Viney, Grimes, Toumpas, Trengrove, McDonald, Dawes, Clark, Jones, Watts

All strike me as young men with their heads screwed on right and born leaders, each looking like developing into really good footballers, if they're not already.

Dawes in particular has blown me away by being just about the most intelligent footballer I've ever had the pleasure of hearing being interviewed.

Is it just me or does our long term future appear much brighter this year? Even if we're still due for some more pain in the short term...

Agree on all accounts, but JT and CD are the complete stand outs for me.

JV and Jimmy will really flourish with Jonesy as a role model.

  On 27/02/2013 at 08:59, Allen Jakovich said:

Is it just me or does our long term future appear much brighter this year? Even if we're still due for some more pain in the short term...

I like that we don't seem to be taking short cuts. These kids will thrive if they are given the right foundations.

Great thread.

All seem to be great young men with outstanding talent.

Like Tynan & Taggert also. From experience Magner has excellent character also.

Nice positive post, but it's TrenGOVE. He's our captain. Let's get his name right.

Was casting my eye over the 2007 draft, and Dangerfield and Selwood would've been handy names to add to that list. Instead we got Morton and Maric. The colossal draft mistakes we've made the past few years can never be repeated. I am feeling alot more positive about those pulling the strings which is just as important as having confidence in those running out on the field.

  On 27/02/2013 at 11:29, P_Man said:

Nice positive post, but it's TrenGOVE. He's our captain. Let's get his name right.

Was casting my eye over the 2007 draft, and Dangerfield and Selwood would've been handy names to add to that list. Instead we got Morton and Maric. The colossal draft mistakes we've made the past few years can never be repeated. I am feeling alot more positive about those pulling the strings which is just as important as having confidence in those running out on the field.

Wow! thats a kick in the guts P_man. The club really couldnt have done worse that draft. Morton and Maric - huge misses.

At the time as much was said about Grimes. To this day people moan about expectations etc, et al, yet refuse point blank to acknowledge that Grimes, even as a raw recruit, displayed said qualities,

  On 27/02/2013 at 08:59, Allen Jakovich said:

All strike me as young men with their heads screwed on right and born leaders, each looking like developing into really good footballers, if they're not already.

  On 27/02/2013 at 11:42, Munga said:

Wow! thats a kick in the guts P_man. The club really couldnt have done worse that draft. Morton and Maric - huge misses.

We did manage to snag Grimes that draft, but yes, Morton makes you cringe when you think of missing the likes of Dangerfield.

  On 27/02/2013 at 08:59, Allen Jakovich said:

Viney, Grimes, Toumpas, Trengrove, McDonald, Dawes, Clark, Jones, Watts

All strike me as young men with their heads screwed on right and born leaders, each looking like developing into really good footballers, if they're not already.

Dawes in particular has blown me away by being just about the most intelligent footballer I've ever had the pleasure of hearing being interviewed.

Is it just me or does our long term future appear much brighter this year? Even if we're still due for some more pain in the short term...

Interesting how both Jack Watts and Chris Dawes came out of Brighton Grammar School. It is not the usual school renowed for producing elite AFL footballers

This is a very nice thread.

I am not intentionally trying to change it

But I do not care how nice they are.

As long as they are good players that can win games for the MFC and get us up the ladder I don't care.

The rest is nice but beyond my needs.

Just win games guys then you have my love.

  On 28/02/2013 at 00:41, old dee said:

This is a very nice thread.

I am not intentionally trying to change it

But I do not care how nice they are.

As long as they are good players that can win games for the MFC and get us up the ladder I don't care.

The rest is nice but beyond my needs.

Just win games guys then you have my love.

I can see what you're saying Old, and it's something that we have probably been quite guilty of in the past, as recent as early to mid 2000's with Green, Bruce, Yze, etc.

The difference I see with the group named above is that onfield, we have some bloody tough bastards in that group. Clark doesn't take a step backward or sideways, Viney will be like that, and there's no bullsh!t with Trengove, Dawes and Grimes. Sure, Watts isn't in that category, but one thing you have to admire about him is that he is Melbourne through and through. If he were to leave it would be due to him being delisted. He competes with Jones in the GF for the most loyal blokes on our list.

Toumpas has that mix of class and hardness, but the former probably outweighs the latter. I'm happy with that, as we need that balance.

