Demonland

Big tip for # 11

THE LAST DRAFT by Whispering Jack Later this week, the Melbourne Football Club will go into the AFL's National Draft meeting holding many of the aces. It has the first two selections (almost certainly Tom Scully and Jack Trengove) as a consequence of finishing last and winning not more than four games in the season recently concluded. It has four picks in the first eighteen and will choose two more players before passing on its final selection which will enable it to take the first player in December's Pre Season Draft who will most likely be former Brisbane Lion defender Joel Macdonald. The decisions that are about to be made are crucial. With a solid base of emerging young talent already at the club, the half dozen or so about to join the ranks are expected to bolster a reshaped Melbourne Football Club list that will lead it into a promising new future - a future that includes two brand new interstate clubs and a limited capacity to introduce fresh young blood for a number of years to come. In many ways, this is our club's last chance to get things right. One decision that the Melbourne Football Club needs to get right is whether it chooses disgruntled former Saint Luke Ball in this week's draft. The likelihood is that he will be available at pick 18 but there's a major dilemma about whether the club should take him. When the exchange period ended, Ball and his management had failed to secure a trade that would have seen him cross to his preferred club Collingwood. Many observers regarded this as a complete botch up on the part of all concerned. Ball was left in limbo and expressions of interest in the midfielder started flowing from a number of areas including the Melbourne camp. Here was someone who was a quality player who would not only add football skills, experience and great deal of know-how in the team's engine room as a hardnosed inside midfielder but he was also a leader of men. The complete package. Melbourne originally hoped to use its position as first cab off the rank in December's Pre Season Draft to snare the Saints midfielder but its hopes were dashed when it became clear that Ball didn't want to have a bar of the wooden spoon club of the AFL competition. Ball is a sensational footballer when at his best and, even at 75% capacity, he would fit nicely into most AFL teams so the Demons persisted. They waited for him to come back from his end of season overseas trip. And they waited ... and they waited ... and when Ball returned, he made himself scarce. In the end, he didn't even want to talk to the club although coach Dean Bailey made it clear that if he was told to his face that a player didn't want to come to the club, it would be a short conversation. All the while, there was a bizarre streak to Melbourne's courtship of a reluctant Ball because the former Saint is, in reality, not by any stretch of the imagination a perfect package at all. In recent seasons his body has been affected by osteitis pubis and a severe hamstring injury and, this year, question marks about his fitness saw him consigned to several games in the VFL. On his return for the finals Ball was tracking at around about 50% game time and even less than that in the grand final. A prolific possession winner in the wet conditions on that one day in September, the problem was that he moved at a snail's pace and couldn't kick over a jam tin. Even his staunchest supporters were conceding that the 25 year old's body was looking more like that of a 30 year old. Little wonder then, that Ball himself (and his bevy of advisers) considered it inadvisable to go to a club that might not be a finals contender in the short term. Ball's quality as a footballer is not in question. The concern is whether his body is capable of holding up in a game that requires ever- increasing degrees of fitness and pace. Given the right mix of rest and the appropriate training regimen, Ball's fitness might return to acceptable levels but we don't know for sure - he's not talking to anybody and isn't submitting for a medical. So is the wooden spooner in the middle of a youth-focussed rebuild prepared to take such a risk given its limited resources on a player who might again crumble physically when the heat is turned up? Where would he fit in Melbourne's game plan where speed, strength and precision kicking of the short and long variety were going to be essential? And what of the recruiting edict issued last year about shunning potential recruits with injury concerns? Does one make an exception for a wounded 25 year old whose best days might be behind him, just because he's supposed to be of good character? Demons' football manager Chris Connolly has no doubts that Ball is a likely candidate for either his club's third or fourth selection and is undeterred by Ball's clear preference to play elsewhere. He told the Sunday Age that Ball "is going to be strongly considered because he's just a class player and a class person and he'll be a great role model for our young players." On Ball's refusal to talk to the club Connolly is adamant that this was not even taken into the club's consideration. "We know if we choose him that he'll commit to play 100 per cent because that's his character. We're not even discussing that aspect of it," he said. Connolly would have been buoyed by the Channel Ten vision of Ball training alone on the tan late last week looking fit and rippled but it was, after all, a twenty second grab. And the cynics are claiming that it's all a ploy. A recruiting bluff to confuse all comers. Recruiting guru Colin Wisbey agrees with Connolly's views on drafting Ball, stating on the Extreme Black 'n' White website that in the Ball scenario, the "Demons would be making the professional decision". In his view, "when a player wants to go to a particular club, most other clubs respect the players' wishes during trade week" but after that, "a club should select on draft day whoever it thinks is the best player for them at each pick." Wisbey maintains that AFL clubs "have to be focussed on building the best lists they can. Part of that means drafting the best players available where possible. An AFL club is a business, not a benevolent philanthropist." He concludes that if a lowly club bowed to each player's wishes who wanted to play for a stronger club then "they would overlook a large chunk of the best prospects in the draft pool and be rightly ridiculed." Whilst agreeing with those sentiments, I'm not convinced on Ball for reason of the doubts listed earlier. My own personal opinion remains that the club should not become a repository for players from other clubs who are not quite right and I would therefore be looking elsewhere. Of course, the decision in this "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario rests with others. If the Demons' football department is prepared in its wisdom to make the call and take the risk, then Ball will be a Demon on Thursday night. Whatever the case, the AFL will almost certainly be forced to deal with the issues that the Ball dilemma has highlighted. This could well herald the approach of free agency and, with it will probably go the Pre Season Draft which has been emasculated as a result of changes in the rules regarding the eligibility of these players. So enjoy Thursday night's National Draft, Demon fans because it will be your night and probably the last opportunity for three or four years before there will be much for fans of the existing AFL teams to cheer about at draft time. Thanks to the introduction of the new expansion clubs and thanks to the botched Luke Ball trade deal, this will most likely be the last of the drafts as we know them. FOOTNOTE: The 2009 AFL National Draft can be viewed almost live on Fox Sports2 at 6:30pm on Thursday 26 November. There's also time to join your fellow Demon fans at the MELBOURNEfc 2009 Draft Event Presented by Mates of Melbourne at the G to find out who we select and to discover the fate of Luke Ball. Will he become a Demon, a Bomber, a Lion or a Magpie or will someone else select him? Jack Watts will be there to give his insights on life as the number 1 draft pick, and subject to AFL timing obligations, the number 1 and 2 picks will be presented after their selection. Mates of Melbourne need you to be there to welcome our young recruits into the Melbourne Football Club family, and show them what a great club they joining. Visit matesofmelbourne.com.au for more details.

THE LAST DRAFT by Whispering Jack Later this week, the Melbourne Football Club will go into the AFL's National Draft meeting holding many of the aces. It has the first two selections (almost certainly Tom Scully and Jack Trengove) as a consequence of finishing last and winning not more than four games in the season recently concluded. It has four picks in the first eighteen and will choose two more players before passing on its final selection which will enable it to take the first player in December's Pre Season Draft who will most likely be former Brisbane Lion defender Joel Macdonald. The decisions that are about to be made are crucial. With a solid base of emerging young talent already at the club, the half dozen or so about to join the ranks are expected to bolster a reshaped Melbourne Football Club list that will lead it into a promising new future - a future that includes two brand new interstate clubs and a limited capacity to introduce fresh young blood for a number of years to come. In many ways, this is our club's last chance to get things right. One decision that the Melbourne Football Club needs to get right is whether it chooses disgruntled former Saint Luke Ball in this week's draft. The likelihood is that he will be available at pick 18 but there's a major dilemma about whether the club should take him. When the exchange period ended, Ball and his management had failed to secure a trade that would have seen him cross to his preferred club Collingwood. Many observers regarded this as a complete botch up on the part of all concerned. Ball was left in limbo and expressions of interest in the midfielder started flowing from a number of areas including the Melbourne camp. Here was someone who was a quality player who would not only add football skills, experience and great deal of know-how in the team's engine room as a hardnosed inside midfielder but he was also a leader of men. The complete package. Melbourne originally hoped to use its position as first cab off the rank in December's Pre Season Draft to snare the Saints midfielder but its hopes were dashed when it became clear that Ball didn't want to have a bar of the wooden spoon club of the AFL competition. Ball is a sensational footballer when at his best and, even at 75% capacity, he would fit nicely into most AFL teams so the Demons persisted. They waited for him to come back from his end of season overseas trip. And they waited ... and they waited ... and when Ball returned, he made himself scarce. In the end, he didn't even want to talk to the club although coach Dean Bailey made it clear that if he was told to his face that a player didn't want to come to the club, it would be a short conversation. All the while, there was a bizarre streak to Melbourne's courtship of a reluctant Ball because the former Saint is, in reality, not by any stretch of the imagination a perfect package at all. In recent seasons his body has been affected by osteitis pubis and a severe hamstring injury and, this year, question marks about his fitness saw him consigned to several games in the VFL. On his return for the finals Ball was tracking at around about 50% game time and even less than that in the grand final. A prolific possession winner in the wet conditions on that one day in September, the problem was that he moved at a snail's pace and couldn't kick over a jam tin. Even his staunchest supporters were conceding that the 25 year old's body was looking more like that of a 30 year old. Little wonder then, that Ball himself (and his bevy of advisers) considered it inadvisable to go to a club that might not be a finals contender in the short term. Ball's quality as a footballer is not in question. The concern is whether his body is capable of holding up in a game that requires ever- increasing degrees of fitness and pace. Given the right mix of rest and the appropriate training regimen, Ball's fitness might return to acceptable levels but we don't know for sure - he's not talking to anybody and isn't submitting for a medical. So is the wooden spooner in the middle of a youth-focussed rebuild prepared to take such a risk given its limited resources on a player who might again crumble physically when the heat is turned up? Where would he fit in Melbourne's game plan where speed, strength and precision kicking of the short and long variety were going to be essential? And what of the recruiting edict issued last year about shunning potential recruits with injury concerns? Does one make an exception for a wounded 25 year old whose best days might be behind him, just because he's supposed to be of good character? Demons' football manager Chris Connolly has no doubts that Ball is a likely candidate for either his club's third or fourth selection and is undeterred by Ball's clear preference to play elsewhere. He told the Sunday Age that Ball "is going to be strongly considered because he's just a class player and a class person and he'll be a great role model for our young players." On Ball's refusal to talk to the club Connolly is adamant that this was not even taken into the club's consideration. "We know if we choose him that he'll commit to play 100 per cent because that's his character. We're not even discussing that aspect of it," he said. Connolly would have been buoyed by the Channel Ten vision of Ball training alone on the tan late last week looking fit and rippled but it was, after all, a twenty second grab. And the cynics are claiming that it's all a ploy. A recruiting bluff to confuse all comers. Recruiting guru Colin Wisbey agrees with Connolly's views on drafting Ball, stating on the Extreme Black 'n' White website that in the Ball scenario, the "Demons would be making the professional decision". In his view, "when a player wants to go to a particular club, most other clubs respect the players' wishes during trade week" but after that, "a club should select on draft day whoever it thinks is the best player for them at each pick." Wisbey maintains that AFL clubs "have to be focussed on building the best lists they can. Part of that means drafting the best players available where possible. An AFL club is a business, not a benevolent philanthropist." He concludes that if a lowly club bowed to each player's wishes who wanted to play for a stronger club then "they would overlook a large chunk of the best prospects in the draft pool and be rightly ridiculed." Whilst agreeing with those sentiments, I'm not convinced on Ball for reason of the doubts listed earlier. My own personal opinion remains that the club should not become a repository for players from other clubs who are not quite right and I would therefore be looking elsewhere. Of course, the decision in this "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario rests with others. If the Demons' football department is prepared in its wisdom to make the call and take the risk, then Ball will be a Demon on Thursday night. Whatever the case, the AFL will almost certainly be forced to deal with the issues that the Ball dilemma has highlighted. This could well herald the approach of free agency and, with it will probably go the Pre Season Draft which has been emasculated as a result of changes in the rules regarding the eligibility of these players. So enjoy Thursday night's National Draft, Demon fans because it will be your night and probably the last opportunity for three or four years before there will be much for fans of the existing AFL teams to cheer about at draft time. Thanks to the introduction of the new expansion clubs and thanks to the botched Luke Ball trade deal, this will most likely be the last of the drafts as we know them. FOOTNOTE: The 2009 AFL National Draft can be viewed almost live on Fox Sports2 at 6:30pm on Thursday 26 November. There's also time to join your fellow Demon fans at the MELBOURNEfc 2009 Draft Event Presented by Mates of Melbourne at the G to find out who we select and to discover the fate of Luke Ball. Will he become a Demon, a Bomber, a Lion or a Magpie or will someone else select him? Jack Watts will be there to give his insights on life as the number 1 draft pick, and subject to AFL timing obligations, the number 1 and 2 picks will be presented after their selection. Mates of Melbourne need you to be there to welcome our young recruits into the Melbourne Football Club family, and show them what a great club they joining. Visit matesofmelbourne.com.au for more details.

