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Moving up in the draft to take Oliver Taking a small underrrated forward well before he was anticipated to be picked Kozzie Taking a punt on an athletic hybrid in Jackson Not offloading Goodwin after 2019/2020 Not panicking when 42 points down at Kardinya Park in Rd 22 2021 How utterly Melbourne people see what they want to see and we clearly know what you want but hey you played u19s and coached

In regards to breaks before games, it is much better than last year! Of the 14 games that are set in stone we have the following: 8 or more days - 3 7 days - 5 6 days - 4 5 days - 1 Our 5 day break is against the Tigers who also have a 5 day break.

I don’t know about you all but I want to win a flag so i’m very happy with that fixture!

Happy to be proven wrong, but I'm not on the Travaglia bandwagon. Lacks polish with his disposal and just doesn't seem to have the class one would expect for a top 10 pick in a very good draft. He may play 200+ games, but that's not my litmus test for pick 9. Plenty in tne top 50 will play 200 games. But I see why some like his manic style. I think he'll be a good player. No to Armstrong. He's just not competitive enough in the air. I'm not saying he won't make it, as he has class, but I don't see the aggression or combativeness required to be a sure thing. I doubt he'll become the best key forward from this draft. Pick 5 - Unlike our resident expert, Deespencer, and some others, I do like Jagga Smith. For me his footy IQ with his positioning, as well as his reflexes, is insane. Racking up the disposals, as he does, is incredibly underrated. My eyes tell me he has really good initial pace, although I know our expert doesn't see it. And I love his fast feet and sidesteps. Remember, he's only 18. What will good coaching and a few years of preseason weights turn him into. Smith has innately what can't be taught and what most don't have. I also like Langford for obvious reasons, as well as O'Sullivan. I know there are slows on O'Sullivan, but for me he's the classiest of the lot. The only concern is why he doesn't get more involved. We virtually can't go wrong with the 5th live pick in the draft. Pick 9 - Our expert doesn't like Bo Allan and his decision making, but I love his attributes. His ceiling is sky high. I also like Berry, but know it's probably a bit early for him. I'll back whomever they choose at this pick. They'll still be spolit for choice.

Here is a 'ready reckoner' for the season. Can't fault the draw. Something for everyone: Fans get day games. Very fair lot of teams played twice Roughly consistent days breaks which helps players with recovery then prep etc Players don't leave Vic in the last two months 1/state games well spread. A good break after Alice game The 3.20 Sunday games (plus Anzac Eve and KB) will be FTA (so sponsors should be ok). Anzac Eve and KB should make the financials ok. Day games should also help financials with more fans to games Hopefully, we get the full 14 day bye unlike the shortened 8/9 day break of recent years. On the back of that we should make top 4. If we don't make top 8 well ...

Size is not an issue for Luka, he’s naturally big and aggressive. If he can build endurance for repeat efforts we have something

PROS: *Open the season at the MCG when we invariably win our round 1 game. *3 Saturday afternoon games at the MCG which is 3 more than last year *Do not play any of last year's top 5 twice. *Play 3 of last year's bottom 6 twice. *Avoid Freo at Optus and Dogs at Marvel which I consider very hard matchups. *Do not leave VIC in the final 7 weeks. *One less interstate trip *Our home game at Marvel isn't against a Marvel tenant. CONS: *Not playing in Melbourne for 4 weeks. (I hope the club travels direct from Gold Coast to Adelaide and spends the week there) *The two hardest assignments in the AFL at the GABBA and GMHBA. *playing a home game at Marvel after successfully managing to play 10 home games at the G for the prior couple of years. *lack of Prime time games but that would be a positive for those that prefer day games. OBSERVATIONS: *First game against GC at the MCG since 2018 *Haven't played GWS in Sydney since 2014. *Haven't played Essendon twice in a year since 2005. 20th anniversary!

The commercial side of the draw gets mentioned quite a bit. Are we actually more disadvantaged with this draw compared to more night games like we had last year? We played GWS and Port on Saturday night prime last year both in front of a near empty MGC. Those games can't have been anything only loss making. If we play well through 15 rounds we'll be better scheduled last 7 games. Playing well is the best way to bring commercial success.

We are scheduled to play a home game there next year but it is not our home ground. The MCG is our home ground, Collingwood, Hawthorn and Richmond are also tenants there. Docklands tenants are North, Bulldogs, Saints, Carlton and Essendon. The AFL schedules some of their home games at the MCG but their home ground is Docklands. Melbourne should not be scheduled to play home games at Docklands at all and certainly not at the expense of Docklands tenants who want to play home games at the G.

The biggest loser of our fixture is the bombers who have our 2025 1st rd pick.

Wow the Pies got screwed, especially considering they missed finals Their 2 bottom 6 teams are us and Crows. Then Lions, Blues, Freo, Hawks lol

That is the easiest we could have had. Based on 2024 5th - Hawks (7th pre finals) 9th - Pies 12th - Saints 13th - GCS 16th - WCE 17th - North I don't see any of them being top 4 and only a couple top 8 candidates. In terms of groupings: 1 from top 6 2 from middle 6 3 from bottom 6 No complaints there. Its now up to the team to capitalise on that fixture and romp into the 8 and maybe top 4.

That statement is becoming about as boring as the statement about Pendlebury having a basketball background.

I’m not reading much into “positions” yet as there aren’t enough for a proper sim where players can play their usual positions. It’s still a wait and see for me. Im usually not into “he’s noticeably bigger this year” as I’m not convinced you can notice that much development over 8 weeks but Verrell looks very fit and strong. Kentfield is a beast, what a bonus if he succeeds. Seston is another where his body looks more defined. I find it hard to see where he fits in but he’s got some real AFL traits. Very strong in the clinches and a great kick. His ball handling is solid. One to watch I reckon. He looks very focused this year and comfortable in the group.

A commercial disaster, but from a 'winnability' point of view, it's a good draw as things stand. Of course every year some teams surprise and some falter, but to only play Brisbane, Geelong, Swans (at home) Carlton, and Freo (at home) once, is a big win as I expect them to do well again next year. And given our fans rarely turn up to night games, it's hard to complain about the 3:20 Sunday timeslot. You get what you deserve in this game*. Also good to have 2 easier game in the first 3 weeks, given we will be missing Kosi! *unless you're one of the AFL's love child, and then you get a lot more than you deserve

Double up games: Somehow we’ve avoided the top 6 completely. Also avoided Blues and Freo and play freo at home Big opportunity for the club next year!

