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Adelaide’s List Manager: “We were very keen to move up the draft to get North’s pick 1. Our offer was slightly better than the one recorded in the media. We basically offered three first rounders, Matt Crouch’s girlfriend, Rory Sloane’s 2nd child, Matthew Nicks’ secret stash of horse dewormer and a Taylor Walker signed KKK outfit. We were close to a deal with the Cats on Daniel Talia before the Cats withdrew due to realising that he was still in his 20’s. We are seriously looking into introducing a whole club mask mandate in order to ensure that there is something covering Tex Walker’s big mouth at all times.” Brisbane’s List Manager: “A lot has been said about Darcy Fort being a part of this trade period’s ‘ruck merry-go-round’. That is simply incorrect on account of Fort having no turning circle. Lachie Neale has thankfully recommitted to the football club after considering a move back to Fremantle, which we are all thrilled about. He is currently diving into his preseason program alongside Joe Daniher, who has been diving for quite some time.” Carlton’s List Manager: “We are excited to help bring Cerra close to his family because he will need their support and sympathy during his years at Carlton. We identified Cerra as a player of need to support Zac Williams who we brought in to support Setterfield who was brought in to support Matthew Kennedy who we brought into support Patrick Cripps. The fact that George Hewett got a 4 year deal raised some eyebrows. For us it was a no-brainer as we wanted him to have the opportunity to impress our next three senior coaches. We were the only club to our knowledge that made an offer for Hewett, ultimately meaning he had a decision to make between going to Carlton or nothing. We realise this was not an easy choice to make. ” Collingwood’s List Manager: “We were shocked to lose Lynch, who we earmarked as our number 1 ruck when Grundy’s contract expires in 2035. We are recommitting to Mason Cox who we spectacularly plucked from an overseas basketball court and we will be looking to do the same to Jordan DeGoey, who we recently plucked from the Supreme Court. Lipinski can play on the inside and outside as we saw from his time at the Dogs where he played both inside and outside their best 22. Lipinski had to decide between lucrative offers from Collingwood and Carlton, which I guess is a bit like deciding between a career as Mark Robinson’s copywriter and a cadetship at the Wuhan lab. We are hoping nobody bids early for Daicos as we face being in more debt than a contestant from Squid Game. We send a request to the general public for help. We are currently trying to release a highlights package of Kreuger for our website. We just can’t find anything. If you have any footage whatsoever, even if it’s grainy, please send it to the club. We will even accept clangers at this point. After issues with our salary cap this time last year, we can announce a new accountant, who this time, can actually add. We can also announce that 118% of our employees are double vaxxed.” Essendon’s List Manager: “We managed to get Jake Kelly from Adelaide who is a son of a gun but couldn’t extract Bobby Hill from the grasp of McCartney, who is a son of something else. There’s a lot of speculation that Dodoro doesn’t get on with McCartney. The truth is, nobody gets on with McCartney. The Bobby Hill result is a real shame, as he is already with elite speed and delivery into the forward 50 and was attracted to the prospect of joining the Bombers to become elite at frees against. We are not fussed with whether or not we land Ben King in 12 months time because we have 2 other key position forwards on the horizon, in the Davey twins.” Fremantle’s List Manager: “Whilst we were sad to give up Cerra, we were happy with what we got from Carlton. It was a win/win really. We get the chance to secure some top-end talent in the draft and Carlton got an excuse not to stuff up another top 10 selection. There was some talk about Jordan Clark angrily putting down the phone on Stephen Wells. This is not true. It was more a case of him being signed up to Optus. A move on Coniglio was thwarted by GWS and a move by Lobb to go to GWS was thwarted by his financial planner.” Geelong’s List Manager: “It was clear that Jordan Clark didn’t fit in our team structure when it became apparent that he was the only player on our list young enough to be eligible to get the Pfizer vaccine. Some were wondering why we opted for Stengle, who is only 21 years of age, but we found out that a history of drug dependence can age you up to nine years, so we think he fits perfectly in our age demographic. We are aware that Stengle is a bit of a risky pickup considering he has more drug strikes than Gary Rohan has possessions in a final. We have given Narkle one more year to try and fit into the dimensions of our team, whilst Zac Tuohy has given his moustache one more year to try and fit the dimensions of his face. Kreuger was sacrificed in order to create enough salary space to get David Mundy in next year. " Gold Coast’s List Manager: “We were so desperate to get rid of Brodie we offered up a pick 19 just so a team could take him. Next year we will look to do the same by offering two first rounders for a team to take Adkins. We acknowledge that a lot of our issues have come about from heavily back ending contracts to extremely average players. We have decided to change strategy and from now on, just like Stewart Dew’s t-shirts, we will be heavily front ending. Chol chose us after consulting with his former teammate, Sydney Stack, who advised him that a prolonged period of time in prison isn’t as bad as it sounds.” GWS’s List Manager: “We were caught completely off guard by Bobby Hill’s request to leave for Victoria. He left it very late by only giving us a few days warning, as opposed to Tanner Bruhn who gave us two years warning. We are cognisant that Hill has a child on the way but you have to understand that McCartney is a child right now. There was some conjecture that Finlayson was pushed out the door, when in fact it was a case of Toby Greene mistaking him for an umpire. We briefly considered making a play for Dumont as cover for Coniglio, as the type of player who can become captain without ever being in our best team." Hawthorn’s List Manager: “O’Brien realised he was on the nose when even the die-hard Hawks fans refused to vote for him for Mark of the Year. There was a lot of talk about us offering up all our best players. Please don’t believe everything you read. The actual truth is that we also offered all of our worst players too. Wingard was very adamant that he was not going to move anywhere, which resembles what he does on the field during clutch games. We have been receiving flak for offering to pay 400k for Ceglar to not play for us and a million for Clarkson to not coach for us but you have no idea how much we would pay for Jeff Kennett to not be our President." Melbourne’s List Manager: “Some were surprised that the best team in the competition would be interested in Luke Dunstan. Whilst it is true that he has poor endurance, is a plodder and criminally turns the ball over by both hand and foot, we still see him as one of St Kilda’s best players. We are happy to report that we are rearing to go for a shot at back-to-back flags with nobody on our injury list besides Steven May who had a 7cm tear in his hamstring and Jack Bowey who actually is 7cm. North Melbourne’s List Manager: “We are so happy to bring in Callum Coleman-Jones, who we have very high hopes for. We realise that he has some things to work on such as improving his physicality in the contest, but we have already tailored a training program for him that would involve a form of ball work but instead substitute the ball with a kebab. That should fire him up! There were a few compelling offers for our number 1 pick but they completely fell over, a bit like Jaidyn Stephenson on his BMX bike.” Port Adelaide’s List Manager: “David Koch brought the whole club together and after two Prelim losses implored us to stop choking and instead take after him by chewing and swallowing. Finlayson is a player we have brought in as forward cover and we have also invested in a new tarp as rest of the ground cover. There was some interest in Powell-Pepper who sees himself as a midfielder and Rozee who sees himself in the mirror.” Richmond’s List Manager: “North were taken by surprise when we secretly approached Robbie Tarrant behind North’s back, but this wasn’t the first time we’ve done that sort of thing. Just ask Mrs. Hardwick.” St. Kilda’s List Manager: “We decided to part ways with Luke Dunstan despite getting 11 Brownlow votes in order to invest more midfield time into Dan Hannebery who will arrive in the preseason in 11 pieces. We thank Jake Carlisle for his service, but we already have a group of youngsters who are eyeing his jumper number, whilst Brad Crouch is eyeing his leftover white powder. Xerri would have provided useful backup in the event a player with a surname beginning in U, V or W gets injured.” Sydney’s List Manager: “We were sad to lose Dawson who featured highly in our best and fairest, but we have a good enough list to cover for him. Already, we have plans to move Lloyd up from the last line of defence and move Rampe down from being perched on a goalpost. When looking at our future forward stocks we realised that players like Hayden McLean weren’t good enough to tie Buddy’s shoelaces, so we went and got Peter Ladhams who is too tall and uncoordinated to tie up his own shoelaces.” West Coast’s List Manager: “The arrival of SPS is great news for Witherden who is now promoted to the second laziest player on our list. Shannon Hurn and Josh Kennedy are weighing up offers to stay at the club or to sign up at local nursing homes. We can happily announce Gatorade as a new game day sponsor of Wille Rioli’s urine samples.” Western Bulldogs’ List Manager: “We cannot lie that we were hopeful for better compensation for Lipinski, who we saw as a required player. The folks at the Pies were able to drive a really hard bargain, which is fine because we have Lachie Hunter who is able to drive into parked cars. Unfortunately, we will be without Weightman for the early part of the preseason after he injured his ankle in an acting injury. This has not deterred him in his quest to perfect his acting craft and we expect him to be back hunched on the ground in no time. Due to a clerical error, it seems we have offered a 2-year extension to Jordan Sweet.”

