Leaderboard

I think the main story of the draft, is that we needed 2 really huge bodied KPPs to implement Neeld's game plan properly and to play other players (Watts, Jurrah etc) in positions that suit them. We've done that well with Mitch Clark and Seller, both are only 23 years old and we only gave up pick 12 and 54 to get it done. These 2 players will have immediate impact on our team for 2012, which is important, because for too long we've always had our eyes on 2-3 years ahead. The time to start winning is NOW. With pick 36 and 52 it seems we've got 2 players that we really rated. Both have good height for running players and strong bodies. Both have versatility and had hard-at-it. Exactly what our club needs. Tynan in particular fills an important hole in our list, which is a defensive minded half back flanker who is disciplined and can release Grimes and Tapscott to the midfield. The other story of this draft was that we did NOT use our compo picks. That means that we've set ourselves up for a huge draft next year, assuming we finish around 8th next year and activate our 2 compo picks, we will have pick 11, 12 and 13. One of those will be Jack Viney and then we'll still be able to pick up 2 young midfielders in a super strong draft. We'll also have a pick in the 30s. Our midfield at the minute lacks class and depth, but after next year, we should really be able to turn it into a strength

Of all the journalists and all the football administrators in the land there is not one man with the cohunas to stand up and expose the shameful collusion between the AFL and GWS and the connivance of those involved in the Scully Scandal but there is one woman who today does make a statement - A Giant miscue lost in the crowd Caroline Wilson. I salute you!

For all you conspiracy theorists who enjoy these, here is one to consider. Could the AFL have masterminded the whole Scully scenario from the very time he was first chosen by Melbourne at the draft. Demetriou was clearly sick of defending tanking and it really hit the headlines as a result of some of our performances. He orchestrates GWS taking him away from us and we get compo picks that while ok are not the real worth of what was lost, a number 1 draft pick player two years into his development. The headlines early on when Scully announces he is off are massive publicity for the new club and he hurts Melbourne for blatant tanking. He then praises an illegal act by the GWS in trying to hide the father's contract with GWS at a heavily inflated price and duration, even though the league investigator has called the deal a total sham. It all has a ring of truth to it now, doesn't it?

Foxtel's NITV (Channel 180) is showing games on Sunday from the Ngurratjuta Lightning Carnival played at Traeger Park, Alice Springs. The competition covers teams from different parts of Central Australia and includes womens' games as well. Each year 90,000 Indigenous people participate in the game and while these games include diverse types of players, the telecast (including commentators from the Marngrook Footy Show) is well worth a look.

So, Sellar is best rated by Adelaide supporters and by history as a CHB. Thus, I give you the new MFC backline. Fullback: Frawley. Obvious choice. Centre-half-back: Sellar. Will be used to take on nominated forwards (your Cloke and the like) or as a stay-home contest spoiler and interceptor when not against a hulking forward. Back Pocket: Bartram. #1 counter to small forwards everywhere. Back Pocket: Garland. Targets the second or third forward depending on the forward line and whether Frawley has to man up. Half-back flank: Tapscott. Kick-ins and his around the ground smashing. Half-back flank: Rivers. Third man up, loose down back, the role he plays best. Grimes to midfield, stops Rivers from taking a man and getting demolished (see Trav Cloke) and allows Blease a wing.

Yeah - the Dawes / Leigh Brown is a huge stretch. My expectations are much lower. This is a big second chance; good luck to him.

Welcome back RR, nice to see you revving up agagin Think you're dead on there, and I'd like to think that the club are onto it, if not now soon. Would be the greatest pleasure to see us strip some of their gifted talent!

In the McMahon Cup the coach tanked but the players tried to win.......result close game lost by kick after siren In the Kreuzer Cup the coach tanked and the players tanked..........result scum lost by a walkover you tell me which was more blatant

Lets face it, Sellar is a spud and this pick couldve been used properly. But getting that out the road and making a positive out of it all is that Sellar comes across as a top bloke - a real class act. He works hard and never gives up and those are attributes that hopefully rub off on some of our younger blokes down at Casey.

There is ZERO to be gained by Melbourne complaining bitterly to the AFL. They still control the pursestrings to some extent Schwab was on the committee that approved the rules. We got maxim compensation allowable We arguably didn't do our homework on the bogan money grubbing family Revenge is best served cold.

And Demetriou was the second shooter.

Maybe Phil was the grassy knoll....

I'm not greedy. I'll take one, followed by another and another and................another. I saw 1959, 1960 & 1964 all whilst at school. I haven't seen one since I started working. I have now retired so bring it on.

