rpfc

Favourite poster for a week if you can give me a good source on that.

The few that I have seen do it... Jeez, I don't want to mozz the kid. He's going to be good. Hell, he is good, he could be as good as the unnamed few I have in my head.

Haven't seen too many of those midfielders who play for the Dees... His one step kicks are fine until he misses a target, and he missed a couple up in Alice...

Trades like this are always going to be debated - there is nothing wrong with comparing what we gave up for what we got. The problem that most of us has is with the finality of which Barrett and a couple others called it a failure. Don't know yet, but I am very comfortable with the decision.

That payoff may come...in 2015 and beyond... 2014 for Gawn is all about staying fit for a season. 2014 for Fitz is all about trying to get a few games in the AFL. 6 seasons is along time to wait for players - I agree that late picks for talls is fine, but I would prefer the Rookie List or identifying mature rucks that don't need half a decade.

He had his second best season I thought immediately after signing that deal (2010). Then he had injuries for the next two and then it was 2013 and a long career had taken its toll. I don't feel any ill-will toward him or that deal.

I love Jack but he is not someone that teams would bother tagging just yet. He gets the footy from stoppages and off the floor in contests and does a few highlight reel escapes from those situations but if he wants to become the player I know he desperately wants to become - his game is going to have to evolve in a similar way to his Captain. Jones hurts teams with his link up play and had running to help under pressure defenders and fellow mids. The start of Viney's career has been promising but he would not be worried about by other teams just yet.

It's hard to stave off the Syndrome though - I keep thinking: "what's the catch? At what point will this blow up in my face?"

I don't think he has registered entirely with me... What is he? 20? He just got 11 clearances, kicked two goals and had 27 disposals against a very good midfield. WTF?

And make those new players earn it.

So: Tyson and 53 for pick 22 and 73? That's a good deal...

Yeah, if we want to move away from comparisons - I like that he is neat, takes the game on and tries to not waste a possession. He's composed. He doesn't have great speed, but he does know where the footy will be. That's the toughest skill to learn for a mid.

I wanted to get away from the forward-midfielder comparison to a pure midfielder comparison. He finds the footy and links up well. Stanton does the same (from time to time), he is neat but not explosive. He is a good player Stanton. JKH can punch through this ceiling but he has already shown me that this is what he can get to on exposed form.

He reminds me of Brent Stanton, minus the clangers of course. Wins the footy, can link up, knows where to run.

A harder, bigger Dal Santo. Pendlebury is a very high shelf... Love his attitude and confidence - never rushed, short memory with mistakes, doesn't give the footy away in close.

I always find it funny when 'experts' say someone was taken too early. History will judge that. Every year, in every draft regulated sport, there are experts saying that players were taken too early. You just can't tell who will slip through to a later pick, or who will represent value in a few years when the dust settles. Look at Fyfe - I don't recall much fanfare but if we took him many picks earlier would the 'experts' have said we are 'reaching' and that we should have gone for someone else? They wouldn't say it now...

You say 'forget priorities' and then describe a mid first round and before second round priority picks under the old system. So you don't want to forget the priorities? I am all for equalisation - and that includes a team's list when they are perennially bad - what annoys me is when Melbourne supporters fall into the trap set by other supporters that drone about it as a form a 'undeserved welfare.' Or that 'we had our chance' with these priority picks and 'screwed them up' but do they know that Sylvia, Scully and Strauss were the only PPs we have received? They are including all our early draft picks in that empty argument. And how does that hold up? We chose poorly at the draft so we shouldn't be able to draft anymore? Equalisation isn't a 'give it one shot' situation... So I would say 'don't forget the priorities' to the commission. It is a part of the rules (!) that they can be given out to teams that need them to compete. So how about 'remember the god-damn rules' as a declaration to get behind?

Lovely. Or someone who can't play in the cold I presume?

I wonder if people have a different opinion of Frawley now. His value is going up. The thing about losing him is not just losing a very good player (that's bad remember - you always complain about that), you are also hamstrung in Free Agency once again. We won't want to go after players as it will dilute our probable Pick 3-5 compensation for Frawley. I hope we keep him and he will be well paid - we don't have much talent to pay, so the talent we do have is overpaid. Deal with it.

Internal pressure from Members and coterie members after the Essendon game last year led to the aftermath.

I try not to individualise drafting, recruitment, or development strategy - it's been a collective failure on all fronts for the club over the past decade. Those that want to hold grudges can do so, it looks petty anyway. But those who are genuinely looking for ways to get better (or reasons why we have been so bad) - can't ignore past failures as a point of reference. Ignoring the reasons that have led us to this point is not healthy.

Take your own advice - if you don't like people judging how we went in the 2011 draft - don't click on a thread titled '2011 Draft'...

lol What the hell is the problem with talking about past drafts? Or is the drafts we do badly in we can't mention? Honestly, think before you post.

To expand: we traded Pick 12 for Clark. A fruitful year to be sure... But lower down on the list of drafting failures.

Come off it - what do you say when someone has a similar refrain about Jake Spencer?