The Strategy

[71 Molloy 266]

Are the experts happy with the overall strategy?

Watts and a heap of pace most of which are goal kickers?

Complement Moloney, McLean, Jones & Grimes.

[sylvinator 96]

Current midfield:

Moloney, Jones, Mclean, Grimes---- all strong inside midfielders who can get the ball and run all day but don't have great athletisicm or acceleration. They also aren't renowned for their precise kicking skills.

Makes sense to now complement these 4 with fast players with great kicking skills:

Sam Blease, James Strauss...

Add to that:

Morton and Buckley as Utilities

Last 2 years we've added to our midfield:

Morton, Grimes, Blease and Strauss.... our midfield is starting to look better.

[DemonDave 1,078]

No backup ruckmen so far, a bit of a surprise. We're putting all our eggs in the basket of Jamar & Johnson, and maybe to a lesser extent Meesen and Spencer.

[Bring-Back-Powell 13,390]

I'm surprised that apart from Watts, we haven't drafted any KP's up forward.

Our forward line still needs to be addressed IMO, as we only have Robbo (almost finished), Miller, Newton (huge ??) and now Watts as our key targets.

I would've like to have drafted another tall forward at 17 or 19- A 10 year imposing twin tower combo. Maybe next year.

[Pepe Dee Pew 0]

Obviously think we are ok with talls forward and back. Must consider Bate and Dunn can develop into good tall forwards (at least 3rd talls anyway). Also this year signed Newton up for another two so must have hopes for him to develop into a Full Forward.

We have drafted players who can deliver the ball to these players.

Well done MFC Recruiting.

[Wolfmother 182]

Bailey must have a bit of confidence in Newton with only one tall

[biggestred 4,377]

to be fair, apart from cox, name another premiership ruckman from the last 4 or 5 years.

i have no idea who the hawks ruckman is

i think the cats traded king

did brisbane even have one?

my point is, gun midfields win you flags, not gun ruckman.

[biggestred 4,377]

no reason garland cant move foward when rivers comes back either

[davey_magik 1]

No real issue with our drafting, we can't exactly judge it just yet.

[Jarka 767]

Alot of the 'experts' have said that although there are soem very good kpp's the quality really dropped off after the first round, so with that in mind I think we've done the right thing. I'ev heard a couple of recruiters say that this is the draft to build up your midfield.

[mo64 5,257]

We got the strategy right. After Watts, it's clear that creative running players were are no.1 priority, and we've drafted for needs. That's not to say that the players we've drafted also weren't the best available.

As I've been saying all along, what's the point of drafting talls if we're playing a run and carry game style.

My only downer is that we didn't pick Swift at 17.

[Demonster 37]

Watts, Miller, Rivers, Garland, Warnock, Martin - there's 6 KPP's for 4 possies, plus the potential for PJ to play that role, and then 3rd tall types in Frawley, Dunn and Bate, and possibly Newton.

Reckon we are set there.

We needed pace and skill, skill and pace, and sounds like we have got it.

Also like the X-factor mentioned with a couple of the later picks in verious bio's.

Obvious area of focus in the next 2 drafts will be rucks.

Should win the flag in 2013 I would have thought - probably play off in the 3 after that, losing one. Overall Demon flag tally by 2020 should be 15.

Nice.

[Supreme_Demon 3,015]

I'm not too worried.

We can take a few more key position players and possibly a ruckman or 2 in next year's AFL draft.

Plus it needs to be remembered that we can still take a few tall players in the Pre-Season Draft and Rookie Draft in a few weeks time.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 10,330]

I would say if Shoenmakers or Johnston were there at 17 things would be different but you cant take key forwards just for the sake of it. Obviously a theme of skills and pace. I would get as many of the potential key forwards and rucks down for pre season as possible to look at for PSD and rookie selections.

[Whispering_Jack 28,091]

I'm not sure about the strategy but it would seem that the club will be relying on its existing talls and therefore in the ability of the strength and conditioning coaches to build up some of our existing kpp's and in particular, players like Martin and Spencer. We still have pick 1 in the psd and a few rookie selections for the ruck types.

I was disappointed we couldn't pick up another kpp but wrapped in getting Watts, Blease and Strauss - part of the future face of the Melbourne Football Club.

[Roost It 1,434]

Are the experts happy with the overall strategy?

Watts and a heap of pace most of which are goal kickers?

Complement Moloney, McLean, Jones & Grimes.

I for one was expecting us to load up on talls, that certainly hasn't happened. I was also hoping to pick up players with big strong bodies, that hasn't happened either. Am I happy? I'm stoked! Watts is obviously a gun. Then we've added something we've lacked for a long time, pace and class, and we've added it in spades with Strauss, Blease and Jetta, even Bennel looks a likely sort if his video is anything to go by. Remeber this is draft 2 for changing the face of this club. So far we've developed possibly the most exciting young back line in the league, Now we've transformed our midfield which for so long has been pedestrian, injured and slow into a list that sounds like this. Morton, Grimes, Mclean, Strauss, Blease, Sylvia, Jones. So far so good. Some class in the ruck and in the forward line is still needed but I think you'll find that with players delivering the ball well our current forward set up won't look so bad, espcially with Watts down there. Lets hope Bate, Maric, Davey and Miller and maybe Martin can really lift this year. Isn't funny how on draft day you think the club can play finals. Well it can but probably not for a few years yet. Remember there's Butcher and Scully to get next year!!

