Jump to content

Recruiting - where did it all go wrong

spirit of norm smith
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

 
1 minute ago, ElDiablo14 said:

Mate that's where the issue is. Stop being cheap, you are in the premiership window (were).

Throw the kitchen sink to bring that coveted KPF we so desperately needed.

Of course we would have gone hard on every decent key fwd in the past 5 years

they are hard to land

  • Quote
    • Like 4

    We couldn’t even convince Karl Amon to play for us after winning a premiership 6 months earlier and sitting on top of the ladder in 2022, instead he opts for a team that finished 13th and was starting a re build.

  • Quote
    •  
    6 minutes ago, ElDiablo14 said:

    Mate that's where the issue is. Stop being cheap, you are in the premiership window (were).

    Throw the kitchen sink to bring that coveted KPF we so desperately needed.

    🤣 This completely disregards the salary cap.

  • Quote
    • Like 4
    2 minutes ago, Adam The God said:

    🤣 This completely disregards the salary cap.

    Surely there was some way to make it work?

    We lost Jackson after all, then we paid like 700k for Grundy.

    I don't know how it could be done but I am sure there was a way to bring someone. Maybe not a McKay or King but Tex or similar?

  • Quote

    5 minutes ago, Greg Schneider said:

    We couldn’t even convince Karl Amon to play for us after winning a premiership 6 months earlier and sitting on top of the ladder in 2022, instead he opts for a team that finished 13th and was starting a re build.

    And why is that?

  • Quote
    1 minute ago, ElDiablo14 said:

    And why is that?

    Hawks were garbage in 2022 😂 Its obviously worked out well for him, but when a 27 year old picks a side that’s just starting a re build over the reigning premiers you’ve got to start asking questions

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    Riley Bice pick 41 in the draft last year, time for Lamb to stop trading away our second and third round picks to move up three spots in the draft to let Jason Taylor (who is out of contract this year) earn his stripes

  • Quote
    • Like 5
     

    The smart recruiters identify young talent that struggles a bit to get regular games ie Bedford, Jordon, Bobby Hill while the dumb recruiters grab 27 or 28 year old hacks who are looking for a bit of superannuation top up.

  • Quote
    • Like 6
    • Thanks 1
    • Clap 1

    Harry Sharp is a step in the right direction.

    We are in a rebuild and he fits our demographic.

    It’s all about the next opportunity now. Replenishing our list. We have made a lot of trade blunders, that were forgotten about when we won a flag. That’s why we only won the one. Now back to the well, and hopefully, we learnt something.

  • Quote

    2 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

    In our build up to the Premiership, the Dees recruited strongly. The recruits were players who playing AFL (not VFL) and at the standard. We were attracting players who either came home to Victoria or saw opportunities.

    Hibberd

    Lewis

    Melksham

    May

    Lever

    Langdon

    Brown

    All were players who were regulars.

    But since 2021 premiership… VFL grade only

    Dunstan

    Hunter

    Schache

    Billings

    McAdam

    Fullarton

    Sharp

    Campbell

    Enough evidence!!!

    As we watch the Hawks rise, they followed the recruiting blueprint. Don’t bring in players who are below par. Attract the players who are at the standard and make your team better.

    Memo. Cc Tim Lamb, Simon Goodwin.

    200.gif?cid=bdfa2d1f43pvpayafh4wo4t0l3nk

    Damning couple of lists

  • Quote

    It's just too easy to look at our recent recruits and whinge. Hindsight makes the biggest geniuses look like the biggest fools and vice versa. And, yes, what were the circumstances for each dud we've got and which we've missed. Unless people want to outline the lessons moving on honestly just leave it alone.

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    18 minutes ago, Cranky Franky said:

    The smart recruiters identify young talent that struggles a bit to get regular games ie Bedford, Jordon, Bobby Hill while the dumb recruiters grab 27 or 28 year old hacks who are looking for a bit of superannuation top up.

    Jack ‘you don’t go pick 3 in the draft for no reason’ Billings according to Lamb 😂 If only there was a 10 year sample size of how he went in the AFL rather than looking back at how he went as an 18 year old. Garbage.

    Edited by Greg Schneider

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    • Haha 2
    1 hour ago, Little Goffy said:

    Salary cap.

    Draft-first strategy to accelerate a succession and minimise bottoming out.

    Also, comparisons to Hawthorn are strait up onerous. They struggled along for five season after their pair of strait-sets exits.