Yep agreed. Don't give a toss what the fixture is, win enough games to make finals or top 4 and we will make money...

FWIW I don’t mind No.31 posting in our forum. He clearly has a soft spot for us and it’s sometimes good to get an outside read on things and the little bit of niggle he sometimes gives is usually given back without any malice so fair play to him. I really can’t stand Carlton though.

Saw this on Bigfooty - some excellent analysis This year extremely tough with such a deep even pool. There will be quite a few trades and Richmond's haul like never before makes things certainly very interesting. I think more picks will be taken than thought. A lot of clubs have freed list spots and have more flexibility than seems to have been noticed - 5th and 6th and perhaps even a 7th rounder could come into play. Either way it's a fatter mock draft than the likely reality, but with more concepts and more players under consideration, it's a bit more interesting. Richmond - Sam Lalor (GWV Rebels) Brisbane - Levi Ashcroft (Sandringham Dragons) North Melbourne - Alix Tauru (Gippsland Power) Carlton - Sid Draper (South Adelaide) Adelaide - Harvey Langford (Dandendong Stingrays) Melbourne - Jagga Smith (Oakleigh Chargers) Richmond - Finn O'Sullivan (Oakleigh Chargers) Essendon - Isaac Kako (Calder Cannons) St Kilda - Jobe Shanahan (Bendigo Pioneers) St Kilda - Tobie Travaglia (Gippsland Power) Melbourne - Bo Allan (Peel Thunder) Gold Coast - Leo Lombard (Suns Academy) Richmond - Murphy Reid (Sandringham Dragons) Richmond - Harry Armstrong (Sandringham Dragons) West Coast - Luke Trainor (Sandringham Dragons) Port Adelaide - Josh Smillie (Eastern Ranges) Fremantle - Joe Berry (Murray Bushrangers) GWS - Taj Hotton (Sandringham Dragons) GWS - Xavier Lindsay (Gippsland Power) Western Bulldogs - Angus Clarke (Glenelg) Richmond - Harrison Oliver (Sandringham Dragons) Brisbane - Sam Marshall (Sandringham Dragons) Sydney - Jack Whitlock (Murray Bushrangers) Richmond - Cooper Hynes (Dandenong Stingrays) GWS - Tate Delmenico (Woodville/West Torrens) Sydney - Matt Whitlock (Murray Bushrangers) Richmond - Jesse Dattoli (Northern Knights) Richmond - Noah Mraz (Dandenong Stingrays) Western Bulldogs - Hamish Davis (Claremont) West Coast - Jonty Faull (GWV Rebels) Port Adelaide - Kayle Gerreyn (West Perth) Fremantle - Tom Sims (Northern Knights) St Kilda - Luke Urquhart (East Fremantle) Hawthorn - Alex Dodson (Sturt) Western Bulldogs - James Barrat (Bendigo Pioneers) Port Adelaide - Christian Moraes (Eastern Rangers) GWS - Jasper Alger (Oakleigh Chargers) GWS - Logan Smith (Giants Academy) Sydney - Oliver Hannaford (GWV Rebels) Carlton - Ben Camporeale (Glenelg) Geelong - Lachlan Jaques (Geelong Falcons) St Kilda - Clancy Dennis (Claremont) Western Bulldogs - Rhys Unwin (GWV Rebels) St Kilda - Adrian Cole (Sandringham Dragons) Port Adelaide - Charlie Nicholls (Central Districts) Sydney - Joel Cochran (Swans Academy) Collingwood - Harry O'Farrell (Calder Cannons) Essendon - Floyd Burmeister (GWV Rebels) Essendon - Ned Bowman (Norwood) Collingwood - Josh Dolan (Sandringham Dragons) Geelong - Sam Davidson (Richmond VFL) Collingwood - Jack Ough (GWV Rebels) Adelaide - Tyler Welsh (Woodville/West Torrens) North Melbourne - Josh Murphy (Murray Bushrangers) Essendon - Hugh Boxshall (Claremont) Collingwood - Doug Kerr (Oakleigh Chargers) Fremantle - Jaxon Artemis (South Fremantle) GWS - Cooper Bell (Giants Academy) Carlton - Will Hayes (Claremont) Carlton - Charles West (Woodville West Torrens) Brisbane - Ty Gallop (Maroochydore) Gold Coast - Thomas McKay (Glenelg) Hawthorn - Tom Gross (Oakleigh Chargers) Carlton - Lucas Camporeale (Glenelg) Gold Coast - Aiden Riddle (Claremont) West Coast - Cody Angove (Claremont) Geelong - Gabriel Stumpf (Northern Knights) Hawthorn - Archer Day-Wicks (Bendigo Pioneers) Richmond - Bailey McKenzie (Sandringham Dragons) North Melbourne - Ben Kennedy (Murray Bushrangers) West Coast - Riley Bice (Werribee VFL) Adelaide - Jacob Molier (Sturt) Melbourne - Jay Polkinghorne (Norwood) St Kilda - Lachlan Blakiston (East Fremantle) West Coast - Malakai Champion (Subiaco) Essendon - Mitchell Kirkwood-Scott (Sandringham Dragons) Fremantle - Charlie Burke (Subiaco) Essendon - Jayden Nguyen (Calder Cannons) Western Bulldogs - Patrick Retscko (Oakleigh Chargers) GWS - Sam Toner (Narre Warren) Geelong - Xavier Ivisic (Geelong Falcons) Port Adelaide - Harry Charleson (GWV Rebels) Sydney - Oliver Warburton (Murray Bushrangers) Richmond - Isiah Winder (South Fremantle) North Melbourne - Max Rohr (Fremantle) Melbourne - Boyd Woodcock (Southport VFL) Essendon - Will Hoare (Essendon VFL) West Coast - Tom Bell (South Fremantle) Brisbane - Keighton Matofai-Forbes (Westen Jets) Adelaide - 5. Harvey Langford 18, 190cm - midfielder/forward - Dandenong Stingrays 53. Tyler Welsh 18, 191cm - forward - Woodville/West Torrens 72. Jacob Molier 18, 201cm - ruck - Sturt It's a possibility Carlton vaulted ahead of the Crows so that it had access to the best South Australian in the pool, midfielder Sid Draper, and in that scenario, Adelaide would probably be left to choose between Harvey Langford and Jagga Smith. In this scenario, the size and physically of Langford wins out, with his thumping left foot and ability to play as a marking forward winning out. Father/Son Tyler Welsh also helps in that regard. With a powerhouse build, the son of former Kangaroo and Crow leading forward Scott, is a ready-to-go third tall forward with some X-factor. If the Crows take a third selection (they cleared some list space pre-draft), the extremely athletic Molier could be an option as a developmental ruckman. Brisbane - 2. Levi Ashcroft 17, 179cm - midfielder - Sandringham Dragons 22. Sam Marshall 18, 185cm - midfielder - Sandringham Dragons 61. Ty Gallop 18, 194cm - key forward - Maroochydore 87. Keighton Matofai-Forbes 18, 188cm - forward - Western Jets Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall are matched at their likely spots, giving the Lions a tremendous leg up on the competition before new bidding rules take place. Levi I have rated as a slightly lesser prospect than brother Will but he is a ready-to-go future top line midfielder. Marshall is a hard-working midfielder who may take time to break through such will be the density of Brisbane's midfield, but he is a player. Brisbane may have to absorb a bid at some point for bullocking 194cm key forward Ty Gallop who has something about him and covers