DeeBest

talkingcarlton are still threatening to field an ex-AFL player... <_<

Karl Norman or Laurence Angwin?

Not that I'm involved, but it'd be interesting if true to know who it is. Maybe if it was a rookie or someone who didnt play an AFL game with them you should let them. But surely these forum games are just for forum posters.

Someone will have to go forward, I reckon it'll end up being Garland.

The problem with Stefan Martin is his kicking, unless he plays forward within about 25m of goal then I wouldn't want him down there. Unless they've continued to improve his skills over summer of course.

well i think this is the game where i could finally make my debut as i live in melbs now!! not gunna make any promises but i think il make my name noticed and let you kno how i go!!

Geez they should charge entry fees now that you might be pulling on the boots!!!

I'm sure you'll do fine, it can't be any harder than the OMFL can it?

Well, that article agrees with my theory you won't be seeing much of him in Red and Blue til '11 or '12, particularly as he's completing Year 12 next year.

I think your theory is right.

And realistically he's only played something like 7 TAC Cup games in his life and a few National Championships games, most of 2008 for him was playing school footy. Unlike kids who come from the bush or interstate, I doubt he's ever played against men. He'll need time to grow physically and mature mentally.

Every draft pick still costs a footy club $200k or more in player wages, doctors and physios time, training/club apparel whether they are picked at 20 or picked at 75.

Financially every pick is important. And where you can get an edge on an opponent is when you strike gold with a late pick, or a rookie.

Brad Fisher, on the other hand, I think is more of a running flanker than a key forward which is why he wasn't considered.

I concede that, but I rate Fisher more than I do Miller, but I'm not a Miller fan.

Is there really a lot of difference between where Fisher gets his footy and where Miller gets his? Fisher averaged 7.19 marks a game this year, Miller averaged 7.32. Admittedly the contested marks would be a better stat, as would a marks inside 50 stat but I havent got those.

But when it comes to goals - Fisher's played 91 careers games for 118 goals. Miller has played 110 games for a career total of just 60 goals. I know which "key forward" I'd rather have.

Westhoff goes in. Nick Gill - well I agree he may not be "AFL standard" at times, but he was still a better late pick than many cos he's actually played AFL for Adelaide. As you acknowledged many late selections dont even do that.

The other argument, I think we are thin when it comes to ruck stocks. Good ruck stocks especially. And the club even acknowledged it when they presented their case to Robert Warnock. Yet it wasn't a major draft priority. Perhaps we'll just have to trade for one next year.

To my knowledge there are only 3 AFL standard key forwards on a list that have come from picks higher than pick 40. And there are no AFL standard key forwards on a list that were picked up after pick 60 (including preseason and rookie drafts).

How about Justin Westhoff? Not quite a rookie lister but a very late draft pick IIRC (perhaps pick 71 or 73). Nick Gill? Brad Fisher (picked in the 70s)?

You can check the stats Bob, but I reckon two of that three would kick on average more goals than Miller. If Miller counts as an "AFL standard forward" in your view, then I'd allow the above to go through.

Glad to see Jack got better with the camera as the pictures went on. I was about to book into OPSM for 9am tomorrow morning after looking at the first three pictures!

For a few years there one of the guys from Demonland or Demonology went to a training session and took a group pic of the new draftees. Not sure if they have this year though.

To back up what I said about Hughes, the Falcons Regional Manager Michael Turner (who calls it how he sees it) said about Hughes in the Geelong Advertiser:

Sam also played a couple of games for Vic Country and he's had a good, solid two years with us. He's very, very quick and has got good stamina. It's a very difficult thing to get drafted and I don't think that Sam will. I'm just hoping that someone can pick him up as a rookie and, if not, there's no doubt that he will go and pursue his career in the VFL at either Geelong or Werribee.

Yeah McKenzie missed a fair bit of footy over the past couple of years with injuries so he's perhaps been underexposed. Clean and quick hands, can run all day and does all the defensive stuff very well - I'd imagine his kicking would have been closely monitored by the coaches over the past couple of weeks.

Richmond are using two sympathy cards to get an advantage that they are not entitled to. They are saying we must look after Polak and Cousins.

As others have said on here it is not about looking after Polak at all as he is on the list and will be paid, it is about looking after the Tigers. Polak could be placed on the long term injury list and that satisfies their position.

What is at the heart of this is that the Tigers presumably want to take Cousins in the PSD as well as the player they have targeted for their existing pick. If they were genuine they would take Cousins with their pick and take pot luck that the player they want now will be available at their first rookie pick.

Personally if they were to guarantee taking Cousins with the extra pick I wouldn't be that worried as it doesn't materially affect us, other than one more player removed from the pool. But clearly this is designed to allow the Tigers to have an extra pick in the PSD that they aren't entitled to.

