Understand your sentiments steveheals but after having so many good seasons under Daniher

some of us are starting to see the possibility of winning a premiership. It's an uneven playing feild out there and we have had enough of it

with interstate teams having a start of 11 (or 12) homegames each year and Collingwood playing all their games at home apart from the odd one.

We were supposed to be worst team ever last year and yet we accounted for three interstate teams. And Geelong had the massive gift of champion father'son picks. It will never mean we go out there to lose games but while we are learning about different players we can at least be patient for a year; for those who have waited a long time that is not much when you can really enjoy watching the young fellas.

Whats more important?

Winning a couple of games or getting picks 1 and 2?

You would like to think winning games is the first ranked.

when you look at the club as a whole we need to solidify our supporter base.

hate to see all the good work stynes has done go down the tubes due to a terrible on field record..

if we went crap for the next 3 years and picked up 3 first round draft choices who would be there to watch them besides the die hards?? Unfortunately we are not like a collingwood or carlton where they have a strong ethnic supporter base who all have large families..

And the damge behind the scene would be massive ( look at freo, after failing to meet their predictions everyone is down)

remove Wheatley and you have yourself a list, did you mean the rookie Mckenzie, with regards to mentioned players cant see them being around during our next assault so lets cut the crap and call it as it is. we musnt trade any picks, DB is doing a great job building a good young list

How do you keep Wheatley? He'd be the first to go if i was in charge.

Imho there's not much Wheatley can teach to the younger kids, especially when compared to a Whelan or a McDonald.

And you'd get rid of McNamara..?

Despite the fact he's in his second season, yet still younger than Nev Jetta, Rohan Bail & Liam Jurrah?

Knowing he's only 5 weeks older than Jamie Bennell & 6 weeks older than James Strauss?

How do you keep Wheatley? He'd be the first to go if i was in charge.

Imho there's not much Wheatley can teach to the younger kids, especially when compared to a Whelan or a McDonald.

How would you know?

There is a good chance that all three will be finished this year.

And you'd get rid of McNamara..?

Despite the fact he's in his second season, yet still younger than Nev Jetta, Rohan Bail & Liam Jurrah?

Knowing he's only 5 weeks older than Jamie Bennell & 6 weeks older than James Strauss?

Age has little to do with it. Unless he is making serious in roads in Casey firsts then he might be out at year end.

BTW, he will be about the one year younger than Isaac Weetra, did we get rid of Weetra too soon???

How would you know that?

The TAC cup and other under 18's comps are just three weeks old.

The age qualification date has been raised this year meaning it won't be a full strength draft. An example is that if it had of been last year then Watts and Blease wouldn't have qualified for the draft.

How do you keep Wheatley? He'd be the first to go if i was in charge.

Imho there's not much Wheatley can teach to the younger kids, especially when compared to a Whelan or a McDonald.

And you'd get rid of McNamara..?

Despite the fact he's in his second season, yet still younger than Nev Jetta, Rohan Bail & Liam Jurrah?

Knowing he's only 5 weeks older than Jamie Bennell & 6 weeks older than James Strauss?

my comments were based on freeing up 5 spaces on the list for our end of year picks, for me persomally wheatley is the pick of the three(junior, wheels). the way the game has gone is unless your key postion forward/back or ruck you are a midfielder, or a midfielder/forward -midfielder back ie pettard bartram dunn morton davey cheney sylvia bennell jetta. while wheelan is tough he is limited to small defender, a extinct position. flash is a great role model to the young indigenous boys. junior is coming to the end of his journey. if we are to keep a senior player on the list i think in should be wheatley. his long penetrating and reasonably accurate kick can be a dangerous weapon when clearing the defensive 50. having said that he wont be around either when we are ready to challenge and next year could well be his last. my thought on mcnamara were summed up by Rhino Richards. i have never seen him play but needs to cement his spot in casey seniors if he is to stay on list

You would like to think winning games is the first ranked.

when you look at the club as a whole we need to solidify our supporter base.

hate to see all the good work stynes has done go down the tubes due to a terrible on field record..

if we went crap for the next 3 years and picked up 3 first round draft choices who would be there to watch them besides the die hards?? Unfortunately we are not like a collingwood or carlton where they have a strong ethnic supporter base who all have large families..

And the damge behind the scene would be massive ( look at freo, after failing to meet their predictions everyone is down)

He's talking about this year. Not the next three years.