Just to add on to this, I’ve got firm mail from inside the club telling me a long contract will be made public next week. Apparently Dogga’s agent is also Jordan Clark’s, so he’s been pretty busy sorting out his contract first. I only made my demonland account this year, but I was going to do it around this time last year (but couldn’t be bothered in the end) as my same source told me Hannan was out the door about a week before anyone in the media or demonland had a sniff of it. My mate doesn’t give me much mail, but when he does it’s very solid. Just to actually add on to that, it was less of Hannan really wanting to leave, and more toward Goody just not really rating him.

Luke Jackson either has, or is about to sign on long term, his family is moving from Perth and he very firmly sees his future in Melbourne. Massive signing for the club. -i'm sure official confirmation will come through very shortly

Hugh McCluggage led the competition for goal assists in 2021 with an average of 1.29 per game. That average placed him in the top 10 ever for a season (since they've been keeping records). Only 11 players this year averaged at least 1.0 per game. Jackson had 4 in the GF, which is the most for the year. A teenage ruck did that in a GF. He's a remarkable talent who's as clean as you'd ever see below his knees.

If his parents are moving from Perth to Melbourne, it's not just him that has committed long term, it's the whole family. Love it.

@Ash35 is a long time and respected Demonland poster. He’s also respectful of others and is welcome to post here at any time. And given that this is “The Bobby Hill Thread” he was fully on topic. Thanks.

A big 🤦‍♂️ for me and my comprehension skills. Also I can never get back the time I wasted trawling The West Australian newspaper.

