rpfc

McNamara turned 19 in April. He's a baby. And Digga, don't get passive aggressive, you are talking about Cheney in a thread called "McNamara." People are going to get confused...

As one of the "brainwashed" I will give you a fact that lends itself to a shallaw draft. The eligibility age for the draft has increased by 4 months in 2009 and onwards, specifically to give GC17 a greater pool of players to pillage. From 2009 onwards, those drafted must turn 18 by Dec 31 of the year of the draft. Previously it was 18 by the following April 31. Looking at basic probability, around a third of the players will be in eligible. If a normal draft sees around 75 youngsters drafted then around 50 would be expected this year. The smaller talent pool might be weak, meaning 40-50 picks, or it might be strong, meaning 50-60 picks. But it will certainly be less picked than previous drafts. Of course, my logic presupposes that recruiters are looking for quality of talent rather than simple churning of the list, but I stand by it.

Bate doesn't have the muscle twitch to be as quick as Goddard and, therefore, as effective. Can still be a good HFF with a penetrating kick and a good brain. But you are right to imply that the fans need patience...

Out - Rivers, Frawley In - Cheney, Newton Maybe Whelan or McNamara for Dunn. The Bullies play small so Rivers and Frawley are not desperately required this week, but they were both having such promising seasons I hope it will be a short stay on the sidelines.

A good bounce and a proper kick by Robbo and Bate would have snagged three in a game that he drifted in and out of. His form has been awful or satisfactory so far this season but our forward line did very well with scraps against the Eagles - only 41 Inside 50s. I harp on this, but I still believe it is important, you can't judge forwards if the kicks into the forward line are low on quality and quantity. Thankfully the quality was better last week, but 41 Inside 50s is well below AFL average.

The kid is a find but I would think 'nearly' would require an expansive defintion for your statement to be correct.

Dunn - 79% Davey - 86% And Aaron actually tries some very difficult TJ type kicks through the guts, I don't remember too many from Dunn. He's OK in all positions and excels in none of them. Very difficult for him to get another contract, he's going to have to have a big second half of the year.

It's a non-issue, both our alternative strips are fine. And I still remember when Miller tackled Whelan at Optus Oval about 5 years ago. They're required, Eddie...

Bate was better; should have kicked three in the end. His form hasn't warranted continued selection - his workrate has. Kept presenting with Miller. Jones was solid all day and brilliant in patches. Moloney had 10 clearances, he is playing some great footy. Very quick brain in close. Petterd, Bennell, Grimes, Morton, Maric, and Martin make these losses bearable, and very watchable.

I loved a couple of his clangers, because they were kicks into the corridor trying to start something. He looks a very smart footballer. And Morton has tremendous vision and self-awareness, he could be a truly great wingman. Let Grimes do the kick-starting of HB and let Morton drift forward and take a grab (in a few years).

This is going to sound anti-thetical but the crackdown on bumps to the head saved one of those boys yesterday from spinal cord problems. Imagine if one of them sent their waist into that contest instead of their head? I know Rance has got a depressed fracture but it could have been so much worse. Thankfully, players pull out when they know they'll be second too late, or they go low and head on - a lot safer than turning and hitting the contest with their hips.

Sylvia's form has been patchy, but I've reconciled the past and have little interest in the ongoing saga of his stumbling career. He's just a FP, if he's around when we are decent and getting a game, well done to him. But he won't be a major reason for our future success. McLean was poor, but the previous three weeks were good. Shadowed all season by Moloney and, today, by Jones.

He played well, but some of you are kidding yourselves - a third of his touches were rubbish sideways kicks at the back. It's the other two-thirds that I enjoyed. Obviously he, Davey and Grimes are the designated kickers off half back. Mostly went through the corridor but when the mids stop running, they have no-one to kick to. Missed Frawley's run and meant Morton spent more time down there kick-starting us.

Maybe to the MFC. Probably not to Jack.

We hardly won in Perth when we were good, we certainly won't win now we're crap. Good to see them go small, plenty of run on a massive oval.

It wasn't immoral... Let's move past that one. Devious, yes. Cunning, yes. History, sh!t yes.

