also a strong chance to be there at pick 7... Parish is not.

So we go back to parish and francis if he is there right?that would be a dream result

I must be missing something but I simply can't understand how the club would prefer Parish to Francis. There are 2 highlights reels on Francis and in one of them he plays as a strong, tall mid, and goes forward. He kicks 4 goals, a couple involving 50m plus kicks. The next segment shows him defending, taking mark after mark. Again, disposal impeccable.

I notice in the AFL highlights reel, in which he talks very movingly about the death of his brother, he says that Brendon Goddard is a role model.

I was quite unaware of this, but Goddard is the very bloke I thought of when watching the first reel.

Francis is a mature kid, who I reckon would play many games in his first season and 200 overall. To me, he represents much more of what the club needs, than Parish. Has anyone else a view about this?

Jack of all trades like Goddard are fine if you are a contending team. We need players who can lock down critical roles on the field, ie; midfield and key forward. It took Goddard a long time to establish a role at the Saints, and he's been average when the Bombers have struggled. Give me the best mid in the draft ahead of a floater any day.

I haven't been so excited about a potential draftee since Jimmy Toumpas ... oh.

That's my one fear about him. Sounds just like all the reports of the Toump as a junior. I remember seeing him sitting on the bench in the Darwin game year before last in tears. He just couldn't get into the game. Something didn't look right then. I reckon he was very hard on himself and destroyed his own confidence with pressure of being no. 4 pick and it's importance to MFC. He'll probably come good with that monkey off his back. That outstanding talent as a junior doesn't disappear.

Anyway try again with Parish and hope he can bulk up enough to be competitive as a senior. I figure the fact he's got pace which we need so desperately will put him ahead of any others at 3.

That's my one fear about him. Sounds just like all the reports of the Toump as a junior. I remember seeing him sitting on the bench in the Darwin game year before last in tears. He just couldn't get into the game. Something didn't look right then. I reckon he was very hard on himself and destroyed his own confidence with pressure of being no. 4 pick and it's importance to MFC. He'll probably come good with that monkey off his back. That outstanding talent as a junior doesn't disappear.

Anyway try again with Parish and hope he can bulk up enough to be competitive as a senior. I figure the fact he's got pace which we need so desperately will put him ahead of any others at 3.

With the right diet, training anyone can bulk up.. It's not a matter of 'I wonder if he can bulk up or not' I used to have Parish's frame at his age and similar height. I started to eat 5 meals a day, all good clean bulking foods, did sprints, lifted heavy weights and I've put on heaps of mass. And the smaller you are, the easier it is for you to bulk up.

I must be missing something but I simply can't understand how the club would prefer Parish to Francis. There are 2 highlights reels on Francis and in one of them he plays as a strong, tall mid, and goes forward. He kicks 4 goals, a couple involving 50m plus kicks. The next segment shows him defending, taking mark after mark. Again, disposal impeccable.

I notice in the AFL highlights reel, in which he talks very movingly about the death of his brother, he says that Brendon Goddard is a role model.

I was quite unaware of this, but Goddard is the very bloke I thought of when watching the first reel.

Francis is a mature kid, who I reckon would play many games in his first season and 200 overall. To me, he represents much more of what the club needs, than Parish. Has anyone else a view about this?

Because he's considered a far better midfielder. Francis' best position is in defence as a third tall.

From your post I can only conclude you haven't seen this video:

http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/video/2015-10-30/draft-prospect-darcy-parish

That's my one fear about him. Sounds just like all the reports of the Toump as a junior. I remember seeing him sitting on the bench in the Darwin game year before last in tears. He just couldn't get into the game. Something didn't look right then. I reckon he was very hard on himself and destroyed his own confidence with pressure of being no. 4 pick and it's importance to MFC. He'll probably come good with that monkey off his back. That outstanding talent as a junior doesn't disappear.

Anyway try again with Parish and hope he can bulk up enough to be competitive as a senior. I figure the fact he's got pace which we need so desperately will put him ahead of any others at 3.

