Deeko2

I think Salem's poise makes him look like he is moving slower than he actually is. I was at Gosch's watching a preseason running session two years back and was surprised seeing him burn past some players who we would all consider fast Last years speed ranking had him listed 5th quickest at the club. Speed star | Hunt fastest Demon for 2021 (melbournefc.com.au) He's a bit deceptive our young Salem.

You might be one of very few who believes he needs a run CF as I'm with the majority. His one weapon is his pace that looks the goods in twos. When he plays with the big boys however, sadly they're all just as quick and I don't think he adds a great deal else. I'm not sure of his contract status but I'd imagine he's a decent way down in the pecking order at the moment.

I agree with everything you're saying BBP. The blues are the only team that frighten me this year. Most other teams I believe we would have the capacity to strangle somehow and fight out a good solid win where as they have some genuine stars that you're not going to keep quiet all game. Curnow and McKay are the best key forward combo in the comp. Cripps / Walsh are the second best midfield duo behind Trac/Oliver. Weitering, Docherty and Saad defend and rebound as good as anyone Even though we have better key defender depth, I've watched Silvagni play a defensive forward role well and have no doubt he'll tag Lever. Still, we have a champion ruckman and play better as a team but they have serious match winners above who, when the crowd gets behind them (and sadly they will) are going to give us a serious shake if they get there tails up. It makes me sick thinking about it - plus I could be clouded by my significant hatred of them - but of all the teams up and around us, these guys genuinely worry me.

It's not just the fact he doesn't present well. It's also the fact he doesn't do the sexiest part of our game well which is kicking snags. He has one for the year which is why lots of external people don’t rate him on the same level as Bont, Cripps and Dusty. These other three have: Cripps has 14 Bont has 13 Dusty would have 15 if he kept his average up, playing each game. The important thing is he is rated by the people who matter..... us ;) You can’t teach toughness and you can’t teach the aggression he has at winning the ball. Even when it’s in someone else arms he just has the ability to rip it away from them and feed it out magnificently to the lads around him making them look better.

Ah, got ya. Clearly I did as that's exactly what I was thinking! Still, as much as I love seeing new youngsters in the team, I'm happy we're not going down the path we were 10-15 years back when just a glimpse of something in the twos would see a player get a crack in the ones. I'll be thrilled when JVR and Laurie get a crack as I have no doubt they'll be good long term players for us but I'm even more thrilled we have the talent (and lack of injuries) in our best 22 keeping them out.

It wasn't his best game but you need to give him a bit of slack. He does takes the oppositions best defender every week and Tom Barrass is a very good defender. Then, he had to deal with a mutliple time All-Australian CHB and one of the best interceptors in the game getting in his way. There's a bit of difference losing some one on one contests there over JVR playing against Marty Hore in the twos.

Hmm, not sure how you think King is unrealistic but JHF isn't in 2024. Both sadly would be out of our reach financially. If everything goes to plan and we are incredibly fortunate enough to go back to back, I don't see the point in going for any veterans really. If our kids are good enough to win two in a row, what would the lads you mentioned above do to assist? They'd be playing twos on decent money preventing our next gen from developing. I've had a taste of the good life now, in terms of ladder position and finals. I don't want us to fall of a cliff like the Eagles so we do need to keep bringing in high quality youth and young talent each year to prevent that from happening. Toby Greene is not going to happen. Superstar yes but he's just as likely to cost you a final (suspension) than win you one and do you really want the drama of having De Goey on your list? Everyone raves about our culture. Players like this absolutely destroy it. Sadly, the only players I want (Touk, McKay, Cripps, McCluggage, Whitefield, Haynes, Taranto, Grimes, King and a King) would be far out of our reach $$ and picks wise. But, one can dare to dream

I get peoples excitement with JVR but lets let him develop in the 2's and get him doing it consistently over a few weeks before giving him a call up. Also, the idea of swapping him for Brown really wouldn't happen this week noting: Brown is leading our goal kicking average He's about to play his 150th game Which is against his old mob Who shafted him Who really are playing awful footy And released there best defender last year to the Tiges. BBB will be training the house down all week in preparation for a bag. Edit: Also, it just won't even happen this year for Brown

I shouldn't mention the "T" word but I legitimately think they're tanking now. The year started losing to Gold Coast and I think they gave up then and there thinking why bother. Our 2013 was the most sickening season of footy I have ever seen a team play and we still managed a percentage of 50 odd which is where the Eagles are sitting now. There team is a thousand times better than what we had - even with injuries and covid close contacts. They're list is a mess right now with some serious talent finished and they desperately need some high end young talent coming through as its slim pickings. They'll win one more game for the season which will be at the pointy end against another team who doesn't give a stuff with there finals aspirations done.

