Do we lack another big Key forward in terms of depth other than Watts and Jurrah for the future? Should the club seriously consider Butcher in the draft instead of a quality midfielder?

Should the club seriously consider Butcher in the draft instead of a quality midfielder?

Best available is always the best policy, and with picks 1 and 2 those two picks will be midfielders.

Butcher may have been highly rated in the past, but has not done anything this year to justify being picked at number 2. That is a risk that we simply cannot take.

If he is still around at pick 17, of course we'll consider him, but drafting for needs with early picks has always proven to be a disastrous policy for us. It worked out well last year that who we thought was best available at pick 1, was a KPF, and we then landed another future star forward with pick one in the PSD.

This year is about midfielders, and thank god for that, because our midfield is complete garbage.

I understand the need for quality mids and I will be happy with Scully and a Trengove. However I look at Newton and Miller and I wonder where they sit as part of the future?

However I look at Newton and Miller and I wonder where they sit as part of the future?

They're sitting in the unemployment line at Centrelink

Seriously though, I think people underestimate the value of an A grade midfield.

Geelong's Mooney and Johnson duo was enough for them to win a premiership, on the back of a brilliant midfield. West Coast had Lynch and Hansen was it?

Watts, Jurrah, Aussie, Bate and Martin (who just needs to improve those set shots) are more than enough of a force up forward, particularly if we can start getting goals from our mids (Jones, Sylvia, Scully). Also Morton is a strong chance of playing as a key forward in the future.

You can have the greatest attack in the world but if your midfield is crap and you can't get enough inside 50s, you will never win much.

Midfields and backlines win premierships. Our backline is looking good, our midfield not so much. I want clean, smart ball users with pace. We got Blease and Strauss, now lets top up with a couple more who can really win their own ball (Scully and possibly Trengove) and we might finally have a midfield with a hope in hell of getting us to a top 4 position.

Do we lack another big Key forward in terms of depth other than Watts and Jurrah for the future? Should the club seriously consider Butcher in the draft instead of a quality midfielder?

Yes, we lack a KPF. I'm in the camp that wants two key forwards, a la Hawthorn, St. Kilda, etc.

If we rank Butcher (or some other KPF) equally with a mid at #2 I'd want us to take the KPF - in a heartbeat.

I reckon it's easier to find decent mids later in the draft and I also think that since talls take longer to develop it's a perfect time to pick one up.

Geelong's Mooney and Johnson duo was enough for them to win a premiership, on the back of a brilliant midfield. West Coast had Lynch and Hansen was it?

Watts, Jurrah, Aussie, Bate and Martin (who just needs to improve those set shots) are more than enough of a force up forward

Geelong's forwards probably lost them their 2008 flag, and despite great delivery (and inside 50's) it could be the same story this year.

If those are the five we're pinning our hopes on we better hope that every one of those exceeds their potential (let alone one or more getting a serious injury or not making the grade).

As much as I have swayed from drafting two elite mids or one elite mid and one Kpf I still haven't made up my mind entirely. I still lean towards two mids although the more I see Newton and Miller play and Robertson retiring soon enough the more I see a Kpf being drafted early. Fwiw if it could be guaranteed that Melbournefc could draft Scully, Trengove/Butcher and Colyer with its first 3 picks, I would take that in a heartbeat.

Edited August 11, 200916 yr by High Tower

40 players used this season, must be something of a club record for Melbournefc.

How many did we play last season?

40 players used this season, must be something of a club record for Melbournefc.

How many did we play last season?

Buckley still due to come back in soon too

Buckley still due to come back in soon too

Didn't Buckley play the first game?

Didn't Buckley play the first game?

Did he?

I reckon it's easier to find decent mids later in the draft and I also think that since talls take longer to develop it's a perfect time to pick one up.

I want star mids win flags, not decent ones.

We haven't had one come into the system for 35 years, so they're not easy to find.

Did he?

Yep.

40 players this season. Only two have played all 19. (Davey/Bruce)

What are the chances of another rookie getting blooded? (Hughes/Zomer)

Yep.

40 players this season. Only two have played all 19. (Davey/Bruce)

What are the chances of another rookie getting blooded? (Hughes/Zomer)

I've been a huge advocate of Hughes getting a game in this second half of the season. With our injury list up around 20 players, surely he'll have to come into consideration now? (barring injury - he was a late withdrawal from Saturday's matchfor Casey).

Development wise, he's ahead of most of our debutants this year, and was really stiff to not be upgraded to the senior list before McKenzie prior to the Swans match. Hope he gets a game in the final three weeks, although it's not looking likely now, and unfortunately for him, his AFL dream of playing for the MFC is now almost over.

Zomer is not up to standard IMO. He's struggled at VFL level and has spent most of the season in the VFL 2's. Definite delist.

Get Jamar and MArtin to rest up forward and not leave the ground, it'll free up another mid and give us an option at the top of square. Plus Morton will drift forward, and Watts will need his space.

We will have had 4 picks in the top 4 since 2007 and we have Morton, Watts, and Scully locked up. That would only be balanced if we got another mid with Pick 2.

And don't say that we have plenty of mids and that the forward line needs addressing - we need stars in the midfield .

I'm talking bonafide stars, and you find them at the pointy end of the draft - A mid for me.