Whispering_Jack

Correct. Ben Newton was one of last week's mystery injuries of the week with a knee complaint. According to the medical report, he's out for a week. Sam Weideman and Liam Hulett are this week's joint mystery injuries of the week.

It's deja vu all over again. You wake up on the morning of a game the week after a ground-breaking win and you think - "we're on our way, we're going to win this one." We finished off so well against the Hawks last week while Port Adelaide was so insipid against the Swans. There's no way we can lose this one. Welcome to three wins in a row and another week of talking about mathematical possibilities. And then ... it's Groundhog Day.

Here are the indicative key dates for this year's free agency, trade and draft period: FREE AGENCY AND TRADE Friday October 7 - NAB AFL restricted free agency offer and unrestricted free agency period begins. Monday October 10, 10am* - NAB AFL Trade Period begins. Sunday October 16, 5pm - Close of NAB AFL restricted free agency offer and unrestricted free agency period. Wednesday October 19 - NAB AFL restricted free agency matching offer three-day period ends. Thursday October 20, 2pm – NAB AFL Trade Period closes. Future Pick: The trading rules explained DELISTED PLAYERS Delisted players become free agents and can join new clubs during any of the three NAB AFL delisted player free agency windows. Once clubs have delisted a player, they will receive no compensation should that player be signed by a new club. The key dates for delisted free agents are as follows: Tuesday November 1 - NAB AFL delisted player free agency period (1) begins Tuesday November 8 - NAB AFL delisted player free agency period (1) closes Thursday November 10 - NAB AFL delisted player free agency period (2) begins Friday November 18 - NAB AFL delisted player free agency period (2) closes Saturday November 26 - NAB AFL delisted player free agency period (3) begins Sunday November 27, 2pm - NAB AFL delisted player free agency period (3) closes Monday November 30, 2pm - Final AFL club list lodgement Delisted players can also nominate for the NAB AFL Pre-Season Draft. THE DRAFTS Friday November 25 - NAB AFL Draft, Sydney. Monday November 28 4.00pm - NAB AFL Pre-season and Rookie Drafts.

Please feel free to alert us about any additions to be made to the OP. As is the case with this thread every year, any additions must be capable of independent verification.

