https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-07-31/who-has-the-best-crop-of-u23s-we-rank-them-from-worst-to-best

This is what happens when you basically ignore the draft for three consecutive years. The Lever debacle in particular has set us back a long way. We have no option but to hit the draft hard this year and restock the list.

100% the Lever acquisition is going to hurt the club. Its nothing against Jake, but it was derelict of the club to give up 2 first round picks for him, absolutely jumped at shadows. His return has been average at best and unlucky as well with injuries but i saw nothing in his games prior to his Knee injury that screamed we did well and 2 first round picks were appropriate. 

No rising stars since Oliver is a worry. 

Are we really panicking about an opinion piece like this?

Are we really back to thinking of the draft and rising star nominations as our success markers?

Drop the 'young and inexperienced' mantra. We've been trying to have a crack at a flag. For too long we've always looked to the future and finally we've started to try and focus on getting actual success and getting a peak age group together rather than just being the perennial 'young talent' club.

Honestly have absolutely no problem with not being the highest rated for under 23 talent by "AFL Staff Writers". It's the least of our problems at the moment.

  On 30/07/2019 at 23:41, poita said:

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-07-31/who-has-the-best-crop-of-u23s-we-rank-them-from-worst-to-best

This is what happens when you basically ignore the draft for three consecutive years. The Lever debacle in particular has set us back a long way. We have no option but to hit the draft hard this year and restock the list.

We have the following who are under 24 - Trac, Brayshaw, Lever, Harmes, ANB, Lockhart, JSmith, Hore, OMac and KK, plus Salem and Hunt have only just turned 25. So we have a pretty strong core who have all played under 100 games. At some point you need to put experience around a young core, which is what we've done after going heavy in the draft for year (up until 2016 anyway. None of those guys listed above have played over 100 games yet, but a lot are in the 70s or 80s. Clearly they've loaded up trying to win, and got us to a prelim with that strategy last year (that seems to be completely forgotten around here). While this year had been bad, getting younger players in isn't going to fix that or complement what we've had. 

Well that escalated quickly.

 

MELBOURNE 16th

Under-23 players: 14 players in total
Clayton Oliver (78 games), Bayley Fritsch (41 games), Sam Weideman (31 games), Charlie Spargo (24 games), Corey Wagner (15 games), Harrison Petty (nine games), Oskar Baker (seven games), Kyle Dunkley (two games), Tom Sparrow (two games), Toby Bedford, Austin Bradtke, Kade Chandler, James Jordon, Aaron Nietschke

Rising Star nominees: One player
Clayton Oliver (2016)

No.1 star: No one even comes close to Clayton Oliver. He's among the premier onballers in the competition and few can match him at the coalface. 

Biggest upside: Despite injuries decimating Melbourne's forward line and the delivery not always being great, Bayley Fritsch has shown potency in attack. He hasn't really settled into a position and might suit the team more across half-back or on the wing, where the Dees can make the most of his pinpoint delivery. 

Needs to show more: It was tantalising to see what Sam Weideman produced in the Demons' first two finals last year. Those games were the reason the club felt confident it could send Jesse Hogan to Fremantle and still contend. That hasn't worked out, and Weideman's copped a couple of niggles, but the club needs the key forward to rebound next year.

Summary: There's a steep drop-off after the three names mentioned. Oskar Baker has serious dash but it remains to be seen whether the others can become consistent contributors in a good side. However, considering much of the club's core is only a little older than this group, there aren't any major concerns around the make-up of the list. - Dinny Navaratnam

 

Who the F would name their kid Dinny?

 

  On 31/07/2019 at 01:08, Lord Nev said:

 

A+ for passive aggressiveness.

  On 31/07/2019 at 01:11, Demonland said:

A+ for passive aggressiveness.

Hey I put a lot of hard work into my comment in the other thread!

