Whispering_Jack

I'm with those who are of the view that we shouldn't allow players and their management to stand over us in regard to recruiting. If we want the player and believe he fits into our plans, by all means go for him. By the same token BRFE makes the point that Caddy isn't all that good. He finished 17th in the B & F of a club that finished 17th in the competition. He didn't set the world on fire in the few games I watched him play and even if the reason was because he wasn't happy in that environment after wanting to go back home, I don't look upon that sort of attitude very favourably. Let the other clubs fight for him. I think there would be no shortage of available midfielders of equal or better ability at pick 13 or alternatively other trades possible for that pick which seems to be the approximate cost of a trade for him if there are as many as five other suitors. Good luck to him and to them.

That's one of the things I noticed watching the Swans last night. When they switched direction and had to go backwards, it was usually executed perfectly and without hitches. Whenever we do the same thing, my heart leaps into my mouth and it's panic stations.

I don't particularly like the idea of an away strip but if we must have one and if it must be predominantly white then why not a jumper that actually looks like a football jumper? My favoured design would be something similar to the Sydney City NRL design i. e like the Port Adelaide away strip but with red and blue V's.

I'm a bit concerned about the fact that he's apparently booked in for hip replacement surgery next week but I'm sure Harrington and Viney know what they're doing.

Menzel junior gets knee OK I must admit I was keen at first and even after I discovered he'd had LARS surgery I wasn't put off him but I've now had the opportunity of seeing some vision of him in action including in the West Adelaide v Central Districts qualifying final which was shown in replay the other night on ABC1 and I think I'll pass. He was injured halfway through the last quarter and managed only four touches for the day (including one goal). From what I can see he's pretty hot and cold and even if he has the capacity to be a champion, he's not the type I think we can accept the risk involved in taking him. I reckon one of the season's leading clubs will get him late in round 1.

The wheel does turn. This reminds me of the time when a certain Ryan Ferguson turned his nose up at the then lowly Hawthorn after a trade for Brad Sewell was suggested. Karma got Ferguson and it will eventually get Caddy because he ain't all that good himself.

I don't know if he's been mentioned but given that Geelong appears to be showing interest in some of our players why not consider someone like Mitch Brown who has been there for four years and hasn't become a regular with the likes of Hawkins, Podsiadly and now Walker ahead of him?

Sorry, I've pulled out of the race as well. If the job's not good enough for Ratts and Rocket then I don't want it either.

Paul Williams was a fantastic player and a good bloke but his work with Melbourne's midfield during his time at the club was quite forgettable. I'm not certain that he was a raving success at Carlton either but he had some quality footballers at his disposal.

Been done a couple of times before on Demonland. Art Vanderlay was a likely colt although a bit short at 5'4" and he ended up doing time at Port Phillip prison. Then there was Matty McGurk, a natural successor to David Neitz unti he (McGurk) was found wandering in a drunken stupor in a caravan park on the Gold Coast. Apparently. The Eagles are considering them both for this year's rookie draft. As for Dale Roberts, I would take him and give him the vacant # 31 guernsey. I know he's not the sharpest tool going around - he was recently IQ tested at only 54 - but that would make him the smartest bloke to wear that number since Wheats retired. Late second round pick at best though.

Saturday, 19 September, 1964. Ronald Dale Barassi held the premiership club aloft and never played for the club again.

It's not all gloom and doom with these trips back into history. My next one is about 1956, my favourite season of football!

Draft hopefuls on show

Mitchell looks an interesting character - Mitchell joins Sandover elite.

Perhaps somebody might want to be in touch with the Missing Persons Bureau?

The shape of things to come - internationals from various countries invited to the draft combine and I note that some of them are already being nurtured by other AFL clubs. Meanwhile, Melbourne seems to have given up on this area as a recruiting ground even though we once led the others when we recruited Jimmy Stynes and Sean Wight. Hawthorn and Richmond don't see it as a costly exercise - why do we? Internationals named for Combine

... and never believe anything that's denied.

Thanks Rollo ... I know I haven't been asked yet but could you put me down for the Director of Coaching gig pending the outcome of my application for the Port Adelaide role (I think it's down to Ratts, Rocket and me). Seriously though, I think it's time for one of the younger breed of coaches to take the reins while old fogeys like Redleg and I wander around looking as if we know what we're doing.

