rpfc

"Anderson said a formula would be developed that will take into account such factors as a club’s premiership points over a period of years (with greater weight to recent seasons), its percentage over a period of years as another indication of on-field competitiveness (with greater weight to recent seasons), any finals appearances in recent seasons, any premierships in recent seasons and club injury rates in each relevant season." So they are going to give a formula rather than use the discretion of the commission. Sounds like progress to me. I don't know what the outrage is based on.

Good standard there DD...

We are not holding two "very, very powerful bargain chips." They're just not. Individually they may facilitate a trade for a good kid, but together they might get us a HWFUA type talent - the true value of these picks is together. We have one trade week to dangle both in front of a club to get a Gaff or a Rohan or a Shuey or any other very talented Victorian we can coax home. Otherwise we can settle for a decent kid in the draft that might be very good. But no promises.

Did someone call you "uneducated?" That's an odd one. I still would like to see us get nearer the EW dollars than the Hankook dollars. That would be $1.35m+ please. I cannot believe how little Hankook had to pay last time...

I will take that as a compliment.

Ok, how about I put a value to these 'awesome picks' we suddenly have. The numbers, assuming we finish 8th, will be: Best Case Scenario: Picks 11 and 13. Reality: Picks 13 and 16. There are other compensation picks to go around and there will be more (looking at you PA and GC). They are 'teen picks' no matter what happens and guess what? Here are the 'teen picks' from the now famous 2001 draft: 10 Sam Power 11 Richard Cole 12 Brent Reilly 13 Nick Dal Santo 14 Ashley Watson 15 Barry Brooks 16 Rick Ladson 17 James Kelly 18 Shane Harvey 19 Jason Gram We better pick Dal Santo and Kelly...

God forbid we remind these people they are flawed mortals like the rest of us. Hands up if you were beaten by 31 goals last year?

If those picks were not able to be traded? Or if we can't get a suitable trade? I would say in these instances, we did not get 'fair compensation.' Therefore, those picks can be viewed as currency, and if we manage to get a player similar in potential to that which we lost - we will have got fair compensation. I don't care if we overspend for talent, I just want to get the talent.

Good player, but.

Not to get into the middle of this argument again, but... I think equating not having a clash jumper and strength is specious. I could easily argue stubborn over strong, pigheaded over powerful, and arrogant over aardvark. Couldn't think of an 'A' word.

We did not get good compensation for a young star midfielder. If we can turn that into a trade in which we get a young star midfielder, we are getting closer to propoer compensation. If we need to trade both to get talent, we trade both. We need the talent.

Pick 5 is pretty good. It's all setup now for me to overthink and not pick someone who will dominate. Amen.

I'm a core supporter and I am fine with them. Looks a lot better than the silver number we had a few years ago... Tradition is tradition, but if we never changed from where we started - we would be wearing caps, we wouldn't be called the Demons, and... ...we would be wearing cricket whites. Or, creams probably knowing the MCC - they would have us in creams.

Agree, but puncuation please. The little person inside my head nearly died of a lack of oxygen after reading that post...

Er, in that article I think Niall referred to Clark as a 'good, ordinary player.' Condemned by faint praise. I think this view is widespread in the footy world and I hope Mitch spreads wide the footy world and shoves that view up it's .... .

Thanks for that, WJ. The season is nearly upon us!

That's all I wanted to hear you say, WJ...

Before trade week that will be settled. I am looking for clarification whether we have to take Viney with our lowest pick or our lowest non-comp pick. But when it is time to trade we will have three picks in the top 20 and Viney will be assigned one of those with two picks ready to be shipped or used.

In my mind he is there already, he has to be. But he might simply be a 'release' kick at the top of the square. With Clark 20m in front of him. Possibly Green if they think he can effectively play a 'smaller' role ie. crumbing. And Sylvia, Jurrah, and Davey rotating through there. Howe and Watts up the ground. Maybe Petterd. And all these names we have mentioned might lead us to having a benefit from competition but, just to play devils advocate here - it may not work that well... Green and Jurrah might find it difficult to adapt to a new forward line where they need to get out of the space usually reserved for them. Watts and Howe will rarely step foot in the 50 when Clark and a resting ruck is in there... Sylvia will be usurped as a lead up HFF by Watts, Howe, and Petterd if only because those three cannot do what he can do in the guts. Of course, Colin rarely does what he 'can' do in the guts... These are the thoughts rolling around in my head... Probably the syndrome. Everything will work out fine.

We certainly have stalled... Perhaps the Demon faithful (although not as faithful as us) have been less than enthused with Neeld and Co.? We don't need to get to 40k in '12 but we do need to keep having a new 'record' membership. Hopefully we will see a few spirited NAB practice games. With Clark and the new leaders impressing. That might get us back on track.

Yes, a trade is the only garaunteed way to get proper value out of those picks. Would I trade both for a 20 midfielder with a very bright future? Yes, because that's what we lost when we got those picks...

Any back-up ruck is going to have to be competent up forward with the new rule of 3 interchange players and a sub. Can't hide them on the bench, can't play them in the backline for a 'rest' and when they will have to rotate through the ruck. Forward pocket looms for all back-up rucks.

Let's play some football and we might find some mojo around the place, Neeld might even appear a coach of Melbourne when he is appearing as the coach of Melbourne.

Obviously, Deez Nutz went to school in a 1990's American rom-com... (IWUAEIIUE)

Ouch. I felt that one. I am happy that expectations on all players are higher, and Jack is up there with the most important players we have. And I am sure that every player would have been given a stern chat about those expectations when Neeld first came to the club. But the fact remains that Jack wouldn't say Neeld was giving him a hard time, whether he was or not. He's a smart kid, Jack. He even thought to down play any animosity with HWFUA as we don't need any fuel on that fire...