Demonland

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2009: PRELUDE by The Oracle THE ART OF THE TRADE Yesterday, when I wrote that the football season was officially over, I had forgotten that there was indeed there one more game to go before the curtain fall - the SANFL Grand Final between Central District and Sturt. The game would not normally attract much attention from our side of the Victoria/SA border but this one had the attraction of one of the forthcoming national draft's young guns in Jack Trengove. Moreover, when I discovered that a city pub, the Charles Dickens Tavern, was showing the game via satellite feed I felt compelled to put in an appearance. Of course, this came with a price tag. I first had to keep a promise made to the better half about visiting the National Gallery of Victoria for the last day of the Salvador Dalí: Liquid Desire exhibition. This meant an early start and to ensure me of a ticket of leave by mid afternoon, another promise had to be fulfilled - a lavish and expensive meal at a fine eatery on Southbank. Now, I'm the last to admit to being an aficionado when it comes to matters of fine art but I reckon some of those Dali works are reminiscent of the season that Melbourne has just endured. Twisted, distorted and mangled features that adequately represent the true horror of the season that was about to officially come to an end that very day. At least the tucker afterwards was palatable even if it cost plenty. The Charles Dickens isn't the most lugubrious of establishments but it was cosy and crowded with punters who were gathered there to watch the Japanese Grand Prix, some rugby, the SANFL game (in half hour delay) and, believe it or not, a film review programme on SBS. Trengove's team copped a flogging but the young bloke won the ball and acquitted himself as well as any 18 year old could in a team that lost badly in a final. I heard later that one radio commentator had drawn a comparison between the kid and Nathan Buckley. I didn't quite see that in him yesterday but there's a lot of potential there just the same. The report on the match in today's Australian bears testament to this - Sturt youngster Jack Trengove leaps into draft pole position: I bumped into a few Demonlanders at the tavern and, as the game dragged on to its inevitable outcome, the talk moved to the trade week and the November draft. Someone had a copy of that morning's Sunday Herald Sun with an article that listed 10 likely selections in this order:- 1. Tom Scully (Dandenong, onballer) Melbourne 2. Jack Trengove (Sturt, mid/forward) Melbourne 3. Dustin Martin (Bendigo, onballer) Richmond 4. Anthony Morabito (Peel, wing/forward) Fremantle 5. Ben Cunnington (Geelong, onballer) North Melbourne 6. Gary Rohan (Geelong, utility) Sydney 7. Lewis Jetta (Swan Districts, small forward) West Coast 8. Luke Tapscott (North Adelaide, mid/forward) Port Adelaide) 9. Jake Melksham (Calder, mid/forward) Hawthorn/trade 10. Kane Lucas (East Fremantle, wing/forward) Essendon The fact that our club has the first two selections and a couple of others coming reasonably early is exciting enough. The trade period which starts today promises more changes and we discussed what might eventuate between now and the close of the football stock market at 2 pm next Friday. As usual, there were lots of rumours and plenty of juicy gossip but such things mean little. What matters in this business is not the rumours but rather the concrete results. And in our case, it's all about rebuilding the team. Since changes in personnel and improvements within a team's list are the things that generate better results and performance, the opening of the player market in just a few hour's time offers promise that the picture we will see of the Demons in the years to come will be more pleasant. Instead of the nerve-jangling confusion of a Dali, perhaps this week might lead us to discover a pastel coloured, hope-filled impressionist work of beauty. POSTSCRIPT: The Melbourne news from today's Herald Sun - Saint plays hard Ball:

For Trade Week and Draft talk please click the link below: http://forums.demonland.com/index.php?showforum=18

Here's a new design with a different picture of Watts:

