Gator

It's just another opinion, but he does watch a lot of junior footy. Here's Knightmare's 2015 top 23 power rankings followed by a brief bio of Balic. -- Top five on list quality --1. Jacob Hopper (NSW - GWS ACADEMY - MID)2. Clayton Oliver (VIC – MID)3. Jacob Weitering (VIC – KPD)4. Callum Mills (NSW - SYDNEY ACADEMY – MID)-- Top ten on list quality --5. Ben Keays (QLD – BRISBANE ACADEMY – MID/FWD)6. Matthew Kennedy (NSW - GWS ACADEMY – MID/FWD)7. Joshua Schache (VIC – KPF)-- Projected best 22 players --8. Eric Hipwood (QLD – BRISBANE ACADEMY - KPP)9. Aaron Francis (SA – UTIL)10. Mitchell Hibberd (TAS – DEF/MID)11. Kieran Collins (VIC – KPD)12. Wayne Milera (SA –FWD/MID)13. Luke Partington (SA – MID/FWD)14. Darcy Parish (VIC – UTIL)15. Ryan Clarke (VIC – MID/FWD)16. Ryan Burton (SA – FWD)17. Harley Balic (VIC – MID/FWD)18. Thomas Cole (VIC – UTIL)19. Rhys Mathieson (VIC – MID/FWD)20. Harry Himmelberg (NSW – GWS ACADEMY – KPF)21. Kieran Lovell (TAS – MID)22.Jade Gresham (VIC – MID)23. Brayden Fiorini (VIC – MID) 17. Harley Balic (VIC – MID/FWD) Height: 186cm, Weight: 80kg, DOB: 05/01/1997Recruited from: Sandringham DragonsReminds me of: Poor man’s Jackson MacraeBrief bio: Balic has some tricks and plays with that basketballer several other recent draftees have. Balic stands out most with his decision making ability and vision with ball in hand. He consistently chooses the right option and often finds some really damaging targets. In terms of execution while he has the vision and decision making ability by hand and foot it can be a mixed bag as sometimes he will hit his targets, and other times miss. Similarly finishing from set shots and field kicks at goal further improvement is required as he lacks consistency in front of goal. He is also more of a short-medium distance kicker as someone with only average penetration. A further strength of Balic’s is his strength of marking overhead with his leaping ability making him a threat in the air which gives him potential to play forward of centre. Athletically Balic is good overall. He is not a linebreaking threat but moves well, has strong endurance and excellent leaping ability. As a contested ball winner Balic at this stage is not a factor as someone who is a receiver at this point.

There's no way they'll make their offer worse. It's fanciful to think so.

That's great, mate, but imo there's not a hope in hell they'll do that. They also want to do the right thing by Lever, who's shown good faith in selecting the MFC as his club of choice. The club won't want Lever, or his manager thinking we're playing funny buggers. This is why we made a good offer to start with. You're welcome to a different view.

Adelaide are so pist off because they know how good he's going to be. He plays the modern zoning game to perfection. He reads the play better than anyone else, he knows exactly the right time to leave his own man, and he either takes a brilliant intercept mark, or kills the contest with his fist of fury. He's not fast, but he is agile, he usually hits his targets by foot, and he's renowned in Adelaide for his sidestep. He also has courage. We're talking about a guy who is 13 days older than Oscar McDonald. How much improvement has Oscar still got ? Lever's the same, only far more talented. Oscar can play with Lever for the next 8 years and he'll learn from him. Lever spent 3 years with Talia, which will only help. And let's not forget that Lever was made captain of Vic Metro as a bottom age player, i.e. too young to be drafted that year. Let that sink in. How many bottom age players are chosen to captain their state ? He captained Petracca and would also know Brayshaw well. This is a terrific coup for the MFC.

We've already put picks 10 and 27 on the table. There's zero possibility we'll recant.

Lever missed 5 games. On ave. votes per game he came 10th.

I'm not sure what the final top 10 is, but here it is with one game to go. He made the AA squad, but not top 10 in their B&F. Hmmm

Lever missed rounds 1 and 2 with a hamstring.

Adelaide knew Lever wasn't staying before the finals started. They still chose to select him to represent the AFC on their biggest day. To say that we'll select you for a GF, even though we know you're leaving, but we'll then block you from turning up to the B&F is about as small minded as you can get. That's why it's a plastic club.

