Picks: 2,3, 9, plus two picks in the mid 20s

[The Chazz 4,077]

So if we do finish 3rd last behind GWS & GC for example. We will have picks 3, 4, and 12ish.

In this case as already stated GWS & GC can prevent us by bidding for him with there first picks just too stuff us up.

What about the MFC make an agreement with them that we will not poach any of there young stars for a 5 year period! Something like that! That may work!

What about we make GC or GWS take him, then spend 2 years on their list with a dodgy knee, then at the end of his first contract request a trade back to Melbourne. Oh the irony.

[GRUN DEE 69]

What about we just finish bottom and take picks 1, 2, 12ish, Viney and whatever other picks we have! Oh, and a Free Agent namley Goddard.

I'm quite comfortable with Neeld sorting our list this year and implementing his game plan.

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

It's just too high risk and high stakes for the teams above us to nominate him

Really need to find out the terms of this contract we have with him. If us having to take him is binding, then it is no risk to them at all. They can bid on him knowing full well that they won't end up with him and they can still get whoever they want with their first pick, screwing us in the process.

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

What about we just finish bottom and take picks 1, 2, 12ish, Viney and whatever other picks we have! Oh, and a Free Agent namley Goddard.

I'm quite comfortable with Neeld sorting our list this year and implementing his game plan.

How do we tank against GWS? I know we suck right now, but if we lose to them we are dead.

[mdemonski2 403]

Sloonie, why would we tell anyone the terms of jv contract.

If we are towards the bottom, some well placed murmurings about jv contract clauses, op issues and off field indiscretions may be just enough to throw gc/gws off the scent...

[Matt Demon 1,431]

I honestly cant believe people can't see what's going on. The two teams with compo picks tied to there finish on the ladder are serving up absolute garbage and nobody In the media has even mentioned tanking, these are teams that won 8-10 games last year. The AFL has basically handed out a free priority pick to us and the Dogs and It's as clear as the nose on my face that both sides intend to rebuild through the draft. The JV situation Is also another reason for us to position ourselves In the bottom few.

Have a look at our game plan FFS, bomb It long along the boundary line with no run or spread. Howe & Watts playing extended periods on the ball.

Or maybe I'm just seeing things but for a team lacking stars there's a mighty big carrot to be had In this next draft.

Edited April 16, 2012 by J-Riv

[RalphiusMaximus 6,053]

Maybe I'm just not as emotionally invested as some of you, but I do find some of the drama entertaining. I'm not at all bothered by the prospect of finishing right down the table, although I know that it will hurt us in many ways. I would love to watch us play some decent footy, and I will no doubt get upset on gamedays when we play badly, but I get what's going on right now and I think we'll be ok in the long run. The premiership in 2013 might be a bit of a stretch, but we'll live. All things considered, given the situation with compo picks, I think there are worse things than finishing at the bottom of the ladder again.

[jayceebee31 761]

We have a very good midfielder currently on our injured list whom will be a beauty-his name is Taggart . He'll play in the Casey team in a few weeks, break into our senior team, and you will see a megastar in the making of a Dangerfield.

[Goodvibes 3,596]

Sloonie, why would we tell anyone the terms of jv contract.

If we are towards the bottom, some well placed murmurings about jv contract clauses, op issues and off field indiscretions may be just enough to throw gc/gws off the scent...

I think we need to spread rumours of Jack getting expelled from school after a romp with a young would-be WAG on a school camp and then orchestrate a nightclub king-hit on our future star.

[Ron Burgundy 8,584]

I would like to see us recruit some quick midfielders who can find their own ball. And a couple more hard nuts. And a quick forward - Nahas or Betts type.

Blease and Bennell will hopefully develop into quick midfielders - but, at this stage, we don't have enough of them given the number of top 20 picks we've had.

Watching the Dees play last weekend, I couldn't believe how many light bodied/medium sized players we have, virtually none of whom have any pace.

[Jesse Christ 2,884]

We are crying out for pace, my god we are slow. Any tiger got a run on and we could not catch!

I hate to say it but it looks like Bennell could be a bust. Doesn't get involved enough and I think we be a de-list. Blease I'm prepared to give more time but unless he can turn it around I don't know what the future holds for him.

We need a small forward desperately! I get jealous when I see Betts and Garlett playing for the Blues, give us one you greedy bastards! We have Davey who isn't up to it anymore and we can't afford to carry the pasenger anymore and Lawrence who isn't even cracking the Casey firsts and no one else. MUST draft a zippy small with defensive pressure next draft. They really round off a potent forward line!

