grazman

Unless there's a fitness test for some of the Sandy players. There'd be some doubt over the availability of Yze and Whelan. No Newton either... still no word on the extent of his 'injury'. There's also the possibility that we'll take two emergencies to Adelaide and they won't play on Saturday.

and Chris Heffernan...

There's a reason he hasn't been able to get a game this year... his hamstrings are shot... there's an article on the AFL website. Very little trade value unless they can find a solution.

probably can, but they're batting at 20% for top twenty picks since 2000. not good value in anyone's money.

I agree. Not all their picks will work out and it's far more an art than it is a science. You can't simply run a template or a formula and hope to pick up a 200 game player with a fifty plus pick. The point I was making in a round about sort of way is that someone like CAC is well regarded within recruiting circles because he is relatively successful at making those later picks work compared to some of his contemporaries... and Richmond will certainly need that skill in the next few years. As a means of comparison and to highlight your point... if you look at Adelaide's James Fantasia - there's certainly no guarantees about top twenty picks either... Angwin, Watts, Meesen, Douglas, Pfeiffer. All 18 year olds, but particularly the KPP types are gambles... the skill (rather than luck in my eyes) is to narrow the risk by narrowing the variables as much as possible (which is why the club works so heavily on determining a potential draftees character/application etc)

What's that famous sporting quote.... "the more I practice the luckier I get" No one can guarantee unequivocally that any player will make it in the AFL. The higher the draft pick the more queries there are... but it's not luck - if it was luck you and I could be recruiters.

Of the three it would be Mundy I'd be targetting. Would absolutely be suited to the list that the club is trying to build around. With Rivers, Frawley, Wheatley and Mundy - all of a sudden the back line has depth in terms of height and speed. They're not all true KPP, but backlines now can only afford one true gorilla (and I think Stef Martin is being groomed for that role to replace Carroll), the rest all have to be able to push up the ground and be able to use the ball well. I like Mundy a far safer bet than Warnock IMO.

No - it becomes less sure, but it's also reliant on the skill and experience of the recruiter. Rivers, Whelan, Bruce, Bartram, Miller, Petterd and a host of rookies that have been elevated demonstrate that the worth of a good recruiting team. If it was purely pot luck, we'd just make our selections based on the consensus of Big Footy posters.

We've punted on recycled blokes like Motlop (compensation pick) Read (PSD) and Moorecroft (ND) that in general were short term solutions to deficiencies in the list. They were low risk, but low return ventures. In general they're like picking remainders out of the bargain bin... Their previous club didn't want them and no club wanted them enough to trade for them. The Nathan Foley story is enlightening - because it shows the conflict that can exist within a footy club in terms of how to manage a list. Do you punt on the higher risk rookie rather than the proven player? Looking at the list of trades, in general most of them would have received pass marks. Only Heffernan was really a failure (yes he played a fair proportion of games, but he never became a good enough midfielder to fill the void he was recruited for). White, Bizz, Ellis, Holland, Vardy, Moloney and a very limited Pickett all play/played the roles they were targeted for. It's still too early to tell with someone like PJ and Meesen, but I guess if there's dissatisfaction, it's because since White we still haven't been able to land a talented 100-200 game player. (though there's still hope with PJ). If the club does indeed finish down the lower end of the ladder as is likely, then with a number of players from the west and I'm sure other clubs as well examining their options, you'd hope the club would be talking turkey with a number of player managers right now in an effort to come to an in-principle agreement before the trade period starts.

I'm sure it's not just selective reading on my part, but it appears many posters have missed the gist of the argument the article was making. Craig Cameron wanted both Davey and Foley. Instead of picking Davey in the PSD the recruiting team were over ruled and had to take Phil Read. This meant that Richmond bounced us in taking Foley before our second rookie pick. Foley and CAC are now at the same club, so it's ironic. BTW - I think most must have glazed over the bit where it credits Foley's development with a program designed by Bohdan. Of course when it comes to footy some people are either completely black or completely white.