ADELAIDE In: Ben Davis (E Suburbs NSW) Jordan Galluci (Eastern Ranges) Elliot Himmelberg (Redlands Q) Ben Jarman ® (North Adelaide SA) Myles Poholke (Dandenong Stingrays) Sam Shaw ® (Adelaide) Matthew Signorello (South Morang) Out: Mitch Grigg (delisted) Ricky Henderson (Hawthorn) Matthew Jaensch (retired) Luke Lowden (delisted) Jarryd Lyons (Gold Coast) Keenan Ramsey (delisted) Sam Shaw (retired) Nathan van Berlo (retired) BRISBANE LIONS In: Jacob Allison (Apsley Q) Jake Barrett ® (GWS Giants) Jarrod Berry (N Ballarat Rebels) Cedric Cox (N Ballarat Rebels) Jack Frost (Collingwood) Mitchell Hinge ® (Glenelg SA) Corey Lyons (Sandringham Dragons) nHugh McCluggage (N Ballarat Rebels) Oscar McInerney ® (Casey Scorpions) Alex Witherden (Geelong Falcons) Out: Hugh Beasley (delisted) Justin Clarke (retired) Billy Evans (delisted) Josh Green (Essendon) Pearce Hanley (Gold Coast Suns) Jaden McGrath (retired) Josh McGuinness (delisted) Daniel Merrett (retired) Jackson Paine (delisted) Josh Watts (delisted) Trent West (retired) CARLTON In: Zac Fisher (Perth WA) Andrew Galluci ® (Carlton) Patrick Kerr (Oakleigh Chargers) Kym LeBois ® (North Adelaide SA) Harrison Macreadie (Henty NSW) Caleb Marchbank (GWS Giants) Rhys Palmer (GWS Giants) Sam Petrevski-Seton (Claremont WA) Jarrod Pickett (GWS Giants) Cameron Polson (Sandringham Dragons) Billy Smedts (Geelong) Tom Williamson (N Ballarat Rebels) Out: Matthew Dick (delisted) Andrejs Everitt (delisted) Jayden Foster (delisted) Andrew Gallucci ® (delisted) Billy Gowers ® (delisted) Michael Jamison (retired) Ciaran Sheehan ® (delisted) Clem Smith (delisted) Zach Tuohy (Geelong) Jason Tutt (delisted) Dillon Viojo-Rainbow (delisted) Andrew Walker (retired) Mark Whiley (delisted) Cameron Wood ® (retired) COLLINGWOOD In: Callum Brown (Eastern Ranges) Josh Daicos (Oakleigh Chargers) Lynden Dunn (Melbourne) Will Hoskin-Elliott (GWS Giants) Kayle Kirby (Bendigo Pioneers) Liam Mackie ® (Glenelg) Mitch McCarthy ® (Dandenong Stingrays) Sam McLarty (Oakleigh Chargers) Chris Mayne (Fremantle) Henry Schade ® (Gold Coast) Daniel Wells (North Melbourne) Out: Nathan Brown (St Kilda) Travis Cloke (Western Bulldogs) Jack Frost (Brisbane) Corey Gault (delisted) Tim Golds ® (delisted) Matthew Goodyear (delisted) Brent Macaffer (retired) Jonathon Marsh (retired) Dane Swan (retired) Alan Toovey (retired) Marley Williams (North Melbourne) Jarrod Witts (Gold Coast) Darrean Wyatt ® (delisted) ESSENDON In: Josh Begley (Eastern Ranges) Dylan Clarke (Eastern Ranges) Sam Draper ® (South Adelaide SA) Yestin Eades ® (Essendon) Josh Green (Brisbane Lions) Andrew McGrath (Sandringham Dragons) Shaun McKernan ® (Essendon) Kobe Mutch (Bendigo Pioneers) Jordan Ridley (Oakleigh Chargers) James Stewart (GWS Giants) Out: Jason Ashby (delisted) Adam Cooney (retired) Ryan Crowley (delisted) Matt Dea (delisted) Courtenay Dempsey (delisted) Yestin Eades (delisted) Shaun Edwards (delisted) Nathan Grima (delisted) Sam Grimley (delisted) James Gwilt (delisted) Will Hams (delisted) Michael Hibberd (Melbourne) Mark Jamar (delisted) James Kelly (delisted) Nick Kommer (delisted) Shaun McKernan (delisted) Sam Michael (delisted) Gach Nyuon (delisted) Tayte Pears (retired) James Polkinghorne (delisted) Jonathan Simpkin (delisted) Matthew Stokes (retired) Tom Wallis ® (delisted) FREMANTLE In: Brennan Cox (Woodville-W Torrens SA) Sean Darcy (Geelong Falcons) Josh Deluca-Cardillo ® (Fremantle) Taylin Duman ® (Oakleigh Chargers) Brady Grey ® (Fremantke) Joel