Lil_red_fire_engine

GO YOU LIL RED FIRE ENGINE. Great news. Such an important part of our current side and future success.

Now just need Chandler to sign up then really aside from Sparrow the remaining are unproven or mainly veterans (30+) and can see how the year plays out.

1+1 will not equal 2 in this situation.

Oliver having a good or great year at GWS does not mean regret and it certainly does not mean he would have had the equivalent output at MFC. If anything it will justify moving him on being best for club and player/person.

In my view both were too comfortable in the existing situation. Granted he would have had a new coach as a changing factor but the time to cut our losses for the overall good was still the best move.

We lose a mass of possessions and first hands at stoppage without Oliver and Petracca and you lose a high score involvement volume with Petracca but not much else based on 24/25. You don’t lose anything defensively at stoppage or on transition and we lose little in quality clearances. A recharged Steele and a mix of Rivers, Culley, Windsor, Chandler…. looking to make it as mids to complement Kozzie may not look as pretty on paper but statistically will end up more balanced and dynamic than 2025 and certainly less predictable.

There might be a want to push Langford and Lindsay in there but I would look to keep them on flanks and wings to continue to build their game and protect their bodies in 2026.

4 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Mids:

BLUES: Kozzy Campbell Sparrow Kolt Wings: Onley Culley

white

Heath Windsor Steele Chandler Rivers

Wings: Sharp

Sharp's endurance is SO GOOD he can cover both wings 😀

I am quietly confident we will finish higher than 2025. I don’t think we will surge into top 4 but with a good run with injuries and a strong preseason we will improve particularly second half of season as the best 23 settles and game style starts to gel. Yes we have lost McVee and Oliver but neither of them were the best versions of themselves in 2025. The loss of Trac and how big an impact this is on field is the unknown. The recruitment of Steele and CJ will balance out the form loss of Oliver and McVee. Whilst not a like for like Mihocek will be a major boost to our tall forward game and should have strong flow on to the development of JVR, Kentfield, Jefferson. Again injuries aside whilst we moved on some other mature age back ups and profile younger, the depth of AFL potential quality on our list is better in my view and should mean pressure for spots across all roles which is always a good thing.

2 hours ago, Demonland said:

Prepare for your houses to be trained down. Taylor just collected a ground ball sold some candy whilst moving laterally through traffic gave off a hand ball kept running and received it back before pin point kicking it long down field.

I am sure we will coach all of that out of him before games kick off. No wait it's a new era 😁

17 minutes ago, Ted Lasso said:

If greeves, phillipou or Higgins-hargrave are available I’d have to imagine they’ll be too good to pass up.

@Ted Lasso If all three are there which one are you taking?

5 minutes ago, adonski said:

Looking forward to them thawing out Mick Ablett for another year

And everyone got a bargain and every pick with no single player having a flaw in their game.

Ross Lyon is such a control freak he won't even let someone else present the jumper of whoever they take with pick 50 LOL

32 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

37… ? Assuming we keep it as is and don’t trade it up , down or out

It’s now unlikely that Latrelle Sumner-Pickett will be available , but it’s the draft so you never know.

I had optimistically thought Cam Nairn might slip down into this 2nd round range but now seems unlikely. JT might have to call out his name on night 1.

There is still going to be a very good youngster available by this mark. I agree with a few prior posters here that it may depend on our player types chosen at picks 7&8 and if JT wants to add a taller option or top up on a young midfielder

WA: Fred Rodriguez, Sam Swadling

SA: Matthew Leray, Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier, Jett Dahlitz

Vic country: Riley Onley

Vic metro : Rory Wright, Sam Allen

This pick will be our final pick , with Kalani White likely to get our last pick as a matched father son bid.

BOB or Wright would be good solid additions from my limited viewing and knowledge.

2 hours ago, Ted Lasso said:

I wonder if you could swap the Blues 7 for 9 and 11 if they thought they could get ahead of the bid on Dean?

Assuming he is not bid on before us could we force it by saying we will bid on Dean and give them the option of 8 for 9&11? I get confused with the points whether there is a clear benefit to them with that swap?

8 hours ago, KoltTheRam said:

I find it very interesting in the November phantom form guide we aren’t linked to Sharp, Grij or Schubert at this point in time. Cal is usually pretty spot on, even this early.

As to who we are linked to, we are named under Robey, Cumming, X Taylor, Farrow, Dovaston, Pickett and Nairn (That’s 2 draft experts saying this now)

My sense reading between the lines with Twomey its 2 of Robey, X Taylor, Cumming, Farrow and Nairn possibly in that order at 7&8. No mention of us with Grlj or Sharp.

8 minutes ago, demoncat said:

Yes but none were rated as low as Nairn this late

Nairn would be the biggest reach we’ve ever had

I usually back JT to a fault but this would be a massive swing and potential miss based on who else would be available

Twomey has Nairn at 24 in his October guide. Pickett was not even mentioned in his year.

42 minutes ago, demoncat said:

Lmao in what world are we taking him with 7 or 8

The same world where JT plucked Jackson, Pickett, Windsor, Tholstrop higher than any phantom was anticipating this far before the draft. I cant wait until at least one of his picks is super left field and earlier than the expert groupthink.