Toumpas never played like Parish as a mid in juniors. In fact, Toumpas had one of the worst contested possession percentages going around. It's the same problem in the AFL, but only magnified.

They're chalk and cheese.

Keep in mind that most of us are only going off highlight packages...

But players like Francis look excellent as they dispose of the footy well and cut off kicks in defence and take strong marks around the ground - they really could be Goddard or they could be Daniel Bell.

The player that I am excited about at this time of the year is the bull who will not let anyone else get the footy (Viney) and you just know...

Or the player who is a dominant tall player that doesn't stop moving and leads in all directions and loves to use his body (Hogan) and you just know...

Or the player that seems to follow the play in the centre square like he has ESP with the sherrin and when he gets the ball explodes out of the traffic as if he has a GPS inbuilt (Judd) and you just know...

Obviously the last type of player is the one we are without although Petracca looks like that type of power player.

Parish would be the closest to that in this class that I have seen in my limited viewings - who are the players that have those traits?

Because he's considered a far better midfielder. Francis' best position is in defence as a third tall.

From your post I can only conclude you haven't seen this video:

http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/video/2015-10-30/draft-prospect-darcy-parish

Which is what Jack Watts was pretty good at when we put him down back a few years ago as that floater third tall (although i'd suggest Francis may be better in the contest). I think its Darcy parish at 3 and then one of the the three leftover talls at 7 (hurry up draft night already)!

Because he's considered a far better midfielder. Francis' best position is in defence as a third tall.

From your post I can only conclude you haven't seen this video:

http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/video/2015-10-30/draft-prospect-darcy-parish

I hadn't! Those highlights were really solid weren't they! Excellent hands below his kness, good vision, good decision maker, nice kick.

I was already keen, but those highlights sold me.

His kicking in those highlights reminds me of Cotchin.

Toumpas never played like Parish as a mid in juniors. In fact, Toumpas had one of the worst contested possession percentages going around. It's the same problem in the AFL, but only magnified.

They're chalk and cheese.

This^

I really do hope for Toumpas' sake that his career is revived at PA.

He's a top bloke by all accounts.

The reality is that although he looked great as a junior in SA with his skills the speed and intensity of AFL football was something he couldn't handle or transition to.

Based on those brief highlights, Parish looks like he knows what to do with the ball before he gets it. And that's what you look for in a gun midfielder. In comparison, Oliver looks like he wants to take the tackler on before disposing of the ball. He may not get away with that at AFL level.

Any draftee that comes to the club now has a significantly better chance of becoming an AFL level player than what they did before Roos and Jackson came on board.

They're now 'entering' a professional environment and into a club actually operating the way it should.

If we blow another top 5 - 10 pick before we're (out of that market) I'll be very surprised.

Because he's considered a far better midfielder. Francis' best position is in defence as a third tall.

From your post I can only conclude you haven't seen this video:

http://www.sydneyswans.com.au/video/2015-10-30/draft-prospect-darcy-parish

Thanks for these highlights. Excellent disposal both sides of his body. Agree with Snoop Dog's surprise that he hadn't tested better at Combine. As he said you wouldn't have thought that would be the case given these highlights.

Oh but he's soft and light....

Next Sam Mitchell

Sam Mitchell is a bull. bit different.

His kicking in those highlights reminds me of Cotchin.

He's a better kick than Cotchin...

Spotted young Darcy at one of the local pubs tonight and I tell you what, he does not look like a footballer!

Told everybody I was with that he is the likely number 3 pick in this year's draft and they all called [censored].

He didn't stick around long enough for me to ask whether he was likely to put on a heap of muscle over the next few years or if he was going to get a haircut. Sorry guys and girls.

I think this goes for most footballers these days.

They all look like lean triathletes in person.

I see Jordan Lewis every few weeks and he does not look big enough to be an inside mid at AFL level but he is and he is a bull. He's as lean as could be with spaghetti arms. Parish has a decent frame on him so he will be fine.

The difference between Toumpas and Parish is that Toumpas is a pure link-man or 'sweeper' off half-back, whereas Parish takes contested marks and wins and gives off contested possessions regularly. He is a bit like Shuey or Shane Edwards. He isn't a pure outside mid.

