old55

Enjoy your thoughtful posting LH and you make some good points about the line coaches' inexperience. But I think you're being harsh on list management - the list is still a work in progress and I'm OK with that. I see 6 best 22 in your list above: May, Lever, Melksham, Fritsch, Hibberd, Hannan - some may debate the last 2. KK and J.Smith are potential best 22 also, but have been injured. Hore, Petty, Baker and Jordon have all shown something this year are possible best 22 when they develop some more. Preuss is there as specific back-up if Max gets injured and was competent against Carlton in that role, at least until he ran out of gas in the last quarter. So a good selection IMO. Lewis was recruited for a sound purpose and was best 22 but is not now. IMO it's really too early to make a call on Spargo, Sparrow, Bedford, Nietschke, Chandler, C.Wagner, Lockhart, Walker, Bradtke and Dunkley and only the first four of them were selected in the ND, the other 6 are speculative. J.Wagner, Maynard, Keilty and T.Smith (mainly because he's always injured - he could be reasonable depth otherwise) look like busts but they were all Rookie selections - so it happens.

Despite injuries Collingwood is fielding a mature team: Average Attributes Melbourne Attribute Collingwood 187.5cm Height 186.9cm 87.7kg Weight 86.8kg 24yr 10mth Age 26yr 8mth 96.1 Games 117.8 Total Players By Games Melbourne Games Collingwood 6 Less than 50 6 9 50 to 99 3 4 100 to 149 6 3 150 or more 7 https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/afl_team_selections#9893

Interesting that you selected the two players that were chosen directly BEFORE our selections in both those 2017 and 2018 drafts - players that would not have been available to us - so no we couldn't have had Naughton or Duursma. But then your argument looks a bit weaker if you nominate Lochie O'Brien and Liam Stocker who were actually taken at the traded picks doesn't it?

So you're saying Lever and May are permanent busts? I look forward to having this conversation same time in 2020.

23-25 year olds on MFC list: Best 22: Salem, Harmes, Petracca, Lever, Brayshaw Solid performers: Hore, Hunt Depth/Developing: Preuss, JKH, OMac, ANB Currently injured: J.Smith, KK

From the respective teams fielded last week: Average Attributes Collingwood Attribute Melbourne 187.7cm Height 188.1cm 87.5kg Weight 88.0kg 26yr 9mth Age 24yr 8mth 119.2 Games 89.9 Total Players By Games Collingwood Games Melbourne 5 Less than 50 7 4 50 to 99 9 6 100 to 149 3 7 150 or more 3 https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=9889 Collingwood v Gold Coast https://www.footywire.com/afl/footy/ft_match_statistics?mid=9887 Melbourne v Richmond Replace Lewis with Hannan in our line-up - a legitimate and preferred outcome - and our age profile drops to 24y 2m and the games to 75. For some these facts are reasons, while for others they are excuses

In addition Collingwood are consistently fielding a team 2 years older and 30 games more mature than us, despite the fact that we have Lewis and Jones by far our oldest and most experienced players pumping up our numbers. As noted above we're consistently fielding young inexperienced teams.

That analysis looks compelling on the surface but I'm not sure it's as rigorous as it might be. I looked back at the 4 key games at the end of last year when Tom and Sam played key forward roles and I've highlighted the opponents not identified above: R22 vs West Coast: Opposition key defenders playing: Barrass, McGovern, Sheppard Barrass and Sheppard are the nominated opponents above but this seems to ignore the impact of the league's best aerial defender McGovern who played 85% gametime R23 vs GWS: Opposition key defenders playing: Davis, Keefe, Haynes TMac kicked 3 apparently on Lachlan Keefe. Who was Phil Davis (who later on in the analysis is rightly rated as a premier defender) playing on for 91% gametime then? Sam had 17 disposals 6 marks (including 2 contested) and kicked a goal. EF vs Geelong: Opposition key defenders playing: Blicavs, Henderson, Taylor Apparently Henderson was on Sam. Who were Blicavs (also rated later on as a premier defender) and Taylor on? They don't seem to rate a mention. Tom took 7 marks and kicked 3 goals. SF vs Hawthorn: Opposition key defenders playing: Frawley, Sicily, Mirra? Tom took 10 marks and kicked 4 apparently on Frawley. Apparently Mirra at 186cm was on Weid, what was Sicily up to? There's just too many questions there for me to take that analysis as definitive.

Yes - JKH 5 clearances last night. He played pretty well IMO. Should play for the rest of the season. There were some positive signs in that match - there's is no way the players threw the towel in. I was expecting a belting but it didn't come. Petty, Baker, Wagner and Dunkley all showed a glimpse of AFL capability, Petty more than a glimpse, against very strong opposition - they can build on this over next pre-season. OMac was crucified by the umpires - Lynch is one of the worst free kick stagers I've seen for a very long time. Dusty is just a class above anyone else playing the game.

Stack calf injury at training reported on afl.com.au Nankervis playing VFL again. Mary should be able to dominate Soldo. I head on AFL Fantasy captains update that there's a rumour that Max has an ankle issue. Anyone attend trading and can verify or deny? I'm nervous that there may be carnage anyway.

Is that the best example you could come up with? Nick Sautner was one of the greatest VFA/VFL FFs ever. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Sautner

The ground was lengthened a few years back with an excavation at the southern Sautner end. Cricket is not played there. The Saints have been busy yoyoing between Moorabbin and Seaford to trai there. I don't recall Sandringham restricting MFC player development. In fact at the time when we won 3 or 4 flags there I thought a successful culture may breed success. I am biased living 200m from TBO - the alliance years were great days for me.

What do you think the main problem with Spargo's game is?

Melksham in is pleasing!

When is this filthy sniper going to get his comeuppance? https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-07-08/littleknown-clause-puts-serial-offender-on-tribunal-tightrope Ever since he punched Bernie in the guts and laughed about it I've had it with him.

Preuss playing or not will be a clear indicator of Max's status. IMO I can't see why we'd risk Max, this is what we recruited Preuss for. Or at least play both of them so the load on Max is reduced. Mysterious business ...

In another thread you are advocating that we recruit Ben Brown. At the end of his corresponding season with Weed's current season he'd played 11 games for 18 goals.

Weed not as good as Schwarz at the same age. Schwarz who at the time was compared favourably with Carey. We are in the presence of football genius.

I think it's unlikely that Omac (or Weed) could develop significant improved strength and bulk from just 3 weeks in the gym. But they could definitely realise the strength they already have in concentrated positive weights sessions that they othewise wouldn't have. More likely they build self belief from the mini pre season. When I read between Misson's lines that's what I see. "He looks unbelievable now". It's all about confidence baby.

ND Pick 51-70 average career games = 48.3 https://www.draftguru.com.au/analysis/pick-value-comparison

AFL knew about this prior to QB and yet allowed him to play and he starred, receiving coaches' votes and likely Brownlow votes. That stinks.

Is there a limit to your vanity? To be able to differentiate at the top of the list you'd need to have a higher IQ than all of them.

Yep really annoying that players are not wearing their MFC numbers

Isn't coincidence amazing! Outspoken aboriginal player receives unprecedented booing.

It is a complex issue and you are free to remain paralysed by nuance and equivocal in your view. I choose to understand the essence of the Goodes story - that the booing of him had a signficant racist component.