Lucas cook and many others are the reason why I wish the minimum draft age was raised to 21. Midfielders who are drafted at 18 and start at AFL level straight away are freaks so any Key position player coming in straight away are super freaks. I never get excited about a key position draftee we pickup. We have to wait an Olympics to see if we have a good key position player.

Essendon decided to bulk up over pre season .Wish we did to .

Mark Thompson knows a bit about winning .

Lucas cook and many others are the reason why I wish the minimum draft age was raised to 21. Midfielders who are drafted at 18 and start at AFL level straight away are freaks so any Key position player coming in straight away are super freaks. I never get excited about a key position draftee we pickup. We have to wait an Olympics to see if we have a good key position player.

Hurley and Darling don't agree

I always find it amusing that people not only use hindsight when comparing players who were available at the time we took someone else

But they don't compare the same 2 players that belong to teams at different ends on the ladder

I have no problem with the Selection of Cook

Give the kid a chance

Essendon decided to bulk up over pre season .Wish we did to .

Mark Thompson knows a bit about winning .

http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/134070/default.aspx

"Essendon coach James Hird says a pre-season bulking up players may be the reason for so many soft-tissue injuries"

"Hibberd was the club's ninth casualty for the season and the seventh Essendon player to suffer a hamstring tear this season. "

I always find it amusing that people not only use hindsight when comparing players who were available at the time we took someone else

Hindsight is a wonderful thing, it can be dangerous, but it can also be very comforting, if you're so inclined!!!

As for Cook, the jury is still well and truly out especially given the complete and utter lack of anything we have seen thus far.

No-one is throwing the kid out just yet (too young for that kind of judgment), but there is going to have to be something seen sooner rather than later to justify the pick.

As for the comparison to Darling (who I assume is the one being pleaded for in hindsight), we can all get a little carried away with the green eyed monster when we see someone we could have (some would say should have) had performing as well as he has been, only for another club. It pangs of "what might have been".

It does and always will unfortunately leave a bad taste, but we can only hope that Cook finds his feet and proves his mettle in the near future.

is darling that good or is he enjoying the fruits of having lynch and kennedy taking the 1 and 2 defender? does darling normally play against frawley or rivers? scarlet or makay?

and then there is the fact that he is getting A-grade delivery from one of the premier midfields in the comp. must be nice leading up and seeing the bloke who is about to pass it to you is daniel kerr, or luke shuey or even matty priddis.

how about the fact that every second team he plays against has to play halfway around the world over in perth? i know i feel my best after a 6hour flight, after which you step onto a tarmac thats bubbling from the heat while still wearing appropriate melbourne scarves and jumpers.

i don't think anyone has said that cooks skills are worse than darlings, only that he is physically smaller. i am happy waiting for the young beanpole to fill out because by the time he does our midfield might have bulked up too and be in a position where they are able to get the ball into the forward line in a quick and competant manner. i still see a good future for our forward line with clark, watts and cook as the 3 talls with howe and jurrah the medium sized jumpers and sylvia doing the crumbing.

As stated in the Casey Scorpions thread Cook kicked 5 goals playing for the Casey 2nds.

What makes this even more positive is the fact that he kicked 5 goals 1 behind.

And even more positive is the fact he did this when he only played half a game.

I'm interested to see how Cook develops and i hope he can build on his return from injury and take this form into the Caset seniors and then the Dees!

It is only Casey reserves but he is far to good for that atm,

When he is fit he will be straight into Casey seniors and then will build up form and might even get a game late in the year.

I think 2013 will be when we can expect real first team football from Lucas.

I see a big future for Lucas Cook. I have seen him at training and at Casey. His contested marking is a definite strength and he is a good kick. Like so many other recent recruits, he needs to get fit and be injury free. I can see him getting a game this year if Clark, Watts, Martin or Sellar get injured and in terms of potential talent he eclipses both Martin and Sellar. If he gets 5 or 6 games in a row I reckon he will begin to shine in the way Tom McDonald has.

Cook actually looks like a smart player in the Watts mould. Excellent ball use and great kick for goal.

The more we build a team around structures, the more we need smart players to carry out the instructions I reckon..

I'm buoyed by Cooks performance. Yes it's only the VFL development league, but it shows he has the ability to dominate a game. I hope as he matures and builds the size and fitness he can do this in the big leagues.

i've seen a bit of cooks footy. I enjoy watching him. a bit on the slower side but when he gets the footy he is a qualtiy kick.