When we obtained pick 3 we had full knowledge of all players available. We did not just hear about Oliver's great run in the last half of the season. The Bulldogs picked up McREA and Bont on the back of mid season onwards improvement. This is the time leaks start to appear. We will probably hear a little more tomorrow. The Dons will take whoever we pass on out of Oliver and Parish and likely take Francis as well. They desperately need mids and Francis is likely a play anywhere type. Still we cannot rule out Parish just yet.

My only question would be whether Essendon are leaking Francis info, hoping for us to pass on Parish or Weideman in the hope one of them is available for pick 7 and in the mean time they scoop both of them.

I wouldn't trust that they really want Francis because I don't trust them at all!

i doubt their is any leaking, I think that after all the results from the season and looking at players profiles the phantom drafters have started to look more closely at a couple of those they thought would be taken earlier. Every years there is speculation on who is going to go up in the draft early and who is going to slide as players are more closely examined. Oliver has obviously played well in the later half of the season and has shown enough to win a medal and impress. He also fits the melbourne big bodied midfielder model. The fact that Melbourne and Essendon have both probably talked to his family may have also increased speculation.

Only two more sleeps until we find out...

Conspiracy theory, we're talking up Oliver as better than we actually think he is so we can grab Weiderman at 3, and have Essendon jump at Oliver and Francis, GCS for Milera and we snag Parish at 7 anyway

Conspiracy theory, we're talking up Oliver as better than we actually think he is so we can grab Weiderman at 3, and have Essendon jump at Oliver and Francis, GCS for Milera and we snag Parish at 7 anyway

Essendon would jump at Parish and Oliver in a heartbeat. They are in dire need of midfield class and depth.

I was interested to see if Callum has any form with his previous phantom drafts. (He has)

For anyone interested, here they are.

2014

2013

2012

Its all a bit hit and miss

Maybe we will take Oliver with our first pick and he does look a good prospect, but I simply find it hard to believe that he is player we traded up from pick 6 to get. This part of it doesn't make sense to me.

I'll say this again for the last time. Taylor said the other night that they didn't trade up for a particular player, but rather to improve their draft position to take the best available, which was then undecided.

Essendon would jump at Parish and Oliver in a heartbeat. They are in dire need of midfield class and depth.

Hadn't thought of the possibility if we take the Weed at 3 they might take both of them. That would be a very bad result for us. I doubt we'd take him at 3.

Hadn't thought of the possibility if we take the Weed at 3 they might take both of them. That would be a very bad result for us. I doubt we'd take him at 3.

has escaped a few for sure...hopefully not our guys

I was interested to see if Callum has any form with his previous phantom drafts. (He has)

For anyone interested, here they are.

2014

2013

2012

I love how he picked Alex Neal-bullen at 21 for the saints and he slid all the way out to the 40s..!

We didn't "trade up" to take Oliver. A month out from the draft nothing was set in concrete. We traded up to improve our position in the draft. We traded up to get the highest position we could and ultimately secure the best talent, as deemed by us, on draft day.

No-one is leaking, but my educated guess from a couple of private things is that we'll take Oliver.

We don't really know do we? you've already had Curnow, then shifted to Parish and now Oliver.

Is Oliver smoke and mirrors or real, I guess we find out Tuesday night.

It's certainly been interesting.

That doesn't make sense. Of course we traded up to take player X (I don't believe it will be Oliver) at 3.

It's ridiculous to suggest that we wanted pick 3, and then we'll decide who's the best talent. IMO, we gave up a lot to get pick 3, so it's madness to suggest that we didn't have a player in mind who we knew was under Essendon's radar, whether that be Oliver, Parish, Curnow or Weideman.

Of course we had players in mind, afterall, Taylor has been following these players for years. But we traded up to improve our draft position to maximum control and reduce impediments.

When we made that trade we would have had a list of preferences, but that list (pre combine) would have been fluid and subject to change. I don't believe it would have been set in concrete.

I love how he picked Alex Neal-bullen at 21 for the saints and he slid all the way out to the 40s..!

So do I.

Although I love Toby McLean and like Ed Langdon. He was right on Oscar Mc as well.

His later pick stuff seems very solid.

So I'd keep an eye out for Lovell, Hore (who played a VFL game for Essendon) and Doedee.

Doedee has one heck of a name for an MFC player. He seems raw but his athleticism pops off the highlight tape.

I love how he picked Alex Neal-bullen at 21 for the saints and he slid all the way out to the 40s..!

He wasn't the only one. I saw a few phantoms with both ANB and OMac in the early 20's.

We don't really know do we? you've already had Curnow, then shifted to Parish and now Oliver.

Is Oliver smoke and mirrors or real, I guess we find out Tuesday night.

It's certainly been interesting.

You know me more than me.

But yes, it changes as more information comes to hand.

