Last year Melbourne delisted 8 senior players (3 retired) and 3 rookies.

Are we likely to delist the same number this year and if so who will they be?

The players in the firing line are:

Strauss

Barry

Bleese

Byrnes

Clark - retired

Tapscott could be on that list if he doesn't show something by the end of the year. I know he has been injured but this is his fifth year and we are still wondering if he is an AFL footballer.

I'd love it if he could come in as a defender and nudge out Terlich.

Edited May 20, 201411 yr by Mallee Bull

def add tappy to that list unless he gets a good run and proves himself.
I think Barry will get another year, he's young and has shown glimpses.

Last year Melbourne delisted 8 senior players (3 retired) and 3 rookies.

Are we likely to delist the same number this year and if so who will they be?

The players in the firing line are:

Strauss

Barry

Bleese

Byrnes

Clark - retired

Dan Nicholson is another who should be on that list.

Agree with all of the above.

Last year Melbourne delisted 8 senior players (3 retired) and 3 rookies.

Are we likely to delist the same number this year and if so who will they be?

The players in the firing line are:

Strauss

Barry

Bleese

Byrnes

Clark - retired

Agree with this minus Barry, but also add Nicholson and Tappy. Bail also would've been on the list if it wasn't for his form this year.

Depending on their contract status', Clisby, McKenzie and Evans will be close to the mark also, have done next to nothing for the seniors all year. Which hurts me to say because Evans was showing us something last year before his injury.

Barry has just had his best couple of weeks - he won't go. Either will Blease but they should see if he's got any trade value. Think Tappy will be given more time too - coaches love hardness.

Clark (Ret)

Byrnes (Ret / not offered new contract)

Nicho - disposal / decision making not at AFL standard - turning into list clogger. Clisby ahead of him now.

McKenzie - trade / delist. I know he's a great soldier and clubman - but can't see him getting a game ahead of mitchie, kent, evans, toumpas, salem - disposal won't cut it.

Strauss - make or break year - out of excuses.

Frawley - if he decides to run.

Don't think they would make anymore than 5 changes.

Trying to add to the list of 'at the crossroads' -

Fitzpatrick seems to be stagnating a bit at the moment. We've seen that he can show much better form, but if we don't see it much for the remainder of the year, well, there aren't likely to be any times in future where there are more opportunities at Melbourne for his type than what are available now.

Neville Jetta ® is obviously on his last chance to show he can deliver AFL standard in more than bursts.

Michael Evans, I really like him, but he just seems to be a bit short of AFL level.

Other than these three and the many already mentioned, I think the remainder of the 'questionable' players have either shown enough to warrant a little more perseverance, or are simply so young it would be a bit odd to cut them unless they had genuine problems that simply puts a line through their name.

Really want to see Strauss and Evans prove themselves, I think they have untapped potential but they need to show it.

Clark - retired

Byrnes - has to go

Nicho - has to go

Strauss/Tappy/Blease - all in same boat (have to perform)

McKenzie - could also be added

The number of delistings will obviously depend on what there is to bring in.

Strauss - I thought he would be the perfect player under Roos but he is make or break this year. He was playing very well don back at Casey then they moved him forward - guess there is some competion with small defenders but we could really use a good kick out of defense.

Might be a little premature to have this conversation just yet. A few weeks ago, we would have had Bail and Pederson out the door with Dunn right on the cusp, but I think they're all looking pretty safe right now. I'd love to see all the names listed above get some game time in the seniors (Casey form warranting, of course) to see what they can do under Roos before drawing a line through them. It would be great if we got to the end of the year with a lot of difficult decisions to make.

Tapscott could be on that list if he doesn't show something by the end of the year. I know he has been injured but this is his fifth year and we are still wondering if he is an AFL footballer.

I'd love it if he could come in as a defender and nudge out Terlich.

Mate there is no way Tapscott is up to afl standard.. I watched him against Coburg last week, shocking foot skills.. Terlich is miles ahead of him!!

I dont get what people dont like about terlich, he applys pressure and wins contested ball!! Something melbourne havent drafted for the best part of a decade.. Instead going for soft [censored] like morton, newton, blease..

Delisted

Strauss

Nicholson

Blease

Tapscott

Spencer

Byrnes

Fitzpatrick

Evans and Barry delisted and 're rookied

Jetta and georgiou upgraded

I think Barry will get another year, he's young and has shown glimpses.

Just on that, worth remembering that Barry was comparatively late to footy - he'd come down to Melbourne as an elite junior tennis player, and only took up football in his last year or two at school in Ballarat.

