sylvinator

It actually kills me that we passed on Fyfe twice, at pick 11 for Gysberts and pick 18 for Tapscott. Fyfe was highly rated pre-draft, everyone knew about him. Fyfe is an absolute star of the competition, and our 2 guys are injury-prone, unfit and can't make it in the best for the VFL.

We will hit 40,000 easily when we start winning. For most melbourne supporters, including ones who have signed up like myself, it is hard to feel optimistic or get over excited. We are probably not going to make finals, there are too many teams who are certain to finish higher than us (Carlton, Hawks, Collingwood, Geelong, West Coast, Fremantle, Sydney). We've lost Scully, our new coach is untested and we've lost our most watchable player Jurrah. We need to start a winning culture. we need to start making finals. Then the bandwaggeners will hop back on. In the mean time, we'll get stuck with around 35,000 super passionate, but generally miserable, demon fans. Not a bad effort considering how pathetic we've been onfield for about 45 years.

Spencer, Gawn, Taggert, Evans, Cook, Williams, Nicholson and Jetta wouldn't be playing even if they were 100% fit. That's a relevant injury list of: - Strauss and Petterd will be playing next week at some level (AFL or VFL) so very very short term injury - Sylvia and Jurrah only key players out. Sylvia back round 4. Jurrah mid-season hopefully?

We were by far the worst midfield in the competition last year. So i say any additions (Bate, Magner, Couch) are more than welcome, because our midfield can't get any worse. Change is good. Bigger bodies is good. hopefully we'll start getting more competitive around the middle of the ground

It's interesting how negative everyone is about all our players this pre-season as compared to the start of last season. I also find myself very negative for some reason. Probably just the sustained long period of crapness has taken its toll. But i think we are all being a bit too negative. Bennel is a good young player. I think he could make it as a backman, he has pace and kicking skills and could be a Chris Yarran type i think. A relatively loose rebounding defender who sets up play. He will need to tighten up his defensive skills though. Just a little perspective. Last 3 years we have gone from 4 wins, to 5.5 wins, to 8.5 wins. We have been slowly (VERY slowly) improving. We now have a strong key forward. Our kids are not so much kids anymore and should be ready to push on. We've got some stronger bodies in (Magner, Couch, Seller). By all accounts we should improve this season. Plus, when you think about it, last year everything that could go wrong, did go wrong... surely we'll have a bit of luck this year. i'm thinking 10 or even 11 wins!

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/7415/newsid/124690/default.aspx I'll refer you to the description of his games in round 3, 10, 11. I saw him play on ABC tv twice and i thought he moved smoothly and spotted up players with good kicking skills very well. Particularly considering he's 196cm, stick thin and a teenager. Will people on demonland ever stop judging 196cm key forward teenagers until they hit 22 years old and 95+ kg? Probably not. But that doesn't mean that people who ignorantly write these teenagers off are correct. Lucas Cook will become a very good player imo. For the record, it is irrelevant whether Cook will be better than Darling. Darling was pick 26 (so clearly no club considered him close to the value of pick 12) and even if he has a better career over the course of 15 years at AFL level, which is far too early to tell, Darling will never play as a KPP. He's a mobile 190cm strong tackling half forward flanker.

Evans and Williams were never going to play much in early part of 2012, with Nicholson, Couch and Magner well ahead at this stage. Taggert a first year player, wouldn't get a look in for round 1 and Gawn and Spenser affect our ruck depth, but not in the early part of the season, with Martin and Jamar clearly our number 1 and 2. Morton and Grimes will still get to play 1 nab cup game and will be available for selection round 1. That pretty much leaves Jurrah as our only best 22 player out for round 1. A pretty decent result. Let's hope Jurrah can play before too long also

We forget how young some of our players are. Bennel has all the right skills. Pace, good hands, neat kicking skills, explosive, atheletic. He has had no consistency though, but that can change. He is at the age where that can start to change as he matures. Should be a best 22 player. There is an opening for him at half back, and i hope he takes it. If Bennell, Grimes and Strauss could be our running defenders, that could be pretty decent. Allow Bail and Tapscott to be permanent midfielders.