So given lockdowns, a bit more exposure to other Football this year and the unknown about the potential inclusions of some NGA and Father Son prospects to the Demons title defence for next year, I have decided to do a Phantom Draft for the first time in about 7 or 8 years! Have waited until trade period is over, so that I know who has what pick and I'm also putting my Mathematician hat on and figuring out points and picks exchanged for bids etc. I have only done the first two rounds of the draft and also note there's the potential for trading of picks up until draft night. I will mention at the end the spot I see Melbourne has an opportunity to perhaps cash in as well regarding trading of picks. So without further delay, here it is. 2021 AFL NATIONAL PHANTOM DRAFT ROUND 1 Pick 1: North Melbourne JASON HORNE-FRANCIS Midfielder 183cm/77kg 21/6/03 South Adelaide/South Australia It was an epic finish to Horne-Francis' SANFL career last week when the star prospect had 24 disposals and booted 3.3 in a best-afield performance for South Adelaide in their preliminary final loss. It was a dynamic performance from the 18-year-old to end what has been an exciting campaign for him after his eye-catching senior displays last year. Horne-Francis is tough, aggressive, brilliant when the ball is up for grabs and is ready to play, with North Melbourne set to swoop on him. Pick 2: Bid on by GWS. Bid matched by Western Bulldogs who trade Picks 23, 43, 44, 45 & 52 to the AFL for Picks 2, 62 & three picks at the end of the draft. SAM DARCY Forward/defender 204cm/75kg 19/7/03 Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro If there's a silver lining for the Western Bulldogs after their Grand Final defeat it is that they will have first access to father-son prospect and potential top-three pick Sam Darcy at November's draft. The 204cm key forward in the mould of Max and Ben King is athletic, he marks well as a tall option and kicks goals, including six for Vic Metro in a clash with Vic Country. Darcy is quick on his feet for a player his size, hits contests well and also can play in the ruck, where his father, former Bulldogs big man Luke, played through his career. Pick 3: Bid on by GWS. Bid matched by Collingwood who trade Picks 27, 36, 43 & 45 to the AFL for Picks 3, 61 & two picks at the end of the draft. NICK DAICOS Midfielder 183cm/72kg 3/1/03 Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro Daicos is off to Collingwood on a four-year deal that was announced in August. The midfielder is clearly one of the best prospects to come through the draft in recent years: a prolific ball-winner (he averaged 36 disposals and two goals at NAB League level), perhaps his greatest strength is his capacity to make good decisions, execute his plans and impact games. Not only can he accumulate, he can hurt and he's fun to watch when he squeezes past opponents and pulls out tricks nobody can match. Is equally driven and determined as he is talented. Pick 4: GWS JOSH GIBCUS Key defender 195cm/84kg 4/4/03 Greater Western Victoria Rebels/Vic Country A leading key defender in this year's pool, Gibcus is an aerial threat who enjoys jumping in and chopping off marks. He doesn't get many goals kicked on him and is also capable of starting an offensive chain with his marking. Some clubs see him as a top-10 talent given the difficulty of finding tall defenders within this group. GWS may see him and Sam Taylor as a potential duo to hold down Full Back and Centre Half Back for the next decade. Pick 5: Gold Coast FINN CALLAGHAN Midfielder 189cm/82kg 26/4/03 Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro Callaghan worked his way up the draft board from the very start of the season, with his line-breaking run and carry and sizzling left-foot kicking on show in a Sandringham practice game and catching the attention of scouts. Thereafter he continued to be a key player, mainly as a tall wingman but also in stints as an inside midfielder where he showed he could use his body and frame to make an impact. Callaghan shapes as a top-five pick and belongs in that company given his skillset. A very Gold Coast type pick here. Pick 6: Adelaide BEN HOBBS Midfielder 183cm/80kg 16/9/03 Greater Western Victoria Rebels/Vic Country A hard-headed inside midfield option who just kept on putting strong performances on the board. Hobbs overcame an ankle injury early in the year to then go on a ball-winning blitz that catapulted him into top-10 calculations. Hobbs is strongly built and plays with an intensity not matched by many midfielders in the top rungs of the draft. He was Vic Country's best player against Vic Metro when he had 25 disposals, seven clearances and 11 tackles and he averaged 30 disposals in his five completed NAB League games. Pick 7: Hawthorn JOSH WARD Midfielder 181cm/79kg 15/8/03 Northern Knights/Vic Metro Ward's relentless running, strong character and consistent performances have seen him rise as the year has gone on. The Northern Knights prospect starred for Vic Metro against Vic Country in the mid-year carnival game with 29 disposals, two goals and eight clearances and he showed his attacking streak as the season developed. Clubs view him as a potential future leader as well. Pick 8: Fremantle JYE AMISS Key forward 195cm/83kg 31/7/03 East Perth/Western Australia A knee injury in Western Australia's under-19 curtain-raiser against South Australia on Grand Final day meant Amiss' season ended the wrong way after a couple of quiet weeks in the colts. But the 18-year-old's impact across the season cannot be denied and has absolutely registered with clubs, with Amiss booting 53 goals in East Perth's colts season. He is smart inside-50, a crafty and efficient finisher and just knows how to hit the scoreboard. One who is definitely in the top-10 mix, especially with Fremantle searching for key forwards. Pick 9: Richmond JOSH RACHELLE Forward/midfielder 180cm/78kg 11/4/03 Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country Rachele is the best pure small forward in this year's draft, but has also proved he can go into the midfield and make things happen around him. The Murray Bushrangers prospect is an exciting attacking option who reads the ball well in the air, goes for his marks and also can stay on the ground and take the crumbs. He likes kicking goals and there's perhaps a bit of Western Bulldogs youngster Cody Weightman in the way he can do things usually not expected of the smaller types. He kicked six goals in a game for the Bushrangers this year in his best NAB League outing. Pick 10: Fremantle NEIL ERASMUS Midfielder/forward 188cm/80kg 2/12/03 Subiaco/Western Australia Erasmus was sidelined with a leg injury for the past month of his draft season after a corkie bled further than hoped. It meant the West Australian talent sat out both of his state's under-19 clashes with South Australia, a disappointment given club recruiters had been keen to see his dominance at that level. Nevertheless Erasmus' qualities have been on show enough: he's a tall, hard-working, bust-a-gut midfielder who can push forward and kick goals as well as rip the ball out of the centre. Pick 11: St Kilda MAC ANDREW Ruckman 200cm/70kg 12/4/03 Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country There is a reason for the hype around Andrew. Actually, there's a few reasons. He can jump, he competes, he's athletic, he kicks goals, he takes marks and he's versatile. Throw in the fact he does all of that at 200cm and it's an exciting package. Andrew is a member of Melbourne's Next Generation Academy but won't end up there as the Dees won't be able to match top-20 picks under the new Academy rules. The Egyptian-born South Sudanese prospect looks bound for the top 15. Pick 12: West Coast MATTHEW JOHNSON Midfielder 192cm/80kg 16/3/03 Subiaco/Western Australia Was named Western Australia's best in its win over South Australia in the under-19s curtain-raiser on Grand Final day. The tall midfielder had 20 disposals, five clearances and nine tackles and once again proved that he can do things other midfielders can't with his size, backing up his impressive first carnival game for WA a month earlier. A rising talent with many pieces to his game. Pick 13: Essendon NASIAH WANGANEEN-MILERA Midfielder 187cm/69kg 22/2/03 Glenelg/South Australia Wanganeen-Milera's dazzling foot skills have seen him rocket into top-10 contention late in the campaign. The nephew of Port Adelaide and Essendon champion Gavin was a standout in SA's first game against Western Australia with a poised showing and again had some