TeamPlayedFine39

I think it's great to see Dawes being able to use a football in the preseason full-stop. Since his arrival at the club he's been restricted running laps at training over summer due to injuries. This will (fingers crossed) be his first preseason in a long time and I can't wait to see him running round next year fully fit rather than being forced to play catch-up. Thanks for the training reports too everyone who's contributed... my excitement is BUILDING! (again)

I too am absolutely no expert at all, but I will suggest this... he's not going to get any smaller. McCartin, like Brown, Roughhead, Hawkins, etc is a great big lump of a kid, who is going to grow into an even bigger lump of a man. He has good pace of the mark, good athleticism and agility and if he can maintain these through further access to elite training, then he should develop into a big, bustle power forward. He is not a skinny kid that needs to bulk up in his early twenties, and we certainly won't be looking at preseason training with crossed fingers to see if he's added and muscle to his frame. If anything, his big frame is a huge advantage as he starts in the AFL because he is not going to be rag-dolled like many recruits.

So happy for the Wanderers and their fans. Just goes to show what happens when you build a team to win from the very first, rather than build a team of children that might win seven years down the track.

The knee is a concern for an athletic big man. His frame, talent and athleticism lead to a huge strain on his body. I'm not doubting his leadership and abilities, but he hasn't played footy in a year and when a KPP does his knee in match simulations... It's gotta start some alarm bells ringing. If we do pick him, I can see myself holding my breath with every weave and baulk.

A real shame it hasnt worked out for Tappy. I'm sure he'll get picked up by someone as a DFA or a rookie at the very least. He's never lacked desire or commitment, it's just never really come together for him. I'd have no trouble with him being Jetta'd and picked up again by us.

Assuming Petracca goes no. 1: Pick 2: Brayshaw Pick 3: McCartin

If people (and recruiters of course) believe that McCartin is the third best footballer in the draft, then we should take him. I understand our midfield is poor but we must take talent when it is offered to us. If it's between McCartin and a midfielder, let's just draft the best player of the two and leave 'drafting for needs' as a tie-breaker. For mine: Pick 2: Brayshaw and Pick 3: McCartin A young spine of FROST - MCDONALD - BRAYSHAW - HOGAN - MCCARTIN is full of that wonderful (dirty) word, potential.

Criticisms along the lines of: underwhelming, lack of speed, poor below his knees, poor conditioning, bad disposal, bad shot for goal, poor agility and turning circle, questions on his attitude and a general feeling that he won't be able to translate his talents to senior football - have all been thrown his way- certainly not by one poster but across several threads. The attitude to McCartin on DL is seemingly mostly negative which stands in contrast to his standing in the broader afl community. I get that MFC has been burnt many times by early picks but I think a lot of people are trying to search out and focus too much on the negatives, or possible negatives of an exceptional young player. Most clubs would be falling over themselves to get him and I think we're looking for faults that aren't really there. I suppose it's a matter of perception and expectation and what people deem to be a success. Is a decent 200 game FF worth pick 3, even if he's not a star of the competition? I'd say yes.

The extent to which McCartin is being talked down on demonland is astounding! By the tone being taken by a lot of people, you'd think this player, who has been regarded as top two in the draft pool all year, was a complete dud! Are people actually that down on this impressive young KPP prospect? FWIW I think he looks great! Great build, great attitude, great set of hands! He is going to go top four in the draft - top five at the absolute max! Yet by the sounds of the criticism he gets on here, it'd be a miracle if he was drafted at all.

Thanks for the scoop Kurt! It's great when the inside info comes through! McCartney is a great pick up by the dees. Comes from a lot of successful clubs and cultures and is held in very high regard by the Geelong boys. We are assembling a very good coaching and development line-up!

Lotta love for Jack, wish him all the best - he's still young and time is on his side. Like Morabito at Fremantle, Jack deserves some luck with his body. Hopefully the club and the fans rally around Trengove in a similar fashion and we see him grace the G again someday.

Was surprised when he wasn't initially picked up in the national draft but you need to have that burst of initial speed to get separation from your opponent. This is something he didn't seem to have as a KPP. Now that he is remoulded into a big bodied, inside mid he still really needs that burst of initial speed to get a meter away from his opponent. Wish him all the luck in the world but he feels a little like Matthew Bate 2012.

He moves like silk but would be interested to know, from those who may have seen more of him, whether he has any bullishness to his game. A lot harder to find this sort of space at senior level.

True- but his first two games were exceptional, he gain two rising star nominations in his first two years... It looked like a master stroke! He sucked me in- I thought we'd landed a star!

