Whispering_Jack

You know by saying that, you're only going to get one possible response.

Slightly off topic but I taped the Geelong v Fremantle game from earlier in the year when the Cats thrashed a depleted Dockers team at Simonds Stadium. It was Viv Michie's one and only game and was the starting sub coming on in the third quarter. He has a decent build but he struggled to keep up with the tempo of the game. To be fair, the Dockers copped an absolute flogging and it would have been difficult for a young bloke to impress. Still, on that performance, he would not be an automatic selection in our starting 22 for round 1.

Are you going to the races tomorrow Redleg? I know you've been looking forward to it.

I never saw that coming.

It is what it is.

Thanks for your reports everybody. Next session is on Friday. Don't know where or when but we will no doubt have another informative and entertaining thread.

Lucky then that we let Lucas Cook go last year.

I was watching part of the replay of our game v St. Kilda from this year (Neil Craig's first as coach) and I'm sorry to say this but despite the hype that we were rejuvenated under a new coach, we sucked. The good news is that the introduction of players who missed that game through injury (Dawes was felled behind the play and subbed off after half a game too) and our new midfield is going to make us virtually unrecognisable as a team when we step out against St. Kilda in round 1. Amazing that despite everything, we had more inside 50s on the day. When we meet next St. Kilda won't have Dal Santo (28 disposals), Montagna (35) and even Koschitzke did SFA but finished with two goals. I think with our new midfield setup we just might have their measure.

Tiwi Bomber Jurrah aims to kickstart comeback Hopefully, this will be the start of Liam's regeneration. Last year, ABC1 replayed NTFL games at some ungodly hour at night in the middle of the week. Are they doing that this year? Happy to see him play again even in a bombers jumper.

Admittedly, Aish would be a very outside chance to be available but it might very well depend on who St. Kilda goes for at 3. If the Saints take Billings which is possible, then the following clubs might look at other more preferred players next allowing someone like Aish to slip. Very unlikely but whichever way it falls, we should have a good choice of quality players.

Something's happening soon ... ASADA set to charge Bombers: Sly If Sly's right then it would seem that those who get infraction notices will get off reasonably lightly - perhaps 6 - 12 months while some may even get off with lighter sentences than that depending on what they took or were given and/or because of the level of assistance given to the enquiry. It wouldn't sit entirely well with me if footballers who signed waiver forms citing banned substances were given consideration but of course, it would make me feel more comfortable about our blokes who have yet to be fully investigated. Importantly, let's hope they get the blokes who push these substances at football clubs and to athletes and who have been making a living at it. And as for pretty boy ...

After chatting with our draft guru Stevo (who is a fan of Lennon), I thought I would catch up with the Vic Metro v Vic Country game which I kept on IQ on Foxtel and lo and behold, when they were discussing Lennon during the game, a caption crossed the screen telling us he had good athleticism. Just a theory but what if he was having a bad day or two during testing at the Draft Combine? And I still wonder how the champions of the past would have gone if they had such testing back in the day? How would "Lethal" or "Diesel" have gone had they been put through the Draft Combine?

No because it really would be a case of cutting our nose to spite our face. Different thing if it was a young kid with something to give in the future but Scotland is near to finished (not to mention he fails on the no DH front as well).

A pity our own AFL doesn't take an example from the NFL which has given SF and Jax the bye after last week's game in London. The bye would come in handy for Melbourne after one of those energy sapping trips to Darwin.

I think it's time for the selectors to show a bit of imagination and give Doolan his chance but somehow, I think they'll remain true to form and go conservative for the first test.

For those who might be interested the final table is playing tomorrow and will be shown live on ESPN. If you don't like poker as a sport or game, the commentary is always fun.

If FOOTY TRAGIC says his kicking is not his strength, that raises alarm bells for me, even if he gets a pass. We really do need to bring in elite or close to elite kicks if we're to compete with the best midfields:- #44 THOMAS SHANAHAN Height: 185cm, Weight: 78kg, DOB: 28/4/1995 Recruited from: East Perth Shanahans a midfielder from East Perth whos slipped under the radar somewhat, but his season and State Screening results really grabbed some attention. He clocked 8 seconds in the agility test which wouldve ranked in the top few percent at the Combine, ran a 2.93 second 20m sprint and also a 13.8 beep which saw him rank third behind Ben Sokol (14.1) and Jacob Green (13.13). State Screening tests are completed within the one day so the lower beep test results are to be expected. Shanahan is mostly an outside midfielder but he has shown the ability to win the contested ball and gain clearances. He really burrows in when its his go and is really good at getting a quick-release handball to the advantage of a teammate. Shanahans kicking is not his strength from what Ive seen but it gets a pass mark. He has shown good creativity around goals from quick snaps, but overall hes not a massive goal-kicker which is something he could improve on, especially with his running ability. You normally just assume from outside midfielders that theyre soft but the part I enjoy most about Shanahans game is his courage. His overhead ability is really good and hes taken many marks going back with the flight with no hesitation. Hes sometimes not one-touch below his knees which makes him rush a kick or not be able to burst away but when he does his break away speed is excellent. Ive seen him lay a few run-down tackles during the season, and generally I think he does play a two-way game to go with his intercept marking capabilities. Shanahan did not play for Western Australia in the National Champs but he had a really good season in the Colts, averaging over 24 disposals a game which earned him a spot in the WAFL Reserves in the latter part of the season in which he did quite well. His athletic attributes combined with courage and overhead ability give me enough reasons to think hes good enough to be in this group albeit with limited exposure. I wouldve loved to have seen him in the Champs because I think he couldve made some noise.

The probably had a few sets of oversize baggy shorts in storage.

