One week to go. Will we draft outside those training with us?

Well, if we do draft from outside those training with us it won't be Brendan Fevola or Andrew Lovett. The stories of their demise has been well documented.

I've heard that at various stages, poor old Kevin Sheedy was keen to get both of them across to GWS but the idea was swiftly knocked on the head by the powers that be who really run the club from AFL HQ.

Sheeds wrote a book about giving sportsmen second chances and beyond and no doubt their presence would have helped him win the odd game or two. They would certainly have helped some of those young pimply faced 17 and 18 year olds learn the finer points of becoming AFL stars.

Football in western Sydney will be the poorer for the edict that prevented these blokes from continuing their careers at one of the few places in the country where they would have looked right at home.

I don't recall having seen anything much if at all about Lawrence in the various training reports.

Reputed to be a potential slick crumbing forward, a much needed commodity at MFC, yet so little being said which is a worry.

Have any of those who have been fortunate enough to get to training sessions anything to observe? If he is any sort of serious contender for the role, he should really be starting to make big statements (on the track) by now.

Well, it's all come down to this - Rate cut hopes go bananas

Released by the club today:

1. -

2. Nathan Jones

3. Clint Bartram

4. Jack Watts

5. Jordan Gysberts

6. Matthew Bate

7. Jamie Bennell

8. James Frawley

9. Jack Trengove

10. Cale Morton

11. Mitch Clark

12. Colin Sylvia

13. Jordie McKenzie

14. Lynden Dunn

15. Ricky Petterd

16. Jack Grimes

17. Sam Blease

18. Brad Green

19. James Strauss

20. Colin Garland

21. Lucas Cook

22. Brent Moloney

23. -

24. Liam Jurrah

25. Tom McDonald

26. Daniel Nicholson

27. Jared Rivers

28. Joel Macdonald

29. -

30. James Sellar

31. -

32. Michael Evans

33. -

34. Stefan Martin

35. Luke Tapscott

36. Aaron Davey

37. Max Gawn

38. Jeremy Howe

39. Neville Jetta

40. Mark Jamar

41. Troy Davis

42. Jake Spencer

43. Rory Taggert

44. Rohan Bail

45. Kelvin Lawrence

46. Josh Tynan

47. -

48. Jack Fitzpatrick

Note: Melbourne's jumper numbers will be finalised after the December 13 NAB AFL Rookie Draft. The Demons will add another four players to their list, giving them 46 players for 2012.

I'm starting to believe that the club thinks like we do about the rookie draft being far more important than the national draft.

After all, why would they be uplifting Dan Nicholson and Michael Evans' numbers and leaving all of those important jumper numbers like 1, 23, 29, 31 and 33 available for the new rookies?

I'm campaigning to give Freddie Clutterbuck the #29 made famous by Hassa Mann and Tom Couch has to be given #31 worn with distinction and pride by Seymour's Peter Garratt in 1976.

But who will get Max "Tangles" Walker's # 1 and will someone get the number once worn by the GWS Giants' best midfielder James McDonald?

Will they rest Aussie's number or give it away to someone else ... or even back to Aussie.

By golly, I love rookie draft time!!!

By golly, I love rookie draft time!!!

I quite enjoy it myself.

6.

I'm campaigning to give Freddie Clutterbuck the #29 made famous by Hassa Mann and Tom Couch has to be given #31 worn with distinction and pride by Seymour's Peter Garratt in 1976.

!!!

When I think of the No.29 I always think of 'Dazzling' Dean Chiron.

"Menzies was in Canberra, 'Blue Hills' was on the wireless, and Melbourne was on top of the football world. Everything was as it should be. Home and hearth was safe and sound, and the Demons kept winning. Melbourne had made the finals for 11 straight years, played in the Grand Final for eight of those, and it would surely be ever thus."

The year, of course, was 1964, and you could probably have bought a whole bunch of bananas for a bob. Sadly for us Demon tragics, it didn't remain forever thus.

But as Dylan and PP&M so eloquently put it, "The times they are a changin". I can feel it in my water ... even at 3:00am when I struggle out of bed for a second nightly pee (too much warm cocoa, but I need it to help me sleep). Yes, there is a mood of nervous anticipation around the house. Mrs Oldfart has always been more pragmatic than me, but she can feel it too! The Dees are on the march again. As sure as the sun will rise in the morning, #13 is just over the horizon.

Realistic, dreaming or senility?

Realistic = Too much warm cocoa makes you pee at night.

It's funny how the 'forever thus' has morphed into, after the decades of failure, into a writ of perpetual failure, a promise of eventual doom.

First step would be to grow out of that.

Realistic = Too much warm cocoa makes you pee at night.

Thanks HT. Reading your reply almost did the trick as well!

He's shown some real character hasn't he. Didn't he win some sort of clubman award? And from memory didn't he at one stage agree to stay on as a rookie, even though he had been offered a contract at the Crows.

The rookie draft certainly has been good to us.

The Coaches Award for the last two years iirc. Now that says something!

Realistic, dreaming or senility?

yep, all of them...................sounds like you've been walk'n in my shoes

Thanks HT. Reading your reply almost did the trick as well!

Typing it almost did the trick as well !

Sorry, I couldn't help myself.

May well be dreaming "DeeoldFart" but as I constantly tell Mrs OD if you take away my dreams what do I have left?

Unfortunately my hopes have been dashed too many times I am firmly in the

"wait and See " mood.

But it is only 7th December and the memories of the 2011 season have not yet faded.

By early Jan I will probably catch your mood.

Until then GO DEEES

But it is only 7th December and the memories of the 2011 season have not yet faded.

It is not just the 7th of December, it is also less than 6 days to the Rookie Draft, an event that may one day rival the Brownlow Medal count. Note I didn't say the Medal but rather the actual count.

It is not just the 7th of December, it is also less than 6 days to the Rookie Draft, an event that may one day rival the Brownlow Medal count. Note I didn't say the Medal but rather the actual count.

I think it has already past it Redleg.

The only thing on TV more boring Than the brownlow count is the draft of GWS players.

Gee I wonder which 13 of the first 15 picks will GWS take!

Mail has just arrived with the "Heartbeat Year book 2011"

Inside is a "2011 team poster"

hell now I will have to go out and get a frame so I can put that photo up to remind me of the great year we had in 2011.

Actually does look like a good book.

I think it has already past it Redleg.

The only thing on TV more boring Than the brownlow count is the draft of GWS players.

Gee I wonder which 13 of the first 15 picks will GWS take!

How funny would it be if the best 2 players ended up being the 2 they didn't take. Unlikely but maybe the best 2 after the first 5 picks are discounted would be a possibility.

It is not just the 7th of December, it is also less than 6 days to the Rookie Draft, an event that may one day rival the Brownlow Medal count. Note I didn't say the Medal but rather the actual count.

It's also the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbour.

It's also the 70th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbour.

Yes WJ "the day of infamy"

On a lighter note, wonderful news at McDonalds, the arrival of the BANANABERRY smoothie at $2.95. Is there a Maccas on my way home?

On a lighter note, wonderful news at McDonalds, the arrival of the BANANABERRY smoothie at $2.95. Is there a Maccas on my way home?

You must live somewhere different if there is not one Redleg.

I was close to making a purchase yesterday but my waist line got in the road.

On a lighter note, wonderful news at McDonalds, the arrival of the BANANABERRY smoothie at $2.95. Is there a Maccas on my way home?

I doubt there would be anything close to a banana in there...

I doubt there would be anything close to a banana in there...

Then it would be of no interest to me as I find berry smoothies too rich for my taste.