If Melbourne finish with four or less wins this year, then it must receive a priority pick or the priority system should be abandoned altogether. Personally, I think the priority pick system, while well-intentioned, must go. I can't believe the AFL didn't take the logical route at the end to the tanking fiasco and simply abolish the priority pick. That said, if the pick still exists and Melbourne qualify, to not award the Demons one would be malicious bordering on an AFL conspiracy. The reasons outlined by clubs, who obviously have a conflict of interest here, are ludicrous. By the same logic, we should never receive any draft picks given our penchant for destroying the careers of young AFL hopefuls for the last six years. In which case, we have no place in the competition.

dont need a free pick, we need better development of currnet players, re mark williams and best regarded midfeild coach at club brett ratten

If Melbourne finish with four or less wins this year, then it must receive a priority pick or the priority system should be abandoned altogether. Personally, I think the priority pick system, while well-intentioned, must go. I can't believe the AFL didn't take the logical route at the end to the tanking fiasco and simply abolish the priority pick. That said, if the pick still exists and Melbourne qualify, to not award the Demons one would be malicious bordering on an AFL conspiracy. The reasons outlined by clubs, who obviously have a conflict of interest here, are ludicrous. By the same logic, we should never receive any draft picks given our penchant for destroying the careers of young AFL hopefuls for the last six years. In which case, we have no place in the competition.

I agree , if we end up with 4 or less wins then we should get one

but how we use it is a different thing.....

Edited April 12, 201312 yr by markc

If we 'deserve' one we will get one. Other clubs can get effed.

With that said, the AFL has laughingly got a secret formula for it so who knows whether we will 'qulaify' for one. But if we have another 4 games won or less year with % in the tank (no pun intended) and we do not get some extra help - it will set a dangerous precedent.

Saying we shouldn't get a priority pick because our current on-field position is our own fault is one of the most ridiculous things I've heard.

Why else would you be consistently down the bottom of the ladder? Because you've recruited well? Because you've developed your players well? Because you've built a good list?

The reason a club finds itself consistently at the foot of the table is because of mistakes it has made and poor decision-making. To say a club should not get a priority pick because it has caused its own problems is essentially making priority picks redundant. When else would a club be awarded a priority pick – when a strong club has injuries and slides down the ladder for one season?

The whole concept of a priority pick is centred around prolonged poor on field performance. And guess what causes prolonged poor on field performance?

I also find it almost as ridiculous that some on here would not take a priority pick if it was given. Are you serious? It's a freebie and you take whatever advantage you get in this game.

Just because we've stuffed up early picks before and have developed our players poorly does not mean that you completely dismiss the notion that early draft picks can help your side. You've still got to back yourself to make the right call and develop the player well. I'm not saying an extra early pick is the answer to all our problems, but gee if our current form continues and we get a priority pick I will be taking it with open arms.

Saying we shouldn't get a priority pick because our current on-field position is our own fault is one of the most ridiculous things I've heard.

Agree.

I also find it almost as ridiculous that some on here would not take a priority pick if it was given. Are you serious?

Not sure anyone actually said this.

What difference would it make? We need other things. We need a coach that the players will play for and we need more senior on field leaders. All the priority picks in the world won't help us right now- as we've already proven.

We need established guns, three of them at least. Somebody on here suggested some kind of mini draft setup for us. That's what we need. Will we get that? Course not. We need to be better at the stuff that is in our control- recruiting, developing and coaching- the rest will fall into place. Priority picks- which in our case- have been proven to not be the sole answer.

I don't think we should get one.

The club has got to toughen up what we have.

For the last 5 years we have waited for handouts and gone backwards.

We need to stand up ourselves.

Show the AFL that we are a good club....

What difference would it make? We need other things. We need a coach that the players will play for and we need more senior on field leaders. All the priority picks in the world won't help us right now- as we've already proven.

We need established guns, three of them at least. Somebody on here suggested some kind of mini draft setup for us. That's what we need. Will we get that? Course not. We need to be better at the stuff that is in our control- recruiting, developing and coaching- the rest will fall into place. Priority picks- which in our case- have been proven to not be the sole answer.

Yes, agree, we need to get better at recruiting, developing and coachning.

But we also need more talent on the list, in particular in the midfield. In trying to acquire this talent, a priority pick should help.

Getting better in the above areas and getting a priority pick are not mutually exclusive. We can go about improving those areas regardless of whether we get a priority pick.