Hamling (Western Bulldogs) Brad Hill (Hawthorn) Shane Kersten (Geelong) Griffin Logue (Swan Districts WA) Cam McCarthy (GWS Giants) Luke Ryan (Coburg VFL) Luke Strnadica ® (East Fremantle WA) Out: Michael Barlow (Gold Coast) Matt de Boer (delisted) Josh Deluca ® (delisted) Brady Grey (delisted) Jack Hannath (delisted) Sean Hurley (delisted) Chris Mayne (Collingwood) Anthony Morabito (delisted) Tendai Mzungu (delisted) Matthew Pavlich (retired) Clancee Pearce (delisted) Alex Silvagni (delisted) Tanner Smith (delisted) GEELONG In: Ryan Abbott (Grovedale Tigers) Aaron Black (North Melbourne) Zach Guthrie ® (Calder Cannons) Jack Henry ® (Geelong Falcons) Timm House (Geelong VFL) Jamaine Jones ® (North Ballarat) Quinton Narkle (Perth WA) Mark O'Connor (Category B rookie) Brandan Parfitt (North Adelaide SA) Esava Ratugolea (Murray Bushrangers) Sam Simpson ® (Geelong Falcons) Tom Stewart (Geelong VFL) Zach Tuohy (Carlton) Out: Jimmy Bartel (retired) Zac Bates ® (delisted) Josh Caddy (Richmond) Mitch Clark (delisted) Jock Cornell ® (delisted) Cameron Delaney ® (delisted) Corey Enright (retired) Shane Kersten (Fremantle) Padraig Lucey ® (delisted) Michael Luxford (delisted) Tom Read ® (delisted) Billy Smedts (Carlton) Nathan Vardy (West Coast) GOLD COAST In: Ben Ainsworth (Gippsland Power) Michael Barlow (Fremantle) Jack Bowes (Cairns Q) Will Brodie (Murray Bushrangers) Keegan Brooksby ® (Gold Coast) Pearce Hanley (Brisbane) Cameron Loersch ® (Gold Coast) Jarryd Lyons (Adelaide) Brad Scheer (Palm Beach-Currumbin) Jack Scrimshaw (Sandringham Dragons) Jarrod Witts (Collingwood) Out: Keegan Brooksby (delisted) Clay Cameron (delisted) Jarrod Garlett (delisted) Tom Keogh (delisted) Cameron Loersch ® (delisted) Nick Malceski (retired) Jaeger O'Meara (Hawthorn) Dion Prestia (Richmond) Luke Russell (delisted) Henry Schade (delisted) Danny Stanley (delisted) Seb Tape (delisted) GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY In: Matthew de Boer (Fremantle) Isaac Cumming (Broken Hill NSW) Brett Deledio (Richmond) Tendai Mzungu ® (Fremantle) Joel Patfull ® (GWS Giants) Harry Perryman (Collingullie NSW) Will Setterfield (Sandringham Dragons) Tim Taranto (Sandringham Dragons) Lachlan Tiziani (Murray Bushrangers) Out: Paul Ahern (North Melbourne) Jake Barrett (delisted) Will Hoskin-Elliott (Collingwood) Cam McCarthy (Fremantle) Pat McKenna (Melbourne) Caleb Marchbank (Carlton) Rhys Palmer (Carlton) Joel Patfull (retired) Jarrod Pickett (Carlton) Jack Steele (St Kilda) James Stewart (Essendon) HAWTHORN In: James Cousins ® (Murray Bushrangers) Jack Fitzpatrick ® (Hawthorn) Oliver Hanrahan ® (St Kevins) Ricky Henderson (Adelaide) Tom Mitchell (Sydney Swans) Mitchell Lewis (Calder Cannons) Harry Morrison (Murray Bushrangers) Jaeger O'Meara (Gold Coast) Tyrone Vickery (Richmond) Out: Jack Fitzpatrick (delisted) Brad Hill (Fremantle) Lachlan Langford ® (delisted) Jordan Lewis (Melbourne) Angus Litherland (delisted) Jermaine Miller-Lewis ® (delisted) Sam Mitchell (West Coast) Matt Spangher (delisted) Shem-Kelvin Tatapu (category B ®) (retired) Zach Webster (delisted) Alex Woodward ® (delisted)7 MELBOURNE In: Lachlan Filipovic ® (Sandringham Dragons) Mitchell Hannan (Footscray VFL) Michael Hibberd (Essendon) Dion Johnstone (Oakleigh Chargers) Declan Keilty ® (Casey Scorpions) Jordan Lewis (Melbourne) Pat McKenna (GWS Giants) Corey Maynard (category B ®) Tim Smith ® (Casey Scorpions) Out: Chris Dawes (delisted) Lynden Dunn (Collingwood) Jack