[Rogue 585]

We've been pretty slow for a while now - Ward wouldn't have played as many games if we weren't - and thus the fact we've added some pace and skill is very good.

I do think it's valid to argue that perhaps you should build your spine first since they take longer to develop, but it depends on what's there.

you cant take key forwards just for the sake of it.

Exactly. If we felt these guys were better than the talls left at those picks than we made the right choice.

We're putting all our eggs in the basket of Jamar & Johnson, and maybe to a lesser extent Meesen and Spencer.

I don't agree with you there.

We've still got pick 1 in the PSD plus a host of rookie spots, and many AFL rucks have entered the AFL system without fanfare.

I'll share your concern if we don't pick up some rucks in the rookie draft though.

[rpfc 27,636]

If you're a proponet of "best talent available" recruiting then you have to deal with drafts that have an over abundance of one particular type of player.

This is what happened.

If you said "take the BTA" before the draft and have criticised the fact we took 5 mids/flankers then you are a hypocrite.

[Jaded No More 59,097]

How many dodgy ruckman can one list sustain?

We've got 4 ruckmen, and none of them are really that good. PJ has a chance to be a good footballer, but currently his rucking is weak.

I'd rather get rid of a few before we add anymore to the list. Besides, a great midfield can manage without a top line ruckman.

[dee-luded 2,958]

Are the experts happy with the overall strategy?

Watts and a heap of pace most of which are goal kickers?

Complement Moloney, McLean, Jones & Grimes.

IMO, Yes.

Last years draft, --- fix the backline... > Cheney, McNamara, Martin,. onto Garland, Frawley, Warnock, Buckley

This Years draft, --- fix the midfield... as we see currently.

Next years draft, --- Butcher, (ruckman), (ruckman), etc.

[Nasher 33,166]

Exactly. If we felt these guys were better than the talls left at those picks than we made the right choice.

Agree Rogue and BRFE. I read an article in the HS where Barry Prendergast was quoted (on the morning of the draft, prior to it taking place) as saying we would be looking at Blease and Johnston with 17 and 19, and would take Strauss should one of them be gone. Almost prophetic words really.

[H_T 2,941]

Congratulations to the Recruiting Department of Mfc. Strategy and planning to the nth degree saw them draft 5 out of the 6 kids targeted. I have no issue what-so-ever. Good article in the HUN by Mark Stevens who from inside the inner sanctum, highlighted parts of the strategy which included Blease, Strauss, Bennell, Jetta and Bail.

It shows you can't fix all deficiencies in one draft day. We still have PSD 1 and first selection in the rookie draft which will see us shore up other deficiencies such as another KPF or Ruckman or more pace>?

Exactly. If we felt these guys were better than the talls left at those picks than we made the right choice.

We've still got pick 1 in the PSD plus a host of rookie spots, and many AFL rucks have entered the AFL system without fanfare.

I'll share your concern if we don't pick up some rucks in the rookie draft though.

Certainly agree with that.

We've got 4 ruckmen, and none of them are really that good. PJ has a chance to be a good footballer, but currently his rucking is weak.

I'd rather get rid of a few before we add anymore to the list. Besides, a great midfield can manage without a top line ruckman.

Correct. The rookie draft might see us land someone who could make it, you never know...

[Guest melbman]

Once we start to climb and show promise then we will get the trades like Judd and big Warnock. We got Scotty West as coach who was lured, according to the headline, "Dees young guns were the clincher" and remember Acker wanted the Bullies cos he said they had a young exciting list.

Get the best available regardless of type because at the end of the day the best midfielder or two is better than a ruckman that never plays a game. If we become an exciting team then players will want to come to us. Probably not as much of a lure as Pratts cash but....

Once we do the right things for the right amount of time we will get the right results.

We've started doing the right things now we just need to do them for the right amount of time to get the results we crave

I think we did very well on Saturday, we didn't stuff up No1 pick and we got fast skillful go getters with the rest. We also avoided injury cloud players and our rehab group may just shrink in the years to come

Positives as they seem from the outside:

Dedicated hard working and innovative board

Excellent CEO

Wonderful summer ground facilities now and weights on the horizon

Just picked up the best recruit in the land as well as fast skillful youth

Would have to be the youngest team in the league with a decade of games ahead of themselves

As big Kev says "I'm Excited!"

[jacey 333]

you cant take key forwards just for the sake of it.

I think BP said yesterday on the interview with mordiboy that if you're not 100 confident with KPP and that player doesn't turn out in 2 years, you're not really filling a need.

Personally Pleased with Blease and Strauss.

[Stigga 25]

I think BP said yesterday on the interview with mordiboy that if you're not 100 confident with KPP and that player doesn't turn out in 2 years, you're not really filling a need.

Personally Pleased with Blease and Strauss.

Agree. I'm looking forward to seeing Watts, Newton, Robbo and Miller have blokes charging at them at a million miles and hour and putting the ball into space.

The game against Geelong this year. Unbelieveable. It seriously looked like Geelong defenders were trying to play the Offside Trap.