Just to bump this thread with an outsider's view, interesting Age article re Melbourne's drafting in the context of the changing game:

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/demons-recruiters-beaten-by-the-press-20120410-1wn4v.html

Niall's not far off the money there.

The cycle will turn .

Its starting to open up again now.

Just to bump this thread with an outsider's view, interesting Age article re Melbourne's drafting in the context of the changing game:

http://www.theage.co...0410-1wn4v.html

Interesting article. If what he's saying is true, then it's lucky we got a refund for the light-bodied Tom Scully.

The cycle will turn .

Its starting to open up again now.

What's more damning is that by the end of 2010 the club seemingly still hadn't worked this out. Despite our clear need for a hard, power forward, it then picked Cook over Darling - ie, it picked yet another skinny, tall, mobile forward over a hard, power forward.

Here are the bios that were posted on the AFL website PRIOR to the draft. Our ineptitude on this pick is simply stunning. Cook may very well turn out to be a great player, but he's not what this club needs now or at the time we picked him. It's that simple. Criminal stupidity. Also decadent in the extreme.

Cook in his own words: http://www.afl.com.a...38/default.aspx

What type of player are you?

A mobile tall forward with the versatility to go back or play on a wing.

Isn't this what Niall is saying Watts is?

Darling, on the other hand, in his own words: http://www.afl.com.a...51/default.aspx

What type of player are you?

A hard, courageous and competitive player who brings other players into the game.

Which AFL player do you feel you resemble and why?

People say Jonathan Brown with his strength, courage and leadership. Lance Franklin as well because of his agility, speed and athleticism.

What are your strengths as a footballer?

Marking, ferocity at the ball, defensive pressure, strength, speed, endurance, agility and mental strength.

Isn't this what Niall is saying everyone in the competition knew the MFC clearly needed, given our light bodied focus in 2008? Cop a tip, I think it is.

No pick p1sses me off more than this one. It was just so obvious that, by the end of 2010, Darling more than Cook was the player WE needed at pick 12.

Edited April 10, 201213 yr by Ron Burgundy

I agree 100% Ron, the only question in my mind is that after his first contract would he have done a Scott Thompson on us? We'll never know but I can guarantee WCE would have gone very hard for him and given him every excuse to go home. It's all hypothetical but I have a feeling he would have said "Go f&%& yourself San Francisco Melbourne"

And, if it's the case that we didn't pick Darling because he got drunk outside a nightclub one night (hardly unusual behaviour for a young sportsman I might add), that suggests the club didn't have a lot of confidence in our leadership structure and the club culture at the time - ie, it says a lot if an AFL club doesn't believe it can haul the behaviour of a talented 18 year old into line.

And, if our football department did think the leadership and club culture was sufficiently sound, why the hell did it let Junior go at least one year prematurely?!

They were clearly all over the shop. Amateur in the extreme. Thank God we now have Neeld.

And, if it's the case that we didn't pick Darling because he got drunk outside a nightclub one night (hardly unusual behaviour for a young sportsman I might add), that suggests the club didn't have a lot of confidence in our leadership structure and the club culture at the time - ie, it says a lot if an AFL club doesn't believe it can haul the behaviour of a talented 18 year old into line.

And, if our football department did think the leadership and club culture was sufficiently sound, why the hell did it let Junior go at least one year prematurely?!

They were clearly all over the shop. Amateur in the extreme. Thank God we now have Neeld.

Any chance you could get the actual facts of the matter Ron instead of getting off on your lack of them?

What's more damning is that by the end of 2010 the club seemingly still hadn't worked this out. Despite our clear need for a hard, power forward, it then picked Cook over Darling - ie, it picked yet another skinny, tall, mobile forward over a hard, power forward.

Here are the bios that were posted on the AFL website PRIOR to the draft. Our ineptitude on this pick is simply stunning. Cook may very well turn out to be a great player, but he's not what this club needs now or at the time we picked him. It's that simple. Criminal stupidity. Also decadent in the extreme.

Cook in his own words: http://www.afl.com.a...38/default.aspx

What type of player are you?

