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Nice. Pigeon holing an entire race. Your assertion that the issue is purely down to players being indigenous is offensive. These boys aren't alone in underachieving. Underachievment has been a blight on our club for years and has nothing to do with cultural difference. A culture of indifference has been a bigger problem. A culture that has accepted mediocrity has been a bigger problem. What about the indigenous talent we didn't draft, but were in a position to do so? Were we correct in passing on Adam Goodes? Michael O'Loughlin? Cyril? Did we get those right? If Lance Franklin were a free agent and listed Melbourne as his preferred club, would you suggest we give him a miss? I'm not saying the boys you've singled out don't deserve a spray, but your focus is far too narrow. Far more players than you've named have been mollycoddled and given more leeway than they should have.

"Huawei, Huawei, we are the boys from the MCG" would surely close the deal

If that's Phil Scully then he's obviously not as bad as everybody around here is making him out to be. The moustache indicates he's gotten involved in Movember which is a worthwhile charitable pursuit. Good on him!

I know i'm biased, and I realise there are weaknesses to his game which he needs to improve upon, but it amazes me how some people underrate Liam Jurrah's contribution to the team. He hasn't even played 40 games yet he has averaged more goals per game than any other player on the list - in each of his 3 seasons! He has also kicked the fastest first 50 goals in the AFL for a decade - out scoring Johnathon Brown, Fevola, Rocca, Rewoldt and Buddy Franklin. He also rates highly for goal assists. Still, maybe he's not good enough for such a star studded team.

What was that about boganesque behaviour?

Thanks for the info but this doesn't deserve it's own thread.

Give Watts 2 more years in the gym. He'll be a beast and the prototype modern CHF.

Watched Moneyball last night. Great theory, great film (great book by all accounts too). James Sellar, pick 54. That’s Moneyball theory right there. Someone that no one really rated because of what they can’t do ended up winning a Brownlow Medal (Dane Swan, pick 58), and countless numbers of high draftees have ended up busts. Not saying Sellar will suddenly become the player he was deigned to be, but… Sellar was a potential no.1 pick (rivalling Bryce Gibbs for the honour), a big man with pace, agility, good game sense and marking ability. Gun recruiters were effusive in their praise, after a bout of glandular fever he was picked by his hometown Crows at pick 14. 5 years, 21 games, delisted and redrafted at pick 54 in a shallow draft. Most Melbourne supporters are hoping he can plug some holes as a backup. He may not offer what most people expected him to when he was 17, but he could add something of significant value to the team. He’s 22 and he’s generally viewed as lucky to get a second chance. Interesting to look at Collingwood’s list and see how many players they’ve picked up who were passed over by other clubs (either in the draft, or through trade/delisting). Even their guns Thomas and Pendlebury were generally seen as bolters who only came into consideration as high draft picks quite late. Thomas’ late run of form saw him come into top 5 consideration in 2005, but Nugget Jones was still widely seen as a better prospect than Pendlebury going in. I love Jonesy, but recent history backs Collingwoods drafting decisions fairly heavily. Collingwood look to have been ahead of the curve for some time now. Anyone who has an interest in what happens behind the scenes at a sports organisation should see Moneyball.

big chance they will spot him among the 20 million that live there BB. Keep us informed

Love himor hate him we was for all intents and purposes the soul of Footy at the Hun. His leaving will leave a huge void which personally I see none of the residual quite able to fill. Like any journo he got some right..and a few wrong. Bit he KNEW (knows ) footy which is more than some of the hacks around whos sole aim I sense is to sensationalise a headline from whatever lays around, be it two blokes having too many beers or someone not signing a contract quick enough. No facts all story etc. I'll for one will miss Mikes writings in the Hun. Its often up to the reader to discern what they will but I feel Mike wrote genuinely. enjoy the time in the sun Mike...you can get out your red and blue scarf now

Those who want to move on can do so by not logging on to this thread. It's easy. You should try it.

