Yeah but they won't be learning how to ruck if they're doing that ...

Were now past any era of just learning. Were now entering the WIN phase. We have the shapings of a very capable team. its time to stop continually looking to some larvellous future date when all things fall into some place. Its essentially here now. Spencer will need to further refine and hone his craft. He will need to earn his spot . Its now not a matter of no one else able to fulfil the role. Its needs to be won. If Campbell and Jamar were to forge a definitive force and help guide the Dees to flags I certainly wouldnt care less if Spencer never played again. But take that in context. Its all about the team. Its not a charity fuzzy feeling home for waywards its fair dinkum AFL

Spencer and anyone else will get their time...if and when their ready and needed

Great to see so many young rookies drafted and a huge amount of potential from the group. Can definitely see atleast 2 of them joining the senior squad in the near future. As for Campbell, he could be a valuable asset in the next couple of years if he can overcome his horror run with injury. Lawrence is the one that stands out the most for mine, very keen to see what he has to offer.

So it seems we have effectively swapped PJ for Robbie Campbell. Looks like a great outcome for us, and let's face it, much more than PJ could have expected; but not such a great outcome for Hawthorn. It just strikes me that it would have been much easier for the Hawks to have taken Campbell with an earlier pick than it would have been for them to get PJ at the last gasp. It's almost like they're doing him a favour.

Can the Hawks be outsmarted that easily? Or has a deal been tweaked somehow? Perhaps as part of Hawks getting Cam???

Interesting comment in Barry Prendergast interview, that the numbers really fell our way in the rookie draft, picking up blokes we weren't sure would still be around. Obviously that's great news.

However he also said that 'the numbers didn't really fall our way' in the national draft.

Imo, that was a reference to the fact that Tom Lynch went pick 11 (ahead of our pick 12), and O'Shea went at pick 53 (ahead of our pick 54). Also, in order to ensure other clubs between our pick 33 and 51 didn't get Howe, we probably took him a little earlier. I'm not saying our blokes in the national draft won't be great, but it is an interesting comment nonetheless.

Yeah, BP actually mentioned after the ND that the numbers didn't quite fall our way and we didn't quite get the choices we hoped would slip through.

We may have also missed out on Brad Harvey in the rookie draft. He was a high performer in the draft camp and was training with us, but Brisbane nabbed him at 13, one before our first pick.

On the other hand, Kelvin Lawrence was rumoured to go in the first round.

Looks like we picked 4 talls in the National Draft and balanced these picks with 4 quick smallish players this morning.

The common element seems to be an ability to kick the football.

I think we'd have been happy with either, but more happy with Nicholson.

BP did say something about it being a decision between Nicholson, Harvey and Jakobi at our first rookie pick, and also Evans who we didn't expect to get at our 2nd pick.

Evans has had some terrible luck with injuries in 2009 & 2010 so he could end up a real surprise packet, just like Jordie McKenzie.

Were now past any era of just learning. Were now entering the WIN phase. We have the shapings of a very capable team. its time to stop continually looking to some larvellous future date when all things fall into some place. Its essentially here now. Spencer will need to further refine and hone his craft. He will need to earn his spot . Its now not a matter of no one else able to fulfil the role. Its needs to be won. If Campbell and Jamar were to forge a definitive force and help guide the Dees to flags I certainly wouldnt care less if Spencer never played again. But take that in context. Its all about the team. Its not a charity fuzzy feeling home for waywards its fair dinkum AFL

Spencer and anyone else will get their time...if and when their ready and needed

That's great - our rucks are set for a flag and we don't need

Fitzpatrick or Gawn to learn anything about rucking in the VFL 1s. What a relief!

Interesting comment in Barry Prendergast interview, that the numbers really fell our way in the rookie draft, picking up blokes we weren't sure would still be around. Obviously that's great news.

However he also said that 'the numbers didn't really fall our way' in the national draft.

Imo, that was a reference to the fact that Tom Lynch went pick 11 (ahead of our pick 12), and O'Shea went at pick 53 (ahead of our pick 54). Also, in order to ensure other clubs between our pick 33 and 51 didn't get Howe, we probably took him a little earlier. I'm not saying our blokes in the national draft won't be great, but it is an interesting comment nonetheless.

Yes, and wonder if they were hoping that we'd get Lynch, and then either Cook (yep!) or Lycett would come through to our second pick.

But as has been pointed out,maybe we've done well in the Rookies, where we seem to have got what the FD thought could have been 3 first-rounders (or close to it).

I also like that we've gone for a few "late bloomers", i.e. players who only came into view late® in the season. Campbell, Evans, Lawrence, Howe ... In other words, players who perhaps we've picked up cheaply. I look at that Lawrence video and think "this makes up for not grabbing Lewis Jetta as a rookie".

But .. I'm an MFC supporter = eternal optimist!

Casey's least memorable game of 2010 was the shellacking out at Williamstown which saw the Scorpions topple from the ladder leadership they so briefly occupied. One of Williamstown's best players on the day was their 23rd man from Western Jets, Ben Casley who kicked four goals and was most impressive. It must have been a flash in the pan because I don't think he was picked up in the draft. Feel free to correct me if I've misread it because it seems that there are so many concession picks and free kicks going around that it's most confusing.

I think the general feeling among VFL watchers was one of disappointment that some highly touted players like Matt Little, Callum Sinclair and Mitch Thorp didn't make it and there was no interest in Beau Dowler or Beau Muston and a few others.

I suppose there are mixed feelings at Casey about the outcome of the drafts. The Scorps didn't lose any players directly although Michael Stockdale and James Wall were mentioned in dispatches. Peter Faulks who crossed to Williamstown at the end of last year was picked up in trade week and will join Alex Silvagni at the Dockers. A few likely lads were drafted from our feeder club Gippsland Power (Dyson Heppell, Jed Lamb, Dean McDonald and Michael Ross) but I still think that a good batch of recruits will come from that source including Tim Northe who is an exciting footballer who, at 175cm, might be just a little short for the AFL. Of course, Brad Miller (Richmond) and Kyle Cheney (Hawthorn) will be sorely missed along with Daniel Bell and high flyer Danny Hughes who will probably finish up back with the Zebras.

On the credit side, the Scorpions will host most of the promising new Demon draftees and if the boys all remain fit, we should have a good season with lots of interest about the makeup of the team. Also, now that we know who has been drafted, the recruiting process at VFL clubs can proceed as there is a need to replace a few of the departing players which this year include Ben MacReadie who has gone to the SANFL.

On the credit side, the Scorpions will host most of the promising new Demon draftees and if the boys all remain fit, we should have a good season with lots of interest about the makeup of the team. Also, now that we know who has been drafted, the recruiting process at VFL clubs can proceed as there is a need to replace a few of the departing players which this year include Ben MacReadie who has gone to the SANFL.

KC - please forgive my ignorance - who does Casey have on the list to ruck?

Also is Brady White going to make the cut?

Cheers!