If you have a look at the ages of the Pies players you will see the future the club has. For example their fullforward line was Thomas, Cloke and Rusling, all 20. Add Pendlebury and Goldsack also 20 and Clarke 19 and you can see the future of their club. I didn't rate them as a great side but with their pace and enthusiasm a lot was accomplished. We have been reluctant to play the young, even our last game this year was an example. Hopefully Bailey will show faith in our youth and recruit or trade for some more. With the delistings we have made, more room will be available for younger players.

Bartram, Petterd, Frawley and Jones...... 19 yrs old

Bate, Bode, Buckley, Dunn and Newton ....... 20 yrs old

Melbourne has a bright future.....

Do not get sucked in by the media pumping up the Pies tyres!!

We had a bad run with injuries and we got some good game time into our juniors....

Next year will be very, very interesting....

Bartram, Petterd, Frawley and Jones...... 19 yrs old

Bate, Bode, Buckley, Dunn and Newton ....... 20 yrs old

Melbourne has a bright future.....

Do not get sucked in by the media pumping up the Pies tyres!!

We had a bad run with injuries and we got some good game time into our juniors....

Next year will be very, very interesting....

Agree, I acknowledge our youth, I just would like to see some more faith in them from the new Coach and also some additions.

It's hard to play youth when even the back-up players are getting cleaned out by injury!

Still, our list 'under 24' is brilliant if you ask me.

We've just delisted Bizzell, Brown Ward, Pickett and Godfrey, with an average age just shy of 30. More significantly, all of these five players have successors in our young players, and won't be badly missed on the field (I'm prepared to shed a tear for them away from th 'G).

I'd hesitate to put a line under Bode and Buckley just yet, though I like them.

88 - Bartram, Frawley, Garland, Jones, Petterd

87 - Bate, Buckley, Dunn, Newton, Bode

86 - C. Johnson, Mclean

85 - Bell, Sylvia

84 - P. Johnson, Moloney, Rivers

83 - Davey, Jamar, Miller

Seven players in those minimum age levels who you'd be pretty sure of an AFL career for.

It's interesting that it gets a little sparse from there, just one or two a year going back to 24 year olds.

But it's these last couple of years of drafting that have changed the tone. You have to go back to our own little superdraft ('99) before you see anything better.

And you can really see that in the shape of our team now.

With Ward, Pickett, Bizzell, Godfrey, and Brown gone, the kids will be playing!

With Ward, Pickett, Bizzell, Godfrey, and Brown gone, the kids will be playing!

the kidz shoulda been playing the last 8 rounds, seeing as these guyz arent on the list anymore

carlton can keep riley. he set us back a season of developing our youngsters

Dale THomas - soft

Scott Pendelbury - softer

Rusling - absolute spud

Cloke - no better than brad Miller

The Pies kids are so overrated, but what do you expect really

Dale THomas - soft

Scott Pendelbury - softer

Rusling - absolute spud

Cloke - no better than brad Miller

The Pies kids are so overrated, but what do you expect really

Y_M, one in three of your posts work perfectly for me, and this was one of them.

Now I have to brace for the next two...