CHANGES 2011 - BIGGER AND BETTER? by The Oracle

The theme of "change" is probably more descriptive of what has happened at Melbourne over the past few months this year than at any time over the past decade. 

As the club's national recruiting manager Barry Prendergast said after the rookie draft, "a change in coaching staff also altered the recruiting department’s focus entering this year’s drafting period." -Dees change tack at Rookie Draft

Prendergast was very clear in saying the change in focus was “probably more coach driven in terms of players to complement the specific role of the game plan.”

And so ends the phase in the club's recruiting where the emphasis has been almost solely on the drafting of youth and long term development. Those things will not be pushed completely aside, but rather, the emphasis will be more on rewards for performance rather than just on promotion of youth.

This was also different rookie draft in the wake of the advent of the new franchises and the introduction a few years back of the mature age rookie and the success of players like Michael Barlow and James Podsiadly.

Whereas in previous rookie drafts the majority of the players taken were leftover teenagers from the national draft, only 18 players in this rookie draft came from the TAC Cup, 16 from AFL clubs, 10 from the VFL, nine from the SANFL and eight from the WAFL. The rest were from exotic places like remote parts of central Australia or players from other sports including an Olympic steeplechase hopeful.

The new phenomenon of taking more mature players with more mature bodies is not new and not confined to Melbourne.

The Demons did select an 18 year old - tall forward prospect Jai Sheahan. They also unearthed 21 year old power forward Leigh Williams from Norwood EFL who missed out on the TAC Cup pathway due to injury. The two others selected in the draft were VFL midfielders Tom Couch and James Magner.

The Herald Sun provided these pen pictures of the club's draftees in the rookie draft:-

THOMAS COUCH

Age: 23

Height: 177cm

Weight: 79kg

From: Collingwood (VFL)

Position: Inside midfielder

The son of Geelong Brownlow medallist Paul Couch is a clearance specialist. Caught the eye of Mark Neeld in his old job as an assistant coach at the Magpies.

JAMES MAGNER

Age: 24

Height: 180cm

Weight: 86kg

From: Sandringham (VFL)

Another clearance gun with a strong body who won't flinch at Neeld's no prisoners approach. Had been training with St Kilda.

JAI SHEAHAN

Age: 18

Height: 193cm

Weight: 81kg

From: Geelong Falcons

Position: Tall forward

Athletic forward who reels in high marks. Reliable set shot for goal and good decision-maker who can also pinch-hit in the ruck.

LEIGH WILLIAMS

Age: 21

Height: 193cm

Weight: 95kg

From: Norwood (EFL) 

Won the Eastern Football League goalkicking after previously being tried in the backline with Eastern Ranges in the TAC Cup. Super strong pair of hands.

And that completes the trading and drafting process for 2011. The Melbourne Football Club's playing lists for 2012 will be as follows:-

PRIMARY LIST:

Rohan Bail Clint Bartram Matthew Bate Jamie Bennell Sam Blease Mitch Clark Lucas Cook Aaron Davey Troy Davis Lynden Dunn Jack Fitzpatrick James Frawley Colin Garland Max Gawn Jack Grimes Jordan Gysberts Jeremy Howe Mark Jamar Neville Jetta Nathan Jones Liam Jurrah Joel Macdonald Stefan Martin Tom McDonald Jordie McKenzie Brent Moloney Cale Morton Ricky Petterd Jared Rivers James Sellar Jake Spencer James Strauss Colin Sylvia Rory Taggert Luke Tapscott Jack Trengove Josh Tynan Jack Watts 

VETERAN LIST: Brad Green

ROOKIE LIST:

Tom Couch Michael Evans Kelvin Lawrence James Magner Dan Nicholson Jai Sheahan Leigh Williams

It's funny.

We spend all this money on getting to know the best teenagers in the country and Prendergast gets to pick two of them plus the first rookie (although he was training with the club so it is a bit of a wash).

Not saying it is a bad thing, because I really like the way Neeld is putting his imprimatur on the club.

But it is does make one think about return on investment...

I'm going to be very interested in how we handle next years draft and our compensation picks. It looks to me like we'll be taking three midfielders in the top 20, possibly with one in the top 10 although we might be squeezed out by other compo picks being taken. With the focus on height this year we are a very top-heavy side. I hope it doesn't hurt us this season.

I'm going to be very interested in how we handle next years draft and our compensation picks. It looks to me like we'll be taking three midfielders in the top 20, possibly with one in the top 10 although we might be squeezed out by other compo picks being taken. With the focus on height this year we are a very top-heavy side. I hope it doesn't hurt us this season.

Don't forget we also could trade one or both of those compo picks or not use them in next year's draft.

We spend all this money on getting to know the best teenagers in the country and Prendergast gets to pick two of them plus the first rookie (although he was training with the club so it is a bit of a wash).

Drafting is drafting, wherever they come from, and whatever their age. It all falls within Prendergast's area of responsibility, and presumably, expertise.

Don't forget we also could trade one or both of those compo picks or not use them in next year's draft.

Well we could, but given how strong next year's crop is supposed to be I'd back us to use at least one of them. It would need to be something pretty good to trade them off. Goddard maybe?

It's funny.

We spend all this money on getting to know the best teenagers in the country and Prendergast gets to pick two of them plus the first rookie (although he was training with the club so it is a bit of a wash).

Not saying it is a bad thing, because I really like the way Neeld is putting his imprimatur on the club.

But it is does make one think about return on investment...

not phased if the money is spent on recruiting and researching 18 year olds or 28 year olds...if they are a fit for the game plan that neeld is putting together and they lead to on field success then they can recruit a 38 year old soccer player from Argentina for all i care.

best return on investment is 4 points each weekend

Well we could, but given how strong next year's crop is supposed to be I'd back us to use at least one of them. It would need to be something pretty good to trade them off. Goddard maybe?

