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OK. I'll go with the big draft rumour of the day. Rumour has it that after taking advice from the club's consultant on draft matters, a Mr. Prendergast, Melbourne will pass on pick 9 due to a lack of suitable candidates for the position. The following potential candidates were considered but found unworthy:- Acres - concern over shoulder injury Aish - too outside Billings - probably out of our reach Bontempelli - tall for a mid and might not fit the bill Boyd - can't fit him into the side Crouch - lacks the necessary athleticism Dunstan - one sided, poor disposer of the ball Freeman - query by some on disposal Garlett - too much of a behavioural risk Hartung - too small Kelly - definitely out of our reach Kolodjashnij - name too hard to pronounce Lennon - tested poorly and not really a midfielder, more a half forward Rioli - too fat Salem - didn't do enough at national carnival Scharenberg - a utility, not a mid Sheed - one paced and doesn't tackle enough Taylor - midget, no defensive game No decision has been made as yet as to whether the club would utilise pick 40 (which of course, now becomes pick 39).

I think its a bit overblown to be honest. Reality is Hannath will battle to get games with Freo next year and he'd struggle to get games with us as well and he was pretty mediocre last year. They made an error in judgment on Gillies and they got unlucky Hannath didn't fall. There was no arrogance and naivety, they didn't have a senior list spot, which was perhaps a strategic error. The PDS is a light of other days in any case - free agency has all but destroyed the need for it.

Whateley is all class (although his Geelong bias is becoming annoying) and his race calling is very good.

Bernie did an interview on triple m Adelaide today. Great listening, and he speaks well. http://www.triplem.com.au/adelaide/sport/afl/news/2013/10/bernie-vince-off-to-melbourne/ It is clear the regard he's held by crows fans is very high. Sando perhaps not so much.

Enough of that thanks. You can conduct a good debate without resorting to the put downs so please leave it alone.

I said it once and I will say it again. Nothing good has ever come from Collingwood! I hate that Club, their Supporters, Coaches, Players, Sponsors, President, Training Venue, Forums, Web Site ....

I remember when Neeld started, Malthouse advised him to take complete control of everything to avoid being put in a Bailey type situation. I suspect he gave similar advice to Watters with StKFC and MFC both being weak dysfunctional clubs. If you've been around as long as Mick, it's probably not that hard to do, but in your first gig as senior coach? IMO this has as much to do with it as anything else. - Mick could balance the 'my way or the highway' approach with his obligation to get the best out of every player on the list. I don't think Neeld or Watters could or would.

According to the AFL Barometer for Melbourne, "players with one to four years' experience resume on November 6, while others are back on November 18." That's the start of the official training roster but it's my understanding that quite a few players have hit the gym early and there might well be a bit of rivalry among our ruck brigade to reach new heights of strength and fitness down there at AAMI Park. In any event, as much as I would love to be out there on Wednesday on that historic day when training under Paul Roos kicks off, work beckons. Is there any information as to the time and place for the first run? Of course, reports, as always, are appreciated.

We know that recruiting is an inexact science but if the best BP could come up with was a 50% "success" rate after three years then it's nowhere near good enough. He really had to do better with his first pick in 2010 because, although punters like me might have been satisfied with the AA CHF, from information and intelligence apparently available to people in the recruiting industry, some aspects of Cook's psychological make up were overlooked and he should never have been taken with pick 12.Add this to the number of other fails with his early draft picks, one can only conclude, that this bloke was a disaster (and that's without taking into account what has to be regarded as the hostile evidence he was said to have given to the tanking enquiry and stories of poor interreaction with other staff). A club's recruiting people are said to be every bit as important as the coach so I think Chelly had every right to question how it was that this bloke was appointed in the first place.

I hate this argument. "Developed him properly". The guy was a spud. How is that our fault (apart, from Prendergast picking him in the first place, of course)?