HISTORY OF THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB: PART THREE: FIRST PREMIERSHIP by the Professor As the 19th Century drew to a close and the formation of the Australian Commonwealth neared, major changes were becoming apparent in the life styles of the latter day colonials. Even in sport the new spirit of ruthless commercialism developed as the leading clubs tired of propping up the "outer city" teams. They formed the Victorian Football League in October 1896. At the inaugural meeting held in the rooms of Buxton's Art Gallery in Collins Street, six clubs were represented - Collingwood, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne and South Melbourne. By the start of competition in May the following year, Carlton and St. Kilda had been added to the list of those fighting for the first ever VFL premiership. Melbourne had an excellent introduction to League ranks with a win in its first match over South Melbourne - 6.8.44 to 2.4.16. The team went on to string together six successive victories before lowering its colours to eventual premier Essendon and finally finishing in fourth place. After a two-season lull, Melbourne was able to win its first ever VFL premiership on 22nd September 1900 with a grand final victory over Fitzroy 4.10.34 to 3.12.30. In an earlier final they had disposed of Essendon by 2 points. RESULTS - GRAND FINAL 1900 Melbourne 2.3.15 2.5.17 4.8.32 4.10.34 Fitzroy 1.4.10 2.7.19 2.7.19 3.12.30 Goals Geddes Leith Ryan Wardill Best McGinis Moodie Cumberland Wardill Purse Langley Parkin THE TEAM B Herring Scholl L Rippon HB Parkin Purse McClelland C C Gardiner Young H Hay HF Lewis Leith Langley F Wardill Geddes Ryan R Moodie Cumberland McGinis The captain of the side was Dick Wardill and its heroes included George Moodie, Fred McGinis and Vic Cumberland who made up a formidable ruck combination. The win was a shock defeat for Fitzroy who were aiming for a hat trick of premierships. Melbourne frustrated their opponents in the last half with the negative tactic of keeping the ball as close to the boundary line as possible. The premiership win was not followed by further success and Melbourne was to languish for a long time in the early years of the new nation - the Commonwealth of Australia which came into existence on 1st January, 1901. Within a month after that, the monarch after who the State of Victoria was named had died. A new era was about to be ushered in ...

Extreme Black and White's Colin Wisbey, whose views on drafting are well respected, suggests that in the Ball scenario, the "Demons would be making the professional decision":

Well, we're taking your suggestion on board although Jordan McMahon has become something of a cult hero around here. If we end up drafting Luke Ball he'll certainly come into the mix. There must be something about recycled players who have ended up at Richmond because Bomber Blitz have named their trade and draft board after Tom Hislop. I guess we're all paying homage to their former coach, the incomparable Terry Wallace who raised trading and drafting to an art form.

Emma Quayle has stressed that this is NOT a phantom draft, merely who she likes in rough order of "best". Her list is: 1. JACK TRENGOVE (18, Sturt, 185cm, 84kg) 2. TOM SCULLY (18, Dandenong Stingrays, 182cm, 77kg) 3. DUSTIN MARTIN (18, Bendigo Pioneers, 186cm, 88kg) 4. GARY ROHAN (18, Geelong Falcons, 188cm, 82kg) 5. JOHN BUTCHER (18, Gippsland Power, 197cm, 87kg) 6. JAKE MELKSHAM (18, Calder Cannons, 185cm, 75kg) 7. BEN CUNNINGTON (18, Geelong Falcons, 185cm, 84kg) 8. JASPER McMILLAN-PITTARD (18, Geelong Falcons, 186cm, 71kg) 9. ANTHONY MORABITO (18, Peel Thunder, 191cm, 97kg) 10. CALLUM BARTLETT (18, Geelong Falcons, 179cm, 75kg) 11. LEWIS JETTA (20, Swan Districts, 181cm, 69kg) 12. AARON BLACK (18, Peel Thunder, 192cm, 82kg) 13. DANIEL TALIA (18, Calder Cannons, 194kg, 90kg) 14. ANDREW MOORE (18, Eastern Ranges, 189cm, 86kg) 15. TROY TAYLOR (18, NT Thunder, 189cm, 77kg) 16. BRAD SHEPPARD (18, East Fremantle, 186cm, 81kg) . 17. RYAN BASTINAC (18, Dandenong Stingrays, 184cm, 77kg) 18. KANE LUCAS (18, East Fremantle, 187cm, 79kg) 19. KOBY STEVENS (18, Gippsland Power, 187cm, 84kg) 20. JORDAN GYSBERTS (18, Eastern Ranges, 189cm, 82kg) 21. BEN GRIFFITHS (18, Eastern Ranges, 199cm, 98kg) 22. NATHAN VARDY (18, Gippsland Power, 198cm, 94kg) 23. LUKE TAPSCOTT (18, North Adelaide, 180cm, 87kg) 24. JAKE CARLISLE (18, Calder Cannons, 197cm, 87kg) 25. SAM REID (18, Murray Bushrangers, 194cm, 87kg) She has also deliberately omitted Luke Ball because her purpose is to introduce the young players.

THE THIRD DRAFT: Continuing Stevo's guide to the last Thursday in November as told to Whispering Jack THE TALLS I have been asked why is it that, in terms of this year's national draft, the midfielders so dominate the talls in both quality and depth. Perhaps one way to respond is to look at the 2009 NAB AFL under 18 All-Australian team: B: Andrew Hooper (VC) Blayne Wilson (WA) Bradley Sheppard (WA) HB: Josh Toy (VM) Daniel Talia (VM) David Swallow (WA) C: Anthony Morabito (WA) Dustin Martin (VC) Mitchell Duncan (WA) HF: Kane Lucas (WA) Jack Darling (WA) Gary Rohan (VC) F: Brandon Matera (WA) Matthew Panos (SA) Ben Cunnington (VC) Foll: James Craig (SA) Jack Trengove (SA) Tom Scully (VM) IC: Luke Tapscott (SA) Ryan Harwood (TAS) Dylan McNeil (NSW/ACT) Travis Colyer (WA) From the team of 22, five are too young to be drafted this year by the AFL clubs and most are destined for the Gold Coast. Two of them - Blayne Wilson and Jack Darling are key position talls. Of the remaining 17 players judged to be the elite players from the 2009 National Under 18 championships, ruckman James Craig from South Australia is the tallest at 195cm. Centre half back Daniel Talia (at 194cm) and full forward Matthew Panos (192cm) are the only other players you would describe as a "tall" leaving a preponderance of medium and small players in this illustrious field. Then there's the spectre of injury. Many prime candidates among the taller brigade had their year clouded by injury problems. Two early season top 10 draft candidates in Maffra key forward John Butcher and Western Jets ruckman Jack Fitzpatrick have had injury interrupted seasons which have seen their stocks slide. Strongly built Eastern Ranges tall forward Ben Griffiths, probably the most injury prone of them all, has had a multitude of ailments over the past two seasons will soon undergo a shoulder reconstruction as a result of an injury in the early part of the TAC Cup finals series while versatile Jake Carlisle, considered a likely first-round choice from the Calder Cannons, is also in the wars with a back problem. All Australian Talia missed most of the second half of the season with hamstring issues. The tallest potential draftee is 207cm Sandringham Dragon ruckman sustained a knee injury before this year's under-18 championships and had little game time during the season. With many of the best talls confined to the infirmary, the medium sized players have dominated this year's draft discussions. That latter group has also gained much prominence in modern times because of the importance of the midfield in the modern game which has elevated medium sized on ballers in particular to the games loftiest heights. When you add this to the fact that this category of player develops sooner than its taller counterparts, then the advantages of drafting medium sized becomes clear. There have been many recruiting disasters among the taller group of players in recent times to make most recruiters wary. Only a special type of tall player is going to fight his way into top ten calculations these days. So I'm taking the plunge with my look at the better talls and, once again, will follow my views up with the comments of their coaches taken from Inside Football: - Paradoxically, I can only squeeze one tall into my top ten as one of Port Adelaide's consecutive selections although, in many ways, John Butcher makes it more on reputation than on 2009 performance. John Butcher (Gippsland Power, VIC) Height: 197cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 03.07.91 Tall forward Butcher has good height and last year stood out as an excellent contested mark who was good below the knees and, considering his size, above average in pace and endurance. This year he was injured (fractured hand and quad strain) and the attributes he showed as a bottom age player did not show out as much. His performances became inconsistent and his kicking for goal and general field kicking became very iffy. As a result, his stocks fell from a top five rating to top twelve. He remains the best credentialed key forward prospect in the forthcoming draft and a mid first round selection beckons. There are three other talls who I rate a little behind Butcher but who are likely go in the first round as double digit selections. One of these could easily end up a Demon selected at pick 11 in next week's draft. Daniel Talia (Calder Cannons, VIC) Height: 194cm, Weight: 89kg, DOB: 02.10.91 Tall back The All-Australian centre half-back at this year's under-18 championships but he is much more than just a high quality key defender. He takes a good mark, can also play forward and has such great all-round athletic qualities with good pace and endurance and excellent ball getting skills and reasonably good disposal that he can also play midfield for periods during games (as he did in the final championship game against South Australia at Etihad Stadium). A hamstring injury curtailed the latter part of his year Aaron Black (Peel Thunder, WA) Height: 193cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 29.11.90 Tall forward Aaron Black was a virtual unknown when many of the other draft contenders were battling it out in the national under 18 championships. He was a little over a month too old for inclusion in the carnival and was working away putting good performances on the board as a high marking, athletic key forward in the WA Colts for Peel Thunder. His star rose as the season went on and he gained selection at senior WAFL level where he again shone. Being a late starter, it is considered that he has plenty more development in him. Jake Carlisle (Calder Cannons, VIC) Height: 197cm, Weight: 87kg, DOB: 01.10.91 Tall forward Carlisle is another who grew in stature as the season wore on. Although he was noted as a tall forward, he was moved to the centre half back post when Talia was injured and excelled in that position thanks to his mobility, good aerial presence, clean marking and accurate disposal whether around the ground or near goals making him one of the very best key position prospects in this year's crop The next tier of tall players could sneak into the first round and in this group I include the player who I believe could easily be the first ruck prospect whose name is called out in the draft. Benjamin Griffiths (Eastern Ranges, VIC) Height: 198cm, Weight: 99kg, DOB: 17.09.91 Tall forward Griffiths is a big, strong key forward who has deceptively strong athletic ability for someone of his size – good pace, agility and leap with clean hands. His kicking on the right foot is prodigious and he is capable of kicking goals from 60 metres and his kicking is generally on target. There are some queries over his work rate but the big issue with him is the fact that he appears to be injury prone. A forthcoming shoulder reconstruction will not be particularly helpful but a club that is desperate for his type might consider drafting him early to be a gamble worth taking. Matthew Panos (Norwood, SA) Height: 192cm, Weight: 85kg, DOB: 25.01.91 Full Forward The All Australian full forward Was the leading goalkicker of the under 18 championships but appears to have slipped out of first round contention, perhaps simply because he is not a fashionable player. Panos is a genuine full forward who leads strongly, has clean hands and makes good decisions. Is good around goals and an excellent kick of the football. There is a query on his endurance which remains important even though he plays at one end of the ground. Nathan Vardy (Gippsland Power, VIC) Height: 198cm, Weight: 89kg, DOB: 25/06/91 Ruckman Vardy stands out as the best ruckman in a draft that is very light on for big men. What makes him stand out are his ruckwork and general all round football skills, a combination that is not common in many young big men. He's very strong overhead, kicks well and has the agility required of the modern breed of ruckman. There are other talls in the field but, as I've already pointed out, they're pretty thin on the ground. Of the remaining tall players worthy of consideration, I list the following: James Craig (North Adelaide, SA) Height: 195cm, Weight: 91kg, DOB: 18.04.91 Ruckman/defender Jack Fitzpatrick (Western Jets, VIC) Height: 201cm, Weight: 85kg, DOB: 26.06.91 Full Forward/Ruck Max Gawn (Sandringham Dragons, VIC) Height: 206cm, Weight: 97kg, DOB: 28.12.91 Ruckman Dylan Grimes (Northern Knights, VIC) Height: 192cm, Weight: 81kg, DOB: 16.07.91 Defender Dylan Roberton (Dandenong Stingrays, VIC) Height: 190cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 21.06.91 Defender Troy Taylor (NT Thunder, NT) Height: 188cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 12.09.91 Forward To sum up the talls in 2009, I would say that you shouldn't expect to get much value picking a tall player beyond about 25 (although a recycled Mitch Thorp taken late might turn out a good selection) but then again, it's just one of those drafts.

