Leaderboard

I'm going to paraphrase the entire article.... Dear Dustin, Please stay. Yours sincerely, Caroline Wilson

Hardly missed IMO does not worry me.I think Spencer and Gawn do a better job. Trade if there is a taker.

I don't hate it, but surely there enough better options.

Today on SEN during KB's session, it was confirmed that Mitch could have played at the end of the year but with the amount of time he needed to get fit after his lay off, it would have meant that he may play one or two games. So the Club decided to not take any risks and get him ready with a full preseason for 2014. It was also mentioned that Melbournes forward line with Mitch, Dawes, Hogan and Howe will be a power forward line. I think we can expect some huge media coverage of this fact next year.

..but we have the biggest challenge in football.

So it appears that we don't need a coach that can take the club to the top but a coach who can sell the club to the supporters and sponsers. gee what a great idea, why don't we hire Tim Shaw that should please the masses!!

Garry, Hutchy. If you're reading this..... It's time to pull her up on this on Footy Classifieds. Do it for the fans of all clubs!!!

Well I think you might just about be right on Mark Neeld. I can't see him being at Melbourne next year.

He's here at my place. Cooked him a ripper fat steak and got rid of a few brewskis whilst trying to convince him to take on the top job. All he's giving me is "not at the moment," whatever that means...

I like Neale Craig , as a genuine person, and an experienced coach, would be devastated if they selected another spud as coach, some dreamer with a loser PowerPoint presentation, living in fantasy land with big ideas and a five year plan taking us nowhere.

that sort of game style suits the list we are building with quality tall forwards

You know when you're a shite team when we are judging a first year player in 7ish games?. As OD he wouldn't be in a top side but yet again we expect kids to come in and dominate. Wines has a mid field around him, we have N.Jones. Come on fellas, it's not fair on Toumpas and it's stupid to think a 18-19 year old is going to play consistent football. Our leadership group can't even do that let alone a rookie.

Loyalty-keeps-max-at-the-dees “So why I was so happy to sign was because when I had my two knee recos, I became a supporter and I went to every game. I went to every single one – even the ones interstate I travelled and I did a few things over there. You become really involved in the club and a big supporter, and that helps with where I’m at now." Love this quote, sounds like he is another Demon through and through.

But this time we have a skilled guy doing the looking.

He wouldn't be right if he agreed with you, he'd just be agreeing with you.

After the last one I am a little gun shy

Perhaps we are one of the teams bidding in a joint offer with Chocco.....

Do you mean - do they know its terrible? We have had this discussion before about how much weight is given to emotional and personality traits when recruiting teenagers. I think it leads to clubs letting a Darling go until Pick 26. But away from that argument - I just feel as though the U/18 competition is further and further away from the rigours of AFL footy that Oliver Wines is the exception that proves the rule. He is a big boy with supreme confidence in his talent and his body. I feel for Toumpas as he is asked to perform in an environment different to a Mayes or a Macrae. We don't have the talented bodies in the midfield that allow a young player to play their role and not much more. There is less easy footy for Toumpas, there is more responsibility. I am not ready to judge his ceiling. Frankly, I gave Nathan Jones a ceiling and he smashed right through it and I am punch-drunk from the plumage and the experience. Toumpas might or might not - but that question won't be answered for some time yet.

best comment from a current player so far briath anasta fox sports what mature aged player would allow himself to be injected under any circumstance 50 times in the abdomen just about sums it all up

How about NO. NO Trade! Jack Watts is a great player and will be a better player with more games under his belt. He is a swingman.(Plays back/Fwd) and kicks gun barrel straight generally! He has excellent skills. He speaks the media well. He also knows that if we land a couple more mids we will be on the up.....We all know this.