I wonder if anyone spoke to him at all in view of his involvement in that scurrilous exercise in scandal mongering.

Thanks for that. I've just set the Foxtel IQ for the 49ers game. I have a soft spot for the Lions because I saw Barry Sanders blitz them in one of those college bowls on New Year's Eve 1988 - 5 TD's. I wanted the Dees to recruit him there and then and turn him into an Aussie footballer. Problem was we couldn't pay him like they do in the NFL!

Our resident TAC Cup watcher Stevo was at Visy Park for Preliminary Final Day PRELIMINARY by Stevo TAC Cup Preliminary Final Day at Visy Park was a humbling day in many ways as it saw the demise of last year's premiers as well as this year's minor premiers. The Sandringham Dragons fell to the Gippsland Power in a nail biter of a game while North Ballarat Rebels were comprehensively beaten by last year's runners up, the Oakleigh Chargers. The day of the double header began with the close one. Gippsland were the early favourites in the competition remaining unbeaten for the first eight rounds before going into a minor trough. The Power, coached by former Port Adelaide and Carlton star Nick Stevens, knocked off their neighbours from the Dandenong Stingrays on qualifying final day and were coming off a big week after midfielder Nick Graham became the Morrish Medallist for 2012. Of added interest to Demon fans is the fact that the Power are the feeder club for Casey and quite a few of the current team had stints as the 23rd player with the Scorpions this year. Three of these players Tom Muir, Shannen Lange and Jack Johnstone were named in their best players. The Dragons, coached by Justin Plapp, were reigning premiers and have had a solid season. They narrowly lost their opening qualifying final against top placed North Ballarat but came back strongly in their semi to comfortably account for the Geelong Falcons. As it turned out, a win would have set up a replay of last year’s TAC Cup Grand Final. The game was a great contest with the lead see-sawing all day but in the end, the country lads, spearheaded by a brilliant eight goal performance from Tim Membrey, finished on top. Membrey’s effort was certainly the difference between the two sides and he will undoubtedly feature early in draft calculations. Those who saw him playing in the Victorian Under 18 championships for Victoria Country would realise only too well how difficult it is to compartmentalise this youngster. At 188cm and 87kg, the 18 year old Membrey is an unlikely key position forward but he is a big physical presence at this level. He marks everything whether overhead or on a lead, is a smart mover and an accurate kick. He was simply outstanding for his team and I think he will go either very late in the first round of the draft or in the second and he could tempt the Demons if they are looking for readymade material at that level. That said, he will have plenty of work to do in the pre season to comply with Mark Neeld’s demands that players must be strong on the defensive side of their game, irrespective of where they play. Another interesting player at Gippsland who has been around for a while is over ager Anthony Tipungwiti from the Tiwi Islands, who turns 20 in April of next year. I’ve seen him go through a few physical changes since he started with the Power in 2010 when he was a teammate of Dyson Heppell (this year, he plays in the same team with Heppell’s brother Aaron). Standing only 171cm but weighing 79kg, he’s an elusive character with pace to burn and has a few tricks (as well as a pair of yellow boots) in his kit bag. He is also very good at ground level. Nick Graham from Traralgon Tyers United is a midfielder forward who plays a strong inside game, attacks the ball and tackles the man and uses the ball well. His Morrish Medal win probably pushed his draft credentials forward to the public but most recruiters would have had him in their sights already and at 182cm he is taller than many of the others who win this award but are often overlooked because of lack of size. He capped off a big week by kicking the winning goal to get his team into the Grand Final. Ben Kearns is another midfielder who can go forward and kick goals and like Graham he kicked a couple against the Dragons. This might sound strange having witnessed a very close game between the two sides but I didn’t see all that much immediately draftable talent among the Dragons. James Stewart who kicked three goals is a father/son prospect, a few others are still a year away from being drafted (bottom ager Josh Kelly is an outside GWS mini draft possibility on current form) and the team is very even so there is not much that stands