THE THIRD DRAFT: Continuing Stevo's guide to the last Thursday in November as told to Whispering Jack THE TALLS I have been asked why is it that, in terms of this year's national draft, the midfielders so dominate the talls in both quality and depth. Perhaps one way to respond is to look at the 2009 NAB AFL under 18 All-Australian team: B: Andrew Hooper (VC) Blayne Wilson (WA) Bradley Sheppard (WA) HB: Josh Toy (VM) Daniel Talia (VM) David Swallow (WA) C: Anthony Morabito (WA) Dustin Martin (VC) Mitchell Duncan (WA) HF: Kane Lucas (WA) Jack Darling (WA) Gary Rohan (VC) F: Brandon Matera (WA) Matthew Panos (SA) Ben Cunnington (VC) Foll: James Craig (SA) Jack Trengove (SA) Tom Scully (VM) IC: Luke Tapscott (SA) Ryan Harwood (TAS) Dylan McNeil (NSW/ACT) Travis Colyer (WA) From the team of 22, five are too young to be drafted this year by the AFL clubs and most are destined for the Gold Coast. Two of them - Blayne Wilson and Jack Darling are key position talls. Of the remaining 17 players judged to be the elite players from the 2009 National Under 18 championships, ruckman James Craig from South Australia is the tallest at 195cm. Centre half back Daniel Talia (at 194cm) and full forward Matthew Panos (192cm) are the only other players you would describe as a "tall" leaving a preponderance of medium and small players in this illustrious field. Then there's the spectre of injury. Many prime candidates among the taller brigade had their year clouded by injury problems. Two early season top 10 draft candidates in Maffra key forward John Butcher and Western Jets ruckman Jack Fitzpatrick have had injury interrupted seasons which have seen their stocks slide. Strongly built Eastern Ranges tall forward Ben Griffiths, probably the most injury prone of them all, has had a multitude of ailments over the past two seasons will soon undergo a shoulder reconstruction as a result of an injury in the early part of the TAC Cup finals series while versatile Jake Carlisle, considered a likely first-round choice from the Calder Cannons, is also in the wars with a back problem. All Australian Talia missed most of the second half of the season with hamstring issues. The tallest potential draftee is 207cm Sandringham Dragon ruckman sustained a knee injury before this year's under-18 championships and had little game time during the season. With many of the best talls confined to the infirmary, the medium sized players have dominated this year's draft discussions. That latter group has also gained much prominence in modern times because of the importance of the midfield in the modern game which has elevated medium sized on ballers in particular to the games loftiest heights. When you add this to the fact that this category of player develops sooner than its taller counterparts, then the advantages of drafting medium sized becomes clear. There have been many recruiting disasters among the taller group of players in recent times to make most recruiters wary. Only a special type of tall player is going to fight his way into top ten calculations these days. So I'm taking the plunge with my look at the better talls and, once again, will follow my views up with the comments of their coaches taken from Inside Football: - Paradoxically, I can only squeeze one tall into my top ten as one of Port Adelaide's consecutive selections although, in many ways, John Butcher makes it more on reputation than on 2009 performance. John Butcher (Gippsland Power, VIC) Height: 197cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 03.07.91 Tall forward Butcher has good height and last year stood out as an excellent contested mark who was good below the knees and, considering his size, above average in pace and endurance. This year he was injured (fractured hand and quad strain) and the attributes he showed as a bottom age player did not show out as much. His performances became inconsistent and his kicking for goal and general field kicking became very iffy. As a result, his stocks fell from a top five rating to top twelve. He remains the best credentialed key forward prospect in the forthcoming draft and a mid first round selection beckons. QUOTE IF: "John is a key forward who could play down back and in the ruck if he wanted to. Very agile and quick for his height. Had an injury interrupted pre-season but played very well for us and at national carnival level he copped a bit of scrutiny and didn't play as well as he would have liked. We think he's a super talent and he'll go on and be a very good AFL player. He's a superb contested mark. He was ranked very highly in the TAC Cup for contested marks. The way he moves is exceptional," - Gippsland Power coach Damian Carroll. Vic Country representative 2008/09. AIS-AFL academy graduate There are three other talls who I rate a little behind Butcher but who are likely go in the first round as double digit selections. One of these could easily end up a Demon selected at pick 11 in next week's draft. Daniel Talia (Calder Cannons, VIC) Height: 194cm, Weight: 89kg, DOB: 02.10.91 Tall back The All-Australian centre half-back at this year's under-18 championships but he is much more than just a high quality key defender. He takes a good mark, can also play forward and has such great all-round athletic qualities with good pace and endurance and excellent ball getting skills and reasonably good disposal that he can also play midfield for periods during games (as he did in the final championship game against South Australia at Etihad Stadium). A hamstring injury curtailed the latter part of his year QUOTE IF: "We played Daniel at centre half forward and he's an All Australian at centre half back, so he can play at either end, as well as midfield which he did at times for Vic Metro. He's a big unit and he wouldn't look out of place in an AFL team tomorrow. He's a genuine tall who I think will be very attractive to some clubs- Calder Cannons coach Martin Allison. Vic Metro representative 2009. All Australian 2009 Aaron Black (Peel Thunder, WA) Height: 193cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 29.11.90 Tall forward Aaron Black was a virtual unknown when many of the other draft contenders were battling it out in the national under 18 championships. He was a little over a month too old for inclusion in the carnival and was working away putting good performances on the board as a high marking, athletic key forward in the WA Colts for Peel Thunder. His star rose as the season went on and he gained selection at senior WAFL level where he again shone. Being a late starter, it is considered that he has plenty more development in him. QUOTE IF: "Aaron is a key forward who can also have a run in the ruck and has done some good jobs down back. He has good speed for his size, terrific hands (he came from a basketball background so is very good with his hands). Played Colts for most of the year and a couple of games of seniors towards the end of the year where he picked up some best and grounds, which was a pretty good effort. Really ready to go and I think he's going to do very well" - Peel Thunder Colts coach Michael Pratt Jake Carlisle (Calder Cannons, VIC) Height: 197cm, Weight: 87kg, DOB: 01.10.91 Tall forward Carlisle is another who grew in stature as the season wore on. Although he was noted as a tall forward, he was moved to the centre half back post when Talia was injured and excelled in that position thanks to his mobility, good aerial presence, clean marking and accurate disposal whether around the ground or near goals making him one of the very best key position prospects in this year's crop QUOTE IF: "Jake can play forward or back and I don't think he quite realises how good he can be. He's got enormous potential once he gets a bit of confidence in his own ability. His skills are good and particularly up to 40 metres his kicking is really good - somewhere up in the middle 70s in terms of efficiency. He's possibly a late first round or early second round selection," - Calder Cannons coach Martin Allison. Vic Metro representative 2009 The next tier of tall players could sneak into the first round and in this group I include the player who I believe could easily be the first ruck prospect whose name is called out in the draft. Benjamin Griffiths (Eastern Ranges, VIC) Height: 198cm, Weight: 99kg, DOB: 17.09.91 Tall forward Griffiths is a big, strong key forward who has deceptively strong athletic ability for someone of his size – good pace, agility and leap with clean hands. His kicking on the right foot is prodigious and he is capable of kicking goals from 60 metres and his kicking is generally on target. There are some queries over his work rate but the big issue with him is the fact that he appears to be injury prone. A forthcoming shoulder reconstruction will not be particularly helpful but a club that is desperate for his type might consider drafting him early to be a gamble worth taking. QUOTE IF: "Ben's a power forward who had some injury concerns during the year, but when he was fit and playing well he was really dangerous. He kicked six goals against the eventual premier (Calder Cannons) but he didn't do a lot at the draft camp because he had a crook shoulder. He played two games for Vic Metro and in one of them he kicked five goals in a half against NSW/ACT. The thing that will push him up is his mobility for his size. His speed over 20 metres is really good and his agility and clean ball at ground level is great. There aren't many like him in the draft and we hope he goes maybe late second or third round. We've had clubs tell us he will go late and others say he'll go really early." - Eastern Ranges region manager Anthony Parkin. Vic Metro representative 2009 Matthew Panos (Norwood, SA) Height: 192cm, Weight: 85kg, DOB: 25.01.91 Full Forward The All Australian full forward Was the leading goalkicker of the under 18 championships but appears to have slipped out of first round contention, perhaps simply because he is not a fashionable player. Panos is a genuine full forward who leads strongly, has clean hands and makes good decisions. Is good around goals and an excellent kick of the football. There is a query on his endurance which remains important even though he plays at one end of the ground. QUOTE "Matthew came out of the college system in 2008 and hasn't played a lot of footy - he's probably played for only the past two or so years. He comes from an indoor soccer background and he's a very good volleyball and tennis player. He played state indoor soccer so he's very nimble on his feet. This year he went to university and started our year in the Under 18s, went on and played state Under 18s and had a really good carnival and then ended the year by playing two games in the senior side. Plays key forward and is a magnificent kick and mark. Other than that, everything else is good without being super." - Norwood development manager David Oatey. SA representative 2009. All Australian 2009 Nathan Vardy (Gippsland Power, VIC) Height: 198cm, Weight: 89kg, DOB: 25/06/91 Ruckman Vardy stands out as the best ruckman in a draft that is very light on for big men. What makes him stand out are his ruckwork and general all round football skills, a combination that is not common in many young big men. He's very strong overhead, kicks well and has the agility required of the modern breed of ruckman. QUOTE "Nathan's a ruckman who I think was right up there with the best ruckmen in the TAC Cup. Very athletic, moves across the ground really well and has good skills for a big guy. He dominated some matches this season for us after having an injury interrupted 2008." - Gippsland Power coach Damian Carroll. Vic Country representative 2009 There are other talls in the field but, as I've already pointed out, they're pretty thin on the ground. Of the remaining tall players worthy of consideration, I list the following: James Craig (North Adelaide, SA) Height: 195cm, Weight: 91kg, DOB: 18.04.91 Ruckman/defender QUOTE "James has come through our system and he's a ruck-man with a beautiful tap. He's very athletic and given he's 196cm someone might look at him to play a key position role because he might be a bit small for a ruck in the AFL Did that at reserves level and did OK. Played two league games late in the year and did well. A great kid who really wants to learn." - North Adelaide football manager James Moore SA Representative 2009 Jack Fitzpatrick (Western Jets, VIC) Height: 201cm, Weight: 85kg, DOB: 26.06.91 Full Forward/Ruck QUOTE "Fitzy's up around the 200cm mark and he's very mobile for his size which was highlighted by the fact he ran under three seconds for 20 metres. He was No.1 at the draft camp for repeated sprints and did OK in the beep test. Worked really hard towards the end of the season on his fitness because for some reason he was a little down this year after having a really good 2008. He is yet to do a pre-season because he's had chronic fatigue syndrome which obviously has played a part in hindering his development. We played him forward and back and while we didn't play him much in the ruck he played there with Vic Metro. Skills aren't too bad, although he needs to keep working on his kicking, but he's a good contested mark and on a lead he's very hard to beat. I think he'll get drafted and when he gets into the AFL system I think he's got the attributes to take the next step." Western Jets coach Steve Kretiuk. Vic Metro representative 2009. AIS-AFL Academy graduate Max Gawn (Sandringham Dragons, VIC) Height: 206cm, Weight: 97kg, DOB: 28.12.91 Ruckman QUOTE "Max played only four games because he did his ACL in Round 5 against the Geelong Falcons. The games he played up to that point he certainly showed a lot of promise and being 206cm if he makes an AFL list he'd be the second tallest player in the AFL. He came into the system late last year and played a handful of games but he was still very raw. Misses the cut off as a top-age player by one day so he's yet to turn 18 but he's got another 12 months development in him again. Potentially he's got some outstanding attributes and the signs he displayed early in the year were very promising." Sandringham Dragons coach Dale Tapping Dylan Grimes (Northern Knights, VIC) Height: 192cm, Weight: 81kg, DOB: 16.07.91 Defender QUOTE "Dylan has probably been disadvantaged a little this year because he's had to play in a key defensive spot but he's better suited to a wing/half back. Flank. It's been tough for him because he hasn't got huge body strength but he's got all the requirements to play AFL football". Northern Knights coach Denis Pagan. Vic Metro representative 2009 Dylan Roberton (Dandenong Stingrays, VIC) Height: 190cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 21.06.91 Defender QUOTE "Dylan's a 190cm half-back flanker who has really jumped out of the ground as an 18-year-old this year. There was a fair bit to work on after his first year with us but he got a lot stronger, a lot fitter and a hell of a lot more competitive. He's quite en attacking defender, and while he is good defensively, he's very good at rebounding and kicks the ball well both sides of his body. He's got some good attributes and I can see him playing a bit of AFL" - Dandenong Stingrays coach Graeme Yeats. Troy Taylor (NT Thunder, NT) Height: 188cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 12.09.91 Forward QUOTE "The most publicised of the players from the NT given his chequered past (missed the 2008 season because he was in a juvenile detention centre). Has vowed to do everything right to make something of his life with football. He is a smooth moving medium forward who reads the ball well and is very agile when the ball hits the deck. Some scouts are calling him the next Michael O'Loughlin. Has a good defensive mindset and great ability to win contested ball. I'd expect a club to give him a chance early in the second round." - AFLNT talent and coaching manager Jarrod Chipperfield. NT representative 2009. To sum up the talls in 2009, I would say that you shouldn't expect to get much value picking a tall player beyond about 25 (although a recycled Mitch Thorp taken late might turn out a good selection) but then again, it's just one of those drafts.