What a few of us want, I am not excluding or including myself in this, is IF we are to only win 5 or 6 games we should play toddlers in the 5th and 6th win so that we qualify for the priority pick.

We could very well be 1 and 12 or 2 and 13 when we play WCE at the G. The 6 rounds after this game also include Port, Richmond, Freo at the G, and NM at Etihad.

My personal view is that I don't think we will have to worry about having too many wins. However, the incentive is there not to win a game just the way Carltank did a few years ago.

2010 should see us have 7-9 wins and improvement again in 2011, maybe a finals spot. Both scenarios would be enhanced by having a 4 and 18 season in 2009.

Just wondering if you blokes have actually seen McNamara play or are just picking his name out because he hasn't made his debut yet?

I havent seen him this year, but i dont think many people have as due to injury. In my inital post I said that we should de-list, and then rookie him again. He hasn't made any real impact around the club yet, but was bottom aged when we got him and deserves more time.

The only reason i choose him is because i think we will need to get rid of six. especially if we get the priority pick.

We will get Pick 1, Pick 2, Pick 17, Pick 33, Pick 49. then Pick 1 in PSD.

Also need to make room on the list to elevate Spencer.

Wheatley will be be unlucky but you would think another club would pick him up in the PSD. Its not that I don't like Wheatley, I think he adds good value to the team, but I cant think of anyone else who would be delisted ahead of him. P.J? Jamar?

I would much rather win 5-6 games than win 4. Firstly, winning is what you do in footy, you don't try to lose.

Do you know how you win games? By having the best cattle out on the park. Leigh Matthews said in a recent article that for a successful side, the quality of you list is 80% of the requirement. Get the picture

It is also another 1-2 weeks that Melbourne supporters come home from the game happy, and supporters are excited.

Are you still warm, fuzzy and excited by beating WB in Round 19(?) 2007 and Carlton in R22 in 2007? I bet you still are down to your cotton socks.

I don't think that Scully and Butcher would make me happy opposed to winning.

More fool you for not realising that players of the quality of Scully and Butcher create the opportunities and outcomes your prefer.

I havent seen him this year, but i dont think many people have as due to injury. In my inital post I said that we should de-list, and then rookie him again. He hasn't made any real impact around the club yet, but was bottom aged when we got him and deserves more time.

The only reason i choose him is because i think we will need to get rid of six. especially if we get the priority pick.

We will get Pick 1, Pick 2, Pick 17, Pick 33, Pick 49. then Pick 1 in PSD.

Also need to make room on the list to elevate Spencer.

Wheatley will be be unlucky but you would think another club would pick him up in the PSD. Its not that I don't like Wheatley, I think he adds good value to the team, but I cant think of anyone else who would be delisted ahead of him. P.J? Jamar?

He was a 4th round pick two years ago as a flanker/defender. He is still playing Casey 2nds and has had injuries. Given the lack of progress and our seemingly strong supply of defenders, he will either have to blossom in other areas or he will be gone at year end. I reckon your selection of him to go is not unreasonable.

I dont know whether Wheatley's contract is up this year but continuing injuries at this stage of his career may not augur well for the future. I doubt Wheatley is of any interest to another Club at his age.

Unless there is dramatic improvement, one of Jamar or PJ will be gone at year end. We cant carry two borderline ruckman.

If we were to finish last with four wins or less then those pick numbers are reasonable.

I reckon at year end at this stage that the following is likely:

2 or more out of McDonald, Whelan, Wheatley, Robbo will be retired or gone. Watch for potential injuries

1 or more of PJ/Jamar will be gone.

2 or more from Buckley, Bartram, Dunn, Bell, Sylvia (1 game doesn't save you).

He was a 4th round pick two years ago as a flanker/defender. He is still playing Casey 2nds and has had injuries. Given the lack of progress and our seemingly strong supply of defenders, he will either have to blossom in other areas or he will be gone at year end. I reckon your selection of him to go is not unreasonable.

I would've thought, due to his age and physical development, he would have been held back last year a la Watts & Blease this year, albeit without the fanfare of a number one draft pick.

Injuries have held him up also, but according to Peter German's Casey report, McNamara played his first game in the Casey Seniors on the weekend and was 'really good'.

Give the kid a chance before you write him off guys.

Despite his late selection, he was rated top25, at the time of that draft, by Emma Quayle, among others.

Its quite possible we'll see a similar thing with Blease at the same stage of his career.

