DemonDave

I was watching the live scores DappaDan, it seemed reasonably close on the scoreboard, was it a bad loss in your opinion? Certainly leaves your mob with a bit of catching up to do in a pretty competititve division...

Its a genius bit of ambush marketing by the NRL in my opinion. Theyve had a week to dissect and absorb the AFL draw, and theyve attempted to fortify their stronghold that is the Greater Western Sydney area by flooding the market with marquee games early, nullifying or greatly reducing any chance of league fans going over to Snake Gully to 'have a look', of course they wont if their beloved Parammatta/etc have a derby against a local hated rival..

Maric did mention in a puff-piece article on the weekend this year was the first year he did a full pre-season, so I guess this would make it only his second full go at it. Hard to believe he is still only 21! Good luck to everyones favorite emo if he gets a go somewhere else, I can just see the blurb now "The best pure kicker in the draft", "A solution to our teams crumbing needs" etc etc.

Maybe pause to re-asses that outlook for KC after this mornings effort, flogged by one of the worst teams going around, Cassell sacked five times! I really like the way the Texans are going about their business, practically no-one is talking about them in the greater scheme of things, they continue to notch up wins. Rex Grossman is definitely one of the most entertaing QBs to watch, provided you're not a Redskins fan haha!

He also spoke about the coaches spending a bit of time together to know how each other ticks (mentioned knowing Leigh Brown fairly well due to the Collingwood days). I thought he spoke really well, beyond the first day announcement interviews this is the first time I've had a chance to have a good listen to him, he's completely comfortable in the media, speaks plainly and openly without resorting to cliches and to me just spoke well. The SEN guys after the interview also mentioned how impressive he was.

Apart from the Vikings game where Ponder lit them up, the Packers have not had a lot to worry about in getting it done this year have they? From opening day where they out scored a defiant Saints, theyve just kept on getting the job done with a minumu of fuss. It just shows what all those injuries did to their season last year, and picking up another few ready players in the draft has also helped. The Saints are a tough read for mine, when Brees is on, theyre dynamic, but he's thrown more interceptions than anyone else in the last 2 years. They're all about pass,pass,pass, and given the loss of Bush and the reliance on Ingram as their main downs back, I cant see them getting too far in the playoffs this year. The Niners will surely hit a hiccup soon, not too many teams not used to winning can string together five straight and not be due. I dont think it'll be this week, probably the week after against the Giants. I dont think we have enough quality at Wide receiver in terms of third and fourth options now that Josh Morgan is out for the year, although we have two of the better Tight End combos in the game. The Division could be wrapped up in early December which would be good to get out of the way. Cowboys look gone for mine, Romo is having a very ordinary season, will they try and grab a big-name coach next year and give Garrett the flick? Vick will need to stay healthy if the Eagles want to top that Division, he's picked up a few niggling injuries but played out games this year. Giants biggest game to date in context of their season is this week against a scratchy at the moment New England, but keep in mind this is a team that has already played Seattle, St Louis, Arizona and Miami this year so their record may flatter them.

There is another similar scenario brewing with Barry Mitchell, and his son being drafted by Sydney under the father-son rule: http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/125653/default.aspx

This game has had some added spice via the media in the US, with Cowboys defensive coach Rob Ryan (bearded brother of Jets Rex) firing off a few cheap potshots about the "Dream Team" of free agents the Eagles assembled in the offseason. So far this year hes not far off the mark, theyve played like a lot of overpaid highly rated talents, than a cohesive team so far, but if Vick can stop getting niggling injuries and get some consistency, they to me have too much potential to not still challenge for their division. My Niners are flying, wowee I'm enjoying this season! We were one overtime loss to the Cowboys away from being undefeated, the win lines are harking back to the heady days of the late eighties, out of nowhere. Its amazing what a job Harbaugh has done so far, hes got the Offensive line playing whereby Smith is getting time to find out how good he could be. Sure his passing yards metres are are well below the level of Rogers & Brady, but in Frank Gore he's got one of the most inform backs in the game. Add some assistance from Dixon, Hunter and a great one-two punch at tight end with Davis & Walker and a bunch of handy but not a-grade receivers and weve got a good balance. On D Aldon Smith is getting better by the week, great to see also. On who will win Luck Lotto, today its come out of the Miami camp that Reggie Bush has had a crack at his teams efforts, and a few of his teammates have had a go back at him, all via the media. The boys in teal are imploding I think theyre a shoo-in to get the Number 1 pick.

No games at Aami Statdium or Football Park! We get to give the Sate of South Australia a miss this year, which is great considering our history there. 2 games in Perth Away games at SCG and Gabba. GWS away in Canberra Only two at the Corporate Dome. Not too shabby.

This is what happened to Essendon last pre-season. They were promised the 'hardest ever' pre-season, and by mid-season they were physically spent. So it will be a tricky scenario for Misson to gradually improve all of our blokes to a level required without overcooking them. You dont want players going down every second week in pre-season with hammies. Lets hope we can get our best 22 out on the park as often as possible next year, thats the main aim..

Without glancing at the previous 11 pages on here as it looks like its full of petty bickering, does anyone know: a) If Jack Viney has been given permission to play games at Casey Scorpions this year? B) If he may be a chance to be spotted going through his paces at our first training session in ten days time? Thanks

And for every success with getting VFL players there is just as many failures. Pods was not talked up before three drafts, he excelled at kicking goals in the VFL in Sauntners shadow, and then joined Geelong as a fitness coach and got a leg in that way, A team travelling as well as Geelong were at the time can afford to take a risk drafting a mature age smokey. Barlow only had one outstanding year in the VFL that caught scouts eyes, before then he was a good solid up and coming VFL player, he was then snapped up straight away. Sewells best year of footy was two years ago now.