True, with our crap midfield, any guys who could improve it are welcome. Big bodies are especially welcome. Contested Poss 17th - Melbourne 16th - Brisbane 15th - Saints 14th - Adelaide Clearances 17th - Saints 16th - Melbourne 15th - Adelaide 14th - Brisbane Team / Opponent Differential Clearances per game 17th - Richmond 16th - Melbourne 15th - Brisbane 14th - Adelaide Team / Opponent Differential Contested poss per game 17th - Brisbane 16th - Melbourne 15th - Saints 14th - Essendon Team / Opponent Differential 1st poss per game 17th - Richmond 16th - Melbourne 15th - Brisbane 14th -Saints Opponent Averages Clearances against 1st - Richmond 2nd - Brisbane 3rd - Melbourne 4th - Adelaide Opponent Averages 1st poss against 1st - Richmond 2nd - Melbourne 3rd - Freo 4th - Sydney Stats don't lie

You're an absolute fool for judging a 196cm KPP kid when he's a teenager old who's had no pre-season and only one full season. Particularly in light of the fact he showed some great signs at VFL level already. You were probably the guy saying Watts is a dud pick when he was 19. You probably were also the guy that said Jack Reiwoldt or Colin Garland or James Frawley were duds after they showed almost nothing in their first season. You will be proven wrong, but I know you're the type of poster who even after being proven wrong, will go on to condemn the next teenage KPP. When will people learn. Careers are made up of potentially 12+ years of service. Teenage KPPs almost never dominate from the get go. You will see the best of Cook and Watts when they hit 22 years old.

A few points from above best 22s: - Why would anybody leave Grimes out of the best 22? - Strauss won't be ready for round 1... i'd be looking for a VFL return for 6-7 weeks before AFL return, so minimum a mid-season AFL return - I believe Seller was brought in to play the gorilla forwards, which only 7 or 8 teams actually have. He will be 4th in line behind Frawley, Garland and Rivers Garland Frawley Grimes Bail Rivers Tapscott Howe Moloney Sylvia Jurrah Watts Petterd Green Clark Davey Jamar Trengove McKenzie Int: Martin, Jones, Gysberts + Blease (sub) Unlucky= Bennel and Morton. Should be best 22 players, but due to a terribly inconsistent 2011, will need to prove themselves. Injured= Strauss and Gawn Depth players who only get games due to injury from best 22 players: Bate (Mid), Dunn (HFF), Bartram (HBF), Jetta (Mid), Macdonald (HBF), Spenser (Ruck), Seller (KPD) Developing players who will play majority in VFL but should be blooded a few games: Cook (KPF), Davis (KPD), Fitzpatrick (KPF/Ruck), McDonald (KPD/KPF), Taggert (mid/forward), Tynan (HBF) Rookies: Evans, Nicholson, Lawrence, Tom Couch, James Magner, Jai Sheehan, Leigh Williams

I'd love to see Trengove and Watts dominate. These are the 2 players we have with potential to be top 10 players in the AFL, they have a few seasons now and 50+ games, so the time is right. Jurrah I am looking forward to having a really great season, with Mitch Clark and Watts a year older, Jurrah will be able to play to his strengths, which does NOT involve being the number one marking target. Let the kid roam around the field and be at his creative best. Of the youngsters, I would love to see Davis blooded regularly as a third tall defender and Tom McDonald as a key forward