strong moments in last week's curtain-raiser with 15 disposals and four inside-50s against WA. Clubs view him as the best kick in the draft and the wingman can certainly deliver it on a platter to his forwards. Pick 14: Port Adelaide ARLO DRAPER Midfielder/forward 185cm/71kg 20/1/03 South Adelaide/South Australia Draper's season ended in an unfortunate way, with the exciting and versatile South Australian suffering an AC joint shoulder injury in the curtain-raiser state game against Western Australia. It will make for an interrupted preparation for Draper's first AFL pre-season but clubs were well aware of his talents. In one of his last games Draper was stationed across half-back as an attacking and creative option, a spot largely unfamiliar to him this season having played as a midfielder and half-forward. But he makes good decisions with the ball, delivers it well and brings some X-factor. Pick 15: GWS SAM BUTLER Midfielder/forward 184cm/73kg 10/2/03 Greater Western Victoria Rebels/Vic Country It would have been interesting to see how high Butler's stocks could have risen with a full year of football this season after an exciting first half of the year. The younger brother of St Kilda's Dan is a midfielder primarily who can zip forward too, he makes good decisions in tight, competes well for the ball at ground level and has a bit of spark to his game. A sternum injury mid-year ruled him out of games before his last appearance was a 27-disposal effort for the Rebels. Butler may find himself playing across half forward for GWS who as has been advertised are lacking small forward depth. Will get to play alongside his Rebels teammate Gibcus. Pick 16: Brisbane JOSH SINN Half-back/midfielder 186cm/73kg 7/1/03 Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro Sinn's speed and line-breaking run was on show earlier this season for the Sandringham Dragons before a hamstring injury kept him out of action for two months. He returned to play in Vic Metro's carnival game against Vic Country but then hurt his ankle and didn't get to play again. The left-footer's pace is definitely a weapon and he can bound out of defence and quickly get the ball inside 50 for his side. A spot in the Brisbane team is there for the taking given the departures over recent seasons of Hodge, Witherton and Birchall, coupled with Brisbane’s lack of run. Pick 17: Richmond JOSH GOATER Midfielder 190cm/79kg 2/6/03 Calder Cannons/Vic Metro Recruiters look for athletic upside in players and Goater has plenty of that. The 190cm midfielder is agile, quick, can jump and uses his height to advantage around the ball and ground. His season finished with a 28-disposal, 11-mark and eight-rebound-50 game in early August while he also had 23 disposals and eight clearances for Vic Metro against Vic Country. It wouldn't shock to see Goater go a little higher on draft night. Pick 18: Sydney TYLER SONSIE Midfielder 181cm/77kg 27/1/03 Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro Because of the disruptions of this year's football again in Victoria, and Sonsie's knee injury that kept him out of action mid-year, the Eastern Ranges prospect will be an interesting watch at the draft. Clubs know his talent as a ball-getter and goalkicker through the midfield with some standout games with the Ranges as well as an excellent VFL game for the Box Hill Hawks. With some of Sydney’s ageing midfielders in Kennedy & Parker, Sonsie could be a good fit at this pick. Pick 19: Melbourne JACOB VAN ROOYEN Forward/defender 194cm/88kg 16/4/03 Claremont/Western Australia Van Rooyen kicked the winning goal for Western Australia against South Australia in the under-19s clash having drifted forward late after spending most of the game in defence. It is that versatility which has improved the Claremont product's stocks across the year. Van Rooyen played at senior level earlier this season whilst battling glandular fever but his past two months have impressed with his work ethic and capacity to play in key positions. With a raft of Melbourne talls 28 years and older, Van Rooyen could be a good fit for the Demons. Pick 20: Brisbane CAMPBELL CHESSER Midfielder/defender 186cm/83kg 27/4/03 Sandringham Dragons/Vic Country It has been a year of frustrations for all Victorian prospects given the COVID-19 shutdowns of football across the state, but Chesser has reason to feel a little extra aggrieved given the knee problems he had gotten past just as the NAB League was cancelled for this year. The attacking midfielder/half-back can get the ball moving his side's way in a flash and is a high quality character for clubs to take on. A move north with his Sandy Dragons teammate Sinn should hopefully see him settle. ROUND 2 Pick 21: Fremantle JACK WILLIAMS Key forward 195cm/91kg 1/12/03 East Fremantle/Western Australia Williams kicked 2.3 in East Fremantle's semi-final colts win in what was a very good showing in his side's win. The key forward is adept at finding the ball on the lead and getting away from his direct opponent to create a marking chance. He has been a goalkicker all year at colts level and shown recruiters his nous inside-50. The recruiting of Williams and Amiss earlier in the draft could finally give Fremantle the key targets they have been looking for. Pick 22: North Melbourne JESSE MOTLOP Forward 176cm/74kg 23/11/03 South Fremantle/Western Australia A smart small forward who can create something from nothing, Motlop has had good exposure this season playing with South Fremantle's league and reserves sides. The son of former Kangaroo and Power forward Daniel can hit the scoreboard, as seen with his two-goal debut in the WAFL earlier in the year. Motlop is a part of the Fremantle Next Generation Academy but the Dockers are only free to match a bid for him after pick 40 as he is a metropolitan Indigenous player. Being picked here would see Motlop an unofficial Father-Son selection for the Roos. Pick 23: Hawthorn MATTHEW ROBERTS Midfielder/forward 183cm/81kg 31/7/03 South Adelaide/South Australia This years draft slider IMO. Roberts kicked two goals from 10 disposals in South Adelaide's preliminary final loss in another solid senior performance. It has been a good run of form for Roberts since he returned from his syndesmosis ankle injury earlier this year. Roberts has played in the midfield, on the wing and in attack at different stages this season and has been a consistent contributor for his side. Along with Ward, will be a focal point of Hawthorns future midfield. Pick 24: Geelong TOM BROWN Defender 186cm/71kg 30/7/03 Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country Brown is a half-back suited to the modern game. He is competitive and can shut down but is best regarded for his attacking movement, speed and game smarts. An ankle injury in the first half of the year made for a disrupted campaign but he did return mid-season to show some of his traits at NAB League and Vic Country level. The son of former Cat Paul but Brown isn't eligible to join Geelong as a father-son, however I believe he’ll get there anyway. Pick 25: Hawthorn JUDSON CLARKE Forward/midfielder 179cm/69kg 17/10/03 Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country Clarke is a zippy small forward/midfielder who can light up the game in a flash with his forward run, tricky agility, and eye for goal. While his exploits were on full show earlier in the year, Clarke stamped his credentials with a breakout performance in the Under 19 Victorian trials, bagging five goals in a starring display. While he can roll through the midfield, the 17 year old looks most damaging up forward. Pick 26: Bid on by Carlton. Bid matched by St Kilda trading Picks 55, 60 & 62 to AFL for Pick 26 & two later picks but go 107 points into deficit. MARCUS WINDHAGER Midfielder 183cm/82kg 16/5/03 Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro A member of St Kilda's Next Generation Academy, Windhager's progress this season has caught more eyes than just those of the Saints. Powerful and flexible, Windhager can be used in midfield roles or at either end of the ground. He overcame a knee reconstruction last year to piece together a strong campaign in 2021 and will be on the verge of the top-20 – where the Saints would not be able to match a bid for him. Pick 27: Carlton BLAKE HOWES Forward/midfielder 190cm/79kg 7/4/03 Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro It was Howes' block of form mid-year that reminded clubs of his talents. At his size and shape Howes has been used in a number of different spots but he appeared to get motoring