Leaderboard

...... you have a terrible, terrible memory. First of all, Cam Hunter was 6 foot 1, while Spargo is 5'8. Hunter was very light for his height, unlike Spargo, who is a nuggety player. Hunter was a high flying aerialist with psychotic courage, while Spargo is a fall of the ball player. Hunter was a bad kick, while Spargo is an excellent kick. Hunter was a flanker who played above his height (but lacked 'little man skills'), while Spargo is a midfielder or small forward. Hunter was drafted based on size and athleticism without form, while Spargo is a footballer who has been dominant at junior levels. Hunter was a massive smokey who only played APS, while Spargo has been well known for many years playing at TAC and carnival level. But you played footy in the same team as him ..... like my brother. You may have been in the same team 15 years ago, but you are either terribly forgetful or a terrible judge of players. Spargo and Hunter are completely different types of footballer, both in playing style and how they were drafted. As I said before, I would struggle to find a worse comparison.

And now ... the family connection. Charlie Spargo’s great grandfather Bob Spargo Senior played with the Melbourne Football Club, although it was just for two games during WW2. Bob Snr. stood at 175cm and weighed 69kgs. He played most of his career with Footscray (1934-41) before moving to the Demons in the twilight of his career in 1942. He was a professional athlete who finished third in two Stawell Gifts (1936 & 40). His sons Bob Jnr. and Ricky also represented the Bulldogs and the latter was fifth in the 1974 Stawell Gift. Bob Jnr. played in the team's 1961 Grand Final loss to Hawthorn. Bob Jr's son Paul Spargo played 81 games with North Melbourne and 9 with the Brisbane Bears. During his time with the Kangaroos he was a teammate of Mark Brayshaw, father of our own Angus Brayshaw. He was an assistant coach at Richmond for a while and had a great record coaching in the Ovens & Murray Football League with involvement in multiple premierships. Paul Spargo is Charlie's father. With a great pedigree in football and foot racing, Charlie had a fantastic junior career and two years ago was outstanding in the national carnival. A year ago, he was one of the most highly ranked of the country's draft prospects and headed for a possible top ten selection until shoulder surgery curtailed his season. Don't let his size fool you - Charlie Spargo can play and it's in his blood.

SIMON GOODWIN’S SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS by Whispering Jack Melbourne’s selections during the 2017 AFL Trade Period and at the National Draft bear the imprimatur of Simon Goodwin and clearly demonstrate the direction in which the club’s head coach intends taking the club into the future. To be clear, the final decision as to which player was taken with any given selection was made on draft night by national recruiting manager Jason Taylor but the direction was laid out by the coach and his coaching panel. The emphasis is firstly on players with pace, good skills, especially in terms of disposal and decision-making and most importantly, on character and competitive instincts. And in the main, the club’s recruits are not the sort players who have been given an easy ride into the elite level of the sport or on a silver platter but rather, they’ve done it the hard way. Jake Lever spent his draft year recovering from ACL surgery and was forced to watch from the sidelines as his Calder Cannons and Vic Metro teammates went through an entire season in the hope of catching the eye of an AFL selector. It’s well documented how hard he worked on his rehabilitation and that he used that time to learn as much as he could about the game from being around his club. Harley Balic came out of the same TAC system but a serious wrist injury that required surgery followed by bouts of homesickness and a hamstring tear which soured his time with Fremantle but it’s clear that commitment to improving his game never wavered. Melbourne’s selections at Friday’s draft meeting in Sydney were - Round Two: 29 Melbourne – Charlie Spargo (Murray Bushrangers/Allies) 31 Melbourne – Bailey Fritsch (Casey Demons/VFL) 37 Melbourne – Harrison Petty (Norwood/South Adelaide) Round Three: 48 Melbourne – Oskar Baker (Aspley/Queensland) Twelve months ago, the diminutive Spargo who hails from a strong footballing and professional athletics background going all the way back to great-grandfather Bob Snr. appeared headed towards the Giants via their Academy but the AFL changed the GWS zone and he became available to all comers and would have been a top ten pick but for a shoulder injury that kept him from producing yet another consistent season in junior ranks. Fritsch was considered too slight of build to get into TAC Cup ranks but his perseverance with local club Coldstream finally earned him an invitation to play at Casey. After two injury-riddled seasons he had a standout 2017 to win the Fothergill-Round Medal - the VFL equivalent of the rising star award. Harrison Petty wasn't really on the radar as far as many SA judges were concerned earlier this year but a superb national championships saw him win All Australian status and an MVP for his state. Oskar Baker was dropped off the list at the Brisbane Lions Academy so he walked into NEAFL club Apsley where he was given a rookie position at the start of 2017. He took his opportunities there, made the senior team and starred kicking the goal of the year and producing some breathtaking football. The commmon thread among the four Demon recruits from this draft is hard work, competitiveness, pace and good disposal skills. It won't be easy for any of them to break into the AFL straight away but the fact that they have all come through the school of hard knocks should hold them in good stead.

