Melbourne great: Dees should trade Jesse Hogan, stay away from ‘fat’ Steven May
MELBOURNE great David Schwarz says it is time to trade Jesse Hogan to maximise his value and urged his former club to forget about pursuing Steven May, questioning the wantaway Gold Coast co-captain’s commitment to fitness.
Melbourne
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MELBOURNE great David Schwarz says it is time to trade Jesse Hogan to maximise his value as the Demons prepare to meet their star forward to clarify his future.
But the Melbourne best-and-fairest winner has urged the Demons not to bring in Gold Coast’s Steven May, worried about his lack of conditioning and his willingness to leave the Suns as a co-captain.
Schwarz said he was worried that May turned up “fat” every pre-season, confident the Demons could fix their defensive frailties when Jake Lever returned from an ACL reconstruction next year.
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The Herald Sun revealed that the 23-year-old has told his management he would consider a trade back to Melbourne if the Demons were also open to a deal.
They are expected to meet Hogan on Thursday, but his unwillingness to extend his contract past 2019 could end up forcing their hand and brokering a trade with Fremantle.
Fremantle has not discussed terms to secure Hogan, but he could effectively name his own price on a five or six year deal worth over $1 million a season.
Schwarz said Melbourne had now become a destination club which should be afraid if players left because they were replaceable.
“I think we have learnt in recent times everyone is tradeable,” he said.
“For Melbourne the comfort we have is we have a kid named Sam Weideman and a forward named Tom McDonald and we would also get a bloody good price for Hogan. If the price is right, absolutely trade him.
“If he wants to go home, before he gets to free agency you get something worthwhile.
“If Bryce Gibbs commanded two first-round picks and we paid two first-round picks for Jake Lever, Jesse Hogan is worth two first-round picks or a first-round pick and Andrew Brayshaw.
“So the deal has to be right but everyone is tradeable and Jesse Hogan, because of the backup Melbourne has, the deal could be done.”
May, 26, had a turbulent year from an off-field perspective and while he remains an elite full back at his best, Schwarz said Lever would help fix Melbourne’s backline issues next year.
“I want to make it clear, I would not do a swap for Steven May,’’ he said.
“I don’t think he’s worth it, he is older than Hogan, he turns up fat after every pre-season so he’s not working hard in the off-season and I reckon when captains walks out on your club there have got be questions asked.
“I think Melbourne is now a destination club. There are going to be a lot of players wanting to come to us so we can pick and choose who comes to our club.
“In the past we have almost been beggars. The one thing about Fremantle is you will always get overs with them, because it’s a long way away and Fremantle knows they have to get overs for players.”
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