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Can confirm, Harmes asked for #4 and they gave it to him, also; Lever #8 Spargo #9 Maynard #20 Balic #27 Fritsch #31 Petty #33 Baker #35 That's all the Number changes for next season (so far)

This is the bit where we stop bitching at each other, and actually appreciate the track watchers who take their time to post pics of the new players. If anyone can get pics of Petty with Oscar, Ninja with Hunt etc, that would be even cooler. I'll just sit here refreshing my screen for the next couple of hours in anticipation, and appreciation. Thanks. *refresh* *refresh*

I've noticed that Angus hasn't worn his helmet yet at training. (Paraphrasing). His mum, Debra was just on SEN saying he hasn't yet decided yet whether to wear it in 2018. It sounded like she would get a bit of emotional comfort if he did. She then said Angus was managed very cautiously with baby steps and he had to meet certain targets before the next step and at times it seemed doctors were too cautious. He had a lot of tests done and there is no evidence that there were any problems when he came back to play. She said he is now 100% and sounded very confident. Given the distress she went thru during the year it was fantastic to hear her sound so positive about him and his game. Gus had a fabulous 1st year then year two and three marred with injuries. He will now have four preseasons and with a bit of luck on the injury front 2018 could be his breakout year!

I don't have work till 2pm Friday so I'll be there then do a write up when I get home

Ernest, hope this gives some reassurance: "...Melbourne's coaching staff took the opportunity to teach and work with him on his technique when approaching contests...Brayshaw was predisposed to leading with his head and they have been trying to alter his approach to ensure he leads more with his body to absorb the contact coming his way..." http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-07-18/demon-angus-brayshaw-to-return-in-vfl-after-concussions I know there are no guarantees. But the kid clearly wants to play and it seems he and his family have weighed up the risks. So, I would love to see him fulfill his potential.

Hmm... 3 out of the 4 are blondie/ranga's. Let's hope for some more night games come 2019.

Haha the ginger ninja is already my new favorite player, how can he not be

They’re not doing anything of the sort, no matter how many times you repeat it. Project Fruit is nothing more than a ‘review’ - there’s not even the vaguest suggestion of a timeline for this to happen. It's called window-dressing. Thats why the AFL announced it at the National Press Club, and that’s why Goyder said “none of this happens quickly”, which is another way of saying “none of this is happening at all”.

The 'inter-Staters' amongst us would just love to know how the team is performing after a couple of sessions have already passed and would love to know how the newbies are received and play/train with the regulars.

If we take Parish over Oliver we don't get near finals If Smith and Spencer don't get injured against Richmond we probably win and play finals If St Kilda took Trac instead of Mccartin we struggle to win QB It's full of what ifs Thank god the FD looks forward not back

Exactly, just a PR move. The AFL would have no legs to stand on on this one and I doubt they'd want to try.

The ball is about to hit his hands instead of bouncing off his face. It aint Fitzy

Now that's a great photo

Erm, looks like the guy on the left with modified hair...

Petty should have gone in the top 10. I know a player when i see one. No idea where the phantom draft 'experts' had him, but anywhere outside the top 10 is laughable. Great steal by Jason Taylor.

I will do my best to get there Friday 1st December to give fellow Demonlander what I see, I"m not great with my words but maybe a pic or 2 might make up for that. Go Dees

I've been a bit meh about our drafting for entirely unreasonable reasons. I wanted some extra excitement, as to playing style and the unknown re. potential ceiling and development - Liam Ryan, Jack P. etc. Also wanted speed and run, speed and run. A developing KPD isn't so exciting. However: From my amateur perspective and with all the highlight package provisos (and I'll readily put my hand up and acknowledge that I'm no junior talent scout); this kid looks the absolute goods. From the available footage: reads the play exceptionally well, technically sound, clean in the contest and by foot, and unflustered/steps up to the level of competition. With basically one year in the system. It's uncanny to me his early similarities to a certain recent trade coup in Lever. He will also now be learning his craft in part from Jake Lever. My crystal ball: he will shine in the VFL from day one and cause some early selection issues/personnel reshuffles. And without intending to open a can of worms, is a step up on the natural attributes of Omac and will be a ready and fairly prompt replacement. I'm willing to go early: steal of the draft. Somehow overlooked due to the sense that it was a poor one for KPD's and his rapid ascent making most recruiters a bit nervy to buy in on that spike. Go Dees.