[Guest José Mourinho]

I think we need to spread rumours of Jack getting expelled from school after a romp with a young would-be WAG on a school camp and then orchestrate a nightclub king-hit on our future star.

I think we also need to spread rumours we are having second thoughts about taking him with such an early pick (cos we think there are clearly better players), and are trying to reneg on our deal.

That would make GWS concerned we'd call their bluff for nominating him.

[Sir Why You Little 37,038]

To my understanding it was all about timing actually, more than anything.

And resources.

He practically had his own physio all preseason.

That may well be the case but he did play in all the games he was asked to play & played well. Did the Aints give Ball 100%

(culture)

[Guest Dr Who]

Did the Aints give Ball 100%

Easy question to answer - NO - AFL players are not stupid - Ball new where his best chance to win a premiership was again ironically he new his days where numbered. Ball new where his best chance was to reach his maximum potentially. It definitely was not at St Kilda.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Dr Who

[Guest Dr Who]

I should add The 2001 ie Hodge,Ball, Judd draft is an excellent draft to look at the fortunes of the top 5 picks - & to look at what clubs produced the elite A graders. Especially take note of where the Brownlow medalists come from out of that draft, also look at where the premiership players come from. (Oh I should add look at some of the names that missed out ie taken in Rookie draft)

It makes very, very interesting reading.

Its an excellent draft because its a nice time-frame - 10 years is a good judge of a players career. You simply cant make calls after 2-3 years.

It also is a draft that is very compared to this upcoming draft in many ways.

Edited April 16, 2012 by Dr Who

[RalphiusMaximus 6,053]

It's a draft that we did quite badly out of. Although it did land us a pretty good Rookie.

[Crackers 67]

That's why I would seriously get him to sit out the U18 champs, not attend draft combine. Let's make it impossible for Clubs below us to consider him, similar to the was West Coast are rumoured to have handled Darling. Give the other pricks nothing, it's time we manipulate things to favour ourselves rather than tanking.

Try and throw Emma Quayle off the scent!

Do what clubs tried to do with Dyson-Heppel and spread rumours of groin soreness and OP conditions....be ruthless

[Tricky 341]

I'm sure JV wouldnt mind shagging chicks on school camp, getting boozed on northbridge for the good of the club?!!

LOL - take one for the team Jack

[Freak 100]

Why are we so surprised about our performances? We don't have jurrah, Sylvia or scully in our team like we did last year

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

Why are we so surprised about our performances? We don't have jurrah, Sylvia or scully in our team like we did last year

Missing Moloney as well (don't really count round 1 because he was apparently injured).

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Why are we so surprised about our performances? We don't have jurrah, Sylvia or scully in our team like we did last year

Scully gave us little last year.

And Jurrah and Syvlia dont play midfield. A focused Jurrah and a tuned in Sylvia would have been a benefit.

But you can skip the hyperbole claiming they're the gulf between this year and last year.

[rpfc 28,433]

The only way we are going to be able to take Viney with a second round pick, is if we finish with only GWS or GWS and GC below us and we do some 'Veale' deals with them before the F/S bidding process, and they agree not to bid for Viney and force our hand.

That is the only way - we would have to buy them off.

It's not impossible but it is unlikely, especially considering that trade period is after the bidding process. They would have to trust us implicitly to follow through on whatever deal we threw their way.

The deals would probably be - X player for Pick 90, etc.

[DemonWA 3,934]

Has JV been plagued by injuries for years, affecting his ability to perform on the field to the point where his coach is unwilling to play him at crucial stages of important matches, and is willing to let him go for nothing?

If you recall, Luke Ball's body was cactus when he went to Collingwood.

Years of OP had affected his output, and god knows how the filth managed to get him better, but they did.

I was coming from the stance that no club would have risked taking luke ball becasue he would have said "thanks, but no thanks" and somehow ended up at the pies

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

I was coming from the stance that no club would have risked taking luke ball becasue he would have said "thanks, but no thanks" and somehow ended up at the pies

I think this was addressed by informing him that any player who refused to play for the club they were drafted to would be suspended for X number of seasons.

[old dee 23,791]

I am well and truely tired of the high light of each season being the discussion on who we might draft at years end.

This year it has start at the end of round three.

That must be an all time record.