Grimes (delisted) Matt Jones (delisted) Max King ® (delisted) Viv Michie ® (delisted) Ben Newton (delisted) Dean Terlich (delisted) NORTH MELBOURNE In: Paul Ahern (GWS Giants) Nathan Hrovat (Wetsern Bulldogs) Oscar Junker ® (Western Jets) Nick Larkey (Oakleigh Chargers) Jy Simpkin (Murray Bushrangers) Matthew Taylor ® (Perth WA) Declan Watson (Apsley Q) Josh Williams (Surfers Paradise Q) Marley Williams (Collingwood) Cameron Zurhaar ® (East Fremantle WA) Out: Aaron Black (Geelong) Nick dal Santo (delisted) Michael Firrito (retired) Brent Harvey (retired) Brad McKenzie (delisted) Robin Nahas (delisted) Drew Petrie (delisted) Farren Ray (retired) Joel Tippett (delisted) Daniel Wells (Collingwood) PORT ADELAIDE In: Joe Atley (Bendigo Pioneers) Willem Drew (North Ballarat Rebels) Peter Ladhams ® (Norwood SA) Todd Marshall (Murray Bushrangers) Sam Powell-Pepper (East Perth WA) Out: John Butcher (delisted) Alipate Carlile (retired) Sam Colquhoun (delisted) Brett Eddy ® (South Adelaide SA) Jarrod Lienert ® (Sturt) Kane Mitchell (delisted) Cam O'Shea (delisted) Jay Schultz (delisted) Paul Stewart (delisted) RICHMOND In: Shai Bolton (South Fremantle WA) Josh Caddy (Geelong) Ryan Garthwaite (Murray Bushrangers) Jack Graham (North Adelaide SA) Toby Nankervis (Sydney Swans) Dion Prestia (Gold Coast) Tyson Stengle ® (Woodville-W Torrens SA) Out: Troy Chaplin (retired) Brett Deledio (GWS Giants) Liam McBean (delisted) Reece McKenzie (retired) Adam Marcon (delisted) Andrew Moore (delisted) Tyrone Vickery (Hawthorn) Chris Yarran (retired) ST. KILDA In: Josh Battle (Dandenong Stingrays) Nathan Brown (Collingwood) Ben Long (Footscray VFL) Rowan Marshall ® (North Ballarat VFL) Ed Phillips (Oakleigh Chargers) Jack Steele (GWS Giants) Koby Stevens (Western Bulldogs) Out: Tom Curren (delisted) Luke Delaney (delisted) Sam Fisher (retired) Tom Lee (delisted) Brodie Murdoch (delisted) Brenton Payne (delisted) Josh Saunders (delisted) Cameron Shenton (delisted) Eli Templeton (delisted)) SYDNEY SWANS In: Darcy Cameron (Claremont WA) Shaun Edwards ® (Essendon) Oliver Florent (Sandringham Dragons) Robbie Fox ® (Coburg VFL) Will Hayward (North Adelaide SA) Jack Maibaum (Eastern Ranges) Toby Pink ® (Glenelg SA) Ben Ronke (Calder Cannons) Out: Abaina Davis (delisted) Tom Derickx (retired) Kyle Galloway ® (delisted) Jack Hiscox (delisted) Ben McGlynn (retired) Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn) Toby Nankervis (Richmond) Ted Richards (retired) Xavier Richards (deliisted) WEST COAST In: Thomas Gorter ® (East Perth WA) Fraser McInnes ® (West Coast) Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn) Drew Petrie ® (North Melbourne) Willie Rioli (Glenelg SA) Josh Rotham (West Perth WA) Nathan Vardy (Geelong) Daniel Venables (Western Jets) Jake Waterman (Claremont WA) Out: Corey Adamson ® (delisted) Jamie Bennell (delisted) Mitch Brown (delisted) Damian Cavka (retired) Brant Colledge ® (delisted) Xavier Ellis (retired) Kane Lucas (r) (delisted) Fraser McInnes (delisted) Patrick McGinnity (delisted) Alec Waterman ® (delisted) WESTERN BULLDOGS In: Travis Cloke (Collingwood) Tim English (South Fremantle WA) Fergus Greene (Sandhurst BFL) Patrick Lipinski (Northern Knights) Nathan Mullenger-McHugh ® (Eastern Ranges) Josh Prudden ® (Western Bulldogs) Lewis Young (Sturt SA) Out: Jed Adcock (retired) Luke Goetz ® (delisted) Joel Hamling (Fremantle) Nathan Hrovat (North Melbourne) Josh Prudden (delisted) Koby Stevens (St Kilda) Will Minson (delisted)