According to the officlal AFL "omen" rules, half the deck has to be Suns & Giants cards!

Except for the parts where Hawthorn, Collingwood, Adelaide, West Coast, Freo, Richmond and North win flags, yeah, I'd take it.

Sorry, meant in this case, where they have CCTV as well

People worried about Jurrah, Gysberts and Blease being unfit at the moment, should remember it's only November. The most important thing is that they are participating in all running training. If they continue to be involved with the running part of training for the next 4 months, running several times a week, they will definitely be fit by March 2012. It is impossible to stay unfit when you are running so much and being trained by elite sport science people. The only thing people should be worrying about is the players who don't have proper pre-seasons because they have spent the entire summer in the rehab group. It is almost impossible to have an outstanding season without having completed a strong pre-season

It's the first time I have ever felt confidence in the club in developing kids. If Bailey and his coaching team where still in charge I would give our recruits very little chance of surviving past the standard 2 year contract. Just get that feeling that they could be excellent pick ups with Neeld guiding them.

Neeld said he CAN, not WILL, step right into the team. Get your facts right.

Good Pick up for 54....2 of our senior staff know him....and he is ready to go as a big player.. Says to me with Clark & Sellar that Neeld is not looking years ahead with projects....That has been done. He is going to train this list to be ready for 2012 Battle. Something the journo's haven't picked up yet. Just depends on how good a coach Neeld turns out to be.

I don't know how he will go but those that question the speculative teenager we took at pick 36 because of the speculative teenager we overlooked just make me roll my eyes...

Well I did like his thorough analysis - and your right he did have big wraps on him "SELLAR, James (14 ADE) [3] 195cm skilled, well-built footballer with athleticism, smarts, hands, disposal. Flaky '06, intensity query but you don't physically lose what he had displayed prior. Very bottom-age. I'm prepared to virtually ignore '06 as he apparently had to endure various on and off-field difficulties. In the '04 and '05 U16 Champs, I considered him even more impressive than Gibbs. Started 2006 as #1 in my rankings (Gibbs #2). In the end, Gibbs' performances were just so compelling, and without the queries that Sellar's '06 form raised, that I had to slip Sellar behind but I dropped off him only marginally. Even in his "disappointing" '06, he kicked 4g in 1st half of his 1st SANFL Seniors game (as CHF!), beat the highly rated Gumbleton as CHB, and averaged 17 disposals in the U18 Champs. (How many 195cm types, let alone any who had just lost 8kg through illness, do that in any U18 Champs?). By comparison, we were all quite satisfied with the Champs form of Gumbleton, Hansen and Leunberger, and they averaged 15, 13, and 11 disposals respectively and Sellar's disposal was the best of the lot. He even had 15d in just the 2nd 1/2 of one Champs game (albeit as virtually a loose wingman). Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater. He did NOT have a disappointing year for a bottom-age 195cm kid, even a highly rated one. He just had a disappointing year for Sellar, based on our expectations of him specifically. Why did we have such high expectations? Because of the talent he had shown over a 2 year period prior to that. I suspect he has a personal issue to conquer but I would have taken him on the assumption that he can, such is his upside. Should be very versatile but especially has the makings of an outstanding CHB (although his preference is CHF). An exciting, and rare, combination of not only leap, 195cm, marking strength, defensive and negating skills, cool head and smarts but, importantly, the pace and confidence to give regular run and linking out of defence and roost the ball long to a target. I foresee him regularly turning defence into goal-scoring opportunities. I also think he is more suited to the straight ahead aspects of CHB than the "stop/start" of CHF. Excellent ruck skills and could well be a good AFL ruckman/follower a la Goodes (without the freakishness), despite being only 195cm, as he has such a big leap and athleticism and he seems to enjoy ruck contests. Has virtually all the attributes of a modern CHF also and I do rate him highly in that role. Makes the right decisions. Good evasion. Good vision and disposal (including depth), even on the run. Good hurt factors. Trademarks are (1) Fluency - in everything. (Always looks to be doing every action "on the bit", effortlessly). (2) One-grab mark, positioning and timing well, then either a quick, accurate feed or immediately run off his opponent and do a fluent, long, probably accurate kick. (3) Run to link, moving with arms stiff and hanging down, seemingly moving in slow motion until you notice the opponent struggling to keep up" Fair pump up - rated him higher than Gibbs as one stage, played CHB and beat no.2 pick in Gumbleton... Hopefully we see him reach this potential!!