rpfc

Well done Deestroy All. We don't know who we should have taken for a few years. Same goes for Toumpas and Wines. I like the fact that he is confident, knows how to get the footy, has got good skills, and loves to tackle. All he has to do is back himself at AFL level and fill out a bit.

I don't think the Swans would be relatively worse than any club when it comes to this Teenage Lottery Draft that we have in the AFL. We can all point to failures but unless you can show me a bell curve that illustrates a marked difference between clubs - I would say that even the best teams have failures. Maybe not as many as us, but failures none-the-less... Note: 35 of the 105 players taken in the Top 15 from 1999 to 2005 didn't play 100 games.

MFC patronised as The Challenge of the 21st Century effectively and Roos said "competitive for longer" again. None of the players are expected to play games next year. He said there were no ceilings but settling in and showing good habits and good form in the NAB Cup for Casey will happen before any games are given.

During the season? These guys are babies. I think your problem is unfairly inflated expectation, not a lack of deliverance by 19 year olds.

Freeman standing next to Salem made quite the juxtaposition... I really am not interested with what Collingwood did - we obviously believe that Salem can get near to being as good as his idol Luke Hodge and I hope he gets there. But as Roos said on Fox Footy - don't expect him to play in 2014. Kennedy-Harris seems far more mature right now so I think from the draft he would be the only one that could play a dozen or more games.

I think this kid is more of a chance for Rd 1 than Salem. Good head on his shoulders - already at uni as a aside - and he plays a role we don't have much of. From his clips he looks very smart and can find the footy in space. Thank christ!

Yes, but if Watts is being pushed out of that Forward Line than Fitz will find it hard to fit there too. Someone needs to sacrifice their game and attract the footy and smash, and get smashed, and that is the selfless role Dawes can do. Clark and Hogan can do it to, but I don't want them to - and this leads us to the issue of what do you want the forward line to look like and can it function well. I think it functions better with Dawes.

Mind was elsewhere apparently.

He is uncomfortable with the idea of being a long term coach again. That is understandable. He doesn't mean he won't be kept around in the FD for years after his stint as head coach...

Well, if we did our comprehension skills would be lacking: Fitz 15 goals in 11 games. Dawes 12 goals in 12 games. Dawes also managed 20 more marks than Fitz.

Wouldn't the playing up and moving on make him a 'dud' - it would certainly make him a 'dud pick.' I would say we need talent and we need to get the most out of our picks that we can - such is the state of our list. That's not an argument for or against picking Garlett up, it's an argument against being blase about it.

'New' players cannot from what I understand, but even that may have an age limit. Players that have nominated before can name their terms if they wish I believe. I have the old CBA and not the new one so I can check but it will be from a 2 year old CBA.

It's interesting, and refreshing - 'If you want me, you can have me on this, for this long. Otherwise I am happy to move on.'

Then I guess he was able to manage it well enough to help Collingwood win a flag. Dawes would be a better contested marker than Fitzpatrick. They are both shaded by Clark, and I believe Hogan, but it is Dawes' frame that I see as very fortunate to have next to The Franchise (Hogan) while he is in his first few years. And of Dawes and Fitzpatrick, one is far more proven than the other. I don't see it happening. I don't think Fitz can do what I would be asking Dawes to do.

No, you would be doing that. I thought you were giving a self-appraisal.

That is a good point - we did give up a bit to get him. The point that it was not Grundy is also a good point.

Are you speaking from personal experience?

Dawes broke a knuckle in 2011 and missed 6 games. He played 61 out of a possible 76 in his last three years at Collingwood. Are you sure you are not recalling the knuckle injury in 2011? And would we have a leadership group if it was defined by form and injury? BTW, Fitzpatrick can't play Dawes' role. He is slight, far from proven, and does not have the ability to assert himself on the field.

Excuse me?

The point was made at the time - "they were the best of bad options." As for any larger debate about what Neeld brought - this isn't a Marvel comic - he and his FD brought many good things during his failed tenure.

One thing I would like to see is a way of picking up 'undrafted' players after all drafts are over. This would be after the Rookie List is scrapped, so in a couple of years, and what would happen is that a club would leave the last two positions open after the National and Pre-Season Drafts and would have give fortnight contracts to players to train with the team, at the end of which you would choose two from then or from other teams 'train-ons.' Or you could leave a position open for later in the pre-season in case of injuries etc. The player is simply signed and agrees to a contract acceptable to them. If you are a kid you get through the nat draft (where there is a automatic 2 year contracts for those in their first year nominated), and through the PSD (where you can name your own terms), you can then go and accept a 'train-on' contract with your choice of team and accept a contract that is acceptable to you. I think this is one of the next steps, we have given quite a bit of power to delisted players and 10 year players and fringe players who have been at a club for 8 years, I think it is time to give some power to the speculative teenager (and to the recruitment staff that wants to pick the right player and not waste anyone's time...).

Didn't reality do that?

The worth of that trade won't be known for a few years. He may be right...

Too soon guys...

Yeah, we would get better results with the Alt room they have at AAMI. Any benefit would be pyschological; giving a confidence boost to the malleable egos of footy players.