    Agree with all that, though for Hawthorn I'd say more like 7 seasons, with 2018 as the last gasp of a dying patient. Also worth noting in the context of changing coaches, that as bad as they were for the last 2 seasons under Clarkson, they went backwards for 2 seasons under Mitchell.

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    Anyone defending the trading in of AFL listed players since the flag would fit in perfectly at the club atm. Bunch of excuses for a F grade effort. Can't blame salary cap as we had enough for Houston. We didn't have to give 6 year contracts out. We didn't have to throw all our $ to 1/4 of the list and end up with VFL players for depth.

    Whoever is in charge of list management has to go.

    Edited by kurtneverdied

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    • Haha 1

    52 minutes ago, ElDiablo14 said:

    And why is that?

    Reasons.

    Because we had arguably the best midfield in the league and he'd have to go to the back of the queue. Let's not forget that we even had Gus who had come third in the Brownlow as a midfielder but who couldn't get a run on-ball.

    Amon knew that at Hawthorn he'd get regular first-team games as a mid.

  • Quote
    • Like 6
    • Clap 1
    57 minutes ago, ElDiablo14 said:

    We lost Jackson after all, then we paid like 700k for Grundy.

    No we didn't.

    Typical of the BS on this thread - and across much of the board at the moment.

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    • Love 1
    • Clap 1
    6 minutes ago, bing181 said:

    Reasons.

    Because we had arguably the best midfield in the league and he'd have to go to the back of the queue. Let's not forget that we even had Gus who had come third in the Brownlow as a midfielder but who couldn't get a run on-ball.

    Amon knew that at Hawthorn he'd get regular first-team games as a mid.

    He’s a wingman. We had James Jordon on one as a fill in. Hunter came in instead of Amon and played the whole following year, glaringly obvious a spot was there for him, but keep trying to find excuses

    Edited by Greg Schneider

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    • Haha 1
    5 minutes ago, Greg Schneider said:

    He’s a wingman. We had James Jordon on one as a fill in, his bags were also already packed. Hunter came in instead of Amon and played the whole following year, glaringly obvious a spot was there for him, but keep trying to find excuses

    This is the kind of stuff that does my head in. Factually incorrect, hindsight bias, etc etc. But most of all, a complete lack of context or of looking at the whole picture.

    Because apart from anything else and who was playing where, Hunter was very cheap, especially in comparison to what Amon would have been asking. It doesn't even begin to be apples for apples.

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    • Love 1

    13 minutes ago, bing181 said:

    This is the kind of stuff that does my head in. Factually incorrect, hindsight bias, etc etc. But most of all, a complete lack of context or of looking at the whole picture.

    Because apart from anything else and who was playing where, Hunter was very cheap, especially in comparison to what Amon would have been asking. It doesn't even begin to be apples for apples.

    Hunter was very cheap for a reason….

  • Quote
    • Like 4
    • Thanks 1
    1 minute ago, Demonsone said:

    Will need to break up the mids & trade one out to get picks , can’t see them losing Viney, trac …. Oliver yes

    If that happens, it's quite ironic that our current situation may look a little different if we'd just traded Clarry at the end of 2023 when he allegedly put his team mates offside.

  • Quote

    Probably should have just traded tracc or Oliver at the end of 2024 and actually followed through.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
     

    Melbourne should have focused on young players with potential that were available later in the draft instead of thinking they could bring in guys who struggled to get a game in less talented teams and turn them into something when they were finished products.

    Especially key position players who sometimes take longer to develop. For example, Josh Treacy was selected in a rookie draft Melbourne passed on.

    We definitely have some very talented young players coming through, but there are glaring weaknesses in several positions and an overall lack of depth that could take some time to fix.

    Edited by burnthefushias

  • Quote
    2 hours ago, Sir Why You Little said:

    Hunter was very cheap for a reason….

    What was the reason? the off field stuff? For the money I thought he was solid enough as a player.

    In his first season at the Dees in 2023 he played a full season on a wing. I thought it was a good move because he freed up Brayshaw to play in other positions of need including midfield where Gus really gave us a huge boost. Hunter ended up top 5 for the club in disposals and metres gained.

    I definitely don't think Lachie was the perfect player but was complimentary enough to our stars in that first year before his body let him down and had to retire early.

    God we've had rotten luck.

    Edited by Young Blood

  • Quote
    • Clap 1

    Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

    Guest
    Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
    Reply to this topic...
    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • NON-MFC: Round 13

      Follow all the action from every Round 13 clash excluding the Dees as the 2025 AFL Premiership Season rolls on. With Melbourne playing in the final match of the round on King's Birthday, all eyes turn to the rest of the competition. Who are you tipping to win? And more importantly, which results best serve the Demons’ finals aspirations? Join the discussion and keep track of the matches that could shape the ladder and impact our run to September.

