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Last year he was touted as a potential number 1 draft pick. Fell away a bit this year but if the talls are taken before pick 7 id happily jump at the opportunity on this kid. Hard as nails Half back / midfielder who had a 15.3 beep test and provides run and carry off a half back with his neat disposal. Id probably compare him to Christian Salem. Will eventually turn into a midfielder and i know Roos has a big emphasis on players who can be versitile and play in multiple positions. Captained North Ballarat rebels in the under 18s game and also Australia in the VFL game so he has huge leadership credentials. Also something i found very interesting was i just read the AFL going places that Callum Twomey does and it stated that in the article it talks about him coming out of the meeting getting a fair wack from his with alot of recruiters for his performance as a captain in the VFL game was ordinary. So feeling down and dejected Jason Taylor could see he was upset and pulled him aside and gave him some words of encouragement and to keep his head up and focus on next week. Thought it was very good of Taylor and shows the qaulity in the bloke we have.

Apart from the obvious appeal of a father-son from a great player of the past, and not playing footy for three years etc... I see this as a window into the new MFC. And by that I mean club, not playing list. We simply do not leak anymore. At all, unless the club thinks it is strategic to do so (think of all the Howe movement information that circulated. Pretty sure that was club inspired). The leading personnel AND the entire Board are a tight-knot closed shop who make decisions and act upon them without too much spin. Pesoally I love this new look MFC. The recruiters have noticed this young kid, kept an eye on him for a long period, seen a raw potential with unknown limits, and have kept it totally quiet. Go back 5-10 years and we would have had his name up in lights with promos saying "Dees focus on father-son gun" or some such carp, with Herald-Sun photos, and banal interviews. Out of all the trading we have done, which includes very shrewd planning to end up with picks 3 & 7, there is something about the ercruting of this young kid that excites me. A 6'3" quick young bloke who is quick, willing to learn, and is a raw talent. And most importatnly - at this point anyway - has no boundaries on his potential. I can't wait to see what he becomes.

In related news: AFL Fixture 2016: Melbourne and Richmond to play Anzac Eve The sweetest line of all: "In a move which is expected to irritate Collingwood ..." I doubt that I will ever say that I have heard those words spoken too often

I really wish people would stop rubbishing poor Luke Molan. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the decision to take him. His career was destroyed by terrible luck and perhaps a lack of self-preservation. He never lacked for talent, application or aggression. Nobody could have predicted the succession of impact injuries he suffered. On Weideman, I'd be thrilled to land either he or Curnow at 7. I think either one of them would be a great get for the club. A big, reasonably athletic forward with some mongrel and aggro is just what we need.

His haircut is an abomination.

Edited

I confess that while I've retained a keen interest in this year's draft pool almost from the moment last year's drafts took place (see the opening post here and I like to read up on the opinions of the draft experts in the media, I continue to maintain that the best way to assess the players is by seeing them in action. The best way is in person but in that regard, I've seen a limited number of games this year - the two TAC Cup semi finals and an Oakleigh Chargers game I happened upon where they didn't have any records and I couldn't identify a single player (ironically, they won the premiership in the end). I did manage to tape (on Foxtel IQ) the seven Under 18 National Championship games they telecast plus the TAC Cup Grand Final and I watched some other games streamed on the AFL site (one of the U18 champs games and the grand final curtain raiser) and I hope to revisit these in the lead up to the draft. I want to add one thought about a few of the players said to be among the leading candidates to be drafted in the top 10 range. Don't necessarily take what you read as gospel. I know there are some great wraps about Charlie Curnow and how he's a 191cm forward who could potentially become a midfielder but I've seen him play and on what I saw, he's a long way from being a midfielder. Put it down to him having a bad day in a losing team (the TAC Cup semi) or not fit enough for the high pressure of a final after missing part of the season to injury but he was a long way off the pace that day. The dropped marks and poor kicking didn't remind me of the Bont or Stringer in any way, shape or form. The same can be said of Aaron Francis. He looks to be versatile and he's tall but there's no proof that he will be an AFL standard if he went into the midfield. On the other hand, given that we continue to be deficient in the midfield and we spent credits in the trade to get pick 3, I can't go past Darcy Parish for that selection. In that losing semi final, Parish might have lowered his colours on the day but he is all class and will bring the outside running quality needed to complement our once third world midfield. We have no control over what happens with the next four picks. My choice of player who I think might be around at 7 is Rhys Mathieson (ironically the first player mentioned in the post I quoted in December 2014. Here's what I wrote about them after that semi final:- UPSETS IN TAC CUP "Darcy Parish wasn't prolific but he is all class, can play inside and out has a great future in the game. His partner in crime Rhys Mathieson has great presence, works hard and can hold his head high despite his team's loss. Although they played in a losing team, I've seen enough of them in the middle for Vic Country in the Under 18 National Championships to be able to say that, along with a couple of northern academy midfielders (Mills and Hopper), they are the cream of the crop in this age group. The third of the noted Falcons Charlie Curnow had a poor day after a solid start with some early marks but his kicking let him down." Finally, the two Geelong midfielders look like they will be able to work together on and off the footy field:- Parish and Mathieson's perfect double act

mate you have said this many times now. we get it. i don't agree with you, but i understand your point. move on.

