mo64

With the way Covid has impacted the AFLW, our draftees may be needed to play rd 1. I think that DD36 summed it up well. If you're doing all the right things at training or at Casey, birth certificates, body size or experience will not be a factor in team selection.

Travis Johnstone was definitely a wingman.

If not for Scott Pendlebury, Patty may have been an AFL player. Pendlebury quit the AIS basketball program, and Patty was offered that scholarship. I agree durango. The path for Australian basketballers is through the American college system. Many get offered scholarships, but only the select few make it to the NBA. Josh Giddey is one the exception. He made it via the NBL. Those that don't make it to the NBA, very few get offered European contracts, and the rest are fighting for NBL contracts. The NBL has slashed player contracts due to Covid disruptions. A rookie listed player in the AFL would be in the top 5% paid players in the NBL. A development player in the NBL (rookie equivalent) earns only $17,000 pa. So it's not surprising that many switch codes.

I would definitely prefer to stand at the footy, though it's not really an option now, aside from AFLW. We didn't think about it at the time, but it was fantastic to be able to go to a game, pay your money at the gate, and stand pretty much wherever you like. I went to the races at Flemington on Saturday, and whilst standing in a queue with $20 in hand, I was told by a lady that tickets had to be bought online through Ticketek. The process was a knightmare, and If I wasn't meeting a large group of friends, I would have returned home. Everyone had the same knightmare experience. The Hillsborough disaster had a fair bit to do with stadiums around the world becoming all-seating.

Good gets Big Carl. Alan Johnson would be the 2nd wingman aside from Robbie in his top 20, but I tend to think of AJ as a back pocket. I'm surprised that Big Carl made the top 20. Whilst he certainly scared the living daylights out of the opposition, it didn't necessarily translate to wins.

All politics aside, the interviewer must either live under a rock, or doesn't believe in researching his guest. Why would he have Tmac as a guest in the first place, if Tmac hadn't been part of a premiership team? So I fast forwarded, and he didn't realise that NBA players like Bogut earn 20 times that of an AFL player. That was enough for me.

Nice work Deespic. This list is the most controversial IMO. To say that Travis Johnstone "put his first good season together" in 2005, and yet he is rated so highly. And whilst Steven Stretch had a fine career, I'd rate Stinga and Stan Alves ahead of him. I'm curious to find out who the 2nd wingman in your top 20 is aside from Robbie. Surely not Langdon, based on 2 seasons at the club. Maybe Tom Flower gets a nod to complete the Flower, Wells, Flower centreline. Your ranking of Allen Jakovich at 26 is fair. He was an absolute freak.

I remember that game with Steven Clark well. Pretty sure he had that kick for goal to tie the scores. I was up the other end and knew his kick was on line. However I had a flight to Perth that night, so immediately left the ground without knowing whether he kicked it. I grew up within walking distance of Windy Hill, so aside from the MCG, that was my 2nd most attended ground. I'd go with school mates and we'd meet under the windsock at the scoreboard end. I never felt intimidated cause I knew most of the people around me, but I could understand why opposition supporters hated going there. The crowd was 95% Bombers supporters. As a young tacker, I would go to either Footscray (Wester Oval) or Hawthorn (Princes Park) games with my 2 oldest brothers. I never found their supporters to be feral. My 1st experience with feral supporters was on the train home from a Dees game at the G. I was on the Broadie line, and when the train stopped at North Melbourne, feral Richmond supporters and a few North supporters got on. The Richmond supporters directed every expletive under the sun at the North supporters. That was the only time as a youngster that I felt scared that a fight was going to start.

Richie Benaud - Bitchie Renault

The only swashbuckling openers I can think of are Keith Stackpole, Michael Slater and Matt Hayden. No Spoonerisms for Stacky, so it must be either Slick Mater or Hat Maiden. But I'm clueless as to the answer.

Not according to Darren Burgess. When asked on the Gus and Gawny podcast "who surprised you with their fitness when you started", Burgess mentioned that Pickett's endurance in addition to his speed was high level. So I'm not sure where you got that from.

8. Brett Lee. Brie (Cheese) Lett (Off market)

🤷‍♀️ Maybe a case of premature celebration on our part.

My red herring was the saying. I kept thinking of Rolling Stones or Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Stones.

Nice one. Thieve / Sticks and Stones. I knew it was Steve, but could only think of Waugh and Smith.

Your You're not on your own WCW. I'm racking my brain with the rest. Oops. I better edit before Stone reads it.

C'mon WCW. No.4 is a gimme.

We're in trouble if he's bowling for Australia.😁

9. Bruce Reid. Ruse Breed. I'll leave some for WCW and MR.

6. Kim Hughes. Him Queues.

Correct. I found Knightmare's Draft analysis interesting in the past, but he wouldn't have seen any of the draftees play live for the past 2 years, so I now take his opinion with a grain of salt. One just has to look at what is happening with Covid in the AFLW to realise that it's inevitable that a majority of the list may get a run this year. I reckon that JVR and Weid are on equal footing. If injuries or form hit T Mac and BB, form at Casey will determine who gets the nod.

Looking forward to your Top 40 Deespic. So far, the only player I rated massively different was Tony Elshaug. He'd be in my top 60.

He didn't bring us Goody. Roos wanted Stewie Dew as his successor, but the Swans wouldn't release him from his contract.

I suggest you listen to Dylan Buckley's podcasts. He's interviewed quite a few Dees players, and I'm yet to hear one praise Roos. All have expressed their love for Goody. His interview with Max goes for over an hour. Max goes through how the club was under each coach he's had. When it got to Roos, Max laughed. He said that the player loved Roos because under Neeld they were training 9-5. He goes on to say that Roos was a family man, so by one o'clock he'd leave and the players would be left standing around. Max then goes on to say that Goody changed the culture of the club. Harmes said in his interview that when he arrived at the club (same year as Roos), the young players weren't given any direction as to where they fitted in the team. They just played for Casey and hoped to get picked. This was contrary to what the club is like now. And if you think that Roos had an influence on our current team, have a look at the players we recruited from other clubs during his time. The list is embarrassing. The only current player is Melksham, and he came due to Goody. The best recruit was Vince, and he came because of Goody. The biggest fish Roos was able to attract was Lumumba. We traded Howe for Ben Kennedy. Goody attracted big names like Lever and May. Roos attracted zilch.

Great job once again Deespic. No controversial selections. But we did fork out some considerable draft capital and utilise salary cap space to acquire Lever and May. Without them, I doubt we finish as minor premiers let alone win a flag. However I can't agree with your initial Paul Roos narrative, in particular his supposed progressive training structures. If you listen to podcasts with current players and Goody, they're not so generous in their praise of Roos. To say that Goody followed Roos' methods is selling him short. Watts and Hogan were poster boys under Roos, but Goody was quick to move them on. And the team was better for it.