HISTORY OF THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB: PART TWO - THE COLONIAL BOYS by The Professor Colonial Victoria had thrown off the shackles of its infancy by the late 1870's. Culturally, politically and economically it was becoming a major force among the handful of far-flung colonies that would, by the turn of the century, unite in Federation. In 1877 large tracts of land had been developed and settled; Ned Kelly and his band of bushrangers were making ready to cause havoc in the countryside and the first ever test cricket match was played on the Melbourne Cricket Ground between Australia and England. Within two months of that historic match, the other big sport achieved a major boost with the formation of a controlling body to administer Australian Rules in Victoria in May 1877. The Victorian Football Association had as its foundation members Albert Park (later South Melbourne), Carlton, East Melbourne, Essendon, Geelong, Hotham (North Melbourne), Melbourne and St. Kilda. The Melbourne Football Club played its first VFA match against Hotham on Saturday 2nd June 1877, a game that resulted in a draw. In the early seasons of the competition, the club was barred from using the MCG, as it was feared that the footballers would damage the ground. Melbourne maintained a position of strength without attaining premiership success finishing runners up to Carlton and Geelong respectively in 1877 and 1878 before dropping to fourth in the following season. In 1880 the Melbourne Football Club was finally allowed to use the ground for half the season and the first football night match was played there that year. The Melbourne Cricket Club was already beginning to notice the financial benefits that could be derived from football. The 1880's were not kind to the Melbourne Football Club. The team was still able to hold onto fourth position for three of the first four years of the decade before gradually slipping to rock bottom in the crisis year of 1889. Earlier, club finances had taken a severe jolt when the stand, which could hold 3000 people, was destroyed by fire in 1884. The year 1889 was crucial to the development of the Melbourne Football Club. Its financial and administrative situation was disastrous and its on field performances were lagging. At this point the Melbourne Cricket Club stepped in and took control of the football club - a move that was to save the Redlegs, as they were now known, from extinction. The takeover and the resultant strengthened administration brought significant improvement to the team's fortunes. The influence of the MCC helped recruit footballers who could find jobs on various grounds controlled by the Club. As the nation moved into a period of economic uncertainty, this was a boon to the young man who could play football and the club returned to the top echelon finishing fourth with ten wins in 1892 and then second to Essendon in both 1893 and 1894. One of Melbourne's stars of the late 1890's was Tasmanian Fred McGinis - a favourite of supporters and one of the first of a long line of champion players with the club. Melbourne remained strong with third and fourth place finishes in 1895 and 1896 respectively - performances that cemented a place for Melbourne in what was to emerge as the new major competition - the Victorian Football League ...