Sylvia and co get bagged for this, now Jimmy bagged cos he upset at [censored] performance!! Poker faces all day boys, only way to keep people happy Maybe sculls had the right idea..

scraping the bottom of the barrel now....hope thats not what our selection committee bases its selection criteria on....whats left at the bottom. just give us a coach with a winning record of 55% pref 60% and over 100 games +GF

You've forgotten Watters, looks like getting an extension but a lot of supporters want him gone, Macca at the dogs is obviously no good. Both these clubs have stella lists so it must be the coach. If Mick doesn't make the 8 then he's gone and Clarko is finished if he can't win a flag this year. Bucks and Eddie will be on the scrap heap if Collingwood can't find a tagger. Dimmer looks safe but if anything goes wrong the rumour is Williams is ready to step in. Scott at Geelong can't afford to many more unloseable loses. Adelaide don't trust Vic's, wait a minute Sando is an SA boy...maybe spent to much time in Victoria..move him along. Hinkley, gone. Roos is taking over at GC, great list good to add another premiership to the legacy by by Guy. Who does that leave us with? The Horse, well he did win the last flag but times up if he can't come up with the goodes this year.

No thanks finally starting to see something in him, since Neeld left. a keep IMO

imo he is a required player, it would have to be a fantastic offer

I liked the way Aish handled the tag. Whilst his numbers were down (his preparation has to be taken into account, as well as the managing of his load), what I did see was a willingness to increase his defensive involvements. From recollection, Cotchin got frustrated with the attention he received from McGinnity before getting worn down. Aish kept working hard to try and find other ways to contribute to the team even if he wasn’t the primary playmaker. What he did when he had the ball was something else. His efficiency was elite. This stat can often be distorted by players who might hit a lot of safe, short targets, but in Aish’s case his involvements were often medium to long distance passes that directly led to scoring opportunities for SA.

you can kinda look at the pro's list and i think that makes the decision pretty easy Toumpas: *quick *elite skills *leader *already played senior footy *balanced out drafting viney well *considered by many to be nearly on par with whitfield *huge upside *Big game player ( just about best on in the SANFL gf the year before drafted ) Wines *tough inside mid *solid skills ( not fantastic by any measure *leader *ready to go * already had a more highly rated inside mid in Viney, plus N.jones *hard to judge the upside of these blokes, he is already good but he might not get drastically better. in summery imo we made the correct call, i think wines will be a very good player, but i think toumpas will be a better player in time, keep in mind wines is doing well in a much better midfield group, toumpas is in possibly the worst AFL team of all time so it's really unfair to say they are on level footing on that alone, but i would say the game toumpas played against Geelong was as good or better than anything Wines has produced this year. anyways just my opinion

It's all about best available and it has to be. The problem with Predergast's drafting was that he went for these apparently skillful types in Blease, Strauss and Bennell (as our skills in 2008 were deplorable) and then the next year over corrected and went for Gysberts and Tapscott because they were meant to be hard ball winners and forgot best available. Our midfield mire is a complete issue both with contested and uncontested ball. We certainly need another inside guy but say we got Wines last year and then all of a sudden this years draft was full of inside mids but didn't have anyone with outside class then you'd be disappointed. We have to give our (New) recruiters some faith. After his rising star first season where he drew comparisons to Joel Selwood everyone thought Rhys Palmer was a star and certainly if they were choosing between him or Chris Masten who was drafted higher everyone would've gone for Palmer - but now look where we are at.

The ridiculous thing is she is using her position . Formal journalist to try and influence the contractual decisions relating to key young players at her club. It may not have an affect on the player in question but it will be a mind worm to readers and the public. Did she wrote that James Frawley and Colin Sylvia should stick with Melbourne, the club who has supported them and paid them "overs", in a show of faith to help rebuild? Did she write that Daisy Thomas should resign with Collingwood die to the faith they've shown him during injury? What is her opinion on another "party boy" Lance Franklin? Should he stay for stability? This article smacks of using her influence for her own agenda.

Now who does this remind me of hmmm.........

Some of his passages of play remind me of a young Robbie Flower. He has to be a lock at pick 2 you would think?

They have to look at all options, but geez, it would be hard to follow the club with that bloke in charge

Hope not.

Too much banana cake?

Maybe, but the good thing about this in my eyes is that it shows thoroughness, which is exactly what should be happening.