the ground well for a player of his robust physique. Keighton Matofai-Forbes is raw but there is some Cam Rayner about his game which may entice the Lions to expend with a list sport if they don't receive any more NGA bids - ruckman Tom Gillett being a possibility along with defender Fergus McFadyen. Carlton - 4. Sid Draper 18, 182cm - midfielder - South Adelaide 40. Ben Camporeale 18, 185cm - midfielder - Glenelg 59. Will Hayes 18, 178cm - small forward - Clarememont 60. Charles West 18, 195cm - key forward - Woodville/West Torrens 64. Lucas Camporeale 18, 186cm - wingman - Glenelg The Blues trade up and get a premium talent in Draper - a ready-made breakaway midfielder who brings different ingredients to the table than Carlton's incumbent centre square stars. The Camporeales join as father-sons, Ben's inside game will work well the Blues current midfield mix, while Lucas brings a more outside game to the table. South Australian West is a big, strong-bodied key position player/emergency ruckman who will bring a point of difference to Carlton's spine with his bullocking style and thick physique. Small West Aussie Hayes will add some speed and agility around the packs and some goalkicking bite, something the Blues will covet at some point having lost Matt Owies and Jack Martin in the off-season. Collingwood - 47. Harry O'Farrell 18, 196cm - key back - Calder Cannons 50. Josh Dolan 18, 178cm - small forward/midfielder - Sandringham Dragons 52. Jack Ough 17, 194cm - wing/midfielder - GWV Rebels 56. Doug Kerr 18, 192cm - medium defender - Oakleigh Chargers The Pies look to the loing-term future and select O'Farrell as their primary key defensive prospect, before drafting Jordan De Goey mini-me Dolan, a blond-locked 178cm midfielder/half forward, in this scenario. Ough is a tall 194cm midfielder/wingman who has a good feel for the game with neat disposal. The game slows up for him a bit when he has ball in hand. Had Kerr not torn an ACL this year, he'd be ready to go in 2025. The St Kevins captain is a strongly built utility, primarily a midfielder/forward now but once played a promising game on Logan Morris as a 15 year old at Coates League level quite a few years ago. Kerr tested well in early screening and I'm sure the Pies match to retain him or as in this scenario protect him by selecting him with their final pick recently acquired in a pick trade with Brisbane. Essendon - 8. Isaac Kako 18, 175cm - small forward - Calder Cannons 48. Floyd Burmeister 18, 198cm - ruck/forward - GWV Rebels 49. Ned Bowman 18, 186cm - wing/forward - Norwood 55. Hugh Boxshall 18, 187cm - midfielder - Claremont 76. Mitchell Kirkwood-Scott 18, 181cm - small defender - Sandringham Dragons 78. Jayden Nguyen 18, 177cm - small forward - Calder Cannons 87. Will Hoare 24, 198cm - key defender - Essendon VFL Bomber fans will love their NGA additions, Kako and Nguyen. Kako is an incredibly tricky small forward and an elite talent. Nguyen is a lesser ranked player but an exciting, diminutive player who who can play in a range in a positions with an abundance of speed and nimbleness. In Burmeister, Essendon has added an incredibly athletic long-term ruck/resting forward prospect. Bowman gives Essendon some X-factor as a quick, high-leaping medium marking forward or wingman. Hugh Boxshall become a spruik player leading into the draft after some terrific combine results added to some good tape coming out of the West. He is the type of inside bull the Bombers will covet. Kirkwood-Scott is a line-breaking transition defender with pace and a penetrating kick. Hoare has impressed for Essendon's VFL program as a tall key back will good interception skills. I fully suspect Essendon to trade back into the draft at some point, looking for a key forward, with Jobe Shanahan being one of their primary targets if he is somehow attainable. Fremantle - 17. Joe Berry 18, 180cm - small forward - Gippsland Power 32. Tom Sims 18, 199cm - key forward - Northern Knights 57. Jaxon Artemis 18, 180cm - half back/wing - South Fremantle 77. Charlie Burke 18, 183cm - wing - Subiaco The rumours flow that Freo are interested are interested in Berry and I think one of the reasons for that is that they see some Caleb Serong in his play. Berry is quite similar to a bottom age Serong and if the Dockers project a similar outcome then they would be out of their mind not to go in this direction and try a re-print of their star rover. Comparisons aside, Berry is a very sold high half forward prospect at this stage with upside to play higher up the ground in time. Sims is a close-to-200cm key forward who launches at the ball and reaches it at its highest point. He may take a bit of time to be AFL ready but he is an exciting talent who will be hard to defend and a likely steal at pick 32. Artemis would be a steal at 57, he is a neat kicking half-back/wing type who plays with composure. The Dockers round out their draft with another local West Australian prospect in Charlie Burke, a wing/utility with a well-rounded game. Geelong - 41. Lachlan Jaques 18, 184cm - defender - Geelong Falcons 51. Sam Davidson 22, 191cm - forward - Richmond (VFL) 67. Gabriel Stumpf 18, 194cm - key forward - Northern Knights 81. Xavier Ivisic 18, 180cm - midfielder - Geelong Falcons The Cats bookend their draft with two local products. Lachlan Jaques is a medium-sized intercept marking defender who has the potential to be an excellent third or fourth tall defender in the Nick Haynes-mould if he can wash away his penchant for the odd goal-conceding moment of madness. He does do plenty of good things though and has controlled junior games from the back half this year. Ivisic is a hard-working local midfielder. He is on the small side and that threatens his draft standing. I think the Cats could use a ready-made forward option and Richmond's VFL star Davidson fits that bill as a would-be complement to Shannon Neal and Jeremy Cameron. Stumpf is a tall, lean key forward who shone at the combine but is a project player. The Cats could also look to local Daniel Lowther as another key forward option in the Rookie Draft. It's an area they are thin on for depth. Gold Coast - 12. Leo Lombard 18, 178cm - midfielder - Gold Coast Suns Academy 62. Tom McKay 18, 191cm - tall swingman - Glenelg 68. Aiden Riddle 19, 199cm - ruckman - Claremont Lombard is one the most pedigreed juniors for a long time and has seemingly been playing under 18 championships football for a decade. He's a good