Leopold Bloom

While talks for a number of trades continued, the Demons maintained their composure and snaffled a late trade welcoming Harry Sharp to the fold.

With picks 5 and 9 we virtually don’t have to worry about the second night of the draft. Just do your thing in the first hour of the first night JT!

This is the top 30 list from today’s Age 1. Sam Lalor GWV Rebels/Vic Country Midfielder/forward, 187cm, 30/8/2006

 2. Levi Ashcroft Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro Midfielder, 179cm, 18/12/2006 3. Alix Tauru Gippsland Power/Vic Country Tall defender, 191cm, 16/11/2006
 4. Jagga Smith Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro Midfielder, 181cm, 28/1/2006 5. Harvey Langford Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country Midfielder, 190cm, 15/3/2006 

6. Isaac Kako Calder Cannons/Vic Metro Forward, 175cm, 7/3/2006 7. Finn O’Sullivan Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro Midfielder, 182cm, 30/5/2006 8. Josh Smillie Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro Midfielder, 194cm, 17/5/2006 9. Leo Lombard GC Suns Academy/Allies Midfielder, 178cm, 5/10/2006 10. Sid Draper South Adelaide/South Australia Midfielder, 180cm, 5/7/2006 11. Harry Armstrong Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro Tall forward, 195cm, 14/6/2006 12. Tobie Travaglia Bendigo Pioneers/Vic Country Defender/midfielder, 187cm, 26/10/2006 13. Xavier Lindsay Gippsland Power/Vic Country Midfielder, 183cm, 3/8/2006 14. Luke Trainor Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro Tall defender, 194cm, 10/4/2006 15. Joe Berry Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country Forward, 180cm, 18/4/2006 16. Taj Hotton Sandringham Dragons Midfielder/forward, 182cm, 17/6/2006 17. Jobe Shanahan Bendigo Pioneers/Allies Tall forward, 194cm, 2/8/2006 18. Murphy Reid Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro Midfielder/forward, 181cm, 30/7/2006 19. Bo Allan Peel Thunder/Western Australia Defender/midfielder, 191cm, 16/2/2006 20. Ollie Hannaford GWV Rebels/Vic Country Forward, 180cm, 1/9/2006 21. Sam Marshall Sandringham Dragons/Allies/Brisbane Lions Academy Midfielder, 185cm, 19/1/2006 22. Jack Whitlock Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country Tall forward, 200cm, 16/5/2006 23. Jonty Faull GWV Rebels/Vic Country Tall forward, 195cm, 1/2/2006 24. Alex Dodson Sturt/South Australia Ruckman, 203cm, 15/6/2006 25. Jesse Dattoli Northern Knights/Vic Metro Midfielder/forward, 179cm, 7/8/2006 26. Matt Whitlock Murray Bushrangers/Vic Country Tall forward/defender, 199cm, 16/5/2006 27. Cooper Hynes Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Metro Midfielder/forward, 190cm, 28/2/2006 28. Tom Gross Oakleigh Chargers/Vic Metro Midfielder/forward, 181cm, 15/9/2006 29. Harrison Oliver Sandringham Dragons/Vic Metro Defender, 181cm, 15/6/2006 30. Christian Moraes Eastern Ranges/Vic Metro Midfielder, 183cm, 8/11/2006

Unless the club can start the draft with three picks in the top 20, I fear that we won’t be coming out with much more than little things.

… unburdened by what might have become to what has been.

Can’t wait to have Campbell and Fullarton as back up ruckmen forcing Verrall onto the bench at Casey.

The AFL rules about eligibility are classified as top secret. Not even the CEO Andrew Dillon knows the answer to that question.

I suspect that discussions might be taking place with Hunter’s management and, at the end of the day, he might be given the opportunity to look at other options if he wants to play game #200.

His top 40 but not a phantom draft. I doubt that Richmond will pick Draper ahead of the bevy of midfielders at the top of this draft, nor will North Melbourne. I reckon he’ll be picked by Adelaide.

Joe comes across as a complete nuffy when it comes to our coach's performance in 2024. Does he know about us losing Gus and JS for the entire season before the first ball was bounced? Does he know about Clarry's lack of a pre season, his issues during the off season and the injuries he sustained during the year? Does he know about Tracc's season ending injury on KB? Does he know about the injuries to key defenders Steven May and Jake Lever and to Spargo and Bowey? We missed the finals by two games after all that, and also lost to four of this year's finallists by under a goal. On that evidence Joe can't even explain why he believes Goody should get the flick. If he feels anything for the club, why run off to a DH like Robbo to spill the beans?

This is rumour file stuff only but a little bird (and let's face it, a lot of talk in the football world these days comes from little birds) is saying that Josh Daicos wouldn't mind going to Queensland. Make of that what you will.

6. Jack Viney 5. Ed Langdon 4. Trent Rivers 3. Daniel Turner 2. Blake Howes 1. Christian Salem

If I’m not mistaken, in the last three weeks, a Melbourne team badly weakened by injuries has lost games to second placed Port Adelaide and third placed GWS by two points in each game in a competitive season where even the reigning premier is finding it tough going and where both have difficult draws. Do you expect Demonland to repeat the half baked wrist slashing speculation of Jay Clark or Kane Cornes when it does a preview of a meaningless fixture at the close of a trying year? I guess you do if you’ve chosen “Cranky” to describe your on line character.

Has the Melbourne team flown out to Perth yet?

Only four players in the F-S/Academy categories so perhaps not as compromised a draft as we originally thought. Query however, the non-inclusion of the SA trio of the Camporeale twins (Carlton F-S) and Welsh (Adelaide F-S). 4. Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane F-S) 7. Leonardo Lombard (Gold Coast Academy) 12. Sam Marshall (Brisbane Academy) 20. Isaac Kako (Essendon NGA)

6. Trent Rivers 5. Clayton Oliver 4. Ed Langdon 3. Caleb Windsor 2. Jacob van Rooyen 1. Kysaiah Pickett

I agree. It's time we kicked up a racket about our list management.

Multiple goals in many matches, lots of possessions out of the middle. Would he want to give up being a big fish in a small pond? By George, Bulldogs are too good

Surely People’s First Stadium is situated in Pyongyang, North Korea?

Whichever way the season goes from here, the future is solid.

The bloke who played on the other wing to Robbie is technically a closer comparison is Alan Johnson who was equally fast.

What about AMW and KFW as our two, as yet uncapped, hyphenated ones?

Seriously though. Wasn't the AFL going to review the NGA rules and make them a bit more friendly towards the southern states?

No Verrall ... is he set up to be mystery injury of the week?

We definitely need another player with a hyphenated name.