Another solution would be to allow Polak to be rookied and the extra pick be given to the Tigers at the end of the Rookie draft as a PSD pick or rookie pick and then they can uplift a rookie immediately.

Richmond are obviously scared that the player they want with pick 6 in the PSD will be rookied before they get to him if they take Cousins. They want their cake and eat it as well. Why didn't they just delist another player earlier or make this request earlier and they could have taken Cousins in the ND with last pick.

I can see the AFL refusing this and suggesting the long term injury list and it becoming a choice of punting on their young player being available in the rookie draft or passing on Cousins.

I hope MFC have submitted an objection to Richmond's request. At the end of the day the AFL will decide, but a decision in Richmond's favour could significantly impact on us and our first rookie pick.

He might get a look in somewhere. But the Falcons seem to have been selling the names of a few of his teammates ahead of him.

He's got a small body and not a great kick. But he's got speed, terrific agility, great front and square and is very clean in that situation. Did some terrific things at Telstra Dome in the final championships round.

70 odd players will be called out on Tuesday. He'd have to be a chance.

Melbourne: Tristan Francis (Gippsland Power), Daniel Hughes (Melbourne rookie 2007), Jordie McKenzie (Geelong Falcons), Sam O'Sullivan (Oakleigh Chargers), Dylan Ross (Claremont), Shane Tregear (Sandringham), Marcus White (Calder Cannons)

If we announce a major sponsor as well then its a whole different story.

However, I suspect the AFL will veto any request to announce it on Friday. Why? Well because the AFL are paid a considerable sum by the National Australia Bank for sponsorship of the U18 program and the National Draft and they'll want Pick 1 and all publicity that comes with it to be promoting the NAB.

At the end of the day, pick 1 is going to get the same level of publicity anyway. By announcing it on the Friday we'll get no more - and no less. We'll see the chosen one on the front of Saturdays sport section in a Demons polo, instead of seeing it in Sundays sport section. We'll hear him interviewed on the TV or radio on Friday, instead of Saturday.

With picks 2, 3 and 4 belonging to interstate sides this year it doesnt concern me as much, but had say Collingwood or Essendon held pick 2 I wouldn't be making an annoucement on the Friday - all you do then is allow the load to get shared with them on draft day. The media would say "we've already spoken to him, lets interview picks 2 and 3 etc"

Vi$y Park 2:00 PM

You may be retired, but you havent lost it have you Barry!

To try to get this thread back on a slightly positive note - I have heard John Turnbull (former head recruiter at the Hawks) is being used as a consultant by the club.

He's been used as a recruiting consultant for two years now. Was on the MFC draft table last year.

Unless we actually know what happened, why waste time and effort speculating.

I agree.

But have a look what Oswald said a fortnight ago (the top post in this thread). It's from about two weeks ago, we all change our mind from time to time it doesnt look great to do a backflip like that within a fortnight. Even more disappointing if we were just used as a bargaining tool in negotiations between him and AFL Victoria over a couple of issues at the Sandringham Dragons.

The club were very quick to promote the appointment, but they havent been as quick to announce that he's gone before he started! In fact, his appointment is still on the Melbourne website!

Wayne Oswald is no longer joining the Melbourne FC. He will remain with the Sandringham Dragons.

One has to wonder why. And of course why our club announced these 'key appointments' before the person was actually firmly committed to the job.

I'm on holiday in the Queensland sun

Some people have the life dont they?

Great piece Jack. They were both great guys, with an enormous passion for the Sandringham FC.

One of the greatest things about the Sandringham alignment has been the people we've met and watched footy with along the way. Hopefully that'll continue in somewhere else next year. And with a bit of lack we'll get a "reunion game" down at Trevor Barker Oval.

my youngest son Kevin Charles is a bit of a chip off the old block and is shifting to Cranbourne now that we're selling up our house.

Who'd have thought KC from Casey - has a nice ring to it doesn't it!!

Will be sad to see you go from this site, you really don't know how much we have appreciated your reports over the years.

Here here, thanks Barry.

Although I did hear that Barry from Beach Road has an old mate from the RSL who is a Casey supporter and might take on the Casey newshound role for Demonland. Any truth to that rumour?

One thing I've noticed lately is we do have a generation of supporters between 20 and 30 years of age which is good. Hopefully we'll all have four kids each and grow the MFC supporter base!!!

Mr Tyler said the works at Casey Fields Oval No. 1 would include the upgrade of training facilities, made possible by the extension of the pavilion to the northern goals.

So would Oval No. 1 be our training ground and where our facilities would be built?

Surely we should be using the VFL oval?