This thread is purely for the blue sky junkies, of which I'm not always a member, but I need to dream. Also, despite this season being our annus horribilis, the following prospects aren't completely without merit. I consider this season over come grand final day and thus the curse of this season will also be over - just in time for trades/drafts. And I'm sick of talking and reading about tanking. Club politics isn't really my thing, even though I have contempt for some previous key stake holders.

In another thread I've shied away from getting Cloke purely because of the cost, but today I'm going to embrace the idea on the basis that the list management team headed by Tim Harrington have carefully planned for free agency and can manage such a "purchase". I'm also going to assume that we get Viney in the second round.

Possibilities:

1/ In - Cloke (Collingwood), Caddy (Gold Coast), pick 3, pick 4, Viney

Out - Sylvia, pick 13 to Gold Coast

2/ In - Cloke (Collingwood), pick 3, pick 4, pick 13, Viney

Naturally this thread isn't concerned with likely delistings or later picks/acquisitions, just pointy end picks and substantial ways of improving the list. The beauty of getting Cloke is that he costs nothing other than the wage.

Team:

Def: Nicholson, Frawley, Rivers

H/B: Grimes, Tom McDonald, Garland

Cen: Caddy, Viney, Toumpas

H/F: Watts, Cloke, Howe

For: Jurrah, Clark, Blease

Rucks: Jamar, Trengove, Jones

I/C: Martin, O'Rourke, McKenzie, Gysberts

New: Cloke, Caddy, Viney, Toumpas, O'Rourke.

While not perfect and still with room to improve, this is pretty much a spud free zone. You don't see names such as Bate, Dunn, Petterd, Morton, or teases such as Moloney and Sylvia. It also doesn't allow for others such as Taggert, Tynan, Strauss, Tapscott ...

Toumpas and O'Rourke are very highly rated inside and outside contested ball winning mids with pace and elite kicks. Unlike Trengove they're quick and unlike Scully they're great kicks and will be stronger bodied. Toumpas captained SA in the u/18 national championships. Both are predicted to be top 10 draft picks. Most rate Toumpas top 5 and TAC Future Stars on Channel 9 ranked O'Rourke as they're second best prospect. Viney and Toumpas will add instant character and leadership qualities. Trengove and Grimes will welcome young leaders and mids of their ilk. Also, rather than being 17 year olds like Flower and Healy, or even schoolboy draftees of more recent times such as Andrew Walker, Callan Ward, Dangerfield and Jack Watts, these players will play nearly all year as 19 year olds. They'll not be 'A' graders overnight, but they'll impact our group with their class immediately. Note: all three of these guys have better credentials than the highly rated Toby Greene of GWS and he's averaging 26 disposals in his first year. He was a teammate with Viney at Oakleigh Chargers and another first round draft pick only last year.

Every single supporter knows there are no guarantees with drafting, but assuming we draft well it's like having Beams, Shuey and Selwood walking into your club. I've seen Viney and his approach to football and the only other mid of recent times that I can liken him to is Joel Selwood. He has the same manic attack on the ball.

We lack pace, but straight away we'd gain three young mids with pace. Look at the spine, or goal to goal line: Frawley, McDonald, Viney, Cloke and Clark. It has the potential to be one of the best in the league. Look at the forward-line. With the addition of Cloke I've put Watts back into the forward-line. The two best defenders go to Cloke and Clark, but the opposition have still got to cover Jurrah and Howe as other agile marking options, plus a 196cm Jack Watts. We still need a quality crumbing forward, but I've put Blease in there for now. That is a ridiculous forward-line to match up on.

The back-line is a little top heavy, even though Garland and Frawley are good at playing on 'smalls'; and we need an elite kick out of defence, such as Suckling, or Guerra, but it's got the makings of a decent back-line.

If you can't sway Caddy to come to the club then pick 13 may be retained and a dynamic and fast little player such as Ben Kennedy may still be around. He's a terric small with a booming kick who plays midfield and kicks goals.

A midfield in 3-4 years of Jones, Caddy, Trengove, Viney, Toumpas, O'Rourke and possibly Gysberts provides a mixture of pace and hardness, and has the ingredients to be the envy of the competition. Obviously we may not choose Toumpas, or O'Rourke, but that's the type of quality that will be on offer.

Forget Cloke's poor year. He's a gun key forward and we've seen enough to know that he and Clark would be a nightmare for the oppostion, especially with quality flankers around them. Supporters mustn't give up hope that we can draft well. At the top end this draft is quality, especially for midfielders. As Terry Wallace said on the weekend, we have a chance to do what the Saints did in 2000 when they picked up Hamill from Carlton, Gehrig from West Coast, and Riewoldt and Koschitzke with draft picks.

Current first round mids/utilities gained from drafts: Hodge, Ball, Dal Santo, Hayes, Goddard, Wells, Judd, Murphy, Griffen, Cooney, Thomas, Pendlebury, Sidebottom, Selwood, Bartel, Deledio, Cotchin, Stanton, Thompson, Dangerfield ... Just look at the names. All of these players were first round draft picks. And you can add 'in demand' players such as Boak, Caddy and our own Nathan Jones as other first rounders. This year there will be players of similar quality and we have a chance to get two (three if we use pick 13), plus Viney if he comes in the second round.