Bucky's thoughts from the Hun: BUCKENARA SAYS: In my Melbourne list analysis column for the Herald Sun during the trade period I wrote the Demons needed a small forward to help Jeff Garlett and they’ve got that in Charlie Spargo. He can play through the midfield but I think his position at AFL level will be as a small forward who loves to tackle and pressure the opposition. I really like the selection of Harrison Petty. I had him rated at 22 in my top 50 so to get a potential key defender of his quality at 37 great value. He reads the ball really well in flight. The Demons have a bit of a history of taking mature-age players out of second-tier competitions and they’ve done it again with Bayley Fritsch who kicked 42 goals for Casey this year. Melbourne also need some more outside pace and they get that with Oskar Baker. THE VERDICT: Melbourne came into the draft last at pick No.29 but would have walked away pretty happy. They’ve addressed list needs so that’s a tick from me.

Had a closer look. Of the 4 we took, I'm most excited about this guy. I think he's got the skill set to succeed in a League that's going to get quicker and quicker... But also because he has what we need badly. Pace.

We welcome any reports and/or photos from any intrepid Demonlanders. Training times TBA but are generally Monday, Wednesday & Friday in the morning at Gosch's Paddock. Official times are updated occasionally here: http://melbournefc.com.au/Team/training-timesG Men's Training times: Monday, 27th November - Gosch's Paddock - 11am Friday, 1st December - Gosch's Paddock - 9.30am Women's Training times: Tuesday, 28th November - Gosch's Paddock - 6.30pm Saturday, 2nd December - Gosch's Paddock - 9.15am *Please note: Training times are subject to change at late notice.

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'm gonna see what odds I can get at TAB for Clint to win the comp.

From watching his highlights (which now makes me an expert) he'll be getting a game sooner rather later. Carry on.

..."its not a matter of if its a matter of when AFL clubs exit poker machines, " Won't happen. Just transfer the ownership to a Trust with the beneficiary as the MFC. Voila! The club doesn't own poker machines any more.

I've extracted the Age and Game profiles: For the 'Playing Team' stats I've left out the 14 players who have played less than 10 games because our starting 22 will generally come form the top 30, especially in the first half of the year. Also if some of those 14 get games it is not going to change the average (unless Vince, Jones and Lewis don't play in the same game and youngsters replace them). To counter the impact of Vince, Jones and Lewis on the profiles the 'Median' is a better indicator than the 'Average'. Leaving out the 14 will help keep claims like the 'youngest team' and the 'least experienced team' in perspective. I am really pleased with our list profile! It is a long time (decades?) since we have had a core group around 25 years of age. Now the majority of our list is in that range. Ditto the experience profile - the majority of our players will be in the 50 to 150 game range next year. While there is still growth and experience to happen, at last we have a well balanced team with a lot of talent. At last the coaches can work with a team that will grow together. At last we have a list with some stars and a fair amount of depth and competition for spots. At last we can look forward with confidence!

The redback jumper is perfect when playing the Blues and Saints. Front on you can easily distinguish players but from the back the two dark back jumpers are difficult to differentiate.

So now I have to self-qoute from another thread just to stay in the race . . .

He certainly does need a bigger body, and the footy department would no doubt be working on that, but I see him differently in that once he decides to tackle, he commits his body to it, and that is a definite step up on another tall forward we had until recently. Also agree with @A F in that his leg speed, or more to the point, his agility is limited. But throwing yourself in when you have the chance is a whole lot better for the team than waiting for someone else to do it. Our guys have seen what full ground pressure can achieve with lists that are far from star studded, and are recruiting accordingly. Young Spargo is another step in that direction. Thing is we have a list that I believe could be described as star studded by the end of next season. If the whole team can commit defensively, we can become feared by the whole comp.