THE SECOND DRAFT: Continuing Stevo's guide to the last Thursday in November as told to Whispering Jack THE MIDFIELDERS The forthcoming national draft has already been dubbed "the midfielder's draft" and not without good reason. In the estimation of many draft watchers, the first round of this year's draft will be dominated by mid sized young talent. I have an explanation for this phenomenon and will discuss the dearth of quality young talls next time. Suffice to say that although one or two key position players might sneak into the top ten, they are generally thin on the ground at the moment. As for the big ruckmen, most clubs are loath to use early picks on them unless they are absolute top shelf but this year, they simply can't be found at all. I expect to see no more than two of them at best in the top forty. The general category of "midfielders" has been extended over time with the evolution of the game and it now also includes middle-sized defenders and forwards who can also take up on ball roles during games. My two selections in the First Draft are perfect examples. Tom Scully was often used at the Stingrays on a defensive or a forward flank while Jack Trengove is an on baller who can go forward and kick goals. Both are expected to settle into midfield roles once they have a couple of seasons worth of experience in their legs. The strong pool of midfield talent available after Scully and Trengove is headed by Dustin Martin and Anthony Morabito who I expect will go to Richmond and Fremantle respectively. I look at the players in question and follow my views up with the comments of their coaches taken from that excellent publication Inside Football: - Dustin Martin (Bendigo Pioneers) Height: 187cm, Weight: 86kg, DOB: 26.06.91 Medium Forward/Midfielder Last month Richmond President declared that his club intended to take either Trengove or Martin with its first pick (third overall) in the national draft. On that basis Dustin Martin will become a Tiger on 26 November. Martin is a ball magnet who is an excellent kick on both sides of the body and, like my first two picks, can play both inside and outside and has pace and good strength. He can be handy going up forward and tested well at the draft camp. Richmond will welcome this quality midfielder with good foot skills. Anthony Morabito (Peel Thunder, WA) Height: 190cm, Weight: 90kg, DOB: 29.10.91 Midfielder Morabito impressed as a bottom aged player in WA's under 18 team last year despite being in the shadow of Naitanui, Rich and co. This year, he starred in his state's championship win as a dynamic game breaking utility who is strong in the air, fast on the ground and often can have a major impact with one or two thrilling patches of football. There's a slight question mark over his kicking but it's not too bad and can be worked upon. Slightly taller than most midfielders, he has been likened to a young Adam Goodes and Fremantle would be happy to see him moulded into a player of Goodes' versatility. An apprenticeship under Matthew Pavlich beckons. With the first four selections locked away, the speculation should begin as to when the first tall will be selected although, if like most you're watching the television package where the top ten are revealed in reverse, this point is largely irrelevant. For my part I'll go out on a limb and suggest that the first of the talls will be taken by Port Adelaide with one of its two consecutive picks at 8 or 9. The next group of midfielders will be a pair from that prolific recruiting ground, the Geelong Falcons followed by some more medium sized players from WA and SA. I have a feeling that North will opt for a solid citizen and the Swans might fancy the exciting redhead from Cobden in Gary Rohan while West Coast and Port Adelaide might settle for some home grown talent. Another midfielder in this category is Gippsland's Koby Stevens but the dreaded osteitis pubis has had an impact on his draft stocks. Ben Cunnington (Geelong Falcons, VIC) Height: 186cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 30.06.91 Medium Forward/Midfielder Cunnington is the type you would want with you fighting in the trenches - a team player who never gives up, who has good foot skills, handles the ball cleanly and is strong in the one on ones and in the air. He can play anywhere. Gary Rohan (Geelong Falcons, VIC) Height: 186cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 07.06.91 Medium Forward/Midfielder The big improver of 2009, Rohan was rejected by the Falcons last year and played at full back for his home town team Cobden . Given a second chance this year and moved forward early in the season, his impact was immediate. He gained selection in the Victorian Country team for the national under 18 championships where he starred with his blistering speed, strong marking, evasive skills and ability to weave in and out of traffic. Still has a lot of improvement in him but will undoubtedly be an exciting player to watch in the years to come. Lewis Jetta (Swan Districts, WA) Height: 178cm, Weight: 72kg, DOB: 04.05.89 Midfielder/Small forward When Melbourne's Barry Prendergast lobbed into Bunbury last year to speak with prospective draftee Neville Jetta, he met the youngster's mother who was effusive in her praise of nephew Lewis. The scout hadn't seen him and at that late stage couldn't fit Lewis into his recruiting plans which is a pity because Jetta tool the WAFL by storm this year and is now being spoken of as a likely first rounder. The word is that the Eagles are keen on the pacy winger/forward who tackles strongly, runs through the lines and loves kicking goals which in true indigenous fashion often look truly magical. If the Eagles choose Kane Lucas ahead of him, then the Bombers might swoop on him as a replacement for Andrew Lovett. Kane Lucas (East Fremantle, WA) Height: 188cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 26.06.91 Medium Forward/Midfielder Lucas is another who represented Western Australia at the last two national championships because he's a gun. He has great athleticism and has excellent ball handling and kicking skills. He defends strongly and his pace, vision and awareness enables him to break through the lines to stunning effect. Luke Tapscott (North Adelaide, SA) Height: 180cm, Weight: 86kg, DOB: 28.06.91 Medium Forward/Midfielder I expect Port Adelaide to use one of its first round selections on the solid bodied Tapscott who has impressed for South Australia at the last two national championships as a goal kicking forward/midfielder whose accurate kicking is an enormous asset. He has shown he can match it with the men in the SANFL and has been likened to a Daniel Rich. He can take a mark and has clean hands and would help fill the void created at Alberton as a result of the loss of the Burgoyne brothers. Koby Stevens (Gippsland Power, VIC) Height: 187cm, Weight: 83kg, DOB: 18.06.91 Midfielder At the start of the season two Gippsland Power players, John Butcher and Koby Stevens featured heavily in discussions on the draft's top five contenders but both have slipped down in contention. Butcher's fall has been attributed to a combination of injury, some inconsistent performances and questions about his disposal. He might still go top 10. Stevens was stuck down with OP late in the season and, in his absence in the finals, Gippsland's hopes plummeted as did his own prospects of early draft selection. However, Stevens is a clever footballer with a strong hands and a solid body and fits well as an inside midfielder who can win the contested ball. He can take marks, tackles strongly and would make an excellent choice at any one of the clubs in the latter part of the first round as he's a ready to go midfield prospect. There's plenty more midfield and small to middle size talent around who can play in defensive and forward roles. Some in the latter category would aspire to develop into midfield roles. I expect some of the following names to feature possibly in the latter part of the first round and certainly in later rounds of the second draft (and I've included one "recycled" player but have no access to his coach's comments):- Roland Ah Chee (NT) Height: 184cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 21.11.90 Midfielder/Medium Forward Callum Bartlett (Geelong Falcons, VIC Height: 179cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 19/06/91 Midfielder Luke Ball (St. Kilda) Height: 183cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 25.05.84 Midfielder Ryan Bastinac (Dandenong Stingrays, VIC) Height: 183cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 22/06/91 Midfielder/Medium Forward Alex Carey (Glenelg, SA) Height: 181cm, Weight: 76kg, DOB: 27.08.91 Midfielder Allen Christensen (Geelong Falcons, VIC) Height: 176cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 19.05.91 Midfielder/Small Forward Travis Colyer (Claremont, WA) Height: 175cm, Weight: 73kg, DOB: 24.8.91 Midfielder/Small Forward Jessie Crichton (Tassie Mariners, TAS) Height: 183cm, Weight: 66kg, DOB: 18/06/91 Midfielder Mitch Duncan (East Perth, WA) Height: 188cm, Weight: 81kg, DOB: 10.6.91 Midfielder/Forward Nat Fyfe (Claremont, WA) Height: 186cm, Weight: 73kg, DOB: 18.09.91 Midfielder/Medium Forward Jordan Gysberts (Eastern Ranges, VIC) Height: 188cm, Weight: 83kg, DOB: 11.06.91Midfielder/Medium Forward Ryan Harwood (Tassie Mariners, TAS) Height: 184cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 08.07.91 Midfielder/Medium Defender Andrew Hooper (North Ballarat Rebels, VIC) Height: 172cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 18.01.91 Midfielder Jasper MacmIllan-Pittard (Geelong Falcons, VIC) Height 185cm Weight 72kg, DOB 1/1/91 Midfielder Dylan McNeil (Murray Bushrangers, NSW) Height: 178cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 20/03/91 Midfielder Jake Melksham (Calder Cannons, VIC) Height: 182cm, Weight: 69kg, DOB: 29.8.91 Midfielder Andrew Moore (Eastern Ranges, VIC) Height: 188cm, Weight: 81kg, DOB: 30.05.91 Utility Brad Sheppard (East Fremantle, WA) Height: 186cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 23.05.91 Medium Defender/Midfielder So there you have an eclectic bunch of potential draftees in the small to middle size range. I have a feeling that most of them won't be in Melbourne's range for its third and fourth picks at 11 and 18 because the Demons might go tall at this stage. However, the entry of Luke Ball into the picture might well change things. I believe that Ball will go in the mid to late teens and would be value for the Demons at 18. If the club is prepared to risk him with this pick they would gain a true bonus player as long as his body can stand up to the rigours of the game. There's no doubt that several clubs would grab the opportunity to get him and he would only be a remote chance to end up at his preferred location at the Lexus Centre with the Magpies. If the Demons decide against or miss out on Ball, the player who I like is Carey from Adelaide. There's just something about players with that surname coming from that part of the world that's appealing purely from a football point of view. This Carey might fit in with Melbourne's designs and he impressed me at the NAB AFL U18 Championships. The Croweater who was a team mate of fellow Adelaide youngster Jack Trengove, could well fill the void left by the departure of Brock McLean. He's a good decision maker who tackles hard and makes his presence felt and likely to be available at the start of the third round. Next time round, I'll be looking at the talls.

