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My view is we are going from the worst coach in AFL history (not VFL) to one of the best. Bailey got 8.5 wins in his last year. We have an easy draw. We have some good experience (Vince, Cross, Dawes, Clark, Frawley, Garland, Jones) and some good youngsters since Bailey left. Roos biggest challenge will be to get the players to believe in themselves again, that will increase our competitiveness significantly. History suggests he is an exceptional man manager so we've every chance of seeing quantum improvement before game plan or natural player improvement is considered. As well as the teams you mention I see no reason why you can't add West Coast, Adelaide, Richmond, Carlton and perhaps NM to that list. IMO we have a better forward and backline than most of those teams and with a viable game plan, confidence and a reconstituted midfield improvement can come quickly. Roos and Jackson are smart enough not to generate any expectations but privately they will believe significant improvement is possible immediately.

Since there's a long way to go to the start of next season and we're all sort of dreaming (and won't remember this by Queens Birthday), why not add Collingwood to the list? I'm being serious. If, on Melbourne Cup Day 2012, I would have told you that Port Adelaide would beat Collingwood on the MCG in the first week of the finals in September 2013, you would all be giggling and suggesting that I be certified. At that time, I thought Port were going to be the pits again (I thought that way when we played them in that Micky Mouse NAB Cup game at Renmark in February). I also thought the Pies going to win the flag. It's easy to be wrong this far out - especially with a flaky team like Melbourne where the group psychology has been in need of sorting out for a long, long time. If Roos can get their heads right, there's no reason why they can't roll a team like the Pies who have proved to be capable of playing inconsistent football themselves.

Not picking players because they may go home is pathetic nonsense. No offence, deeman, but kids are idiots who don't know what they want. I will back Roos and co. to provide an environment that keeps Hogan (WA), Toumpas (SA), Viney (Krypton) et al at the club.

Brian Royal.

People judge Morton harshly because they had such high hopes. It's hard to believe Tappy has played 45 games. I can't remember a good one other than his first

When we've won back to back flags in 2016 will there be a spot in the team for Prestia? In any event, if he was keen on the Dees he could have waited to see what happened at the club before signing his contract. Simple as that.

I am, and I'm serious. I'm bullish. We'll see.

I have, on more than one occasion, said that there are more measurements of progress than the 'legislatively important' W/L column. Bailey thought it was 'Quarters Won' - Roos sees percentage as important. They are not wrong. In fact, they are both right. My issue is with the Demon fans who hypocritically lambaste the former as weakness and laud the latter as insight.

Are you ever going to grow up or just keep having us Deelanders thinking, "This guy will cop on when he gets into secondary school". FFS I'm getting down to his level of Juvenile posts

If you're going to criticise someone's post then cut to the chase and say why you don't like it - otherwise you can expect another holiday.Thanks.

what a turnaround it might become if this time next year..(well , trade time ) players actually request a trade TO us !! I better take a Bex !!

think he wants bontempelli?his parents are from venice so he could save the club if it wasn't for the venetians it would be curtains for all of us

So Prendergast was really a tactical genius tanking the draft to get us a better coach. Unreal.

No.

Short memory apparently. http://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/pc-west-coast-eagles--cale-morton 76 games, career average 19 disposals. 2009: 21 games, average 22.6 disposals, not a bad second year is it? In fact he played 50 games in his 1st 3 years and averaged 18.3, 22.6 and 20.9 disposals in those three seasons. In season 3 he injured his knee on the NAB cup, missed about 10 weeks including the first 8 of the AFL season, struggled to regain form but found some at the end of the season and obviously finished with getting a bit of it. In season 4 (2011) he injured a finger tendon and never regained his form as he was asked to play a more defensive role. 14 games average 16 touches. In season 5 it was clear he and Neeld were not going to work and he was traded. I'm not claiming he was a superstar, but when should we have cut him? After a fantastic second year? After recovering his form following injury and notching up game no. 50 in his 3rd year? Don't compare him to Blease who has 31 career games in 3 seasons at an average of 11.2 disposals (and this season 10 games at 7.5 disposals) or Tapscotts 45 games at 10.5 disposals. I could go on. Stats are similar for Strauss, Jetta and friends. If we had Cake Morton circa his first 2 seasons this year we would have been a better team, and that reflects pretty poorly on the rest of the list. Also Newton played only 28 games and Hughes played 2. Not sure how they could be compared to Morton.

To say nothing of hunting pheasants. Or plucking them afterwards.

Again, I'm just wanting to point out that Magner had a 50 odd possession game this year, and Greenwood for North accumulated 38 possies in one of the few AFL games he played this year. Whilst having an average of 36 possies a game is a positive. It doesn't MEAN he'll be a gun. Do you know what other abilities he has? What other attributes? I'm not saying he won't be a good player. For all I know he could end up being the mid of the draft. But stop with 'he must be a gun because he averages high numbers' talk.

He went to Caulfield Grammar. An APS school.