He's been the featured roughie in about the last three drafts now, clearly every club has had a good look at him over this time and passed for whatever reason. What would make a club change their opinion on him now? Pass.

Maric Officially delisted: http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/125311/default.aspx Also gone are rookies Cam Johnston, Tom McNamara and Robbie Campbell has retired. I thought there was a rule rookies has to stay on your list for two years? I guess that has been phased out as Johnston and Campbell were only there for 12 months. And the biggest non-news from these announcements? The Juice is still loose! Maybe he's hanging around to get his MFC Life Membership for ten years of 'Outstanding Service'

Depending on condition Forkem, $200-300 for a full set if theyre good, a bit more if they're mint, ie they are not stored held together by a rubber band and none of the corners are dinged. Also assume no comic moustaches have been drawn on anyone in is era that didnt have some kind of facial hair.

Tapscott fits that bill doesnt he? We havent drafted a lot of players in the main draft under 192cm the last couple of years, so purely through phyical developement stages all of those kids are going to be seen as 'skinny'. Looking at Heppell theres still nothing of him but he handled himself superbly this year.

Would James McDonald have been drafted/rookie'd under todays stringent analysing at draft camps? From all reports he was a shy and retiring country kid. Football skills have to come before any personality traits when selecting a kid. For every Steve Johnson there is a Rod Owen, players with freakish abilities that may or not apply themselves and succeed at league level. I gues sometimes clubs have to take a punt as West Coast did with Darling. If he messes up this off-season and ends up in jail there will be a lot of people who say 'I knew this would happen', or he could go on to have a trouble free, premiership playing, leading goalkicker award career. Risk vs Reward.

Collingwood have done a series of cards the last couple of years for their premium level memberships. Theyve generally contained past players 'Legends Series', 'Captains' etc. Many end up on ebay as non-collectors have no use for them. Hawthorn also from time to time provide cards with some memberships, and this year also released a fantastic box set featuring all their premiership players and signatures from eight of them. It was quite pricey at $2K, but I would snap up a Melbourne equivalent in a heartbeat. As for trading cards nowadays, theres two main players, select and teamcoach. Select release two series each year, one priced at around $3 that has pretty basic cards and the odd 'chase' card, whereas their second series is more higher end and can contain draft pick autograph cards, amongst other things. Teamcoach is more a top-trumps kind of card game online. I still get more pleasure from tracking down a rare Ivor Warne Smith card than a draft signature of Lucas Cook though!

If we win the flag next year, would the OP begrudge Dean Bailey coming into the rooms to congratulate some of the young players he helped nurture?

I posted this in the Neil Craig thread, but this is how I read it; "Neeld said there would be at least eight full-time coaches at the club next season, which “stacks up very well with the best clubs going around”. So I make the organisational structure (in terms of who they are reporting to) to crudely look something like this: MFC Board \/ CEO (Cameron Schwab) / Football Director (Lyon (for now)) \/ Director of Sports Performance (Neil Craig) \/ Senior Coach (Neeld) / Elite Performance Manager (Misson) / General Manager Player Devt & Strategy (Viney) \/ Backline Coach (Rawlings / Midfield Coach (Royal) / Forward Coach (yet to be apptd??) \/ Backs Asst Coach (?) / Mids Asst Coach (Greaves) Devt Fwd Line Coach (Satterley) And also: General Mgr Club Devt (Connolly) Football Manager (Mahoney) Developement Coach (O'Donnell) Innovations Coach (Dunbar) General Manager List Devt (Harrington) Recruitment Manager (Prendergast) Who i dont know where they fit in in terms of who they are reportable to (as the above would be). That leaves forwards coach and assitant to backline coach vacant...

So our coaching structure is now only missing a forwards coach (and possibly an assistant backline coach) if I'm reading all the appts correctly?

This quote from a story on MFC website: "Neeld said there would be at least eight full-time coaches at the club next season, which “stacks up very well with the best clubs going around”. So I make the organisational structure (in terms of who they are reporting to) to crudely look something like this: MFC Board \/ CEO (Cameron Schwab) / Football Director (Lyon (for now)) \/ Director of Sports Performance (Neil Craig) \/ Senior Coach (Neeld) / Elite Performance Manager (Misson) / General Manager Player Devt & Strategy (Viney) \/ Backline Coach (Rawlings / Midfield Coach (Royal) / Forward Coach (yet to be apptd??) \/ Backs Asst Coach (?) / Mids Asst Coach (Greaves) Devt Fwd Line Coach (Satterley) And also: General Mgr Club Devt (Connolly) Football Manager (Mahoney) Developement Coach (O'Donnell) Innovations Coach (Dunbar) General Manager List Devt (Harrington) Recruitment Manager (Prendergast) Who i dont know where they fit in in terms of who they are reportable to (as the above would be). They're going to need bigger offices at AAMi and the G!

I think the administrative error was realising that they'd somehow still kept Mitch Morton on their list and he still kept turning up to collect his paycheck on the way to his home away from home in Craigieburn.

Interestingly in an article by Sam Landsberger in todays Sun, the last paragraph stated "Viney is not eligible to be drafted until next year, but has committed to a three year deal with the Dees under the father son rule from 2013. Which perhaps could be correlated with the five year deal mentioned in the Age as being for this year and next in development and then three years on our main list.

Story in todays Age that Viney has signed a five year deal with us, I wasnt aware of the length of the deal before this, and that he will split his football next year between Carey Grammar and Casey. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/dragons-charge-to-tac-cup-victory-20110925-1krrj.html