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I've been groupthunk in to wanting Lever. Just putting this out there so when we don't draft him and he turns out to be a gun I can bleat about it repetitively, even though I actually have no idea about the juniors at all.

The same source that informed me mid season that Boyd was leaving GWS has stated a couple of things re Lever. - up until the knee, he was right in the frame as the top pick, and the best "tall" in the draft. - the knee has healed 100% - Melbourne are very keen on him however he can't tell me if they are keen enough to use 2 or 3 on him. In the last 2 years I haven't seen the current coaching and list management panel make an error in a selection or player they bring in. There is no evidence presented not to have complete faith that the players they choose will help build Melbourne back towards a strong team. So if that means Brayshaw Lever, Brayshaw McCartin, Petracca Brayshaw or some other machination then I will back then to the hilt that they are the best choices for us.

Seen this photo on Jeff Whites Instagram. Brings a tear to my eye. Seeing all these ex players keeping touch such a good bond they must have. Can you name them all?

Brayshaw, McCartin, for me. Just Me playing the odds, I worry about Lever who has no 2014 form guide. Gee it is lottery when they are 18, picking a kid on his 17 year old form is fraught with danger. The other point for me is his acl has mended but I think he did it just landing awkwardly, it wasn't a collision injury so you wonder could it happen again, a la Menzl etc. Sorry I am just a gun shy, worst scenario sort of MFC supporter. I am assuming Petracca will be gone at one.

He's slow like JPK or Joel Selwood or Fyfe, yes.

To me that doesn't make sense, if the Saints had pick 1 and say 4 or 5 it would. They could take Pectracca and hope Paddy is still there for their second pick. We would then talk up Paddy. The Saints decision shouldn't be affected in any way by us.

I'd say it's more likely that people are claiming to know things they don't.

By that stellar logic, Toumpas has made the grade too then.

That's why I never judge players by highlight tapes and sometimes I don't bother watching them at all. The best way to assess a player's value is by watching him play or train in person. Next best is to watch full videos such as the Australian Under Championships where I saw some of the draft candidates. I was disappointed to miss Brayshaw in the only final he played for the Dragons this year. He was named BOG but was injured late in that game. When I went to see him on preliminary final day he was selected but didn't play. I saw a cameo of McCartin in the first week of the finals but he also went off the field. I agree though that highlights packages don't tell a great deal. My favourite story is about a highlights package put together by some Carlton supporter of our Chris Johnson from a couple of games he played for us before going to the Blues. He was playing loose at half back and picked up lots of possessions on his own and kicking without being under any pressure. He looked fantastic and some Carlton fans thought they had the greatest steal ever on their hands. Go figure!

At the 54 second mark a guy makes ground on him but he maintains balance before kicking. At 1:07 he jogs along with the footy and a guy inside never closes. At 1:50 he puts in a couple of quick steps to make sure he can get a kick away (after first keeping his eyes down field). At 2:04 he toys with a little fella. At 2:30 he turns and sprints (mainly agility) to receive a handball. The rest of the time is him embarrassing forwards by being on their tail then judging and marking the ball. You're right it's little sprinting speed and a lot more agility and mainly that at least in those highlights his football brain speed is warp speed compared to his opponents. I don't conclusively trust the draft combine 20m sprints is all. I'd like to give him some more training in them, plus a 40m sprint and check out his agility. Mainly I'd like to see more footage on his pace shutting down a lead as well as running and carrying the footy.

A day without sun is like.....night.

If you're snooping around training this week keep an eye out for Jake Lovett. He has been doing some training down the club with Todd Viney.

Maybe Mrs Lever cooks a mean meatloaf...

A future forward line of Kent, McCartin, Howe JKH, Hogan, Garlett Doesn't sound too bad.

I spent about 15 years swimming and jumping into a local creek off platforms, out of trees and from rope swings with not one injury to me or any of the local kids but I've seen half a dozen people pulled out of the nice clear ocean and treated for spinal injuries after going head first into a sandbar. There's risks to all scenarios. Our creek was slept by a large group of us looking for and removing debris that may have moved into our swimming area. I'll bet the same was done where Jonesy was jumping from.

Personally, after reading all these threads on the drafting boards. I have been groupthunk into believing that all the players we could be looking have massive downsides. None of them are worthy of pick 3. And no matter which one we take will be the wrong choice.

Who did you have picked for us back in 2003 if not McLean and Sylvia?

Glad your not on our recruiting team then.. Why on earth would we draft lever instead of Brayshaw if Petracca fell to us at pick two?

"Integrity of my football Club" "cooperate with ASADA" "responsibilities for the health and welfare of the Players" "as coach I take full responsibility for that takes place in the football department" "want a clean bill of health" Never let the truth get in the way of a good story

From what I understand of Jordie, I'd be surprised if he was moved on or put through the Rookie wringer. While I accept the argument that we can't have passengers, a seniorish player and solid citizen, who can provide some leadership and guidance at Casey to and with the young players, while being there as backup, is not just a worthwhile position, but a necessary one. Roos talks often about establishing a strong culture across the whole club, and it's in that light that I'd keep Jordie on, at least for the last year of his contract. If anyone's to be paid out and re-rookied, surely the only candidate would be Evans.