THE SECOND DRAFT: Continuing Stevo's guide to the last Thursday in November as told to Whispering Jack THE MIDFIELDERS The forthcoming national draft has already been dubbed "the midfielder's draft" and not without good reason. In the estimation of many draft watchers, the first round of this year's draft will be dominated by mid sized young talent. I have an explanation for this phenomenon and will discuss the dearth of quality young talls next time. Suffice to say that although one or two key position players might sneak into the top ten, they are generally thin on the ground at the moment. As for the big ruckmen, most clubs are loath to use early picks on them unless they are absolute top shelf but this year, they simply can't be found at all. I expect to see no more than two of them at best in the top forty. The general category of "midfielders" has been extended over time with the evolution of the game and it now also includes middle-sized defenders and forwards who can also take up on ball roles during games. My two selections in the First Draft are perfect examples. Tom Scully was often used at the Stingrays on a defensive or a forward flank while Jack Trengove is an on baller who can go forward and kick goals. Both are expected to settle into midfield roles once they have a couple of seasons worth of experience in their legs. The strong pool of midfield talent available after Scully and Trengove is headed by Dustin Martin and Anthony Morabito who I expect will go to Richmond and Fremantle respectively. I look at the players in question and follow my views up with the comments of their coaches taken from that excellent publication Inside Football: - Dustin Martin (Bendigo Pioneers) Height: 187cm, Weight: 86kg, DOB: 26.06.91 Medium Forward/Midfielder Last month Richmond President declared that his club intended to take either Trengove or Martin with its first pick (third overall) in the national draft. On that basis Dustin Martin will become a Tiger on 26 November. Martin is a ball magnet who is an excellent kick on both sides of the body and, like my first two picks, can play both inside and outside and has pace and good strength. He can be handy going up forward and tested well at the draft camp. Richmond will welcome this quality midfielder with good foot skills. QUOTE IF: "Dustin's a quality midfielder who was selected in the All Australian team in the middle. A very good kick both sides of the body and kicks the ball a long way with a lot of penetration. Very strong and can go forward and kick a goal. Tested well in the 20-metre sprint at the draft camp and also did well in the new kicking test. A real inside player who is very brave and just has a great work ethic. He does everything well but the one area of his game that is exceptional is his kicking - with both feet and the depth he can get is a real feature of his play. He's a 70-metre player in that he can carry it 15 and kick it 55." - Bendigo Pioneers coach Mark Ellis. Vic Country representative 2009. Ail Australian 2009 Anthony Morabito (Peel Thunder, WA) Height: 190cm, Weight: 90kg, DOB: 29.10.91 Midfielder Morabito impressed as a bottom aged player in WA's under 18 team last year despite being in the shadow of Naitanui, Rich and co. This year, he starred in his state's championship win as a dynamic game breaking utility who is strong in the air, fast on the ground and often can have a major impact with one or two thrilling patches of football. There's a slight question mark over his kicking but it's not too bad and can be worked upon. Slightly taller than most midfielders, he has been likened to a young Adam Goodes and Fremantle would be happy to see him moulded into a player of Goodes' versatility. An apprenticeship under Matthew Pavlich beckons. QUOTE IF: "'He's a 190cm midfielder and he's a terrific run-and-carry type player who is a reasonable - without being outstanding - kick and can kick goals. Has good hands, is good below his knees and has a big body size. All the comparisons are between him and Adam Goodes, but is he like him? I don't know. What he has got is that game breaking size and ability. Played senior football all season and won the Rising Star for the WAFL competition. He's a terrific young talent and he could be bloody anything down the track." - Peel Thunder Colts coach Michael Pratt. WA MVP under 18 championships 2009. All Australian 2009. AIS-AFL academy graduate With the first four selections locked away, the speculation should begin as to when the first tall will be selected although, if like most you're watching the television package where the top ten are revealed in reverse, this point is largely irrelevant. For my part I'll go out on a limb and suggest that the first of the talls will be taken by Port Adelaide with one of its two consecutive picks at 8 or 9. The next group of midfielders will be a pair from that prolific recruiting ground, the Geelong Falcons followed by some more medium sized players from WA and SA. I have a feeling that North will opt for a solid citizen and the Swans might fancy the exciting redhead from Cobden in Gary Rohan while West Coast and Port Adelaide might settle for some home grown talent. Another midfielder in this category is Gippsland's Koby Stevens but the dreaded osteitis pubis has had an impact on his draft stocks. Ben Cunnington (Geelong Falcons, VIC) Height: 186cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 30.06.91 Medium Forward/Midfielder Cunnington is the type you would want with you fighting in the trenches - a team player who never gives up, who has good foot skills, handles the ball cleanly and is strong in the one on ones and in the air. He can play anywhere. QUOTE IF: "He is probably the best kid that I've coached in regard to preparation. You look at (Travis) Boak and (Patrick) Dangerfield and he's very similar to those guys but I reckon he's gone past them this year with his professionalism, which is just outstanding. A real Joel Selwood type who is probably the toughest kid in the TAC Cup. Wins his own footy, very, very good overhead, can play down back, in the midfield and can play forward. Perhaps he could work on his leg speed and he sometimes need to chase the footy a bit more because he sort of plays; little middle-back like (Jimmy) Bartel. I expect him to go pretty early and he could one day captain an AFL club." - Geelong Falcons coach Garry Hocking. Vic Country representative 2009. Ail Australian 2001 Gary Rohan (Geelong Falcons, VIC) Height: 186cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 07.06.91 Medium Forward/Midfielder The big improver of 2009, Rohan was rejected by the Falcons last year and played at full back for his home town team Cobden . Given a second chance this year and moved forward early in the season, his impact was immediate. He gained selection in the Victorian Country team for the national under 18 championships where he starred with his blistering speed, strong marking, evasive skills and ability to weave in and out of traffic. Still has a lot of improvement in him but will undoubtedly be an exciting player to watch in the years to come. QUOTE IF: "Gary is an interesting one. He's a bit random because you never know what you're going to get with him but he's very exciting ... probably the most exciting kid we've had in the program. He has a very good vertical leap, is very quick for his size, physically needs to develop but his pressure in and around the forward line and his ability to chase down people is outstanding - it's AFL like. He could be anything but he's hit and miss at this stage." - Geelong Falcons coach Garry Hocking. Vic Country MVP 2009. All Australian 2009 Lewis Jetta (Swan Districts, WA) Height: 178cm, Weight: 72kg, DOB: 04.05.89 Midfielder/Small forward When Melbourne's Barry Prendergast lobbed into Bunbury last year to speak with prospective draftee Neville Jetta, he met the youngster's mother who was effusive in her praise of nephew Lewis. The scout hadn't seen him and at that late stage couldn't fit Lewis into his recruiting plans which is a pity because Jetta tool the WAFL by storm this year and is now being spoken of as a likely first rounder. The word is that the Eagles are keen on the pacy winger/forward who tackles strongly, runs through the lines and loves kicking goals which in true indigenous fashion often look truly magical. If the Eagles choose Kane Lucas ahead of him, then the Bombers might swoop on him as a replacement for Andrew Lovett. QUOTE IF: Lewis played across half forward and on the wing for us with a few stints across half back and as the year progressed he got more and more adjusted to senior football. Started the year in the seniors and spent all year there and by the end of the season he was one of our better players, including in our first final. He's a cousin of Leroy at Essendon and he has really good pace, is a good user of the footy and a sold decision maker, which is one of his strengths. He played at Bridgetown in the bush and that really helped him adjust to senior footy, because he'd had a year playing against bigger bodies." - Swan Districts football manager, Matt Peach Kane Lucas (East Fremantle, WA) Height: 188cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 26.06.91 Medium Forward/Midfielder Lucas is another who represented Western Australia at the last two national championships because he's a gun. He has great athleticism and has excellent ball handling and kicking skills. He defends strongly and his pace, vision and awareness enables him to break through the lines to stunning effect. QUOTE IF: Kane plays mostly off the half back flank but did go into the midfield so he's versatile in what he can do. Grew into his role and played seniors with us this year after progressing through the Colts in 2008. His father played for the Sydney Swans {John, 19 games, 1982-84) and Kane is a very well balanced player who is poised with the ball in his hands. A terrific character and a great kid and I suppose there was a bit of a question mark on his footy early in 2009 and we pushed him back into the Colts to work on his defensive side of his game. He took it on board, went back and worked on it, improved on it and ended the year back in the seniors. Good speed, good agility, good endurance and marks the ball very well overhead. I reckon he's a top 10 prospect and definitely a first-round draft pick.' - East Fremantle coach Shane Woewodin. WA representative 2009. All Australian 2009. AIS-AFL academy graduate Luke Tapscott (North Adelaide, SA) Height: 180cm, Weight: 86kg, DOB: 28.06.91 Medium Forward/Midfielder I expect Port Adelaide to use one of its first round selections on the solid bodied Tapscott who has impressed for South Australia at the last two national championships as a goal kicking forward/midfielder whose accurate kicking is an enormous asset. He has shown he can match it with the men in the SANFL and has been likened to a Daniel Rich. He can take a mark and has clean hands and would help fill the void created at Alberton as a result of the loss of the Burgoyne brothers. QUOTE IF: "Luke's an inside midfielder who can play forward and has been known to kick bags of goals. He's a beautiful kid and easily has a leg capable of kicking the ball 60 metres. Played five senior games for us this year, including the finals, and acquitted himself quite well. He's got a man's body, which allowed us to put him into senior footy this year. I think he can make the step quite easily." - North Adelaide football manager James Moore. SA representative 2009. All Australian 2009. Koby Stevens (Gippsland Power, VIC) Height: 187cm, Weight: 83kg, DOB: 18.06.91 Midfielder At the start of the season two Gippsland Power players, John Butcher and Koby Stevens featured heavily in discussions on the draft's top five contenders but both have slipped down in contention. Butcher's fall has been attributed to a combination of injury, some inconsistent performances and questions about his disposal. He might still go top 10. Stevens was stuck down with OP late in the season and, in his absence in the finals, Gippsland's hopes plummeted as did his own prospects of early draft selection. However, Stevens is a clever footballer with a strong hands and a solid body and fits well as an inside midfielder who can win the contested ball. He can take marks, tackles strongly and would make an excellent choice at any one of the clubs in the latter part of the first round as he's a ready to go midfield prospect. QUOTE IF: A midfielder who is very strong and hard at the footy and the player with the ball. He was the AIS captain this year and played only eight games for us because of AIS and Vic Country duties. Suffered osteitis pubis late in the year but I think has just commenced running. A very talented player who is very clean with what he does and very professional." – Gippsland Power coach Damian Carroll. Vic Country representative 2009. AIS-AFL academy graduate. There's plenty more midfield and small to middle size talent around who can play in defensive and forward roles. Some in the latter category would aspire to develop into midfield roles. I expect some of the following names to feature possibly in the latter part of the first round and certainly in later rounds of the second draft (and I've included one "recycled" player but have no access to his coach's comments):- Roland Ah Chee (NT) Height: 184cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 21.11.90 Midfielder/Medium Forward QUOTE IF: Had a fantastic under 18 national carnival and considered unlucky not to be named All Australian. He has excellent ball winning ability and his disposal skills have improved immensely over the past year. Boasts good athleticism, speed and endurance (ran a 15. beep test at the SA screening). Will be hopeful of picking up a spot on a rookie list or possibly higher on the strength of his excellent tests. He has the potential to be a good defensive midfielder and run-with player." - AFLNT talent and coaching manager Jarrod Chipperfield Callum Bartlett (Geelong Falcons, VIC Height: 179cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 19/06/91 Midfielder QUOTE IF: "Callum hurt his ACL during the pre-season so he didn't play all year. But, he's had a really good rehab and is on track. Played with us as a 17-year-old last year and he's a mid sized left footer and very powerful, which has created some interest. He's very similar to Brisbane's Daniel Rich in that he kicks the footy with penetration and has good power and a body that is ready made, but he doesn't have Rich's game knowledge at this stage, so that's something he needs to develop." - Geelong Falcons coach Garry Hocking Luke Ball (St. Kilda) Height: 183cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 25.05.84 Midfielder Ryan Bastinac (Dandenong Stingrays, VIC) Height: 183cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 22/06/91 Midfielder/Medium Forward QUOTE IF: "Ryan really shone in the endurance test at the draft camp, which underlines the way he plays his football as a tough, hard inside midfielder. He kicks the ball really well both sides, loves the inside stuff and has some fabulous attributes, including a wonderful attitude to his football. A hard trainer who brings a professional attitude to everything." - Dandenong Stingrays coach Graeme Yeats Alex Carey (Glenelg, SA) Height: 181cm, Weight: 76kg, DOB: 27.08.91 Midfielder QUOTE IF: "Alex has great skills and he is coming off a really good national carnival. Played all year in the reserves and is a neat player. Sometimes I worry about his pace as well as his quickness of ball movement and how that will play out at the next level. But, certainly, his skills and his reading of the game is very, very good." - Glenelg development manager Brenton Hole. SA representative 2009. AIS-AFL academy graduate Allen Christensen (Geelong Falcons, VIC) Height: 176cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 19.05.91 Midfielder/Small Forward QUOTE IF: "Allen is the nephew of Marty and Brendan and is a classy midfielder who can go forward and back. If he was at the yearling sales he probably fetch S10 million because he's pretty well bred. He's very, very clever and has really good hands down low. A good decision maker and reads the game pretty well. Needs to work on his body shape in terms of endurance." - Geelong Falcons coach Garry Hocking. Vic Country representative 2009 Travis Colyer (Claremont, WA) Height: 175cm, Weight: 73kg, DOB: 24.8.91 Midfielder/Small Forward QUOTE IF: Travis has exceptional speed and that would be his biggest strength. He's very small, but he's also strong which offsets that. He reminds me a little bit of Brent Harvey in the way he plays. Very quick, has a good change of speed, can kick a goal but mainly breaks the lines through the middle of the ground. Doesn't get really high possessions numbers but what he does get he uses really well." - Claremont football manager Dean Horsington. WA representative 2000. All Australian 2009 Jessie Crichton (Tassie Mariners, TAS) Height: 183cm, Weight: 66kg, DOB: 18/06/91 Midfielder QUOTE IF: "Jesse has been in our system for two years and in many ways it was his season last year that set him up. He's had a good year again this year but he got himself known to recruiters in 2008. He's a very clever, inside player with a great ability to bring others into the game with his hands because of his vision and awareness. Still has a very light body so needs to work on that, but he kicks the ball well with his left foot, although at the moment he lacks penetration because he is so light. Tested OK at the draft and was middle of the road in most areas. Jesse played well in the AIS-AFL academy and he was a respected member of that group." - AFL Tasmania high performance manager Nick Probert. Tasmanian representative 2009. AIS-AFL academy graduate Mitch Duncan (East Perth, WA) Height: 188cm, Weight: 81kg, DOB: 10.6.91 Midfielder/Forward QUOTE IF: "Mitch made his senior debut in Round 1 for us and he's a really dangerous huge forward who can go up onto a wing as well. Possesses good skills on both sides of his body, has great awareness and uses the ball very well. Had a standout game against Peel Thunder late in the year, kicking three goals. Makes the most of all his opportunities, makes good decisions and is very driven." - East Perth football manager Mark Winnett. WA representative 2009. All Australian 2O09 Nat Fyfe (Claremont, WA) Height: 186cm, Weight: 73kg, DOB: 18.09.91 Midfielder/Medium Forward QUOTE IF: Nat's a forward who was one of the best marks in the Colts this year. Very good game sense, reads the play very well and is just an improved player all round. I'd say he'd be a half forward at AFL level and in one game he kicked eight goals and took 16 marks. Not naturally quick but makes up for it by reading the game really well." - Claremont football manager Dean Horsington. WA representative 2009 Jordan Gysberts (Eastern Ranges, VIC) Height: 188cm, Weight: 83kg, DOB: 11.06.91Midfielder/Medium Forward QUOTE IF: Jordan is a genuine midfielder who had a good carnival for Vic Metro. Can go forward and proved that by kicking three goals in one of the finals for us. Had a few injury concerns this year but still had a pretty good season." - Eastern Ranges region manager Anthony Parkin. Vic Metro representative 2009. AIS-AFL academy graduate Ryan Harwood (Tassie Mariners, TAS) Height: 184cm, Weight: 79kg, DOB: 08.07.91 Midfielder/Medium Defender QUOTE IF: "Ryan won the clearances in the Under 18 competition and that's his go – he's a pure inside ball winner. He was second in the agility testing at the draft camp. Has had a few off-field things that he's been working on and he's getting much better in that area in terms of his application, and he really wants to be a footballer. He's one who would really benefit from being in an AFL environment. Plays midfield and can kick goals, has perfect skills and is very hard at it. He's a simple player in that he goes hard at it and I think he was top two or three for the kicking test at the draft camp." – AFL Tasmania high performance manager Nick Probert. Tasmanian representative 2009. All Australian 2009. AIS-AFL academy graduate. Andrew Hooper (North Ballarat Rebels, VIC) Height: 172cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 18.01.91 Midfielder QUOTE IF: "Andrew won the Larke Medal and his year says it all. Was a member of the TAC Cup team of the year. All Australian and tested very well at the draft camp. Going into the draft camp he hurt his calf and we didn't know if he was going to be able to test but he worked hard on his rehab and did fantastically well. He's a small midfielder who accumulates lots of possessions, reads the game well and is very quick, which allows him to break a game open with his pace. Add to that he's got really good leadership qualities as well... a terrific kid. At the end of the day he's only 172cm but I hope he does go because he ticks all the boxes." North Ballarat Rebels coach Glenn Wilkins. Joint Larke Medal winner, All Australian 2009 Jasper MacmIllan-Pittard (Geelong Falcons, VIC) Height 185cm Weight 72kg, DOB 1/1/91 Midfielder QUOTE IF: "Jasper could go inside the top 10. To use a horse race analogy he has come right into the market late. Scotty Clayton (Gold Coast recruiting manager) rates him inside the top 10. He's a rangy sort of build, has got Kenny Hunter hands, very smart with the footy with his run and rebound but his kicking could get a little better. Just a super kid who is very intelligent. Paul Roos said to John Longmire after interviewing him #@*% drafting him, let's just put him on as assistant coach." He had questions prepared for Neil Craig when Adelaide interviewed him, which went down really well with the Crows. Comes from the Calder Cannons program and moved down this way so we had the pleasure of having him the year. Type of person that if he has a comment he'll say it, or if he has an opinion he'll give it. He legitimately understands the game." - Geelong Falcons coach Garry Hocking. Vic Country representative 2009 Dylan McNeil (Murray Bushrangers, NSW) Height: 178cm, Weight: 75kg, DOB: 20/03/91 Midfielder QUOTE IF: "Dylan was our captain and also won our best and fairest. He's an inside, in-and-under type of midfielder who distributes the ball really well and kicks well. Has good natural footy instincts but his Achilles heel could be that for his size he is a little one-paced. He lacks genuine leg speed. Other than that he will tick most boxes." - Murray Bushrangers coach Phil Bunn. NSW/ACT captain. Hunter Harrison Medal for best division two player. All Australian 2009 Jake Melksham (Calder Cannons, VIC) Height: 182cm, Weight: 69kg, DOB: 29.8.91 Midfielder QUOTE IF: "Jake started with us on a wing because we knew that in school football he would have been playing in the midfield and because he's an inside type player we didn't want to flog him. Had an average national carnival, it's fair to say, and he would probably agree with that because he was very up and down. But his finals series was really good including a huge game against the North Ballarat Rebels and best-on-ground in the grand final. His inside work and his outside work was exceptional and his field kicking was as good as we've seen in that grand final. I think he could go somewhere between six and 10." - Calder Cannons coach Martin Allison. Vic Metro representative 2009. AIS-AFL academy graduate Andrew Moore (Eastern Ranges, VIC) Height: 188cm, Weight: 81kg, DOB: 30.05.91 Utility QUOTE IF: "Andrew will probably be our highest pick, I would have thought. He played Vic Metro, went to the draft camp and plays mostly as a utility and was used forward and back for Vic Metro and played everywhere for us as well. Very athletic, a great vertical leap and he is the brother of Richmond's Kelvin." - Eastern Ranges region manager Anthony Parkin. Vic Metro representative 2009. Brad Sheppard (East Fremantle, WA) Height: 186cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 23.05.91 Medium Defender/Midfielder QUOTE IF: " Brad's a likely type who is very versatile and very courageous overhead. Can play either end, can play inside out outside, kicks the ball well and reads the game well. We played him as a half back-cum-wingman and in time he will develop into a very good size footballer." - East Fremantle coach Shane Woewodin. WA representative 2009. All Australian 2009 So there you have an eclectic bunch of potential draftees in the small to middle size range. I have a feeling that most of them won't be in Melbourne's range for its third and fourth picks at 11 and 18 because the Demons might go tall at this stage. However, the entry of Luke Ball into the picture might well change things. I believe that Ball will go in the mid to late teens and would be value for the Demons at 18. If the club is prepared to risk him with this pick they would gain a true bonus player as long as his body can stand up to the rigours of the game. There's no doubt that several clubs would grab the opportunity to get him and he would only be a remote chance to end up at his preferred location at the Lexus Centre with the Magpies. If the Demons decide against or miss out on Ball, the player who I like is Carey from Adelaide. There's just something about players with that surname coming from that part of the world that's appealing purely from a football point of view. This Carey might fit in with Melbourne's designs and he impressed me at the NAB AFL U18 Championships. The Croweater who was a team mate of fellow Adelaide youngster Jack Trengove, could well fill the void left by the departure of Brock McLean. He's a good decision maker who tackles hard and makes his presence felt and likely to be available at the start of the third round. Next time round, I'll be looking at the talls.