At this stage, I would prefer to see Tom Mc concentrate on becoming a great CHB. From all reports he is a professional unit already, especially with his training and preparation. I think he has a bit of Harry Taylor about him in that respect, although HT is unoffically diagnosed as having mild autism! (For those that don't know, he writes pages about his direct opponents, so that he knows what he needs to do the next time he plays against them. That's not normal!).

It is a good core, and could be that premiership core that we hear so much about at the top 4 clubs. Will be a couple of years away, but the foundations are there.

If the club doesn't win a flag with this crop of youngster, it never will.

  On 28/02/2013 at 01:26, Cudi_420 said:

If the club doesn't win a flag with this crop of youngster, it never will.

Big call.

We're 3 players short of that in my opinion

Quality small forward

Quality small back

Absolute gun midfielder

I can't see the current footy dept recruiting anything other than outstanding young men.

At long last there's a system in place and a criteria to work against.

I agree, Roost It. Nathan Jones is a quality player, but if he wants to win a flag, he'd be hoping for at LEAST one midfielder a class above him on the team, and probably two.

  On 28/02/2013 at 01:35, Roost It said:

Big call.

We're 3 players short of that in my opinion

Quality small forward

Quality small back

Absolute gun midfielder

I think we have the makings of a quality small back on out list in Nicholson (if he can improve his kicking), Jetta (we'll hopefully see what he's all about this year), or even someone like Tynan.

Do you mean that one of the above players needs to become an absolute gun midfielder? Or all of the above + 1 more?

We definitely need a quality small forward, though. Mark LeCras would be nice...

  On 28/02/2013 at 00:41, old dee said:

This is a very nice thread.

I am not intentionally trying to change it

But I do not care how nice they are.

As long as they are good players that can win games for the MFC and get us up the ladder I don't care.

The rest is nice but beyond my needs.

Just win games guys then you have my love.

I never said anything about them being nice. I'm not sure how that's relevant to my initial post.

I was talking about character. If you have quality people leading, the rest of your team will reflect that.

This football club has not had that scenario for a number of years now, as has been evident from our results.

  On 28/02/2013 at 01:35, Roost It said:

Big call.

We're 3 players short of that in my opinion

Quality small forward

Quality small back

Absolute gun midfielder

Should be 4:

Ruckman who can ruck, is not a forward, is not unco, has good knees, at least 200cm and not more than 24yo. Will be needed, make no mistake.

  On 28/02/2013 at 00:32, CBDees said:

Interesting how both Jack Watts and Chris Dawes came out of Brighton Grammar School. It is not the usual school renowed for producing elite AFL footballers

well the saying goes, "nothing hard has ever come out of Brighton Grammar".

  On 28/02/2013 at 04:34, Lost Highway said:

Should be 4:

Ruckman who can ruck, is not a forward, is not unco, has good knees, at least 200cm and not more than 24yo. Will be needed, make no mistake.

I can't think of many AFL players that match that description; most ruckmen do not reach their peak until they are older than 24. Naitanui is the only player that comes to mind that fits all of your prerequisites.

Sydney's ruckmen did not match your criteria (Pyke & Mumford), nor did Geelong's of 2009 or 2011(Ottens), Collingwood's of 2010 (Jolly), Hawthorn's of 2008 (Campbell)...I could go on.

  On 28/02/2013 at 00:32, CBDees said:

Interesting how both Jack Watts and Chris Dawes came out of Brighton Grammar School. It is not the usual school renowed for producing elite AFL footballers

BGS produces "chaps"! It' also the smallest APS!

  On 28/02/2013 at 01:47, Allen Jakovich said:

I never said anything about them being nice. I'm not sure how that's relevant to my initial post.

I was talking about character. If you have quality people leading, the rest of your team will reflect that.

This football club has not had that scenario for a number of years now, as has been evident from our results.

I don't disagree with you AJ.

I am just making the point that having Nice honest players is running a bad second to their ability to play and win games for me.

We do not want Outstanding young men.

We want men with mongrel.

  On 28/02/2013 at 10:38, Chippy said:

We do not want Outstanding young men.

We want men with mongrel.

An outstanding young man will have mongrel just disguised by a thin veneer of accepted respectability.

I think we shoulda kept pick 13 and taken Grundy