'As per my previous email.....' Haha

  On 30/07/2019 at 23:47, Demon3 said:

100% the Lever acquisition is going to hurt the club. Its nothing against Jake, but it was derelict of the club to give up 2 first round picks for him, absolutely jumped at shadows. His return has been average at best and unlucky as well with injuries but i saw nothing in his games prior to his Knee injury that screamed we did well and 2 first round picks were appropriate. 

That's a ridiculous statement. We gave up picks 10 and 15 for him, not 2 and 5. Lever is a future captain

Edited July 31, 20195 yr by DemonLad5

  On 31/07/2019 at 01:13, Lord Nev said:

Hey I put a lot of hard work into my comment in the other thread!

'As per my previous email.....' Haha

All good. I usually peruse the board before starting a new thread and failed miserably in my attempt to immediately get a click baity topic up for discussion/meltdown.

  On 30/07/2019 at 23:52, Lord Nev said:

Are we really panicking about an opinion piece like this?

Are we really back to thinking of the draft and rising star nominations as our success markers?

Drop the 'young and inexperienced' mantra. We've been trying to have a crack at a flag. For too long we've always looked to the future and finally we've started to try and focus on getting actual success and getting a peak age group together rather than just being the perennial 'young talent' club.

Honestly have absolutely no problem with not being the highest rated for under 23 talent by "AFL Staff Writers". It's the least of our problems at the moment.

 

  On 31/07/2019 at 00:57, Demonland said:

Clayton Oliver (78 games), Bayley Fritsch (41 games), Sam Weideman (31 games), Charlie Spargo (24 games), Corey Wagner (15 games), Harrison Petty (nine games), Oskar Baker (seven games), Kyle Dunkley (two games), Tom Sparrow (two games), Toby Bedford, Austin Bradtke, Kade Chandler, James Jordon, Aaron Nietschke

 

It's not about panicking 'Nev' but we are not a fully formed list and years like this one don't make us a destination club.

A free agent looking to move at the moment would rightfully see us as a basket case.

So we still need to develop players and the draft is going to be our friend this year.

If I look at that list, Oliver is a star.

Fritsch is/will be a good servant.

Weid, we can only hope...jury still out.

Petty we can only hope...jury still out.

Jordon I like the look of, could be a player.

Forget Bedford and Chandler, they won't make it.

The rest are going to be depth at best.

Because we keep selling the farm for injury prone fatties. Those two players coming in on big coin would have to have upset the apple cart IMO. It hurts to see the Dogs pups or Port with Burton, Rozee, Duursma, Butters etc. Meanwhile we overrate our list. I've been a big fan of Mahoney in the past, but I seriously think he should hang his head in shame, Viney and Taylor also.

  On 31/07/2019 at 01:24, rjay said:

It's not about panicking 'Nev' but we are not a fully formed list and years like this one don't make us a destination club.

A free agent looking to move at the moment would rightfully see us as a basket case.

So we still need to develop players and the draft is going to be our friend this year.

If I look at that list, Oliver is a star.

Fritsch is/will be a good servant.

Weid, we can only hope...jury still out.

Petty we can only hope...jury still out.

Jordon I like the look of, could be a player.

Forget Bedford and Chandler, they won't make it.

The rest are going to be depth at best.

I just don't really think a subjective, unquantifiable list compiled by unnamed 'staff writers' of a specific list demographic which isn't generally the part of the list that determines success is much of a worry.

Collingwood are 17th on that list and currently sit 6th.

The other end of the spectrum is Champion Data rated our current list as best in the competition.

People will pick and choose which of those two outlooks they listen to.

ANB I think is still 22 & Stretch is definately only 22. So 16 players in totlal.....

  On 31/07/2019 at 01:33, Lord Nev said:

I just don't really think a subjective, unquantifiable list compiled by unnamed 'staff writers' of a specific list demographic which isn't generally the part of the list that determines success is much of a worry.

Collingwood are 17th on that list and currently sit 6th.

