State your draft preferences

[Bails 0]

Melbourne's picks: 1, 17, 19, 35, 51, 64, 76

My selections:

1 Watts - fwd/h-fwd/kpp

17 Blease - mid/pace

19 Shoenmakers - fwd/h-fwd/kpp

35 Zaharkis - mid/pace

51 Redden (slide) ruck

64 still looking

76 still looking

Probably swap Blease with Swift if they are both still there and the rest i tend to agre with you

perhaps another KPP at 51 then a ruckman too

picks 1 and 19 i like very much

[Demons 32 235]

1: Watts (VIC)

17: Mckernan (VIC) If Richmond choose Trengove ahead of him he could fall to us.

19: Walters (WA) Great speed and will be taken in this area.

35: Deboer (WA) I rate him as an easy top 20 but other people have cooled off so if he really will be here at this pick we have to get him

51: Redden (SA) Much like Bellchambers last year, alot expected him to go top 30 but Redden wont

64: Motlop (NT) Very talented young player, definately worth a try

76: Bentley (port) Could easily take CJ's spot in my opinion

[Freak 100]

i think we are a big chance of picking up nick suban. i dont know why but i just have a feeling as he is victorian and he is rated around the 15-25 range and has good foot skills. he must be in out sights.

[Bails 0]

1: Watts (VIC)

17: Mckernan (VIC) If Richmond choose Trengove ahead of him he could fall to us.

19: Walters (WA) Great speed and will be taken in this area.

35: Deboer (WA) I rate him as an easy top 20 but other people have cooled off so if he really will be here at this pick we have to get him

51: Redden (SA) Much like Bellchambers last year, alot expected him to go top 30 but Redden wont

64: Motlop (NT) Very talented young player, definately worth a try

76: Bentley (port) Could easily take CJ's spot in my opinion

disagree with all of that other than Watts i am sorry......Mckernan is inconsistent - his good is great but his bad is appauling according to reports, De Boer is good but his disposal is shocking and turns it over way to much, Walters you have rated to highly and wont be taken in the top 20, Bentley - lets stay away from recycled players - considering Port had alot of free space on their list yet they still flogged him, is a concern.

i think your way off my man!

[Freak 100]

first of all, yay 1000 well-educated posts. i disagree about mckernan. he is a great KP player and i dont know what reports you have been getting goose. i do agree about deboer though, his disposals are pathetic and if we pick him up it will just be another wasted pick. Walters is highly fancied to go to West Coast at 18 or 20 which would obviously make him a top 20 pick.

[H_T 2,941]

1: Watts (VIC)

17: Mckernan (VIC) If Richmond choose Trengove ahead of him he could fall to us.

19: Walters (WA) Great speed and will be taken in this area.

35: Deboer (WA) I rate him as an easy top 20 but other people have cooled off so if he really will be here at this pick we have to get him

....

...

...

De32, what is your opinion of Shoenmakers and Blease? Where do you see them taken in terms of numbers?

[Late Draft Pick 48]

And is there anyone here who could say anything about our two young draft picks from last year, McNamara and Cheney

and how they would be matching up with this years players? A hard question as they both missed games this year through injury.

And I'm really hoping for a skillful onballer at 17 or 19 so I am hoping Blease, Swift or even Sidebottom fall through.

[Rogue 585]

I just hope we get Rich if we don't take Watts.

[H_T 2,941]

I just hope we get Rich if we don't take Watts.

I hope we get rich too...the club that is, then we'll be able to wipe the debt and build large foundations for the club. Oh, I hope we get Watts too.

[dee-luded 2,958]

And is there anyone here who could say anything about our two young draft picks from last year, McNamara and Cheney

and how they would be matching up with this years players? A hard question as they both missed games this year through injury.

And I'm really hoping for a skillful onballer at 17 or 19 so I am hoping Blease, Swift or even Sidebottom fall through.

Cheney< I see as a back pocket/ halfback flank, still developing his footy. he's good overhead & hard at the contest. Played a fair bit in '08 for the sandy 2nds, so we'll see more of him this coming season.

