I'm thinking positively here. But why not. It's the most positive time of the year:

The way I see it is the best thing for us to improve quickly and become a top 8 quality side is Petracca. Along with Brayshaw, Tyson and Viney we can have a group of hard working contested ball winners lined up for the next decade. Whilst we still have Nath Jones and Vince, plus maybe even Crossy as well we should be able to actually learn to execute Roos' game style and have the guys to pull it off against most sides. We might not be able to beat the best sides unless we find some skilled outside runners as well as goal kickers, but we are at least in the contest.

McCartin could be very exciting. Having 2 big forward targets who not only mark and kick goals but compete ferociously around the ball. That would be great. If you developed them right and signed them to long term deals at reasonable money (not Tom Boyd money) in the days of free agency you could almost buy the rest of the side in. A bit like the hawks with Buddy, Roughy, Cyril, Lewis etc developing if you made it successfully experienced players would line up to join you for a premiership push. The downside there is you've got to wait a few years for McCartin and Hogan to mature, by which time if you don't have the help in the midfield you aren't winning games.

So I'm happy either way. It's all happiness this time of year but picks 2 and 3 sound a lot better than the saints with pick 1.

I'm thinking positively here. But why not. It's the most positive time of the year:

The way I see it is the best thing for us to improve quickly and become a top 8 quality side is Petracca. Along with Brayshaw, Tyson and Viney we can have a group of hard working contested ball winners lined up for the next decade. Whilst we still have Nath Jones and Vince, plus maybe even Crossy as well we should be able to actually learn to execute Roos' game style and have the guys to pull it off against most sides. We might not be able to beat the best sides unless we find some skilled outside runners as well as goal kickers, but we are at least in the contest.

McCartin could be very exciting. Having 2 big forward targets who not only mark and kick goals but compete ferociously around the ball. That would be great. If you developed them right and signed them to long term deals at reasonable money (not Tom Boyd money) in the days of free agency you could almost buy the rest of the side in. A bit like the hawks with Buddy, Roughy, Cyril, Lewis etc developing if you made it successfully experienced players would line up to join you for a premiership push. The downside there is you've got to wait a few years for McCartin and Hogan to mature, by which time if you don't have the help in the midfield you aren't winning games.

So I'm happy either way. It's all happiness this time of year but picks 2 and 3 sound a lot better than the saints with pick 1.

agree with you entirely but would definitely prefer Petracca over McCartin - as you state, with Tyson and Viney we SHOULD be able to develop a 'big 4' midfield of genuine quality players, to me this is more important than another key forward. If we have a genuine midfield the rest will fall into place.. if there is no midfield we have nothing. Our backline is very solid and Hogan a potential star.. we also have some good secondary forwards. The midfield is the big key for us I feel. If the Saints call out McCartin I will be fist-pumping!

So I'm happy either way. It's all happiness this time of year but picks 2 and 3 sound a lot better than the saints with pick 1.

Lever or another, 'Georgiou'...I wouldn't count him or them out just yet.

Maybe it's not either way, it's a few options. I know what Mahoney said and the club talking about out of 3 but Roos is the king of misleading information.

Still think it's probably out of the 3 but wouldn't be disappointed if it's not.

Well, in the argument of Drafting vs Development the team you chose as a team that develops well chose not to select the kid we did select.

So I guess the answer is - did the Eagles overlook a player they didn't think was worthy of a high selection? Or did we not develop him to his full potential?

I think it's both. But I really don't think Morton had a much of a future in the AFL even if he went to a club that develops well.

The fact is, he went to the Eagles as a mature player and person and he still failed, I think that lends itself to the verdict that we drafted poorly with that selection.

I'm going to side with what apparently is the vast minority and say that the admin/ coaching structures in place at the time made him a worse player. Not just didn't develop him, made him worse.

Everyone hates on the coaches/ admin from this era and yet when it comes to discussing the high draft picks it's the players fault for not coming on. I Don't get it.

Yeah, some draftees have an incredible internal drive that spurs them on to reach great heights, but you've got to remember they're 18 year old boys, how many kids that age have that sort of internal drive? Not many. And even if they did, how many have the knowledge and experience to extract all their talent? Even fewer. You need knowledgable staff to tell them what to do and senior players to show them how to do it. We didn't really have either.

I don't think it has any bearing - you could argue that having your first 5 years at a rubbish club does irreparable damage. Having said that, Morton looked a goer in his first couple of years and then stopped on a dime. This seems to be a bit of a pattern with us, we can't seem to get players to take that next step. Both Morton and Watts had/have all the tools/advantages required to be top-line players, there is no excuse or explanation, other than perhaps our rubbish culture and program, underfunded footy dept., poor facilities, bargain basement coaching etc etc I know some of these aspects have been improved (at least partially) but they were all present in Morton's first 5 years

Young(ish) players who showed something then went backwards (IMO) during the Bailey/ Neeld era:

Brock, Sylvia (to an extent), Bate, Petterd, Morton, Grimes, Trengove, Gysberts.

They all came in and showed they could seriously play, then went backwards at a rate of knots. BP made a couple of left field choices (and I love that Carlton took him on after us) but to blame it on poor recruiting is short sighted.

The Bailey/ Neeld era messed up a lot of potential.

My bad MD, the foxsports facebook post I clicked on had them stating that Paddy Mac was confirmed.

No problems.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see.”

In researching the quote on google I found another beauty, "You can't trust quotes on the internet." - Benjamin Franklin

I think most people get stung the the media/internet at some time.

No problems.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see.”

In researching the quote on google I found another beauty, "You can't trust quotes on the internet." - Benjamin Franklin

I think most people get stung the the media/internet at some time.

Or from that great philosopher Redleg, " the future is best determined in hindsight".