The other end of the spectrum is Champion Data rated our current list as best in the competition.

People will pick and choose which of those two outlooks they listen to.

I think it's a concern because of where we are on the ladder.

I haven't looked at the other clubs and to be honest I don't care where they sit.

We have a quality problem and we need to draft and trade well to fix it.

I bought some of the hype but the prelim and a lack lustre preseason was a sell for me.

By half time in the Port game I was well aware that our list was nowhere near as good as some thought.

Forget picking and choosing outlooks, have a good look and go through the list and it's pretty obvious where the problems are...

  On 31/07/2019 at 01:14, DemonLad5 said:

That's a ridiculous statement. We gave up picks 10 and 15 for him, not 2 and 5. Lever is a future captain

You think its ridiculous and that's fine, i don't, i think we paid overs for him and have yet to reap any rewards for it. 2 first round picks was to much.

He may well be a future captain, he seems to be a great fella, speaks well, does lots of things right, but he was NOT worth 2 first round picks.

  On 31/07/2019 at 02:03, rjay said:

I think it's a concern because of where we are on the ladder.

I haven't looked at the other clubs and to be honest I don't care where they sit.

We have a quality problem and we need to draft and trade well to fix it.

I bought some of the hype but the prelim and a lack lustre preseason was a sell for me.

By half time in the Port game I was well aware that our list was nowhere near as good as some thought.

Forget picking and choosing outlooks, have a good look and go through the list and it's pretty obvious where the problems are...

Don't disagree that we have work to do on our list, I'm just not concerned with unknown writers opinions on a part of our list that doesn't (or shouldn't) have a big impact on our overall success.

what a BS article.  change to age to 24 and we add Trac, Salem, Gus, Harmes, Lever etc etc and we would top the list.

 

  On 30/07/2019 at 23:41, poita said:

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-07-31/who-has-the-best-crop-of-u23s-we-rank-them-from-worst-to-best

This is what happens when you basically ignore the draft for three consecutive years. The Lever debacle in particular has set us back a long way. We have no option but to hit the draft hard this year and restock the list.

Who are the players Adelaide picked up in the trade?  

We gave away pick 9 and 14, hardly overs and definitely hasn’t set us back. 

  On 31/07/2019 at 02:10, DubDee said:

what a BS article.  change to age to 24 and we add Trac, Salem, Gus, Harmes, Lever etc etc and we would top the list.

 

Exactly!!’

  On 31/07/2019 at 02:11, Demons11 said:

Who are the players Adelaide picked up in the trade?  

We gave away pick 9 and 14, hardly overs and definitely hasn’t set us back. 

They picked up Fogarty, who can't get a game, then through a series of other trades used the other pick to get a swap of first rounders with Carlton this year. We also picked up Petty with the 2nd we got back. So far Petty has shown as much if not more than Fogarty and thier plan to get a top 2 pick has been beautifully destroyed by us (in fact I think that's the real reason we've dropped down, we've taken one for the comp and ensured that the Crows don't come out looking good with their early trade). 

It is a no brainer that if we are set with pick 2 then we head to the draft and pick up Anderson/Rowell. Absolute no brainer!

While it's good to get in experience players like May and Lever, we also need to balance our list and continue to generate with elite young talent.

Don't [censored] this up Mahoney/Viney!

  On 31/07/2019 at 02:19, dazzledavey36 said:

It is a no brainer that if we are set with pick 2 then we head to the draft and pick up Anderson/Rowell. Absolute no brainer!

While it's good to get in experience players like May and Lever, we also need to balance our list and continue to generate with elite young talent.

Don't [censored] this up Mahoney/Viney!

Totally agree 'dazzle'...

Without having seen much of either I'm kind of hoping Anderson, could see him on a wing in his first season and providing good value.

Rowell looks the goods as a mid but would we use him there?

...would be happy with one or the other though, adds a bit more class and youth to the list.