stevethemanjordan

Depth is important. But it's hard to juggle, especially when you have a 20 year old getting 30+ possies every week in the VFL and not getting a look in. Of course if ANB is happy playing second fiddle behind our top-end inside mids then we're laughing but realistically that isn't going to happen. If he can't get a regular game in our starting side going forward, he'll obviously be wanting opportunities elsewhere. The club have a lot of forward thinking to do in that regard. List management would be a tough gig.

We're not this year. I understand what we did last year, but every year one should be aiming to improve their position. At the moment the highest pick we have is a second rounder that will potentially be going to Essendon for Hibberd. Clearly we need to get ourselves back into the draft in some capacity. Whether it's a couple of picks in the second/third round I'm not sure but I'd say the club will be aiming to do that.

Lennon has more skill in his left ear if you're comparing the two. Ben Lennon is a highly skilled player. I assure you. Which is a major part of why he went at pick 12. And his pace is good as is his tackling pressure. If Melbourne supporters are happy to give Salem the benefit of the doubt (myself included), due to injuries and not having a clean run at it, it puzzles me why they don't adopt the same philosophy for similarly highly rated players at opposition club? Lennon, like Salem, hasn't had a clean run at it and has been at a shocking club in Richmond. Whether we get him or not, I reckon in five years down the track people will recognise that he is a very good player.

One or two of Dawes, Dunn and Garland will be traded I imagine. We're in a terrible draft position and if we want to bring in any other trades we need some ammunition. I get the feeling that ANB might be up for grabs too. Has had it pretty stiff this year but he is a pure inside mid that doesn't offer a whole lot of versatility. And down the line it's hard to see him getting a starting position in a midfield of Viney, Tyson, Petracca, Brayshaw, Oliver etc.

Don't ever stop posting on this site.

Perhaps. I'm sure Hunt's versatility is now a point of interest to the coaches and I can see him playing further up the ground. Wait and see I guess.

Unfortunately we can't fix it all overnight. I think for us, we're desperate for speed through the middle and kicking skills on the half-backline. Hibberd brings that and hopefully Vince will next year. Melksham will play half-back I imagine for run-and-carry. But really I have no idea, just throwing up some scenarios.

I agree with Lucifer's post in regards to the development at Richmond in general. Which is the reason why I think it's short-sighted to write him off just yet. And like others I agree that positionally speaking, we are covered for half-forwards. However, given that we won't be able to target all areas of the list that need improving, I think something like this would be killing two birds: Bringing in Lennon and Hibberd could allow for two of our quickest line-breaking players see a move further up field. Those players being Kent and Hunt. Lennon to HF and Hibberd to HB and both Kent and Hunt to the wings rotating with Stretch. That's part of the attraction I see with Lennon, but who knows what the club have in mind. Would certainly address our need for speed through the middle of the ground.

Fringe Tiger forward keen for trade I remember talk of him going early during the Salem draft as a player who was on our radar. I've always thought he looked a really gifted and natural footballer who definitely possesses attributes that our list is seeking but for whatever reason he hasn't been able to put it all together. Far too early to tell whether or not he'll make it and I imagine the Tiges will want an early second round pick for him at the very least. Good speed and agility and is a great kick and mark. Could be the kind of player who'd release Kent and allow him to play on the wing more. Anyway, not sure how realistic it is but I definitely rate him.

Interesting. His form has definitely dropped this year from previous years. Wouldn't be entirely opposed to it although he most certainly won't help address our lack of speed or foot-skills through the middle. I'm not sure what to think really.

Dunn, Garland, Matt Jones, Terlich and Dawes to Essendon for pick 1. Simples.

Some* They're not all 'Karl Normans' Dazzle.

True. Maybe the number of patches in his beard tomorrow will give an indication as to how wild today/tonight was/is. (confusing sentence)

A genuine imbecile if still on the darts.

As a serious question, how is it that we have yet to unearth a genuine superstar player since the new millennium? Does anyone think it has anything at all to do with things like: a lack of club solidarity culture and identity, a lack of leadership in all facets of the club, a lack of credible and highly respected on-field leaders? Anything else? Why is it that we haven't? What, (other than hope) makes supporters believe that one of these young guys we have on our list will become a genuine star of the competition? Just interested..

I appreciate your passion for the club, but all you're doing is painting a typical Melbourne supporters portrait. Taking away Treloar, Pendles and Sidebottom and there's as much potential as we've got AF. That's just the truth. Aish, Adams, De Goey, Broomhead, Crisp. There's depth. All you've written about is 'potential'. And I agree the potential looks good, but that's all it is at the moment. A whole lot of potential.

Dogs : Bontempelli, Wallis, Stringer, Macrae, Boyd, Hunter, Johannisen, Daniel, Jong, Honeychurch, Mclean, Roberts. Pies: Grundy, De Goey, Crisp, Adams, Treloar, Moore, Langdon, Aish, Broomhead, Maynard, Williams, Marsh. Clearly the quality drops away after naming about 10. But from 10-15/16 there's as much untapped talent at the dogs and pies as there is with us. Of course we can nit-pick about 'which dozen you or I would prefer', but it's so far from what's relevant. Look at the age profiles for the rest of the list of both those sides and you'll see that we don't come anyway near matching them in the 23-27 age profile or the 27+. Both sides have far superior talent, experience and leadership in each of those age categories which without doubt contributes to the development of the '23 and unders'. Which is why it's imperative that we keep adding quality experienced players to our list and which is why it baffles me that the nuffies on here shut down the thought of bringing in a bloke like Harvey simply because they 'dislike him'. Even though he'd walk in as potentially our best player as well as most experienced, regardless of his AGE.

