The best thing about Johnstone was Grimes. But this is a Viney thread.. carry on chaps.

The best thing about Johnstone was Grimes. But this is a Viney thread.. carry on chaps.

I tend to disagree partially. Whilst Grimes will become one of our best in years to come, Travis was our best player for ages and ages, if not just behind Neita IMO. He was very badly underrated and was sorely missed when he left, as displayed by the general anger the majority of supporters showed when he was traded. He had the foot skills, the nouse and the little bursts of pace from the packs. He was inside and outside. He was NEAR complete, shame he was lazy. Lets just hope Viney is everything Travis wasn't in terms of work ethic and application which IMO he already has!

Travis Johnstone is still unarguably the best midfielder to play for our club in my lifetime. He's underrated by Melbourne supporters who are bitter he didn't live up to what they hoped for, but also shows the lack of superstars we've had at the club in the last few decades.

I agree wholly, the guy was a freak he ALMOST had it all..............

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/139314/default.aspx

Another likely top ten pick, will be interesting how this pans out,

I think everyone knows we will take Viney but maybe there will be enough talent up top for us to throw some doubt in peoples minds, either way Viney and pick 4 and hopefully another mid sliding to 12 is super Juicy. The ruckman Grundy may be seriously looked at knowing we will get another top end Mid at pick 12 and even 22 or so

Stringer and Viney for me picks 3 & 4

If we trade our first pick and first compensation pick for the 17 year olds in gws, then does that mean we get viney with unders at our first non compensation pick which would be 20 odd?

If we trade our first pick and first compensation pick for the 17 year olds in gws, then does that mean we get viney with unders at our first non compensation pick which would be 20 odd?

F-S picks are sorted out before trading starts.

From Wikipedia -

In 2007 the AFL made an important amendment for the father-son rule, establishing a bidding system to determine which draft pick a club must give up to secure the potential recruit. The current system works as follows:^[2][3][4]

• 1. Individual clubs are free to nominate potential father-son recruits within the eligibility guidelines below.
  
• 2. A meeting is held on the Monday before the start of trade week where clubs can bid for the nominated players. Each club has the option to bid, in reverse ladder order, for the nominated players.
  
• 3. If a bid is made, the club that nominated the father-son player must use its next available selection if it wishes to retain its hold on that player. If a club nominating the father-son player declines to match the selection nominated, the club with the successful bid must use that selection at the Draft to select the player.
  
• 4. Any club that makes a successful bid on a father-son selection must commit to pick the player they nominate.
  
• 5. If no bid is made by another club, the club that nominated the father-son eligible player will forfeit its last selection in the draft to select the player.
  

For example in 2008 the Western Bulldogs had to use their 1st round selection, #14, to secure Ayce Cordy after St Kilda bid their 1st round selection for him. Ayce's father, Brian, played 124 games for the Bulldogs in the 1980s.^[5]

Travis Johnstone is still unarguably the best midfielder to play for our club in my lifetime.

Which pretty much sums up our shocking plight. How can a football club not draft one gun mid in 20 years ?

Btw, did you EVER see TJ play one match where he put it together for all 4 quarters ?

Which pretty much sums up our shocking plight. How can a football club not draft one gun mid in 20 years ?

Btw, did you EVER see TJ play one match where he put it together for all 4 quarters ?

i that the semi-final we lost to adelaide was the closest I ever saw him get.

i that the semi-final we lost to adelaide was the closest I ever saw him get.

Indeed - obviously he felt like it on that day. That just adds to the frustration, really.

i that the semi-final we lost to adelaide was the closest I ever saw him get.

Indeed - obviously he felt like it on that day. That just adds to the frustration, really.

He had two good quarters and hit a massive wall in the last.

The was the worst, then the best, then the worst time watching the Dees.

If we trade our first pick and first compensation pick for the 17 year olds in gws, then does that mean we get viney with unders at our first non compensation pick which would be 20 odd?

There are a few threads that go through these scenarios but if we could tell the two expansion clubs that we will package Pick 3 into a three way deal where GC gets one of the 17 year olds - we might be able to convince them not to bid for Viney.

But it will only be a 'handshake' deal at that stage as trade week does not start until after the F/S Bidding is done.

Travis Johnstone is still unarguably the best midfielder to play for our club in my lifetime. He's underrated by Melbourne supporters who are bitter he didn't live up to what they hoped for, but also shows the lack of superstars we've had at the club in the last few decades.

TJ finished in the TOP 10 in our B& F twice - once when he won and another time when he came 3rd.

Wasted talent. His best was superb but yet another of ours who couldn't make it to elite because of work ethic (or club culture).

TJ finished in the TOP 10 in our B& F twice - once when he won and another time when he came 3rd.

Wasted talent. His best was superb but yet another of ours who couldn't make it to elite because of work ethic (or club culture).

I don't take any notice of BnF's to be honest. If a player fulfills his role, then he scores higher than someone who performed better but didn't perform their set role as well. Johnstone won the BnF in 2005, then improved and had his best ever season in 2006, yet he didnt go near it in the BnF despite having a better year and being Melbournes best performed player. He always got judged harshly, as Watts does now. Strangely enough he got judged harshly by supporters, where as opposition and media were surprised he didnt make All Australian that year etc.

We're a strange bunch us Melbourne supporters...