I take full credit for getting this guy, by exposing all his faults to the other 17 clubs, who were scared to take him before pick 31.

Judging how we are going to go next year based on who we pick in this years draft is stupid.

http://afl.com.au/news/2017-11-24/2017-afl-draft-who-did-the-demons-pick-up Ive already talked Fritsch up a lot but I'll let his footy do the talking from now on. So happy we grabbed him 1 pick before WCE could. Literally yelled when we saw he was picked up by the MFC. Can't wait to see Bull, Keilty and Fritsch all playing in the Seniors together next year

Has speed, agility and class on both sides of the body. Is also a leader, but perhaps most important is a competitive little animal too. Cracks in and his defensive pressure is first class. Could have easily been a top-five pick if not injured this year. Embrace this pick Demonlanders. We're lucky to have him.

Gee that is probably one of the more impressive highlights package (yes, I know) that I have seen from a tall defender.

It's been well documented that Spargo missed most of this year after dislocating his shoulder twice. He did have a very good bottom age year (when it was still expected that he would get to GWS as part of their academy), and if anyone's interested in seeing Charlie in action, the 2016 TAC Cup GF is on Youtube here: He was one of Murray's best in the loss to Sandy (featuring at least 4 2016 first round picks + Andrew Brayshaw), from recollection he had 20 touches to half time. Edit: Match also features our rookie ruckman Lachie Filipovic.

Melbourne’s selections during the 2017 AFL Trade Period and at the National Draft bear the imprimatur of Simon Goodwin and clearly demonstrate the direction in which the club’s head coach intends taking the club into the future. To be clear, the final decision as to which player was taken with any given selection was made on draft night by national recruiting manager Jason Taylor but the direction was laid out by the coach and his coaching panel. The emphasis is firstly on players with pace, good skills, especially in terms of disposal and decision-making and most importantly, on character and competitive instincts. And in the main, the club’s recruits are not the sort players who have been given an easy ride into the elite level of the sport or on a silver platter but rather, they’ve done it the hard way. Jake Lever spent his draft year recovering from ACL surgery and was forced to watch from the sidelines as his Calder Cannons and Vic Metro teammates went through an entire season in the hope of catching the eye of an AFL selector. It’s well documented how hard he worked on his rehabilitation and that he used that time to learn as much as he could about the game from being around his club. Harley Balic came out of the same TAC system but a serious wrist injury that required surgery followed by bouts of homesickness and a hamstring tear which soured his time with Fremantle but it’s clear that commitment to improving his game never wavered. Melbourne’s selections at Friday’s draft meeting in Sydney were - Round Two: 29 Melbourne – Charlie Spargo (Murray Bushrangers/Allies) 31 Melbourne – Bailey Fritsch (Casey Demons/VFL) 37 Melbourne – Harrison Petty (Norwood/South Adelaide) Round Three: 48 Melbourne – Oskar Baker (Aspley/Queensland) Twelve months ago, the diminutive Spargo who hails from a strong footballing and professional athletics background going all the way back to great-grandfather Bob Snr. appeared headed towards the Giants via their Academy but the AFL changed the GWS zone and he became available to all comers and would have been a top ten pick but for a shoulder injury that kept him from producing yet another consistent season in junior ranks. Fritsch was considered too slight of build to get into TAC Cup ranks but his perseverance with local club Coldstream finally earned him an invitation to play at Casey. After two injury-riddled seasons he had a standout 2017 to win the Fothergill-Round Medal - the VFL equivalent of the rising star award. Harrison Petty wasn't really on the radar as far as many SA judges were concerned earlier this year but a superb national championships saw him win All Australian status and an MVP for his state. Oskar Baker was dropped off the list at the Brisbane Lions Academy so he walked into NEAFL club Apsley where he was given a rookie position at the start of 2017. He took his opportunities there, made the senior team and starred kicking the goal of the year and producing some breathtaking football. The commmon thread among the four Demon recruits from this draft is hard work, competitiveness, pace and good disposal skills. It won't be easy for any of them to break into the AFL straight away but the fact that they have all come through the school of hard knocks should hold them in good stead.

