22 minutes ago, Good Times Grimes said:

Having him would've gone a fair way to offsetting the loss of experience that came from Cross's "retirement". 

We lost 601 games of experience with retirements/delistings at the end of 2015, and added 91 games in Bugg/Kennedy and 114 in Melksham. Excluding Melksham's games, that's a net loss of 510 games of experience to an already very inexperienced side.

We should be lobbying the AFL hard, in conjunction with Port and the Dogs to bring in another player not just an upgraded Rookie.

2 hours ago, Cards13 said:

We should be lobbying the AFL hard, in conjunction with Port and the Dogs to bring in another player not just an upgraded Rookie.

Come on. Dream on. Melbourne, Port, Footscray and St.Kilda are nobodys in the eyes of those who are (ruining) running the game NB McLaughlin and Fitzpatrick.   But EssUndone have to remain competitive !!!! Bastards. 

we couldn't get a priority pick after 37 wins in 8 seasons inc over 10 100 point losses within the two years, because we were found not guilty of tanking. 

Essendon get found guilty of drug cheating and get 10 top up players and a pick 1 handed to them

 

we aren't dealing with common sense.

2 hours ago, Cards13 said:

We should be lobbying the AFL hard, in conjunction with Port and the Dogs to bring in another player not just an upgraded Rookie.

All 18 clubs scoured the country for talent a couple of months ago. Any "talent' the Don dig up will have been passed up by the entire competition then. The myth making in the AFL is in full swing to convince us (especially Dons) fans that they are going to pick up something special from aged disgards and almost make its... 

If the Don pick up a player with their "top up twelve" that the is more than a stop gap player for a year, I'll be shocked. 

 

5 hours ago, PaulRB said:

All 18 clubs scoured the country for talent a couple of months ago. Any "talent' the Don dig up will have been passed up by the entire competition then. The myth making in the AFL is in full swing to convince us (especially Dons) fans that they are going to pick up something special from aged disgards and almost make its... 

If the Don pick up a player with their "top up twelve" that the is more than a stop gap player for a year, I'll be shocked. 

 

I disagree - when a club nominates a player in the draft they give up a draft pick and a spot on their list and therefore will tend not to pick up a player with only 1-2 years of AFL footy left. The EFC pay nothing for the top up players in terms of list spots and players. A fairer approach would have been to declare suspended players as unrestricted free agents as a condition of freeing up list spaces for top players. This would also make it easier for suspended players to get a fresh start if they felt the EFC had let them down badly without having to seek a trade.

8 hours ago, Peter Griffen said:

we couldn't get a priority pick after 37 wins in 8 seasons inc over 10 100 point losses within the two years, because we were found not guilty of tanking. 

Essendon get found guilty of drug cheating and get 10 top up players and a pick 1 handed to them

 

we aren't dealing with common sense.

Corrupt organisations rarely deal with common sense.

Gil et al are actually destroying our game.  They just don't get it.

8 hours ago, PaulRB said:

All 18 clubs scoured the country for talent a couple of months ago. Any "talent' the Don dig up will have been passed up by the entire competition then. The myth making in the AFL is in full swing to convince us (especially Dons) fans that they are going to pick up something special from aged disgards and almost make its... 

If the Don pick up a player with their "top up twelve" that the is more than a stop gap player for a year, I'll be shocked. 

 

We have a flash footy dept that has a knack for picking up "outside the box" players over the last few years (Vanders as example) so I think it is only fair we get the same "rules" applied to Port, Saints etc.

12 hours ago, Ron Burgundy said:

The loss of Melksham sucks. He was our key signing in the trade period and they obviously had a very specific role for him in 2016. I reckon he would've had a very good season.

 

I can't quite get a handle on Melksham - talking to some (sullen) Essendon supporters I know - the views on him range from champ to chump.

19 minutes ago, Cards13 said:

We have a flash footy dept that has a knack for picking up "outside the box" players over the last few years (Vanders as example) so I think it is only fair we get the same "rules" applied to Port, Saints etc.

The club hasn't commented at this stage as to whether it wants to have the right to pick such a player. It might not suit for a variety of reasons. 

1 hour ago, Cards13 said:

We have a flash footy dept that has a knack for picking up "outside the box" players over the last few years (Vanders as example).

I agree but Essendon are in a different position to us. If we are able to pick up one top up player - then we can take a risk with a Vanders type player - it is only one player.

Essendon need 12 players to actually be able to field a side - whilst one or two may be left field I am not sure you would want to take 12 outside the box players.