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2009: ZERO MINUS ONE by The Oracle IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER My head is spinning madly. The 2009 football season was supposed to be officially over last Saturday week when the MCG siren sounded to put an end to the AFL Grand Final. The triumphant Cats made their way down the highway to Sleepy Hollow to celebrate and get shickered in the shadows of Skilled Stadium with Billy Brownless while the sad Saints disappeared to another place where they could drown away their sorrows. Game over, season over ... bad call. I rummaged through my cupboards, found cricket whites now slightly discoloured and reeking of mothball odour, went to training, stayed up all night twice watching the Aussies come near to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against Pakistan then two nights later demolishing the Poms in far off South Africa, rolled the arms over and even snaffled a wicket of my bowling offies in the fourths yesterday before having a few frothies with the boys. The conversation however, wasn't about the cricket or the Spring Racing Carnival. You're right! It's as if the season hasn't ended. All they could talk about was the Fev and the footy and a couple of them were even imbibing in a manner befitting of the man on that fateful night at the Crown Casino. The fact is you can't get away from it. You turn on the telly and the news is virtually about nothing else. A couple of Cats had their Grand Final jumpers nicked. Fev's parking his car in Orchid Avenue while trying to pick up a takeaway spag bol for the kids. Pick up the paper and Mike Sheahan's come out with his top 50 footballers. Switch on the radio and Kevin Sheehan is waxing lyrical about some kid who did a 14 point something beep test and another whose standing vertical jump came close to knocking off Trent Croad's record from 1997. It's even on Face Book and Twitter where great men are telling us that " the trade week promises to test the purity of the human spirit." So you can take your global financial crises, carbon emissions, threats of nuclear war, earthquakes and tsunamis anywhere else on earth but here in the centre of the universe, the only thing that really matters is Fev's final destination or that a homesick Darren Jolly wants to play for Collingwood. Welcome to the unreal world. In this world of ours, the next week is going to be all about football's meat market and that's the real reason why my head is spinning so madly at the moment. The media is full of trade talk and while rumours abound suggesting some of the most improbable trade scenarios involving players and picks that aren't going anywhere, the week will not be the snooze fest it has been for the past few years when an ever-dwindling number of players was changing hands. Last year the number was down to a mere half dozen and the final result provided barely a blimp on the radar despite the numerous rumours and false alarms that attended the week's proceedings. This year promises to be different. Already there are stories of a couple of done deals and the word is out that a few more are close to completion. The landscape has changed with the advent of two new teams GC17 and GWS slated to enter the competition in 2011 and 2012 respectively and the introduction of new rules to accommodate their entry. The newcomers are the beneficiaries of some you beaut rules that will make life a lot harder for those existing clubs that are desperate to replenish their own stocks for the coming seasons. This year's draft has been emasculated by changes to the draft age which reduces the incoming pool of new players by one third while next year the draft will be decimated for almost all but the team from Gold Coast. The following year will be a bonanza for Greater West Sydney. The new clubs will also have preferential status when it comes to snaffling up uncontracted footballers starting from the end of next season. Pity any club that's on the verge of bottoming out right now! The emphasis on trading ahead of drafting has certainly become the centrepiece of the recruiting plans of a few clubs with the Hawks leading the charge. Top draft picks have been laid on the table as Hawthorn has changed tack on the policies that famously brought them premiership success last year. If things work out the club might well dispense with its first two draft selections and loose change to pick up the prize scalps of Shaun Burgoyne and Josh Gibson. The Hawks believe they can still find some rare gems with some shrewd and discerning decision-making even at the bottom end of what many would term as a "shallow draft". And they can cite this year's All Australian team as a prime example of why early draft picks are not necessarily the key to recruiting champion footballers these days. Nick Riewoldt, Brendon Goddard (both first picks in 2000 and 2002 respectively), Chris Judd (3rd in 2001) and Joel Selwood (7th in 2007) are the only top 10 draft selections on the AA list in a year when not a single top five pick from the last six drafts has managed to make the grade. There were three father/sons and another three were picked in the 11 to 30 range. However, nine selections were taken beyond that number in national drafts (including Fev himself at 38 in 1988 while three Aaron Sandilands (2002), Matthew Boyd (2003) and Magpie skipper Nick Maxwell (2004) were rookie promotions. And that was when the drafts had some substance and weren't as compromised as they will be this year and in years to come. What does all this mean for Demon fans in these difficult times? Our club doesn't have the current day champions and lists such as the All Australians (we didn't even feature in the short list of forty) or that of Mike Sheahan yield us little joy so we're thankful that a handful of top twenty picks including the first two will keep us all excited over the coming months. Melbourne is also primed to benefit from a trade week that promises heightened activity. After all, it's said that if you've got nothing then you've got nothing to lose and on that basis, the Demons could well have everything to gain in the week to come.