player, a tough and skilful small midfielder who should play straightway. McKay will take some time as he's very skinny but he's a talented 190cm-plus swingman, able to play as a matchup defender but also showing some forward craft at junior level in SA. He's not getting much buzz but is a highly promising player. Riddle is one of the better ruckmen in the pool and has used his 19th year on Earth adding the ability to play forward to his game, but also improving his hands in close and his kicking touch. It's possible a bid may come for rangy utility Caleb Nancarrow but he's more likely a category B option at best. Not so classy half-back/midfielder Zeke Uwland, a likely top 5 pick in the 2025 draft, one of three of four exciting NGA prospects the Suns have on the way in 12 months' time. GWS - 18. Taj Hotton 18, 182cm - midfielder/forward - Sandringham Dragons 19. Xavier Lindsay 18, 183cm - wing/half back - Gippsland Power 25. Tate Delmenico 17, 190cm - defender - Woodville/West Torrens 37. Jasper Alger 17, 182cm - small forward - Oakleigh Chargers 38. Logan Smith 18, 204cm - ruckman - GWS Academy 57. Cooper Bell 17, 198cm - full back - GWS Academy 80. Sam Toner 19, 186cm - forward - Narre Warren It's been an eventful off-season for the Giants, losing some key ingredients and they look to offset that with a big draft here. Taj Hotton could have gone in the top 3 if he hadn't done an ACL and could well go much higher than this. He is a supremely talented mid/wing/half-forward that will obviously take time now but will be a terrific pick for the patient club that gets him with a bit of luck. Lindsay gives them a ball-user on the outside to help offset their off-season departures. He's highly-rated by many but I worry about his physicality and that he won't be freely given the space he's been blessed with at junior level. I'm clearly a big fan of Delmenico, a 190cm third tall defender with a lovely pair of hands who reads the game well. He's one of the youngest players in the pool and one of a few South Australians I rank much higher than consensus. Check Melbourne's summary for the main one. Jasper Alger is an agile small-to-medium forward who is good at ground level but also a clever aerialist for his size. He likes to play close to goal and will have a great mentor in Toby Greene. GWS' Academy selections are good building blocks for the future - Smith being a long-term ruck prospect with a tremendous frame for the position and Bell a rude-haired, key defensive pillar who is a hard to beat one on one. Sam Toner has become the nominal smokey of the draft having spent most of the year playing suburban football. He's a do-it-all forward, dangerous in the air but also in transition and a good finisher. Another late pick contender for the Giants is Connor Evans who could appeal to clubs late in the draft as rebounding medium defender and the Giants might look at this type of player to offset the loss of Isaac Cumming and Harry Perryman in particular, although Delmenico will help in this regard. Rover Josiah Delana is a likely Category B rookie. Hawthorn 34. Alex Dodson 18, 203cm - ruckman - Sturt 63. Tom Gross 18, 181cm - midfielder - Oakleigh Chargers 67. Archer Day-Wicks 18, 186cm - forward - Bendigo Pioneers Having heavily invested in its defence already, the Hawks use the draft to address other areas. Dodson falls them here at 34, giving the Hawks their ruckman of the future. With a basketball pedigree, he has the tools to one day be a premier AFL ruckman. Gross is small midfielder and defensive forward who lacks size but brings a high pressure rating and workrate. Day-Wicks is a medium forward who has an excellent aerial game and plays a lot taller than his described height. Nuggety midfielder Cody Anderson will be a likely Category B option for Hawthorn under this scenario. Melbourne - 6. Jagga Smith 18, 181cm - midfielder - Oakleigh Chargers 11. Bo Allan 18, 190cm - midfielder/half-back - Peel Thunder 73. Jay Polkinghorne 18, 192cm - key forward - Norwood 86. Boyd Woodcock 24, 179cm - rover/small forward - Southport (VFL) It's probably a case of sit back and see what falls for the Dees with their first pick and in this scenario, with Harvey Langford off the table, I have them taking Jagga Smith, who is probably one of the more solid picks in the draft and a nice counterpointing fit for Melbourne's existing midfield and their likely next pick. Allan is a tremendous athlete with the protypical modern AFL body who plays at a manic pace and embraces collision. There is some Beau Waters characteristics (Waters being the most courageous player I've seen come through the system with the highest rated intangibles) and leadership appeal with this West Australian. He'll be ready to go as a half-back before becoming a big-bodied mid and with some added polish, should be a very good player. Interestingly, with Allan, the Dees will now have a war-chest of WA talent to potentially throw at the Eagles if Harley Reid ever wanted to return to Victoria. Jay Polkinghorne is my fantasy pick for the Dees. Believe it or not I have him rated in my top 25. He's a key forward with very good marking ability and a solid set shot for goal. Injury robbed him of most of his season but he came home strong featuring in Norwood's SANFL reserves premiership before being BOG in Adelaide's private school grand final. He hails from a country town five hours from South Australia's capital so let's hope Jason Taylor wants to bring in another country SA kid to add to Harry Petty and Kade Chandler. In my opinion, it's a mistake we haven't held a midrange pick to collect at some point in the 40s to try to guarantee his acquisition. 