14 minutes ago, nutbean said:

14 minutes ago, nutbean said:

I agree but Essendon are in a different position to us. If we are able to pick up one top up player - then we can take a risk with a Vanders type player - it is only one player.

Essendon need 12 players to actually be able to field a side - whilst one or two may be left field I am not sure you would want to take 12 outside the box players.

I agree but Essendon are in a different position to us. If we are able to pick up one top up player - then we can take a risk with a Vanders type player - it is only one player.

Essendon need 12 players to actually be able to field a side - whilst one or two may be left field I am not sure you would want to take 12 outside the box players.

They have a choice?

1 hour ago, nutbean said:

I can't quite get a handle on Melksham - talking to some (sullen) Essendon supporters I know - the views on him range from champ to chump.

Well most of them are delusional fools so I wouldn't worry too much about what they say.

59 minutes ago, old dee said:

They have a choice?

They do actually.

They have opted so far for the safe choice of tried and tested AFL players who are close to, or past their use by date.

Picking up the likes of a Vanders , is rolling the dice on a player who is a stand out in a minor competition and hoping he can make the step up to be a good AFL footballer.

 

7 minutes ago, nutbean said:

They do actually.

They have opted so far for the safe choice of tried and tested AFL players who are close to, or past their use by date.

Picking up the likes of a Vanders , is rolling the dice on a player who is a stand out in a minor competition and hoping he can make the step up to be a good AFL footballer.

 

I thought the 10 players had to be recently delisted AFL players, in which case the options are more limited than you seem to be suggesting.

 

29 minutes ago, Red and Bluebeard said:

I thought the 10 players had to be recently delisted AFL players, in which case the options are more limited than you seem to be suggesting.

 

correct. had to be on an afl list in past 2 years. i.e. 2014, 2015 and only 1/club from any state league club

there is however a clause that says exceptions can be made with afl approval (classic afl clause)

2 minutes ago, daisycutter said:

correct. had to be on an afl list in past 2 years. i.e. 2014, 2015 and only 1/club from any state league club

there is however a clause that says exceptions can be made with afl approval (classic afl clause)

Thanks DC. Yes, of course, the AFL give themselves an 'out' on every rule ... 

4 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

The club hasn't commented at this stage as to whether it wants to have the right to pick such a player. It might not suit for a variety of reasons. 

True WJ but I think you'd rather the option of having that extra okayer for the season, whether to develop or to be getting game time.

3 hours ago, nutbean said:

I agree but Essendon are in a different position to us. If we are able to pick up one top up player - then we can take a risk with a Vanders type player - it is only one player.

Essendon need 12 players to actually be able to field a side - whilst one or two may be left field I am not sure you would want to take 12 outside the box players.

ha I would not be wanting 12 players, no. 1 is hard enough to find at this time of the year but there it still gives you options.

I thought this thread was about Petracca.

On SEN this morning Roos was confident he'll be playing somewhere in round 1, which would be a god result. 

25 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I thought this thread was about Petracca.

On SEN this morning Roos was confident he'll be playing somewhere in round 1, which would be a god result. 

Let's focus on Petracca

might have to jump on him for Rising Star...

1 hour ago, Cards13 said:

might have to jump on him for Rising Star...

He won't win it with you on his back Cards!

19 hours ago, Cards13 said:

We should be lobbying the AFL hard, in conjunction with Port and the Dogs to bring in another player not just an upgraded Rookie.

Of course we should....and we will.

2 hours ago, Moonshadow said:

He won't win it with you on his back Cards!

Have you seen his quads... And in the wind beneath his wings.

52 minutes ago, Cards13 said:

Have you seen his quads... And in the wind beneath his wings.

Nice smile too.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/christian-petracca-injury-melbourne-demons-youngster-could-still-make-early-season-debut/news-story/2d54dd1e8a11921b2a3ae286a0f6f9fb

Roos clearly isn't happy with Petracca's toe! “It was a learning thing for him and we were obviously really disappointed in what he did because he was going really well prior to Christmas,” Roos told SEN... his knee was coming along really nicely, but it set him back 4-6 weeks.

It sounds like Petracca wasn't following rehab rules to me.

Roos goes on to say:  “He’ll be playing somewhere in that period ... If he trains really, really well and he starts to play well at whatever level, then he’s certainly entitled to a game...“That’s the process he’ll need to go through in order to do that.”

There is a slight hint there that no matter how ready he is he will not be allowed to play in the seniors in rnd 1.  A penalty perhaps?  He is going to be made to earn that first game and I like that.  Its really important that the club sets certain behaviour standards and if it means a player misses a game to do that so be it. 

Methinks that Petracca owes the coaches and his teammates!