I've said this before but I think one of Lucas' biggest problems was he bought in to the development culture that was around with Bailey. In an early interview he was talking about getting some games with Casey and taking time to develop. I know he is a different character but does anyone think that Jack Viney will be looking to play some games at Casey or wanting to play game one AFL 2013?

Lucas didn't aim high enough. Tommy Mc didn't put any restrictions on himself and played some senior games in his first year, watching him play at Casey you could see he was involved in the game, he knew he had one shot at it and he was going for it.

As 'WYL' says, he didn't ask to be pick 12 which is true. I just wonder if he has the mental strength and desire to make it as an AFL footballer, he can play but can he play at the highest level and will he get the opportunity. Time will tell.

I've said this before but I think one of Lucas' biggest problems was he bought in to the development culture that was around with Bailey. In an early interview he was talking about getting some games with Casey and taking time to develop. I know he is a different character but does anyone think that Jack Viney will be looking to play some games at Casey or wanting to play game one AFL 2013?

Lucas didn't aim high enough.

I think that sums up the Bailey era.

I've said this before but I think one of Lucas' biggest problems was he bought in to the development culture that was around with Bailey. In an early interview he was talking about getting some games with Casey and taking time to develop. I know he is a different character but does anyone think that Jack Viney will be looking to play some games at Casey or wanting to play game one AFL 2013?

Lucas didn't aim high enough. Tommy Mc didn't put any restrictions on himself and played some senior games in his first year, watching him play at Casey you could see he was involved in the game, he knew he had one shot at it and he was going for it.

As 'WYL' says, he didn't ask to be pick 12 which is true. I just wonder if he has the mental strength and desire to make it as an AFL footballer, he can play but can he play at the highest level and will he get the opportunity. Time will tell.

Yeh, if only we aimed higher under Bailey.... We would have been premiers! The kid was recruited as a project player. You are basing him, and the Bailey era, on one media out-take. We are not putting pressure on Hogan.... That also the work of Bailey?

It appears that no one is interested in him as his name has been put out there. A number 12 pick 2 years ago who is now unwanted. If he is delisted it is a monumental drafting disaster. Everyone before him in his year and the next few after him are well into their AFL careers.

We will have literally thrown away pick 12 in that year.

Edited October 11, 201212 yr by Redleg

It appears that no one is interested in him as his name has been put out there. A number 12 pick 2 years ago who is now unwanted. If he is delisted it is a monumental drafting disaster. Everyone before him in his year and the next few after him are well into their AFL careers.

We will have literally thrown away pick 12 in that year.

It's not even worth thinking about how many errors were made in the BP DB drafting years

Yeh, if only we aimed higher under Bailey.... We would have been premiers! The kid was recruited as a project player. You are basing him, and the Bailey era, on one media out-take. We are not putting pressure on Hogan.... That also the work of Bailey?

No, I'm basing it on observation; and it looks like we were project team that got nowhere. There is nothing wrong with aiming higher.

We are not putting outward pressure on Hogan but I would expect his aim (and the clubs) is to be playing AFL round one 2014.

It appears that no one is interested in him as his name has been put out there. A number 12 pick 2 years ago who is now unwanted. If he is delisted it is a monumental drafting disaster. Everyone before him in his year and the next few after him are well into their AFL careers.

We will have literally thrown away pick 12 in that year.

He is the only person in the top 20 draft picks who hasn't played a single game. You can go even further down the list and he is one of two in the top 30, and the other guy had a hammy issue for 14 weeks and was with Sydney who were notorious for making list changes from 2008 onwards.

Final nail: Howe, pick #33, has played 35 games.

Don't think this is the recruitment's fault though - at the end of the day he didn't put the work in.

No, I'm basing it on observation; and it looks like we were project team that got nowhere. There is nothing wrong with aiming higher.

We are not putting outward pressure on Hogan but I would expect his aim (and the clubs) is to be playing AFL round one 2014.

Cook was never selected at senior level and may have responded differently had he done so

It is difficult to make comment as to horses and water without knowing the challenges and roles that he was given.

These are really all boys and do need some fairly flexible and considered coaching training support

Hopefully Hogan is given, receives and applies good advisce as he develops.

Is again perhaps more a testament to the clubs ability to develop than its ability to select although in a functioning club the two are hand in hand

Cook was never selected at senior level and may have responded differently had he done so

It is difficult to make comment as to horses and water without knowing the challenges and roles that he was given.

These are really all boys and do need some fairly flexible and considered coaching training support

Hopefully Hogan is given, receives and applies good advisce as he develops.

Is again perhaps more a testament to the clubs ability to develop than its ability to select although in a functioning club the two are hand in hand

I agree in part with what you are saying, Cook has good skills and presence of mind that would have stood him well at a higher level. He just didn't make his mark at the lower level, he got named as an emergency after a couple of good games at Casey and went down hill from that point on. He was probably only one game away from a senior call up.

But you are right in that we don't know what goes on behind the scenes and can only make our observations from the outer.

Thanks for your apology Ignition. I respect the fact that you did that. Shows something to do that. Cheers.

Thanks for that and good response. Apology accepted too. All done.

I think the more appropriate thing is 11 other clubs thought Cook was not a round 1 selection

5 other clubs thought he was not a round 1 selection- GC had 7 chances at him- they took two forwards before him and he was the third forward picked in that draft.