Despite the high disposal count, FOOTY TRAGIC isn't impressed:- “#50 – MATT CROUCH Height: 183cm, Weight: 80kg, DOB: 21/4/1995 Recruited from: North Ballarat Rebels The curve ball strikes early! Alright look, Crouch is only in here because I really wanted to write about him. Do I start with the good or the bad first? I’ll go with the good. We all know about Crouch’s ball-winning ability. It’s amazing and most likely the best in this draft. Want some numbers? Here’s some; from his two matches in the National Champs he won 43 disposals (21 contested), 11 clearances and laid 7 tackles. More incredibly he averaged over 37 disposals in the TAC Cup this season, won 25 disposals in his one game for Frankston in the VFL and averaged almost 26 disposals as an under-age player in last year’s U/18’s. A large portion of Crouch’s disposals are contested and he’s very good at reading the ball off the ruck taps and being the first person with his hands on the ball at the stoppage. Crouch is very strong, he has a good competitive frame that has enabled him to dominate other kids his age and handle the one game of senior footy he played with relative ease. That entire part of Crouch’s game is very good and it’s why a lot of people have him going in the top 20 and as high as the top 10. The following is where I have massive issues with Matthew Crouch. This is a mini-summary of some of the game notes I’ve compiled over the season; - not working back defensively - slammed ball on boot without looking to his side, had teammate streaming by - kicked dangerous ball into corridor to a teammate outnumbered - won contested ball in defensive 50, had time, kicked an attempted torpedo into the corridor - received handball in corridor, had space, had open teammate 50m ahead, lacked penetration, intercept mark, turnover - attempted short kick in defensive 50, missed target, turnover, goal - got free at stoppage, won ball, tried to break away, run down, affected kick, turnover These are the ultimate coach-killers and it’s why just looking in the disposals column doesn’t tell the entire story. There are countless examples of AFL players having no trouble finding the ball but they also do everything the coach doesn’t want them to do because they play their own game like it’s U/12’s. It’s all well and good finding the ball 38 times a game, but if you’re not doing much with those touches or costing your team overall well then you might have a problem at the top grade. Just delving into those notes that I’ve plucked out, the general consensus is that I find Crouch very rushed. He gets the ball and kicks it almost in the same motion. The thing is if he held it any longer he’ll most likely get run down from behind. He isn’t fast; in fact he ran a 3.25 second 20m sprint, ranking in the bottom 7%. Simply put, Crouch is not an athlete at all. He ranked below average in all the endurance tests and in the standing vertical and jumps he was bottom 5%. There are plenty of AFL players who aren’t great physical specimens, but most of them have great endurance. Just to clarify though, I’m not ruling out Crouch altogether. He has attributes that can make him a solid footballer, but he has a lot to work on. Matthew Priddis is one example of a player who sticks to his limitations and has carved out a fine career and a player who I can see Crouch potentially become one day. There’s lots of work still to be done though. You’re pretty much changing a footballer’s game in which they’ve played all their life and that isn’t easy. It depends on their professionalism and how committed to the cause they are. To have any chance of having a good crack at the top level though, Crouch will need to develop his endurance base big-time. In terms of where Crouch will fall on draft night, I’ll be the last one surprised if he goes undrafted. With the lack of quality in this group though, there’s bound to be a club that will like him and one that might even use a first-round pick on him, but I’d be shocked.”

FOOTY TRAGIC does a phantom draft with a difference. Here's his take on Fuller:- “#43 – MATT FULLER Height: 180cm, Weight: 84kg, DOB: 1/6/1990 Recruited from: Norwood In a not so dissimilar way to Dean Terlich, who got drafted to Melbourne after a great season for Norwood and finals series in particular, Matt Fuller looks to follow suit. Fuller’s one of quite a few mature age players I expect to land at an AFL club on draft night. Fuller is a half-back flanker with a very good left-foot kick on him. I think he is a more complete defender than Terlich with extra composure and skill. He reads the play really well and is good at zoning off for the intercept mark. With his big build, despite his height, he is often winning or at least breaking even in the one on one contest. He loves to run and create from the backline and has been an 80m player for Norwood for much of the season. He is a really long kick and many Legs supporters will never forget his goal in the Grand Final. Fuller is very capable on both sides. He is not afraid to go on to the right boot, even from kick-ins. He wasn’t invited to the Combine or State Screening which is an indication of interest from clubs, but his coach Nathan Bassett seems pretty confident that he’ll be on an AFL list next year. I’d expect him to start at many lowly teams next season. He’d slot right in on to the back-flank and contribute immediately.”

If you're going to criticise someone's post then cut to the chase and say why you don't like it - otherwise you can expect another holiday.Thanks.

When we've won back to back flags in 2016 will there be a spot in the team for Prestia? In any event, if he was keen on the Dees he could have waited to see what happened at the club before signing his contract. Simple as that.

If there are 18 in the field I'm tipping it to come 17th.

Since there's a long way to go to the start of next season and we're all sort of dreaming (and won't remember this by Queens Birthday), why not add Collingwood to the list? I'm being serious. If, on Melbourne Cup Day 2012, I would have told you that Port Adelaide would beat Collingwood on the MCG in the first week of the finals in September 2013, you would all be giggling and suggesting that I be certified. At that time, I thought Port were going to be the pits again (I thought that way when we played them in that Micky Mouse NAB Cup game at Renmark in February). I also thought the Pies going to win the flag. It's easy to be wrong this far out - especially with a flaky team like Melbourne where the group psychology has been in need of sorting out for a long, long time. If Roos can get their heads right, there's no reason why they can't roll a team like the Pies who have proved to be capable of playing inconsistent football themselves.

With a name like Toohey, I thought he'd be lite.