Whispering_Jack

I'm not exactly sure of the actual points formula but am led to believe it's going to work something like this:- After using pick 2 to draft McGrath, GWS have access to Setterfield, Perryman and Macreadie who are all considered to be prospective top 20 draft picks. If I read it right they will use pick 15 and picks in the 30s, 40s and possibly 50s to get all three of them. That's peanuts - and they still have access to more by being allowed to go into points deficit. The other clubs were up in arms accusing Melbourne who were pathetic on the field in 2009 either way you looked at it, of tanking to get 4 picks in the top 20. The Giants who finished third are able to play the system and get the same result and nobody's batting an eyelid.

OK, I get that Lynch is in the GWS academy. I get that the AFL has changed the rules limiting the number of picks the clubs can have in action and I get that a club can go into points deficit (presumably catching up on the points they're short by in the following year's draft). What I would like to see is how it all works as a matter of practicality. The Giants nabbed pick 2 to allow them to take a player before the bidding starts. That would allow them to take say, Sandy Dragon Andrew McGrath with that selection. According to reports, there are at least another five players in the academy who would be drafted in the 40 picks - Setterfield, Macreadie, Perryman, Mutch and Lynch. The picks they seem to have to get these players is seemingly endless- 15, 37, 39, 45, 52, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 77, 109, 127 BUT they are supposed to be limited in numbers so will definitely go heavily into points deficit. This seems to put them at an enormous advantage over all of the other clubs especially when, as pointed out above by Chelly, part of their academy area in the Riverina area is already a strong football area and doesn't need an academy. At some stage the other clubs are going to feel badly ripped off by the AFL and its love child. It's one thing to make the NSW clubs stronger but this smells of an outrageous compromise of the draft system to me.

He might currently have the number but he's never worn it in a game. He should try to take back his former number 42.

Link to the blog - Every day is like Sunday

One of our posters Supermercado writes a great blog for bigfooty and he's just finished writing his own book called "The Great Deepression" - I gather it's about Melbourne's recent hard times. Judging from his blog, it should make interesting and entertaining reading and would have to be better than some of the footy books I've read in the past (the bio of Peter Matera for example). You can order here and remember, when he wins the Nobel Prize for Literature you will be able to say you knew him when! I've ordered mine and will review it at some time in the future.

I tried a couple of years ago but the recruiters preferred others. Nobody else wanted him either and now, two more years down the track, I can't see him finding a suitor at Melbourne or anywhere else - A BIG POINT ON THE COMPASS

By jove. I think you might be onto something!

Drug testing is the AFL's business. If someone undertakes a course of action intent upon avoiding a drug test, then such action is also the AFL's business and moreover, if officials of that player's club act in collusion with such avoidance then it is clearly an issue of the AFL's reputation and very much the AFL's business.

I take credit for the upsurge in membership. Last week I registered the entire family, kids, their spouses, grandkids all at my cost. Exception being my wife who claims to be a Bombers fan (fittingly she's a pharmacist) but with Melksham and Hibberd on board, I think she could be convinced - especially if we creep closer to 40k.

Since Ron Barassi left the club at the end of 1964, the number has been cursed. We had Ray Groom take the number in 1965 and he was going well but left at an early age and eventually became Premier of Tasmania (a job that in itself would be a curse, I imagine). Paul Wheatley had a reasonable career but most of our 31's have either been duds or had careers that went backwards after taking the number. I agree with resting the number until we win our next premiership. The number has become like the Curse of the Bambino or the Curse of the Goat. It lives side by side with the Norm Smith Curse so let's exorcise it. When we win a flag in the next couple of years, it can make a comeback.

This bloke is a sports lawyer who maintains that Jobe Watson should keep his Brownlow Medal - Here's why the AFL can't strip Essendon's Jobe Watson of his Brownlow Medal I don't quite follow his "logic" in all this. Watson has been found guilty of an anti doping rule violation over a regime of drug injections that took place in the year when he "won" his Brownlow Medal. I don't think it would speak for the AFL's integrity if it relied on the loopholes suggested to allow Watson to keep one of the competition's most coveted personal trophies.