mainly as a wingman in the middle stages of the Dragons' season. An athletic runner who also showed some really exciting signs in Sandringham's first game of the season against Oakleigh as a third tall forward, Howes had 20 disposals and two goals against the Rebels in round 15. Pick 28: Richmond DARCY WILMOT Defender 183cm/75kg 31/12/03 Northern Knights/Vic Metro A courageous half-back who throws himself into contests then gets up and does it again. Wilmot is aggressive in his physicality but also his ball movement – he enjoys bolting out of defence and thinking ahead. He captained Vic Metro in a trial game earlier this year and has plenty of upside in him as the youngest player in this year's draft, not turning 18 until December 31. Pick 29: Richmond RHETT BAZZO Key defender/forward 195cm/81kg Swan Districts/Western Australia 17/10/03 Nudged his way into the top-30 after his standout key defensive game earlier this month for Western Australia. Bazzo collected 18 disposals against South Australia and showed he can set up the play with the ball in his hands and his penetrating kicking. Bazzo was an All-Australian at under-16s level and has proven he can also swing into attack and make an impact too. Pick 30: West Coast COREY WARNER Midfielder 182cm/74kg East Fremantle/Western Australia 7/10/03 Warner is a hard running midfielder who can play both inside and out, breaking forward with intent and a penetrating left foot kick. The younger brother of Syndey’s Chad, Corey skippered Aquinas College this year and managed four league games for East Fremantle, plying his trade out on the wing. Warner returned a fantastic finals series with East Fremantle Colts, matching his season average of 24 disposals playing in the centre bounces. Pick 31: Geelong ZAC TAYLOR Midfielder 180cm/74kg 31/1/03 Calder Cannons/Vic Metro Taylor produced a really good draft year that will see him be in top-25 discussions. The classy smaller midfielder just finds the footy and knows what to do with it. He averaged 26 disposals in Calder's NAB League season and he also produced some big games, including a 37-disposal and 11-clearance outing. His kicking stands out: Taylor rarely misses a target and simply makes good decisions. Pick 32: Bid on by Sydney. Bid matched by St Kilda going a further 467 points into deficit, 574 points in total. MITCH OWENS Utility 190cm/85kg 2003 Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro Growing around 15cm between the start of 2019 and the beginning of 2021, Owens is a late developer who only in the last month of the NAB League season entered first round contention. His performance as a late callup for Vic Metro in a trial match against Vic Country was the game that elevated his draft standing, securing 29 disposals, one goal and two score assists. He immediately backed this up with strong NAB League play for Sandringham. With his movement, overhead marking, ball winning capabilities and rapid rate of improvement, Owens is an upside choice who with continued rapid improvement could be one of this draft's very best. Had the season not been cut short, while there is an element of speculation in rating Owens this high, with the way he was developing, he may well have been rated even more highly. Pick 33: Bid on by Sydney, Bid matched by GWS by trading Pick 48 & Pick 65 to the AFL for Pick 33 & a later pick and going 58 points into deficit. JOSH FAHEY Defender 186cm/76kg GWS Academy/Western Allies 11/11/03 A hard run and gun rebounding defender who gives his all and boasts a raking left foot kick. Fahey is arguably this year’s leading Northern Academy talent. He has impressed scouts with his dash out of defence and penetrative kicking, both damaging weapons for a player of his position. Pick 34: Sydney LEEK ALLEER Key Defender 196cm/84kg Central Districts/South Australia 2001 Rapidly developing, Alleer has become an intercept marking force in the SANFL at League level. Although he is two years older than his peers, his scope to develop is enormous based on his rapid rate of development. His round 16 match against South Adelaide was the eye-opener with five contested marks, seeming to intercept every high ball that went near him. Alleer drops due to the rise of others but remains one of the top key defenders on this draft board. Pick 35: Geelong TOBY CONWAY Ruckman 204cm/90kg 24/4/03 Geelong Falcons/Vic Country The best young ruck in the draft who can start things for his midfielders at centre bounces and is also handy around the ground as a drop-back player or move-forward target. Conway, a cousin of Sydney's Tom McCartin and his brother and former Saints forward Paddy, performed well for the Geelong Falcons and Vic Country this season before the season was cut short. Pick 36: Adelaide HUGH JACKSON Midfielder 181cm/70kg 3/5/03 North Adelaide/South Australia Jackson has been the leading accumulator in the draft pool this season in what has been a stellar under-18 season with North Adelaide. The wingman has averaged 29 disposals and five clearances for the Roosters and continues to be a reliable ball-getter who can chop teams up with his hard running and precise ball use. Pick 37: Bid on by Geelong. Bid matched by Port Adelaide trading Picks 57, 66 & 67 to AFL for Pick 37 & two later picks and going 55 points into deficit. JASE BURGOYNE Outside Midfielder 185cm/70kg 15/7/03 Woodville West Torrens/South Australia He plays on ball with the Eagles Under 18s at the moment but he’ll probably play wing/half back at AFL level. He finds the ball a lot, he’s got clean hands and uses the ball well. He’s a different type of player to Trent Burgoyne (already on Ports list), who is probably more explosive. Jase accumulates more of the ball and he will need to improve his work rate to play at league level so it’ll be good to see if he can do that. Pick 38: Bid on by Geelong. Bid matched by Melbourne using Pick 40. ANDY MONIZ-WAKEFIELD Midfielder 180cm/73kg 26/10/03 NT Thunder/Allies A wingman or outside midfielder, Moniz-Wakefield is a smooth mover and uses the ball well. He was one of the standouts for NT Thunder in the two NAB League games they played this year, after making his senior NTFL debut for Nightcliff as a 16-year-old in the 2020-21 season. Moniz-Wakefield possesses breakaway speed, good agility and uses the ball well. He is clever around stoppage situations and works hard to find space. Moniz-Wakefield is a member of Melbourne’s Next Generation Academy. Pick 39: Geelong MITCH KNEVITT Midfielder/forward 194cm/83kg 8/1/03 Geelong Falcons/Vic Country A tall, strong bodied midfielder, Knevitt was one of Vic Country's stars in their challenge match against Vic Metro. His second half to the NAB League season was also excellent and elevated his position on draft boards. In re-assessing his rate of improvement there is a good deal of scope for his game to translate to AFL level if his midfield craft and ball winning capabilities continues to improve. Pick 40: West Coast (bid not matched by Gold Coast) BODHI UWLAND Midfielder 185cm/84kg 2003 Gold Coast Academy One of the lesser-known prospects, Uwland is as aggressive and competitive as any in this draft. Uwland is not just a strong ball winner, but a powerful athlete who shrugs tackles at will and has a penetrating and damaging kick. So there you have it. Unfortunately I have Geelong bidding on Moniz-Wakefield just before our 2nd round pick, however this is also where I see us being able to take advantage of the situation. As you can see from above, I have a few clubs going into points deficit for next year. Both Port and GWS I have going about 50 points into deficit each, which is unlikely to significantly impact their draft positioning for next year. However St Kilda I have going into a massive 574 points deficit, which could impact them quite significantly! After the bids for Daicos, Darcy etc and Picks moving a round, I have Melbourne's next Picks in the 3rd Round being Picks 47 & 53, moe then enough points to match a bid for Moniz-Wakefield, should it come where I've predicted of Pick 38. In my opinion, Melbourne should off our 2nd Round Pick (currently 36, likely to drift after F/S & NGA bids) to St Kilda in exchange for St Kilda's future 2nd Round Pick. Pick 36 (currently) is worth 502 points, so would go a long way to helping St Kilda going into deficit of any significant amount. Happy to hear people's thoughts and if there's any shocking omissions that I may have left off? ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Text for player descriptions from Cal Twomey, ESPN & AFL Draft Central