Goddard will be 27 in May next year and 28 by 2013 if he chooses to up anchor and make a big money move. Too old in my view for the type of player we'd want to bring in for a trade of our compo pick/s.

If we do opt to trade up, we should be aiming for a 24-25yo gun with a good 5 years left in the tank.

With the focus on height this year we are a very top-heavy side. I hope it doesn't hurt us this season.

This will be interesting. We're likely to go tall in the forward line, with Clark, Watts, Howe, Jurrah & Green, and also in defence, at least against some attacks, with Frawley, Rivers, Garland & Sellars. Some of our best games in 2010 were when we went in with just Jamar as ruck, with someone like Dunn as back-up, and included an extra runner. Hope we don't sacrifice too much run for the sake of height. On the other hand, we are blessed with extraordinarily athletic & agile "height" among the players I've named, so we just might get away with it. It will be an interesting balance.

I'm going to be very interested in how we handle next years draft and our compensation picks. It looks to me like we'll be taking three midfielders in the top 20, possibly with one in the top 10 although we might be squeezed out by other compo picks being taken. With the focus on height this year we are a very top-heavy side. I hope it doesn't hurt us this season.

Realistically, I don't think other than Clark and Sellar, many of the new talls will play this year, so the top heaviness, if it happens, won't be immediate.

Edited December 17, 201113 yr by monoccular

This will be interesting. We're likely to go tall in the forward line, with Clark, Watts, Howe, Jurrah & Green, and also in defence, at least against some attacks, with Frawley, Rivers, Garland & Sellars. Some of our best games in 2010 were when we went in with just Jamar as ruck, with someone like Dunn as back-up, and included an extra runner. Hope we don't sacrifice too much run for the sake of height. On the other hand, we are blessed with extraordinarily athletic & agile "height" among the players I've named, so we just might get away with it. It will be an interesting balance.

Realistically, I don't think other than Clark and Sellar, many of the new talls will play this year, so the top heaviness, if it happens, won't be immediate.

I don't classify Green or Jurrah as talls given their mobility and crumbing abilities. And with Watts' mobility, he is so flexible that he can play wing just as well as CHF.

Howe is more of a flanker too.

Injuries aside, i believe our round one team will contain Watts, Clark, Jamar, Martin, Frawley, Garland, Sellar and Rivers as our talls. Maybe not Sellar?

That's not overly top heavy IMO.

As highlighted above, the mobility of these big men is also a big key and is why i don't think Neeld would have any issues playing them all.

Mobile talls are a good thing, but what I've been getting at with my comments about being top heavy, especially in the 50m arcs, is the lack of quality smalls at either end. It's something that I think has really hurt us the last few seasons and I don't see much sign of the situation improving. I really hope that Kelvin Lawrence has a huge year and breaks into the side as a small forward because it's something we haven't had since Jeff Farmer left. Davey did the job, but he was more interested in moving to the midfield. Likewise, we can't keep relying on Bartram to be our only small defender. He's good 1-1, but he is a very limited player and while his endurance is good he's not really quick enough on a short sprint to go with the better forward pockets. I just find it monumentally frustrating to see guys like Garland and Frawley lumbering after a little gnat-sized forward pocket because they are the only match-ups we could find for them. It's poor list management. If every other club in the league can find guys to fill these roles, why is it so hard for us?

Goddard will be 27 in May next year and 28 by 2013 if he chooses to up anchor and make a big money move. Too old in my view for the type of player we'd want to bring in for a trade of our compo pick/s.

If we do opt to trade up, we should be aiming for a 24-25yo gun with a good 5 years left in the tank.

Yep. Or we wait til 2013/14 to bring in a big name.

This is still a development year as we slow cook our young players to readiness.

Games and maturity take time, so this new tack with some mature bodies to tide over the list, will ease the rush on the kids and allow them to develop at their pace.

In hindsight, this recruiting strategy is a good one, IMO.

Mobile talls are a good thing, but what I've been getting at with my comments about being top heavy, especially in the 50m arcs, is the lack of quality smalls at either end. It's something that I think has really hurt us the last few seasons and I don't see much sign of the situation improving. I really hope that Kelvin Lawrence has a huge year and breaks into the side as a small forward because it's something we haven't had since Jeff Farmer left. Davey did the job, but he was more interested in moving to the midfield. Likewise, we can't keep relying on Bartram to be our only small defender. He's good 1-1, but he is a very limited player and while his endurance is good he's not really quick enough on a short sprint to go with the better forward pockets. I just find it monumentally frustrating to see guys like Garland and Frawley lumbering after a little gnat-sized forward pocket because they are the only match-ups we could find for them. It's poor list management. If every other club in the league can find guys to fill these roles, why is it so hard for us?

Simple IMO.

We've had to do a Full list rebuild. Thanks Bails.

We had to fill gaps all over the paddock. We had to build the defence to be sturdy first then try to add class to the backs and mids. as we did.

Now we are weeding through the early picks, hits & misses, to sort & add class, last years draft and now some hardness to speed the progress.

Simple IMO.

We've had to do a Full list rebuild. Thanks Bails.

Why thank Bails?

I would have thought we should be thanking Barry Prendergast for putting the list together.

Why thank Bails?

I would have thought we should be thanking Barry Prendergast for putting the list together.

Barry's recent comments regarding drafting for Neeld ect would suggets he drafted for Bailey also. Yes thanks Prendergast but he picks players that fits the wants of the coach.