rpfc

I'm not certain how old fashioned night football is... It's all a bit moot for me as I will be as of 2010 a Victorian living in another state. I know you're supposed to say ex-Victorian, but I just can't bring myself to say that... I tell you one thing though: I'll be at the G for Trengove's and Scully's first game. Even if its a $250 Qantas peak hour ripoff. (Please excuse the apostrophes if they are misplaced - it's the one thing I can never get a hang of.)

No you don't. It's a good instinct. Language is language.

That's the kind of forward thinking that sees Luke Molan play his 150th early next year as the FF for the MFC.

All contracts expire at the end of October. St Kilda still has the opportunity to re-sign him in November. CC is right to paint a "MFC or STKFC" picture. It is stating the bleeding obvious, but sometimes all of us need someone to tell it to us. And Ball has had his career go through some tumultuous twists and culdesacs of late; there is nothing malicious about the time it has taken to meet with us. This is just another example of our ingrained MFC patheticness that we are attributing a holiday taken by a player as a sign of disrespect and malevolence.

The article linked by DD is pleasing in really only one aspect and that is the tack that CC has gone with - basically what a few of us have already intimated - it's St Kilda or Melbourne. Re-sign or come to the place that you know you can get to - the Demons. Good luck to the boys next week.

It's both. And the former is severely affected by the latter.

If there is another Jurrah out there - would he last to the PSD? In terms of marketing the club - Scully and Trengove will do that. Or whomever we pick at 1 and 2. The $500k salary cap gap is a problem mitigated by Ball but is merely a bonus. To get Luke Ball for very little in the PSD would be coup for the club, and and incredibly good investment. In my mind it is St Kilda or Melbourne - I have no inside knowledge, only my interpretation of the circumstances and the options available to Luke.

I'm not going to be cruel like a few have but Newton just isn't good enough to play AFL. If he is getting a bigger frame then well done to him - he is now doing the minimum required of tall prospect, something he should have done around 2 pre-seasons ago.

Covered this. Odd mood in the off-season. Apologies.

...because it takes a long time to get ready? Or because it soaks up alot of hard earned? Or because it wears bloody strange things on top around Spring Carnival time? Yeah, I know, I'm such a guy.

This is pretty much where my head is at but don't forget Ricky Petterd, arguably the most versatile player next to Bruce. Will look to be on a HFF or a wing.

I think Bruce and Macca will do what they did in the last half of the season and play of a HBF and a BP respectively. Garland would struggle to be up for Rd 1 in the AFL. Scully and Trengove would be ready to go I would think. Strauss, Blease, Maric, and Wonaeamirri should push too. I would love to see Watts play wing/HFF for 16+ rounds next year. Bruce, McDonald, Frawley, Warnock, Rivers, Bennell, and Grimes to be the 7 in defence. Davey, Moloney, Jones, Scully, Trengove, Jamar, Martin, Sylvia, and Morton to be the 9 to run through the middle. Bate, Watts, Wonaeamirri, Green, Jurrah, and Miller to be the 6 in attack. Injured players replaced by Petterd, Maric, Cheney, Jetta, Spencer, McNamara, and Strauss.

Thank god, some sense. Moderators close this thread.

If he goes into the ND he would be taking some bad advice from whoever is whispering in his ear. The way it is, is the way it is. He should, and those around him should also, come to terms with the fact that he is going to play for Melbourne or St Kilda. Sydney at 14, PA at 16, MFC at 18 (although unlikely) and we haven't even got to the 20's yet...

Let's try this for the last time, because I want to give you a chance to redeem yourself. 25 to 33 percent of those normally picked are ineligible, HO7. If there are 75 kids picked in a normal draft 19 to 25 of them would be from the 4 month block that is now exclusive to the 2010 draft. That means that the 50th pick is akin to approx. the 75th pick (and I am so very sorry to have used language that suggested my assertion '34 = 50' was based in anything other than a mathematical approximation - Pick Number x 1.5). Looking at one of our picks (that is easier for me to do my rudimentary mathematical equation) - Pick 18 - we would have approx. 6 - 9 players ineligible that would be picked before the player picked at 18 if there was a normal 12 month block. Therefore, that pick is approx. worth Pick 24 to Pick 27 relatively to talent in other years. This really is not that difficult to get your ahead around is it, HO7?

St Kilda coax him back?

Fat in the face? I'm giggling in my seat. Ahhh, the off-season... It affects all of us.

So he has weaknesses, but not really...? I have a higher opinion than RR of the bloke and I will go out on a limb and say that he will be on a list or RL somewhere in 2010. Difficult to see a spot for him as is, even harder if we get Ball.

Well that's backtracking of the highest order. Let me get this straight - you have gone through all of this for the sake of 8-ish places in the draft?! Oh, yes Hannibal, I am making Land unreadable...

Well said, FD. But every year except this year, the draft age moves back 12 months in eligibility. Always 12 months. In 2009, the eligibility rules have been altered to give GC17 every advantage at picking up talent in 2010 - the eligibility age has increased by 4 months and that means there is only an 8 months block of new talent to choose from. This article speaks of BP's misgivings about the draft.

Then who is it to be? Grimes? Watts? Jones? Morton? Did I hear Sylvia? I didn't? Good. Stupid suggestion. We have those two at the 26 year old mark, and our next leaders will 22 or younger in 2011. You gotta pay someone, and someone's gotta be Captain. Two universal rules of AFL. There are probably more but I can't be stuffed listing them.

Another 2 votes and Frawley would have finished outright 5th... He did finish 'around that mark.' From Bate, 4th, to McDonald/Morton, =9th, was the grand total of 5 votes. There were three standouts (Moloney, Davey, and Bruce) then a blanket could have been thrown over Bate, Jones, Warnock, Sylvia, Frawley, McDonald, Morton, McLean, and Rivers (8 votes). And that sounds about right to me (with apologies to Grimes).

I think they both could be Captain. I would agree that there is a dearth of real leaders at the club, but I would say that one of those you mentioned will be tapped on the shoulder at the start of 2011. They are leaders of men, in their own very distinct way. Choko has done a reasonable job describing Beamer's style (although completely misses the mark with his judgement of Beamer's very consistent season. But that is beside the point). Aaron is very much in the quiet, 'do as I do' model of leadership, that has served James McDonald very well. Both would do a fine job.

Had a chat to BP. He said it's about a third of the kids. My sig explains why. I discussed a couple of months ago with some other nuff-nuff - the 34 = 50 statement is not scientific, it is just a rough extrapolation of the pick number times by 1.5. I would get rid of Batram for Pick 34 in a NY minute, but the club might think that one day he will able to hit that barn's back side and want to keep him. PSD1 is more valuable than Pick 34 IMO. That's where I am coming from.

I get that crap, as we all do, from friends and well wishers. But they all have this look in their eye that they don't quite believe their own nonsense. By the end of this draft we will have on our list Picks 1, 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, plus Jurrah, Wonaeamirri, Petterd, Garland, and Bennell, and they are all 24 or younger. I would wager at least 4/5ths of these players will be around for a long time and if a few turn into stars we will be an excellent footy side. That is why they have that wavering look in their eye; their subconscious knows the truth - the Melbourne Football Club is very well situated to grab the AFL by the balls. And remember, if you have got them by the balls - their hearts and minds will follow.