Swooper1987

It was the last game we lost before we went on our run of consecutive wins. It was also round 17 played a week before our round 16 game against Geelong. In an interesting fixturing event we played round 17 on July 18 and round 16 on July 25!! We beat Geelong comprehensively at VFL Park, the first of 6 consecutive wins. In that run we beat not only the Cats, but also the Eagles and the Dogs - the three sides who ended up finishing directly below us. We definitely earned 5th place. Our other wins in that run were against also rans Richmond, Collingwood and Brisbane. We were in white hot form by the time we hit September.

They were. Moore tore a hammy mid way through the season and that was the end of him. Cordner was sent to the Swans with Adrian Battiston in 1988. It's definitely the 1987 team.

1987 - managed to lose to North Melbourne during the season when Alistair Clarkson, in his first season kicked the winner after the siren. Then the one no Demon will ever forget - the Prelim final.

As our most successful coach since Norm Smith I think it would be fitting if Swooper was made a life member at the club. He coached 167 games for 90 wins and five finals series including our first in 24 years, as well as 2 night flags when that was actually a real competition. I know 10 years service is the mark, although Brian Wilson was admitted on the basis of 150 games played after falling short of the 10 years service. I think Swooper's contribution was enormous and it'd be nice to see him acknowledged now he's well into his mid-late seventies.

It was a very exciting finals series but geez did we nearly blow it before the finals. We were comfortably second for most of the year and actually beat Hawthorn during the season. Then we dropped 5 games straight from round 17-21. We had to beat second placed Carlton in the last game of the season to hold 5th. We did and then put those 3 finals wins together. We were fortunate to beat the Eagles in the wet at VFL Park, thanks to a great Lyon snap and a Murray Wrensted miss basically on the siren and we always had the Pies under control in the first semi. We beat the Blues on a rainy, windy day and lost O'Dwyer to suspension after that game. Hawthorn were a great team but we should have been more competitive on the big day. Still it was a great week in the lead up and all the neutrals were cheering us on. Still, 1990 was the one that got away. If ever there was a flag there for the taking for us it was that one.

I was fortunate enough to witness the stirring run home in 1987 - 6 in a row and relying on others to lose. Northey was a terrific coach who extracted everything from his group. 1990 we were the best team in the comp but unfortunately we had a shocker against North and lost by 127 points which cost us percentage and the double chance. We won 16 games and finished 4th. We beat top side Essendon twice including at Windy Hill and beat Hawthorn in consecutive weeks including the Elimination Final to end their run of consecutive GF's which stretched from 1983-89. We were the only team that could really trouble Collingwood - we had knocked them out of the 1988 and 89 finals series- yet inexplicably got rolled by WC at Waverley in the first semi. There went Northey's best hope of landing us a flag. Daniher did a great job in 1998 and we were capable of beating anyone. In fact we rolled the eventual premier in the first final of that year under the "old" final 8 system. 2000 we were never a chance against Essendon but it was nice to make the GF because it meant Carlton didn't! For me, I'd go for Northey - 5 successive years of finals with at least one win in each of those series. Other teams feared and respected us and of all the Victorian teams over the period 87-91 we had the best record against Hawthorn - no mean feat in that era.

"And up go the two calicos" - KB early days!!

Lyon was a superb kick - perhaps the best in my time watching the Demons. Warren Dean was a spectacularly long kick - not always accurate but could roost it. Steven Stretch was also a very good user over short and long distances. The great Robbie Flower was wonderfully skilled in all aspects of the game. Brett Lovett used the ball very well by hand and foot.

I'd take Tomlinson. Durable, a better mark and more versatile. KK might have been anything before his concussion issues and still may be a useful contributor, but I rate Tomlinson. He'll prove to be a valuable acquisition.

Gawny has won the last two Ron Barassi Jnr Trophies for leadership. Now that a vacancy has arisen with Jones stepping down he will be Captain (or co-Captain). It's a no brainer and doesn't require a vote, a leak or anything else to determine. He's been Captain in all but title since 2016. When it is officially announced, it will be nothing more than a statement of the obvious.

