We've built our team around a number of vital on-field elements (not an exhaustive list). Call it Plan A if you like:

• an uncompromising defence with the necessary key position backs
• half-backs with high DE% who can defend and then attack from the back half
• rucks who can also play flexible positions and roles
• a tough, deep, fit inside midfield with high tackling numbers
• good outside ball carriers on the wings who are prepared to run hard both ways
• adequate marking tall forwards, not necessarily individual superstars
• small forwards who defend and pressure inside our own 50 and work back to defend the whole ground

I'm guessing all of JVR, Bowes, Woewodin, McVee or M-W are recruited with the aim of fitting into the above elements.

 If that's the model others are trying to copy, the elements will be universal to every team trying to win. Only the quality of the players will differ (and we've got heaps of that).

I don't much care for recruitment to fit fads, trends or models of "clusters" or "paddocks". ☺️

59 minutes ago, TRACATTACK said:

1 hour ago, binman said:

Just thinking about the propensity for clubs to follow the lead of premiers, i wonder if mac Andrew going so high was related to the effectiveness of the two ruck model the dees employed to such devastating effect in 2021. 

A few years ago rucks were seemingly out of favor. Now a reasonable question is can teams win flag without a gun ruck man AND a really good back up ruck. 

Not sure, we only have two Gun Ruckmen, no back up, unfortunately 😀

28 minutes ago, chook fowler said:

porterhouse or ribeye? Maccas or Griil'd?

Agree cf, I have had some poor burgers over the years

2 hours ago, Doggas front teeth said:

I never regret ordering a hamburger ☺️🍔

I do.  The meat patties are now so large you cant get it into your mouth and they just taste of cheap meat

Interesting that Essendon would have taken Howes at 13 if Hobbs was not available to them. The Bombers did not have an opportunity to pick him up as their next pick was at 46. 
Nothing is guaranteed in drafting but it does look like, through circumstances, we picked Blake up way later than perhaps he would have otherwise gone. 

 

“Essendon, at pick 13, chose Hobbs next, ending his drop down the order after several close calls went against him with Fremantle and Richmond's picks. If not Hobbs, the Bombers had Blake Howes in their sights, having met him days before the draft.”

AFL site, Inside the Draft, 2 Dec ‘21

I have been very pleased we somehow got Blake Howes with pick #39 in the Draft. It was basically a fluke that he slipped so far down. He was easily rated in the top 20 to top 25 players from what experts have said.

So basically the Demons won a Premiership and still got two top 20 players  in this year's AFL Draft in Jacob van Rooyen and Blake Howes.

You gotta be happy with those results!

Edited December 2, 20213 yr by Supreme_Demon

Very happy to get Howes at #39. Wonder if Essendon tried to trade for a pick before us to get him, surely would've if they rated him around #13. 

4 hours ago, Supreme_Demon said:

I have been very pleased we somehow got Blake Howes with pick #39 in the Draft. It was basically a fluke that he slipped so far down. He was easily rated in the top 20 to top 25 players from what experts have said.

So basically the Demons won a Premiership and still got two top 20 players  in this year's AFL Draft in Jacob van Rooyen and Blake Howes.

You gotta be happy with those results!

KOTD!

On 11/26/2021 at 3:49 PM, DeeSpencer said:

Did you watch much Casey? Apart from one game against a hapless North side Rosman looked totally lost. The traits are great but he makes Baker look good in the contest. 

Of course Langdon was worth paying for, but we don’t have the 600k+ and an early 2nd round pick to offer up for a guy like that now. We’d have to trade our first and clear cap space. When you’ve drafted Oliver, Petracca, Salem, Jackson etc you can make a move like that, if you’re constantly at the top of the ladder you can’t.

Just look at the Cerra situation. We didn’t have the draft capital to grab him even when he was available cheaply.

JT’s entire strategy with this draft was to get cheap needs based picks so we can keep the list together. If we have to make aggressive moves to fill needs we might have to push out players and that’s how you get in trouble. 

We did, um, just win the flag. Carlton had the draft capital to secure Cerra because they did not make finals.

1 hour ago, demoniac said:

We did, um, just win the flag. Carlton had the draft capital to secure Cerra because they did not make finals.

