Whispering_Jack

VP There's nothing in what I've said there that suggests I've changed my mind. My view has always been that he has talent, that he's presented well after the break and that it's possible that he will be in the team for the first game. There would be several players who he is competing with for a spot so we shouldn't get too carried away about that possibility at this point in time..

Max King lands at South Croydon. It's a long way from the top. Former Melbourne rookie Max King signs at Eastern Football League club South Croydon

Party's over ... and that's all folks.

Melbourne remains one of the youngest and least experienced of the AFL clubs - Total list breakdown: Age, experience, 100-gamers, teens and more The club's drafting and trading over the past couple of months has been in a direction away from youth (only two 18 year olds have been introduced this year), otherwise we surely would have remained even close to the young and inexperienced end of these lists. And this while one of our oldest players, Heritier Lumumba, probably remains there in name only.

Intelligence and the Footy Show are oxymoronic.

Breaking news that James Brayshaw is out of The Footy Show. Will be replaced by Hutchy. Brayshaw leaves Footy Show

Big raps from big Max help a Dragon land at Dees

Big raps from big Max help a Dragon land at Dees

Yes and GWS put a lot of development into the kid who comes from AFL heartland in Albury and plays for the Murray Bushrangers. His father Paul played for North Melbourne and Brisbane and his grandfather Bob played finals with Footscray. How much work are the Giants are putting into Brander who is with Bendigo Pioneers. Jack Powell is from Canberra which has had a strong local competition for aeons. Lovely. I don't object to academy zones per se but the AFL has turned them into a joke with the pretence that they're meant to help foster and develop talent in areas underexposed to the game.

I thought you had been banned from partaking in pizzas Red. Something to do with the number of kgs displayed on your scales.? I also attended that evening and can confirm that McCartney was a very special presenter who is really positive about the direction of the club and particularly about our younger brigade. Declan's in good hands.

Surely Max is one of the big stories of 2016 for the Melbourne Football Club? With his knee reconstructions and other injuries, it took him a long time to become an overnight sensation but that's exactly what he became in 2016. Of course, I could be biased because I happen to be one of his sponsors and have been from the very get go after he was drafted. I even went out to Casey Fields to watch him play in his first game on comeback from his first ACL sustained in a TAC Cup game in 2009. Here's my picture as proof:- He's come a long way since then culminating in selection as 2016 All Australian ruckman and becoming a very popular and polished media personality to boot. Not many people know about his coaching prowess but I can tell you that whilst recovering from injury, Max took up coaching and during 2014 and 2015 he co-coached Ormond's Under 16 and 17s where he had under his wing a young convert from basketball in Lachlan Filipovic who moved on to the Sandy Dragons this year and was drafted as a rookie to Melbourne last Monday. Max also did some ruck coaching with him whilst at the Dragons. I also have a little anecdote about Max's coaching. As his sponsor, I invited him to a training session at my grandson's Under 12 team on the eve of the finals. The coaches were a bit wary at first thinking an AFL player might be a bit of a distraction on the eve of their first finals game but they were gobsmacked when he took over the training drills and ran them like a professional. He had the team and members of some of the other teams training that night, eating out of his hands. The boys won their final easily and needless to say, our ruckmen dominated (unfortunately, the lost narrowly in the grannie). Anyway you look at it, Max is a real gem and one of our big stories for 2016.

Quite right but we all know the media these days. Imagine how they would treat the story if say, Dion Johnstone was given #31? I would rest it until we overcome the Norm Smith curse and win a flag. Only 12 months wait.

Thanks for your contributions in 2016. This Board will be back next year with a new name and new purpose - hopefully to add some players to a premiership winning list ?

Thanks Spirit - corrected

So have we found Clarry of the Overflow?

I would expect that the entire playing list (well, all bar one) will be out there at Gosch's Paddock at 9.30am for the first official training session of the summer. Conditions should be perfect for training with clouds early but clearing to a 21 degree maximum. I wish I could make it out there but at that time, unfortunately and in the words of A B Paterson: "I am sitting in my dingy little office, where a stingy Ray of sunlight struggles feebly down between the houses tall ..." Looking forward to reports from those who can make it out there.

Anyone notice a certain bloke wearing the MFC #8 jumper?

Then you would most likely enjoy this one pitmaster:- Casey Scorpions favourite and key forward Tim Smith gets a shot at the AFL

The hunt is over ... Lachlan Filipovic is our big man.

Prouder today - got one up for the Dees?

Dank's has to go into the history books as the greatest coward in Aussie sport. He not only failed to get himself off but, despite his bluster, never lifted a finger to deliver on his oft repeated promise to help players get off. Weak.

Actually, I'll personally introduce you to him before round 1.

We fooled them all with the two picks story, didn't we?

Declan drafted as a rookie to join Tim Smith - we know him well also!!! A big day for Scorpions recruits as Oscar McInerney was also taken by Brisbane.

Our second rookie draft pick for 2017 and we know him well. He's the Bull!!!