The Future

[MadAsHell 4,212]

I don't want to shoot you down, however, with the first two picks you should always go with who you think is the best kid available, not to fill a hole. The reason for this is that the best ruckman might not be even in the top 10. It's also pretty rare that good rucks are taken so early.

Fair enough said, I agree that if say Butcher and Scully are head and shoulders above the rest of the pack then Melbourne should take them. But if there is a ruckman of similar class then for that reason I think they should consider him. I know they are rare to go that early but it does happen. Look at Fraser, Kosi and NikNat.

By the way does anyone know of any possible young top ruckman in the TAC comp or interstate that may be good top 10 draft prospects?

[dee-luded 2,959]

soo far the best two ive herd of are scully and butcher, 2 players that specialise in areas we really need.

Seems obviuose to take them rather than hopeing to pic up some player that isnt wanted from another team.

Id rather have them as backups rather than first preference.

Can you imagine if young Watts was playing in this team who has been struggling to deliver the ball well to the forwards, & he was being killed by the best defender each week. the Punters would be calling for his blood just like there doing with Davey & Chook at the moment.

If we had next year a Butcher & a Watts + other experienced players all sharing the load, how much better this would be. We don't have the talent down there yet nor structure because of that.

[Guest petjud]

I think we need 1 more key forward, and mids mids mids...

No matter how strong your backline is, or how many guns you have up forward, midfielders are they key to winning flags... As Mick M said the other night on one week at a time i think it was, when was the last time you can remember a side winning a flag that didn't have a completely dominant midfield?

My answer to that question would be North Melbourne in 99 and that was only becuase the Bombers choked against the blues in the prelim, otherwise you look to the Crows the year before... Every side since has had a completely dominant midfield...

Lets say we get Butcher, then how will our team look in four years (forgive me if I forget someone)...

Forward: Watts, Butcher, Jurrah, Aussie, Maric, Jetta, Bate

Back: Rivers, Garland, Warnock, Martin, Frawley, Bennell, Cheney, Grimes

Midfield: Morton, McLean, Strauss, Blease, Buckley, Jones, Bartram, Bail, Sylvia (make it in the middle some day Col please)

Great depth forward and back... however you need the most depth in the middle, where you need the most depth, and that's where we'll be spread a bit thin... no Bruce, Green, McDonald... Davey will be close to the finish line, as will beamer... therefore we need mids, mids and more mids...

Bennell and Jetta will be in the midfield, Jetta with the ability to go forward and kick goals and Bennell's defensive capabilities, they're only playing where they are at the moment coz that is the hole to fill and they haven't got the hard bodies to survive in the middle. Then you Valenti, Healey and McKenzie (both country clearance specialists) who will be off the rookie list then, Moloney will also still be there he is only 24 now or have you written him off already, same with Davey, all this panic to get the best draft picks without properly analyzing what we have already, up front we will also have the big body of Zomer if you read Kelly OD blurb about who will feature for Casey, Zomer gets a name check as somebody who is being educated assume under the coaching staff we have now we will see improvement over the year from him. Personally I think the rookie list has been stacked to cover rather than scratching around for draft picks when the Gold Coast factor kicks in which is the next draft, the have dibs on 17 yr olds before the draft even takes shape.

[H_T 3,043]

I don't want to shoot you down, however, with the first two picks you should always go with who you think is the best kid available, not to fill a hole. The reason for this is that the best ruckman might not be even in the top 10. It's also pretty rare that good rucks are taken so early.

I don't want to shoot you down Jarka (in fact I'm not sure I am), but off the top of my head, it's not that rare - they are taken every so often, the question remains if 'they're really good' as you say: - Fraser, White, Kruezer, Ottens, Gardiner, Leunberger.

Point taken though. Others such as Minson, Jolly, Cox, Brogan, Hille, Blake, Simmonds, King, who were taken further down the draft or rookied are just as competitive as those taken early.

[stevenDEMON 0]

I don't want to shoot you down Jarka (in fact I'm not sure I am), but off the top of my head, it's not that rare - they are taken every so often, the question remains if 'they're really good' as you say: - Fraser, White, Kruezer, Ottens, Gardiner, Leunberger.

Point taken though. Others such as Minson, Jolly, Cox, Brogan, Hille, Blake, Simmonds, King, who were taken further down the draft or rookied are just as competitive as those taken early.

I think the coaching staff should really work on Spencer's fitness, then we will have a good ruck-man. Plus ruck-men are way to overrated. Never waste high picks on rucks, they are just not worth it. Seriously we just need spence to make an effort for 4 quarters and have PJ, mees or jamar as back up and the mids can do the rest.