Apologies if this has been posted but according to this article -

http://m.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/afl-phantom-draft-2014-jay-clark-and-sam-landsberger-predict-who-your-club-will-pick/story-e6frf3e3-1227132256899

- Saints are confirmed to taking Mccartin...

Your first mistake was listening to Demoneyes.

I am sure in a past life you may done something useful also! If you read the article above you will see what i have said confirmed about Lever ..."The twist: The Demons have looked hard at ACL victim Jake Lever at this selection given his ability to play and small". Happy princess?

BP made a couple of left field choices (and I love that Carlton took him on after us) but to blame it on poor recruiting is short sighted.

The Bailey/ Neeld era messed up a lot of potential.

Agree entirely and have been singing this tune for years. Many here find it easier to believe that changing the bloke who is head of recruiting is going to fix the club. The more inconvenient truth is that there is/has been something fundamentally wrong with many aspects of the club at large and that is why we have ZERO champions on the list.

So far, in the PJ/Roos era, we really only have one available case study - which is Dom Tyson. So far, so good.

PS when you talk of BP going left field, the only ones that can be argued are Gysberts and Cook. Everybody else at the pointy end got picked exactly where they should have been and that's just a fact.

The Bailey/ Neeld era messed up a lot of potential.

That may be, but I would argue that there wasn't enough potential there in the first place.

If saying that players 'not coming on is their own fault' is too easy an out, then equally the notion that 'some players have that internal drive to improve, and some don't' is similar an easy excuse. Surely you pick the players with the internal drive to improve?

I don't blame the entirety of our predicament on our poor recruitment but I refuse to believe we would turn a Dangerfield into a Morton and vice-versa - which I don't think you would disagree with me on.

We needed to have the best people in place, in a stable environment, with on field, experienced leaders...but we also needed to pick Dangerfield...

I am sure in a past life you may done something useful also! If you read the article above you will see what i have said confirmed about Lever ..."The twist: The Demons have looked hard at ACL victim Jake Lever at this selection given his ability to play and small". Happy princess?

I'd be disappointed at the club if they hadn't "looked hard" at the top-20 players available to us, doesn't mean they will select each one.

My gripe with you is the numerous times you claimed that Lever was basically a certainty, without any substantiation at all until yesterday when you latched onto the media's reports that St Kilda were going to take McCartin.

Agree entirely and have been singing this tune for years. Many here find it easier to believe that changing the bloke who is head of recruiting is going to fix the club. The more inconvenient truth is that there is/has been something fundamentally wrong with many aspects of the club at large and that is why we have ZERO champions on the list.

So far, in the PJ/Roos era, we really only have one available case study - which is Dom Tyson. So far, so good.

PS when you talk of BP going left field, the only ones that can be argued are Gysberts and Cook. Everybody else at the pointy end got picked exactly where they should have been and that's just a fact.

That doesn't rule out us simply being wrong about the players chosen, in fact it lends itself to everyone being wrong about where they rated the players we chose.

Brayshaw about to be interviewed on SEN

That doesn't rule out us simply being wrong about the players chosen, in fact it lends itself to everyone being wrong about where they rated the players we chose.

You only have to look at the retrospective drafts that some of the media have done. I think 2002 and 2005 are the only ones that come close to getting it right.

Really?

He's not afraid to have an opinion, and goes very early, which is to be admired, but "pretty spot-on"?

I think not.

Actually. He is. Have a look at his phantom drafts over the last few years. He doesn't always get the order exactly right, but is never far off.

The guy watches a truck load of junior footy and bases his phantoms on what he sees. He never gets to interview the players like a club would.

He doesnt get any inside info from anyone.

He does an amazing job with the limited info he has.

He also loves chatting and sharing his opinion with others online very early on through the year.

God knows why anyone would want to watch that much junior football in their spare time.

I'd be disappointed at the club if they hadn't "looked hard" at the top-20 players available to us, doesn't mean they will select each one.

My gripe with you is the numerous times you claimed that Lever was basically a certainty, without any substantiation at all until yesterday when you latched onto the media's reports that St Kilda were going to take McCartin.

Oh you have a gripe? Latched onto media reports? All I was saying there was that it could all be thrown out the window, IF saints take Mccartin. Substantiation? What you want names and addresses of sources? Come on!!!! If no-one reported on here what they heard all you would be talking about is bananas, tv shows and dirty pictures!

Emma Quayle has just released her first round predictions and has McCartin going to the Saints at number 1.

She has Dees picking Brayshaw at 2 and Petracca at 3.

She is usually spot on so close to the draft.

Brayshaw on SEN now

Brayshaw on SEN now

Can you give us a rundown afterwards O?

Cheers.

That doesn't rule out us simply being wrong about the players chosen, in fact it lends itself to everyone being wrong about where they rated the players we chose.

except that the top sides have a way higher strike rate of turning their high draft picks into champions - see the Hawks: Hodge, Roughead, Franklin, Lewis, Ellis, Rioli.. they get full value. Surely you can't pretend that's just luck?

Emma Quayle has just released her first round predictions and has McCartin going to the Saints at number 1.

She has Dees picking Brayshaw at 2 and Petracca at 3.

She is usually spot on so close to the draft.

I remember one year she got the first dozen or so pretty much spot on

I remember one year she got the first dozen or so pretty much spot on

Last year she was pretty spot on yeah?

I don't understand how if Lever is rated so highly by us, then if we don't pick him, most people have him going pick 10-15 range. Surely other clubs at pick 4-8 would pick him up if he was that good.

Let's hope we get a few gems, whether it's McCartin/Brayshaw or Petrecca/Brayshaw. Melbourne need a bit of luck to go our way for a change.

Last year she was pretty spot on yeah?

12/20 last year - first 8 were spot on though

Roosy pretty much just confirmed that Petracca will be a Dee :-D