Deers

WTF -- have the brothers taken over here too? What kind of ridiculous censorship is this to blank out '[censored]'? Stick a fork in me. I'm done. [CENSORED]

Does Tim realise that none of the Demonology members support his decision? Does he realise he has been wrongfully tricked by a pair of [censored]?

Other. Stringer. The player nobody wants to talk about. Unless you're talking about him being a "steal" when the Bulldogs land him 60 seconds after we've called a name out.

This is confusing. We seem to have dismissed Stringer without thought yet the very same supporters believe the Bulldogs will snap him up one or two picks later? In addition everyone believes Stringer will be a bargain after our pick 4. What's up with that? Why don't WE take him then? There's doubt over Wines' kicking yet Stringer nailed the kicking tests at the Draft Combine. Nothing adds up here.

Benefit of the doubt.

I would be shocked at the almost unanimous verdict to keep Gysberts if the Morton vote wasn't split 50 / 50. Because we need to retain a swag of woulda, coulda, shoulda's at our club so the status quo of too-soft-to-admit-fault Melbourne supporters remain. Go on, then - dish me up your "perfectly valid" excuses for their failings.

No but many on here would be willing to play the gutless "wait and see" game for the rest of his career. And if he comes good elsewhere - well done to him. But he won't be part of Melbourne so I couldn't give two hoots unless he single-handedly beats us in a Grand Final.

You are so attached to whatever Greg Denham says that you have even used the nickname KB gives him. Every time a fan jumps on social media and complains, Greg's bosses add another dollar to his monthly salary. I'm not attempting to withhold you from your opinion, but I've been hearing it and reading about it ad nauseum since the beginning. Can you not get over it by now? We're in a good spot ATM - Greg's not taking that away from you anytime soon.

Interesting to read the thoughts on Wines as an option at pick 4. He is built strong and ready-made; attacks the contest and is an accumulator of the footy; skilful by hands and by foot and makes good decisions. That's a copy and paste job into Stringer's profile. Wines has a clean bill of health as far as we know, but Stringer has marking ability and kicks goals. It's a split decision.

You know your suggestion is bad when Olisik starts paying out on you.

The first game's worth of footage appears to be his 9.7 game vs. the Northern Knights. His slow-walk run in to goal gives that away. I can clearly see bandaging over that leg in the Etihad Stadium footage, too. He needs to be selected as a bona fide midfielder if we were to use pick 4 on him. It's hard to tell from articles online though: some say on-baller, others utility and the Draft Combine nominated him as a tall forward for some reason. But he has the sharp hands and evasiveness to act as a mid. Plus the core strength and tackling. And the marking.

Yes but like you I think my attachment to young Jake is clouding my judgment. If his impaired movement from this year rolls over to the next he will not get a senior game, regardless of his immense talent and size. I can wait around for a potential star if I need to and I think Jake is one of them. But not two. And I prefer Hogan to Stringer anyway.

I find it remarkable how some supporters get so attached to young players despite their absence from the senior team. There's a good reason they can't get AFL games. And don't start with the injury B/S. If Sydney players had the same mindset they would struggle to field a team each week.

If he is offloaded this soon we could very well regret it. But Neeld has no time to wait for stragglers who cannot adapt to his methods (the elite standard). If it is meant to be it is meant to be.

Dawes comes from a far superior system. He understands the structured game very well, particularly playing forward. He can guarantee at least 30 goals in a season. He can rotate with Clark as a relief tap ruckman. Most importantly, he is virtually a healthy man. I don't get Gumbleton's upside. Plus I think he is very much Plan B and even then I would look elsewhere. Dawes to the fore.

Why didn't I think of that?

It reads more like his manager pumping his tyres full of free publicity. 100% guarantee he still looks like a mouse and plays like one.

A day has passed and I feel disbelieved that we actually got him. All along I lived in hope but rational thinking said it was a 33-1 shot and drifting. [Nasher edit: Removed pic and reference to it. I'd hate to be accused of implementing nanny state policy or stuff like that, but it'd be nice if we could at least keep the posts clean enough that I don't violate my work's acceptable use policy and get the sack purely because I loaded a thread on Demonland - thanks] [Deers edit: Fair enough. Get back to work, slacker.]

You are not factoring in likely picks from FA compensation and trades involving Gysberts, Martin, Bate, Cook et al.

Without a doubt. He's a talented kid, built strong in his core but moved like a plodder this year. It has been suggested that we downgraded from pick 13 to 20 because we have a player in mind to draft there. That may or may not be Jake. But it's abundantly clear that Neeld wants strong, ready-made bodies out of this year's draftees. We don't have the luxury of time to wait on skinny kids as they bulk up. For that reason I think Oliver Wines firms as our pick 4 selection. At pick 20 I would take Stringer without hesitation. The other solid build midfielders / utilities within the top 25 are Kennedy, Vlastuin and Hrovat. I don't rate any of them ahead of Stringer. If it's a choice between Stringer and Wines at pick 4, head-over-heart I choose Stringer. But with Viney's sway, I think the club would disagree.

There is a lot of water to go under the bridge on this. Stringer could go anywhere within the first two rounds. He is good enough to be taken very early yet some suggest he could fall to a late first-rounder. Kevin Sheehan says he will go "top 20". His impressive skill numbers at the Draft Combine send him up the rankings but his poor movement in the running tests drag him down. I know nothing about where our recruiters rate him, but with a mid-teens pick gone I don't think we're really interested.

New World Order indeed.

He could easily run past Dawes, but Dawes would simply run through him.

Back online. Well ... err ... cya.

Yep. That has been raised in this forum weeks ago. We clearly haven't got off scot-free for landing Viney in the second round. If it means paying overs for Hogan, of all players? Where do I sign?