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2009: ZERO MINUS ONE by The Oracle IT AIN'T OVER TILL IT'S OVER My head is spinning madly. The 2009 football season was supposed to be officially over last Saturday week when the MCG siren sounded to put an end to the AFL Grand Final. The triumphant Cats made their way down the highway to Sleepy Hollow to celebrate and get shickered in the shadows of Skilled Stadium with Billy Brownless while the sad Saints disappeared to another place where they could drown away their sorrows. Game over, season over ... bad call. I rummaged through my cupboards, found cricket whites now slightly discoloured and reeking of mothball odour, went to training, stayed up all night twice watching the Aussies come near to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against Pakistan then two nights later demolishing the Poms in far off South Africa, rolled the arms over and even snaffled a wicket of my bowling offies in the fourths yesterday before having a few frothies with the boys. The conversation however, wasn't about the cricket or the Spring Racing Carnival. You're right! It's as if the season hasn't ended. All they could talk about was the Fev and the footy and a couple of them were even imbibing in a manner befitting of the man on that fateful night at the Crown Casino. The fact is you can't get away from it. You turn on the telly and the news is virtually about nothing else. A couple of Cats had their Grand Final jumpers nicked. Fev's parking his car in Orchid Avenue while trying to pick up a takeaway spag bol for the kids. Pick up the paper and Mike Sheahan's come out with his top 50 footballers. Switch on the radio and Kevin Sheehan is waxing lyrical about some kid who did a 14 point something beep test and another whose standing vertical jump came close to knocking off Trent Croad's record from 1997. It's even on Face Book and Twitter where great men are telling us that " the trade week promises to test the purity of the human spirit." So you can take your global financial crises, carbon emissions, threats of nuclear war, earthquakes and tsunamis anywhere else on earth but here in the centre of the universe, the only thing that really matters is Fev's final destination or that a homesick Darren Jolly wants to play for Collingwood. Welcome to the unreal world. In this world of ours, the next week is going to be all about football's meat market and that's the real reason why my head is spinning so madly at the moment. The media is full of trade talk and while rumours abound suggesting some of the most improbable trade scenarios involving players and picks that aren't going anywhere, the week will not be the snooze fest it has been for the past few years when an ever-dwindling number of players was changing hands. Last year the number was down to a mere half dozen and the final result provided barely a blimp on the radar despite the numerous rumours and false alarms that attended the week's proceedings. This year promises to be different. Already there are stories of a couple of done deals and the word is out that a few more are close to completion. The landscape has changed with the advent of two new teams GC17 and GWS slated to enter the competition in 2011 and 2012 respectively and the introduction of new rules to accommodate their entry. The newcomers are the beneficiaries of some you beaut rules that will make life a lot harder for those existing clubs that are desperate to replenish their own stocks for the coming seasons. This year's draft has been emasculated by changes to the draft age which reduces the incoming pool of new players by one third while next year the draft will be decimated for almost all but the team from Gold Coast. The following year will be a bonanza for Greater West Sydney. The new clubs will also have preferential status when it comes to snaffling up uncontracted footballers starting from the end of next season. Pity any club that's on the verge of bottoming out right now! The emphasis on trading ahead of drafting has certainly become the centrepiece of the recruiting plans of a few clubs with the Hawks leading the charge. Top draft picks have been laid on the table as Hawthorn has changed tack on the policies that famously brought them premiership success last year. If things work out the club might well dispense with its first two draft selections and loose change to pick up the prize scalps of Shaun Burgoyne and Josh Gibson. The Hawks believe they can still find some rare gems with some shrewd and discerning decision-making even at the bottom end of what many would term as a "shallow draft". And they can cite this year's All Australian team as a prime example of why early draft picks are not necessarily the key to recruiting champion footballers these days. Nick Riewoldt, Brendon Goddard (both first picks in 2000 and 2002 respectively), Chris Judd (3rd in 2001) and Joel Selwood (7th in 2007) are the only top 10 draft selections on the AA list in a year when not a single top five pick from the last six drafts has managed to make the grade. There were three father/sons and another three were picked in the 11 to 30 range. However, nine selections were taken beyond that number in national drafts (including Fev himself at 38 in 1988 while three Aaron Sandilands (2002), Matthew Boyd (2003) and Magpie skipper Nick Maxwell (2004) were rookie promotions. And that was when the drafts had some substance and weren't as compromised as they will be this year and in years to come. What does all this mean for Demon fans in these difficult times? Our club doesn't have the current day champions and lists such as the All Australians (we didn't even feature in the short list of forty) or that of Mike Sheahan yield us little joy so we're thankful that a handful of top twenty picks including the first two will keep us all excited over the coming months. Melbourne is also primed to benefit from a trade week that promises heightened activity. After all, it's said that if you've got nothing then you've got nothing to lose and on that basis, the Demons could well have everything to gain in the week to come.

