So the question has to be asked

[Jack7 528]

It all depends on next year. We need to get pick 1 & 2 next year.

I don't give a [censored] if we only win one game next year. I want a grand final win. If we get pick 1 and 2 next year we will be well on our way.

What a load of BS!!!.

Luke Hodge is only the 3rd no. 1 draft pick ever to win a premiership,no. 1 picks don't guarantee anything.

How did Hawthorn get Luke Hodge in the first place?

Then Freo coach Chris Connolly traded his No. 1 pick and pick 36 for Trent Croad and Luke Mcfarlane and the Hawks picked up Hodge & Mitchell and got Croad back 2 years later.

Connolly will go down as the last coach in history to trade away a no. 1 draft pick,Imbecile!!!!!!

We have to win as many games as we can next season to get wins and confidence into our young list.

The best 2 players out of the last 2 drafts were Joel Selwood and Rhyce Palmer and they were both pick 7's,meaning you can win as many games as you can and still pick up gun players.

I'm hoping we win at least 5 games next season and start building a winning culture.

The Hawks only won 4 games in Clarkson's first year,it can turn around quickly with confidence building wins.

Bailey wouldn't want to finish last in his first 2 seasons of a 3 year contract,you just don't know how Jimmy and the board would view that,especially with a bloke called Leigh Matthews looking for a new coaching job after a year out of the game.

I'd take Matthews in a heart beat,you play 2 bad games under him,you're finding your form in the 2's,not at AFL level.You could play 4 bad games under Daniher and he wouldn't drop you,even when we had guys pushing for selection.

We have a lot of early picks this year,lets win as many games as we can in '09 and start building a winning culture.

[Roost It 1,434]

Then Freo coach Chris Connolly traded his No. 1 pick and pick 36 for Trent Croad and Luke Mcfarlane and the Hawks picked up Hodge & Mitchell and got Croad back 2 years later.

Connolly will go down as the last coach in history to trade away a no. 1 draft pick,Imbecile!!!!!!

Croad and Mcfarlane are well worth those 2 picks, at the time freo had enough running players and needed to shore up the big man stocks. The fact that Croad went to water away from home is hard to blame on anyone besides Croad himself. Connolly won't be the last to trade the no. 1 pick.

[Eastie Boyz 0]

Actually if you look at their list when Croad came across that had quiet a large number of key position prospects:

J Longmuir, Pavlich, L Brown, S Thornton, S Parker, R Haddrill, Simmonds, Sandilands as well as a couple of others.

Obviously only 2 of them are still there but it's not like they were on their last legs at the time

[Roost It 1,434]

Actually if you look at their list when Croad came across that had quiet a large number of key position prospects:

J Longmuir, Pavlich, L Brown, S Thornton, S Parker, R Haddrill, Simmonds, Sandilands as well as a couple of others.

Obviously only 2 of them are still there but it's not like they were on their last legs at the time

Simmonds and Sandilands are ruckmen not KPP, leaving only 6. Out of the rest I'd take Croad and Mcfarlane before all except Pav. I'd hardly call Connolly an imbecile for such a recruiting move.

[rusty_kingswood 0]

We can survive another year at the bottom. Easily. We just got to find a major sponsor this off season (priority number 1)

Break our membership record, IMO we will take a youth approach to the membership campaign, especially since we already know Hamish from hamish and andy will be spearheading the drive.

The AFL has already said 10 victorian teams is here to stay.

Pick 1 & 2 next year i am ALL for it. Little bit of short term pain for LONG term gain

Dissagree.

Yes we may be able to fight ONE more year on the bottom and get rewarded with picks, however, mid-long term, there is no way on earth that we can continue to survive as a club with no signs signs of improvement.

Make no mistake, that there is a time line placed on our club if we cant improve and it will come quicker than what we expect.

Lowest membership in the land, NO home, NO brand, NO wins, NO money, NO membership. Dont tell me we can afford to spend the next couple of years on the bottom again.

And IMO, i dont see how a guy who may or may not be very funny, is the answer to our sturggeling membership. Sure he has a decent following, but in no way does that translate into memberships.

We need to win and we need to do it quickly.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

We can survive another year at the bottom. Easily.

Supporters and members are not going to want to watch Melbourne (live or TV) if they offer up the crap they did this year.

The idea that a few top draft picks will magically fix the team is crap. What about the rest of the list? Melbourne needs to see significant improvement from all players and not just rely on a White Knight to come in and be that "star" the club needs.

[Rampaging Demons 1]

having been fortunate to attend the grand final on saturday and been to a few hawthorn sponsors events, it is amazing at how quickly things can change!!

as noted, in clarkson's first year they were hopeless, not as bad as ours but still, they were very uncompetitive!

he did however train them that year in a style of footy and no matter what the result, the footy was to be played in that style...

then in years, he would get quality players to the club.. however, they have also traded well - the picking up of guerra and dew was no fluke. their footskills, hardness were important and both plaed very important roles on the weekend.

there is no doubt that the demons have the makings of a good team!! top draft picks this year, another preseason, gradual improvement next year, more draft picks, then who knows.... we need to keep the likes of mcdonald, bruce and green though - they are our eldest players and provide some stability to the club!!