The television series FLASHFORWARD looks at what happened to the world when an unexplained, cataclysmic event knocked out (almost) its entire population for two minutes and 17 seconds. During that time most people who experience the event get to see a glimpse of their own future on a date six months forward - April 29, 2010. But what if you were shown a glimpse of your future and didn't like what you saw? Would you fight hard to prevent what you saw from coming true? We're inviting all Demonlanders to flash forward to April 29, 2010. The NAB Cup has come and gone and we're just gotten over Round 5 after playing Hawthorn, Collingwood, Adelaide, Richmond and the Brisbane Lions. You tell us and our readers what's happening at the Melbourne Football Club in your own flash forward. The best five entries will be included in our Articles and News section some time down the track along with the entry that we judge to be closest to the pin. This will be posted on both the Demonland Footy Message Board and the Jordan McMahon Drafting and Trading Board.

The television series FLASHFORWARD looks at what happened to the world when an unexplained, cataclysmic event knocked out (almost) its entire population for two minutes and 17 seconds. During that time most people who experience the event get to see a glimpse of their own future on a date six months forward - April 29, 2010. But what if you were shown a glimpse of your future and didn't like what you saw? Would you fight hard to prevent what you saw from coming true? We're inviting all Demonlanders to flash forward to April 29, 2010. The NAB Cup has come and gone and we're just gotten over Round 5 after playing Hawthorn, Collingwood, Adelaide, Richmond and the Brisbane Lions. You tell us and our readers what's happening at the Melbourne Football Club in your own flash forward. The best five entries will be included in our Articles and News section some time down the track along with the entry that we judge to be closest to the pin. This will be posted on both the Demonland Footy Message Board and the Jordan McMahon Drafting and Trading Board.

Here are the Inside Football profiles for the players we predict will go # 1 & 2 Tom Scully Jack Trengove

Here are the Inside Football profiles for the players we predict will go # 1 & 2 Tom Scully Jack Trengove

HISTORY OF THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB: PART ONE - DREAMING by The Professor Men and women first walked here in the Dreamtime when life was simple. In those days they ran, hunted and chased. The first sport in this place was played by the First Australians. And when the new people came to begin the Port Phillip settlement the tradition continued as it does to this very day. Melbourne is known as the Sporting Capital of the World and its football club is not only the oldest but also the finest. The Colony of New South Wales was founded in 1788 around Sydney and gradually expanded to the north, the west and to the south into Port Phillip where John Batman landed at the mouth of the Yarra River in 1835. He set up camp near the site of Queens Bridge and declared "this will be the place for a village." The area came to be known as Melbourne. By 1837 the Melbourne township was surveyed, the first land sales were held and, as the young settlement began to flourish, so did its sports. They raced horses at Batman Hill and the Melbourne Cricket Club was formed in 1838. The population found its amusement in a variety of games. Melbourne had become a major administrative and commercial centre with a population of 23,000 by 1850. The new colony achieved separation from New South Wales in 1851 and immediately its development gained impetus with the discovery of gold in several outlying districts. The gold rush of the 1850's brought a booming economy and a rapidly expanding population that came from all parts of the globe to the fledgling colony. The Victorian landscape was changed for all time. There is no definitive answer to the question of where and how the Australian game of football truly originated. Was it from games played by our first Australians or was it based on a sport with Anglo-Saxon roots? Or perhaps it came from some gold digging Irish migrant who remembered the Gaelic form of game played at home? We do know however, that in 1858 the Honorary Secretary of the Melbourne Cricket Club, Thomas Wentworth Wills conceived a football game to keep cricketers fit in the winter. On 7 August 1858 a match was arranged between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College. It was played on parkland by the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In the following year, the Melbourne Football Club formed - its rules drafted by Wills' cousin H. C. A. Harrison who was to become the captain of the team. Soon, other clubs followed - Geelong, South Yarra and Richmond. By 1864, a loose form of competition was under way including new clubs Carlton, South Melbourne and Royal Park. The dominant club remained Melbourne, which was known as the "Invincible Whites." The new game flourished with strong teams emerging in the gold field areas of Ballarat and Bendigo. Harrison remained a powerful figure as the game evolved and rules were established to govern the size of the field, the number of players, the distance of goalposts, reserve players and umpires. Harrison retired as captain and player of the Melbourne Football Club in 1872 but he continued to be influential as an administrator. The game was growing in stature and importance in the Colony of Victoria and by the late 1870's, it was ready for a more formalised competition to emerge ...

Starting tomorrow we're going to be running a series on the History of the Melbourne Football Club by the Professor. Hopefully, it might help correct some of the misconceptions some people have about our club and its past. We ran the series a while ago but there's so much interest in the club among supporters these days that we're doing it again in revised form thanks to the efforts of the Professor and our Demonland writers. Hopefully, it will lead in to a new chapter in the club's history and we manage to see a new golden era for the club ...

THE AFL has advised that the following unlisted players have been given permission to train with the following AFL clubs. ADELAIDE Nil BRISBANE LIONS Kieran King (Brisbane Lions) Niall McKeever (Ireland) CARLTON Aaron Kite (Adelaide) COLLINGWOOD Seamus Macnamara (USA) ESSENDON Nil FREMANTLE Trent Dennis-Lane (Subiaco) Kyle Hardingham (East Fremantle) Matt Riggio (North Melbourne) Alex Silvagni (Casey) Danny Stanley (Collingwood) GEELONG Nil HAWTHORN Dean Putt (Richmond) Jesse Smith (North Melbourne) MELBOURNE Nil NORTH MELBOURNE Nil PORT ADELAIDE Nil RICHMOND Ryan Allen (Coburg) Ben Clifton (Coburg) Justin Kadhlefelt (Southport) Thomas McCann (Ireland) Jason Morgan (Coburg) James O’Rielly (Ireland) Graham Polak (Richmond) ST KILDA Nil SYDNEY SWANS Daniel Bradshaw (Brisbane Lions) Sam Crichton (Sydney Uni) WEST COAST Nil WESTERN BULLDOGS Nil

From the official Demons Twitter (http://twitter.com/DemonsHQ) what do you think?