This is still a gaping wound in the fabric of the club. As someone close to high ranking official that pushed for the merger it fractured the club and the ties are still broken to some respect. For those still angry with the pro-merger people I implore you to forgive (posthumously for Tiger) all that were involved. They were not misguided or disloyal, they saw it as an opportunity to shore up the club with assets while retaining the MFC and eventually revert back to the Demons in a simple up or down vote a few years later. In the words of the person I know who was pushing the merger, they were looking to "eat Hawthorn whole, take their assets, and become the Demons again 5 years later." Everyone needs to move on.

That's not a memebership it is an initiative to get schoolkids rom Casey and surrounds to go watch the dees for free. Go to a school and say who wants to go to the G? And they say 'yay' without realising its the Dees, and when they get there they watch Robbo and are given a Demons beanie. And in 10 years time they spend a couple hundred bucks on a Dees membership. Well, that's the plan anyway...

I guess that means Bate and Dunn get a reprieve. Maric would be stiff to go after one, admittedly awful, game. Jones has been named on the bench a few weeks now, and Bennell would travel home whether playing or not; a chance to see his family. Maybe Subiaco means a break for Jones to give us some run through Jetta?

I think you'll find recruiters saying that ahead of any draft. I personally don't feel we will go for anyone at 51/52 this year and even 35/36 will be iffy. Remember, they are 4th and 3rd round picks respectively but will be our 5th and 4th player taken in a shallow draft. We will see...

A place where AFL was played at the time the contract was signed. So both I guess. And don't wink at me...

You guys set a date? Just kidding. Has a high ball drop in my opinion but his two banana goals this year illustrate the skills are there. Really interested to see who, if anyone, the GC goes for at the Dees. We probably have already attempted to push those we wish to keep out of contact in 2010 to an extension. Do we have to keep a certain number out of contact? Because this exercise, considering they are not allowed to negotiate deals until Oct next year, may mean the equivalent of having the first 12 picks of the Pre-Season Draft - with the caveat of only being able to take one player from a particular team. One thing is for sure: player managers will be pushing back contract signings next year as long as they can...

I don't know if many Demonlanders would have the contract handy, but it is my understanding... AFL cannot be played at a new venue in Melbourne. When it was written Princes/Visy Park was an AFL venue, Victoria Park may also have been one (?). The government is wasting a $1m on a study of the Showgrounds. The million will probably be given to whoever tells Brumby the clause in the AFL-Docklands contract. The AFL believe there is a clause in their contract that says no other code can get a better deal than the AFL. And with the Victory deal they believe the clubs are owed a sh!tload of money. I don't know about the AFL not being able to play 'another' ground owned by the AFL. They don't even own Docklands yet. 2025 can not come quick enough for the Kangas, Dogs, and Saints. Which, if I recall correctly, will be a hundred years in the VFL/AFL for the Dogs and Kangas. And, finally, Ian Collins is one of the slimiest businessmen around. Shafted the Blues aswell so he doesn't play favourites. I guess if someone has a bias they have to have human emotions, something Collins doesn't have to worry about...

He still has to agree. He spent the first 11 years of his life in Tassie and has more family there. I think we rate him, and I think he knows we rate him. I reckon he'll stay.

I think a 32 year old needs more than two games to completely recover his form following injury. A bit early to say whether Macca has one more year left or that's it. The issue with Valenti not seeing a contract that I see has been the MFC judiciously using the Rookie List rule that you can have a bloke for two years before a decision either way has to be made. This is his second year if I am not mistaken. If Valenti was elevated last year we would not have been able to draft one of Jetta or Jurrah. I don't think it is an indictment on how the MFC see Shane, I think it is how the Dees are looking at list planning. Personally, I think it is very smart. With the shallow drafts coming up, Shane is a better bet than a third round pick, and I think the club is thinking along the same lines. And the LTI candidates were not so clear cut a couple of weeks ago compared to what they are now; Garland and a short term stay for Jamar meant that only Spencer was given the chance. Now with Garland, Blease, and Meesen out for the season there is room for 3 elevations for the entire season.