A mobile tall forward with the versatility to go back or play on a wing.

Isn't this what Niall is saying Watts is?

Darling, on the other hand, in his own words: http://www.afl.com.a...51/default.aspx

What type of player are you?

A hard, courageous and competitive player who brings other players into the game.

Which AFL player do you feel you resemble and why?

People say Jonathan Brown with his strength, courage and leadership. Lance Franklin as well because of his agility, speed and athleticism.

What are your strengths as a footballer?

Marking, ferocity at the ball, defensive pressure, strength, speed, endurance, agility and mental strength.

Isn't this what Niall is saying everyone in the competition knew the MFC clearly needed, given our light bodied focus in 2008? Cop a tip, I think it is.

No pick p1sses me off more than this one. It was just so obvious that, by the end of 2010, Darling more than Cook was the player WE needed at pick 12.

I think we have gathered this Ron from 1 or 2 of your posts

The cycle will turn .

Its starting to open up again now.

It looks to be right 'Fork 'em', the 3 + 1 sub is changing it a little.. I'm not sure if it's enough.

I think I'd rather see a 2 + 2 situation.

It would be really interesting 'tactically' as well.

Any chance you could get the actual facts of the matter Ron instead of getting off on your lack of them?

I wish he would.

It's like being repeatedly hit over the head with a sack of doorknobs, but he forgot to put the doorknobs in the sack first.

What's more damning is that by the end of 2010 the club seemingly still hadn't worked this out. Despite our clear need for a hard, power forward, it then picked Cook over Darling - ie, it picked yet another skinny, tall, mobile forward over a hard, power forward.

Here are the bios that were posted on the AFL website PRIOR to the draft. Our ineptitude on this pick is simply stunning. Cook may very well turn out to be a great player, but he's not what this club needs now or at the time we picked him. It's that simple. Criminal stupidity. Also decadent in the extreme.

Cook in his own words: http://www.afl.com.a...38/default.aspx

What type of player are you?

A mobile tall forward with the versatility to go back or play on a wing.

Isn't this what Niall is saying Watts is?

Darling, on the other hand, in his own words: http://www.afl.com.a...51/default.aspx

What type of player are you?

A hard, courageous and competitive player who brings other players into the game.

Which AFL player do you feel you resemble and why?

People say Jonathan Brown with his strength, courage and leadership. Lance Franklin as well because of his agility, speed and athleticism.

What are your strengths as a footballer?

Marking, ferocity at the ball, defensive pressure, strength, speed, endurance, agility and mental strength.

Isn't this what Niall is saying everyone in the competition knew the MFC clearly needed, given our light bodied focus in 2008? Cop a tip, I think it is.

No pick p1sses me off more than this one. It was just so obvious that, by the end of 2010, Darling more than Cook was the player WE needed at pick 12.

Easy Tiger, we still need the class as well.

What's more damning is that by the end of 2010 the club seemingly still hadn't worked this out. Despite our clear need for a hard, power forward, it then picked Cook over Darling - ie, it picked yet another skinny, tall, mobile forward over a hard, power forward.

Here are the bios that were posted on the AFL website PRIOR to the draft. Our ineptitude on this pick is simply stunning. Cook may very well turn out to be a great player, but he's not what this club needs now or at the time we picked him. It's that simple. Criminal stupidity. Also decadent in the extreme.

Cook in his own words: http://www.afl.com.a...38/default.aspx

What type of player are you?

A mobile tall forward with the versatility to go back or play on a wing.

Isn't this what Niall is saying Watts is?

Darling, on the other hand, in his own words: http://www.afl.com.a...51/default.aspx

What type of player are you?

A hard, courageous and competitive player who brings other players into the game.

Which AFL player do you feel you resemble and why?

People say Jonathan Brown with his strength, courage and leadership. Lance Franklin as well because of his agility, speed and athleticism.

What are your strengths as a footballer?

Marking, ferocity at the ball, defensive pressure, strength, speed, endurance, agility and mental strength.