24 year old Former Power rover/small forward Boyd Woodcock has developed into one of - if not - the best players in the NEAFL, with some added strings to his bow, and deserves another chance at AFL level. The Dees could use some crumbing depth and nip around the packs. Rebounding third tall defenders Ben Kennedy and Connor Evans were in consideration also for this pick. I couldn't manipulate Kennedy to last long enough - another one of my favourite prospects that no-one talks about. North Melbourne - 3. Alix Tauru - 17, 193cm - key defender - Gippsland Power 54. Josh Murphy 17, 190cm - forward - Murray Bushrangers 70. Ben Kennedy 18, 186cm - defender - Murray Bushrangers 85. Max Rohr 19, 197cm - key forward - Claremont The Kangaroos are in a pincer movement whereby their pick doesn't suit the flow of their list, even more so after their trade period. In a mock without trades, I have to have them taking Tauru here, even though I think holding and picking up a midfielder might make more sense and then trading their future first to get a Tauru, Trainor, Armstrong or Shanahan. In this setup they get the 'Flying Viking' Tauru, a pack-marking defender with a lot of upside. The pick just doesn't marry the talent rating in this draft in my opinion, which is why North has a dilemma on its hands and needs trade bedfellows. Murphy is one of the youngest players in the pool and a third tall forward with a diverse skillset. Rohr is a 197cm ruckman from WA, who looked promising as a key forward at the National Championships, something he hadn't shown much of before, and the Roos will likely see him a as forward/ruck hybrid for the future. Ben Kennedy is a third to fourth tall defender who intercepts well but can also carry the footy with a burst of pace. His season output doesn't equate to the quality of the player - no shock if his name called out at some point. Port Adelaide - 16. Josh Smillie 18, 194cm - midfielder/utility - Eastern Ranges 31. Kayle Gerreyn 18, 199cm - ruck/forward - West Perth 36. Christian Moraes 18, 182cm - wingman - Eastern Ranges 45. Charlie Nicholls 18, 197cm - tall forward - Central Districts 82. Harry Charleson 18, 182cm - small defender - GWV Rebels Smillie would is a great slider pick here for the Power and certainly a contrast for their midfield. He could easily go at Pick 3 without surprising, but as a I worked my way through and you have player v player discussions, other options seemed to win out. He's got a bit of David Mundy about him and if he can nuance his way around AFL players like he does juniors he will likely end up the best player from the pool. Gerreyn is a big backsided forward/ruck who has had a very productive season and could likely play straightaway for the Power as its back up ruckman/third tall forward. He will add an extra dimension to Port's big man stocks and help cover for the loss of Charlie Dixon. Moraes is a hard-running wingman and the long-term replacement for Travis Boak. He could easily go much higher. As could small defender Harry Charleson, who links up with his brother Lachlan at Alberton and has shown an ability to stand up in pressure cooker situations through his top age year. Charlie Nicholls is a South Australian 197cm key position prospect who can play at both ends, either as a matchup key defender or a rangy, ground covering key forward - he has the raw tools to be a good long term prospect. Richmond - 1.Sam Lalor 18, 187cm - midfielder/forward - GWV Rebels 7. Finn O'Sullivan 18, 182cm - midfielder - Oakleigh Charges 13. Murphy Reid 18, 181cm - midfielder - Sandringham Dragons 14. Harry Armstrong 18, 193cm - key forward - Sandringham Dragons 21. Harrison Oliver 18, 181cm - small defender - Sandringham Dragons 24. Cooper Hynes 18, 190cm - wing/forward - Dandenong Stingrays 27. Jesse Dattoli 18, 178cm - small forward - Northern Knights 28. Noah Mraz 18, 198cm - key defender - Dandenong Stingrays 69. Bailey McKenzie 18, 191cm - forward - Sandringham Dragons 84. Isiah Winder 22, 180cm - wingman - South Fremantle Incredible draft haul. Lalor looks and plays like Dusty, but is not as good a player coming out. That said he has all the tools to be a fine AFL player - neat disposal, courage, work-rate, power and nice marking hands. He's the right pick, right time for the Tigers. They will be delighted to get O'Sullivan, a nimble inside/out midfielder who is good overhead and will add a point of difference to their midfield and is a nice counterbalance to Lalor's traits. His APS tape in 2024 is better than his Coates League and National Champs stuff. Murphy Reid has the best inside footwork, the best 360-degree handballing range and the best short-to-intermediate kicking range in the class. There is a bit of Travis Johnstone about the way he plays and he will likely make clubs who pass him up cry down the road. I rate him extremely highly. Armstrong is one of the better forwards in the draft and is a nice rebuilding cornerstone. He's a competitor with a booming kick on him and with Hynes and Dattoli, long term, in their different ways, will help replace the X-factor lost in the trade period. Hynes is a 190cm forward/wingman who almost has a Jake Stringer type impact on games. Dattoli is a small forward, with clever hands who can pinch hit through the midfield. Harrison Oliver is a Liam Duggan-type small defender who runs in straight lines and uses the ball well. Noah Mraz is a hulking 198cm defender who is a prodigious talent but had his season cruelled by injury. There aren't many players of his size/type who are relevant at ground level like he is. McKenzie is a dangerous third tall forward, who is particularly dangerous on the lead. Isiah Winder has returned to the WAFL after an ill-fated AFL stint at the Eagles and is interesting Richmond as a possible wing/half forward option to replace some of what has been lost after the trading of Liam Baker and Shai Bolton. There is much conjecture about the Tigers trading some picks into to the future to balance out their rebuild. Victorian talls Archie Ludowyke and Riley Onley have already put their hands up as potential target options in 2025. St Kilda - 8. Jobe Shanahan 18, 194cm - key forward - Bendigo Pioneers 9. Tobie Travaglia 18, 187cm - half-back/wing - Bendigo Pioneers 33. Luke Urquhart 18, 183cm - midfielder - East Fremantle 42. Clancy Dennis 18, 194cm - key defender - Claremont 44. Adrian Cole 18, 197cm - defender - Sandringham Dragons 73. Lachlan Blakiston 26, 204cm - ruckman - East Fremantle The Saints need a key forward and the best of them in the pool in my opinion and also the best fit here is Jobe Shanahan. If he was a touch quicker, I think he goes top three, but all the same I think he's a very, very good player. Travaglia could easily surprise and go even higher than this He's a very, very good tallish half-back flanker but has also shown himself to be a quality wingman and makeshift forward. The blend of running capacity, marking ability and leadership points to him being a 200-plus game player. Ross Lyon will love him. Luke Urquhart is a big-bodied clearance beast from the West whose stock in my estimation has risen following an excellent combine - an Andrew Swallow type. Another West Australian, Clancy Dennis is a cagey centre-half-back with