Tom McDonald and Alex Neale-Bullen’s character, resilience, ability to take criticism and work ethic to turn things around and prove people wrong is a huge part of our premiership and an absolute credit to them, but I think it’s also a case in point of why Hawthorn handled this badly. Its been well documented that Goodwin was super honest with Tom and Alex in their exit interviews, encouraging them to seek opportunities elsewhere but also telling them what they needed to do should they stay, how to push to get back in the team and that he’d be happy to work with them if they stayed. It’s also worth noting that Tom and Alex were struggling to get into our best 22 after 2020 and with the potential for Ben Brown and a few others coming in through trade and draft the club was letting McDonald and Neale-Bullen know that after a year where they already found it difficult to lock down a spot it was about to get much harder. Compare that to Hawthorn, all the players mooted, Mitchell, O’Meara, Breust, Gunston and to a lesser extent Wingard had been walk up starts in the team all year, they were all regularly in the best (when they played Gunston obviously had back injuries). It also took Hawthorn until half way through the trade period to start shopping people around and it seems players were the last to know this was happening, it certainly doesn’t sound like they were told anything concrete in their exit interviews or in the lead up to the trade period as they would’ve looked around. Breust seems not to have been told about the GWS deal until it was basically done at which point he said no as he was never interested in moving! It seems haphazard, unfair to the players and like it was done in a way that could really sour relationships at the club. Moving forward these are Hawthorn’s best players, in key roles, largely in their prime and while I’m sure they’ll be professional and play their roles it’s a really terrible start to a new era. The most perplexing thing is it only would’ve taken a little care, planning and open communication with their players to avoid.