Callum Twomey has a crack at predicting every club's top draft target but when a club like Melbourne kicks off with pick 47 there is not much chance you're going to get it right (let alone when it's 88 as is the case of the Hawks ?): In the gun: every club's top draft target

Rocky is back at Vulture Street at least for the next twelve months but in 12 months' time he will be on the list of 2017 Brisbane Lions free agents: "Brisbane Claye BeamsRyan HarwoodTom Rockliff"

Although it's almost 12 months away, the shrewd recruiters are already planning for next year's free agency period. 2017 free agents: Fyfe, Dusty head big names I've heard that one club is already planning a major coup in securing Fyfe. It's never too early.

Jack Viney Day and a wet track for the time honoured Cox Plate. Going to Money Valley Red?

6, 14, 19, 22, 31, 38, 40 and 45 are the vacant jumper numbers for 2017 (assuming there are no swaps of numbers) 2017 Melbourne numbers 1. Jesse Hogan 2. Nathan Jones 3. Christian Salem 4. Jack Watts 5. Christian Petracca 7. Jack Viney 8. Heritier Lumumba 9. Jack Trengove 10. Angus Brayshaw 11. Max Gawn 12. Dom Tyson 13. Clayton Oliver 15. Billy Stretch 16. Dean Kent 17. Sam Frost 18. Jake Melksham 20. Colin Garland 21. Cameron Pedersen 23. Bernie Vince 24. Jay Kennedy-Harris 25. Tom McDonald 26. Sam Weideman 27. Liam Hulett 28. Oscar McDonald 29. Jayden Hunt 30. Alex Neal-Bullen 32. Tomas Bugg 33. Jake Spencer 34. Mitch King 35. Ben Kennedy 36. Jeff Garlett 37. Aaron Vandenberg 39. Neville Jetta 41. Mitchell White 42. Josh Wagner 43. James Harmes 44. Joel Smith Who gets which of the vacant numbers?

Possible additions to the list in 2016

If it's Fyfe then we are not the front runner. Another riddle might be needed to determine the club that has that honour.

So on my count, after today's delistings we are now in equilibrium. We have three vacancies on our primary list which is exactly where we need to be for the draft. If someone comes along who is a delisted free agent and we want that player, we would have to delist somebody. I believe (but stand corrected) that everyone on our playing list is now contracted and therefore we would have to negotiate a termination of a contract or delist a player on the understanding that he would be rookied in late November. We also have two rookie spots available assuming Mitch White and Mitch Wagner are retained as such.

Big Dee out as Melbourne cuts four more All gone with Chris Dawes. Thanks fellas ...

If the allegations are proven i.e that club officials were complicit in an attempt by a player to deliberately avoid a drug test then there should be a sanction against the Giants for bringing the game into disrepute. Take away their capacity to take part in the first two rounds of the draft and make it harder for them to recruit academy kids for a year or two. That's what I would expect from a competition with integrity foremost in its mind.

Now that we're over this ridiculous free agency and trade period, isn't it time for Mr Leg to do his annual countdown to the draft?

