now that the judd scenario is over with...

[deanox 9,927]

i see two paths. we either have one last tilt at the flag for neitz or we build for the future...

if we have one last shot we have two options; trade for next year - a bit of pace in the midfield or another midfield goal kicker, or we just keep our picks and continue developing kids while trying to win games.

if we decide to build players like robbo and TJ can be traded for top 20 draft picks. we try and get 2-3 first round picks and 2 second round picks (5 in the top 25 perhaps) and draft for the future, similar to what hawthorn did a couple of years ago. over the next 24 months neitz, mcdonald, white, and holland will leave, while robbo, bruce and TJ will be getting close to retirement...

personally i dont think we'll do it next year, even though we could get close. i wouldnt be annoyed if we traded away senior players for early draft picks and tried to get another KPD and a quick mid or two...along with getting meesan we will have sured up a number of gaps, but there will prob be some short term pain.

i dont mind having a tilt, but not at the expense of the top round picks. hold 4 and 21, but dont trade players, no worries.

[Jaded No More 68,923]

There is nothing I want more than to see Neita hold up the premiership cup. God knows he deserves it!

However, a team should never risk development by thinking they are one or two players away from a flag, and trading their future.

Teams that have done that in the past were not successful.

The best way to win a flag, is to recruit well (and we have one of the best in the business) and develop well. With Bailey on board, I am confident that development will now be number one priority.

If Bailey thinks we can finish top 4 next year and challenge for a flag, he'll re-sign Robbo and TJ and maybe trade pick 21 for a top-up player.

But, IMO we should explore what we can get for some of our senior players who fail to deliver during trade week. The chances of us winning a flag while Neita is still around are very very slim.

We need to keep developing and recruiting, especially KPPs.

[sylvinator 96]

Anyone who believes that we can go for a premiership in the next 2 years, with our list in its current state, obviously has learnt nothing from 2007.

it is so painfully clear this year that our list is not premiership material. im sorry, im a biased demons supporter, but it's true.

we have big holes in our list which need filling.

the only way to do this is through the draft.

With Judd it would have been a different story. he is the best player in the afl, and he would have made our midfield into premiership material. alas, he wont be in MFC next year.

The good news is that we have a terrific groups of youngster drafted in the last 5 years.

Mclean,Jones, Sylvia, Bate, Rivers, Davey, Bell, Moloney, Pettard, Batram, Newton, Dunn, , Frawley, P.Johnson (ill add Buckley and Garland bc i rate them highly as untried youngsters)...

this forms an extremely powerful and strong basis for a team.

if we draft well in the next 2 years, we will add a ruckman (Meesan?), another key forward (Henderson?), another Key defender (Rance) and add some pace to our midfield.

With those holes filled, we will have a legitimate tilt at the flag in 2-3 years time, with Rivers, Bate, Mclean, Jones and Sylvia at their peaks.

Our time is not next year. this year proved that.

Trade Robbo (if he wont accept 2 year deal) and Johnstone for draft picks so that we can get the best talent available to give us a proper tilt at the flag in 2 years time.

[deanox 9,927]

sounds good sylvinator. the reason i suggest the last tilt is for neitz, who has been a great servant of the club. it will be sad to see him go out in a losing team, getting smashed, as we bring kids through. and he deserves better.

and remember, the current list got us close for a couple of years before this year, and t hasnt changed that much (only gotten better).

and the other thing is this year was hard. very hard on all of us. could you stand that for another 2 years?

[Gorgoroth 12,959]

I think we will bottom out a bit over the next 2 year, we will do better than this year but not a major improvement, i think we will sit between 12 and 6th at the very most during 08, 09 and we should trade some players and stack up with some good young kids.