The possibilities to change the course of this club are enormous. Do other supporters share my belief that this club can be transformed quicker than a lot of the general public, or media commentators envisage ? Btw, I know I'm not the only supporter with this type of hope. I'm just one of many. But just as certain there will be some that consider such blue sky scenarios only fit for the land of the fairies.

If we can't get Cloke we need some other mature key forward to improve our structures and to help Clark. I'm excited by the opportunities ahead.

*If mods would prefer this thread on the draft board naturally they'll move it. I posted here because it's a mixture of blue sky with our core list, as well as drafts/trades.

A nice read after this year (particularly the last few days)

I've been on the Cloke bandwagon from day one, would be a great get.

We've got the cash, we've got the cap space, we've got the gaping hole for another moster forward.

Great thread/post H.

I share that dream. And right now I only have dreams.

The forward line is just funny - we'd go from impotent to bloody dangerous overnight. We desparately need class and I think that group of players who are elite kicks coming form defense is still unaddressed - it is the only weakness IMO in the list you've put up (strauss is he gets it?).

Would you bother with martin if you had both cloke and clarke? Not just structurally - I think he would be worth something on the trade table. People seem happy to pay for ruckmen.

Just when I think I'm out... they pull me back in.

Good thread.

I am really interested in what we do after this season. Neeld has a very specific idea of the types of player he wants and we have a fantastic hand in this draft (and salary cap) with which to bring those players in.

Even when things look bad, they can turn around very quickly. We are not as bad as we look, but we're still a long way from being where we need to be. I'm really interested to see where Neeld thinks 'where we need to be' is.

Right oh, right oh, I'm in!!

Shiit be a Melbourne follower is hard these days

This thread makes me happy, well done sir

Can you have Frawley, Rivers, McDonald and Garland if our list is 100% fit? And is the idea of chasing Cloke to allow Clark to play the forward that relieves the ruck, meaning Martin wouldn't be required in the best 22?

If what I have said is close to accurate, I'd be replacing them with 2 more runners. You need 12-14 players who can rotate through the midfield in any one game and hold their own at a minimum, that team to me gives us 10 or 11 in my opinion.

Other than that, it is good to get that warm and fuzzy feeling again. However, I'll now return to my seat on the reality bus.

The possibilities to change the course of this club are enormous. Do other supporters share my belief that this club can be transformed quicker than a lot of the general public, or media commentators envisage ? Btw, I know I'm not the only supporter with this type of hope. I'm just one of many. But just as certain there will be some that consider such blue sky scenarios only fit for the land of the fairies.

I'm a believer yeah yeah.

I'd ruck Clark part-time and have another mid, but there you go.

This thread has me positively giddy...

Cannot wait for Viney.

And I want to think Gysberts is apart of the future, but his last Pre-Season left me pretty flat and I just can't see it right now...

Cannot wait for Viney.

And I want to think Gysberts is apart of the future, but his last Pre-Season left me pretty flat and I just can't see it right now...

Wash your mouth out RP, surely by now you know that this is a Gys-safe zone on here. Any hint of potential negativity toward the Gys is disregarded immediatey...

Cannot wait for Viney.

And I want to think Gysberts is apart of the future, but his last Pre-Season left me pretty flat and I just can't see it right now...

Fitness can be built

This appears to be Gys' main issue right now

One of the few on our list that can consistently find the ball

Wash your mouth out RP, surely by now you know that this is a Gys-safe zone on here. Any hint of potential negativity toward the Gys is disregarded immediatey...

Or perhaps people are just willing to give a young kid who put in some pretty good performances against pretty good opposition, who's struggled with injury, a go?

Thanks Ben, I'm with you all the way. After all, if we don't have hope and dreams, wtf do we have?

Thanks Ben, I'm with you all the way. After all, if we don't have hope and dreams, wtf do we have?

2012

So humorously predictable Old Dee. I love it.

With the dream, with Ben's dream team and the footy gods appeased (see 2007 - 2012) we would be contenders for the top half of the ladder.

Nice to read something positive, but...

How many annus horribilis' can you have in a 6 year period??

I'm willing to bet that this is exactly what will happen. Great thread OP. Everone who's not with us can just take the first train straight to Hell!

GO DEES!

Nice to read something positive, but...

Have many annus horribilis' can you have in a 6 year period??

6 !

So humorously predictable Old Dee. I love it.

With the dream, with Ben's dream team and the footy gods appeased (see 2007 - 2012) we would be contenders for the top half of the ladder.

Not much of an alternative PaulRB.

With a little humour the MFC is bearable

Without it razor blades and hot water

Howe to forward pocket Blease to flank but great start

ONly thought then is what is the support in the squad lets not forget them should someone anyone go down injured

especially cos there are still youngish perhaps undermatured bodies in that lineup

but Oh the potential and isnt that what we were promised BN (before Neeld)

2012

Hey old dee, what are you doing here? The op specified that this thread "is purely for the blue sky junkies". lol

Hey old dee, what are you doing here? The op specified that this thread "is purely for the blue sky junkies". lol

Question was asked mate I felt obliged to answer.

Cheer up I won't rain on your parade

Question was asked mate I felt obliged to answer.

Cheer up I won't rain on your parade

I know that old dee. Whoever heard of rain falling from blue sky?