The point is, the only risk in taking him is from a non-football side of things. Nothing to do with ability. He can play, everyone has seen it and everyone knows it. Hypotheticals aside. He's going to be an absolute steal for whoever gets him. I'm making ultimatums. And I'll be held accountable. The guy will be a steal.

I hear a lot of these sorts of comments, and it makes me wonder what they're expecting the kid to say. "Yeah, nah, look, I was named the AA CHF, my game's perfect. There's nothing I need to work on and if there is, I can't really be bothered working on it anyway"? I expect if they asked the kind of questions Demonlanders wanted, they'd get platitudes and the answers they wanted to hear every single time. How much can really be taken away from talking to the players? Genuine question. I suppose I don't really have any concept of what gets discussed in these interviews.

Unfortunately, your comments/insults are very predictable. Its clear you think yourself as a heavyweight poster who appears to have little respect towards other forum contributors. You may well have very worthy comments and insight in to various issues and threads in Demonland but by adding constant put downs to differing views does in fact devalue your own posts. Over time you should come to understand that your constant put downs actually makes a larger statement about yourself than to the other poster you are trying to discredit. In your view a lightweight I may be, but I am a MFC Supporter/Member first and foremost like the majority of Posters here. Althought I may personally disagree with specific posts/comments, I rarely see that the Poster does not have the best interest of the MFC at heart. I would strongly disagree with your comment that everything you do does need to be done. But that comment does say alot about you as a person and would indicate to me and others that you are likely not to listen to the above advice. After all a rightous man is the most ignorant.

I think what we'll find with Roos, is the players we recruit will be a bit bland and I doubt that we will be after high profile payers with big reputations. Roos seems to target players to perform a certain task and builds a team around players putting in every week and not some stars that are inconsistent and if beaten can mean the whole plan falls apart. I reckon we should get ourselves ready for several years of seemingly uninspiring draft selections that may lead to a very solid team capable of winning games of football.

Great-they need more flags and we need more solid citizens so it works out well.

I don't really care about the sponsors. If I had the money I'd offer to sponsor the club to have nothing but the emblem on our jumpers. I think it's cheap and tacky to have a company logo splashed across your uniform and it truly saddens me that it has become a necessity in modern football.

Bad turn of phrase but my alternative is: The club recruits players on the basis of supporter preferences as expressed on Demonland polls. Would have achieved some good outcomes in past years.

Rohit Sharma - wow. Australian bowling - not so wow. Brisbane and Melbourne. You're right, though. These pitches are made for Tremlett, who dominated when he played last time, and Broad. Tough for us all round. Timely from Doolan, with Shane Watson injuring his hamstring - no surprise with that one. If we rate Watson as highly as we appear to, he shouldn't be bowling meaningless overs in an ODI in India three weeks before the Ashes starts. In other scores, Cowan made just 4, Lyon took three wickets but it wasn't enough to stop Tasmania, Marcus North took WA to a draw by batting out the fourth day for 118* off 314, Marsh made just 4, Cameron White backed up his 83 and 61 with the bat by taking 4 fourth-innings wickets, Ahmed couldn't get a single one, Trott and (surprise surprise) Bell made 100s too. White a sneaky chance for a Test spot this summer if he keeps it up. Domestic form right now has him right up there, and if he's taking wickets too, you never know, what with Australia's penchant for 'all-rounders'.

Yes he was Yes I remember it well Robbie because we were both of the same opinion. Now here is one for the "No one picked Darling brigade" How come 11 other clubs did not pick him? Easy, every other club thought he was a second round selection at best.

We only need to pick him once.

A 50% improvement on 2013 is 3 wins with a percentage of 75%...

Sweet mother of god...did we really have all of Gillies, Pedersen and Sellar playing in Round 1? Suddenly that result makes perfect sense.