INDICATIVE DRAFT ORDER at the end of the Free Agency and Trade Period By Club Adelaide: 13, 43, 53, 67, 89, 107, 125 Brisbane Lions: 3, 16, 21, 22, 76, 78, 96, 114 Carlton: 5, 25, 48, 63, 66, 70, 81, 99, 117 Collingwood: 28, 44, 51, 62, 65, 83, 101 Essendon: 1, 20, 29, 41, 68, 95, 113 Fremantle: 7, 35, 40, 71, 79, 97, 115 Geelong: 24, 38, 42, 64, 72, 74, 91, 110, 128 Gold Coast: 4, 6, 8, 10, 73, 98, 116 Greater Western Sydney: 2, 15, 37, 39, 45, 52, 55, 57, 58, 59, 60, 77, 109, 127 Hawthorn: 88, 90, 108, 126 Melbourne: 47, 69, 84, 102, 120 North Melbourne: 11, 32, 33, 87, 92, 123 Port Adelaide: 14, 17, 30, 31, 85, 103, 121 Richmond: 27, 56, 82, 100, 118 St Kilda: 23, 36, 61, 86, 104, 122 Sydney Swans: 9, 19, 46, 49, 93, 111, 129 West Coast: 12, 34, 54, 106, 124 Western Bulldogs: 18, 26, 50, 75, 80, 94, 112, 130 By Round Round 1 1. Essendon 2. Greater Western Sydney 3. Brisbane Lions 4. Gold Coast 5. Carlton 6. Gold Coast 7. Fremantle 8. Gold Coast 9. Sydney Swans 10. Gold Coast 11. North Melbourne 12. West Coast 13. Adelaide 14. Port Adelaide 15. Greater Western Sydney 16. Brisbane Lions 17. Port Adelaide 18. Western Bulldogs 19. Sydney Swans Round 2 20. Essendon 21. Brisbane Lions 22. Brisbane Lions 23. St Kilda 24. Geelong 25. Carlton 26. Western Bulldogs 27. Richmond 28. Collingwood 29. Essendon 30. Port Adelaide 31. Port Adelaide 32. North Melbourne 33. North Melbourne 34. West Coast 35. Fremantle 36. St Kilda 37. Greater Western Sydney 38. Geelong 39. Greater Western Sydney 40. Fremantle Round 3 41. Essendon 42. Geelong 43. Adelaide 44. Collingwood 45. Greater Western Sydney 46. Sydney Swans 47. Melbourne 48. Carlton 49. Sydney Swans 50. Western Bulldogs 51. Collingwood 52. Greater Western Sydney 53. Adelaide 54. West Coast 55. Greater Western Sydney 56. Richmond 57. Greater Western Sydney 58. Greater Western Sydney Round 4 59. Greater Western Sydney 60. Greater Western Sydney 61. St Kilda 62. Collingwood 63. Carlton 64. Geelong 65. Collingwood 66. Carlton 67. Adelaide 68. Essendon 69. Melbourne 70. Carlton 71. Fremantle 72. Geelong 73. Gold Coast 74. Geelong 75. Western Bulldogs 76. Brisbane Lions Round 5 77. Greater Western Sydney 78. Brisbane Lions 79. Fremantle 80. Western Bulldogs 81. Carlton 82. Richmond 83. Collingwood 84. Melbourne 85. Port Adelaide 86. St Kilda 87. North Melbourne 88. Hawthorn 89. Adelaide 90. Hawthorn 91. Geelong 92. North Melbourne 93. Sydney Swans 94. Western Bulldogs Round 6 95. Essendon 96. Brisbane Lions 97. Fremantle 98. Gold Coast 99. Carlton 100. Richmond 101. Collingwood 102. Melbourne 103. Port Adelaide 104. St Kilda 105. Collingwood 106. West Coast 107. Adelaide 108. Hawthorn 109. Greater Western Sydney 110. Geelong 111. Sydney Swans 112. Western Bulldogs Round 7 113. Essendon 114. Brisbane Lions 115. Fremantle 116. Gold Coast 117. Carlton 118. Richmond 119. Collingwood 120. Melbourne 121. Port Adelaide 122. St Kilda 123. North Melbourne 124. West Coast 125. Adelaide 126. Hawthorn 127. Greater Western Sydney 128. Geelong 129. Sydney Swans 130. Western Bulldogs Future Picks (2017 AFL National Draft) St Kilda have Hawthorn’s' 1st round pick Richmond have Geelong's 1st round pick Brisbane have Port Adelaide's 1st round pick GWS have St Kilda's 2nd round pick GWS have Collingwood's 2nd round pick Gold Coast Suns have Richmond's 2nd round pick Gold Coast Suns have Hawthorn's 2nd round pick Hawthorn have Carlton's 2nd round pick Geelong have Carlton's 2nd round pick Dogs have North Melbourne's 3rd round pick North have Western Bulldog's 3rd round pick Brisbane have Collingwood's 3rd round pick Collingwood have Brisbane's 3rd round pick Richmond have GWS Giants’ 3rd round pick Collingwood have Brisbane's 4th round pick St Kilda have North Melbourne's 4th round pick North have Western Bulldogs' 4th round pick Western Bulldogs have St Kilda's 5th round pick

Hopefully, will be remembered for his first year at the club when he played well in a poor team and finished high in the B & F then the last couple of years when on the outer at the club but still put in some terrific games for Casey and helped our young kids in their development. Delisted, not picked up in the trades and is only an outside chance of finding a new AFL home.

Time to pay tribute to Grimesy ... delisted and not picked up in the trade period. Thanks for your efforts for the club and hopefully, someone will select you in the coming weeks as a delisted free agent.