, he might be stuck in the vfl or mcgovern who they paying 800k a season. If they want another tall forward carlton will draft a young forward but Brad Lloyd said a couple of weeks ago that Curnow will have a big impact If Brown was for depth or back up at carlton he'd be good but you'd create a selection dilemma Collingwood would be better, essendon would the most logical fit, they need a key forward, he looks like he'd fit in well there, Geelong they should be interested in him, Hawthorn wouldn't be bad. Summary teams that realistically can get brown and why 1. Geelong - Ageing list, ageing fwd line, getting brown extends their premiership window, Tomahawk has 2-3 years of good footy, no young tall forwards on the list 2. Essendon Daniher will request a trade, Harrison Jones looks promising but we haven't seen enough to make a big call on him, Noah Gown is solid but hasn't a ripped a game apart, Stringers a great third forward, McKernan is not a viable long term option, Stewart has been good but not a viable long long term option Laverde will be traded likely 3. Sydney Sydney even if they get Daniher, they still could do with Brown, then they could have to potential two a grade forwards based on the theory that a player will improve when they move. Reid will retire in a year, Franklin is injury prone though still brilliant, Hayward is a good player but he's not a classic old school Tony Lockett style full forward, he's more a midfield medium fwd hybrid, McCartin has been injury prone those has shone promise, so long term they got Blakey, McCartin (While very talented, Blakey will be a star), McCartin is unproven, they are still young and very talented they need people to learn off, McCartin can play down back if need be, 4. Collingwood- Darcy Cameron has shown promise but you can't purely rely on in for the next 5 years, Ruscoe is a defender I was surprised when he was playing fwd but has played well, Reid will retire come the years end, Mason Cox has fallen out of favour with Nathan Buckley even though I think they should play Mason Cox every week they need a key forward brown could be the man 5. Hawthorn Mitch Lewis was meant to have a massive break out season at hawthorn but has struggled I assume hawthorn will keep him but if a club comes to hawthorn and says we'll offer you an early second rounder or a late first rounder for mitch lewis I'm sure hawthron couldn't say no, due to their lack of speed in the midfield and lack of first round picks, Patton has struggled with injury though I still think he'll come good in 2021, O Brien OK but the jurys out whether he'll go up to the next level 6.GWS - Riccardi hasn't played yet, Cameron great but might leave to Essendon, Himmleberg hasn't been up to the level of 2018-2019 form, they lost Cameron Patton Johnson from 2017-2019 they need another key forward, Finlayson is not a long term key forward

I don't see the point in trading Brown if they are only able to achieve a late first round pick or early second round pick. The draft will be like a lottery in many ways this year with so many academy pick and basically no junior football in Victoria with the covid restrictions. Norths have two first round picks and should hope this difficult year on and of the park is just a blimp and he will return to his prior year form.

AR did not say he doubted his client's chances.

My thoughts exactly. Somewhere like Collingwood, who actually have a dearth of tall forwards and not several, would be a much better fit. You forgot Casboult too...

Has Charlie Curnow passed away?

Harry McKay, Ben Brown, Mitch McGovern and Charlie Curnow in the one forward line?