I will opt in and say that the three arguments for drafting a player that have me rolling my eyes are 1/ Great mates with one of the players on our list 2/ Grew up barracking for our club 3/ His brother/father/mother plays/ed for us so we should draft him

I had enough problems with Hebrew without you throwing yiddish at me

They all sound like superstars this time of year.

Hard to go past taking Fiora ahead of Pavlich.

The worst drafting blunder? I think the dees has a lock on that prize

and may decrease the cake of your first pooch in future years. I'm in trouble that was the only bit that I understood.

Fair enough. IMO that players is/will be Riley Bonner. I hope who we take at 3 & 7 end up being the 1st & 2nd best kids.

Curnow getting a 14.5 beep test for someone as big as he is 191cm and 95kg will definitely hold him on good stead. Nothing worse as a defender then your opponent running you absolutely ragged up and down the ground and this is what Jonathan Brown use to do. Him and Hogan pushing up and back from each contest will certainly wear you down.

From round 23 last year: Melbourne: Missing: Tyson, Vanders, Kent, Jetta, Frost, Pedersen, Dawes, Watts, Lumumba, Petracca, Trengove* Out: Cross, Howe In: Melksham, Bugg, Kennedy GWS: Missing: Mumford, Shiel, Hoskin-Elliott, Coniglio, Steele, Davis, Patfull, Haynes, Griffen, Patton, Scully Out: Treloar, Bugg, Plowman In: Stevie J It's a little scary how much GWS had missing in round 23 last year. Mumford is huge for them and Shiel is a star. You could make a decent midfield with the rest of those players. Patton in forward (with Stevie J) and Davis, Patfull, Haynes are their 3 best tall defenders. Then again Vanders and Kent bring speed and hardness to our forward line and depth to our midfield. We haven't lost a gun like Treloar and if we get a 2nd tall forward in form that will help. I expect GWS to improve and not to do a Gold Coast, so it's going to be a huge test.

Believe it or not one can get a little frustrated at times reading some of the posts on Demonland. However in this thread it seems most of us are getting what the new look MFC is trying to achieve and have earned our trust and belief rather than just blind faith. They have articulated to fans what the plan is, recruited on and off field well and have been steadfast in sticking to that plan that has to be years in its realisation. By naming the qualities they recruited for they explained why JH will not be a loss and why other current players need to further add to the one or two steps they may have already taken in 2015 to be a part of the future (JW etc). There is no doubt our club understood the opportunities this new world draft offered better than the opposition and shocked the other clubs in improving our list and draft picks simultaneously. The last day flurry of exchanging of draft picks from other clubs proves this but it was to little too late in most cases because we got the cream in an almost underworld hit style the previous day. As has been stated, we are building real depth now and we will soon no longer fail the bottom 6 theory to success. The club knows what they doing and they do it without leaking like the proverbial sieve. Stick with it Demonlanders.....we are about to be rewarded.

To all the posters that are underwhelmed by whom we picked up I ask you to nominate which players out of the ones that were traded and were gettable by our club (ie don't include Dangerfield or Treloar etc that only had eyes on one club therefore not gettable) would have suited our needs? I can think of one, Jed Anderson and thats about it. I think Demonland would have gone into meltdown if we selected Henderson or Yarran. You could argue Troy Menzel, Craig Bird, Zac Smith or James Aish but what would have we needed to give up to get those players and do they really suit our needs at this current time? I think we have recruited players that exactly suit our needs and just as importantly positioned ourselves perfectly in the upcoming draft. I don't think we would have achieved this outcome if we selected any of the above names.

I feel like I'm watching Jordie McKenzie's draft highlights.

Right. Not a bad effort. Two guesses. Both of which will prove incorrect. A draft sevant

Brilliant. It was a great night last season. If we can win a couple of early games it could be a big game

But that's not the reason why Dawes butchers the ball and drops marks. If lack of opportunities was my concern then I'd point it out. I think we're better structured without him. Pedo has gone from whipping boy in 2013 to respected contributor this year. People would've agreed with you two years ago on Pedersen but clearly most people have noticed his improvement. Dawes has gone the opposite way.

If he doesn't slip through and (assuming we take Parish at #3) Curnow gets taken by Essendon, then, in all likelihood, we will have to chose between, Francis and Weidemann. Either Weidemann or Francis would similarly be a massive boost for us in the advent that we miss on Curnow.I am disregarding GC as a threat as I am sure that they have an arrangement with us when we traded pick #6 for their #3.

Looking at our current mix of mids I think Parish would complement them well.

Toumpas could still play many more. I'll watch on with mild interest.

Like last year, I seriously don't care who we draft as long as I see talent come into the club that year on year improves to become really good footballers. It give me such heart to see Salem really developing (even though he had injury concerns) and the start of Brayshaw and Hogan's career. The idea that you get talent and just plonk into a club and it will shine to me is a nonsense. I have faith that the structure we have in place will develop any talent that resides in the youth we draft.

