CHANGES 2007: TRADING AND DRAFTING - PART TWO

by The Oracle

The month of October has come and almost gone and there are 109 more days to go before we again see a team representing the Melbourne Football Club in an official game. The bad news is that the game in question will be played at Skilled Stadium against the reigning AFL premiers but the good news is that the Demons haven't lost at this venue for a while (actually not since early 2004).

Those who follow the club come hell or high water might also recall the last time that these teams were matched up in a pre season competition fixture. That was back in 2000 when an underground pipe burst on the members' wing causing proceedings to be abandoned. You could say that high water came on that occasion! Still, it was a great feeling driving back home along the Princes Highway and away from Sleepy Hollow knowing the home side failed to taste victory.

Nobody got to taste victory either when the teams last met at the same venue in a home and away clash in round 21 of 2006 so the Cats don't scare me at all.

I suppose I might be getting a little ahead of myself thinking in terms of what might happen in the middle of February given that we don't even know the identity of a quarter of the club's list for next year. Remember, the theme of this series is about changes and while there have already been many at Demonland since the end of the 2007 season, there are many more on the way.

The most significant set of changes to date has been not so much with regard to the playing list but with the coaching set up. After almost a decade of stability and the same head coach in Neale Daniher, the 2007 season witnessed a turbulent period in terms of the club coaching. The Reverend gambled and lost with the innovation of "run and carry" and, after opening with nine consecutive defeats in the final year of a coaching contract, the writing was on the wall. A couple of victories in a row couldn't help him resurrect his position when the team flopped miserably against bottom side Richmond. Also gone from the club is his caretaker replacement Mark Riley who is off to Carlton and long time Football Manager Chris Fagan who has joined the Hawks.

New coach Dean Bailey has installed a virtually all-new group of personnel into the football department. Chris Connolly becomes the Football Manager, and Josh Mahoney and Sean Wellman join Paul Williams as Assistant Coaches while Kelly O’Donnell and former Zebras premiership coach Mark Williams have been added as Development Coaches. The changes in coaching structure add to the interest and excitement with the promise of a fresh approach and a younger, more switched on coaching group that is expected to rejuvenate the Demons in the coming years.

These changes will be matched by a large turnover of players at the club but while a number have gone, there has only been one addition to the actual playing list to date - ruckman John Meesen who joined the club by way of a trade from Adelaide.

Meesen is a 201 cm tall ruckman who has strong endurance capacity but was unable to show his worth at Adelaide as he was plagued by injury at the Crows. Originally drafted with pick 8 in 2004, he had a long wait to play his first senior AFL game making his debut in round 20 of 2007 but he managed only one other game before being traded to Melbourne for its third round National Draft selection.

Meesen is no stranger to the red and blue colours having been the leading ruckman for SANFL club Norwood over the past three seasons. Ruckmen often take longer to develop than mid size players and the Demons are no doubt hoping he will make the step up to become a regular AFL senior player with the added maturity and the opportunity to settle down in his home state. Demonland welcomes John Meesen to the Melbourne Football Club as the first of the incoming changes to the club's lists for 2008.

Ten others will join the young ruckman at the club over the next month and a half as it completes the task of replacing the following eleven players who have departed:-

Senior List - Ryan Ferguson, Simon Godfrey, Heath Neville, Daniel Ward (delisted), Travis Johnstone (traded to Brisbane), Clint Bizzell, Nathan Brown, Byron Pickett (retired).

Rookies - Daniel Hayes, Daniel Hughes and Shane Neaves (delisted).

Jace Bode has been officially elevated from the Rookie List to the Senior List leaving the club lists looking like this:-

MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - PLAYING LIST SEASON as at 31 October 2007:

SENIOR LIST:

Clint Bartram, Matthew Bate, Daniel Bell, Jace Bode, Cameron Bruce, Simon Buckley, Nathan Carroll, Aaron Davey, Lynden Dunn, James Frawley, Colin Garland, Brad Green, Ben Holland, Mark Jamar, Chris Johnson, Paul Johnson, Nathan Jones, James McDonald, Brock McLean, John Meesen, Brad Miller, Brent Moloney, Michael Newton, Ricky Petterd, Jared Rivers, Russell Robertson, Colin Sylvia, Matthew Warnock, Isaac Weetra, Paul Wheatley, Matthew Whelan, Jeff White and ADD future Draft Picks (6 in total).

VETERAN LIST:

David Neitz, Adem Yze.

ROOKIE LIST:

ADD future Draft Picks (4 in total).

Assuming no further delistings, the club can add a further six players to the Senior List and four to the Rookie List. The available selections for the National Draft on 24 November stand at 4, 14, 21, 57, 63 and 89 but this could change. The club can also pass on its last National Draft selection or two and take Pre Season Draft pick 3 and, if necessary another likely to be no higher than about 10.

The National Draft provides some exciting challenges for the club's recruiting and list manager Craig Cameron and his team. Conventional wisdom says the best players in this draft will come from the first two dozen players on offer and after that the talent pool drops offs considerably although there is always a hidden gem or two somewhere deep in the draft. Melbourne is well placed with three picks in the top 21 - only the Eagles have more selections up to that point and they had to give away Chris Judd to get some of them. There's every chance that Melbourne will pick up some really talented players with its selections and we all await the coming month and a half with interest.

The full list of remaining key dates for the 2007 NAB AFL Draft Process are: -

Wednesday 14 November 2.00 pm Draft Nominations Close

Friday 16 November 2.00 pm List Lodgement Two

Wednesday 21 November 2.00 pm Delisted Player Nominations Close

Saturday 24 November 10.00 am NAB AFL Draft Selection Meeting

Tuesday 27 November 27 2.00 pm Uncontracted Listed Player Nominations Close

Friday 30 November 2.00 pm List Lodgement Three and TPP Estimates

Friday 7 December 7 2.00 pm Delisted Player Nominations Close

Tuesday 11 December 10.00 am NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft Selection Meeting

Tuesday 11 December 10.15 am Nomination of Brisbane Lions and Sydney eligible rookie list players

Tuesday 11 December 10.30am NAB AFL Rookie Draft Selection Meeting