They commentators described him as the most competitive player in this years draft. For the moment, that sounds good enough to me.

Love this! Been on about Spargo for 18 months. Boy can play!

Sometimes if the talent is still on the board and is that much better than the "needs picks" available, you go for the talent. "Draft for talent, trade for needs" I'm very comfortable with this pick at 36, especially if he comes on but we have no room for him, and we trade him for higher commodities in a few years, a la Adelaide & Lever (although they had no choice in that equation).

Good call, you truly are a visionary.

Cop that!

We need pace and foot skills, not more big bodies.

Could've had him at 37 if West Coast were scared off as well. Unfortunately the talks of substances, nights out and defects only made them keener.

Flags are won with Rance, Astbury and Grimes as well. Or Morris and Hamling (with Roberts) shutting down Franklin. Or Brian Lake. Or Scarlett and Harley. If Weeds comes on we trade Tom McDonald or Hogan. Cross that bridge when we come to it. Weeds has all of Cam Pedersen's games to play first before taking games away from those guys. Jones has plenty of time left. Vince and Lewis were both ordinary for most of the year. Getting Salem, Oliver, Brayshaw and Petracca fitter means they'll be the possession winners with Viney and Tyson. Along with Hunt, ANB, Melksham, Hannan, Harmes, Stretch. Give me those 12 with a lock down defensive unit and a functional forward line and I'll be happy. 3 picks of running players. 1 pick on a tall and I can see a tall defender being of much more value than a tall forward or back up ruck.

Drinking goon on draft night usually ends in tears, vomit, or posts such as this.

Ridiculous comment. They traded in Lever, acquired a pressure player and pace. All defencies that needed to be covered.

I know the stats have him at 172cm but he plays like 174cm. So that's a win.

Let's just hope he's not a heartbreaker.

Could we compare Spargo to Sandilands? I have free time this weekend.

Watching his highlights against Vic Metro you can understand why he was SA's MVP.

Have seen him play a couple of times and his marking and judgement of the ball in flight stood out. Was highly competitive too. Caught the eye as a key back, even while I was watching out for mids & fwds (I figured we were more or less stocked in that area). Perhaps we're also covering the spread with both McDonalds OOC at the end of next season.

Someone who is 169 cms.

Surely you're not serious with this post... We trade in Lever who was the pick of the trade period, seen as a future captain at Adelaide. 3 years in the system so more leadership straight up in 2018 than any draft pick. Plus it was a midfielders draft with no quality talls at the top end. If we get one player out of this 4 it will be a bonus. With Lever we already have one... You draft for best available, trade for needs. We traded in quality and leadership... A clear run with injury and we are a definite top 4 chance...forget about going backwards.

Pace and competitiveness. It's definitely a theme.

