" I have spoken to every club except Dogs and Melbourne". Channel Ten News Tuesday.

Bizarre. We obviously don't think much of him, or alternatively feel that he is extremely unlikely to be available at pick 17 (and even then it seems improbable that we wouldn't conduct the 'due diligence' expected).

Perhaps we feel a utility is low on our list of priorities?

Good, hopefully that means we're looking at talls and pacey mids.

We obviously don't think he'll be available at 17, plus we want to target midfielders given we're taking Watts at pick 1?

I may have to change my mock draft

We obviously don't think he'll be available at 17, plus we want to target midfielders given we're taking Watts at pick 1?

G'day 'Jaded', I think he will be a midfielder. He's apparently a ball magnet with quick reflexes to feed off the ball by hand, also a goal kicker.

I wouldn't draft him as a small forward as he's too slow & will no doubt be under too much pressure as a small goal kicker. He can however sneak forward occaisionally.

I think he sounds like a Scotty West, & if we took him @ 17/19 I think that spells the end of Jones/Valenti.

If he was there @ 17 I'd grab him, or hopefully Suban/Robinson.

However for me It's 2 talls + 1 mid in our first 3 picks.

I wish we could have traded for that extra pick in the 23-28 range.

He's definitely a mid. The 10 goals have fooled a few - although he does go forward (obviously).

I'm really happy he had that purple patch in the final - if he was going in the second round and now goes 2-16, it just means that we might get somebody we'd otherwise miss out on

that makes no sense. sidebottom is worth a pick 17 so it isnt good or bad that he played that great game. he played that great game because he is a good player

Good player, but that GF really boosted his rep above where a lot of people rate him

Good player, but that GF really boosted his rep above where a lot of people rate him

Maybe in your mind or the mind of people who don't fully understand the draft process, but i think you'll find that recruiters aren't swayed one way or another over just one game, no matter how good. Yes that might have jumped him up a few places, but i and plenty of others considered him a first round pick well before that GF. Id' say we haven't interviewed him because our recruiters rate him well above 17 and expect he's no chance to get there, and if by some chance he does then we'd just take him without having interviewed him.

People are pretty quick to point out his negatives and say "he's only rated based on one game", what they fail to mention is his elite endurance (2nd in both beep test & 3km time trial at DC). His hard running also shows through in his match stats with him averaging more then 8 handball receives a game in the TAC. And don't forget his elite skills, many people, recruiters & journalists included, have said they weren't sure which was his natural foot as he's so good off both. Something we could surely use at MFC.

He is also consider by many as being one of the smartest footballers in the draft, the sort thing you can't test and can only see from watching him play. He was in the best 10 of 14 TAC cup games including all of the finals games. He not only got best on grounds in big wins like the GF, he was BOG in the last round & the first final which were both close games(9pts & 15pts). He's also bottom aged, so only 1 year of u18s.

If the clubs from about 6-10 overlook him they'll regret it in a few years, like the few clubs who overlooked Selwood in '06. If he comes to Melbourne at 17 there will be no better player available unless there are about 5-6 surprise bolter in the 1st round.

Id' say we haven't interviewed him because our recruiters rate him well above 17 and expect he's no chance to get there, and if by some chance he does then we'd just take him without having interviewed him.

That's exactly what I thought too. Given that he's no chance to go at #1, we're actually going to be the last club to get a bite at him.

I also remember a few years ago one of our young players being stunned to be taken by Melbourne because they'd barely spoken to him at all in the leadup. I can't remember who it was though.

Either way, not having spoken to him (yet) doesn't mean we're not interested.

I'm pretty sure the same thing happened last year with Essendon's 2nd pick, they were just about the only club not to talk to him and then he got a major shock when they called out his name.

We obviously don't think he'll be available at 17, plus we want to target midfielders given we're taking Watts at pick 1?

Sidebottom is a mid.

I may have to change my mock draft

Me too. Either the Dees are expecting him to go well before pick 17 or they're being coy about Sidebottom. I believe the former not the latter.

That's exactly what I thought too. Given that he's no chance to go at #1, we're actually going to be the last club to get a bite at him.

I also remember a few years ago one of our young players being stunned to be taken by Melbourne because they'd barely spoken to him at all in the leadup. I can't remember who it was though.

Either way, not having spoken to him (yet) doesn't mean we're not interested.

I remember that too, was it Brock?

I also remember a few years ago one of our young players being stunned to be taken by Melbourne because they'd barely spoken to him at all in the leadup. I can't remember who it was though.

Bate or Dunn?

Well he is now a player that I will take great pleasure in giving $hit to when he runs out for the scum of Collingwood.... I heard a rumour that Dale Thomas went to the club and begged them to pick up Steele Sidebottom because "He has a sexy name" Just a rumour