Other than Gawn and Oliver they struggle to rate against the competition's elite. However, the list is Melbourne's best 10 of the decade and I'm struggling to think of anyone else you could add. Bluey winners are 2010 - Green, 2011 - Moloney, 2012-14 - Jones, 2015 - Vince, 2016 - Viney, 2017 - Oliver, 2018 - Gawn and 2019 Gawn and Oliver. Both Moloney and Green were done during the Neeld era. It's an accurate (and sad) reflection on our last 10 years. I'd argue Jones is a couple of spots too high but I can understand why he'd be put first.

There should be three line leaders - backs, mid and forward so for me it'd be Lever, Gawn and McDonald. Be happy with Gawn as C and the other two as VC's.

He has a similar running style to the great Jimmy Krakouer. If he turns out half as good as Jimmy pick 12 will have been well spent.

Goodwin on SEN this morning said that Jackson could be the first genuine midfielder at 200 cm. Makes sense.

I think this is right. I expect that he'll play as a midfielder who can ruck rather than as a ruckman. He's likely an undersized ruck but an oversized mid and that could work quite well.

Would only happen if they could both play forward. Unlikely but possible. He must be an exceptional talent because he certainly isn't a short to medium term need.

I'd be surprised if Gawn was anywhere near finished at 32, injury notwithstanding. Plenty of ruckmen throughout history have been playing good footy into their mid 30's. If there is a position where a mature body and a wise head thrives then it's the ruck. Salmon, both Madden's, Sandilands all played until 35 plus. I don't think this means that we don't take Jackson, but I am struggling to see him become a meaningful ruck at Melbourne anytime in the next 5-6 years.

It is indeed, but Cooper Stephens would never be in top 10 consideration. Be interested to see champion data rankings for Alex Rance at the moment. They provoke discussion but I wonder as to how relevant they actually are. My view from watching games (not stats) hasn't changed. Young and Kemp will both be very good to excellent AFL players.I hope we take them both.

Still rated at 21 after missing half a season. Champion data rankings are stats based. Kemp will be a gun and had he not done his knee he'd be in top 5 or 6 calculations.

Yeah, I dunno about that. In 1996 when I was a working at a school in the south east Paul Hopgood came out to do a clinic with our kids. I didn't know him personally, and he certainly didn't know me from a bar of soap. He quickly ascertained I was a Melbourne fan. The Dees were struggling and talk got around to new recruit David Grant from St Kilda - who apparently was on ok money but doing nothing on field. Hoppy had no problem expressing his displeasure at both the recruitment and performance of Grant and the fact that better credentialled and performed players were on less coin. Now that was more than 20 years ago, but in my experience is fairly representative of the views of most players where self interest still rates pretty highly. Re Tomlinson - the couple of players I know seem pleased to have him on board. He is a decent guy apparently. Neither had an issue with what he is apparently earning.

Ross Lyon really rates him despite his problems at Freo. He is still close with Pert and I'm sure they've had some conversations.

Nearly finished. It's a fantastic read. There's a bit on his time at Melbourne - the roller coaster is better than the merry go round! No spoilers, suffice to say 6 finals series out of 9 completed seasons placed us second only to Essendon in terms of finals appearances from 1998-2006 for Victorian teams. This with a club administration was totally dysfunctional for nearly all of that time. He was a wonderful coach.

Young has always been a midfielder until he went to the Rays. It was a part of trying to teach him other roles and responsibilities as often happens with really talented kids. Having seen the boy play since he was 10, coaching against him and knowing him through junior rep cricket as well as footy, I can guarantee that he is a genuinely multifaceted footballer. His pace is good (not express), he is courageous - going back into packs is not a problem, he's a great mark for his size (can play a bit taller than his 188 cm) and his kicking is elite. He can find his own ball and is also great on the outside. He may play some defence, but I think ultimately he'll work between half back and the midfield, like Whitfield. If we don't take him at 3 then whoever we do take had better be bloody good because they'll be hard pressed to carve out a better career than this bloke will.

It's held so late because of school exams.

He isn't in the top 10 players in this draft. That doesn't mean we won't take him, but I'd be surprised if we did. Then again, I've been surprised before.