I'm thinking its because we just back our best 22 to do the job week in, week out without worrying much about the opposition. Although there are always some significant one on one plans for certain players who lock down (Petty, May, Hunt etc), it looks like we just play a system brand and back our system in to choke teams to win. We're the hunted at the moment, all over the ground and teams are trying to stop us rather than vice versa. We have had an incredible run with injuries which won't last (sadly) and then test our depth. I'm still not certain that it's as good as everyone thinks and some players are riding on the coat tails of Trac, Oliver, Gawn who are just so dominant in winning the ball and putting others into space. It still worries me that if any of these three get injured or worse, more than one, we'd come crashing back down to Earth fairly quickly. We'd still win the flag of course, but maybe only by 4 goals instead of 8.

Well I think this further speaks to Bailey's ability as he was able to have this ordinary list on the cusp of finals. I just checked and we were 9th as at the end of Round 17, one win from the 8. This is the exact reason I always felt for him as he was doing very well with not a lot behind him and pumping games into kids who ended up not making it. I don't doubt my thoughts are probably crazy to what others think about him. I just saw a guy who made the decision to play kids at all cost with a view to the clubs future over his own and managed to get really good things out of some average players that we had. edit: I don't know who makes the final decision on the recruiting, coach or list managed or other. At the time however I was thrilled with Tapscott and saw a massive future in Gysberts who had a cracking first few games. Cook - yep, we shanked that one.

I didn't explain myself super well, I meant peanuts compared to what he gets in the future if he explodes which we all hope he does. I'd love to know what the good money is. I'm just not sure where we're getting all this cap space from. Trac, Gawn, Lever, May and Salem would be on decent cashola. Brown would not have come across for bugger all and I'd imagine Viney re-signed for something decent as well. Guessing Brayshaw and McDonalds contracts were front ended but still, I just don't see how we can load up on him now

Being born in the 80's, I didn't see any glory years under Smith. So here goes: Goodwin. Premierships always go to the top of the list and get the A+ Daniher. A lot of my teenage years were riding on the great man getting us up week after week with a team that I never really thought had enough talent to get us there. We always lacked quality mids and he somehow, in the even years, got us fired up Roos. He basically brought back hope and made the club relevant again. Northey. He was the first coach of the dees I remember getting the boot as a kid and it really stuck with me as I never thought things like that happened. Bailey. Something different and most will disagree but premierships are won with a new game plan/style and his ultra attacking style I thought was going to get us there. I still remember in his last year in 2011 that we were sitting 7 and 7 half way through the year and young players like Grimes, Trengove, Scully, Morton, McKenzie and Gysberts. Other than Scully, we never saw any of the others fire a shot after he finished sadly. We don't need to talk about what happened then but I always rated how he kept playing the kids putting the future of the club first whilst getting good things out of Sylvia and Moloney especially with great things then from Jamar and Green. I probably see him differently to a lot of others here but I always wanted him to really succeed after he left us and prove to the AFL world that he belonged in a coaching box somewhere.

If we offered him a long term contract right now it would be for peanuts as we wouldn't have significant amounts of cap space. Also, you can't offer a kid long term deals based on potential. Yes he has shown some great moments and we're all excited by what he might bring but you save that kind of cap space and contract term for your proven A Graders. Gawn, Trac, Salem and what will definitely be Clarry next year. 2-3 years protects both parties as if he's good enough then and taking the league by storm, he'll demand an even bigger contract which we'd find a way to get sorted. I'd rather gamble on the fact that once he's a gun we need to pay overs to retain him rather than paying someone overs now based on potential. Like it or lump it, there is every chance he could be a man child and may have peaked early in his career like a Darling or Hogan. Or even someone like Rory Lobb who, without meaning to offend, is just a solid B grader.. I'd rather us lose a player who has the potential to be great over one that is already great and proven (Clarry next year).

Jeepers, we've gone early here. Mind as well start a Trac one up as well when he's out of contract. It will be 2029 before we know it!!

Well it will keep him keen that he's close and I do think he's bloody close. If it was any other team in the league, he would have had a taste in the one's by now. From the Casey games I have seen this year he's been very good showing a lot of speed and some nice skills. I'm excited to see how he goes but he's not getting a look in whilst ANB, Spargo and Kozzy are lurking. He'll be learning from these lads for now and remains next in line.