If you go I'll go to. Back and forward we are top 8 material, our midfield will improve significantly, we have a competent FD the players will have complete confidence in and a game plan which will suit the players strengths and a coach who will bring the best out of them. We also have a CEO that will bring respect to the club and I think that helps the players generally because they feel good about the place. I'm bullish and I think we will surprise many next year. We've had a terrible coach for the last 2 years and whilst that is acknowledged I don't think people understand the impact that had on the playing group. We are much better than many think.

Yet a year and two years ago Port was also suffering humiliating 100 point defeats. They might have had the nucleus of a midfield to start but with our current recruiting efforts, perhaps we might catch up reasonably quickly in that area. I think we're at least equal to them if not in front in other departments if our team is healthy and hopefully, the change in coaches brings about renewed confidence and a well structured game plan. If things go right for us, we have the capacity to surprise.

Round 1, 2013 B Sellar Frawley Nicholson HB Dunn Garland Gillies C Grimes Jones Toumpas HF Watts Pedersen Sylvia FF Byrnes Clark Howe R Jamar McKenzie Viney I/C M. Jones Tapscott Rodan Blease Possible line-up round 1, 2014 B Clisby Frawley Garland HB Grimes McDonald Cross C Watts Jones Vince HF Trengove Hogan Howe FF Dawes Clark Kent R Jamar Tyson Viney I/C Michie Toumpas Pick 9 Blease Some will have McKenzie, Terlich or Matt Jones in, while others will have Blease, Toumpas, or Clisby out, but that will unfold over the next 6 months. I prefer Clisby to Terlich and Matt Jones had a good first year, but should struggle to make this side. The less I comment on McKenzie the better. Cross may be forward instead of back, Gawn instead of spud Jamar, etc. Also, I've named Hogan at CHF. He plays all of next year as a 19 year old and loves to work up the ground and double back, i.e. the classic CHF. I won't let his age restrict his output. We all know he'll be a gun CHF and I see no reason that he can't hold down that spot as a 19 year old right from the start. Others won't like me naming him there. Bolded are new to the club and underlined didn't play in round one last year; 11 players. Half the side. If they perform to expectations we'll be so superior to last year's outfit it's not funny. Well, maybe it is. It will take a couple of months into the year for the players to become adept at the new game-plan, but injuries permitting we could have a side that forms the nucleus of a very competitive outfit. Games of footy aren't played on paper, but I'm starting to like how ours looks.

It can be if you have a recruiter and list manager that are good at their jobs. Good drafting and trading over two years can make a huge difference. Lets look at last year and this year so far, before the 2013 draft. Ins Hogan, Viney, Toumpas, Dawes, Terlich, Clisby, Jones, Vince, Tyson, Cross, Michie, Barry. With pick 9 to come and PSD 2 and a couple of other picks in the ND that is a big turnaround. Then of course there is good coaching and development and we have to hope that Roos and his men will be better than those before, ( shouldn't be too hard). I am setting myself up for a fall here, but I believe that with good luck injury wise, a good game plan and buy in from the players, Mitch Clarke playing a whole year with Hogan and Dawes, improvement in some of those named above, a couple more good picks in the drafts coming up and good development, we will make a significant improvement this year. Then again, we are the MFC.

Way too early to tell when you factor in ... 1) He was in his 1st year 2) He was playing in a team which was almost devoid of any proper teamwork 3) He may or may not have been used properly when he did play 4) We're not sure whether he should have played more games in the seniors or at Casey From what I saw he was one of few players who was trying to do something practical with the ball - and he has quite neat disposal. Lets judge him after a full injury free season under Roos. And even then he won't be at full maturity until he's around 21-23 years old. However, if he's going to be a very good player for us, he'll need to show us a bit next season. All things considered I believe he's progressing well.

Sound it out- it's not that hard. Bon-temp-elli. Easier than kolodjashnij- Kolo-jash-nij.. stuff it, let's just draft Freeman- Free-man.

Landmark...Im right...lol

Dylan Grimes says hi from Tigerland..

farrrrrrrrrrrrkkkk. i wish Watts would use his bloody pace on the footy field!

