The Taciturn Demon

I heard Stinear mention it in a press conference - maybe after their first win following the bad stretch. Players returning from injury helped, but changing the game plan was the big shift, I reckon.

Interesting. Could speed be a problem as a key defender? Speaking of mid-season picks, I like a lot in Turner's game. He's about to turn 23, so I think we can expect him to take another step this year. His kicking for goal is lovely, but he looks a natural intercept defender to me.

I was very strongly in the two midfielders camp until I stopped and realised that the lingering idea that we have key position players coming out of our ears is no longer really true. Brown, Schache and Tomlinson all gone. Smith played tall - also gone. McDonald had a wonderful year but this is almost certainly his last and I'd be worried if he was crucial this year in the same way he was last. Hore seems a bit of a stop gap. Press conference comments alone suggest Fullarton might not make it. Kentfield seems like a throw at the stumps. Adams still seems some way off. Jefferson seems promising, but no certainty. And then there's the question of whether Petty is still interested in returning to SA. I have no idea if Armstrong is a good enough footballer to warrant pick 9 in this draft, but I can see the rationale behind a mid and a KPP.

Please don't be self-deprecating. Your butterfly wing flap may have contributed to our next Flag.

That first four seems to be coming up again and again. I wonder if it's just about set... or are people just assuming Adelaide will go for the South Australian?

This makes sense to me. One thing that I've wondered about for a long time, though, is how can you "know" (or be even vaguely confident) that the player you have in mind will be there in six (or even three) picks? Another way of putting the question is why are recruiters so (apparently) open about who they like in drafts? Wouldn't secrecy be a far better option in such a competitive game?

If Richmond takes Lalor, Carlton takes O'Sullivan and Adelaide takes Draper, it seems unlikely North will take another midfielder, but would Richmond if they trade into Pick 2?

This seems to come up a lot on here. I really really like Caleb Windsor, but is he a very good ball user? Maybe I'm completely missing it, but from what I've seen, his reputation before the draft has proved pretty well spot on: adequate by foot.

Interesting that according to Rookie Central, this coming women's draft is clearly a different level of quality to those that have come before it.

I'm with you. Either a lot of people on here have an exceptionally good eye for talent, and are able to glean something meaningful from the most subtle acts on the field, or they're thinking wishfully. Nothing wrong with the latter - we all do it to some degree - but some of the extrapolation seems a bit over-the-top. The thing that most makes me optimistic about Tholstrup is that Jason Taylor chose him. Not too many catastrophic failures on his resume.

I agree with this. I'd put Fitzsimon in the same category and Gall very close to it. Eliza McNamara should be the first player in the 2028/29 bracket. Gun.

Good call. If North fall the football-as-commodity types don't just get to say "I told you so", they get a template for how the next ones go. I also never hear people who say "there are too many teams in Melbourne" suggest what the perfect number is. Presumably not eight. Is it six? Four?

Pity. We were starting to really look OK in those final few games and probably would have found it liberating playing finals from eighth. I like how we changed game plan mid-season and played more to our strengths. I don't mind how the list looks and think we've definitely uncovered a few this year. Interesting to see if Harris can overcome injury and work as a defender next season; we're suddenly blessed with an overabundance of tall forwards: Gall, Campbell, Zanker and Bannan (encouragingly playing more robust footy this season). Also interesting to see what we go for in the draft. An out-and-out midfielder would be lovely.

I've always found it fascinating - and to be honest grotesque - that the potential death of a 100 or 150 year old club, loved by tens of thousands of people, appears to evoke ecstasy in some people. They couch the prognostications in earnest language, assuring us of the infallibility of their economic orthodoxy, but you can see the tent in their pants from space.

Imagine how fun it would be if you had any outside inclination at all and Liv Purcell was on your team. Call her name and the handball hits you half a second later. The anti-Ed Langdon.

My ultra-amateurish take is that sideways movement is a big problem for Sparrow. With the ball he seems to get caught a lot. Without it, he seems to let opponents get around him too easily. I have hope if he can improve this.

Absolute shocker. Carlton would be pissing themselves laughing that they pulled this off.

I'm sure Brian Cook is an ethical man. The PwC bloke, however...

That's thoroughly embarrassing if it's true. Surely there's more to it.

Yes!

That's incredibly kind.

Did everyone know that was a shocker before the draft? Because that was a shocker.

I just found out who the President of Carlton is. Say no more.

Who is the player you think Taylor would be keen to skip three places to take at two?

Can someone explain how they can possibly fit Houston into their salary cap? Cripps and Weitering are surely on very very good money. McKay, Walsh and Curnow just behind them, I assume. And they went on a multi-year recruitment extravaganza, presumably putting forward tempting financial offers to get Cerra, McGovern, Williams, Hewett and Saad. I know their depth is highly questionable, but is everyone else on $300,000 a year?