KingDingAling

I think the tide will turn in 2016. Roos will get away from moneyball/stop gap and the focus will be on youth and development. So far Roos has found the right balance, adding Cross, Vince - whilst also maximising pick 2 to get in Salem and Tyson. GWS might buy into a Boyd or Patton trade - given how strong the KP's are this year. It fits in with the trend of GWS buying themselves time until their side is settled. GWS are managing their list well, it makes no sense to have 3 potential superstar KP's in at the one time, while other sides push their price up. They should trade Boyd or Patton for a younger KP, that way they can manage their list/cap better and give themselves a better chances of retain their players in the long term. Also, front loading contracts like GWS do, makes more sense to front load 2 - then another one 2 years later, instead of 3 at once and pay overs.

I think the AFL is desperate for us to remain in the competition. It was clear the AFL had no confidence in our previous board or coach. The AFL held back allocating us a priority pick, but I believe they will at the end of the year - they have faith in Roos and know he'll spend this pick wisely. In the past, we've thrown away quality picks, so I am not surprised the AFL chose to wait - hoping we'd make rapid improvement. I agree with you that Bomber and Roos would be a great combo, but financially it seems beyond us. The AFL can't be seen as favoring the MFC. But I think the next CEO will do more for us than the current CEO.

It might be a bit early to call on MacRae, he looks good - but I will reserve judgement to the end of the year. Stringer looks good as well, I don't think we'll be taking any players off the bullies, they should have freed up space in their cap. I agree with you on Jack Steven, that would be one of our better results - the kid is already elite, he is very good, underrated atm. St Kilda should also have freed up cap space and if Stevens left, it wouldn't be to our club. Sidebottom would be perfect, dual sided, inside - outside - midfielder who can play forward or back.. Loves a goal and clean by foot. I think Sidebottom is the one we should go hard at. He'll have a good year this year, and he'll also probably get limited time in the midfield - given their luxury of superstar mids. Collingwood have Beams back, Pendles runs through there, Swan, now Adams - with up and comers like Kennedy, Elliot and also Harry O and McCaffer spending time in the middle. I think Shiel will go to Richmond, he dates Williams daughter, but he'd be a good target for us - as would O'Rourke, who fits the Tyson mould of having a lot of talent, yet for reasons outside of his control, he hasn't been able to play to his potential, I think we could package a deal that could see us snare this kid as steak knives. GWS are smart to trade for picks, at least until they know the foundation of who wants to stay/go - and the structure of their side going forward, picks buy them time.. I think we should continue to deal with GWS, it is a unique situation where both sides can win out of the right deal.

The picket fence speaks a lot of sense.

Bomber Thompson is Essendon. Also, Thompson knows how long it takes to build a list. MFC is only in it's early stages, Thompson wouldn't be looking to go the hard yards. Why risk his legacy? We need Roos to sign on, he is the bloke to get us out of this shambles.

We need to get players on the park, there will come a time where certain players will either have to get out on the park - or get off our list. The reality of it is - from my perspective - the MFC is in VERY dire shape atm, I don't think Roos anticipated this, but he is absolutely the man for the job. If MFC continue to lose games, not only will your instant noodles fans not jump on - but your current members will start to jump off. MFC have been woeful for over 6 years, PJ is now starting to realize that he can't bank on members resigning anymore - they are jumping off. The club owes the members and at present the club is not winning, the list is in bad shape and our big name players - they have no passion to play for MFC. I do believe the job is tough,because Roos needs to find the balance of improving the list - all with an emphasis of youth. Neeld's money ball strategy was a short cut. He was in a hurry to draft forwards and it is little surprise Dawes and Clark can't perform, the club didn't do it's homework, Dawes was done and Clark wanted to go home. Now we can't get them on the park because Dawes is done and Clark wants to go home. Surprise surprise.

It isn't great, that is for sure.. We should clean out more than our playing list.

Salem will play good footy. He has a terrific blend of skills, toughness and poise - everything Scully doesn't have. I think Salem is one that we are going to get right, he'll be a VERY good player. This pick 2 swap will turn out to be an absolute stroke of genius.

Nah, Cook was rated between 20-30. A few sides probably floated they'd take him earlier, knowing Melbourne would be silly enough to. Basically just moved them up a spot in the draft, a lot of games are played around draft time, I wouldn't read into what is written by other clubs. The truth is though, Gysberts, Cook and Strauss were all head scratching selections at the time. They were terrible selections back then - and they are terrible selections now.

Tyson is a star, this is what other sides expect of top 5 draft picks. Yet down at the MFC, it is somewhat of a miracle if these picks turn out half as good as D.Tyson. Very good trade Roosy. 2 games in, I dare say most sides would part with pick 2 alone for Tyson, he looks exceptional.

Yeah, I agree with that.. I was looking through our draw earlier tonight, I'd be pleasantly surprised if we could manage to even win 3-4 games. If we don't win this weekend and cannot get Clark, Dawes and Hogan on the park soon, our season is all but done. We play GC once, St Kilda once - and we've played them - GWS twice, this weekend and later in the year. If we can't pinch a win this weekend, a win less year might be a reality.