With Tapscott training with Brian Royal in the midfield group, and Blease and Davey being groomed by Leigh Brown in the forward group, I've been looking at our list and the running half back line is looking very thin. From the pre-season updates, here is the full list of defenders training with Jade Rawlings: - Bartram, Bennel, Davis, Frawley, Garland, Grimes, Jetta, MacDonald, Morton, Rivers, Seller, Sheehan, Strauss and Tynan. Garland, Frawley, Rivers, Seller, Davis and Sheehan are clearly the tall players in the group so can't be considered. Strauss is injured long term and won't play till later in the year. Bartram and MacDonald are depth players without class. Tynan is 18 and will be developing at vfl level. That leaves the rebounding roles to: - Bennell: had a terribly inconsistent year last year and didn't really show he has the defensive skills to be a defender. can he turn it around and cement a spot in the starting 18? - Grimes: can he stay on the park? - Jetta: a midfielder through and through... not sure whether he has the pace to be a half back flanker. - Morton: never really been a defender, I don't see it really... doesn't have the defensive skills to be relied on. Is too outside. I think this is a bit of a hole in our list tbh. Looking into the future we are heavily relying on Strauss and Grimes, which is relying on injured players, plus Tynan who is unproven...

Perhaps 'C' grade is a little harsh, but probably isn't far off being accurate. We probably have in the bottom 2-3 midfield groups in the AFL, AT THE MOMENT. That doesn't mean we can improve. But... I have to agree with RI in one aspect. we won't come top 4 until Jones and Moloney are our 4th and 5th best midfielders, not our 1st and 2nd best. We are missing 2-3 gun midfielders from being top 4 team. We have 3 first rounders next draft, plus hopefully Gysberts and McKenzie or Grimes come on... but that is all potential and hope

Yes, our midfield is currently C-grade. No argument there. However, you have to consider the fact we have Jack Viney + 2 compo picks which should be used on classy midfielders or traded for a classy midfielder. We are 2-3 GUN midfielders away from being genuine top 4 contenders. We have 3 midfielders on the way (Viney + 2 more first round picks) plus it has been mentioned that guys on our list- Gysberts, Grimes, Tapscott and even Taggert come to mind first- who could really add to our current midfield group.

People worried about Jurrah, Gysberts and Blease being unfit at the moment, should remember it's only November. The most important thing is that they are participating in all running training. If they continue to be involved with the running part of training for the next 4 months, running several times a week, they will definitely be fit by March 2012. It is impossible to stay unfit when you are running so much and being trained by elite sport science people. The only thing people should be worrying about is the players who don't have proper pre-seasons because they have spent the entire summer in the rehab group. It is almost impossible to have an outstanding season without having completed a strong pre-season

Garland Frawley Grimes Bail Rivers Tapscott Davey Moloney Sylvia Howe Watts Petterd Green Clarke Jurrah Jamar Trengove McKenzie Int: Martin, Jones, Gysberts, Morton, Blease, Bennel, Strauss (inj till mid-year) Depth: Bate, Dunn, Bartram, Jetta, Macdonald, Spenser, James Seller Developing players: Cook (KPF), Gawn (Ruck), Davis (KPD), Fizpatrick (KPF/Ruck), McDonald (KPD/KPF), Taggert (mid/forward), Tynan (HBF) Rookies: Evans, Nicholson, Lawrence + 4 rookiesGarland Frawley Grimes

Interesting that you say that, even though we have 5 KP defenders on our list, and that Talia was not really rated even in phantom drafts much higher than 25ish in a draft that was severely compromised and the weakest draft in many years. He is also 192cm, so isn't really in a position to take the super massive key forwards of the AFL, and we already have Rivers, Garland and Davis around that height as key defenders. Talia also was criticised for having questionable decision making. What we do need is some more defensive minded, big bodied midfielders who have versatility and are hard-at-it... which we got in Taggert. That's something that could really add a new dimension to our midfield and help our Moloney who plays a lone-hand in our team as an agressive bid bodied midfielder.