[sylvinator 96]

sounds good sylvinator. the reason i suggest the last tilt is for neitz, who has been a great servant of the club. it will be sad to see him go out in a losing team, getting smashed, as we bring kids through. and he deserves better.

and remember, the current list got us close for a couple of years before this year, and t hasnt changed that much (only gotten better).

and the other thing is this year was hard. very hard on all of us. could you stand that for another 2 years?

i agree deanox. if we do [censored] next year, itl be a miserable year for me.

but i don't think we will bottom out, nor do i think we should bottom out.

next year we should play the youngster, and hopefully they will suprise us with their development (like Collingwood this season) and we'll come top 4.

the only thing is, that even if we come top 4 next year, our list is still not good enough for a premiership. there are too many gaping holes.

we should keep trying to improve our youngsters, and recruit well in the next 2-3 years, so that in 2009-2010 all the gaps will be filled.

this way we will have a realistic chance of winning a premiership, and not the same old story coming 5th-8th without being a real contender.

Trading someone like a 29yrold Robbo, or a 27 yrold Johnstone would fast track this process and give us the best chance to recruit the best youngsters.

it seems clear to me that our current list lacks in too many areas...recruiting well is essential in the next 2 years.

just my opinion.

[The Backyard Charizard 1,202]

I think we will bottom out a bit over the next 2 year, we will do better than this year but not a major improvement, i think we will sit between 12 and 6th at the very most during 08, 09 and we should trade some players and stack up with some good young kids.

Not a hope in hell....

I am extremely confident that we will play finals in `08....

I just can't wait to see what the boys run out with in Round 1 after a pre-season with Mr Bailey and a new outlook on footy!!!

[Guest redandbluethruandthru]

We will win the flag in 08 and shove it right up the backdoor anal passages of the rich bastard clubs that flaunt their money.

[Rogue 585]

sounds good sylvinator. the reason i suggest the last tilt is for neitz, who has been a great servant of the club. it will be sad to see him go out in a losing team, getting smashed, as we bring kids through. and he deserves better.

and remember, the current list got us close for a couple of years before this year, and t hasnt changed that much (only gotten better).

We were never close enough, and those who thought we were a legit flag chance this year were misguided.

and the other thing is this year was hard. very hard on all of us. could you stand that for another 2 years?

We can continue to develop our team, and have significant improvement on 2007, without trading for a quick fix.

[Demon Disciple 12,141]

Lets be realistic here, even if we were to attempt going all the way for Neita, we simply wouldn't be able to do it. You look at Geelong, they have nothing but quality in their backline and mid-field, their forward line doesn't set the world on fire in terms of names, but they scored the most points of any team this year and it's better than ours.

Our backline is very shallow, our mid-field was woeful this year (apart from Jones), our main ruckman just hits it anywhere, and our forward line consists of a 60 year old (who still is our best option up there), a guy that doesn't comprehend the meaning of pressure who keeps going to ground or trying to jump 50m in the air as our main targets.

We would be kidding ourselves if we think we can go all the way next year. We may as face reality now, and start recruiting youth (ala Hawks) and build a successful team with a tough and winning culture from scratch. Better to start now rather than in another 2 years.

Sure, it would be sad that Neita will probably never hold up the cup, but he's only 1 of 2 captains since '64 to get as close to it as possible. What about the likes of Flower and Lyon, true champions of the club and the AFL.

We got a new coach, getting new facilities in the not too distant future, lets start to build a new team, one that will not constantly let it's supporters down. Bailey has a vision, let him build his own team, not [censored] fart around with scraps from an unsuccessful Daniher regime. Let him re-build the way he wants, hopefully delivering to us what we all crave.

[Johnny Karate 559]

This manifesto is pretty obvious and probably is in place at the club and has been in the past - but from an outsiders view these basic rules have been meekly applied.

1. Don't trade 1st round picks

2. No 3 year deals for players 26 and over ending 30 September. Trade any player who wants a 3 year deal in this age bracket to a club that will accommodate them.

3. Selection policy should reward on-field performance not on-field experience.

4. Team oriented rules with disciplinary action for any self centered breaches i.e. benching for giving away needless 50m penalties.

5. Appoint a leadership group that displays fighting qualities when the chips are down as well as discipline on the field. No talented downhill skiiers.