CHANGES 2006: TRADING AND DRAFTING - PART TWO

by The Oracle

The Melbourne Football Club has adopted a steady as she goes approach to recruiting into the lead up to next week's AFL National Draft.

As we saw during the Trade Week there was very little on offer during trade week with most of the players who changed clubs opting for a change of scenery and traveling interstate. Again, most of those who found themselves in new locations were players who had question marks over their football careers; it was almost as if they were escaping from their past.

The Melbourne Football Department took a reasonable course in steering clear of the names on offer and will rely on the draft(s) to top up its list. There is a sense that after three consecutive years of finishing between 5th and 8th on the ladder during which time some exciting new faces have been introduced into the fold, the club is ready to make its moved forward based on natural improvement within the existing list.

The only "new" face on the senior list to date therefore is rookie Matthew Warnock who was permanently elevated from his rookie status. He takes Adem Yze's place with the Ooze being elevated to Veteran List status where he joins skipper David Neitz.

In accordance with the "steady as she goes" approach, only three players were delisted in the first list lodgment at the end of last month - Shannon Motlop, Phil Read and Nick Smith - while Alistair Nicholson has retired. No players were delisted when the second delistment list was lodged yesterday. Only one rookie - Andre Gianfagna - was delisted.

This leaves the club with four selections at next Saturday's National Draft - picks 12, 30, 46 and 62 - although the club could pass their last selection and take its luck in the Pre Season Draft. The club will have one selection only in the Rookie Draft.

As a result, the club's playing list currently stands as follows: -

MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - PLAYING LIST:

SENIOR LIST:

Clint Bartram, Matthew Bate, Daniel Bell, Clint Bizzell, Nathan Brown, Cameron Bruce, Simon Buckley, Nathan Carroll, Aaron Davey, Lynden Dunn, Ryan Ferguson, Simon Godfrey, Brad Green, Ben Holland, Mark Jamar, Chris Johnson, Paul Johnson, Travis Johnstone, Nathan Jones, James McDonald, Brock McLean, Brad Miller, Brent Moloney, Heath Neville, Michael Newton, Byron Pickett, Jared Rivers, Russell Robertson, Colin Sylvia, Daniel Ward, Matthew Warnock, Paul Wheatley, Matthew Whelan, Jeff White [4 vacancies]

VETERAN LIST:

David Neitz, Adem Yze.

ROOKIE LIST:

Jace Bode, Daniel Hughes, Shane Neaves [1 vacancy]

There is still an outside chance that another player might be delisted to make way for a Pre Season Draft choice but this appears highly unlikely at this stage.

We now wait with bated breathe to see what gems Craig Cameron and his crew can dig up next week and we wish them the very best of luck!

2006 AFL NATIONAL DRAFT ORDER

ROUND 1:

1 CARLTON 2 ESSENDON 3 KANGAROOS 4 BRISBANE 5 PORT ADELAIDE 6 HAWTHORN 7 GEELONG 8 COLLINGWOOD 9 ST. KILDA 10 COLLINGWOOD 11 W. BULLDOGS 12 MELBOURNE 13 RICHMOND 14 ADELAIDE 15 SYDNEY 16 WEST COAST

PRIORITY ROUND:

17 CARLTON 18 ESSENDON

ROUND 2:

19 CARLTON 20 ESSENDON 21 KANGAROOS 22 BRISBANE 23 PORT ADELAIDE 24 HAWTHORN 25 GEELONG 26 RICHMOND 27 ST. KILDA 28 COLLINGWOOD 29 WEST COAST 30 MELBOURNE 31 FREMANTLE 32 ADELAIDE 33 HAWTHORN 34 BRISBANE

ROUND 3:

35 CARLTON 36 ESSENDON 37 KANGAROOS 38 BRISBANE 39 PORT ADELAIDE 40 HAWTHORN [F/S Josh Kennedy] 41 GEELONG [F/S Tom Hawkins] 42 ESSENDON 43 WEST COAST 44 COLLINGWOOD 45 W. BULLDOGS 46 MELBOURNE 47 ESSENDON 48 ADELAIDE 49 SYDNEY 50 WEST COAST

ROUND 4:

51 CARLTON 52 FREMANTLE 53 KANGAROOS 54 BRISBANE 55 PORT ADELAIDE 56 HAWTHORN 57 GEELONG 58 RICHMOND 59 ST. KILDA 60 RICHMOND 61 W. BULLDOGS 62 MELBOURNE 63 COLLINGWOOD 64 ADELAIDE 65 SYDNEY 66 W. BULLDOGS

ROUND 5:

67 CARLTON 68 ESSENDON 69 KANGAROOS 70 BRISBANE 71 PORT ADELAIDE 72 HAWTHORN 73 RICHMOND 74 ST. KILDA 75 COLLINGWOOD 76 W. BULLDOGS 77 FREMANTLE 78 ADELAIDE 79 SYDNEY 80 WEST COAST

ROUND 6:

81 CARLTON 82 KANGAROOS 83 PORT ADELAIDE 84 RICHMOND 85 ST. KILDA

ROUND 7:

86 PORT ADELAIDE 87 ST. KILDA

ROUND 8:

88 PORT ADELAIDE 89 ST. KILDA