Hi all, I have a limited edition footy that the players signed after the GF win. PM me if interested.

Nothing lasts forever but in recent years we've told Watts to find a new home, gently suggested Hogan move back to Perth and then let fringe players in Preuss, Frost, Hannan and Kent find better deals elsewhere (and tried to do the same with McDonald and ANB). Most of our core - Gawn, Salem, Lever, Brayshaw haven't ever been linked anywhere else. Viney had a tricky free agency decision to make but recommitted. Petracca wanted to play more midfield, the club very calmly said get fit and you'll be in the guts, he did and he's been as happy as can be since. Oliver clearly went through some stuff last year, Goody and the club didn't panic, they knew a fresh set of assistant coaches and the team bouncing back would take care of that. If Jackson's family really do relocate to Melbourne then that mostly takes care of the go home factor which is still the biggest draw card for a lot of trades. Look at Dawson and Cerra, the only big names to move this year. After that then yeah it's a matter of him getting his development as a player and person right and the club holding up their end of the bargain. As I said, nothing is forever, but if he signed on for 4 more years I think a fair bit would have to go wrong for him not be at the club for at least 3. And judging by our recent moves we've been pretty good at working out who should stay.

Who would have thunk it. Here we are worried about a young star going home interstate and guess what, he brings home to melbourne instead. To see Lukes mum absolutely ecstatic and dressed in complete red and blue says volumes. Just between you and me I think Luke may have told his mum what a great place the MFC is at the moment. How the heck did we do that?

DD36. We loved Trent Rivers selection in the 2019 draft. I think Mick Ablett was spot on in his thoughts. Definitely Trent has an excellent 2021, playing all 25 games and cemented his spot. His intensity, run, courage and skills are a great asset.

If I ever run into Jason Taylor on the street, he's going to be mighty surprised when I give him a bear hug out of nowhere.

But would you want a new number after having won the Premiership? (The Premiership. Still can’t quite believe it.) Wouldn’t you want to retain the number you were wearing while you won THE PREMIERSHIP? ❤️💙

But… but, what about Richmond?

I don’t have an ounce of sympathy for those blokes who have to spend the next few months in the clink. If it’s good enough for RDB, Daniher, Mann, Neitz, Schwarz and other Demon Royalty to miss out on seeing a premiership live, then it’s good enough for these nobodies.

I haven’t had a favourite player, or a Melbourne football jumper, since I was 10. Will be ordering a 2022 guernsey with the number of my favourite player: #5. He played the Granny with the god mode cheat on. Absolutely dominant on the biggest stage of all.

Mentioned this a few years ago ... So the day after he was drafted, the top picks were paraded to media just across from AFL House at the Docklands. While working near by, and in between his interviews, l managed to introduce myself before he realised l wasn't a journo but was more than happy to chat to a dees supporter. Very genuine, he was super excited to be joining MFC and we agreed that he was a great fit as we needed ruck / forward support for Max and that he would learn alot under him. He also wasn't fussed about moving to Melbourne as he had been here before many times for basketball and football rep games and was expecting to leave WA anyway - which pleased me the most. Suspect he was also relieved not to be picked up by Gold Coast or GWS with their early picks

Who else just jumped straight over to melbournefc.com.au to see if the news had dropped yet?

I think you need to stop living in the past @Jontee.

I have been watching a replay of Rnd 23 vs Cats ( because I can ok). It is character building. 2nd quarter Bowey gets stripped of the ball in a Danger tackle and they both go to ground. Bowey gets up immediately and runs to the next contest which turns into a stoppage. Danger is still on the ground. Danger is obviously a better player than Bowey but there is much to be said for the reflexes and attitude of youth.

Thanks Jack If I had a dollar for every time I've been told "go back to your own forum", I'd be a rich man. But as I have said earlier, I really do think most on here are reasonable and good football discussion can be had. As for Bobby Hill, I'm a bit with @Axis of Bob, something doesn't really feel right. Sounds like his trade request caught GWS completely off guard, and the fact he contacted Essendon to seek out a trade as opposed to Essendon chasing him makes it seem like we weren't overly keen. Together with the Lobb trade, almost like it was manufactured by the manager and player but none of the clubs being involved. The opposite to the Luke Breust deal, where both Hawthorn and GWS had agreed, but the player had no idea about it and said "no". I think our offer was fair (future 2nd), but with GWS seemingly just not interested in doing any type of deal, which is fine as he is contracted, the trade was never going to happen. But I was comfortable with our offer, and would have been disappointed if we stumped up more for a player such as Bobby Hill.

Seems like they wanted to much in a market that didn't have a lot to give. If they were smart they would have realised this and not tried to trade contracted players, who in reality didn't want to go. Then they wouldn't have had to deal with the pain and heartache of disaffected players & fans. ...and if they really wanted to move someone on they could have at least set a fair price and or let the player explore his options, not try and railroad them interstate. ...and also to expect a 30yo with a bad back has any kind of currency, particularly first round currency... They're dreaming.

From a player who shall remain unidentified in a forum which I cannot disclose. On Ben Brown: "An incredibly nice person, a brilliant story (to come from wooden spoon to premiership team), very calm person, a steadying factor for us". On Bayley Fritsch: "Very stiff to miss the medal, a worthy second, a ripping fella". On Luke Jackson: "Played a huge part in turning the game, could be anything that boy". On Christian Petracca: "Like a big Labrador, incredible development since being drafted, a consummate professional, has learned to re-set after setbacks, may have another level he can go to". On Jake Bowey: "Very competitive, towelled up Weightman." On Christian Salem: "Tough as coffin nails, genuine superstar." On Steven May: "Didn't want to know his scan result, said if I can train, I can play - and did, despite a 5 cm tear".

A little flashback to the not so distant past. This is round 23 v Geelong at GMHBA Stadium and highlights Clarrie’s two goals. The first is quite amazing, like Moses he parts the Red Sea and finds the way to the goals. It’s not as if it’s accidental - he’s done it a few times in the past couple of seasons. How does he do it?

Rivers along with all our recent additions are tough skilled footballers that are mature beyond their years and are well balanced pleasant individuals. No Toby Greene antics, their parents must be very proud of them as are we.!!💕❤️💙

Mitchell was on the shorter side for a midfielder but his biggest problem was lack of speed. He more than made up for it by a super footballing brain and then the best dual sided player I've seen in my time closely watching footy. (Or possibly equal to Aker). He maximised his skills and smarts to more than make up for his deficits. I wasn't overly impressed when I first saw Bowey because he was playing on the wing and the lack of height worries me for wingers in the way we (and most teams) play. Gus Brayshaw showed the benefit for a taller winger all year and in the grand final. And whilst Bowey had played some forward as well I wasn't super impressed by his highlights in that role. He looked a bit reluctant to get involved and didn't really have major advantages over defenders. As soon as Jason Taylor said they'd start him down back I was far more impressed by the pick. That's where his cool head and disposal was going to be of most value. His highlights showed a natural ability to run to receive the ball, pace and a leap to close forwards and smart players are always valuable down back. I don't think other clubs used a top 20 pick on him because they wouldn't have seen that possibility for him. Zippy small forward without the amazing pressure skills of someone like Koz or even the ball winning of Spargo, that's probably not a player who goes top 20. The vision to see him as a defender, the coaching to train his defensive skills up (from a fairly low base early in the year to more than adequate at AFL level) and of course Jake for doing the work all deserve a heap of praise.