McNamara, also played mostly with the sandy 2nds. He is a running type tall back who reads the play well & will be an attacking player out of defense, either as a tall flanker initially, growing into a Key posi player down back, but who knows, maybe up front as well.

[Late Draft Pick 48]

McNamara, also played mostly with the sandy 2nds. He is a running type tall back who reads the play well & will be an attacking player out of defense, either as a tall flanker initially, growing into a Key posi player down back, but who knows, maybe up front as well.

[Hannabal 4]

If we're lucky enough to yield 3 of Watts, Swift, Sidebottom, Schoenmakers, McKernan, Blease, Walters then I'll be over the moon. Add a Hannebery or Zaharakis at 35 and it will be a bumper draft.

All wishful thinking you might say, and that's probably right, but after pick 1 there's only 14 players that will be taken before our pick 17.

When you look at Naitanui, Rich, Hill, Yarran, Hartlett, Ziebell, Trengove, Sidebottom, Swift, Blease, McKernan, Vickery, Hurley, Johnston as 14 names and that there's no way that they will form the exact first 16 picks (with Cordy as a 1st round Father/Sun) then the odds of getting 3 highly touted players is very strong. Add Schoenmakers, Walters, Suban, Lisle, Cornelius ----

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

If we're lucky enough to yield 3 of Watts, Swift, Sidebottom, Schoenmakers, McKernan, Blease, Walters then I'll be over the moon. Add a Hannebery or Zaharakis at 35 and it will be a bumper draft.

All wishful thinking you might say, and that's probably right, but after pick 1 there's only 14 players that will be taken before our pick 17.

When you look at Naitanui, Rich, Hill, Yarran, Hartlett, Ziebell, Trengove, Sidebottom, Swift, Blease, McKernan, Vickery, Hurley, Johnston as 14 names and that there's no way that they will form the exact first 16 picks (with Cordy as a 1st round Father/Sun) then the odds of getting 3 highly touted players is very strong. Add Schoenmakers, Walters, Suban, Lisle, Cornelius ----

This is what I tried to say, much more clumsily, earlier this week...

Usually you'd be resigned to getting some iffy ones in the teens... or perhaps even project players like painfully skinny ruckmen and the sort.

But this year I'd take any of those 14 your mention and be THRILLED. ANd the best thing is once we've got our McKernan, or Swift or whoever with pick 17, we follow it up with another of relatively similar quality. This was a good draft to have a pp after the first round plus another early in the second, unlike other years, where we got guys like Bell, Dunn, 426 etc etc...

[Freak 100]

i'll never understand why Dunn is not rated by our supporters. he is tall, a good tackler, a good kick and a good mark. i actually think that he is a big part of our future. And i think Newton will be as well.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

i'll never understand why Dunn is not rated by our supporters. he is tall, a good tackler, a good kick and a good mark. i actually think that he is a big part of our future. And i think Newton will be as well.

Yeah. Perhaps I misspoke. I like Dunn, and Juice still has some time on his side... what I meant was that they were taken as KP players, and Dunn isn't fulfilling that role. It's one thing to have all those skills you mention, another entirely to implement them and win matches off your own boot. If someone had told me we were recruiting a 192cm tagger at pick 14 I'd have scoffed... As for Juice, he's been played there but still has such a long way to go before we can even call him "consistent." Do you think either of these guys will ever scale the heights of a Tredrea/Pavlich/Hall/Riewoldt/Brown? I'd even accept it if they were second-class KP forwards, which would make a bit more sense given they were taken in the teens, not as early as those last 5 names, but they're a looong way off even being that/ Bate is probably the closest thing we have to that, and he's not exactly you're normal lead-up CHF.

[Demons 32 235]

De32, what is your opinion of Shoenmakers and Blease? Where do you see them taken in terms of numbers?

I think Blease will go earlier.

Shoenmakers is good, would take him, but I rate Mckernan alot higher.

[Demons 32 235]

disagree with all of that other than Watts i am sorry......Mckernan is inconsistent - his good is great but his bad is appauling according to reports, De Boer is good but his disposal is shocking and turns it over way to much, Walters you have rated to highly and wont be taken in the top 20, Bentley - lets stay away from recycled players - considering Port had alot of free space on their list yet they still flogged him, is a concern.

i think your way off my man!

