Greendale

13 touches at 53% efficiency after 11 with 72% the week before. Four clangers in both games. His pressure is undoubtedly very good but for me his ball use has been lacking. I don't think he's been terrible but Jones and Tomlinson would both be gunning for his spot, and I think we need to always drive high standards.

I think we'll know in 5 or 6 years time. I just think it's a big gamble that I'm not sure we needed to make. I'll be very happy to be proven wrong if Jackson reaches his undoubtedly high potential.

Lockhart, Jackson, Brayshaw -> Rivers, TMac, Jones Jackson shows plenty of promise, but I still think that TMac currently offers more. Lockhart and Brayshaw have had two poor games in a row, and considering the fixture squeeze that's going to be coming up, I think it's important to keep players fresh. Vandenberg on notice, Tomlinson a possibility to replace.

Both will be very good, but Pickett is a better fit for our team. Weightman plays very similarly to Hannan, while Pickett offers something different with his extra crumbing and pressure.

In that scenario we would maintain picks 10 and 28. The only difference would be Jackson and the picks I listed.

At least Breust isn't out there today. He hates us.

Clarko giving us a hell of a lot more credit than the commentators. Looks shocked

Joke of a non-call there

Scully weak again. Love it

Gawn is murdering them in the ruck. If Oliver can tidy up a little we could really slaughter them in the centre clearances. Would make a big difference considering that we've locked them in their defensive 50 quite well.

Trac is amazing

I don't think Melbourne played the percentages in the most recent draft. The Pickett selection is a good one, he was the top rated small forward in the draft and perfectly fit a need for the team. But I don't think it made sense to draft a high-risk high-reward ruckman at pick 3, when we already have an elite ruckman for the next 5 or so years. If you look at the other options we had at the trade table, Jackson was a huge gamble. Melbourne had the option of trading pick 3 for pick 6, GWS 2020 first rounder, and a 3rd rounder. We could then trade pick 6 back to 10 to grab Pickett, 28, and something else (a mid second rounder). The opportunity cost of selecting Jackson was effectively our 2020 first, a GWS 2020 first, pick 26, a mid second rounder, a GWS third rounder, and pick 50. Hopefully Jackson becomes a star player and is worth it, but only time will tell.

He ran under the ball a few times and let Ballard mark it. I think with some confidence and consistency that shouldn't be an issue though. The whole forwardline certainly looked better though with a tall target down the line.

It doesn't actually matter at all but I don't get why we keep naming Melksham as a starting onballer. Do we think we're tricking other teams or someting?

I think people are being too harsh on his round 1 game. Made a few mistakes but also did some very good things. Was a little better than his 2019 average. Really training standards should of more importance than performance in one match 2 months ago, and who knows how different players have managed with that.

Not surprised about Bennell or Rivers due to the recent hype they've been getting from the club, but Jackson is huge news for me. From what I've seen he still looks very raw. Hopefully it just means he's already developing a lot.

Normally I have a pretty strong idea as to the team we should select. This week however there are about 30 players we could pick from that I would be completely comfortable with. The likes of Bennell, Smith and vandenBerg are all particularly hard to place because they are all probably best 22 when fully fit, but they're coming off interupted preseasons. B: Jetta, May, Lockhart HB: Lever, O.Mac, Salem C : Langdon, Oliver, Tomlinson HF: Jones, T.Mac, Melksham F: Pickett, Weidemann, Fritsch FOLL: Gawn, Viney, Petracca IC: Brayshaw, Harmes(mid), Bennell, Hibberd EMER: Smith, ANB, Hannan, Rivers

Super excited for Bedford. Has clearly had a big preseason and made a big step up from last year. Looked excellent in the Marsh games and really added something to the forwardline.

Need Sam Weideman to hit his 2018 finals form, a lack of injuries, and natural improvement out of our 24 and under players. Now that we have actual wingers I think our list is right up there with the best.

Defensive setups looked vastly superior to last season. Hawks might have got out the back once in the entire game. Lockhart looks at home down back and for me he is best 22.

B Laird Andrews Rampe HB Harbrow McGovern Saad C Whitfield Mitchell Sidebottom HF Bontempelli Fyfe Gresham F Martin Brown Gray R Gawn Dangerfield Cripps Considered players: Talia | Neale, C. Cameron | Docherty | Grundy, De Goey, Crisp, Pendlebury | Tippa, Hurley | Stewart, Blicavs | Witts | J. Cameron, Haynes, Greene | Sicily | Petracca, Oliver | Cunnington, Tarrant | Boak, Byrne-Jones | Edwards, Lynch, Riewoldt, Houli, Rance | Ross, Billings, Hill | Heeney, Lloyd, Parker | Shuey, Yeo, Gaff, Sheppard, Darling, Hurn | Macrae

Cal Twomey was just saying on the draft countdown that he had spoken to many recruiters about who they would take at pick 3, and about half of them would be going for Jackson. He's definitely a bolter, but perhaps not as unconventional as first thought.

Feels like an overpay and that we're getting sucked into draft trends. Small forwards were undboubtedly undervalued at the draft a few years ago and now teams are rushing to pick them early. For example Gryan Miers went pick 57 a few years ago despite kicking 7 goals in a TAC cup grand final. Can't believe we didn't pick him up. Pickett averaged less than 12 touches a game this year, kicked only 17 goals, is tiny at 170cm, yet we are thinking of picking him at 10?

I'm a fan of this if we can pick up one of Ash/Young at pick 10. Would make me a lot more comfortable with the risky selection of Jackson at 3.

Frost clearly should have been playing that game rather than a first year key defender. In a two point loss you can easily argue that selection had a major impact in us losing the game.