THE FIRST DRAFT: Stevo's guide to the last Thursday in November as told to Whispering Jack The most important single day in football is undoubtedly the day of the grand final, the last Saturday in September. Running second only to the big show is national draft day which takes place two months later. Thursday 26 November, 2009 will see the majority of new players coming into the AFL system and finding out the teams of their destination. A few others will also make it to their second and even perhaps their third destinations in the sport on that day. This year, because of changed conditions regarding the draft which have been well documented, the available pool of players may not be as strong or as deep as it has been in the past and we might well see less players selected overall. However, for supporters of the Melbourne Football Club which has four prime picks in the top twenty including the first two choices, there should be no shortage of interest in the event. The actual draft meeting has been moved to a Thursday evening (6.30 to 8.30) to capture the growing audience of interested draft watchers but unfortunately, it won't be on free to air television. The new format whereby the first ten selections will be made behind closed doors and broadcast from 10 to 1 is already attracting controversy. Most don't like the concept but personally, from the perspective of a Melbourne supporter, the reverse order for the top ten sounds just fine to me. The build up to the inevitable top two (and we already know who they are, don't we?) is to be followed by a restart at pick 11 which happens to be Melbourne's third selection overall. Shortly afterwards that will be followed by the club's fourth at 18 at which time some others will still be looking into the distance for their own first selection. Like the Brownlow Night, the draft is an official AFL meeting although one expects that this time Brendan Fevola won't be working the crowd in front of a camera. I'm hoping the producers of the television draft package won't attempt to turn it into a reality show with a station break before the announcement of number 1 because, in this draft, the selection is almost a foregone conclusion - as virtually is the second. That's why I've been saying that the 2009 national draft is actually two drafts rolled into one. The first is the one that will bring us Melbourne's priority selection as well as the first pick in the first round. In my estimation, the players likely to be chosen are a class above the rest and therefore deserving of a draft of their own. Certainly, the supporters of the club who have gone through lengthy periods of high anxiety over the past six months to reach this point, will appreciate the the outcome. For those who can't wait another three weeks I'll do you all a favour and give you the result in the order in which god, rather than the television executives, meant it to come. PICK 1 – MELBOURNE - Tom Scully (Dandenong Stingrays, VIC) Height: 182cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 15.05.91 Midfielder Tom Scully has been favourite for selection # 1 in this draft for a long time. A gun in the under 16's, he represented Victoria Metropolitan last year and was a member of the 2008 national champion team that included future team mates Jack Watts, Sam Blease and James Strauss. Neville Jetta represented WA in the decider. Scully was nominated an All Australian that year and repeated the achievent this year. He captained Victoria Metro this year and has represented the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup competition over the past two seasons but his appearances were limited due to school commitments with Haileybury College. The Stingrays were losing grand finallists in 2008 and 2009. Scully was their best player when they were thrashed by the Murray Bushrangers last year (while I don't necessarily endorse You Tube highlights packages as a guide to a player, it's worthwhile checking out this one). This year, the Stingrays were a good thing beaten the minute Scully was forced to pull ouy of the grand final with a knee injury. Scully is an elite inside midfielder and if one must make comparisons, it would not be unfair to compare him with Chris Judd. The image of Scully with head swathed in bandages at Etihad Stadium in this year's championships was Judd-like in that it echoed that of the Carlton skipper in a Friday night game a few weeks earlier. And the comparisons don't stop there. Scully is fast - really fast. Not just in his movement over the ground but also with his brain and with his reflexes. His handball is like lightning, he reads the play well and is a good kick. He also has great endurance and runs and tackles hard all day. He is also a very good on the outside as well as being superb inside, has good leadership qualities and is the rare type of player who has the ability to make something out of nothing. We missed the opportunity of seeing him tested at draft camp due to the fact that he was recovering from minor knee surgery but the legend goes that earlier in the year he was eased up at the end of a beep test and still recorded 15.6. He is said to have the capacity to run 3kms in just over 9 minutes and would also have fared well in the 20m and agility tests had he been able to do them. Tom Scully is the best player in this year’s draft and Melbourne will pick him with its first selection. I have no doubt. PICK 2 – MELBOURNE - Jack Trengove (Sturt, SA) Height: 185cm, Weight: 82kg, DOB: 02.09.91 Midfielder/Medium Forward "This bloke is like an Aston Martin. He is as smooth as silk." - an ABC Commentator on Jack Trengove during the telecast of the SANFL Preliminary Final. The key to success in modern football is a quality midfield. You can't get enough of quality midfielders and that's why the Demons should have no hesitation in selecting South Australia's Under 18 captain Jack Trengove. A top sportsman who excels at both football and cricket for Adelaide's Prince Alfred College, Trengove received the call to play in Sturt's senior team in the SANFL in July after winning All Australian honours at the national under 18's. He was an instant success winning a rising star award and consistently amassed over 20 disposals per game. He was close to best on ground in the Preliminary Final with 29 possessions and, despite having to endure a close tag, was one of his team's best the following week in the grand final. Trengove is clean with his hands, is an excellent kick and has plenty of poise and balance. He can take a good mark and kicks goals going forward. The SANFL grand final precluded his attendance at the AFL's national draft camp but he tested well at state screening with a 15 plus beep test and a reasonable 2.97 seconds in the 20 metres. Some commentators have suggested Jack Trengove's late form with Sturt has lifted him into contention for selection as the # 1 in the draft. In my view, that's unlikely but he's well ahead of the next cab on the rank. That's my take on the top two selections in the first draft but there's lots more to come before the last of the relatively uncompromised trade and draft periods is over.

THE FIRST DRAFT: Stevo's guide to the last Thursday in November as told to Whispering Jack The most important single day in football is undoubtedly the day of the grand final, the last Saturday in September. Running second only to the big show is national draft day which takes place two months later. Thursday 26 November, 2009 will see the majority of new players coming into the AFL system and finding out the teams of their destination. A few others will also make it to their second and even perhaps their third destinations in the sport on that day. This year, because of changed conditions regarding the draft which have been well documented, the available pool of players may not be as strong or as deep as it has been in the past and we might well see less players selected overall. However, for supporters of the Melbourne Football Club which has four prime picks in the top twenty including the first two choices, there should be no shortage of interest in the event. The actual draft meeting has been moved to a Thursday evening (6.30 to 8.30) to capture the growing audience of interested draft watchers but unfortunately, it won't be on free to air television. The new format whereby the first ten selections will be made behind closed doors and broadcast from 10 to 1 is already attracting controversy. Most don't like the concept but personally, from the perspective of a Melbourne supporter, the reverse order for the top ten sounds just fine to me. The build up to the inevitable top two (and we already know who they are, don't we?) is to be followed by a restart at pick 11 which happens to be Melbourne's third selection overall. Shortly afterwards that will be followed by the club's fourth at 18 at which time some others will still be looking into the distance for their own first selection. Like the Brownlow Night, the draft is an official AFL meeting although one expects that this time Brendan Fevola won't be working the crowd in front of a camera. I'm hoping the producers of the television draft package won't attempt to turn it into a reality show with a station break before the announcement of number 1 because, in this draft, the selection is almost a foregone conclusion - as virtually is the second. That's why I've been saying that the 2009 national draft is actually two drafts rolled into one. The first is the one that will bring us Melbourne's priority selection as well as the first pick in the first round. In my estimation, the players likely to be chosen are a class above the rest and therefore deserving of a draft of their own. Certainly, the supporters of the club who have gone through lengthy periods of high anxiety over the past six months to reach this point, will appreciate the the outcome. For those who can't wait another three weeks I'll do you all a favour and give you the result in the order in which god, rather than the television executives, meant it to come. PICK 1 – MELBOURNE - Tom Scully (Dandenong Stingrays, VIC) Height: 182cm, Weight: 74kg, DOB: 15.05.91 Midfielder Tom Scully has been favourite for selection # 1 in this draft for a long time. A gun in the under 16's, he represented Victoria Metropolitan last year and was a member of the 2008 national champion team that included future team mates Jack Watts, Sam Blease and James Strauss. Neville Jetta represented WA in the decider. Scully was nominated an All Australian that year and repeated the achievent this year. He captained Victoria Metro this year and has represented the Dandenong Stingrays in the TAC Cup competition over the past two seasons but his appearances were limited due to school commitments with Haileybury College. The Stingrays were losing grand finallists in 2008 and 2009. Scully was their best player when they were thrashed by the Murray Bushrangers last year (while I don't necessarily endorse You Tube highlights packages as a guide to a player, it's worthwhile checking out this one). This year, the Stingrays were a good thing beaten the minute Scully was forced to pull ouy of the grand final with a knee injury. Scully is an elite inside midfielder and if one must make comparisons, it would not be unfair to compare him with Chris Judd. The image of Scully with head swathed in bandages at Etihad Stadium in this year's championships was Judd-like in that it echoed that of the Carlton skipper in a Friday night game a few weeks earlier. And the comparisons don't stop there. Scully is fast - really fast. Not just in his movement over the ground but also with his brain and with his reflexes. His handball is like lightning, he reads the play well and is a good kick. He also has great endurance and runs and tackles hard all day. He is also a very good on the outside as well as being superb inside, has good leadership qualities and is the rare type of player who has the ability to make something out of nothing. We missed the opportunity of seeing him tested at draft camp due to the fact that he was recovering from minor knee surgery but the legend goes that earlier in the year he was eased up at the end of a beep test and still recorded 15.6. He is said to have the capacity to run 3kms in just over 9 minutes and would also have fared well in the 20m and agility tests had he been able to do them. Tom Scully is the best player in this year's draft and Melbourne will pick him with its first selection. I have no doubt. PICK 2 – MELBOURNE - Jack Trengove (Sturt, SA) Height: 185cm, Weight: 82kg, DOB: 02.09.91 Midfielder/Medium Forward "This bloke is like an Aston Martin. He is as smooth as silk." - an ABC Commentator on Jack Trengove during the telecast of the SANFL Preliminary Final. The key to success in modern football is a quality midfield. You can't get enough of quality midfielders and that's why the Demons should have no hesitation in selecting South Australia's Under 18 captain Jack Trengove. A top sportsman who excels at both football and cricket for Adelaide's Prince Alfred College, Trengove received the call to play in Sturt's senior team in the SANFL in July after winning All Australian honours at the national under 18's. He was an instant success winning a rising star award and consistently amassed over 20 disposals per game. He was close to best on ground in the Preliminary Final with 29 possessions and, despite having to endure a close tag, was one of his team's best the following week in the grand final. Trengove is clean with his hands, is an excellent kick and has plenty of poise and balance. He can take a good mark and kicks goals going forward. The SANFL grand final precluded his attendance at the AFL's national draft camp but he tested well at state screening with a 15 plus beep test and a reasonable 2.97 seconds in the 20 metres. Some commentators have suggested Jack Trengove's late form with Sturt has lifted him into contention for selection as the # 1 in the draft. In my view, that's unlikely but he's well ahead of the next cab on the rank. That's my take on the top two selections in the first draft but there's lots more to come before the last of the relatively uncompromised trade and draft periods is over.

Yes, I know he's # 24 now but ...