a knack for being in the right place at the right time and forms with NGA acquisition Adrian Cole the nucleus of St Kilda's backline long-term. Cole is a 197cm full back who is close checking but needs to improve his ball-in-hand game. 26yo 205cm ruckman Blakiston has been earmarked as Rowan Marshall's deputy, leaving third tall back Lennox Hoffman, Justin Peckett's son Elwood and possible close checking back pocket Sam Linder to fall through to the rookie system under this scenario. Sydney - 23. Jack Whitlock - 18, 200cm - key forward - Murray Bushrangers 26. Matt Whitlock 18, 197cm - key back/forward - Murray Bushrangers 39. Oliver Hannaford 18, 180cm - small forward - GWV Rebels 46. Joel Cochran 18, 195cm - key defender - Sydney Swans Academy 83. Oliver Warburton 18, 185cm - defender/wing - Murray Bushrangers The Swans unite the Whitlock twins over the span of four picks giving them their key position bookends for the future. Both are steepling raw 200cm or so project players but both are terrific mounds of clay to work with and each could go higher. Jack will almost certainly play as a deep key forward with the ability to pinch hit in the ruck. Matt has spent a lot of time down back where his long cephalopodous arms make him an effective spoiler. He is adept as a forward but it is likely the Swans recruiting network dream of one at each end of the field when gazing into the future. Hannaford is a small forward with an appetite for the contest who can also play in other areas of the ground and put his name in lights with some starring displays at the backend of the GWV Rebels' excellent Coates League season. NGA Academy defender Joel Cochran could pair down the track with Matt Whitlock to give Sydney a defensive reboot. Cochran likes to dash out of defense with his athletic 195cm frame, but is also a promising contest defender for the future. Swans fan Oliver Warburton is a rebounding medium-sized defender with a well-rounded game and a sound decision maker. West Coast - 15. Luke Trainor 18, 195cm - key defender - Sandringham Dragons 30. Jonty Faull 18, 195cm - key forward - GWV Rebels 60. Cody Angove 18, 182cm - wing/forward - Claremont 71. Riley Bice 24, 185cm - rebound defender - Werribee 75. Malaki Champion 18, 176cm - small forward - Subiaco 88. Tom Bell 18, 195cm - key defender - South Fremantle The Eagles need to shore up their key defensive stocks and they use two picks here to that end. Trainor is a classy, intercept marking key back who can also go forward. Faull is a bullocking key forward and the long-term Jack Darling replacement. Both the top picks could be in Andrew McQualter's first side. West Australian Cody Angove is a hard-running, evasive wingman/forward who loves a goal. Tom Bell was one of the stars of the 2024 WAFL colts competition and will act as a development key back for West Coast, an obvious area of need. Riley Bice has had a terrific season for Werribee and the West Australian tundra will suit his ball carrying style and piercing kicking. The Eagles will love his ability to drill targets from the back 50 if his VFL form can translate to the higher level. With their second last pick, they match a bid for the pint-sized indigenous crumbing forward Malakai Champion, who will be a fan favourite if he makes the grade as a Charlie Cameron type. Western Bulldogs - 20. Angus Clarke 18, 188cm - defender - Glenelg 29. Hamish Davis 18, 190cm - midfielder/forward - Claremont 35. James Barrat 17, 193cm - key defender - Bendigo Pioneers 43. Rhys Unwin 18, 178cm - midfielder/small forward - GWV Rebels 78. Patrick Retschko 18, 188cm - midfielder - Oakleigh Chargers As the draft draws closer, Angus Clarke will be a riser. A third tall defender, he loves to run and carry and has a penetrative kick and terrific character traits. He can also play forward, but his recruitment will likely continue to free up fellow redhead Ed Richards long term. Hamish Davis late season work at WAFL senior and colts level proved he was a big game performer and the Doggies knife in early to take him - an attacking wingman/half-forward - from the West. James Barratt fills a need as an extra tall defender who's got a very well-rounded game. That well-roundedness involves the ability to go forward as a marking option. Unfortunately, a skill unlikely to ever need to be utilised by Luke Beveridge. I like Unwin as a versatile small who can play in any quadrant of the ground without fuss. Retschko is a strong bodied midfielder with an enormous tank but a worrisome injury record. Like many, he could be drafted much higher or not all. Closing Thoughts - I'm very keen on Polkinghorne and some of the other South Australians, like Clarke, Delmenico and McKay, are criminally under-rated by the various. I think basically much of what is out there is group think. It's an incredible draft to decipher, I can make a case for 12 out of the top 18 picks as the number one pick with players like Shanahan, Reid and Travaglia very highly rated personally and Hotton would have been a top 5 pick and top overall pick candidate if uninjured and staying on his early season trajectory. There are players in the 50-80 range who could easily go top 35 and there should be more picks than originally forecast. Lindsay, Gross and Faull are the three most over-rated players in the draft for me but still AFL prospects. Anyone promoting Lindsay as a top 10 pick or similar, I basically check off. He went to ground too much in the Champs - clubs won't like that. Richmond have two category B ruckmen and Samson Ryan, couldn't see them taking Dodson, hence why he fell. Hard for clubs to choose to draft an investment that will take 2-3 years with so much instant gratification out there. He's probably a top 20-25 talent. From a Demons point of view (my club) - any two of Lalor, Draper, Langford, Smith, O'Sullivan, Travaglia, Shanahan, Allan, Reid or Hotton I would be happy with. I would probably order them - in a blanket finish - TIER A - Lalor, Ashcroft, Reid, Shanahan, Draper, Langford, Smith, Travaglia, O'Sullivan TIER B - Allan, Tauru, Hotton, Smillie, Lombard Players like Armstrong, J.Whitlock, Trainor aren't far away but I don't consider them as options for Melbourne with either of the two picks. Most under-rated well-known players : Jobe Shanahan, Angus Clarke Most over-rated players: Xavier Lindsay, Tom Gross Best Smokeys: Jay Polkinghorne, Ben Kennedy Most unlucky to miss out: Connor Evans, Damon Hollow, Jacob Newton

