Melbourne looks to exorcise past draft Demons

[Grimes Times 1,278]

Anyone who wants to relive the past nightmare of Melbourne recent drafting -

Melbourne looks to exorcise past draft Demons

[rjay 25,161]

As the article points out, this draft will set us up as a genuine contender or a 5-8 player in future years.

[reynolds46 1,279]

best part of that article is jono's comment at the bottom:

"Sadly Colin Sylvia did actually play for Freo – he played 6 in total for 1 goal

He now has the Melbourne / Freo trophy named in his honour – The Colin Sylvia Family Bucket"

[Bluey's Dad 3,419]

"Sylvia at his best was a match winner, but sadly his career will be looked back on largely as an unfulfilled disappointment. Reportedly a chain smoker throughout his career,"

WTF? What part of 'professional athlete' did Colin not understand?

[dazzledavey36 55,390]

Colin is currently still living up the AFL fame and night life ... parties basically everyday of the week and doesn't have a job as he is living off 2016 contract that's been paid out to him by Freo.

The guy will never grow up. He will blow all his cash and end up at Centerlink.

[Demon Jack 6,930]

That article is downright frightening. Hard to believe that Lucas Cook is the only player from the top 40 of his draft not to play a game. Thankfully the years of drafting players like Strauss, Gysberts, Blease and Tapscott are now over and we now have a recruiting team capable of making logical and beneficial selections like Brayshaw and Salem.

Hopefully this year is more the same. Then again, we won't know for a few years yet...

[Moonshadow 17,677]

That article is downright frightening. Hard to believe that Lucas Cook is the only player from the top 40 of his draft not to play a game. Thankfully the years of drafting players like Strauss, Gysberts, Blease and Tapscott are now over and we now have a recruiting team capable of making logical and beneficial selections like Brayshaw and Salem.

Hopefully this year is more the same. Then again, we won't know for a few years yet...

True about our selection team, but I think culture and development is equally as important

[P-man 13,366]

Perhaps the author gained inspiration from the 100+ other articles that have been written about "Melbourne's drafting demons/woes/horrors/nightmare".

[KingDingAling 3,758]

Anyone who wants to relive the past nightmare of Melbourne recent drafting -

Melbourne looks to exorcise past draft Demons

I don't see any point re-living past drafts. People like to re-do drafts and laud over them, I find that to be pointless. What is done is done. Bring on tonight's draft.

[FarNorthernD 5,861]

I don't see any point re-living past drafts. People like to re-do drafts and laud over them, I find that to be pointless. What is done is done. Bring on tonight's draft.

Completely agree KDA although I'm quite happy talking about last years!

[What 18,810]

Those bad drafts are old news and those responsible (not just for the drafting but also player development) are long gone. The drafting appears to be very good so far in the Roos era.

[Guest]

Our last two years of drafting have been great. Let's talk about those.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Those bad drafts are old news and those responsible (not just for the drafting but also player development) are long gone. The drafting appears to be very good so far in the Roos era.

Aside from some questionable second hand players we have picked up, overall you can already tell the recruiting has improved since Taylor started.

[Ouch! 2,267]

That article is downright frightening. Hard to believe that Lucas Cook is the only player from the top 40 of his draft not to play a game. Thankfully the years of drafting players like Strauss, Gysberts, Blease and Tapscott are now over and we now have a recruiting team capable of making logical and beneficial selections like Brayshaw and Salem.

Hopefully this year is more the same. Then again, we won't know for a few years yet...

I still don't feel this is entirely fair on the players mentioned above. Whilst Gysberts was seen as a 'roughie' the other three were all seen as good selections at the time. In many of these cases we have to look to the development of our list rather than the recruitment of the players. These three players also suffered some very significant injuries that hindered development, and would have had a big hit on confidence as they see other players go past them.

Rather than being revisionist, surely it is better to acknowledge we had significant issues in most areas of our football department, and since we've had PJ, Josh Mahoney, and the coaches in place, and we have a stable environment and system for our players to improve and grow it's had a very noticable impact.

[Tony Tea 2,809]

We all know Melbourne's, ahem, unfortunate draft history. What is less appreciated is the herd mentality's massive exaggeration about that first tackle on Watts.

[dee-luded 2,959]

Anyone who wants to relive the past nightmare of Melbourne recent drafting -

Melbourne looks to exorcise past draft Demons

GT... the nightmare didn't start on friday the 13th... thats its end.

The nightmare started when the past boards were chosen,,, whom inturn hired the wrong people, who inturn hired more wrong people, who chose the the wrong types as players.

The nightmare started on high, up in the Northern stands... with no 'outers' allowed.

Now we are rebuilding from decisions & people placed by the AFL.... footy people, hired by footy people; not Jiminy Cricket types of the North.

..... so our current growth is due to footy smart people, & by keeping those of that grand northern-wynd, out in the willows.

Edited November 26, 2015 by dee-luded

[Uncle Fester 2,848]

We all know Melbourne's, ahem, unfortunate draft history. What is less appreciated is the herd mentality's massive exaggeration about that first tackle on Watts.

I was right there that day. About 30 meters from the gangbang. I dunno if it made or broke the bloke, but it was a nasty hello to the big game, especially with the BS we trumpeted about him before he ran out. It wasn't the pick we screwed up; it was the way we managed the boy we picked. Collingwood just smelt the blood and acted like I'd hope we did if the situations were reversed.

[jnrmac 20,189]

True about our selection team, but I think culture and development is equally as important

Great. Lets rehash this for the 1000th time...

[rpfc 28,816]

We all know Melbourne's, ahem, unfortunate draft history. What is less appreciated is the herd mentality's massive exaggeration about that first tackle on Watts.

It's not the tackle or the effects of it that was indicative of our malaise - it was the 'Debut as a Promotion' that didn't set Jack on the right path.

They introduced the team as they ran out as "Number 1 Pick Jack Watts and the Melbourne Demons"...

They gave kids games that were not ready and didn't deserve them and Jack Watts debuting on QB and getting smashed would be on the front cover of the book of "Melbourne's Malaise: The Lost Years"...

[Akum 2,660]

I didn't think it was the tackle so much as the fact that he had absolutely no support, let alone protection, from at least 2 teammates, who watched from a distance while their direct opponents gang tackled him within minutes of him coming on to the ground. If that had happened in any other team, the two players would have been benched and given a roast when they came off. We simply shrugged our shoulders, and didn't give a yelp for the rest of that game. It showed the full extent of pure crapness of the team he had joined.

At least the new guys are coming into a team that gives a damn!!

Edited November 26, 2015 by Akum

[Sir Why You Little 37,195]

That past nightmare is clearly on the shoulders of CS

his Red & Blueprint agenda all the way

[censored]

[Biffen 12,947]

That past nightmare is clearly on the shoulders of CS

his Red & Blueprint agenda all the way

[censored]

ya reckon?

[Sir Why You Little 37,195]

ya reckon?

Man at the top calls the shots...

CS called far too many that were way out of his depth.

[Biffen 12,947]

Man at the top calls the shots...

CS called far too many that were way out of his depth.

Go on......

[Sir Why You Little 37,195]

Go on......

Nah Rev. Stuie will be lurking