Dogs, Collingwood Gold Coast (and to a lesser extent the Saints) have lists that would rival ours and I reckon it's far too early to tell until genuine stars emerge. Part of the development for these guys is to be around really strong and experienced leaders which is something we presently come last in if comparing to any other club. It'll be interesting to see how many of our guys reach their potential without the push that many others would get at opposing clubs.

Well I think we have to be if we want to see a jump in ladder position again. And I think the games against Geelong and Carlton have only highlighted the fact that we need to be active. Not only that, it's worth remembering that St Kilda, Collingwood, Essendon and Port will be vying for a top eight position. Supporters tend to forget that other clubs also improve over the off-season. Whilst I agree that we don't have much to work with at present, I'm hoping we can somehow creatively make a play for some upgraded draft picks which we can ontrade or creatively make a play for topliner. But that's not our only concern. I think one of the age-old cliches that circulates these parts at the end of the season is the following: 'Natural improvement from young players over the off-season'. An obvious observation in which some supporters (not saying you) seem to magically think doesn't apply to any other club within the AFL. If any Melbourne supporter genuinely thinks we'll make the eight next year on the back of only adding Hibberd during the off-season will be in for nasty surprise. In my opinion there are three key areas that need addressing if we're to make the eight next year: 1 - Age and games experience across all lines of the field. 2 - Foot-skills and running power. 3 - A Ruckman/forward who has the ability to play in tandem with Max Gawn. In my view, all three can be achieved without much fuss. For point 1, I really think that we can bring in some guys who will provide leadership both on and off-field and games experience which we desperately. Equally important will be the fact that these players can fill positions that certain players have manfully struggled to fill for the entire year like Oscar McDonald. The fact is, our backline is in desperate need of age and games experience to protect and cover for so many kids who have played through there this year. Let's say we landed Hibberd in a trade and signed Nathan Brown as a restricted FA. The entire back six would look and feel so much more cohesive and would be so much better supported. B Jetta Brown O-Mac HB Hibberd T-Mac (Spot up for grabs) ^ Just looking at those names inspires so much more confidence. It allows for one of Frost or O-Mac to continue to develop their game and bodies at VFL level (which frankly is where both should have been this year if it weren't for degenerate leaders; Dunn and Garland). It would provide healthy competition of spots for Oscar and Frost and it increases our key position depth overall. Personally, I'm still not convinced Frost has the fundamental footballing ability to be a consistent performer at this level. He has an incredible athletic profile, but he is way way too much of a risk to carry into a finals campaign as a definite starter at this current point as is Oscar. Especially both of them playing at once. That should be obvious. A backline with the addition of Hibberd as a flanker would also allow the release of Hunt to come up to the wing and really add a dimension that has been missing through our midfield for a long time. Serious running power. His ability to cut angles and break lines is huge as we have almost nobody else on the list who can do the same and many of our mids are single-geared runners. Key area number 2 will commence tomorrow. To be continued...

A move that I thought would be made and I'm happy about it. Trenners has had this year to get back to 'playing' and seeing how the foot would hold up. The next step will be to really try and develop some power in his legs and glutes. I still love him and I'm holding hope that in the off-season, he can really improve in those areas.

This is all well and good. I'd argue that Viney or Tyson would be getting similar numbers if playing in a midfield of Kennedy, Parker and Hannebery. Context is always lost when discussing individuals like Mitchell. We don't need him and he doesn't add anything to our midfield mix that we don't already have. Attribute diversity. That's what we need.

Post more please.

Get him up to AFL standard running fitness and he will be a star.

I like you American de Cali. But this is the kind of talk I don't understand. You and others seem incapable of being able to identify the clear differences in our our list to theirs. Namely, age and experience. North have the oldest list in the competion, (or thereabouts). Do you really think that their decision to move Harvey on is on the back of being worried that his body won't hold up next year? Srsly. Like all well run clubs who have an ageing list profile, they systematically start moving on older players, (even if they're still playing great footy) so they can regenerate in a way that saves them from bottoming out. Have you been paying attention to Geelong at all over the last couple of years? Stevie J, Chapman, Kelly. They all went on to play at other clubs. And Harvey's body and form is better than all of those three who have contributed positively for their new sides. The fact is this: If Harvey decides to play on elsewhere next year, he WILL contribute positively in many ways at whichever club picks him up. And there will be clubs that want him. And I hope we're one of them.

Mate, let's get real here. Nobody can forecast injuries, mental illness or any other event that occurs. Every decision, trade, recruitment, draft and 'drive to training' has a risk attached. And what you're pointing out couldn't be further from the truth. He is a 38 year old man with a working body that defies the number attached. Harvey is almost bullet-proof when it comes to soft tissue injuries simply because of the amount of uninterrupted training he has been able to do. Pre-season upon pre-season upon pre-season. Does it mean he won't get injured? Of course not. But these are all things that are weighed up when making a call on a player. His age is [censored] irrelevant mate. Everyone knows it. If you're so worried about that sort of nonsense as well as the Lamumba one which clearly nobody saw coming then you must literally have no finger nails knowing the following: Brayshaw and Jetta are one or two concussions away from potentially being advised to stop playing the game. Petracca doing his knee again, Jesse and Jayden succumbing to their back injuries again and Salem never being able to overcome his Thyroid problem. Football is a risk-infested caper.