Here is the not so final design: I could not find a decent picture of Grimes to use. If anyone can find one that at least includes his upper body post the link here. I couldn't fit every requested player in there.

Hi Guys, I noticed the thread about Twitter and thought I would plug the official DEMONLAND twitter. Follow us at www.twitter.com/demonland I signed up awhile ago intending to use it for Demonland but never did. Since then my wife has been using it to stalk celebrities and friends. Anyway I thought I'd start using it to post links to articles on Demonland and also to post interesting threads from the message board as well as to Re-tweet twitter posts from Jimmy, Cameron and Nathan Jones as well as other footy commentators, reporters and players. Let us know if you follow us.

He's going as soon as he's officially a Carlton player. We decided to replace him with Jack Grimes although we toyed with the idea of Fev for shock value (only kidding) .

Is there any reason why they only release the top 10 in most of the facets tested?

It should be noted that subsequent to this report Colin's rehab suffered a setback with the discovery of another "hot spot" in his foot. As a consequence he was back in the moonboot but this is not expected to hamper his return to full fitness.

.

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2009: THE WEEK BEFORE by The Oracle THE EARLY BIRDS AND THE BROCKEN-HEARTED The AFL official exchange period doesn't start until next week but this does not mean that the various clubs' football departments have been inactive. The truth is that for several months they have been putting in the hard yards in preparation for next week's football equivalent of the cattle market. The activity in contracting existing players, contacting player managers and discussing potential trades always goes on well before the official business commences but this year we've had news that some deals are already done and dusted. Writing in the Australian on 10 September, Greg Denham reported that "... disgruntled Tigers defender Andrew Raines will attempt to kick-start his career in Brisbane later this year." He added: "The first trade deal on October 5 will be between Richmond and Brisbane, which has agreed to exchange a third-round national draft selection for Raines, 23, who has not played for the Tigers since round nine. A spate of injuries and a lack of form has contributed to Raines playing just five games over the past two seasons, after he did not miss a senior game in 2006 and 2007." A second deal was announced last week and this one was a little closer to home. The Melbourne Football Club announced the departure of midfielder and one time captaincy aspirant Brock McLean to Carlton in exchange for the Blues' first-round national draft selection (11). The story came out in the midst of grand final week and it barely caused a ripple with the general football public more interested in the premiership aspirants and the antics of a drunken Brendan Fevola both during and after the Brownlow Medal presentation. In another time the McLean news would have been a bombshell but most Demons supporters took it in their stride. McLean wanted to leave and Melbourne agreed to a trade without blinking an eye. That's what happens these days. The trading of players between clubs has now become business as usual. But it was only a month ago that McLean made a significant contribution to Melbourne's Debt Demolition Fund. How could this have happened? Well, it didn't really happen overnight. McLean's star has waned considerably since he almost single-handedly destroyed St. Kilda in an elimination final back in 2006. On the field, he struggled with fitness and form. The player who was never fleet of foot seems to have slowed appreciably, his marking is just so-so and the depth and penetration of his kicking seems to have deserted him somewhat. Off the field McLean had his issues as well, starting with some well publicised booze-fuelled fights on a post season tour overseas and ending with his attendance at a gangland figure's funeral. In between, there were some issues with his vehicle and, though none would be considered as indictable offences on their own, they were slowly mounting up and were never going to help his cause in terms of the club captaincy. In an on line discussion among fans on the future of the club captaincy held a week before McLean's departure, he failed to gain a mention. The lack of enthusiasm for McLean and the club's quick decision to loosen its ties with the still young midfielder would also be connected with the fact that Melbourne holds the first two draft picks at the forthcoming national draft and those selections are likely to be on ball types who are swift and skillful. On top of that, the club has some emerging midfield talent of quality taken with early picks in recent years and coming up through the ranks. For McLean's sake it is to be hoped that without having the inevitable first tag and with a full pre season behind him, he can fulfil his early potential at Carlton. The sad aspect of the AFL trades is that players who were once heroes to young kids who proudly wore the club jumper with the number 5 emblazoned on their backs move on without much notice. Brock McLean was a hero to many of us for six seasons and 94 matches and in a few month's time will be wearing a navy blue guernsey and earning our derision and scorn. And in exchange for McLean who was taken at number 5 in 2003, the Demons have acquired selection 11 in November's national draft. Such is the nature of the trade period that there's no guarantee they hold onto that until Friday week when the AFL cattle market closes. In between, it's going to be business as usual. The Oracle's Trading Chronicles continue next Saturday and will right through the exchange period.