11 hours ago, Ted Lasso said:

I wonder if Blease, Strauss, Bartram, Morton, Toumpas and all of these guys would have ultimately become better and more competent AFL players in the current MFC with the ability to develop players?

More competent yes. Validate where they were selected no. I would exclude Bartram from that bunch being he was a pick 60 who knocked out 100 games.

4 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

@Turner Grlj at 7, Josh Lindsay at 8. We instantly improve our pace & run, and instantly improve our half back distribution. We can use speed on the ball or creativity to move it. Does that align with the King philosophy? I would think so

I know it was a later pick duo but why does Grlj/Lindsay feel like Blease/Strauss to me?

7 minutes ago, adonski said:

I could live with taking a tall if we split pick 8

Not keen to take one straight up at 8 though

Tend agree that top 10 on a tall feels a reach on exposed form but JT generally does not go with the grain.

This feels like a draft where you don't necessarily draft best available or for needs but maybe for best 23 highest confidence which is a touch between the two and leans on attributes to play required roles. Key forwards are generally speculative and come with risk and it doesn't feel like the best potential bang for our buck at 7/8

I would prefer us not draft a key tall but it is no surprise that we still might if we spot value. Our forward half keys outside of Mihochek as the interim veteran are no sure thing. Kentfield showed good first full year development, Jefferson at best will be a third tall if he makes it at all, JVR more your second hard working forward foil. With Petty and Disco likely to settle back, Melksham likely in his final year as an undersized stop gap and Fritsch out of contract it is far from set for the future years at this point.

6 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

likely run sheet

1. West Coast - Duursma

2. Matched bid

   Suns - Uwland

3. West Coast - Duff-Tytler

4. Matched bid

   Suns - Patterson

5. Richmond - Robey

6. Matched bid

   Lions - Annable

7. Richmond - Grlj

8. Essendon - X.Taylor

9. Matched bid

   Blues - Dean

10. Essendon - Sharp

11. Melbourne - Josh Lindsay

12. Melbourne - Lachie Dovaston

Gets us … an elite half back with excellent skills and decision making AND a dynamic small forward who loves to kick goals and tackle

(37)Add Rory Wright as a classy onballer to the Dees future midfield mix.

(60) Add Kalani White - father son

Rookie -pick - NGA - Toby Sinnema

Not many pundits think Cumming would drift passed 10-12 with Herald Sun reporting we are strongly linked.

9 hours ago, FrothiesLiam said:

No chance Essendon is taking cumming over Robey I'd be ecstatic if they did but I think it's a very long shot

Agree with this. The number one thing they need is a big bodied mid. Vic boy who barracks for Essendon. Unless they do not rate his footballing ability (unlikely) or rate Sharp higher there is low chance he gets by. Unlike JT who sees attributes and backs himself in I suggest some clubs reduce their view if they have not seen them best vs best at championships but I think chances are slim. I can see a world though where X Taylor is available at our pick.

2 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

There's still ruck nominations, it's just the umpire doesn't have to wait if both rucks are a mile away.

There will always be a need for some form of nomination or designation for rucks whilst 3rd man up is (rightfully) banned.

I disagree. Surely if one team involves two of their players in the ruck contest then they are penalised. Does it matter which one was right or wrong? They should have just got rid of nomination and let players work it for themselves and penalise accordingly.

I dont think we’ll take Sharp being we have Langford in the bank. I am all for us getting the Dove after initially not seeing it. However the more I watch the more I noted he does not fumble and rarely goes to ground. Couple that with his agility and 20m results and he ticks a lot of attributes for a role we need.

If these are the options at our pick I would prefer the Dove plus Farrow or a slide back that nabs one of Oskar Taylor or Hibbins Hargreaves if we are confident we can make it happen.

5 hours ago, jnrmac said:

I'm hopeful Lever gets fit and becomes a solid backman once again. His best is great and he was missed in 2025.

Has a few brainfades which isn't great but hopefully time off has rejuvenated him

Agree but he has been far from at a consistent best for a few years. I suspect if he does not get a clear preseason run and keep his ankles in check he will not be best 23. In saying that I hope he can and find a suitable impactful role in our back 7.

The article is for the general reader but pulls together everything us tragics know but with no positive or negative bias that befalls us. It generally falls favourably and I think a middle third spectrum feels right. The loss of McVee and Oliver based on 2025 output is negligible and balanced by the availability of AMW or CJ and Steele respectively. The impact of no Petracca (on field and off field) and how quickly a group grasp a new game style will determine where we fall in that spectrum.

35 minutes ago, Dee Boys said:

His decision making under pressure is poor/panicked and he had the worst missed tackle percentage this season of any footballer in the competition to have played a senior game.

He’ll do a job in the midfield but he’s nowhere near the level of those aforementioned.

Thanks for respons. Agree needs to clean up his defensive actions. His decision making under pressure is not poor though he has the occasional howler that sticks in the mind. Most of those have been when playing half back and I think will be less of an issue in the midfield. I think he will get a long run at the midfield in 2026 so will be interesting to see how far he climbs.