out. Their midfield talent is somewhat "vanilla" when compared with the leading draft candidates around the TAC Cup and interstate. Tom Tyquin had a very good game for the Dragons. His disposal was superb at times. Teammate Tom Temay is probably better credentialed because of his versatility in that he can go down back and forward and play run with roles as well. Kenny Ong had his moments and is one who could snaffle a late draft or rookie placing. I do expect the Dragons to come back well next year as they have some good young prospects who will be thereabouts in 2013. Gippsland Power 6.2.38 9.4.58 12.7.79 16.10.106 Sandringham Dragons 5.2.32 7.5.47 11.9.75 15.12.102 Goals Gippsland Power Membrey 8 Graham Kearns Northe 2 Scott Tipungwuti Sandringham Dragons Stewart 3 Langdon Zijai 2 Amon Cathcart Freeman Hayes Heatherley Howes Le Grice Tyquin Best Gippsland Power Membrey Muir Lange Channing Johnstone Hams Sandringham Dragons Le Grice Ong Mangoni Tyquin Barnes Wilson The second game was something of an anti-climax after the thriller that preceeded it. The North Ballarat Rebels were disappointing after finishing as minor premiers, sitting on top of the competition ladder for 11 of the 17 home and away rounds and beating the Dragons in a tight qualifying final a fortnight ago. To the victor, the spoils were a berth in the Grand Final but the Rebels were never in the hunt and were slaughtered by 83 points in the end with Chargers dominant in the midfield and everywhere else on the ground. Needless to say, I struggle to find any Rebel players whose performances are worth commenting upon. Last year Oakleigh produced Toby Green, now starring with the GWS Giants and Jack Viney (best on the ground in the Grand Final) who was the right age this year but concentrated on VFL with Casey and school football with Carey Grammar. This year the Chargers maintained their elite midfield status finding, among others, Viney's schoolmate in skillful left footer Jackson Macrae who is the perfect size for a modern midfielder at 188cm. Coming off a very good Under 18's carnival, Macrae has been in outstanding form in the finals and his stocks have risen rapidly. He reads the play well, is an outstanding kick and decision maker and he can find the goals. His partner in crime Ryan Exon, has a name that sounds like a petrol company and the Chargers have been getting good mileage out of him. The team was also well served by Aiden Franetic and bottom age sensation Jack Billings who starred for Vic Metro in the championships and was in sparkling form at half forward. He's a great user of the ball and will move into the midfield next year. He's also a certainty to be a top three draft pick next year, especially with Jack Martin and Jesse Hogan out of the way. Oakleigh's key forwards Kristian Jaksch and Ned Walmsley kicked five goals between them and while I'm loathe to comment on promising key position players after pumping up Lucas Cook's tyres a couple of years ago, I think the former has what it takes to live up to the high accolades that have been heaped upon him. Jaksch is tall, a good contested mark, strong on the ground and his kicking is solid. He also goes well down back and is another schoolmate of Jack Viney at Carey. Another prospect for next year is North Melbourne father/son hopeful Luke McDonald who, like Billings is already an All Australian. He will most likely cost his old man's club a first round selection in next year's draft. As much as I have a soft spot for the Ballarat region which has produced a few players for Melbourne in recent years, there was not much to report from the Rebels' listless effort in a must win preliminary final. Tanner Smith who showed good run in defence for Vic Country struggled in this game as a key position forward while defender Tim Mackenzie battled hard against the odds. The small brigade which has served the Rebels well all year wasn't up to the might of the Chargers although midfielder Nick Rippon, who has been consistently good, had his moments. An interesting prospect who I do like is Dom Barry, a Northern Territorian who boards at St. Pat's Ballarat and has sizzling pace. One Rebel who showed real class was bottom ager Matt Crouch whose brother was picked up in last year's GWS mini draft. He will be a likely contender next year. North Ballarat Rebels 0.2.2 1.3.9 5.4.34 5.6.36 Oakleigh Chargers 3.7.25 10.10.70 14.15.99 17.17.119 Goals North Ballarat Rebels Herbert 3 Neade 2 Oakleigh Chargers Franetic Jaksch MacRae 3 Collopy Walmsley 2 Billings Cutler McDonald Toohey Best North Ballarat Rebels Hendy Cassidy Barry Blake Mackenzie Herbert Oakleigh Chargers MacRae Collins Exon McDonald Billings Raru