THE TRADING CHRONICLES 2009: THE WEEK BEFORE by The Oracle THE EARLY BIRDS AND THE BROCKEN-HEARTED The AFL official exchange period doesn't start until next week but this does not mean that the various clubs' football departments have been inactive. The truth is that for several months they have been putting in the hard yards in preparation for next week's football equivalent of the cattle market. The activity in contracting existing players, contacting player managers and discussing potential trades always goes on well before the official business commences but this year we've had news that some deals are already done and dusted. Writing in the Australian on 10 September, Greg Denham reported that "... disgruntled Tigers defender Andrew Raines will attempt to kick-start his career in Brisbane later this year." He added: "The first trade deal on October 5 will be between Richmond and Brisbane, which has agreed to exchange a third-round national draft selection for Raines, 23, who has not played for the Tigers since round nine. A spate of injuries and a lack of form has contributed to Raines playing just five games over the past two seasons, after he did not miss a senior game in 2006 and 2007." A second deal was announced last week and this one was a little closer to home. The Melbourne Football Club announced the departure of midfielder and one time captaincy aspirant Brock McLean to Carlton in exchange for the Blues' first-round national draft selection (11). The story came out in the midst of grand final week and it barely caused a ripple with the general football public more interested in the premiership aspirants and the antics of a drunken Brendan Fevola both during and after the Brownlow Medal presentation. In another time the McLean news would have been a bombshell but most Demons supporters took it in their stride. McLean wanted to leave and Melbourne agreed to a trade without blinking an eye. That's what happens these days. The trading of players between clubs has now become business as usual. But it was only a month ago that McLean made a significant contribution to Melbourne's Debt Demolition Fund. How could this have happened? Well, it didn't really happen overnight. McLean's star has waned considerably since he almost single-handedly destroyed St. Kilda in an elimination final back in 2006. On the field, he struggled with fitness and form. The player who was never fleet of foot seems to have slowed appreciably, his marking is just so-so and the depth and penetration of his kicking seems to have deserted him as well. Off the field McLean had his issues as well, starting with some well publicised booze-fuelled fights on a post season tour overseas and ending with his attendance at a gangland figure's funeral. In between, there were some issues with his vehicle and, though none would be considered as indictable offences on their own, they were slowly mounting up and were never going to help his cause in terms of the club captaincy. In an on line discussion among fans on the future of the club captaincy held a week before McLean's departure, he failed to gain a mention. The lack of enthusiasm for McLean and the club's quick decision to loosen its ties with the still young midfielder would also be connected with the fact that Melbourne holds the first two draft picks at the forthcoming national draft and those selections are likely to be on ball types who are swift and skillful. On top of that, the club has some emerging midfield talent of quality taken with early picks in recent years and coming up through the ranks. For McLean's sake it is to be hoped that without having the inevitable first tag and with a full pre season behind him, he can fulfil his early potential at Carlton. The sad aspect of the AFL trades is that players who were once heroes to young kids who proudly wore the club jumper with the number 5 emblazoned on their backs move on without much notice. Brock McLean was a hero to many of us for six seasons and 94 matches and in a few month's time will be wearing a navy blue guernsey and earning our derision and scorn. And in exchange for McLean who was taken at number 5 in 2003, the Demons have acquired selection 11 in November's national draft. Such is the nature of the trade period that there's no guarantee they hold onto that until Friday week when the AFL cattle market closes. In between, it's going to be business as usual. The Oracle's Trading Chronicles continue next Saturday and will right through the exchange period.

Changes will be made. Brock will be gone soon ... to be replaced by Jack Grimes (a decision made for the good of the club) Other changes may follow ...