I've been thinking that I wouldn't be too surprised to see Roos put Vince on a HBF at times, to give us precise drive out of the back half. Would love to see Vince running around on the wing too. Reminiscent of Tingay kicking down the wing.

Paul Roos is not a bullyboy; he follows his own ideas, and operates in respect, with intelligence, and so on... We believe he is very good at what he's been employed to do at Melbourne. We really hope he is going to change the culture of the club - and by his own words we can see the sorts of attitudes and relationships that would characterise a culture he'd built. Wouldn't it be nice, while he labours away at rebuilding our footy club, if Paul Roos also had an incidental effect on the supporters? In particular, on the thinking and manner of speaking of those he-man Demonlanders who are still posting unadulterated intolerance and abuse? (How juvenile it is, to endlessly be telling people what to do, issuing directives and judgments as though you are the reference point for all discussion!) Roos has signed on for two, possibly three, years - could he have an impact on the team's supporters that quickly? But whether the jocks of Demonland get it or not, Roos and his enlightened approach is a most welcome alternative story for many of us. Maybe "harden up" isn't the only way; thuggery not the inescapable price of success; maybe sneering at our players and calling them "choir-boys" and "crap" is no longer going to be the dominant story in the community of the Melbourne footy club. Nice to have you aboard, Paul!

Things I dislike. Would like an earnest debate BH cause I like your opinions - Naming Pick 9: We need to get out of this attitude. I think it's half the reason why Roos was so keen to trade pick 2. Pick 9 in all likelihood will be good enough but we shouldn't be reliant on it. The current players at the club have the best part of a months advantage under Roos and then much more fitness base. Let's wait until at least the draft until we get to this stage. If we draft Freeman then I'm not convinced he should be playing round 1 - Cross at half back. Cross is a midfield running specialist and can't hit the side of a barn by foot. Put him in the midfield and let him use his run, hand ball and ability to lead out in space and mark I'd say. The saints at this stage dont have a great 4th tall forward after Riewoldt, Lee and a second ruck. So at this stage Grimes can cover and Watts is always an option come game time. The Howe idea has merit as well but I liked to see another half season of him forward and midfield rotation especially work on his defensive game. Cross doesn't remind me of a Roos half back. - Jamar over Gawn. After his first preseason surely Gawn goes past Jamar. Gets way more footy and based purely on hit outs I think Gawn will even the gap - Blease. The ultimate Paul Roos prospect. All depends on his preseason and form if he's seriously fit and fires in the preseason then I'll be the first to pick him but surely the first thing Roos does is set a standard on work rate from our half forward/midfield rotation players and to me that means Blease starts at Casey and gets a good month of midfield footy and consistent performance. I don't have the faith in him right now. - Toumpas. Similar to Blease I think Toumpas has a heap of work on his physical game. He's a reasonably willing tackler but pretty rubbish in the air and good midfield runners can lose him in traffic or in space. And just like Blease it depends on preseason and how limited his first prep was I'd say. Overall (besides Gawn for Jamar as a personal preference) I think my main differences are because I'm looking towards a Roos style set up with a more skilled player at half back and replacing 3 young midfielders you've named (pick 9, Blease, Toumpas) with 3 older more mature and more defensive mids. Who knows if Roos will actually see it that way or will go for the speed and skill but I'm going on Roos' exposed form and if we aren't backing Roos in then we are stuffed!

For the past few years I have decided to form my 21+1 around the midfield rotations and leave aside the traditional 'lines' as I see them as only relevant in helping people count to 18 on the field... Ruck: Jamar Fwds: Clark, Dawes, and Gawn (2nd ruck). Defs: Frawley, Garland, McDonald, Clisby, Terlich, and Toumpas. Mid Rotation: N Jones, Cross, Vince, Viney, Trengove, Tyson, M Jones, Michie and Grimes (rotate back), and Watts, Howe, and Hogan (rotate fwd). I want to get Watts and Hogan up the ground for different reasons, and I would love to see all of Cross, Vince, Michie, and Tyson fit and firing for this game. All are first choice mids in our midfield (save for Michie who has to prove himself above Evans, Kent et al).

