This time last year Rich and Natanui were considered a lock for pick 1 and 2, then Jack Watts tore up the championships to jump ahead of both. Will anyone repeat the feat this year and go past Butcher and/or Scully?

I'm nowhere near as confident we'll finish last or get that all important PP as I was 4 weeks ago but I still can't see us ending up with a pick lower than 3. Until we've won 5, whether people like it or not, there'll be plenty of speculation about picks 1 and 2 around here, and it will only get worse the further we go into the year. Bring it on I say. If we haven't notched that fifth win I might have to organise a day off work on July 1st and head down to Ekithump Stadium. It was tempting last year with pick 1, but with 1 and 2 I'd have to go down for a look.

ROUND 1

Saturday May 23

Queensland vs NSW/ACT at Visy Park 11:15am

Tasmania vs Northern Territory at Visy Park 2pm

Saturday May 30

Western Australia vs South Australia at Subiaco 2:20pm (C/R to Frem vs Rich)

Sunday May 31

Victoria Country vs Victoria Metro at Skilled Stadium 1:30pm

ROUND 2

Friday June 5

Northern Territory vs Western Australia at TIO Stadium 6pm

Saturday June 6

NSW/ACT vs Victoria Metro at Rouse Hill 10am

Queensland vs South Australia at Rouse Hill 12:30pm

Sunday June 7

Tasmania vs Victoria Country at Bellerive 11:30am

ROUND 3

Saturday June 13

Western Australia vs Victoria Metro at Subiaco 11am

Sunday June 14

South Australia vs Victoria Country at AAMI Stadium 1:10pm (C/R Adel vs NM)

Saturday June 20

NSW/ACT vs Northern Territory at ANZ Stadium 4:10pm (C/R Syd vs Coll)

Tasmania vs Queensland at Aurora Stadium 11am

ROUND 4

Friday June 26

NSW/ACT vs South Australia at Visy Park 3pm

Saturday June 27

Victoria Country vs Northern Territory at Casey Fields 11am

Victoria Metro vs Queensland at Casey Fields 1pm

Tasmania vs Western Australia at Casey Fields 3pm

ROUND 5

Wednesday July 1

Tasmania vs NSW/ACT at Etihad Stadium 9:35am

Queensland vs Northern Territory at Etihad Stadium 11:40am

Victoria Country vs Western Australia at Etihad Stadium 1:45pm

Victoria Metro vs South Australia at Etihad Stadium 3:50pm

hahahah Eckythump stadium

love your work

Anyone no if the vic country vs vic metro game will be on foxtel??

nah they only ussually televise the grand final.

nah they only ussually televise the grand final.

You sure? last year I watched most of the carnival on Austar when i was out bush

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tab...60/default.aspx

just a bit more info on the kids.

I know it is a bad mentality to have but I really want MFC to gain pick 1 and 2 this year.

It is DEFINITELY worth the short term pain. I mean really what is the benefit of winning 6, compared to 4 wins... probably as much as the nil benefit we gained from winning 5, instead of 4 games 2 years ago.

Consider this-

our defence is really coming along beautifully.

- KPD- Garland, Warnock, Rivers, Martin and Frawley or even McNamara

- running defenders- Grimes, Cheney, Bennel and Strauss (who is being developed into a Gilbee/Drummand type half back.) Whelan and Wheatley will provide leadership and mentoring until they retire in the next year or two. Bell might become a player, but probably not.

Our forward line is also developing nicely but quite clearly are missing 1 extra KPF (Butcher anyone?)

- KPF- Watts, Miller

- forward flankers- Wonaeamirri, Maric, Bate, Sylvia, Pettard... Jetta could even become a player, or even Newton perhaps? Robbo will provide a target until Watts is ready in 2 years.

Our midfield is seriously lacking but we have started to build some serious talent in there

- clearly 1 superstar midfielder is lacking (Scully anyone) - Morton, Mclean, Jones, Blease, Buckley, Moloney, Bartram... who knows even Bail

- Green and Bruce will be the mentors until better players can take over.

Our midfield is CLEARLY lacking

If you look at our list in a serious way, it is extremely obvious that we are 1 elite midfielder (actually, probably 2 elite midfielder) and 1 elite forward away from developing a premiership threatening side.

Scully and Butcher would be invaluable

I know it is a bad mentality to have but I really want MFC to gain pick 1 and 2 this year.

Scully and Butcher would be invaluable

Hearing nothing but good things about Scully...mixed reports on Butcher, and does anybody know the name of the big (201cm) ruck prospect from Victoria?

Hearing nothing but good things about Scully...mixed reports on Butcher, and does anybody know the name of the big (201cm) ruck prospect from Victoria?

that would probably be Fitzpatrick your talking about! he can play a tall forward like butcher or ruck apparently! he kicked 2 goals for metro on the weekend! if Butcher is going to make arrogant comments like 'i dont want to go to a team that tanks' ..fair enough.. but you go where your told to go.. and be happy to get selected into afl at all!! ..maybe Fitzpatrick has a better attitude.. and from reports is almost as good as butcher anyway!

that would probably be Fitzpatrick your talking about! he can play a tall forward like butcher or ruck apparently! he kicked 2 goals for metro on the weekend! if Butcher is going to make arrogant comments like 'i dont want to go to a team that tanks' ..fair enough.. but you go where your told to go.. and be happy to get selected into afl at all!! ..maybe Fitzpatrick has a better attitude.. and from reports is almost as good as butcher anyway!

Thanks for that...as for Butcher, is he fearing that he will drop so far down the draft pecking order that the Cartel Football Club may pick him up?

Wednesday July 1st. Looks like I might have to take the afternoon off.

that would probably be Fitzpatrick your talking about! he can play a tall forward like butcher or ruck apparently! he kicked 2 goals for metro on the weekend! if Butcher is going to make arrogant comments like 'i dont want to go to a team that tanks' ..fair enough.. but you go where your told to go.. and be happy to get selected into afl at all!! ..maybe Fitzpatrick has a better attitude.. and from reports is almost as good as butcher anyway!

Fitzpatrick is ok......not sure of the reports that you've heard....from what I hear Butcher is 'head & shoulders' above others.

From what ive seen of butcher its nothing special or amazing im sure hes a talented player but, apart from a couple of good strong mark and strait kicking what else has he to offer?

Wednesday July 1st. Looks like I might have to take the afternoon off.

VERY tempting.. i might be in on that!

earlier on SEN not sure who ti was commented on Scully saying his left boot was awesome and thats he played very well.

So, very good considering im sure he would of been tagged.

I jumped on YouTube last night and watched a few clips of Scully and Butcher in action from last years championships. Scully looks fantastic. At least once he sets up a goal for Jack Watts. A sign of things to come? Some of you might be interested to watch the clips of Blease, Watts and Strauss. All three feature prominently through out each others highlight reels and seemed to kick it to each other all the time. Maybe they knew something? I'm going to keep a keen eye on this competition, over the next month.

Fox Sports will cover the July first championships. All 4 games.