Chelly

27 minutes ago, Return to Glory said:

Yes, it's only fair that GWS get another three top ten players next year and retain the Albury region. FMD, could the competition get any more uneven?

The AFL has ruled that its love child the GWS will keep areas of NSW such as Albury which have been traditionally AFL regions as part of their "development" areas. Another free leg up when it comes to draft time later this year.

On 16/12/2016 at 7:31 PM, Jesus Hoganshaw said:

Just can't see it making any difference and I'm glad we're not involved for the physical effects its likely to have on the players, even if just looking at the 24 hours of plane travel. The second generation Chinese population is already as interested as any other Australian would be and if we're talking about first generation Chinese then I doubt they'll even notice the game gets played. 

I see no reason for any section of the Chinese population to take even a passing interest in AFL unless directly introduced by an Australian friend.

Agree with you that Guangzhou would provide a better venue, I reckon Hong Kong as wll. I think the stadium they've provided in Shanghai shows how serious the Chinese side is taking the game.

Seeing that we already give away two home games a year that are fairly energy sapping, do we really need another expedition to other parts - especially as far away as China to soften the team up a little more.

17 hours ago, daisycutter said:

try edited one in op

Tried that and got hit by a ? firewall 

Six6six posted these up on a separate thread but they're so good we wouldn't want anyone to miss out.

2 hours ago, Demons2riseagain said:

I've seen >25 cases of hay fever/asthma in new patients over the last month (since the thunderstorm)- before this 3-4 for the year. I don't find the above hard to believe at all. 

Steroids and ventolin are making huge differences but may take a week or so to kick in. (Inhaled Steroids).. hope Clarrie feels better.

Can he take steroids and still be WADA compliant?

On 03/12/2016 at 3:11 PM, Sir Why You Little said:

The AFL won't do anything. A strong Killer GW$ only helps make the next Broadcast Deals even bigger. That is all the Commission care about. That is why they want Essendrug strong again

TV Ratings....

GW$ have been given more time to prepare their defence in the Whitfield farce saga. Likely outcome is a wet lettuce delivered over the holidays when everybody's looking away.

One of my favourite players was The Flash who we drafted from the VFL (originally as a rookie). 

The club has drafted three players this year from that competition and I hope they can have good AFL careers like his. 

Meanwhile, Aaron has taken up a coaching job at Doveton which is not that far from Casey where two of our rookies were recruited from - 

Aaron Davey to coach Doveton in South East Football Netball League

Good luck Flash!

On 27/11/2016 at 2:15 PM, Return to Glory said:

If GWS win the Premiership next year (and I think they will), then the thought of them having further picks inside the top 10 plus academy guns 'makes me spew'.

In that case, you can start spewing now RTG because I've thought long and hard to come up with my first 2017 Phantom Draft.

1. Charlie Spargo (Murray Bushrangers) GWS Academy
2. Darcy Fogarty (Glenelg SA) 
3. Jarrod Brander (Bendigo Pioneers) GWS Academy
4. Jaidyn Stephenson (Eastern Ranges)
5. Connor Ballenden (Brisbane Lions) Brisbane Lions Academy
6. Sam Hayes (Eastern Ranges)
7. Hunter Clark (Dandenong Stingrays)
8. James Worpel (Geelong Falcons)
9. Jack Higgins (Oakleigh Chargers)
10. Jack Powell (Canberra) GWS Academy

That makes three early picks available to GWS through the academy system assuming their zone isn't changed to exclude the Riverina District which isn't really being "developed" by the Giants anyway (and note where my picks 1 & 3 are playing). 

Here is an article about the GWS Academy that might be of interest.

In effect, the two players we drafted weren't on the radar of the so called "experts". Neither of them made it on any of the phantom drafts that I've seen - the picks seem to be left of field. 

Have we taken risks with our selections?

15 hours ago, CBDees said:

What is the rationale behind opting for only two picks on Monday, instead of three (and/ora third Category B rookie)? Surely if HL pulls the plug it would be handy to have extra insurance, plus l am sure that Plapp would also appreciate more depth at Casey.

Agreed and as has been said elsewhere, the club should be telling us why we are taking two category A rookie picks. It's not as if they come at a great cost and if the last rookie picked doesn't make it, what have we lost?

A timely reminder for me to start working on my 2017 Phantom Draft.

No idea who we pick but I want to hear Jason Taylor say when he gets interviewed at the end that he couldn't believe the player was still available at our pick. 

9 hours ago, Skuit said:

Mods? Can we please delete this thread?

Why?

16 hours ago, daisycutter said:

oh come on ldvc. they have had at least 12 months to consider that. no need to act the apologist, their response has been glacial

Glacial in comparison to the way it came out immediately on the day the CAS judgement was made in January and announced its contingency plan to top up the Essendon list with players and confirm that in the event that their weakened team finished last, it would still have first pick in the draft notwithstanding the CAS findings.