Watts should be played forward anyway. He was one of the most impressive junior forwards I've seen. It is only because our midfielders have lacked skills, poise and decision making that Watts was moved outside the forward line. Watts is fine as a forward, he'll go very well. We will need to stop bombing it in though, we will need to move the ball fast and get it into Vince/Toumpas hands and use Watts and Howe is mobile forwards. JKH as flanker running back hard - Pagans paddock style, open the forward line up... Have our forward line work to our advantage. Roos looked rattled tonight on 360, so we'll find out how good of a strategist he really is on the weekend.

Ollie Wines is bordering on AA. Toumpas would be lucky to get a game at Casey. Based on their current rate of improvement over the space of a year, I'd rather not think 3 years ahead.

Ollie Wines would be making even more impact if he played for us, scary I know.. I told blokes at work after Ablett left Geelong - that he'd be a better player the Gold Coast, they did not listen. But there are certain individuals that do not need others to thrive, external pressures to them mean very little - they have such inner belief. Ollie WInes is wired this way, thankfully so is Jack Viney, he will make a big difference out there. But as scary as it sounds, I think Ollie Wines would be just as good playing for a bottom side. The Abletts, Carey, Lockett, Viney, Hird, they are very similar in their make up, it isn't hard to identify these type of players, there is a slight risk with some. But.. There are also strategies to pull them into line, as Richmond know, - and why Williams is important in bringing Martin into line.

I think he'd be a raw prospect even at most country clubs. I'd be surprised if Fitzpatrick could do much at VFL. Roos obviously worked this one out pretty quickly. Fortunately for Jack, we don't have a forward line. That said, even without a forward line, I think he plays his days out at Casey. Paul Roos knows a spud when he coaches one. Basic skills lads, enjoy your time under a real coach.

Very well said.

Cripps isn't exactly blistering either. Toumpas is playing as I expected he would prior to drafting him. He isn't suited to a bottom side anyway, he does not have the mentality for it. Viney and Wines have that mentality, it was evident before drafting them.. Both said they'll make us pay. When it comes to MFC drafting, we want 2 things... We want guys who believe in themselves no matter what - an absolute steely resolve in guys like Viney, Sloane, Wines. Then.. We want aggressive mongrels who will die to get the football. It isn't rocket science.. I've known this since 2008 and I've watched Melbourne football club draft the complete opposite to these types of players. We draft players with weak mindsets who have to be nurtured and propped up - most of which are project players and skirt riders. MFC is in dire shape right now and overlooking the likes of Sloane, Parker, Wines, Rockliff and Martin goes a long way to explaining this. When the chips are down MFC, don't look for X factor types to save you, draft guys who will die to get the football - guys who have inner confidence that is unshaken. Recruitment 101 and the reason why I given up on our recruitment after we taken James Strauss..

Judd was cut from a different cloth to anything we've seen in recent times - even as a junior. Judd won everything rising through the ranks, he was an enigma. His strengths were his speed and explosiveness, a shoulder injury was not going to take away from those strengths. Toumpas bung hips have left us with nothing more than a list clogger. The writing was on the wall.. I have no doubt Todd Viney would've been against this. I'd love to have a yarn to him one day and find out why we overlooked the obvious.

100% agree, his hips were shot to bits, he looked ordinary in the under 18's prior to drafting him - and MFC bought into the hype. MFC should believe what they see in the champs. Believe Martin was head and shoulders above the others, believe Wines was a beast, your eyes do not lie. Instead, MFC goes on hype, our picks are dictated by other clubs - just on what they say. If we ever had a recruiter who called it as he seen it, we'd of had Martin, Wines, Darling, Sloane and a raft of others. Instead we pick players on hype on what they COULD do - not what they are doing, it is right in front of you.. Wines is carving it up in the champs, don't overlook the kid for a 'could be champion'.

Yeah I was in a tugga war with Hitler over who our son should support. She demanded he barrack for Essendon. Bit short of choices my son.

Yeah, I think that is a concern as well.

Going off yesterdays effort. If we don't beat GWS this week. We could be looking down the barrel of a win-less year. We do not play St Kilda again, we only play GC once. And we have GWS later on in the year. I don't see how we can possibly beat any side, when we have no forward line.

I don't think he'll be having doubts. But I think he'll forget about his own legacy and now start to get his hands dirty. This loss will be good for Roos, he'll thrive. Roos knows exactly what it takes. He won't tolerate players running on the spot all year. Trengove should be on marked time, he wouldn't get a game at my local club. Too many MFC players are sub standard, we have too many blokes on our list who cannot play basic football.

JKH shouldn't be sub, he'd be one of our better players given the chance. It won't take much for a kid like JKH to surpass half our list within the space of a few weeks. Most our list isn't up to AFL standard and from what little I've seen of Kennedy Harris - he is up to standard.

I agree.. It is just a MFC perception that the draft does not work, given how poorly we've drafted the past decade - I see why our supporters have little faith in the draft. A priority pick this year would definitely help. To be frank, we probably need a first and second round PP. The AFL owe it to MFC supporters, opposition sides can go up in arms over it, but MFC is in very bad shape.