Prestia is a gun. If we end up getting Freeman, Prestia is the sort of player that will compliment the rest of our midfield group perfectly. Offer him a big contract in two years and trade a first or second round pick for him. Imagine Jones, Viney, Tyson, Prestia, a player of Freeman's speed and inside ability - that's a young, but wonderfully talented midfield group. It lacks a little bit of depth, but I'd also add outside runners like Watts, Toumpas and say Blease. We also have blokes like Michie (who could be anything) and Vince for another three or four years. It's the sort of midfield that has the potential to reach the heights of Hawthorn. A list of ball winners, without necessarily "superstars" in the midst. Mitchell is A grade and I've debated Sewell being A grade before too, but they don't have an out and out superstar in the middle. Hodge plays across half back, he'd be the closest to "superstar". After this trade period, it's clear that we're still missing two major things in our midfield. That is depth (though we've improved) and pace. Vince and Cross provide that experience that we've lacked, but they will need to be replaced in the next two to three or four years. As I noted above, I don't think lacking "superstars" in the middle will deny you a premiership necessarily. Hawthorn and Sydney have proved that consistent workers in the midfield can win you the ultimate prize. Thanks for bringing this up again, Dazzle. I've been holding out hope that we'll get Prestia at the end of or near the end of his next contract.

Time to bring this up. Was talking to a mate who went to Assumption with Prestia and keeps in contact with him fairly often. He told me he was very tempted to come back to Melbourne and was seriously considering the Dees offer. Is still a massive Melbourne fan and so are his family. His family really did push hard for him to come home but he wanted to repay the faith in the Suns. The only reason why he didn't wannna come back to the Dees was our diabolical state at the time with Neeldy close to getting the sack and getting pumped 100 points every game and he was defiantly worried about the future of the club like any other Melbourne supporter which is fair enough. With Paul Roos in charge and a big improvement next year that could all change. Don't be surprise if we offer him a big fat contract within the next 2 years. Prestia will defiantly return to Victoria its just a matter of when. Melbourne have told him they will keep close tabs on him still which he has no issue at all.

Tom Scully and Sam Blease are best mates you know...

Is this guy the surest bet to be a 200 game midfielder at pick 9 ? He's tough, a good decision maker, a left footer, very good endurance, just a solid citizen. There may be players with more flair, pace, etc., and I'll be happy with whomever we pick, but I see merit in a strongly built tough young mid, who can play inside and out, that at worst be a really good player and at best a dominant onballer. Although there's a good chance Brisbane will take him at pick 7. I understand our need for speed and am trying to reconcile that need with our other need for strong over the ball types that stand up in finals. Viney, Tyson and Sheed (all left footers) would dominate the centre square for the next 8-10 years. None of Hodge, Mitchell, Lewis or Sewell are quick. But they were complimented by Smith, Rioli, Hill. None of Kennedy, O'Keefe, McVeigh, Hannebery, who is decent, are overly quick, but they were complimented by Jetta and the athleticism of Goodes. They've also got Rohan coming back from injury. None of Selwood, Bartel, Corey, Chapman, are quick, but they had Junior, Motlop, Varcoe who had some toe. We do need speed, but in some ways I'd like to get the grunt sorted first, as the outside pace should be an easier problem to solve. And if the team starts to win some contested footy and SPREAD, SPREAD, SPREAD, then you seem quicker than you are with quality ball movement. Michie, Viney, Watts all have decent pace, but it's an area to address. Barry in time ? But this is about pick 9. I'd be going for the best pure mid and Sheed would have to weigh heavily on Demon recruiters.

The one sure way to improve percentage is to improve the win column. Don't let the language confuse, it's no insight, this is Roos spin. He's looking for wins.

Hates a chat does Bernie. Could talk the legs off a chair!

Why punish us? (Assuming that you are not a well proportioned female.)

As great as it is to hang on every word, Roos is not the messiah. Demonlanders should stop thinking like that as it can only end in disappointment. Also he has been out of the top level for some time. It may take more time than we expect. By all means enjoy the ride but for your own sanity be objective.

He had years (2001 and 2002 - may be others) where he had more kicks than any other player in the league. I'm happy to give him "years".

I agreed with the competitive lines when Bailey, Neeld and Craig said it and I still do. Just because we've heard it so often that it now rings hollow, doesn't mean it's not right, and I'd have thought it was self evident that competitiveness is the obvious first checkpoint from where we're coming from.

From Jones through to Dawes, a number of the players have commented that no matter how bad things were this season, the group never splintered, there was no finger-pointing, and the group as a whole stayed solid. I know you've listened to the Bernie Vince interview. Without going through it again to find the exact quote, he said that something that struck him was that Melbourne came across as a real team-oriented club, and commented that he'd received welcome messages from almost all the players. So, if Darwin was about building team spirit and bonds, you'd have to say that it worked.

Given the shenanigans over the years with the schoolgirl, the lewd photographs, Ricky Nixon, Andy Lovett, Milne and Montagna, I would say they make a perfect fit for that club.

No game at Geelong, first time in many years. Thank God.

Gawn is younger than Hannath, Fitzpatrick is the same age. Don't really see the point holding a list spot for four years so we have a ruckman who may or not be good enough enter his prime as a 27 year old ready to overtake a couple of 27 year olds who may be better than him in any case.