[H_T 3,038]

Hawthorn were able to draft both Roughead and Franklin in the one draft. Both kicked over 180 goals this year (70+ and 110+ respectively), they contibuted greatly to giving hawthorn a shot at a Premiership. They even contributed to the win on Saturday even though they kicked only 3 goals between them.

They even got Jordan Lewis along with these two. helping the hawks get 3 picks inside the first 20, and two in the first 5.

It all depends on next year. We need to get pick 1 & 2 next year.

I don't give a [censored] if we only win one game next year. I want a grand final win. If we get pick 1 and 2 next year we will be well on our way.

I want a Premiership too. I want to enjoy a Premiership as early as possible, so I can enjoy it. Not when I'm over 60 or 70 years of age (touch wood I get there).

Obtaining Picks 1 and 2 in the 2009 draft would contribute greatly and benefit the Melbournefc, no matter what anyone says.

A top draft pick doesnt guarantee a great quality player. If the club cannot develop the players that are there now and our future draft picks i dont think it matters if we get 1 and 2 or just 16.

Bull#$t!!!

Rubbish...

We have some genuine talent coming through.. .we have a golden opportunity to trade and draft well.. Our ascent starts in 09.. Forget all this crap about getting all the best picks..ALL THE TIME !! its a false hope. All it means is youre perpetaully good enough to come last !! Hardly something to aspire to.

We start improving now.. we supplement with the best available for what ever picks we have next year and we keep going.

We look to improve...not tread water. We've had the bottoming out we needed...Now's the time to climb ....in 0 9 !!

Hawthorn spent 3 years in the cellar....we need an injection of quality players BB, its that simple. May I remind you of how far we are behind...

Pick 1 & 2 next year will give us possibly the best shot at a flag we've had in 50 years...

It would certainly give Melbourne a greater improvement, rather than one pick in the first 16 picks.

[Rogue 585]

I think we'll continue to struggle next year. However, I hope - and expect - a more competitive team. Our percentage will be a better judge of how we travel than our win/loss, which I expect to be pretty poor once again. If we can nab some quality picks next year that'll be great, because after 2009 I expect us to be pushing up the ladder.

Then why is everyone, including clubs, saying that this draft (next month) is the last UNCOMPROMISED draft?

Access to QLDers.

[Goodvibes 3,596]

and bottom agers.

[H_T 3,038]

I think we'll continue to struggle next year. However, I hope - and expect - a more competitive team. Our percentage will be a better judge of how we travel than our win/loss, which I expect to be pretty poor once again. If we can nab some quality picks next year that'll be great, because after 2009 I expect us to be pushing up the ladder.

Yes, after 2009 I expect the same.

I admire the way Hawthorn as a club are going about their marketing to the public whilst in the spotlight, even straight after they won on the victory dias. Mitchell referring to holidaying in Tassie, etc..., wanting to push to 50,000 members. Something the Dees should put in the memory bank for when the time comes...

[titan_uranus 24,873]

I think we'll continue to struggle next year. However, I hope - and expect - a more competitive team. Our percentage will be a better judge of how we travel than our win/loss, which I expect to be pretty poor once again. If we can nab some quality picks next year that'll be great, because after 2009 I expect us to be pushing up the ladder.

I fell the same way. I really, really hope we don't have another absolute shocker next year. That will hurt us in so many ways (player confidence, our image/reputation, memberships).

My benchmarks are more than 4 wins (preferably 6), and a percentage above 80. Sounds unreasonable?

[Rampaging Demons 1]

hawthorn also made some hard decisions re veterans - joel smith, john barker, nick holland, ben dixon, rayden tallis, etc.... clarkson often refers to these people when talking about where the club has come from and the substance....

we have now let go of quite afew in the same mould and it will continue in the upcoming weeks - ben holland, david neitz, adem yze, jeff white, simon godfrey, daniel ward, nathan brown, etc...

next year we need to win more games but more importantly show genuine signs of improvement. younger players to step up and show leadership, the ability to adapt to a agame plan, etc..

i am excited!!

[H_T 3,038]

Drafts are helpful in identifying class, its useless for identifying hardness though. Premiership teams are builts from the ground up, from the first pick to the last pick, I agree with the viability of the rebuild model, there is no evidence that Pick 1 & 2 as opposed to Pick 10 & rookie will get you over the line though.

Hawthorn and Dermott Brereton when he was at the club identified "hardness" and a bit of mongrel as a necessity several years ago. Hence Hodge was drafted, Lewis, the return of Croad, the recruiting of Brown and Guerra.

Drafts are useful in identifying both class and hardness in my opinion. They do psychological tests to determine hard minded individuals.