I see Jordan Lewis every few weeks and he does not look big enough to be an inside mid at AFL level but he is and he is a bull. He's as lean as could be with spaghetti arms. Parish has a decent frame on him so he will be fine.

The difference between Toumpas and Parish is that Toumpas is a pure link-man or 'sweeper' off half-back, whereas Parish takes contested marks and wins and gives off contested possessions regularly. He is a bit like Shuey or Shane Edwards. He isn't a pure outside mid.

Yes, I said a few days ago his floor looks like Shane Edwards.

Let's hope he can get off the floor a little though...

That's my one fear about him. Sounds just like all the reports of the Toump as a junior. .

Except Parish can win a contested ball. He averaged 28 disposals in the TAC cup,16 contested apparently, Toumpas averaged about 30% or less contested possessions IIRC. That's why I don't think he'll be a Toumpas.

Except Parish can win a contested ball. He averaged 28 disposals in the TAC cup,16 contested apparently, Toumpas averaged about 30% or less contested possessions IIRC. That's why I don't think he'll be a Toumpas.

Parish seems very similar to Tom Scully....

http://afldraftinfo.blogspot.com.au/2009/10/tom-scully-dandenong-stingraysvic-metro.html

I always thought that Tom was too skinny for a midfield roll.

In his first few years he kept getting pushed off the ball and was unable to shrug tackles.

This should be a red flag to the football department.

Parish seems very similar to Tom Scully....

http://afldraftinfo.blogspot.com.au/2009/10/tom-scully-dandenong-stingraysvic-metro.html

I always thought that Tom was too skinny for a midfield roll.

In his first few years he kept getting pushed off the ball and was unable to shrug tackles.

This should be a red flag to the football department.

Scully was an accumulator of the ball who relied on running opponents into the ground, his disposal was and still is poor.

This kid relies on his footy smarts to get the ball, he is a quick decision maker and uses the ball very well by hand and foot both sides of his body.

I'm sure the FD are well aware of his strengths and weaknesses and won't need worry about any red flags.

Scully was an accumulator of the ball who relied on running opponents into the ground, his disposal was and still is poor.

This kid relies on his footy smarts to get the ball, he is a quick decision maker and uses the ball very well by hand and foot both sides of his body.

I'm sure the FD are well aware of his strengths and weaknesses and won't need worry about any red flags.

That is correct. Scully had/has poor skills by foot.

Check out his game against SA in 2009.

Parish's highlights show that he has above average foot skills.

Not sure where he will start at AFL level. He has shown he is very good off a HB flank, demonstrated this year he is a very good all round midfielder and has pushed forward as well to kick goals. He has a very light frame though and he won't be pushed to the middle to quickly I would have thought and with mids like Jones, Petracca, Brayshaw, Tyson and Viney they can afford to protect him a bit. With Salem & Bugg off HB wouldn't mind betting he starts as a HF flanker.

Building a very talented group of juniors these Demons ...

Thanks for sharing this mate.

I'm thinking (hoping) Salem will see more time in the middle this year so maybe he can replace the role on the HBF. Although setting up the play from the back half is such an important part of todays footy maybe they want to settle with Salem there? I don't know, he just seems to talented not to play a greater amount of time through the middle.

I'm not saying the head coach would say "I want this bloke, full stop", but clearly they would all work together in identifying the best player that fits what we are looking for in terms of attitude.

To think the recruiter just goes out and picks whoever he wants without the coach knowing about it is just plain silly.

Let's not forget the original comment I was responding to: "Coach that is being phased out shouldnt be involved at all."

The example I used wasn't to show the merits or otherwise of how it could happen, but merely to show it's an accepted fact that the head coach gets the final say.

I wish I could find the actual quote but Roos is on record saying he has very little to do with draft selections. He says he has people to do that for him and whilst the whole coaching panel may discuss what the obvious needs and priorities are for the team ( ie mids - inside, outside, goal kicking ) I was left with the impression that if we wanted mids with certain traits Roos defers to the recruiting guys to pick the best available.