Goodvibes

Put simply this is the only way to frame it. Any other way and we'll be throwing ourselves under buses.

I've been avoiding this thread for 24 hours but can't resist contributing. When I'm not working or spending time with my family or on Demonland, I'm obsessing over the team I coach. I coach an open women's footy team up here in Queensland. I've got players ranging in age from 15 to 35. We play in a 7 team competition across south-east Queensland. I have 30 players on my list and the best 15 are all deserving of higher recognition. The very best 4 or 5 would easily be talented enough and committed enough to represent a Brisbane team in a national competition. The best 30 in the Brisbane region across the seven teams would be a very competitive unit. They'd be fit, athletic and in most cases highly skilled. In my team alone I have three players who are equally adept on both sides of their body. Many of my team are elite middle distance runners. The most athletically talented members of my team could easily have chosen another sport and made money playing professionally but have instead decided to play the game they love - sadly a game with a limited chance of them being recognised as professionals. The very fact that a rank amateur like me is their coach speaks volumes regarding the challenges women's footy confronts. A few years ago a '2020 Vision' was published with the goal of introducing a national league for female footballers. Most who are involved with women's footy sadly think this is still a pipedream and when I have a quick glance to some of the responses in this thread I am reminded of why. For those with a genuine interest regarding the state of female footy check our the link below where the best female talent in the country will play an exihibition game at 10am today. The High Performance Academy members have been together in Melbourne over the past week (and met with Brad Green and Matthew Bate) and will conclude their week with a game at Visy Park. If you do catch some of the game take particular note of the youngest player out there (a young ruck from QLD who has just turned 15) and you might just think the 2020 Vision might yet me realised. http://www.aflcommun...ndex.php?id=753

Unless, of course, we finish 17th.

Love your work Demonland!

You mean like Adam Goodes?

And Green's still a chance to play next week . . .

I love Junior but I'd rather a coach who has come from a successful club with a successful midfield.

That's exactly what is happening. I hope GC and GWS scare as easily as most posters around here.

It is a great story. Aliir has an older brother Dombai who was pretty handy as well and a younger borther Cip who I think might be even better than Aliir. As much as I love Aliir I just don't think he'll find a role in AFL. I wouldn't be surprised if someone rookied him but I'm not sure he'll make it. Despite what Clayton say, he simply isn't tall enough to play ruck with the big boys and he's a long long way from making it as a key position player. Hope I'm wrong. He's also got a sister who played for my school team and then for my club team. She used to monster the other girls in the ruck - scared the hell out of them. They're a great family and it would be huge for all of them if Aliir made it onto a list.

TJ is still running around up here with the Aspley Hornets. His approach to facial hair continues to divide opinion.

It'll probably be pick 13. I've got a feeling he will continue to climb. He could be worth the reach at pick 4.

v Garlett

That's where I'm at in my thinking about all this and I'm pretty sure the club would be thinking along similar lines. We've made a commitment to draft Jack. The Scully compensation and our lower than expected picks have confused the situation. The club (Todd Viney included) see an opportunity to draft Jack and hang on to two top five picks in a draft that is known to have quality at the high end (particularly midfielders). They're doing the right thing in making it public that we won't use our first pick on Jack. Gold Coast and GWS will probably think we're bluffing but if enough people say it (including Jack) then just enough doubt might be created for them not to take the risk, particularly given their reward is really minimal. If I had to guess I'd say we're an 80% chance of Jack sliding to our second round pick if we maintain our current 16th position. I don't think we'll do any deals for the mini-draft. I don't think we'll offer Gold Coast or GWS any incentive not to pick Jack and I don't think we'll be making promises to exchange draft picks or players. We'll consistently bluff for the next five months and if at the end of that period if Gold Coast or GWS do actually nominate Jack with their first pick, we'll then use ours.

Sure is. Apparently Aliir's ruckwork was the difference between QLD and NT. The boy can certainly jump. At 194cm it will be interesting to see what will happen with him. He's still very raw (despite the best efforts of his High School coach!) and has much to learn but he's definitely a good kid. He's one of those naturally talented types that always looks like they're coasting.

I saw Tassie play Queensland a week ago and no one from Tassie really stood out. Loneragan looked ok first game back from injury but has a bit of the Brock McLeans about him. Kendall made no impression.

I really hope you're right but I'm interested in what has led you to that definitive conclusion.

Exactly and the whole point of us making it public that we'll take Jack was to allow him to officially join the club and be fast-tracked so he'll be more advanced than he otherwise would have been and hopefully ready to impact in 2013. The real question that we all seem to be skirting around is whether he is worth pick 3 and I'm guessing most of those commenting one way or the other have seen him at most play a couple of games on TV over the past two years and seen some youtube highlights. I'm keen to hear from those who've seen him more than a handful of times and in the flesh.

I raised this idea two months ago and prefaced it by stating that it was leftfield and fanciful and I only did so in the context of thread about draft tampering more as joke than anything serious. Jack will be playing for Melbourne next year. The question is whether it is at the expense of pick 3 or our second rounder.

That's a joke right?

It's ridiculously early for this kind of stuff but here we go anyway . . . I'd be keen for a scenario like the following to unfold: Toumous (pick 3) Boak (trade pick 4) Prestia (trade pick 13) Viney (second round F/S) I'm very confident that the MFC mind games will work. Gold Coast and GWS won't nominate Jack in the first round and we'll grab him in the second round. Toumpas fits the bill. He's fast, dynamic and finds the footy. He's got a good motor and uses it pretty well. I think Boak is worth pick 4 and I think we'll need to use it to trump other teams. Gaff, Morabito, Hartlett, Morton and Leuenberger are the last four pick 4's (outside of Hoskin-Elliott last year who has only played 3 games). Boak was taken the pick after Leuenberger in 2006. He gives us instant experience, leadership and hard running. Prestia seems to be the forgotten man. He's been averaging about 20 touches until he nipped his hamstring this year. He's small but uses it well and is a committed tackler. He'd be entering his third year of footy. I love the look of Viney. I'm a little concerned by his size but the one attribute that most overlook on here is how well he reads the ball around the stoppages and once he gets it he rarely fumbles. The kid is a competitive beast. Pick 30 will be a steal. 2013 midfield would include Boak, Jones, Gysberts, Grimes, Howe, Trengove, Viney, McKenzie, Prestia, Toumpas, Blease, Sylvia, Taggert. That's starting to look like a midfield with a bit of depth and potential. Add Strauss, Tapscott and Tynan and Morton (I haven't given up) giving us further run and we might just be able to turn this around more quickly than many here expect.

5 year plan.

Or we could always just bring in another runner, clear our forward 50 and let this man go to work. http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/default.aspx?newsid=139522

I stumbled upon this. It made me giggle. http://www.scullyfan.com/

If only Scully had received some of the physical treatment that ended up coming Junior's way - such as a Moloney forearm to the throat!