I think it says a lot about Dawes that teams will send their best defender to a 3 game player instead of a premiership winning forward.

They know that Dawes isn't going to damage them even if they give him their second best, which is disappointing.

Teams have even been putting medium defenders to him because they know he isn't an aerial threat and they can run off him.

I actually think we can derive a ton of benefits from this season in developments terms win, lose or draw any of our games. Hopefully with the right trades and games into our kids - by the end of this year, we are ready to take the next step in regards to our playing group.

For the first time in a long time I feel relaxed that we will actually get the right trades and draft picks to improve the team. In the past i just hoped we may just accidentally jag one

Our midfield is so one paced it really worries me, we are stocking up on inside players but have no outside speed

There's a plick playing out the west of Sydney that used to be on our list that would be handy because of the above (especially now the inside of our midfield has been bolstered).

That said, if the said plick was still on our list, we'd have no young bloke to kick it to up forward.

This is where the development of Toumpas & Stretch going forward is going to be important.

I expect in the offseason our recruiting team will focus mainly on Rucks and outside mids/half backs. Also wouldn't suprise me to see them look for another tall forward option from the state leagues as back up.

Kent

I think we may make a play for Coniglio. He is good mates with Dom, is fairly quick and can play outside or inside (more outside though).

For the first time in a long time I feel relaxed that we will actually get the right trades and draft picks to improve the team. In the past i just hoped we may just accidentally jag one

Im not so worried who we trade for - Im looking more at games played and experience. Im happy we have invested heavily inside our FD and we have the right coaches to develop our picks irrespective of who that is.

I am very upbeat about this season after the first 3 rounds. I think that the game Vince played last week is a very important event in the development of this team. It has set a standard of commitment that others on the team must aspire to. On Friday night I would like to see a couple of others step up and show the same hardness.

In the next few weeks I believe we will see some real development in the team structures will to win each contest.

I think we collectively have PTSD triggered by the traumas of drafts past and experience flashbacks to the bad old days.

We need to remind ourselves that the current recruiting dept is a very different kettle of fish and I am happy to relax and trust them to do their job.

Alex Neale Bullen and Stretch have a bit of speed and endurance.

ANB was second fastest in last year's draft over 3km at the combine.

For beep test, ANB was 7th, Stretch 9th and Petracca 12th at the combine. No players hit top 10 in 20m sprint, however other results suggest we drafted guys with some speed.

Brayshaw, ANB, Petracca, Stretch form a fairly substantial nucleus of a midfield when added to the others we've got.

Brayshaw, ANB, Petracca, Stretch form a fairly substantial nucleus of a midfield when added to the others we've got.

There's a lot of water to pass under the bridge before I'd be declaring these guys the nucleus of anything. Only one of them has even played yet, and law of averages suggest at least one of them won't make the grade at all. MFC fans of all should be well aware of the dangers of counting chickens before they've hatched when it comes to young players, no matter how sure a thing it seems at the time.

There's a lot of water to pass under the bridge before I'd be declaring these guys the nucleus of anything. Only one of them has even played yet, and law of averages suggest at least one of them won't make the grade at all. MFC fans of all should be well aware of the dangers of counting chickens before they've hatched when it comes to young players, no matter how sure a thing it seems at the time.

All true Nasher but I think we have reason to believe that for the first time in a long time that our player development might actually be up to an AFL standard, or getting there

Edited April 22, 201510 yr by hogans_heroes

Yeah I remember when Blease, Strauss, Gisberts, and Scully we're going to be our nucleus. I hold higher hopes for this mob

Yeah I remember when Blease, Strauss, Gisberts, and Scully we're going to be our nucleus. I hold higher hopes for this mob

I wonder how Blease, Strauss, Tapscott, Gysbetrts etc etc would go if they were drafted in now and had Roos, Goodwin, McCartney etc developing them from day 1

Theres no doubt we ruined the careers of some unlucky draftess in those dark days

I reckon we wouldn't have drafted any of them had wiser heads been in charge HH. None of them we're really footballers, just posers

I wonder how Blease, Strauss, Tapscott, Gysbetrts etc etc would go if they were drafted in now and had Roos, Goodwin, McCartney etc developing them from day 1

Theres no doubt we ruined the careers of some unlucky draftess in those dark days

I suspect the outcome would be the same. Don't believe thy had what it takes, but yes their deficiencies could be overcome in good sides for a time.

I have us winning 6-7 games and finishing 16th ahead of Blues and Saints. That is a step forward IMO. Lions probably be 15th with 7 wins.

I suspect the outcome would be the same. Don't believe thy had what it takes, but yes their deficiencies could be overcome in good sides for a time.

Development is an over used word in footy ... the best clubs have their fair share of busts but we don't really hear about those busts if those teams win games on a consistent basis. A top player at junior level is not automatically going to become a top player in the AFL.

I don't hate the drafting system we have but do I accept it for what it is - a flawed system where there has been numerous top players drafted outside the top 10 - 15 picks and ... any number of average to poor players that have been drafted inside the top 10 - 15 picks. The numbers in both those categories are extraordinarily high if one was to examine all the drafts we've had since 1986.

In my opinion, Gysberts, Morton, Tapscott, Blease & Strauss wouldn't have turned out much better if Roos, McCartney and crew had them from the word go. All decent juniors but none of them had the inner drive to take the next big step. They might have been about 10-15% better but that would still have meant them falling way short as League footballers.

.

Edited April 22, 201510 yr by Macca

There's a lot of water to pass under the bridge before I'd be declaring these guys the nucleus of anything. Only one of them has even played yet, and law of averages suggest at least one of them won't make the grade at all. MFC fans of all should be well aware of the dangers of counting chickens before they've hatched when it comes to young players, no matter how sure a thing it seems at the time.

Counting chickens before they're hatched is what supporters do. So leave me in peace with my delusions.

Counting chickens before they're hatched is what supporters do. So leave me in peace with my delusions.

Well, at least you are right about Brayshaw...

I wonder how Blease, Strauss, Tapscott, Gysbetrts etc etc would go if they were drafted in now and had Roos, Goodwin, McCartney etc developing them from day 1

Theres no doubt we ruined the careers of some unlucky draftess in those dark days

I'm led to believe that for the highlighted ones above, it wouldn't have mattered who was in charge. Believe it had something to do with them believing they didn't need to develop any more...

Development is an over used word in footy ... the best clubs have their fair share of busts but we don't really hear about those busts if those teams win games on a consistent basis. A top player at junior level is not automatically going to become a top player in the AFL.

I don't hate the drafting system we have but do I accept it for what it is - a flawed system where there has been numerous top players drafted outside the top 10 - 15 picks and ... any number of average to poor players that have been drafted inside the top 10 - 15 picks. The numbers in both those categories are extraordinarily high if one was to examine all the drafts we've had since 1986.

In my opinion, Gysberts, Morton, Tapscott, Blease & Strauss wouldn't have turned out much better if Roos, McCartney and crew had them from the word go. All decent juniors but none of them had the inner drive to take the next big step. They might have been about 10-15% better but that would still have meant them falling way short as League footballers.

.

I think all of Australia know that you think the current drafting system is flawed by now Macca..

Our midfield is so one paced it really worries me, we are stocking up on inside players but have no outside speed

Err Billy Stretch and ANB and Hunt ......

I think all of Australia know that you think the current drafting system is flawed by now Macca..

Yeah, I do like going into bat for small minority causes :-)

May have to qualify my judgement on the Doggies..

Follow it up this week boys. Onward and upward,