Goodvibes

Speak for yourself, I've seen his pre-draft highlights package twice. Gun.

True. But he already has. We now own the best young defender in the game.

I think we should do what we always do. Believe the source that has the information we want to hear. Go afl.com!

Ummm, you asked Wiseblood to read the AFL site. He did and quoted from it. Now you're quoting the SEN site. I'm guessing the final deal will be something like either of these scenarios but more likely something in the middle.

I think we should offer Charlie Cameron 600K and have him nominate us a his destination club. And then offer them the same deal for Lever and Cameron.

Maybe you've out done yourself? Maybe your relentless campaign has us all scared. Maybe Oscar can't play footy. Maybe we need to keep Frost.

Let's take McGovern as well.

Lever or Salem?

Can we add winning in the NT, which we haven't done since 2011 (7 games all up) just so we can break three records in one night?

I'd offer Roos the Ambassador of Quan position.

Found some computer skills.

Can someone with better computer skills than me do what needs to be done?

Where's that dislike button?

Where's that dislike button?

I think the key point is that a few of us here on Demonland are enjoying following the Dees at the moment and are struggling with the idea that Hogan's departure to Fremantle is even a narrative at all that alone one that you seem intent on attaching to our Round 1 victory.

You know that feeling we all had on Saturday when Watts was dominating, spinning out of trouble, taking on all-comers, handballing intuitively and Vandenberg, the happy recipient dribbled his snapped through courtesy of a strong Jesse Hogan shepherd? Remember the jubilant outpouring of emotion that followed that goal, both on and off the field? Did you enjoy the surge of adrenalin that goal created? Well, your posts regarding the imminent departure of the most important player to walk into our club in the last two decades is basically the antithesis of that very feeling. Why are you seemingly taking pleasure in sucking any positivity out of a supporter base that has endured more than they deserve. And you're doing it based on his tone in an interview. Seriously.

Maybe there is worth in this thread afterall.

It is. And you've clearly given up on him as have most of the posters I respect around here. And the impression from the Footy Dept, if you believe the rumours of him being shopped around, is that they've basically given up too. Yet people like me still have hope. Do you think he'll even be named in our round 1 team or has a line already been drawn through his name - "only select in case of injury to others"? The hope I guess, is based on the view that he showed signs of working harder without the ball and taking the game on more with his pace for a period of 4 or 5 after he was given a second chance this year. The hope is also based on the belief that the natural improvement we're expecting across the board should benefit a player like Watts who we consider to be more the cream than the substance. With Hogan and another key tall (Pederson, Dawes, Weideman, whoever...) plus Petracca and vandenBerg as well as Garlett, there appears to be a role for someone with his skill set. The question of course is whether we can compromise our team values to include someone who has so routinely failed to compete. My simple thinking is that he has been loyal to us. He signed when he could have gone elsewhere. He's contracted for this year and therefore if he has a good pre-season and plays to the level he did in the middle of this year, he is at least deserving of a chance at the start of season. And for some reason, with very little evidence to date, I feel like he'll take that chance. Can anyone offer anything more substantial and tangible in their defence of Watts? In regards Weideman, I like the way he moves and I like the way he links up with team mates. And I like key position players who can snap goals on their non-preferred side! Seems to have good vision (like Hogan) when high up the ground but also a strong presence when the target deep. You can easily imagine the two rotating between FF and CHF.

And now it seems half those TAC kids play for Carlton.

All I was saying is that Quayle, Twoney and Anderson all sound like they're making educated guesses. This is what Landsberger said on the morning of the 2012 draft: After SuperFooty revealed this week GWS would pass on SA gun Jimmy Toumpas with its first three picks, the Dogs suddenly had the option of taking Bendigo Pioneers captain Ollie Wines. But it seems Wines, touted as possibly the second-best player in the draft pool, could slip as low as pick seven - and even then he creates a headache for Port Adelaide, which is also keen on home-grown talent Sam Mayes. And Jay Clark said this last year: ST KILDA will crown Paddy McCartin the No.1 draft pick, believing the full-forward is the man to lead its list rebuild. The Herald Sun understands the Saints have settled on the 194cm goalkicker, who has been likened to Hawthorn spearhead Jarryd Roughead. See how the language is far more definitive. That's what I mean by making their picks with 'authority'. They happily suggested they had the inside word and they did. Not so this year.

When St Kilda overlooked Petracca and GWS took Plowman instead of Toumpas there was strong word in the last 48 hours before the draft that a change in thinking had occurred. This year it feels different. Not one journalist has listed Oliver as our first pick and done so with any authority. I wouldn't be surprised if they were using the meeting mentioned in the article above as the basis for their selection of Oliver. I still think we'll pick Parish.

I love Demonland. We all can't wait for draft day so Demonland helps us out by speeding things up and enters Tuesday a little early. Thanks Demonland!

Shots of him at the Combine suggest he's already toned down and well on the way to developing an AFL-ready body.

He seems like a highly intelligent, natural footballer. And those types tend to adapt well but I can't shake a nagging doubt I have about his size/speed package. A well rounded midfielder (like I expect ANB to become) still has a place in the game but rarely do the elite mids that you hope emerge from the top of the draft succeed without size or pace. Mitchell might be an exception but he has amazing awareness and vision and is strong through the core.

Agree with your thoughts regarding the importance of speed of mind. Parish seems to be elite in this area. My comparison to Viney only involved his pace and in particular his ability to accelerate out of congestion. Viney does this through sheer determination and Parish seems to read the situation and know when to back himself. Both seem pretty quick in their first 6 or 7 steps. But I've never seen Parish live, hence my question.