As I said before a priority pick is clearly not the sole answer, but if our current on field form continues we should go for it. How can it hurt?

in for next year picks 1 and 2 kevin sheedy as coach i'd be pretty happy with that

Of course we should. Gold Coast Suns and GWS have been given entire age groups of talent. So much so that they could stuff up half of them and still end up having great lists. That's what we're up against.

So bring back Barry P and let's select the skinniest, least courageous kid we can find.

Edited April 12, 201312 yr by Return to Glory

I think we need a priority pick when it comes to coaching staff and management !!

I don't think we should get one.

The club has got to toughen up what we have.

For the last 5 years we have waited for handouts and gone backwards.

We need to stand up ourselves.

Show the AFL that we are a good club....

Were [censored], our PP is locked in, the AFL took Scully off us, not GWS, they know that, people wonder why were struggling, his replacement has played 2 games,FMD we had Scully 4 yrs ago, we have waited 4 seasons to activate that pick, the AFL know that, those other CEOs can jump up and down all they like, if we only win 3 games this year pick 1 and 2 are locked in,personally i would prefer to win 6 games.

Going after priority picks has helped get us in this pickle in the first place, then wasting those picks on players that need development in a club unable to develop players capability was our second problem. Getting one more good kid is not going to get us off our knees, we need ALL of our players to lift. I would prefer not to go through having all the other clubs challenge our success because it came as a result of charity, I want them to respect our club for our on field performances.

Perhaps rather than a priority pick it could take a form that would appease all parties.

Any team that wins 5 games or less in a season could receive assistance with their "development program".

This could be in the form of additional AFL resources for coaching, data collection/analysis or simply helping to connect the players with highly qualified people who can provide a different perspective on pathways to success.

Essentially, a helping hand does not have to be a handout.

Should we finish last, we'd be getting pick one anyway. A priority pick might be just that little bit too much in my opinion. I don't want our team to be known as "The team that won the grand final because they had so many high picks that it was inevitable"...that's the expansion clubs' job.

I want to feel we earned it by developing good players from more than just the top ranks of each year's draft.

Should we finish last, we'd be getting pick one anyway. A priority pick might be just that little bit too much in my opinion. I don't want our team to be known as "The team that won the grand final because they had so many high picks that it was inevitable"...that's the expansion clubs' job.

I want to feel we earned it by developing good players from more than just the top ranks of each year's draft.

To be honest if we win a grand final I'll take any criticism that comes our way, oh just to experience it once I will die a happy man

take the priority pick and trade it for an established top shelf midfielder

NO to a priority pick. (I've had it up to here in talk about picks helping us)

NO to AFL Help/intervention (Especially since they almost robbed 500,000 off us)

YES to a showing of passion and resilience from supporters, players, past players and reminding everyone that we are the club that started the game and we are above this sympathy treatment.

More important question. If we start to turn around our form, should we tank for one?

Honestly...

Didn't we tank last year? Essendon was the only Victorian team we beat.

take the priority pick and trade it for an established top shelf midfielder

I have been thinking along similar lines, and wondered whether the priority pick would be best set up like the 17yr old mini draft. That format is more appealing. I think though that it should have some sort of condition placed on it that it must involve the trade of a currently listed player, rather than just kids. Because a club losing all but 3-5 games needs some established players to perhaps assist them just as much as another draft pick.

I think that Viney, Crouch, O'meara and Hogan etc will really benefit from the year in the system. Its better for the club, the player drafted, the evenness of the competition, and doesn't compromise the draft quite so much (when you take a pick out next years system rather than this years system)

What difference would it make? We need other things. We need a coach that the players will play for and we need more senior on field leaders. All the priority picks in the world won't help us right now- as we've already proven.

We need established guns, three of them at least. Somebody on here suggested some kind of mini draft setup for us. That's what we need. Will we get that? Course not. We need to be better at the stuff that is in our control- recruiting, developing and coaching- the rest will fall into place. Priority picks- which in our case- have been proven to not be the sole answer.

Exactly, we need belief more than a priority pick; belief in ourselves, belief in our coach and belief in our ability to win. No one has any belief in us, the media the general public or the football World, we are bereft of it and if we gain some belief we may gain some respect and some victories may flow from that.

If we introduce a top line young recruit in to our current team we will destroy him unless he comes in to a side brimming with confidence and belief.

No.

The club needs to stop relying on league socialism.

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-04-11/rival-clubs-opposed-to-possible-demon-priority-pick

It seems other clubs wont be very happy. It would be a joke for us to get a priority pick after this whole tanking saga.

No.

The club needs to stop relying on league socialism.

Survival is far more appealing than idealism.