Isn't this what Niall is saying everyone in the competition knew the MFC clearly needed, given our light bodied focus in 2008? Cop a tip, I think it is.

No pick p1sses me off more than this one. It was just so obvious that, by the end of 2010, Darling more than Cook was the player WE needed at pick 12.

Sounds like the second coming of christ......sure there isnt a little bit of Carey in him also?

Sounds like the second coming of christ......sure there isnt a little bit of Carey in him also?

Lol ... I'm sure there woulda been if he was old enough to remember Carey.

A splash of Ablett sr aswell no doubt.

Shoulda picked him on the size of his ego alone.

Edited April 11, 201213 yr by Fork 'em

_{Many on here claimed Fitzy was hopeless and should be delisted. He is starting to show his value and he hasn't developed yet physically though he is getting there. Watts and Cook may be the same and we could end up with those three and Clark making us pretty big and strong down forward. Also with Tom Mc and Davis we have some promising talent who are big and strong. Gawn hasn't even been mentioned and he can play forward as well.}

Lol ... I'm sure there woulda been if he was old enough to remember Carey.

A splash of Ablett sr aswell no doubt.

Shoulda picked him on the size of his ego alone.

I'm still not sold on Darling, and am surprised by how easily some have been.

It's like all the gun kids at Geelong and Hawthorn - try putting them in our side and see how they go.

Darling would provide a contest, but his weaknesses would be that much more glaring.

We'd be no better off in the long run.

I'm still not sold on Darling, and am surprised by how easily some have been.

It's like all the gun kids at Geelong and Hawthorn - try putting them in our side and see how they go.

Darling would provide a contest, but his weaknesses would be that much more glaring.

We'd be no better off in the long run.

I haven't seen enough of Darling to be sold either.

The thing with Clubs like Hawthorn and Geelong , only their best and hardest working kids are getting a run.

Here are the bios that were posted on the AFL website PRIOR to the draft.

So the facts you are presenting about the correct draft choice are what the players say about themselves? Gosh.

I haven't seen enough of Darling to be sold either.

The thing with Clubs like Hawthorn and Geelong , only their best and hardest working kids are getting a run.

Unfortunately that may be the case for us too.

I haven't seen enough of Darling to be sold either.

The thing with Clubs like Hawthorn and Geelong , only their best and hardest working kids are getting a run.

Couple of things that impress me about Darling is his ability to compliment Kennedy & Lynch around the WC forward line, he plays the role of 3rd Tall very well - can he step up to 2nd or 1st Tall when the time comes? Only time will tell us that.

He also is very aggressive at the "ball carrier" which I like, but maybe just maybe this can be combated by his opponent on a few more occasions. Teams will work him out. Again without the cover of Kennedy, Lynch and the Cox/Nat can he continue to move further from goal. Again only time will tell.

However, what he has shown so far - our Jack could learn a heap from him. Could go down in history as one of the best "smoke & mirrors" bull-dust campaign ever. Credit where credit is due - well done Eagles. (Well maybe apart from the Heppell "snow job")

Edited April 11, 201213 yr by Dr Who

I'm still not sold on Darling, and am surprised by how easily some have been.

For a player you are not "sold on" you certainly give him some superb wraps above in relation to Fork 'em's quote.

How much better should Darling get? Hasn't put a foot wrong yet in my eyes.

We blew it.

Edited April 11, 201213 yr by why you little

For a player you are not "sold on" you certainly give him some superb wraps above in relation to Fork 'em's quote.

How much better should Darling get? Hasn't put a foot wrong yet in my eyes.

We blew it.

Rubbish.

For a player you are not "sold on" you certainly give him some superb wraps above in relation to Fork 'em's quote.

How much better should Darling get? Hasn't put a foot wrong yet in my eyes.

We blew it.

I'm not sure what wraps you're referring to.

To my knowledge I've given him none.

No need to say the same thing twice. One alias will do.

No need to say the same thing twice. One alias will do.

You know that I am not "Dr Who", stop being a smart arse.

And answer the question.

Edited April 11, 201213 yr by José Mourinho