I think the main story of the draft, is that we needed 2 really huge bodied KPPs to implement Neeld's game plan properly and to play other players (Watts, Jurrah etc) in positions that suit them. We've done that well with Mitch Clark and Seller, both are only 23 years old and we only gave up pick 12 and 54 to get it done. These 2 players will have immediate impact on our team for 2012, which is important, because for too long we've always had our eyes on 2-3 years ahead. The time to start winning is NOW. With pick 36 and 52 it seems we've got 2 players that we really rated. Both have good height for running players and strong bodies. Both have versatility and had hard-at-it. Exactly what our club needs. Tynan in particular fills an important hole in our list, which is a defensive minded half back flanker who is disciplined and can release Grimes and Tapscott to the midfield. The other story of this draft was that we did NOT use our compo picks. That means that we've set ourselves up for a huge draft next year, assuming we finish around 8th next year and activate our 2 compo picks, we will have pick 11, 12 and 13. One of those will be Jack Viney and then we'll still be able to pick up 2 young midfielders in a super strong draft. We'll also have a pick in the 30s. Our midfield at the minute lacks class and depth, but after next year, we should really be able to turn it into a strength

Does anybody know what our rookie picks are?

From the article on melbournefc.com.au: "The 22-year-old stands 196cm and 98kg and was taken with a view to support fellow recruit Mitch Clark and developing forward Jack Watts. Prendergast said the Demons identified a need to add developed bodies to their attack. "The 23-year-old demographic is something we don't have a lot of. We took four talls last year and our last two picks in 2009 were Max Gawn and Jack Fitzpatrick so they're all really young. We've got Frawley and Rivers who are the key tall defenders but not a lot of experienced talls in our forward line," he said. "James can go forward and he can have a run in the ruck so his versatility is a great appeal as well." So my assumption was correct, he was brought in to provide depth of big bodied key position forwards. In 2011 we had none. We played Watts, Jurrah, Petterd and Green out of position and they suffered as a result, in particular Jurrah. With two 23 year olds coming to the club, both around 100kg and 196cm+, we have a couple of options, which will allow Neeld to play the game plan he invisiges. We have 4 Key position prospects developing at our club at the moment- Cook, Fizpatrick, Davis and McDonald. All of them are teenagers and won't be ready to dominate AFL for at least 2-3 years. James Seller can make in impact straight away if he is needed

Matt Burgan, who knows his stuff and sat in on our draft seminar: "A genuinely great result for Melbourne - considering it got the players it targeted - and more. Having been fortunate to sit in the draft day seminar last week, I know Tynan was one player the recruiting team honed in on at No.36. There was a feeling he may not be there though in some respects. Taggert was also a player discussed at length - and he became a priority I believe. Again, we'll chat to Barry after the draft to get the exact details - because he is one who would truly know and be able to reveal the cards. But it seems the boys will be delighted with this outcome."

Matt Burgen, who knows his stuff and sat in on our draft seminar: "A genuinely great result for Melbourne - considering it got the players it targeted - and more. Having been fortunate to sit in the draft day seminar last week, I know Tynan was one player the recruiting team honed in on at No.36. There was a feeling he may not be there though in some respects. Taggert was also a player discusess at lengths - and he became a priority I believe. Again, we'll chat to Barry after the draft to get the exact details - because he is one who would truly know and be able to reveal the cards. But it seems the boys will be delighted with this outcome."

Prendergast on SEN mentioned a few good reasons for bringing him into the club - he's in the right demographic, in terms of age and physically mature body (I think he's 22 yr old, 196cm, 100kg) - we were looking to bring in a couple of really big strong key position players into our club and we've done that now in Clark and Seller (I think we all agree we didn't have enough big KPPs in 2011, while we've got a few developing as teenage prospects, Clark and Seller can impact in 2012) - Can play Key defender, key forward and has even pinch hit in the ruck - Thinks that it could be a situation where getting out of Adelaide into a new environment could be the fresh start he needs

Barry Prendergast interviewed on SEN. Mentioned that having filled a lot of holes in the list in the last 2-3 drafts, so were looking at best available. Described Taggart as a really talented big-bodied midfielder