This is the key ingredient to the last two flag winners' success. Hogan and TMac are the talls, with Hannan, Petracca and a Spargo providing forward pressure. I'd consider moving Hunt forward at times again too. His pace and marking overhead are handy and as Richmond's smalls showed, if you work hard, tackle and tackle, and work to keep the ball in a dangerous area, you will eventually get just reward for your toils. One of the major deficiencies of Hogan's game I'd be looking to rectify over the off season is his inability to lay tackles or chase. He needs to build his tank and improve like that pill Riewoldt did. TMac has enough aerobic capacity to put enough pressure on too. Another pre season with Petracca will also hopefully see him improve in this pressure area. If our forwards can lock the ball in better and our backs can repel consistently (Lever helps in this regard enormously), we will finish top 4. Our midfield (with a fit Gawn) is dominant enough to beat any opposition. And if our forward pressure improves and Lever continues intercepting everything in sight, we really don't have many weaknesses.

As long as they are all competitive beasts, bring their own skillset to the team and make competition for spots fierce we should be happy. They are part of the MFC family now and good luck to them, hopefully a couple of them surprise us in the upcoming season.

Hey Port.. Mark Neeld called.. Wants his 2013 list back ??????

Good call, you truly are a visionary.

The morals police are out again. ffs, have your EVER heard of personal responsibility? Tell me what difference it will make to a gambling addict, if we remove our machines? The only thing that it would impact positively is your "feelings"

Damn this late night alcohol I will try again The Brayshaw and Frost predictions were ordinary considering they barely played all year, while the Melksham guess was meh. No win/loss ratio No ladder position................. I will lay $200 on the line, that you and @P-man will vote my prediction as closer to the mark than @ding at the end of next season, provided that Ding matches my bet. Oops, I mean to say I get the cash, not you guys, as obviously I will win yeah?

Forgot this was on - it's hard to keep track with so much sport going on ... Hugh Bowman takes World's Best Jockey title after Japan Cup win on Cheval Grand

The MFC faithful to change Oskar Bakers nickname from ' The Ginga Ninja' ( cool nickname btw) to ' The Bread Man' as he will deliver the goods when selected mid-season.

Here is why I love this trade and draft period. 1. We got Lever. You can stop reading here. The get of the draft period 2. We no longer have to draft ‘messiahs’ who will instantly fix our lot. We can draft some ‘developing talent’ and let them..develop. It has been the big problem over the last 5 or so years, that young players have not been afforded space and time to develop. Now they can. 3. We have heaps of upside in guys already on our list, who should keep developing. Maynard, AVB, Petracca, Oliver, Wieds, Hogan, the Mac brothers, stretch, JKH, Kent, etc etc etc. if only half of this group improves, all will be well. 4. It looks like we had a solid shopping list, and are rewarding players who are players and prepared to work for it. No flat track bullies here, but guys who are competitive and have had to show something to get here. 5. I think our list looks better after the draft and trade than before. There is more competition on spots back, middle and forward. We also have a few master-apprentice opportunities emerging in each line. 6. I think we are more flexible and have more options. I think we also may see a few players shifting roles to fit into the structure better. 7. Collingwood got a kid with a poor ticker. Fits the mould for the club. (Just a bonus!) I give us a fairly high rating for this period, but the proof will be in the pudding.

I hope the new boys eat Goodwin road kill and they're mean to their nanna

I hear Ben Kennedy has been hanging around at the Adelaide Oval car park in the hope Port will hire him in any sort of role.

Pick 29 - Charlie Spargo

Can't understand why I'm excited about it. I'll be sitting on the edge of my couch when our picks come around, heart rate climbing, maybe a bit of sweat on the brow, in nervous anticipation of picking up 4 blokes I have never heard of, and know nothing about.