His best attribute is execution of skills under pressure, not something a lot of players possess

Uncle, Demon Shop do not sell the type of items you are after unless Demon Shop is now called Sexyland.

Pretty sure it’s referring to him, being West Australian…not the newspaper.

Bit different for TMac in that we had this discussion with him and encouraged him to find somewhere to go. Hawks just told them they were shopping them and entered into negotiations with teams they didn’t want to go to which is a waste of time for all involved, especially GWS.

Hawks football dept: Are you, um ... sure this is going to work? Mitchell: Oh you blouses. I'm gunna be like that famous Melbourne coach ... real hardarse he was ... straightened out the joint like you've never seen. HFD: Who ... ? You don't mean Norm Smith? Mitchell: Nah, not him. It was ... now what's his name again? HFD: Barassi? But he-- Mitchell: Nah, it was something else ... like "crouched" or "kneeled" or something like that. HFD: OH [censored] WHAT HAVE WE DONE

If i just won a Premiership i wouldn’t want to change my number. stick with it

To make sure everything is above board we'd like ASADA to be involved.

Or Stephen Tingay for me. Three great no. 2’s of my lifetime.

Put it straight back into the rotation. The longer it's semi-retired, the more pressure it puts on the next holder to "live up to the number 2". No-one who saw Robbie or Nathan will forget its significance, no matter who ends up with it.

You can’t put a $ value on what they’ve given us. It’s absolutely priceless. This feeling is a bazillion times better than I ever imagined it to be. And no one can ever take it away from us. 💕

Sincerely thanks for this And I will watch it tomorrow but tonight I need to watch the replay again because I have this unrelenting nagging feeling that there is a handball somewhere that I have not committed to memory

This article is about our finals $ windfall. demons-sold-three-years-worth-of-merchandise-before-grand-final-glory But this caught my eye: "The grand final has inspired many of Melbourne’s high wealth supporters...to contact the club asking if they can help. These rich benefactors are ready to sign large cheques to commit substantial funds to the proposed development of the club’s new facilities off Punt Road around Gosch’s Paddock and AAMI Park. The plans for the redevelopment...are with the state government awaiting final approval". Exciting!!

Hello My Demon Friends, Scotty here from the friendly confines of Bomberblitz. First things first, congratulations on a very well deserved premiership. Now for why I am actually here. It's been a few years since we have played you guys in a forum footy game and I was wondering if there was still interest here. The last few years in February we have played an intra-blitz(plus ring ins to boost numbers) game and raised money for charity along the way. Players just donate any amount to play we've had donations of 50 cents and we've had donations of 500 dollars. In 2020 we raised 1500 for bushfire relief and 2021 we raised closed to 800 to support meansline. I wanted to make Neil's MND charity our 2022 (restrictions permitting) fund-raiser so I thought why not reach out to you guys and see if there's a resurgence in interest. Now obviously February is a long way off but I always have my guys asking "can we play Melbourne next time" so now they can shut their clams (ok, thats a blitz joke) because I've been here and asked.

Stinger also played a couple of years in No.15 as has our current man in 15, #positivelingers Think Ed would be a very worthy recipient of No.2 and that it has a good history of being worn by wingers.

I’m sure some uncomfortable truths are faced every year at many clubs. What is strange is how publicly this has played out. You would have to think there is something seriously wrong over at hawthorn. Kennett telegraphing their intentions without any certainty that they would actually be able to pull the trigger. Leaks that Mitchell was actively shopping his stars himself. Players unaware and thwarting proposed plans. I’ll be interested to see how this affects Mitchell’s relationship with the players. I’m with a previous poster, long may they wallow in mediocrity!

To a degree its Alistair Clarkson and Graham Wright making life hard for Sam Mitchell with their list management post 2015 flag. Clear that Wright was unable to manage Clarkson like his ex Dees predecessors Chris Fagan and Mark Evans. Post Fagan and Evans there was no one in Hawthorn Football Department who could say no to Clarkson when he wanted to recruit Wingard and O'Meara at any cost. And then Mitchell as coach has to work with and rely on Mark McKenzie as List & Recruiting Manager and Rob McCartney as Head of Football. With the way the club has gone about its stated aim of improving its draft hand their competence must be in question. They overestimated market for their veterans and particularly willingness to trade top 20 picks. There are ways of managing contracted veterans out of a club. You've got to know what clubs have cap space and interest and agree on trade value. You've got to discuss with player if they're prepared to go to interested club. You can 'encourage' player by telling them that their current club wont be in a position to extend contract beyond current term but interested club will give them security by taking on current contract and agreeing to an extension. If you havent done this work in preparation for the trade period then you can't go into it publicly stating you want to improve your draft hand by trading some of your contracted veterans.

I prefer the ‘spins’. More skilful. I also used to practise these ‘blind turns’ in the backyard in the 70’s. Mine weren’t quite as good.

Hi 58er, Thank you for your interest in this 100% genuine product. Please see the below letter of authenticity as requested. Additionally, once you’ve finalised your order, please let me know if you would like the certificate framed (additional costs apply). I’ve also spoken to Angus Bradshaw who would be happy to call you personally to say thanks. As previously stated, Mitch Hubbard has also volunteered his time to make the calls. Simply just let me know which player you’d prefer to hear from, Bradshaw or Hubbard. Thanks again for your interest and custom, ET.

With Geelong 10th

I think you'll find Champion Data decided on review it wasn't a handball...

Luke got the ball to ground for Viney, Tracc, Oliver or HIMSELF in that 3rd Quarter onslaught. You continue to vastly underestimate what a 19 year old kid was able to do. He didn’t do it once, he repeatedly did it. No Footscray player got near it. They were obliterated How can you say he did not influence the contest???