Watts ran a really quick one, so that stat is dead to me.

Who drafts a KPF with the expectation that they will perform consistently in their first year or two????

He's a lot harder at it than the other 2 and his best form was last year in a pretty good draft. He looked a lot better prospect than Boyd to me but I'm not the expert just an observer like all of us on here.I really like the look of Lever but wouldn't be disappointed with McCartin at all. ...and I would hope our recruiting guys aren't waiting for Knightmare, Paige and Emma's final predictions before they make their choice. Seriously though all teams take who they rank.

The jump is fine, not quite sure about the "Jones" tramp-stamp though...

Would've come first if his legs weren't broken and he didn't start his run from North Fitzroy.

That fact that you considered it in the first place leaves you in the category of 'NFI'.

I've seen some pi zz poor and pure [censored] sauces on Dland Mono but that just about wins the prize. ( an engraved alpaca coprolite)

No pressure...

I still think the saints will take mccartin pick 1, quality key forwards are hard to find and if they don't take him I'm fairly sure we will.

So you think the risk of diabetes is as uncertain as that? Pretty sure the former is a lot easier to manage to predict....

I get it : Irony !!! Good pickup P.S. The Social Litigator piece seems to only present each party's case but this time there is no evaluation of the merits; that would be interesting

Whatever it takes....? The Appellant concludes its response by suggesting that ASADA’s argument that unlawfully obtained evidence should nonetheless be admissible, is essentially that “the end justifies the means” and that this cannot be right.

I just hope that someone has been before him and checked out for sunken snags and logs.

I must admit I get more nervous seeing a question punctuated by an exclamation mark, rather than a question mark. Don't you!

In this case its three judges on the bench plus the sub.

Adem Yze took on a similar role at Hawthorn and look how that turned out!

Nev Jettas tackle on Westhoff!!

And having type 1 Diabetes isn't "baggage"?

And Jesse Hogan was in the top 5!

We now know the news of the signing of Sandringham's James Munro who with three other Casey players is training at Melbourne -Casey quartet train with Melbourne. In addition it looks like Shannon Byrnes will be coming on board as an assistant playing coach - Dual Geelong premiership player Shannon Byrnes appointed playing assistant coach of Casey Scorpions. Great appointment. The Scorpions have re-signed power forward Tim Smith but on the flip side, two players are leaving the club:- * forward Jake Best who had a disappointing 2014 after a great debut season the year before is returning to Leongatha, and * former Demon listed player Troy Davis.

I have a huge preseason planned, DA. I'm building a keg fridge on the back veranda for my homebrew and painting it Red and Blue. It'll be particularly useful for when I need to drown my sorrows (i.e. 20 minutes into Round One or following the first three catastrophic preseason injuries). I'm also training my kids up on profane language in preparation for the Round Two clash at Manuka Oval (Tom Scully Carnival of Hate). They're growing up in Queanbeyan so they already have a pretty good excellent swearing vocabulary, so I'm concentrating on grammar, context and combinations. " Nice one $cully you [censored] [censored] glass-eyed, soulless [censored]!" That kinda thing. Good times!

Well, not really. As stated - you are going to see the emblem on your membership letter, you just won't see it on clothing. The machines in China mustn't be that sophisticated yet... I like the monogram, I like the emblem, I like the Demon, I don't 'not like' things simply because I don't like the person who brought it in. I am glad this happened without a fuss or even a statement and am awaiting the walking, week long groan when the club does have some sort of re-branding in the next few months... Just re-brand, then win games.

I swear you deliberately try to make people annoyed.

He was on all evidence 'picket' just like McCartin now who you are pushing for. This is where the recruiters should earn their money. For me Toumpas was a steal when we got him, his performances in his first under 18 year in the SNFL where more than good. Like most I have been disappointed with his step up to AFL, given his previous senior experience I expected a lot more. Now here is the but....often it will take a kid a few years to settle and I think 2 things have really hurt him as far as D-Landers go and that's Watts & Wines. Wines has been an exception, Watts has been the one we have been waiting for and it hasn't happened. If we look at the history of our coach in waiting it really wan't until his 3rd & 4th years that he became a regular player and went on to being a multiple AA, club captain etc. If Jimmy doesn't really start to show it next season, his 3rd, then I will concede he is a bust as far as being an A grader, I'm not prepared to concede that just yet.

need has never really been a factor Clint.You post anyway!

Picket, you'd be bored if we didn't stuff up one of them. What else would you vent about in ill-placed quotation marks and capital letters?

The major error was signing Terlich before the trade period.

(Chokes on cornflakes)

Following on from the appointment of Justin Plapp as senior coach, the Casey Scorpions have appointed former premiership coach Michael Ford as senior assistant coach. Ford coached the Scorpions prior to their move out to Casey when they were known as Springvale.

As someone who believes that 'fun names to say or shout' should be at least half of all recruiting decisions, I am thrilled. And since everyone is dropping limericks... There once was a coach named Plapp Who's methods were causing a flap He told all the Scorps To unload a few torps Then went home to take a good nap.