I was wondering who'd post this inane crap first. Congrats.

It's one of the headache positions. I still have hopes for Strauss but those hopes officially have a 12 month expiry date.

I'd rather get Aaron back if we must have a Davey in the team.

Yeah. Davey was stiff to get delisted while Leroy Jetta kept his spot. Unless it was because of contracts it's hard to work that one out.Problem for Alwyn is his age and the fact that clubs shouldn't be touching Essendon players until at least after the final ASADA report comes out.

I called this a few weeks ago, I realise it's hardly groundbreaking stuff but I don't usually get much inside information, good to get some runs on the board!

I don't think Craig would have been influenced by Neeld in regard to player value. I think Jack Fitzpatrick is an example of that. The fact that Neeld, then Craig & now Roos appear to have the same opinion of JM is more telling. A journo intent on factual reporting would probably have considered that.

they really do get creative in ways to slam us don't they? if we hadn't just delisted him would they even have a clue who James Magner is? the bloke couldnt get a game in the worst midfield of all time and has just gone further backwards in the pecking order with five new midfielders coming to the club. Obviously he has hit his ceiling and is not getting any better. why in the name of God would we keep Magner on the list? As depth? We would need to have about 10 midfielders injured at once for him to make the side FFS the media has really lost the plot.. pack of bottom-feeding scumbags the lot of them

I think he has every right to question why he didn't get a game last year but to question why he was delisted is a bit rich consdiering new coach etc.

I guess if you're really that great James you will get another chance on someone else's list. Personally I think you did all you could and got the most out of yourself which all supporters should applaud you for. But at the end of the day the decision makers wanted to move you on - it happens to a great nymber of players each year unfortunately. Pointing the finger and being critical of the group who gifted you the chance in AFL is not really the best move right now

Crap article. I have little respect for a plodder who kicks the club when he doesn't get his own way. Accept it, Magner: you're just not good enough.

As posted elsewhere: Top 10 selection duds: 2003: Tenace, Clarke, Trotter, Dunn 2004: Tambling, Meesen, Russell, Egan 2005: Ellis, Dowler, Oakley-Nichols, Drum 2006: Gumbleton, Thorp, 2007 :Morton, Grant, Palmer, 2008: all still playing with original club 2009: Sheppard, Butcher 2010: Polec, and after 2010 it's too early to tell. Some of the above still have time. Some are debatable, Getting it wrong in the top 10 is common. Who are the likely "dud" we are all craving now: Boyd, Kelly, Aish, Billings, KK, Scharenberg. Lennon, Bontepelli, McDonald, Freeman, Salem? Come on GD, who are they and why couldn't Freeman be one. Most here are judging players on about 5 minutes vision out of say 1600 minutes played in 2013 (20 games by 80 minutes). It's funny how some get wedded to players on so little evidence. I don't have a clue who we'll pick but I know the FD will have their reasons. I also know there is no guarantee they will get it right.

Dylan Addison would be a handy backup on the Rookie List.

I really like Freeman. His speed is impressive and he just gets the ball. Fill our needs the most I think.

Everyone go back and have a look at luke shueys under 18s tape and its pretty avarage.. just saying. Point is Freeman under a Paul Roos could be a seriously explosive player. Even Patrick Dangerfield was a junior wasnt this explosive. Will probably grow to 183 which is decent hight for a midfielder and his kicking is even that bad as people make out to it. Infact James Aish highlights is pretty average, shanks an absolute howler of a kick and sprays a couple in the footage i saw.

He ran away from everyone carrying and bouncing. Good agility too. Quick disposal. Would only be caught with the ball if he tried to do too much.