No-one can whip up a quality spreadsheet quicker than you LH!

i like sunday arvo matches...

once sportsbet have approved it

The drip feed is well under way. I hate to save this but the AFL play this game well. There is a lull in AFL over the period between the Melb cup and drafting. So they release the fixture bit by bit to fill the gap. If it was ever a mystery that the fixture is all about maximising the audience for the media at the expense of people going to games this is it. They don't care about the problems of fans going to games on Thursday nights and Sunday nights. It's all about TV ratings first, last and in the middle. Why do I still buy a membership when I go to less than 50% of games? It's because after 60+ years I cannot stop trying to help the MFC. I have mentioned on a number of occasions how much joy I get from my GD's basketball. She has now moved up to a higher level team, they play Friday nights. I will be going to watch her games which will be played around the northern/ western suburbs as well as cities like Bendigo it is not a contest for my attention. All things AFL now run lower on the needs basis for me. One giant thing that impressed me about basketball at this level is how connected you feel to the players and staff. I don't feel connected to AFL any longer and this media first/ people attending last makes me less connected every year. Sorry for the ramble.

Well we all saw that coming. One year off every 15 years or so seem fair.

I’m surprised that there’s been so little publicity in the media concerning Dodoro’s departure given how close the Herald Sun’s chief football writer Mark Robinson is to the club. I guess the Bombers have been more concerned with their abysmal finals record, keeping gangland figures out of their change rooms on match days and former players connected with overseas prostitution to worry about courtroom stoushes with long term employees who added so little to their playing list for so long. Of course, all this avoids the necessity of real news coverage or weekly agenda driven op eds repeating the same tired, unproven allegations ad nauseam.

From today's forward structure in some sims. Looks like they are going with a 4 man set-up. 3 marking players high up, well spaced. One leads back, one leads forward and the other towards the boundary. When the ball transitioned in, Chaplin would call "go", he wanted the energy and acceleration to his system. The fourth (Sestan) was just outside the fifty and central to the game as he became the first receiver from the mids, and became the kicker. Though they only had two defenders in there, AMW and Petty, they stuffed up a few times. Mostly they were supportive. Early on in the stuff ups, a few got serious (Turner and JVR, "basic kicks" needed) and pushed Sestan (who responded well) to get it right. There was also a flood of players (small flankers) into the area after the first entry, often into the straight out and 30 infront, which worked once the ball became a ground ball get. Tough conditions as these sims happened in the rain and wind. I hope Chaplin has an abundance of plays in his "scrap book", as the players seem to be responding to him, with clear understanding of purpose and intention. Execution on the other hand, may take time. I reckon repeat, repeat and repeat again.

24 in the squad today. Fritsch doing his own program. He has put on a fair bit of upper-body muscle. The Sparrow and Rivers have turned up. Sparrow has very little fat, his skin folds must be near zero. Riv's has also filled out, looking strong. Unsure about Jed Adams, pulled out of the squad to do some work with the trainer, could be calf/Achilles awareness. Windsor, Tholstrup and Bowey, were pulled from the contact craft sessions. All participated in everything else. Bassett was much more vocal this time. Jones was animated and giving plenty of directions, it was Chaplin who was doing most of the work as Goody again sat back and observed. Troy was really active in making sure the forwards lead and make space. He was also instructive in the outside 50 area, making sure they get the right patterns and delivery. Petty (unhindered, body is in good shape) in the backline, as was TMac (focused on outside run). Forwards included Kentfield, JVR, Jefferson, Verrall and Sestan in the sims. AMW, has impressed me, gained plenty of confidence, side stepping them all, and tackling/pressurising well. JVR a bit rusty. Jefferson was marking well in the wet, unlike a couple of the others. Brown looks like he is only in second gear untill he gets the ball. Sestan is difficult to tackle. In the drill, a little hip swivel and a tight body turn, they fall off him, including Viney who had surprise all over his face, like grasping for the wet soap. Got a feeling they will rotate McVee through the mids.

Get along to Marvel, it’s a home game, easy to get there, as 31 pointed out easy access to food and drink and viewing is pretty good. Car park is useful if trains/ trams aren’t convenient. We will be there supporting our boys. It’s a hell of a lot closer than Alice Springs and I would much prefer playing at Marvel than interstate. PS( 7 interstate games and three of those are in Adelaide, our best run for a long time, thanks LH😁)

2025 AFL FIXTURE BRACKETS (Based on 2024 ladder & finals) Top six: Brisbane Lions, Geelong, GWS Giants, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, Sydney Swans Middle six: Carlton, Collingwood, Essendon, Fremantle, St Kilda, Western Bulldogs Bottom six: Adelaide Crows, Gold Coast Suns, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Richmond, West Coast Eagles EVERY TEAM’S 2025 DOUBLE-UP OPPONENTS Adelaide Crows: Collingwood, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, West Coast (2x top 6, 1x middle 6, 3x bottom 6) Brisbane Lions: Collingwood, Geelong, Gold Coast, Hawthorn, Sydney, Western Bulldogs (3x top 6, 2x middle 6, 1x bottom 6) Carlton: Collingwood, Essendon, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide, West Coast Eagles (2x top 6, 2x middle 6, 2x bottom 6) Collingwood: Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Melbourne (2x top 6, 2x middle 6, 2x bottom 6) Essendon: Carlton, Geelong, Gold Coast Suns, Richmond, Sydney Swans, Western Bulldogs (2x top 6, 2x middle 6, 2x bottom 6) Fremantle: Collingwood, Port Adelaide, St Kilda, Sydney Swans, West Coast Eagles, Western Bulldogs (2x top 6, 3x middle 6, 1x bottom 6) Geelong: Brisbane Lions, Essendon, GWS Giants, Port Adelaide, Richmond, St Kilda (3x top 6, 2x middle 6, 1x bottom 6) Gold Coast Suns: Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Essendon, GWS Giants, Melbourne, Richmond (2x top 6, 1x middle 6, 3x bottom 6) GWS Giants: Geelong, Gold Coast Suns, St Kilda, Sydney Swans, West Coast Eagles, Western Bulldogs (2x top 6, 2x middle 6, 2x bottom 6) Hawthorn: Adelaide Crows, Brisbane Lions, Carlton, Collingwood, Melbourne, Port Adelaide (2x top 6, 2x middle 6, 2x bottom 6) Melbourne: Collingwood, Gold Coast Suns, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, St Kilda, West Coast Eagles (1x top 6, 2x middle 6, 3x bottom 6) North Melbourne: Adelaide Crows, Carlton, Melbourne, Richmond, Sydney Swans, Western Bulldogs (1x top 6, 2x middle 6, 3x bottom 6) Port Adelaide: Adelaide Crows, Collingwood, Fremantle, Geelong, Hawthorn, Sydney Swans (3x top 6, 2x middle 6, 1x bottom 6) Richmond: Essendon, Geelong, Gold Coast Suns, North Melbourne, St Kilda, West Coast Eagles (1x top 6, 2x middle 6, 3x bottom 6) St Kilda: Fremantle, Geelong, GWS Giants, Melbourne, Richmond, Western Bulldogs (2x top 6, 2x middle 6, 2x bottom 6) Sydney Swans: Brisbane Lions, Essendon, Fremantle, GWS Giants, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide (3x top 6, 2x middle 6, 1x bottom 6) West Coast Eagles: Adelaide Crows, Carlton, Fremantle, GWS Giants, Melbourne, Richmond (1x top 6, 2x middle 6, 3x bottom 6) Western Bulldogs: Brisbane Lions, Essendon, Fremantle, GWS Giants, North Melbourne, St Kilda (2x top 6, 3x middle 6, 1x bottom 6) AFL 2025 FIXTURE DIFFICULTY (from easiest to hardest) Based on the 2024 percentage of the teams they play twice in 2025 1 (Easiest). Richmond 2. Melbourne 3. Carlton 4. Adelaide Crows 5. Gold Coast Suns 6. West Coast Eagles 7. Western Bulldogs 8. Geelong 9. Sydney Swans 10. St Kilda 11. North Melbourne 12. GWS Giants 13. Fremantle 14. Essendon 15. Hawthorn 16. Collingwood 17. Port Adelaide 18 (Hardest). Brisbane Lions