We do to a certain extent - mainly in the midfield, but the danger in looking at any weakness in the list is to target specifically that area. Those players aren't just good players because they're fast - they've also got good skills by foot and by hand, read the game exceptionally well and know where to position themselves.

Could be his hamstring, but also possible that it's his shoulder/AC as well.

Can anyone that was pumping up this guy’s tyres and advocating a trade for him last year explain why? Admittedly I haven’t seen him play much, but what I have seen leaves me seriously underwhelmed. He doesn’t mark above his head, doesn’t get to a contest and can’t find the goals… I’m not sure why he’s a forward, but I can completely understand why his opportunities have been so limited. I’d prefer Newton.

I’m not getting carried away with one win (no matter how good that last half was), but this bloke is unfairly maligned by too many of our supporters. Every week he does the job the coach asks of him. He isn’t a superstar, but he is a very honest player. Yesterday he was simply superb for four quarters. He put’s his body over the ball and ran extremely hard. The stats don't genuinely reflect his contribution. I know either Miller or McLean will probably get the three votes from yesterday, but at least for me Wheaters was right there with them.

Congratulations to all those that turned up today... I'll be taping the second half. In what has been a truly crappy season so far, this is worth remembering.

Statistically speaking. The greatest ever comeback by the Melbourne Footy Club. Well Done boys. Well Done Dean Bailey. Miller, Bruce, Davey and Wona were all instrumental today. Bate eased back in, McLean knocked up getting touches and Nat Jones now knows what a hard tag is.

Good Post Jaded and exactly right, Too many people are here waiting for the magic switch to be thrown and for it all to start coming together. We're a long way from that. Our handball skills have been poor for a long while - not surprising given the focus of the previous game plan was to kick it long on every occasion. Our tackling skills are sub-standard and the change to a new game plan has also revealed significant weaknesses in player's decision making abilities. The review should focus on who stays and who goes... and when they go. It should also look at what direction the club needs to go in targeting players via the draft and and how we structure our list and contracts to avoid being ambushed by Gold Coast's entry into the competition. The day to day running of the team and it's selection will still be very much up to Dean Bailey and not really a matter for Chris Connolly or anyone else outside the coaching department.

Sorry forgot to mention Kennedy, who more than a few thought was rubbish when he was traded. He looked alright last night.

Judd played well last night, he lifted the Blues when they needed it in the third quarter. He wasn't the most dominant, but was one of the most effective. He took the heat off a lot of his Carlton team mates. (most of Carazzo's possessions were rubbish BTW, no wonder no one runs with him - he's a turn over merchant). What was interesting is that apart from a brief rally - there was very little leadership or strength of unity about the West Coast cause. Stenglein and Cox were really the only two leaders out there (apologies to glass who like Cox was obviously injured) Fletcher was his usual junk delivery self, Waters & Nicoski were dreadful as were a lot of their younger players that looked good when introduced to a successful Eagles side last year or the year before - now they're struggling. They still have a few to come back in, but even so. I thought Buckley's comments about Embley's "junk" possessions were about right.

Adelaide were keen to get him last year, but we knocked them back. Not arguing either for or against just pointing out he does have some trade value.

I still have my old one from 1987. It's got number 2 on the back (of course) and was the only jumper that featured the old VFL emblem with our current colours. I'm not sure I could bear to part with it. (not that I would actually squeeze into it anymore) I assume people will still be able to buy the new guernsey at full price and still get it signed?

Yep - ankle.

I don't doubt that he had a corky, but I can't see the point in Bailey lying about why he wasn't in the team. The big question is if he wasn't injured would he have played rd 2? If the answer is no he was dropped for disciplinary reasons then he needs to front up with Sandy this weekend.

Bate hasn't played for four weeks, I think he'll come back through Sandy. If Moloney was dropped for disciplinary issues (and Bailey said he was omitted, not injured) then you would think he'd have to honour a commitment to Sandy before a recall.

Not really with both PJ and Meesen now injured it actually creates two vacancies for Sandy. Sautner may have to play in the ruck if Martin and Jamar get a call up. :D