It's interesting to read through this thread and get a feel for the confidence and excitement that was brewing back then. I remember that Scully and Trengove were absolute locks as the consensus 1 and 2. Despite what the revisionists might say- they were IT in the 2009 draft. Following that I recall wanting Aaron Black with pick 11 and was a little surprised to say the least when Gysberts was read out. However at the intra-club match down at Casey I remember being very impressed by the new number five who well outperformed the much more fancied ScullGove. Tapscott was a great get next and he would have gone by the next pick I think. The first couple of matches of 2011 told me we'd got a bargain! We'll be debating for decades what exactly went wrong during this time and where the blame should lie- but all of these players showed signs of being very, very good footballers. Were they not up to the demands of profession football or were they brought into an environment that was not equipped to develop them? This article by Jay Clark gives an insight into what the football world thought was coming with this Melbourne group at the time. It follows the win against Essendon just before the wheels fell off the club, the list and the Stynes, Schwab, Bailey era. http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/afl/jordan-gysberts-key-to-melbournes-engine-room/story-e6frg1xu-1226081585751?nk=c7bbb8a8de36c7cc2f6bb36fc9507b46

Im VERY happy with his signing in an assistant and development capacity. As soon as he was fired from the bullies I thought he'd be a great get - however I never thought we'd be the ones to get him. This could prove to be one of our better signings of the trade/draft period.

This garbage article is recycled every year! The first problem is that it's revisionism at its worse as every year the article is written, the team is different as the journalist (in name only) has had another year consider the draft. (cue 'Michael Hurley is the next Wayne Carey' circa 2010) The second problem is that this can be done for every team in the league. Imagine Hawthorn with Selwood, Fyfe and Pendlebury!

I had no problems when we delisted Jetta at the end of last year. I thought he was a little off the pace, both physically and mentally; that he was weak in the air and was the kind of player who didn't have exceptional weapons in his arsenal and couldn't nail down a spot in a very weak line-up. I was wrong and I am very glad that I was. Who, on the current list of players, do I believe matches this profile yet still gives me a glimmer of hope for a complete turn-around? Tapscott. If he survives the cull, is able to complete preseason and is given a role in the team, he may prove me (and most others) wrong about him.

Hopefully it's a matter of journalists doing their job a little better. In previous years some of the player write ups have been ridiculous with every player from pick 1-80 being touted as the second coming of John Coleman. Every player has weak points to their game- especially at 17 years old.

I think Robinson (like Lamumba in many respects) is underrated as player due to perceptions about his personality. I would have thought the club looked at Robinson and Gartlett and wisely chose only one of them. They both need a change of scenery and time away from the people who they formed bad habits alongside.

Very Happy have Sam Frost on the list. I too was surprised by the high price we paid but it suggests to me that there was either another offer tabled for him or StKilda was going to take him at P1 in the PSD. If that is the case it is worth considering who you would prefer out of Frost and Membrey? I would have picked Frost and I'm glad that we did.

When you look past the borderline hysteria of supporters and possible trading scenarios that saw some of the best players in the league falling into our lap... our trading has been quite good. If we can secure Frost tomorrow for a decent price then this week will be a success. Many people are understandably down on the week as they were hoping/wishing for a mega signing, but alas, it wasn't to be. Stretch for a third rounder is a WIN. Lamumba for Clark (a player who had previously retired, which gave us nothing) is a WIN. Garlett for picks 61 and 79 is a big WIN as he is a player with plenty of talent, goal sense and something we sorely need- speed! Hopefully a Frost deal can be done tomorrow and we have a young, athletic, big-bodied key position player who has potential at both ends of the ground. Add to that we have the chance to draft either the best two mid-fielders in the draft OR the second best mid and the best KPP in the draft-pool. The week is not what we expected, but that does not mean it's not a good week.

I believe the midfield had always been the plan for him. Very limited this season by his preseason injury but he has pace, a mighty left foot and a real arrogant streak which I love!

There's more to a club and more to a playing list than cold numbers. Trengove is loved and respected by the group and has always been outspokenly loyal about the club. Commitment and culture is a two way street and a trade like this has potential to punch a hole in the playing list.

Extended his contract when Scully took the money and ran. Accepted the captaincy when we were at our lowest. A role model on the training track and originally injured his foot doing non-compulsory preseason training sessions. Even the article sights him as being 'reluctant' to move to Richmond. I don't get overly worked up about list decisions the club makes - but this one would do my head in. This is like trading Woewodin all over again.