Oh! really? This is not an issue of Black versus white, although some want to make it that and turn it in to a thread about racism, it is simply about recruiting a player that has shown some disturbing traits and doesn't appear to have the discipline to play AFL football in the big league. There have been many players that have been taken on potential and turned out to be less than adequate and we can't afford to spend hard won resources taking a chance on this kid who may want to go home for a couple of weeks after the first month here. No this isn't a matter of race it is a matter of common sense something which some on here lack.

I'm beginning to think that Manson may need to play a couple of seasons in either the WAFL or NT and show everyone that he has the commitment to actually work at it before anyone is ready to take him on. Despite his obvious talent, he's not doing himself any favours with the way he conducts himself. I think at the moment that i'm pretty much 50/50 on him. I won't be upset if we Rookie him, but if we don't bother I won't see it as a huge loss. It's obvious that he has the potential, and if he were to move to Melbourne and decide he loved it and wanted to put in we'd have a winner, but what are the odds of that happening?

E is for Eishold's miss.

Please explain before making crap sweeping statements like this...doesnt help your argument when you dont. In a top midfield we would all see how good Moloney would be. Do people wait and think why he is good against lower teams? maybe it is because the other players in our midfield can actually help him, rather than being cut to pieces by the Geelongs and Collingwoods of the competition. AFL is a team game, very few players can dominate in a crap team, Judd at Carlton, Ablett at Geelong, but these guys arnt just A grade they are stars of the game in general. You want Moloney to dominate against the best teams when they have 3-4 A grade players of genuine ability and so many people are willing to say that our best midfielder is a C grader or B at best, what does that say about they guys he is working with? You cannot win a midfield battle with one player.... it takes 10 and 23 good players on the ground playing good football to compete with the bad teams not to mention to better ones. So when he seems like a flat track bully as people say maybe it is just that he has the resources around him to help him dominate, resources we lack when we play better teams. because they are better than us atm, some quite significantly.

I haven't always agreed with him but he truly has been a giant in his profession. I hope he can now devote some more of his time watching the team he supports.

Those who say we should move on should be aware of the distinction between the need for our club to move on from the Scully scandal and the position of individual supporters. I believe the club moved on from this immediately after the post Scully press conference which happened on the day of the defection. I also think the club did it brilliantly and with class and in direct contrast to the shameful way GWS, the AFL and Demetriou have handled themselves in the aftermath. That our club has distanced itself from the farce and so capably managed its coaching appointments, the trade week and even the draft is an incredible result in view of the disarray that was evident in July and August. As for we supporters, given all that's transpired, surely nobody can stand in the way of us died-in-the-wool fans lapping it up as we watch the embarrassment of a shonky bunch of as they sink further and further in the mire? And this ain't over yet.

The ol' likely certainties.

Nice flaming post RI. Beamer and Rivers were 1 and 2 in the B&F. Jones 4th. That's how the club rates them. If you don't think they deserve to hold their spot I'd suggest no-one cares what you think.

Imagine that. Even on his worst day Jurrah is more than capable of being in the right place at the right time at least a couple of times. Fast forward to a Jurrah that is desperate to be included in the selected team, and demands everyone know it on the day. Scary.

Leaving aside Scully's comments which are reflective of his lack of maturity and his naievity, Demetriou's statement is a complete disgrace and unbecoming of a CEO of what should be the most prestigious organisation in Australian sport. Truly appalling.

Keep up the banter gentlemen. Scoop Snr working a treat. Agree regarding last year's coverage. It was more a re-union of sorts for Dunstall, Pickering and Lynch referring to their drafts of the past and Liam Pickering highlighting certain draftees (probably his clients). Kevin Sheehan was the nuffy that tried to keep the draft order updates coming and giving at least some insight to the draftees background. With IQ you can rewind to go back and see the names on the bottom of the screen along the ticker tape, which makes it handy.

so if the back's worth 1.9 p/a whats the front of an "in the media" team's jumper worth ?