I have actually lost a lot of my emotional connection to player as I've aged and with the trade world and free agency increasing all the time. So sadly, I don't really mind now what happens as we will be compensated well and its up to us to work out who to get with faith in our development systems in place now. I will say however it is hugely unlikely that he ends up at the Eagles. They need more talent coming through and the cost of picks wouldn't assist them at all. They have nothing that would satisfy us in terms of players IMO. He'll stay for 2 years minimum at a decent wage. I'm thinking the Eagles will load up on high end picks, get them in there system over the next 3 seasons and then look for a Luke like player when they become free agents or trade for needs when they're back in the window. Like the Melbourne model over the last few seasons..... bloody perfection right there in how we went about it. A thing of beauty.

I'm not entirely sure to be honest but it would be fascinating to know. I've never been a club/player basher (even in our dark days) but I was in absolute shock that day that a professional organisation like an AFL team would let a bloke back on the ground when they're clearly injured..... in a practice match..... what a disaster! No wonder his old man went off his chops!

Good post DeeSpencer and he's doing well in getting time into his youth where there is some talent. I'm not sure however the talent is enough however to get them anywhere higher than the bottom half of the 8. Although there are some good kids there, I think we all know top 4 teams are there due to superstar midfields. Looking at the top 5 times last year, they all are star-studded in regards to there centreline. The hawks next gen mids are ok but I would compare them to our role players in Viney/Sparrow/Jordan/Harmes etc. They're really good players but they're not going to win you games like Oliver/Trac/Gawn will. I'm enjoying fact that he's going to keep them fighting for irrelevancy for his tenure. Unless they bring in a superstar free agent mid or two, they'll be floating between 10th to 6th for the next half dozen years.... perfect

I don't read on people's opinion of Joel like that dieter. I think the put down is on Joel's body that keeps breaking down through absolutely no fault of his own. It's sad but it just keeps happening. I'm a fan of Joel and have always said if he can some continuity in his game he could be a real weapon down back. He's a neat enough kick on the rebound, has great speed to play on the smalls, a wonderful leap to challenge the bigs and has no shortage of courage in the air. He just needs a good trot of luck and stay on the park to keep developing. edit: Add on to the above - we definitely did him no favours in that pre-season game. That was a disaster by the club's medical staff at the time.

Spot on Maldonboy. He's not just a wonderful kick from the backline but he's also a very solid defender now and hard as a cats scone. Just because someone can play another role, doesn't mean they should. Especially when they're doing a great job where they are. I've seen May play some great stints up forward but we're not going to swap him there unless something's really gone to crap. Good work on the OP for the positives and negatives but it just shouldn't (and wont) happen in this case. Watching the last couple weeks, I have felt we're a bit fumbly in defence anyway with the ball slipping through Lever's hands, May missing simple field kicks, Smith missing grabs etc. It seems opposition teams are winning it back more than usual. Salem in immediately makes us a more controlled team exiting defence. He's a must in for me and to play only on the back flank.

Go and have a bath you dirty little thing you 😅 But sadly I agree. Anything over 30 touches and double figure clearances is a top game. Obviously they fluffed around with the pill a fair bit which might be due to lack of forward structure/marking power but he's clearly a good player and hard worker. He'll get more damaging as his career progresses and he gets some support in that midfield. Our mids are so incredibly lucky to look up and see talls in Brown/Jackson/Weed/TMac coming at them or a Gawn sitting deep with a Fritter working the angles.

It's wonderful watching us live seeing the structure how we setup behind the ball. You're either winning the ball back and kicking down one wing where Lever/Gawn line up. Or going through the centre where you most likely have Petty and May with one of Jackson/Weed/TMac there as support. Then watching our kick in structure. The first kick long to back flank is to two of Gawn/Jacksona and Weid/Brown/Tmac. Then the next kick down the line is to two of Weid/Jackson/Brown for example No one will beat us in the air. I still believe the only way teams will beat us this year is the play us in the wet which might reduce our strength there.

Thanks Kev, this is great. When the similar project was completed here in Mildura, we were coming into summer with some standard local 40+ degree days forecasted. The sprinklers were on daily keeping it going. I'm pretty sure there was a strict 12 week period where people weren't allowed on it and even after this, it still required a fair bit of top dressing to even it out. 6 months on and our facility is absolutely immaculate. I'm sure that's what they're going to achieve here, make it the best of the best. I said earlier in the thread, I'd be shocked if we were to get on it this year and would rather we didn't. It's just not worth the risk on ankles and knees.

Is it weird I'm actually excited to see how our 'depth' rise to the occasion? Obviously we want our best 22 in every game but I'm happy to persist with Weed and Dunstan for a bit longer and keen to see some fresh faces like Laurie, Bedford, Rosman or Chandler get a guernsey. All this consistent winning football with a similar healthy 22 each week is just foreign to me and it's taking time to get used to it....