I'm another that doesn't think it was/is written in stone, or that we traded up for a particular player.

Info continues to arrive, as it has done over the past few weeks: draft combine results, further interviews and reviews, info we may have gleaned during or post the trade period (e.g. we seem pretty onside with GC, and may well now have a fairly good handle on who they're into at 6), which potential draftees may/may not have been picked up by the police for a traffic indiscretion, additional testing (e.g. Weideman last week).

My feeling now is Oliver/Weideman, but wouldn't be surprised or even disappointed if it didn't pan out that way: Weideman's testing didn't do him any favours.

I'll say this again for the last time. Taylor said the other night that they didn't trade up for a particular player, but rather to improve their draft position to take the best available, which was then undecided.

Well if he said that then it must be true then, because all recruiters speak the truth don't they?.....in fact I guess you could say there in the truth business.

All joking aside, I appreciate you relaying the information Redleg. If we take Parish at 3/4, then I will maintain that my view was correct. If we take Oliver however, I will apoligise for not believing yourself & Taylor.

Well if he said that then it must be true then, because all recruiters speak the truth don't they?.....in fact I guess you could say there in the truth business.

All joking aside, I appreciate you relaying the information Redleg. If we take Parish at 3/4, then I will maintain that my view was correct. If we take Oliver however, I will apoligise for not believing yourself & Taylor.

Why don't you think it's possible that Oliver was the player that we had earmarked for selection #3 when we made the trade? He could've been the plan all along, and it's only now that the media are catching on to it.

Why don't you think it's possible that Oliver was the player that we had earmarked for selection #3 when we made the trade? He could've been the plan all along, and it's only now that the media are catching on to it.

Because we could've just taken him at 6?

So do I.

Although I love Toby McLean and like Ed Langdon. He was right on Oscar Mc as well.

His later pick stuff seems very solid.

So I'd keep an eye out for Lovell, Hore (who played a VFL game for Essendon) and Doedee.

Doedee has one heck of a name for an MFC player. He seems raw but his athleticism pops off the highlight tape.

Saw some vision of Doedee, he looks a hidden gem. Next Ryan Hargrave. So versatile and is great overhead

Because we could've just taken him at 6?

Not if Essendon takes him first.

If you look at the 3 latest phantoms they all are saying we basically have no idea but here is an educated guess. All of them have hedged their bets and said don't be surprised if Parish / Weiderman goes here. I think everyone is in aggreeance with us, the Dons and the Blues all having multiple top 10 picks, no one really knows what will happen this year.

The Ah Chee inclusion for Gold Coast at 7 is interesting. If Twomey has the inside word there it means we get the choice between Weidemen, Milera and Curnow.

Reading this, it seems that:

- pick 3 is likely to be a contest between Parish and Oliver (and Essendon will take the player we don't select with this pick); and

- pick 7 is likely to be a contest Weideman, Milera and Curnow (as Essendon will pick one of Oliver/Parish and Francis and GCS won't take either of Weideman and Curnow.

The paradox of choice!

I don't buy the notion of trading up to pick 3 for a specific player. It goes against the notion of smart recruiting which is to never go for the messiah pick and to believe in continually good spotting of talent and good development from there on in.

Messiah? Whether they had a player, or players, in mind at 3 - they evidently didn't think they would be available at 6.

What is so wrong about wanting a particular player? I applaud the desire to pinpoint a player and try to get him.

The Parish Vs Oliver scenario is serious mind-[censored].

I feel we've witnessed this type of scenario so many times in the past with results not going our way for various reasons.

The old MFC would have definitely made it difficult for a player like Parish to flourish and develop the right way. But we are a different club now and I have to keep telling myself that. Having a body as slight as his will definitely limit his impact early on and I'm sure we'll hear the same 'merry-go-round' of comments in regards to Oliver's impact early in his career. Bigger body, streak of aggression etc.

The fact Oliver missed out on the Vic Country side doesn't bother me. We've seen quality AFL players come through without having played in the champs. But Parish clearly does get the tick over him with the whole 'body of work' thing.

It's a conundrum. It's hard to see what kind of player Parish will become. With his height, body shape and attributes. As a supporter of a club who has contributed to the failure of so many previous high draft picks with similar underdeveloped bodies, I'd almost demand he spend the entire year at Casey learning and developing his body. They're the kinds of kids that need that first year as a prep year. And they get it at the strong clubs. I understand Parish is more of an inside player than players we've drafted in previous years who have struggled to impact. But coming into the AFL with a body like his, we're going to have to play the patience game again. Which is a hard ask for Melbourne supporters. Especially for a potential number 3 draft pick.

It really is a situation we've seen so many times.

I'm leaning toward Oliver. I think the MFC's desire to draft bigger bodied, harder at the contest and aggressive players might override Parish's 'body of work' in this case.

But fark me I have no idea what's going to happen.