Doesn't necessarily mean that he'll make it, but I would have thought that he'd be worth looking at for another year.

Agree with most of the above, not sure on Fitzpatrick. On how things finished up last year, I'd have taken Fitzpatrick over Pedersen, but somehow that's now been reversed. In any case, I believe Fitzy has another year on his contract as he resigned last year, so it would have to be a trade (if anything).

A few others running out of time to establish themselves though.

Strauss

Byrnes

Spencer

Fitzpatrick

Evans

Nicholson

Won't be surprised if Bleese is offered up for pick 30-40. IMO he has zero defensive game and even though he's been trying this part of his game at Casey, he is far from AFL standard, or at least the standard we expect of a Roos team.

The fact that in his 6th season he still can't get a game is telling. I don't see why he is any more likely to stick around than Tapscott.

Won't be surprised if Bleese is offered up for pick 30-40. IMO he has zero defensive game and even though he's been trying this part of his game at Casey, he is far from AFL standard, or at least the standard we expect of a Roos team.

The fact that in his 6th season he still can't get a game is telling. I don't see why he is any more likely to stick around than Tapscott.

If we had a solid coach from the start, Blease would have been a much better player WITH a defensive game. Roos is all about hard running, up and down the ground getting numbers to the contest and putting a stranglehold around stoppages and being accountable for your player. Give Blease this year and next year, I guarantee he will build up a huge engine and develop a solid mix of defensive and attacking pressure and feature in our starting line up.

Blease has been in the system for quite a while now. Surely we shouldn't still be discussing his inability to build an engine.

That said, I expect Blease may have a role in an AFL team as he has genuine X factor - it's just that the AFL team may not be one coached by the greatest man to have coached this club since Norm Smith.

Edit - post demanded more hyperbole.

Edited May 20, 201411 yr by Ron Burgundy

there's no way both spencer and fitzpatrick will be jettisoned simultaneously. it would leaveus with one senior ruckman, a raw giant, and a young kid who needs heaps of development. in fact, i can't see either of them going at this point in time. we need minimum of four ruckmen on the list, and king barely counts as a rookie.

my guess is:

byrnes - retired

clark - retired

blease - offered as trade bait, perhaps retained as a rookie

strauss - delisted

nicholson - delisted

evans - delisted

tapscott - delisted

barry will get another year, perhaps as a rookie.

Edited May 20, 201411 yr by DemonAndrew

If Blease is out of contract, I expect him to opt out and go to Richmond as a delisted FA.

Just a hunch.

Nicholson is gone.

Byrnes also.

Clark retired.

I don't expect Blease to stay.

Tapscott has run out of time.

Strauss borderline, but his kicking may keep him in for 1 more go around.

Evans on thin ice.

Agree Barry should be delisted and rookied.

Fitzpatrick to stay.

Spencer to stay.

McKenzie to stay.

Jetta should get an upgrade if he can maintain his form in the backline - this would make it hard to keep Strauss.

Georgiou to stay a rookie.

King stays as rookie.

Harmes potential upgrade.

We should end up with approx 5-6 spots on the list to fill through the draft and trades.

Another young KPP, a couple of tall mids, maybe a ruckman and some blistering pace.

Strauss

Byrnes

Spencer

Fitzpatrick

Evans

Nicholson

No way we would get rid of both Spencer and Fitzpatrick. Chance of one but not both.

Byrnes and Barry should both go

Nicholson is gone.

Byrnes also.

Clark retired.

I don't expect Blease to stay.

Tapscott has run out of time.

Strauss borderline, but his kicking may keep him in for 1 more go around.

Evans on thin ice.

Agree Barry should be delisted and rookied.

Fitzpatrick to stay.

Spencer to stay.

McKenzie to stay.

Jetta should get an upgrade if he can maintain his form in the backline - this would make it hard to keep Strauss.

Georgiou to stay a rookie.

King stays as rookie.

Harmes potential upgrade.

We should end up with approx 5-6 spots on the list to fill through the draft and trades.

Another young KPP, a couple of tall mids, maybe a ruckman and some blistering pace.

At this stage I reckon that is about right.

But there is still along way to go in 2014 and expect 1 or 2 of those names to improve and catch our eye again.

Personally I think Tapscott, Byrnes and Nicholson are locks to be delisted.

I don't see why any of our rookies would be upgraded when they dont need to be (e.g. Clisby last year). Keep them there and that free's up more spots on the actual list etc.

Only real certanties are:

Clark

Byrnes

Nicholson

My guess is that we will want 5'ish spots on the list so two more to be traded/delisted.