There are always off season injuries. The AFL site reports on those of all clubs. A good run for all your players at this time of year can set up your season to come.

Off season injury list

Here's hoping that all on this list make a speedy recovery -

"Best and fairest winner Jack Viney will have a delayed start to pre-season after undergoing a hip operation immediately after round 23, while Tom McDonald had surgery to fix an ongoing shoulder problem. Cameron Pedersen also had a shoulder operation before the club re-signed him, while Aaron vandenBerg will look to return from ankle surgery in good shape after it hampered him early last season. He was scheduled to clean out the left ankle once the season finished. Concussion kept Heritier Lumumba sidelined for all but one game after round six but he is expected to be right to go at the start of the year. With Casey Scorpions reaching the VFL Grand Final many Demons will start training a little later than recent seasons.

Rule them out for round one: None"

On 29/10/2016 at 4:23 PM, Whispering_Jack said:

Knightmare's 2016 AFL phantom draft is out on ESPN -

Knightmare's 2016 AFL phantom draft: Who goes where, and when?

http://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/17897568/knightmare-first-2016-afl-phantom-draft

He's only doing the first two rounds and is not really predicting where the academy/father-son bidding is going to happen so it's not completely realistic (if anything can possibly be regarded as that). Here are his top 10

1. Essendon - Hugh McCluggage
2. GWS Giants - Andrew McGrath
3. Brisbane Lions - Ben Ainsworth
4. Gold Coast - Jack Scrimshaw
5.  Carlton - Will Brodie
6. Gold Coast - Jack Bowes
7. Fremantle - Tim English
8.  Gold Coast - Sam Petrevski-Seton
9. Sydney - Oliver Florent
10. Gold Coast - Tim Taranto

For Melbourne's pick in the third round KM fancies Willem Drew, a 188cm, 78kg midfielder.

Drew would be an interesting selection. Goes hard at the ball and has been compared to Jack Viney.

I think the club would be comfortably convinced that Wagner deserves a primary list spot anyway. Could you say the same about the players available at 84? If not, better to consider such players in the rookie draft.

13 hours ago, Members' Wing said:

Everybody knows Gawn while hammered spewed on Scully while he was sleeping. You've hardly "shed quite a bit of light" on the situation, or non-situation.

Well no ... some think that happened but when the story started doing the rounds some time after the trip it was just that Maxy chucked while on the trip and then it was while in the presence of the players before finally morphing into spewing while he was sleeping. 

Did it influence why he left the trip?

There have been other reasons offered above such as a family illness.

Did it influence why he left the club?

Since there were $7.2 million other reasons I suggest that if it did then it would have had an infinitesimal effect at best. 

Not only that but in view of some of the goings on with characters like Toby Greene and more recently the scandals surrounding Lachie Whitfield, if he really cared about his club's cultcha then he would have been out of the place and in the Australian Boys Choir by now.

As Saty wisely stated above, if you repeat something often enough, they'll believe you.

 

Surely we can't get a Cedric, can we?

Why not? They named today's feature race at Moonee Valley after him. 

"Max Lynch was identified at a 2014 trial after coming from a soccer background, he’s done very well to carry the ruck duties for the Rams."

TAC CUP | NSW-based Bushies impress at AFL division two under-18 championships

The Giants also have Connor Byrne and Zach Sproule in their academy squad. I don't know how the Giants can fit them all in.   

That's why I think Lynch might be a gettable proposition.

Well, we bit the bullet and delisted Max King which I suppose had to be done in light of the fact that after three years as a rookie, the Casey selectors ignored him throughout the finals series and played Oscar McInerney instead and left him in their twos.

Max King came from the Bushies where they grow them big so why not another Max from out Albury way? Max Lynch is a 200cm, 96kg ruckman from the Murray Bushrangers with the problem being that I believe he's in the GWS Academy (it's another issue altogether as to why an Albury boy needs an academy because our game is pretty strong up there - but hey, this is the AFL and GWS is their love child).

I believe that the Giants have a number of draft prospects in this year's academy and they might be under pressure with points in the bidding system if they haven't selected him by the time we get to Melbourne's pick at 47.

Anyone know how this works and does anyone know some more about Max Lynch?

Rory Thompson of Gold Coast looks a worthy player to target.

In a very long-winded statement, the Old Xaverians Amateur Football Club has announced the appointment of James McDonald as their senior coach in A section for next year.

Congratulations Junior. OX's are the most successful and well run club in the VAFA. It's a real honour.

2 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

To improve your best 22 you also need to continue to improve your depth (censored). Did you not learn anything over the last 2 weeks when the doggies won the VFL granny and then yesterday.

It only takes an injury to Jones Tyson and Viney and we'll be left with a huge hole. 

Not to mention Max.