That was my initial point. When you’re bad you’ve got more options to bring players in. If we stay at the pointy end of the ladder - which I sure hope we do - we’ll have less ways to bring guys in unless we push important players out. To elongate our flag window it would be handy if Howes because a home grown outside runner rather than having to trade for that need. 

4 hours ago, TheoX said:

Very happy to get Howes at #39. Wonder if Essendon tried to trade for a pick before us to get him, surely would've if they rated him around #13. 

Maybe, for some reason, clubs are reluctant to deal with Essendon 

8 hours ago, Stiff Arm said:

KOTD!

If anybody had inside info on that, it'd be you, Stiffy

On 11/28/2021 at 3:59 PM, Dante said:

I think Howes will play games next year, maybe wing H/F, he looks like a very accomplished player to me.

Nice to see he was stoked to be at Melbourne, it wasn't that long ago that recruits would have been praying that we didn't pick them up. I'm proud of what this club has finally achieved, destination club, Hell Yeah.

There is a very brief pause on a Blu Ray music DVD I have featuring ZZ TOP playing LA GRANGE when the familiar DA DA DET DET DET DU DA DA DAR DAR DA DET DET DET DU they then stop the holler........... HELL YEAH

SO FROM NOW ON THE CLUB IS RENAMED

LA GRANGE.FC....... Coz Hell Yeah, everyone wants to go there🤩

Edited December 2, 20213 yr by picket fence

There's some extended footage of Howes here:

 

30 minutes ago, adonski said:

There's some extended footage of Howes here:

 

I know it’s a highlights package but he looks like a great prospect. Great size, decent athletically, good skills and courage in the air. 

27 minutes ago, Fat Tony said:

I know it’s a highlights package but he looks like a great prospect. Great size, decent athletically, good skills and courage in the air. 

It's an impressive highlight package when you consider so much of the season was lost due to covid

On 12/2/2021 at 11:42 AM, Supreme_Demon said:

I have been very pleased we somehow got Blake Howes with pick #39 in the Draft. It was basically a fluke that he slipped so far down. He was easily rated in the top 20 to top 25 players from what experts have said.

So basically the Demons won a Premiership and still got two top 20 players  in this year's AFL Draft in Jacob van Rooyen and Blake Howes.

You gotta be happy with those results!

Our recruiting has been fantastic and we are reaping the rewards.

Congratulations Blake! Well earned by the sounds of things. 

Can anyone shed some light on what type of player he is? Seems he was drafted as a fwd that might move to the wing and now is a utility/def?

is he a quick rebounder type?

 

Congratulations Blake Howes use your speed, skills and height (191cm 6’3”) to your advantage. I am really looking forward to watching Blake debut on Thursday night. Go Dees.!!

40 minutes ago, DubDee said:

Congratulations Blake! Well earned by the sounds of things. 

Can anyone shed some light on what type of player he is? Seems he was drafted as a fwd that might move to the wing and now is a utility/def?

is he a quick rebounder type?

 

not quite a quick rebounder but he is fast, can play tall and small, lacks confidence in himself but has a crack. I think he will be a very good player for us

2 hours ago, DubDee said:

Congratulations Blake! Well earned by the sounds of things. 

Can anyone shed some light on what type of player he is? Seems he was drafted as a fwd that might move to the wing and now is a utility/def?

is he a quick rebounder type?

 

I've not seen alot of him in seasons past, but in the two practice matches this year, he looks alot like another Judd McVee type - defends his opponent well, then has good composure when he gets his own pill.

Edited March 4, 20241 yr by Rodney (Balls) Grinter

Really like the fact that he is super versatile. Can play on smalls or talls if need be as he is 191cm. He can play that higher role up the ground roaming up and down the wing and as we've seen in pre season, he can lockdown deep in defence. I also like the fact that with Brayshaw now gone, Rivers will spend more time in the middle so it is great to have another medium sized defender come into the mix to fill the void Hibberd has left. The development of players on our list is now first class and I really look forward to seeing what Blake can do this year.

Looked pretty good in the first quarter against Carlton before being nearly unsighted for the rest of the game. Looking forward to watching him play. All three new additions vs Swans seem to add a touch of class

Hasn’t exactly been banging the door down, but I hope he goes well. 

He needs to add another 10kg of muscle to his frame, before he starts impacting games the way we want him to.

Nice to see someone that has put in the work get rewarded