There is a reason why port had him as fly in fly out assistant coach for two years. He did have North at the top of the ladder for a couple of years. Even if not a serious contender for senior he should be loooked at very closely as an assistant . interesting article about 2007. Lots of noises are similar to now, but with slightly different players. http://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-premiership/laidley-rejects-demons-advances/story-e6frf38u-1111114142093

Well, that went well, didn't it. ;-)

From the boys at the Mad Monday Show: Stats: 19 kicks 4 handballs 23 disposals 8 marks 2 tackles 3 goalsPostscript I don't know what they mean about Norwood's "dissapointing result" (sic) as the Redlegs beat Sturt easily 9.12.66 to 2.8.20.

why? all this does is annoy people should be against the forum rules

These potential trade ideas for watts and player x or pick y are just crazy. There is a common theme across all sports not to trade one dollar (not that he is there yet) for two fifty cent pieces. Tom Bell who? Yarran another outside player sheesh.???!!!!

Yes, agree with you he doesn't look like a star. When he played well in 2011 SANFL finals he looked quick, but so far he's looked just a smidgeon faster than Trengove and Jordie. He's got elite kicking skills and good vision, but I reckon his marking in a contest is abysmal as well. I can't see him making it as a wingman or outside runner, but he has big hips and looks strong in a tackle, so he may have to become an inside player - which if that's the case means Ollie Wines should have been drafted before him. Maybe his hip issues from last season slowed him down and with a pre-season of strength and speed work, he may find an extra yard. I remember Glenn Lovett looked slow and useless in his first couple of seasons and then really developed as a smart linkman.

In : Spencer Davis (lets hope they "Keep on Running")

They've probably practised time and time again at training with both and decided which option they thought was more reliable for them

FYI - http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bRcwP9I7d9E Good to see Wattsy get a mention.

We have to breed them in, it's the only way! Cheers mate.

That's fantastic news! Another little Demon supporter! All the best to you and your partner.

Assuming Garlo out and Fitz ok. In Pedo (need to cover Petrie, Black and Tarrant), Tapscott, Spencer Out Garland, Kent, Gawn

If Garland isn't going to get up then it's Davis to get his chance. We already know what Pedo can do and it's not that much. Toumpas looked sick last week. If he was then we can shrug and accept that he probably shouldn't have played. If he wasn't then it's probably time for him to have a break and give Strauss a shot. Gawn managed ok in the hitouts but wasn't great around the ground, so maybe swap him for Spencer. If Fitz doesn't get up then we can have them both but that is less than ideal.

& IMO this "young buy it off the shelf culture" ,,,, 'if it breaks just buy another'... is hurting us all around our world, & our 'quality things' are going out the garbage shoot with the disposables... ... this same attitude sounds like its in sport today as well, from the things you've said.... 20/20 isn't eyesight anymore. if true, I'm saddened to hear that even Punter has this I'm greater than the team attitude... we to @ the MFC have had this in recent years, where our leading players threw hissy fits & wanted a pension contract of a year, or 2..... without really being true leaders.... it seems the same as captain Clark... I don't think he's a Captains A'hole. IMO the team is performing less than its ability, even if its not the most talented we've ever sent... & I reckon its a lot because we have a number of differing 'cultural-values attitudes', amongst the players... & it looks to me that this has caused some conflicts over the last few years, & @ the centre of very nearly all of them,,, has been Clarke as captain.... I think he's poison, 'as a leader'. I like your Idea of bringing in some maturity, & I would try to replace Clark as captain. Keep him as the pivotal batsmen. make him bat at 4 & try play Hughes, Agar & Smith in the middle order. I still think Watson is a test player, but since Ponting dropped the captaincy, I think Watsons form has gone off... I think this is more about Clark, & the unhappy Test Team environment, than Watson himself. 'pretty boys should not be made captain'...

I think he has been playing with an injury for a large portion of the season, his game on the weekend was very good and I think he is just getting back to full finess. Jump on in DT if you haven't already got him he is dirt cheap. Unless you are in the Demonland Rookies league in which case don't as I will be versing you.