I remember the calls for the "Cookie Monster" to be unleashed..... well now he has, just not the way I'd imagined it. Bit of a disappointment, but luckily for me I've gotten used to that.

Yes Cook was never a 1st round choice, and should have been a 25-35 selection as per most of the pre draft expectations. Simple case of not drafting the "Best available" with your 1st pick but a "what gaps do we have". That philosophy is reserved for premiership contenders or for picks in 3rd,4th rounds or PSD.

Bailey & Prendergast ... Hale & pace ... Laurel & Hardy - great comedy duos.

Parker, Atley, Darling & Jacobs were all players linked to our choice pre 2010 draft (Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh)

maybe Lucas Cook could be packaged with one of our draft packs as a "sweetener". Big men take time to develop and he may appeal somewhere!

Jack Darling says hi

I'll challenge you again - at the end of the draft period gives us an assessment of where you think we have gone wrong or right (and who you would have taken instead) in this draft so you cant be a hindsight genius in two years time

The irony with Cook is we got burnt and he's still waiting for someone to light the stove.

Not everything works out, especially when you stuff it up in the first place.

It's called cutting one's losses, and we move on. Lots of moving on at Melbourne presently

I'll challenge you again - at the end of the draft period gives us an assessment of where you think we have gone wrong or right (and who you would have taken instead) in this draft so you cant be a hindsight genius in two years time

nutbean I am not sure what this achieves.

As MFC members we pay our membership fee, give money to the club for different types of fund raisers and attend games.

As a result of this income and other funds the Club employs people to run the club on our behalf.

In this case the FD. They are employed to select players and then manage those players.

The theory is they have way more skill that the average member to perform their functions.

Guess what they live and die by their decisions.

Clearly the FD have done a poor job over the last 8 years or we would not be sitting on the bottom of the league.

I along with the majority of other supporters do not have the knowledge to make decisions on who we recruit.

We leave that to the "experts"

However we do get to judge their results, call it hindsight if you wish.

But that is the way of the world.

Would you have us say " no problem DB and PB a large number of your selections stink and we are at the bottom after 4 years carry on we are happy"?

I doubt it.

Edited October 12, 201212 yr by old dee

The start and finish of the 'Cook debate' is contained within this photo.

Well said OD.

It is obvious now that the previous recruiting panel were asking the wrong questions to potential draftees.

The whole strategy was wrong. Not only is the Cook selection a total disaster but Gysberts as well. Both have failed.

What was the thinking? & did the board rubber stamp this tactic?

Well said OD.

It is obvious now that the previous recruiting panel were asking the wrong questions to potential draftees.

The whole strategy was wrong. Not only is the Cook selection a total disaster but Gysberts as well. Both have failed.

What was the thinking? & did the board rubber stamp this tactic?

It was absolutely criminal to squander a pick 11 and a pick 12 in successive drafts.

And we actually paid this bloke good coin (BP) to make these decisions. It really really tests the supporters' patience.

The start and finish of the 'Cook debate' is contained within this photo.

Rangey, you are back! Did you spend 13 days in the cooler?

For reasons unbenknown to all including you?

I hope you didn't lose too much weight or teeth (Papillion style).

Well said OD.

It is obvious now that the previous recruiting panel were asking the wrong questions to potential draftees.

The whole strategy was wrong. Not only is the Cook selection a total disaster but Gysberts as well. Both have failed.

What was the thinking? & did the board rubber stamp this tactic?

Jezz mate what would the board know...about as much as us in the stands.....It is the recruiting dept and the coach that selects players....not the board....they can't get the blame this time......this is why we have recruiting people....good or bad....

It was absolutely criminal to squander a pick 11 and a pick 12 in successive drafts.

And we actually paid this bloke good coin (BP) to make these decisions. It really really tests the supporters' patience.

yes it does & to also allow a player like Moloney to walk without challenge.

Beamer must have ruled his own little empire before Neeld arrived. How was this ridiculous behavior allowed to go on...I wonder if it all goes back to "Hollywood Blvd" days?

Jezz mate what would the board know...about as much as us in the stands.....It is the recruiting dept and the coach that selects players....not the board....they can't get the blame this time......this is why we have recruiting people....good or bad....

sure. But the board should still be aware of the strategy. We now have to live with this mess.

Rangey, you are back! Did you spend 13 days in the cooler?

For reasons unbenknown to all including you?

I hope you didn't lose too much weight or teeth (Papillion style).

A month in the hole WYL. They kicked my meals under the door and flashed torchlights in my eyes at un-Godly hours to try and break my spirit. But there's a place inside they can't touch ... that place where you continue to believe theat maybe, just maybe we'll strike gold with a couple of these draft picks!

As Andy Dufresne said in The Shawshank Redemption ... "Easiest time I ever did".

The start and finish of the 'Cook debate' is contained within this photo.

Lol straight back to your old ways RR, no change in the agenda hey? To be honest I'd prefer to have Atley than Darling if we could go back in time.

If we look at the net gain for this draft, IMO it has been one of our most successful in recent years. Aside from the Cook disaster, McDonald, Howe and McKenzie (promoted rookie) all look to be long term, good players for the club. I still have faith that Davis can make an impact.

sure. But the board should still be aware of the strategy. We now have to live with this mess.

It was a football decision not a board one...