This is hardly true. His time with the Swans academy and his ongoing involvement and analysis of the game will have kept him right up there.

To be honest, you know jack [censored] about what he is like, you have seen a few pictures and heard a few rumors but apart from that you know as much as Barrett on this one, although he probably thinks North are going to pick him up..

Plus Vlad come and meet my Dog HE A MELBOURNE SUPPORTER!

Melbourne was a very conservative club and I doubt that Sheedy would have been the type of player that they would have welcomed; there has been decades of conservatism behind the MFC and that's why we are what we are. Norm Smith was too radical for us and there were probably some from that era that would have preferred not to win the flags if it meant not having him there. Sad really.

Clearly a success

Armageddon!

I know you didn't, I was taking licence there, but I can't se how if we had selected better that it wouldn't be better now. I'm sure that Roos would love to have a ready made midfield to work with, instead of having to build one.

OMG - I still remember Mark Somebodyorother early in the 2013 season repeatedly lamenting just how well we had been training yet how badly we were playing. Even under the indomitable Mr Roos I think I will hold my celebrations until I see some on field, in competition results.

What struck me was the small snippet about Colin Sylvia. I won't say anymore about it but it just speaks volumes of our coach.

Cale Morton, Jordan Gysberts and Lucas Cook have taught me something about recruiting AFL players. While all three did well as junior players they all had some serious physical and psychological deficiencies that prevented them from becoming senior AFL footballers and more importantly owning a position. These were evident as juniors. You don't recruit players, particularly with high picks with these serious deficiencies in the hope that they will improve.

Interestingly while agreed we have a good and potentially better than average back line, I would argue that we have a great defensive back line but an average attacking back line. We don't have creative and decisive players setting up attacks as part of the rebound from D50. Is this the fault of the players in the D50, or is it the result of our very average midfield not running to position to provide those attacking options? It will be interesting to see if adding some quality to the midfield improves the perceived decision making skills of Grimes, Dunn, McDonald and Frawley on the way out.

It's an interesting article, but the question at the top doesn't match the rest of the article ... he asks what Melbourne needs to do 'to improve', then proceeds to answer with what they need to do 'to reach the top'. They're two different stages on the path from rock bottom. Reaching the top is a long, hard road. But we should be able to at least improve with our better personnel. The question then is how much?

As others have stated I have watched him very closely and honestly don't know the answer whether to take him at Pick 40. He is a very different player this year to last year and the change off field is even bigger. My doubt on him is being hurt the other way and he was found out a little in the lift in intensity in the WAFL elimination final. Do you take the risk and put him with a mentor, I'm not talking about an indigenous mentor I am talking having him run with a Jones, Cross at training in the way Sydney did with Jack, O'keefe & Jetta. The talent is undoubted and the disposal is fantastic, he has Lewis Jetta well and truly covered here but does not have the speed of Jetta. To weigh up Garlett if you take him at 40 you are getting Pros: A kid with the talent of a Top 10 Pick at a vastly reduced price Elite disposal and a gift of making players go to the right spot with the weight he puts on the pass Goal sense that would cause headaches for defenders - on the right day he is certainly capable of kicking 5 or 6 easily He was jolted at not being selected last season and got his body & attitude right, so there is some hunger there Cons: Question mark on work ethic, whilst there is marked improvement it needs to be maintained and even step up a gear at the next level. Can he do it? He does not have the explosive pace or tackling pressure of a young Aaron Davey or Cyril Rioli so defensive pressure is not big for him. Having said that there has been occasions when he corners and harasses defenders, without lunging in blindly and forcing turnovers when they second guess themselves. In 2012 when the ball hit the deck that was the end of his effort. At this stage he is only a forward, the tank is nowhere near AFL ready but he is not Robinson Crusoe there Summing up it is a toss of a coin, if there is a player available at 40 you didn't expect then I would go for them over Garlett but that is just my opinion. The rewards for taking the punt on him and it paying off are massive. But we are taking a punt with a third round pick big loss if it doesn't pay off maybe there are always Farmer's, Swan's, Sloane's and others who get overlooked but he may be one of these. Roos & Stone may be able to get the best out of him, time will tell. North missing out on Eddie Betts will be looking at him now. Barring an off field relapse he will be drafted just a matter of by whom and where

I think he might have already with Michie, but I am really excited by Tyson. Our midfield will be more than competitive in 2014.

We have none either way, but you can't say it is conclusively Neeld's fault alone. I'm sure you're smart enough to figure this out yourself.

The fact is that he is a young man with his whole life ahead of him. He is out of the AFL system and moving on with his life. To everyone on here, please, bad bump, and just let it go. Time to look forwards, not backwards.

Look, I'm as big a Morton critic as anybody, probably more, but this is a terrible post. -He was expected to go at pick 4, it wasn't a shock selection. -He didn't "run away" from him despite what you may have seen on YouTube, he was actually following the play when he ran off. -How would you know what his work ethic was like? Was always one of our best runners and I never saw him slack off at training once. I hated watching him play for MFC, but at least don't make stuff up about a guy whose career has just finished.