For a number of years we've been looking forward to the day when our club is respected again as a professional sporting organisation and a place which the best footballers look upon as a "destination club". We're on the cusp now and in those circumstances, I think we can do better than Travis Cloke and the baggage he carries. No.

The only thread KC opened was this one. It's still open OD. I suspect that the other thing that might be open is your bottle of malt. ??

Two brothers will be pitted against each other - our Josh Wagner and Werribee's Corey Wagner who is on North's list.

There would have to be a couple of mystery injuries or players rested this week. Sam Weideman out of the Demons with a calf injury not noted on the injury list. Liam Hulett?

There's been some discussion as to an overhaul of the AFL national draft to enable some form of equalisation for teams that perennially miss out on the finals. The Demons who have been out of the finals since 2006 would be the major beneficiary if this were to apply in the upcoming draft. The Brisbane Lions, who won't even finish last this year but have been pitching for a priority pick, would be next line, having not made the top eight since 2009. The panel on Fox Footy’s On the Couch this week discussed the idea of having an equalisation round after the draft's first round but, it's unlikely that such an idea will be adopted this year. The AFL which has always been inconsistent in its consideration of priority pick applications might well decide to give the Lions a priority pick in order to help prop them up and prevent them from becoming more of a basket case. However, right at this moment, based on current ladder position and traded future picks (and excluding free agency compensation and trades) the current likely order for the first two rounds is:- ROUND 1 1. Essendon 2. Brisbane Lions 3. Fremantle 4. Carlton 5. Gold Coast Suns 6. Richmond 7. GWS Giants 8. Gold Coast Suns 9. Port Adelaide 10. St Kilda 11. North Melbourne 12. Western Bulldogs 13. West Coast Eagles 14. GWS Giants 15. GWS Giants 16. Adelaide Crows 17. Sydney Swans 18. Hawthorn ROUND 2 19. Essendon 20. Brisbane Lions 21. Gold Coast Suns 22. Carlton 23. Gold Coast Suns 24. Gold Coast Suns 25. Collingwood 26. Melbourne 27. Gold Coast Suns 28. Brisbane Lions 29. North Melbourne 30. Western Bulldogs 31. West Coast Eagles 32. Geelong Cats 33. GWS Giants 34. GWS Giants 35. Sydney Swans 36. Hawthorn Source: How an equalisation round in AFL national draft would balance out league, help perennial strugglers

My concern really is that we haven't treated last Saturday as our grand final (as we've done in the past when we've won unexpectedly) and that we'll come out and play accordingly. From now on we need to play as if there's only one grand final in a year and that's at the end of September.

A couple of articles:- Scorps show sting over Bombers ‘He’s as tough as nails,’ Casey Scorpions coach Justin Plapp says of Dylan Collis

My position always was the AFL, in rejecting our application, set a precedent and it is incumbent upon them if they are to maintain a grain of integrity, to follow that precedent and continue to reject PP applications until confronted with a situation worse than the one we faced two and three years ago, Naturally, this isn't about maintaining integrity and in any event, you can't maintain what you don't have in the first place.

Strangely enough, it's quite possible that our team this week won't differ too much from the one that played against Port Adelaide at Alice Springs. Hopefully, the attitude they take into the game and their kicking for goal will be much improved.

For medicinal purposes only, of course.

I think it's time to go back to those Greek philosphers to discover the meaning of perfection in a football game.

So the Demons have put away the Hawks and the Scorpions played yesterday. What exactly does one do on the day after?

I went to see Billy Crystal this week and I swore that if we beat Hawthorn, I would post this -

Being in the minority doesn't mean you're wrong. Neeld might not have turned out to be a good coach but he was given a difficult and thankless task at the time and I think it's great of Max to acknowledge him.

I didn't watch much of the game because we had guests over for dinner but was still conflicted over which team I wanted to lose more. Then I decided it was a no brainer because Collingwood was playing and my heart sank when I turned on the TV just as that South Australian Aish marked in the goal square and levelled the scores at 74 each halfway through the last quarter. Anyway justice prevailed and neither coach is off the hook and the good part is that they both have their contract extensions in place so there's going to more of this going forward into 2017. On South Australians, I thought Graham Molloy was a very good player but we really didn't get the best out of him. Then there was John Tilbrook who was an absolute champion but only in his first game and one against Geelong when he kicked 6 goals. His other 51 games were very Toumpasesque. Incidentally, we really never got the most value from croweaters whose initials are "JT", have we?

Apart from the main draft combine, there are the state combines which give hope to more hopefuls - Draft dream not over for State Combine Nominees

When you get into August and your team's out of contention for the finals, then you really start looking forward to this - Callum Twomey's Phantom Form Guide - August Edition The conundrum is what do you do when your club's first pick is likely to be closer to 30 this year than the number to which you've become accustomed?

It really is a case of men against boys in today's clash between the Demons and the Hawks at the MCG. The average age of the Hawthorn team selected for today's game is 26½ years - almost four years more than Melbourne's average age. The average games differential is slightly above 80 (137.0 to 56.6) in favour of the reigning premier. The figures suggest a blowout but the spirit of the decision to play our youth and the quality of these young men suggests to me that it's not just about today but rather, about next year ... and the year after. Of course, at this time of the season, it seems like it's always been about "next year" for Demon fans but I seriously think there's something about this group.

It means that the team will be loaded onto the post at some time later this evening. Otherwise, it will also be loaded on Mad Monday.

I suspect this is somewhat fanciful - it would cost us an arm and a leg for starters ...