The vid on the AFL website is great, Ill be shocked if we dont take him at pick 3 now. He and Jesse would be a force to be reckoned with *** I reserve the right to change my pick 3 choice once they release the Darcy Parish video

Gunston plays his role well in a great team. He is not a pick 3 quality player. He's icing, we're looking for cake.

Jack Darling is 191/87. He goes all right as a forward. Better than Lucas Cook anyway.

King is coming into his 3rd year and would be, with Frost, the only players on, or about to be on, our list that would be a chance to usurp Dawes and Pedersen to the 2nd Fwd/Back up ruck role. But Gawn took 6 years to establish himself, so King will still need time before we can even see whether he is up to it.

Ollie Wines to Melbourne was just made to happen though. Family friends with the Viney and hrew up with Jack from his Moama days.. Wines and Viney would have set our midfield up for 10 ywars..Sigh..

Except of course before Pedo was injured and Dawes played a game or two in the VFL and Roos said Dawes had to get some form to get back in the 1's.

Stats in isolation are often misleading. But at the same time sometimes the obvious is right in front of you. After 3 months out Curnow in his first 4 games went: 4 goals, 2 goals, 3 goals, 4 goals (5 behinds). With mark totals (contested) of 6 (3), 6 (3), 6 (2), 8 (5). Forget positional needs. With the 3rd pick in the draft we are after the best possible player. The guy who will add the most value to the team. Now if there isn't a complete player who does almost everything well then you look for a player who has the most upside. And the with modern defensive tactics so good the most valuable player is one who can take a mark and kick a goal. The scouting report says Curnow is likely to have top quality endurance, good size, the right amount of speed and agility to take his game to the AFL level. Over the last 3 years Jack Gunston has been one of the leagues best forwards and a super valuable player for the Hawks averaging just over 6 marks a bit under 2.5 goals a game. If that's the type of player Curnow compares with then that's a pretty strong case for picking him.

My experience is that these 'eureka' moments with manipulating regulated systems happen as a consequence of people brainstorming and working through the scenarios together. Happy to give Mahoney the credit as the boss (as everyone was happy to pan him as the boss until this happened), but I expect it was a team effort (as you alluded to).

is quicker and a better decision maker and disposer of the ball too

No nervous times. The recruiters follow these players for years. They'll deem he's either good enough or not.

The opposite trajectory for an artists career then.

To me he just doesn't fit the type of player we are after. I agree with WJ that i am not a big wrap for Francis either. While he can play back he got towled up by Josh Schache in the championships. If the talls are all taken before pick 7 then we will obviously have no chance but to go after another midfielder/utility.Personally i think Darcy Tucker wouldn't be a bad option. He is a running half back who is tough and gives good drive off a half back with his neat disposal. He oozes leadership and fits that 'competitive' bracket we are after. Think of him as another Christian Salem who will start his career down back and then push into a midfield.

I agree with some of your points WJ but i hope we steer clear away from Mathieson to be honest.. First of all his decision making and disposal is on par with Jordie Mckenzie, its really that bad. He rushes his kicks to often to the point where he will just blaze away without looking whats ahead. His skinny frame while loves to burrow in gets pushed off the ball way to easily and gets brushed off with ease and also he is not clean with the ball, he just fumbles way too much at crucial stages of the game. The only positive i have with him is his ball winning ability, other then that there is not much at all. In fact i will be very very surprised if he is picked top 10. I expect him to slide out because atm personally he hasn't got the required tools to be an AFL elite mid.

Funny seeing no delistings from GWS. They just pawn everyone they don't want off to Carlton.

why are we so hard on our new recruits, they are coming onboard and deserve a chance to prove themselves, they need to earn a spot like all the other players, we will have injuries that will give all players a chance throughout the year. Our new recruits form will determine who will get a senior game. I like the fact that we are taking players with more grunt, speed and aggression. I am tired of seeing players running in some cases jogging after their opposition player who has the ball. I want to see more mongrel, if the opposition has it tackle them and tackle them hard. it will put pressure on them and will result in them making mistakes. that is the only way you can beat them more skilful sides is to put them off their game with physical presence.

Mahoney has said it's unlikely we will pick up any delisted players, very happy about this, Grant & Moore are list cloggers

Ha ha this is a beauty, he happens to be the boyfriend of one of my daughter's best mates. Seen him play basketball quite a few times and he has won best a couple of best and fairest with one of our local footy clubs. He is lightning quick for his size and has a huge leap on him, top kid too.

I feel the same about Clayton Oliver at 7.

Is Petarcca a smaller version of Curnow. Both big bodies, big tanks, both good on the lead a strong marks up forward. At TAC level Petracca actually performed better - way better as a forward in his first year than Curnow in either of his years. In his second year Petracca smashed it as a mid. Curnow is unproved as a mid. I think there is little or no doubt that Petracca will be special whereas the experts say Curnow COULD be a special player.

the problem we faced with Howe was that he was uncontracted that left us no leverage over him at all. If he had been under contract we could have told him he was staying, that may have pushed up his price. the only threat we had was to send him to the psd which would have been cutting off our nose to spite our face. we got what we got, lets start to look forward to the inclusion of some harder and faster players.