What do you expect from a club that took back Jack Gunston's Mark Bickley award after he told them he wanted a trade. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/sport/crows-stripped-gunston-of-award/news-story/c710d976b084a311027f22c1cbd9dbf4

I didn't include Scully, because there were exemptions when GWS and Gold Coast entered the competition. Adelaide lost Davis, Footscray Ward, us the Rodent. So different circumstances, even if just as galling from a MFC point of view.

Whether it be Cameron Mooney, Leigh Matthews, or Dwayne Russell, many in the media are complaining about Jake Lever's decision to leave the Crows after just 3 years. I won't bother mentioning Scott Thompson, and I recognise there are some differences with his move, but what about Josh Caddy leaving the Suns after just two years ? He was pick 7 in the 2010 draft and wanted out after his two year contract was up. Not a word in the media. I know there will be other examples, but it appears there's selective outrage in the AFL industry.

Frost is a chronic fumbler.

I never said I was perfect.

I rejected it because I've seen him run around like a plonker when he's started forward at the beginning of games. Maybe you have a poor memory, but McDonald started forward in a couple of games with Roos and was shouse. He's always been better when it's happened mid game and there's been an element of surprise. This happened under Roos a couple of times (mid game) and it was ok when Goodwin tried. I was still skeptical he could be a quality permanent key forward after the West Coast game. Even now I'm not totally sold, but the evidence is mounting. I'm not sure even McDonald thought he could be a quality key forward tall a month ago. Anyway, enough. You're boring.

"I'm still not convinced Tom will be able to keep up his strong performances in the forward-line, but I'm a lot more open-minded than I was 3 weeks ago. I'd be silly to ignore the evidence."

OK, this is what I said,: "There is, of course, the question of what to do with the McDonalds and Frost if we were lucky enough to recruit Lever. My guess is that Frost would be traded. Oscar is developing well and at 197cms he has a tonne of physical development left. Splitting up the brothers is also problematic." This comment was made before Tom McDonald morphed into Peter Hudson on the weekend, where balls mysteriously landed in his hands in marking contests and he slotted goals that were once beyond his pay grade. To me, there wasn't much point securing Lever and retaining the aforementioned players when we also have the 191cm high leaping Joel Smith, who is also thereabouts. Has the weekend changed my views ? Yes, to an extent. Imo, Oscar and Frost have both been better without Tom down back with them. I don't like all three in the backline together due to their kicking skills out of defence*, plus, we now have enough evidence to suggest Oscar and Sam have grown without Tom. It's been win/win. I'm still not convinced Tom will be able to keep up his strong performances in the forward-line, but I'm a lot more open-minded than I was 3 weeks ago. I'd be silly to ignore the evidence. I agree with the need for outside speed and I agree the need for Lever is less than it was a month ago. But gee, Lever will be a star. *There is kicking and there is kicking. Oscar and Frost are becoming reasonably reliable in that they usually hit easy targets, but there is no flair or creativity in their kicking and I still have concerns with them under pressure or their ability to hit a difficult kick that's required at the right time and moment.

It's not wrong and it's certainly not disrespectful. If Melbourne wants Lever, and we're reported to be very keen, list management requires most people on the list being discussed as potential trades. The club will be looking at TMac's best long-term position; whether OMac, TMac, and Frost work together in the same back-line; how to fit Lever into that mix; how the high leaping Joel Smith fits in; etc. They don't look in isolation and get offended when a name is mentioned as possible trade bait. They look at all the permutations and discuss what is the best eventual outcome as they take into account the current player mix. Also, this seems to be needed to be clarified, if you throw up a player's name as potential trade bait it doesn't 'necessarily' mean you don't rate that player as highly, or more highly, as someone who doesn't want said person traded. That may be difficult for some to understand. For me it's nothing personal. It's about making us better and closer to a flag.

If we don't have a defence of Tom, Oscar, Frost and Lever then I wouldn't trade Frost either. Remember, I posted before Tom morphed into Peter Hudson.

Boy he goes to ground a lot.

OK mate.

Oscar McDonald wasn't up to it, which is why he was dropped. I've not overly complained about them getting games into him. And he's improved as a result. I'm for getting games into young developing players, which is why I've been for getting games into Weideman. Pedersen has been fantastic. I still don't rate him as a stay at home key forward and I suspect the club doesn't either. It will be interesting to see how his role develops for the remaining of the year. Watts finally pulled his finger out, which only vindicated my views of his hopeless years. Even then, I believe he has much more to give. Here's the thing and perhaps where we differ, I'm not fussed who rates my opinion or doesn't rate my opinion. Who cares ?