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ALEX DOCHERTY at The Mongrel Punt Jake Bowey – Midfielder, 174cm, 67kg As someone who has played at the same junior local club, I have to say I’ve grown a bit of a liking to little Jake Bowey. But when it comes down to crunch time, this kid has got moves. There’s not a lot of him in a body sense, but when called upon, he attacks the contest at speed. He’s also a very handy player on the outside, with some saying he’s the most talented to come out of the Sandy Dragons footy factory and that’s saying something with the talent they’ve produced in recent years. As one of the smaller players from this year’s draft class, he brings great pace which could see him start his AFL career more as a small forward. He did manage to snag two bags of three in the NAB league in 2019. He also averaged over three tackles per game for the Dragons last year, playing both as a forward and in roles higher up the ground, so he can be very dangerous player that adds class when he needs to be.

ALEX DOCHERTY at The Mongrel Punt Bailey Laurie – Forward/Midfielder, 179cm, 78kg There are a few boys from the Oakleigh Chargers that will have their names called out and one of them should be Bailey Laurie; a clever little small forward who can also provide some run and dash through the middle. It’s hard to get a full-time gig in there when you had Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson and Will Phillips running the show in the square – they made getting to the Grand Final look like it was a kick at the park on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. But nonetheless, Laurie’s contribution to this amazing Chargers team shouldn’t be understated. He played seven games in return for six goals and averaged 15.3 disposals, three marks and 3.6 tackles per game playing more as a half-forward type. He puts in the hard yards as much as anyone else and has the innate ability to make things happen going forward with the footy, it would’ve been nice to see what he could’ve done in that Chargers midfield this year, he could’ve easily averaged 20 disposals per game.

MADASHELL You on the money with your free agency restrictions. How the master minds in the AFL couldn't see this was necessary is unbelievable.

Gawn still a week away, so in Preuss we trust for another week.

Next thing he will be offering to cut Brody's grass.

Wallace should have a look back at his old team of champs at Hawthorn from the days he played. Many of them served a lengthy apprenticeship in the 2nd before they established themselves in the VFL first side.

,season over, MFC what a joke

What a pitiful showing on Free to Air TV

WTF how can this get any worse?

WTF a goal

Now this is past embarrassing, thanks boys

Woo Hoo we have 3 points

As footballers we make great butchers

We are playing as bad as I have seen.

Damn, your right that changes things.

The game is 6.40 pm, temp will be down to between 26-24C for most of the game with sunset at 6.25 pm and relatively low humidity

It also could mean that they are still unsure of when Gawn will be back, so safe guarding our depleted ruck stocks.

Great point

Very easy to get tired of listening to Dermie, he loves to hear his own voice.

Melbourne after 1/4 time look like an absolute rabble. For Goodie I can see any value in the game at all

Today was the first time I have seen Austin Bradtke play in a match simulation. I though he acquitted himself quite well, didn't look lost, in one passage he made a lead to a forward flank and spun around to deliver the ball to Bayley Fritsch at the top of the goal square and that was of course in appalling conditions.

Today was the first time I have seen Austin Bradtke play in a match simulation. I though he acquitted himself quite well, didn't look lost, in one passage he made a lead to a forward flank and spun around to deliver the ball to Bayley Fritsch at the top of the goal square and that was of course in appalling conditions.

The Mongrel Pre-Season Player Power Rankings 20-11 AFL Season 2019 15 – ANGUS BRAYSHAW (MELBOURNE) Surprise again! With the Dees improving to become a top team in 2018, I got to watch plenty of their games, and one thing kept jumping out at me – when was someone going to go and stand next to Angus Bloody Brayshaw at centre bounces? With Jack Viney on the sidelines, and Clayton Oliver often the target of negating mids, Max Gawn continually tapped the ball straight down Brayshaw’s throat. I don’t often yell at the TV (OK, sometimes when the remote isn’t working, or a game won’t load, I get a little [censored] at it) but a couple of times I looked across at whomever was unlucky enough to be close by and would ask “Why won’t someone man him up?” Sadly, my missus didn’t know what I was talking about, and would largely ignore my question, so I’d repeat it and direct it at the TV. 2018 was Brayshaw’s fourth year in the game, and the leap he made was significant. He was +7.09 in disposals, averaging 26.09 for the season, and jumped to 4.27 clearances per game. That’s +2.87 from 2017. In one stretch, he had 6+ clearances in eight out of nine games. We’re catching a star in the making, here – a young man who hasn’t sat back and waited for opportunity; he created one and has made the most out of it. As he enters year five of his AFL career, Brayshaw has already shown the ability to capture the attention of the umpires. He took home third place in the 2018 Brownlow, with 21 votes. Was it a surprise? I’d say it was, since he wasn’t even in attendance. I’d also say that the AFL won’t make that mistake again. In their Preliminary Final loss to West Coast, Brayshaw was one of the few to truly stand up. He collected 29 touches to be the most effective Demon on the ground – a great sign as he continues to develop. So much of what Melbourne is, and will be in 2019, relies on Max Gawn, but the development of players like Brayshaw, Oliver, Petracca (maybe) and Viney in the middle is paramount to the Demon surge toward a flag. Where do we see the ceiling for Brayshaw? Whilst a fit Viney takes a lot of the heat in the guts, and Oliver’s presence will continue to draw a lot of attention, Brayshaw as a third midfielder is an absolute luxury, and as a result could see him get off the chain again in 2019. An improvement on his 26 touches per game may be enough to elevate him into the conversation for All-Australian selection in 2019, and could a better result in the Brownlow be a reality? Author : HB Meyers Let's hope what ever is holding his training back doesn't impact his 2019 performance.

Terrible decision by AFL, 3 day break before a feature ANZAC eve game. Should have moved both Richmond & Melbourne byes to round 5, so obvious.

Terrible news, so young.