Huge upside ~ an Under 18 All Australian. ESPN’s Chris Doerre (aka Knightmare) had him at 16 in his October power rankings:- Harrison Petty (VIC) Best position: Key defender Height, weight: 195cm, 82kg Recruited from: Norwood Projected draft range: Second round Similar to: Robbie Tarrant October Ranking: 16 Rationale: Named South Australia's MVP during the Under-18 Championships. Petty is a relatively untapped talent who has improved significantly this season and is still growing, having shot up 5cm this season. Petty's potential as a still growing key defender with a late-year birthday sees him hold firm despite others rising. Strengths: Intercept marking Reads the flight of the ball early Takes marks at highest point Clean at ground level Effective ball user Composure with ball in hand Rate of improvement Strong performances from limited exposure Weaknesses: Keeping balance in one-on-one contests Strength solid but not as advanced as some of his peers Capable but not a freakish athlete According to Snoop Dog:- “HARRISON PETTY – NORWOOD / KEY DEFENDER / 195cm Tall defender from SA that wasn’t really on my radar leading into Champs but was super impressed with him through them and in the subsequent games I saw. Just reads the footy so well and happy to peel off and intercept. His hands are assured and his ball skills are very good to. Seems to play the game with a lot of composure and could be a steal this late.”

I would have thought, with the recent success of some smaller players, that we wouldn't be so negative towards a players height. Let's give the kid a chance and a few pre-seasons before we start judging him purely on how tall or short he is.

See, Im in great company.

Welcome back DA, missed you on the boards. Hope you’re doing ok

The comments about his height are ridiculous.I have had a look at the highlights and l definitely like what l see.

This kid is uncannily like a young Dustin Fletcher. Except .......a much better kick. He along with Lever will create a wall and carve the opposition up on the rebound. Inspired drafting and a steal at this pick in my opinion.

I believe they prefer ‘little person’

Looks like a very natural footballer, which I love. And clearly, the FD believe our key defensive stocks are weak regardless of what @Satyriconhome believes. I'd go so far as to say that this bloke looks more impressive than Oscar did at the same age. We now have O-Mac, Frost, Keilty and Petty as developing keys with Lever the only definite best 22 key defender.

The selectors may have decided that he is a good get now in comparison to next years crop. We may be loading up on mids and another ruck next year? There seems to be some angst about kids needing time in these posts. Not all the players can play round 1 next year. We need to trust our development! Hard to do, but im more confident in their ability these days!

Was excited about this pick last night, but after watching those highlights I'm super confident Jason Taylor has found another beauty! Funnily enough he reminds me a lot of our very own Jake Lever.

Lively tough decent by hand and foot . Spargo and Viney will be pressure beasts working in tandem around the footy .

In all modesty, I nailed the first choice for Jason Taylor and Demonland almost 12 months ago.

Players that come in their rookie year and play senior footy, let alone make an impact, are the exception not the rule. Years of looking at the draft for saviours may have clouded your vision but almost all players taken in the draft are "project" players.

No there will never be another, BUT, he does remind me of the great Robbie with a couple of his attributes.

So, Rocky, you already prefer a totally unproven teenager to OMc and possibly Frost. Dont sit down too heavily: crystal balls ? tend to be fragile.

Rapt for Dom. I met him as a youngster and was disappointed he moved back up north. Hope he goes on

Love a player with a typo in his name

Yeah for sure a couple years in the system and he should bulk up well Bull, Dec and now Fritta, 3 Casey boys, Dec is over the moon

Charlie Spargo will be an absolute gem for us. Ideal pick imo.

I know nothing about him but his attributes seem to tick the boxes we need to cover.

I don't necessarily have a huge issue with there being a white strip but there's two things I don't like: Firstly our current white strip is without a doubt one of the laziest designs ever, it's like they woke up one morning, looked through their agenda and realised New Balance needed the print that day to create the merchandise and just decided to slap the logo on a white background. For crying out loud Melbourne, get creative and make it a design competition on the website where it's voted by the fans. Secondly it's the hypocrisy of allowing other clubs to get away with no white clash strip. I can cop the Pies because they are already black and white, and the Eagles don't really clash with anyone else massively with Gold and Royal Blue. But someone like Essendon, tell me how we are different to them? If they have a reverse colour scheme as their clash strip than so should we. There's also the fact that we wear it when we really shouldn't need to. It should ALWAYS be the Red and Blue unless there is a direct clash. It's bad enough we have the stupid thing, but we shouldn't have to wear it unless it's really needed. Anyway, every year it comes up and every year the same frustrations are aired. And every year the result is the same.

Wont figure in the future pick wasted