        • Thanks
      • 133 replies
      Demonland

    • PREVIEW: Collingwood

      Having convincingly defeated last year’s premier and decisively outplayed the runner-up with 8.2 in the final quarter, nothing epitomized the Melbourne Football Club’s performance more than its 1.12 final half, particularly the eight consecutive behinds in the last term, against a struggling St Kilda team in the midst of a dismal losing streak. Just when stability and consistency were anticipated within the Demon ranks, they delivered a quintessential performance marked by instability and ill-conceived decisions, with the most striking aspect being their inaccuracy in kicking for goal, which suggested a lack of preparation (instead of sleeping in their hotel in Alice, were they having a night on the turps) rather than a well-rested team. Let’s face it - this kicking disease that makes them look like raw amateurs is becoming a millstone around the team’s neck.

        • Thanks
      • 1 reply
      Demonland

    • CASEY: Sydney

      The Casey Demons were always expected to emerge victorious in their matchup against the lowly-ranked Sydney Swans at picturesque Tramway Oval, situated in the shadows of the SCG in Moore Park. They dominated the proceedings in the opening two and a half quarters of the game but had little to show for it. This was primarily due to their own sloppy errors in a low-standard game that produced a number of crowded mauls reminiscent of the rugby game popular in old Sydney Town. However, when the Swans tired, as teams often do when they turn games into ugly defensive contests, Casey lifted the standard of its own play and … it was off to the races. Not to nearby Randwick but to a different race with an objective of piling on goal after goal on the way to a mammoth victory. At the 25-minute mark of the third quarter, the Demons held a slender 14-point lead over the Swans, who are ahead on the ladder of only the previous week's opposition, the ailing Bullants. Forty minutes later, they had more than fully compensated for the sloppiness of their earlier play with a decisive 94-point victory, that culminated in a rousing finish which yielded thirteen unanswered goals. Kicks hit their targets, the ball found itself going through the middle and every player made a contribution.

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 1 reply
      Demonland

    • REPORT: St. Kilda

      Hands up if you thought, like me, at half-time in yesterday’s game at TIO Traeger Park, Alice Springs that Melbourne’s disposal around the ground and, in particular, its kicking inaccuracy in front of the goals couldn’t get any worse. Well, it did. And what’s even more damning for the Melbourne Football Club is that the game against St Kilda and its resurgence from the bottomless pit of its miserable start to the season wasn’t just lost through poor conversion for goal but rather in the 15 minutes when the entire team went into a slumber and was mugged by the out-of-form Saints. Their six goals two behinds (one goal less than the Demons managed for the whole game) weaved a path of destruction from which they were unable to recover. Ross Lyon’s astute use of pressure to contain the situation once they had asserted their grip on the game, and Melbourne’s self-destructive wastefulness, assured that outcome. The old adage about the insanity of repeatedly doing something and expecting a different result, was out there. Two years ago, the score line in Melbourne’s loss to the Giants at this same ground was 5 goals 15 behinds - a ratio of one goal per four scoring shots - was perfectly replicated with yesterday’s 7 goals 21 behinds. 
      This has been going on for a while and opens up a number of questions. I’ll put forward a few that come to mind from this performance. The obvious first question is whether the club can find a suitable coach to instruct players on proper kicking techniques or is this a skill that can no longer be developed at this stage of the development of our playing group? Another concern is the team's ability to counter an opponent's dominance during a run on as exemplified by the Saints in the first quarter. Did the Demons underestimate their opponents, considering St Kilda's goals during this period were scored by relatively unknown forwards? Furthermore, given the modest attendance of 6,721 at TIO Traeger Park and the team's poor past performances at this venue, is it prudent to prioritize financial gain over potentially sacrificing valuable premiership points by relinquishing home ground advantage, notwithstanding the cultural significance of the team's connection to the Red Centre? 

        • Thanks
      • 4 replies
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Collingwood

      After a disappointing loss in Alice Springs the Demons return to the MCG to take on the Magpies in the annual King's Birthday Big Freeze for MND game. Who comes in and who goes out?

        • Thanks
      • 385 replies
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: St. Kilda

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 2nd June @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we have a chat with former Demon ruckman Jeff White about his YouTube channel First Use where he dissects ruck setups and contests. We'll then discuss the Dees disappointing loss to the Saints in Alice Springs.
      Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show.
      Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

        • Thanks
      • 47 replies
      Demonland
    View All