Anyhoo it does go to show our lack of stars over the last two decades. In that time our best mids off the top of my head have been Johnstone, Yze, Woewodin, Tingay, Viney, Bruce for a period, Mclean for a period. We havent had an out and out star who consistently performed. We need a few in the midfield as it's clearly our weakness. Viney will hopefully bring his hard at it approach and work ethic inside in packs. We should draft a quick classy outside mid to compliment him.

TJ was a Rolls Royce, who I reckon we traded at the right time, he always flopped in every final, the Adelaide game included - the game is over after 4 quarters, cossetted and spoon fed at every turn he was never going to lift any further.

When he was on he was a hot knife through butter, used to frustrate the hell out of me during finals though..

when he was 'on' - which was usually for about 2 quarters in 14 - the games seemed to move in slow motion around travis.

there was one game where he got the ball deep in the back pocket, had three players bearing down on him from different angles, and worked his way out of the jam like they were standing still not charging him to deliver a 50m bullet to a free man on the wing. just breath taking.

but, as i say, it was 2 in 14, if we were lucky.

i'll takes grimes any day of the week over roller.

CY 13.12.90 def WC 8.7.55

CY Best: J Macrae, J Viney, J Ashby, L Celebicanin

Goals: A Sloan 2, L Celebicanin 2, J Macrae, J Davy, J Harris, T Wooldridge, L Stanboultsis, J Viney, M Haynes, J Ashby, G Dickson

WC Best: M Barton, C Craig, J Dunn, Gorton, S Marshall, M Singleton, L Borthwick

Goals: J dunn 3, Gorton 2, M Singleton, J Diplaris

Jack made the bests for carey on weekend

Some info on JV scenario from the HS

Adding a further layer of intrigue is the Jack Viney father-son scenario.

GWS and Gold Coast have warned they may bid on Viney to force Melbourne to use pick 3 on him, but the Dees are privately scoffing at those suggestions, believing it would be an extremely risky proposition.

Recent reports that Viney has already signed a long-term deal with the Demons are incorrect.

Viney has signed a memo of understanding with the club, in keeping with AFL rules, but it is not binding.

If forced to pay too high a price under the bidding system the Demons can reneg, leaving GWS or Gold Coast with Viney.

If GWS or Gold Coast leave Viney alone, he will slip through to the second round as a father-son pick, making it more appealing for the Dees to give up pick 4.

I don't take any notice of BnF's to be honest. If a player fulfills his role, then he scores higher than someone who performed better but didn't perform their set role as well. Johnstone won the BnF in 2005, then improved and had his best ever season in 2006, yet he didnt go near it in the BnF despite having a better year and being Melbournes best performed player. He always got judged harshly, as Watts does now. Strangely enough he got judged harshly by supporters, where as opposition and media were surprised he didnt make All Australian that year etc.

It's your perogative to hold that view but its a stupid one.

Its a team game, sport. In case you hadn't noticed.

Anyone know if Jack is playing on Friday?

Anyone know if Jack is playing on Friday?

Misson said during the injury updates that Viney most likely will play on Friday.

yep - jack's back and jumping out of his skin to play:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/more-news/melbourne-bound-jack-viney-ready-to-rock-for-vic-metro/story-e6frf9jf-1226410247193

I know people would love to get the bonus of Viney as a second round pick, but are you really going to be stressed out about taking him with pick 3? He is in all likelihood a top 5 pick regardless, so what is the big issue? We take him with our pick 3 (assuming we wind up with 3 and 4), take whoever we would otherwise have taken at three with our pick four, and we wind up with two very good players. That sounds like a pretty good scenario to me.

I would also like to point out to everyone talking about "handshake agreements" with clubs that the AFL in their infinite wisdom have declared that in this specific case any such deal would be regarded as draft tampering and the club would face sanctions (despite the fact that other clubs have been doing such deals for years). As such, I find it highly doubtful that we would attempt something like that, especially not with GWS, given that they would love to run to the AFL and complain about it just to cause trouble.

Personally, while I can see the appeal of picking Jack up with a second round pick, I will be thrilled to have him in the side regardless and I don't think pick three is too much to pay for him. It's not like there are three outstanding players who are head and shoulders above the rest.

I don't take any notice of BnF's to be honest. If a player fulfills his role, then he scores higher than someone who performed better but didn't perform their set role as well. Johnstone won the BnF in 2005, then improved and had his best ever season in 2006, yet he didnt go near it in the BnF despite having a better year and being Melbournes best performed player. He always got judged harshly, as Watts does now. Strangely enough he got judged harshly by supporters, where as opposition and media were surprised he didnt make All Australian that year etc.

We're a strange bunch us Melbourne supporters...

Anyhoo it does go to show our lack of stars over the last two decades. In that time our best mids off the top of my head have been Johnstone, Yze, Woewodin, Tingay, Viney, Bruce for a period, Mclean for a period. We havent had an out and out star who consistently performed. We need a few in the midfield as it's clearly our weakness. Viney will hopefully bring his hard at it approach and work ethic inside in packs. We should draft a quick classy outside mid to compliment him.

Still off topic and I'm probably not as big a Travis fan as yourself, but he's been the best kick i've seen at Melbourne ever. Precision in kicking and immaculate technique. It was a joy watching him kick the football around the MCG.

Go forward with the view that we'll take him with our first pick, he's easily the best inside/impact mid in the draft so @ three he's still represents great value. If he slips through to the 2nd round it's a bonus (but highly unlikely imho).