If if if …Lalor then Tauru as 1,2 and Ashcroft as father son to Lions. Draper potentially going to the Blues … ouch. That might see Crows grab Langford…ouch. So it means FOS or Smith. I’d jump at FOS. I’m seeing O’Sullivan as a very very good prospect. He’s smart. He’s classy. He’s got that elite move in space and frees his hands like Pendles to avoid tacklers. He showed during VFL upgrade that he can handle the pace and physical pressure. Sure he’s not a Bont or Dusty type. More like a short LDU. He’d would be more than welcome

The fixture is perfectly fine i reckon the Hawks will regress this year so the best top 6 double up we could have asked for We have a very good record in Adelaide so suits us to play 3 games there. We should finish top 4. if we don't it won't be because of the fixture

Premiership here we come! This draw is a significant tail wind… Go Demons!

Hello 3.20 Sunday, my old friend

Seeing as more people die of skin cancer each year I think the Suns is the scariest of the team names!

Still a lot of unknowns, perhaps Adelaide wants to get infront of Carlton to secure Draper? Carlton take O'Sullivan then Langford or Smith get through to us. I don't think we can go wrong with any of these players to be honest.

afl house need something to chat about internally...

The AFL know dees have poor crowds at many night games. It would help if they didn't schedule them in midwinter vs Port, GWS, Freo etc whose fans don't travel. Schedule the night games vs Carlton, Coll, Rich etc and it is a different story. Dees fans will probably be outnumbered but there will be a decent crowd and many watching on TV. I prefer day games but am ok with night games but not in midwinter at the G. If the AFL want midwinter night games they should be in the warmer states or undercover at Marvel.

We play a boring style that neutrals don't like watching. Our games are often low atmosphere and look poor on TV because our supporters all sit on the broadcast side. If we start playing an exciting brand of footy and are pushing for top 4 we will get more interest, bigger crowds and more primetime games. To be honest I'm not fussed about the off Broadway games, it's been a pain having so many night games in recent years, tough with younger kids and my parents struggle with the late finishes these days.

Spot on. I see too much of Jayden Hunt in Travaglia. Which isn't a bad thing because he's carved out a solid career himself. Blazes away far too often when he gets on a run off half back and usually comes back the other way. Smith is an absolute jet, I'm still scratching my head how he's not in top 2 discussions. If he slides to our pick and we select him, that's a steal in my eyes. Him and Langford are a win for us either way. Glad someone else sees the same in what I see in Allan. I reckon his potential is enormous. He's got the athletic and physical profile to play round 1, but also potential to slide into the midfield in a year or two and play a similar style to Elliot Yeo. Smith/Langford along with Allan would be a huge draft win for us.

Me too. I'll take Sunday arvo games over night games every day of the week. Well, Sunday. Add a couple of 1:20pm sat games with a red sherrin and the lions at the gabba at 3.20pm (not nearly as slippery as the night games and much better in terms of the impact of travel, ie no red eye) and it will do me nicely. And I don't mins marvel - I'm on the west side of town and by pt door to gaye one 'm there in 45 mins.

Shouldn’t ever pick key position players for the sake of it. Harry Armstrong is the best key position prospect, but not a standout by any means. Not to mention his extreme similarities to Jefferson.

Great FIXture scheme of arrangement overall . . . SH for Trac's brand.

Absolutely ecstatic. Booked a holiday to NT several weeks ago, due to fly in to Alice Springs on June 1. Now I just have to break the news to the spouse. If this turns out to be my last ever post you'll know it wasn't well received. Seriously we can have no complaints. Last seven weeks in Melbourne is huge and we were always going to cop Geelong down there having missed out this year.

He's got the talent LH. My issue though is that he's been used used in the wrong position as a defender. That's not his niche. In my opinion he's a genuine Forward/ruckman similar to Sam Darcy from the Western Bulldogs. I want to see more of him as a forward next year then a defender. Either way, his talent and athletic profile is certainly a good fit for us from a list profile and needs perspective.

No Surprises here. We have been taken off Prime Time, most of our games over the last 2 years have been a grind. Hard to watch. I turned a few off So it is up to The Football Department to implement a style that is attacking in style. Backline and Forwardline No doubt the off field problems have also played their part. But it’s all about winning, and the draw is not too bad on that score

With that draw no finals = no more Goodwin. No excuses

Double up teams Hawks, Pies, STK, GCS, WCE, NTH

Bugger. I’m all in on Langford

Got down to Gosch's for an hour before the rain set in. Kev has offered some excellent observations so only a few things I can add. I'm usually very positive in general about all things MFC, so excuse me if I note a few negatives on the way through. I was looking for improvement. On that scale, I was impressed with Jefferson's movement, pace and marking up forward. Roo looked good, but regularly ran to a spot on the spread (which was a focus of forward patterns) that was ignored by the incoming ball carrier. Verrall looked good in the ball movement exercises from the backline, agile and clean by hand and foot. Key backs were McDonald (who looked fit and sharp), Howes (who gathered cleanly and created change of direction), Hore (injury free and fit), Judd (Rolls Royce, who was also used further up ground), AMW (I have him in my starting 23 in 2025) & Verrall (on occasions). Woewodin looks fit and balanced with ball movement. Things that disappointed (because they were evident during 2024 season) Tholstrup occasionally gets into trouble with a fumble that allows defender to close him down and tackle. Brown sometimes holds on to it for too long, kicks under pressure and misses targets. Bowey seems in two minds with the ball, slows down flow and misses target enough to put the receiver under unnecessary pressure. Set shots, when taken, were still 50/50 proposition. Things that excited... Windsor continued on his merry way Rivers looked composed and strong (at one point he ran down Viney and tackled him to the ground in a face plant. No 7 was surprised but not impressed!). Sparrow is trim and looks to have added a little speed to his movement.