You just said he is inconsistent, from reports.....

That ends your argument against Mckernan who we would be extremely lucky if he fell to us.

Walters has been rumoured to be going to WC all along, top 20 pick...

Great speed and is a talent, don't know why your shutting him down?

[Freak 100]

Yeah. Perhaps I misspoke. I like Dunn, and Juice still has some time on his side... what I meant was that they were taken as KP players, and Dunn isn't fulfilling that role. It's one thing to have all those skills you mention, another entirely to implement them and win matches off your own boot. If someone had told me we were recruiting a 192cm tagger at pick 14 I'd have scoffed... As for Juice, he's been played there but still has such a long way to go before we can even call him "consistent." Do you think either of these guys will ever scale the heights of a Tredrea/Pavlich/Hall/Riewoldt/Brown? I'd even accept it if they were second-class KP forwards, which would make a bit more sense given they were taken in the teens, not as early as those last 5 names, but they're a looong way off even being that/ Bate is probably the closest thing we have to that, and he's not exactly you're normal lead-up CHF.

fair enough yeh. but i think dunn is playing seriously out of position. he should be playing as that 3rd tall in the forward line. he'd kick us 35 plus a year..which is good. Newton i just think needs to be given more time...play him every game and see what happens then. i just think that every time he comes back into the side he would feel like he has to showboat and play well just to remain in the team...i dont think that pressure would help his game.

[H_T 2,941]

Melbourne's picks: 1, 17, 19, 35, 51, 64, 76

My selections:

1 Watts - fwd/h-fwd/kpp

17 Blease - mid/pace

19 Shoenmakers - fwd/h-fwd/kpp

35 Zaharkis - mid/pace

51 Redden (slide) ruck

64 still looking

76 still looking

My last two are: -

64 Ledin - mid.

76 Van Berlo - h-back/back pocket

If we're lucky enough to yield 3 of Watts, Swift, Sidebottom, Schoenmakers, McKernan, Blease, Walters then I'll be over the moon. Add a Hannebery or Zaharakis at 35 and it will be a bumper draft.

No doubt about that.

[tooly 0]

Ill have a go

1 - Watts

17 - Swift

19 - Zaharakis

35 - Cornelius

My top 4

[Carn dees 108]

From what ive seen of zaharakis wich is only a few 3 minute clips. Well any ways from what ive seen he is just a good midfeilder and that all he doesnt have amzing speed or supreme skiil IMO i dont think he should be a preferance i maybe wrong though.

[Freak 100]

you just described Jimmy bartel-a brownlow medalist.

[Stigga 25]

This is how I think it will go:

1 Melb- Watts

2 WC- Natainui

3 Fre- Rich

4 PA- Hartlett

5 Ess- Yarran

6 Carl-Sidebottom

7 Bris- Ziebell

8 Rich- Vickery

9 North- Hurley

10 Adel- Johnstone

11 Coll- Swift

12 Syd- McKernan

13 St.K- Blease

14 WB- Cordy

15 Geel- R. O'Keefe

16 Haw- Davis

17 Melb- Trengrove

18 WC- Hill

19 Melb-Suban

[montasaurus 0]

I hope we get swift at 17, looks like a gun. But if not go TALL with 1st 3 picks. (Watts - 1, Shoenmakers - 17)

We have a good young midfield that I'm sure will develop beyond expectations this year if we have a good run with injuries so go TALL KPP.

[H_T 2,941]

This is how I think it will go:

1 Melb- Watts

2 WC- Natainui

3 Fre- Rich

4 PA- Hartlett

5 Ess- Yarran

6 Carl-Sidebottom

7 Bris- Ziebell

8 Rich- Vickery

9 North- Hurley

10 Adel- Johnstone

11 Coll- Swift

12 Syd- McKernan

13 St.K- Blease

14 WB- Cordy

15 Geel- R. O'Keefe

16 Haw- Davis

17 Melb- Trengrove

18 WC- Hill

19 Melb-Suban

Cannot see Hill lasting until pick 18, when he is being touted as high as pick 3!