Tom McNamara – Tom played his first game in the seniors. He played half-back flank and was really good. He was offensively creative and then he showed strong defensive work. He got a bit tired at the end, as he's still trying to find full match fitness. It was a really positive effort.

I would've thought, due to his age and physical development, he would have been held back last year a la Watts & Blease this year, albeit without the fanfare of a number one draft pick.

Injuries have held him up also, but according to Peter German's Casey report, McNamara played his first game in the Casey Seniors on the weekend and was 'really good'.

Give the kid a chance before you write him off guys.

Despite his late selection, he was rated top25, at the time of that draft, by Emma Quayle, among others.

Its quite possible we'll see a similar thing with Blease at the same stage of his career.

Im not writing him off, its round 5, he has got time. But look at the position we are in at the end of the year, we need to delist 5-7 players.

Name 6 players who deserve to leave the list before him. Delist and then Rookie him seems like our best option.

As i said, its round 5. A lot will change by the end of the year.

I think we will still finish bottom 4-5 at best so we are still going to get a top 5 pick regardless. Dont be greedy like carlton. Its not a guarantee for success. I might be wrong here but i believe Luke hodge was the first no 1 draft pick to win a flag? Including a top 5 pick this year we really have a great base to work with. Bottoming out is not the only way to win flags. Just ask geelong.

I think we will still finish bottom 4-5 at best so we are still going to get a top 5 pick regardless. Dont be greedy like carlton. Its not a guarantee for success. I might be wrong here but i believe Luke hodge was the first no 1 draft pick to win a flag? Including a top 5 pick this year we really have a great base to work with. Bottoming out is not the only way to win flags. Just ask geelong.

Sorry mate, you're wrong.

- Des Hedland

- Chad Fletcher

Doesn't exactly disprove the point you're making though.

Im not writing him off, its round 5, he has got time. But look at the position we are in at the end of the year, we need to delist 5-7 players.

Name 6 players who deserve to leave the list before him. Delist and then Rookie him seems like our best option.

As i said, its round 5. A lot will change by the end of the year.

We don't need to delist 7 players.

It is a shallow draft, I know it is because the 2010 draft has taken a chunk of the 2009 group due to age change.

Let's say we win 4 games: Pick 1, 3, 20, 35 and Spencer. That is as far as I would go into this draft. That's 5 players and if Prendergast thinks 35 is worth 60 in a normal draft he may wait for the deeper draft next year.

If we win 5+ games: Pick 2, 18, 35 and Spencer.

Whelan and Wheatley are having trouble getting on the park. Macca and Robbo will have to sit down with Bailey and think things through. Dunn might be vulnerable, Sylvia too... But, it is possible McNamara might be a victim of his slow start.

But I just don't see a cleanout coming this year.

We don't need to delist 7 players.

It is a shallow draft, I know it is because the 2010 draft has taken a chunk of the 2009 group due to age change.

Let's say we win 4 games: Pick 1, 3, 20, 35 and Spencer. That is as far as I would go into this draft. That's 5 players and if Prendergast thinks 35 is worth 60 in a normal draft he may wait for the deeper draft next year.

If we win 5+ games: Pick 2, 18, 35 and Spencer.

Whelan and Wheatley are having trouble getting on the park. Macca and Robbo will have to sit down with Bailey and think things through. Dunn might be vulnerable, Sylvia too... But, it is possible McNamara might be a victim of his slow start.

But I just don't see a cleanout coming this year.

We wont have to.

Half of the departures will come from retirements. There are others who just wont make it.

We will make 6 picks easy. You forget about a potential PSD pick.

We dont know what sort of draft this year will be. The age change has been put up to prematurely condemn the 2009 (not 2010). Its too early to tell. Its also the last draft unaffected by the GC inclusion. It would be hard to argue there are better opportunities for MFC in the 2010 draft with the GC priorities.

MFC must continually trawl its list for NQRs particularly those players who are rated in the bottom 10. If the footy dept dont believe they will improve or fit the club's plans they should go.

MFC should also look at trades if possible. But in my opinion, trade week is overhyped under delivers and with this being the last non GC impacted draft for a while, I suspect its a dead duck in 2009.

MFC has absolutely no room for complacency and I would be asking serious questions about list management if we did not cull at least six through retirement or delisting.

Sorry mate, you're wrong.

- Des Hedland

- Chad Fletcher

Doesn't exactly disprove the point you're making though.

WHO??

Try Drew Banfield.