Our resident TAC Cup watcher Stevo was at Visy Park for Preliminary Final Day PRELIMINARY by Stevo TAC Cup Preliminary Final Day at Visy Park was a humbling day in many ways as it saw the demise of last year's premiers as well as this year's minor premiers. The Sandringham Dragons fell to the Gippsland Power in a nail biter of a game while North Ballarat Rebels were comprehensively beaten by last year's runners up, the Oakleigh Chargers. The day of the double header began with the close one. Gippsland were the early favourites in the competition remaining unbeaten for the first eight rounds before going into a minor trough. The Power, coached by former Port Adelaide and Carlton star Nick Stevens, knocked off their neighbours from the Dandenong Stingrays on qualifying final day and were coming off a big week after midfielder Nick Graham became the Morrish Medallist for 2012. Of added interest to Demon fans is the fact that the Power are the feeder club for Casey and quite a few of the current team had stints as the 23rd player with the Scorpions this year. Three of these players Tom Muir, Shannen Lange and Jack Johnstone were named in their best players. The Dragons, coached by Justin Plapp, were reigning premiers and have had a solid season. They narrowly lost their opening qualifying final against top placed North Ballarat but came back strongly in their semi to comfortably account for the Geelong Falcons. As it turned out, a win would have set up a replay of last year’s TAC Cup Grand Final. The game was a great contest with the lead see-sawing all day but in the end, the country lads, spearheaded by a brilliant eight goal performance from Tim Membrey, finished on top. Membrey’s effort was certainly the difference between the two sides and he will undoubtedly feature early in draft calculations. Those who saw him playing in the Victorian Under 18 championships for Victoria Country would realise only too well how difficult it is to compartmentalise this youngster. At 188cm and 87kg, the 18 year old Membrey is an unlikely key position forward but he is a big physical presence at this level. He marks everything whether overhead or on a lead, is a smart mover and an accurate kick. He was simply outstanding for his team and I think he will go either very late in the first round of the draft or in the second and he could tempt the Demons if they are looking for readymade material at that level. That said, he will have plenty of work to do in the pre season to comply with Mark Neeld’s demands that players must be strong on the defensive side of their game, irrespective of where they play. Another interesting player at Gippsland who has been around for a while is over ager Anthony Tipungwiti from the Tiwi Islands, who turns 20 in April of next year. I’ve seen him go through a few physical changes since he started with the Power in 2010 when he was a teammate of Dyson Heppell (this year, he plays in the same team with Heppell’s brother Aaron). Standing only 171cm but weighing 79kg, he’s an elusive character with pace to burn and has a few tricks (as well as a pair of yellow boots) in his kit bag. He is also very good at ground level. Nick Graham from Traralgon Tyers United is a midfielder forward who plays a strong inside game, attacks the ball and tackles the man and uses the ball well. His Morrish Medal win probably pushed his draft credentials forward to the public but most recruiters would have had him in their sights already and at 182cm he is taller than many of the others who win this award but are often overlooked because of lack of size. He capped off a big week by kicking the winning goal to get his team into the Grand Final. Ben Kearns is another midfielder who can go forward and kick goals and like Graham he kicked a couple against the Dragons. This might sound strange having witnessed a very close game between the two sides but I didn’t see all that much immediately draftable talent among the Dragons. James Stewart who kicked three goals is a father/son prospect, a few others are still a year away from being drafted (bottom ager Josh Kelly is an outside GWS mini draft possibility on current form) and the team is very even so there is not much that stands out. Their midfield talent is somewhat "vanilla" when compared with the leading draft candidates around the TAC Cup and interstate. Tom Tyquin had a very good game for the Dragons. His disposal was superb at times. Teammate Tom Temay is probably better credentialed because of his versatility in that he can go down back and forward and play run with roles as well. Kenny Ong had his moments and is one who could snaffle a late draft or rookie placing. I do expect the Dragons to come back well next year as they have some good young prospects who will be thereabouts in 2013. Gippsland Power 6.2.38 9.4.58 12.7.79 16.10.106 Sandringham Dragons 5.2.32 7.5.47 11.9.75 15.12.102 Goals Gippsland Power Membrey 8 Graham Kearns Northe 2 Scott Tipungwuti Sandringham Dragons Stewart 3 Langdon Zijai 2 Amon Cathcart Freeman Hayes Heatherley Howes Le Grice Tyquin Best Gippsland Power Membrey Muir Lange Channing Johnstone Hams Sandringham Dragons Le Grice Ong Mangoni Tyquin Barnes Wilson The second game was something of an anti-climax after the thriller that preceeded it. The North Ballarat Rebels were disappointing after finishing as minor premiers, sitting on top of the competition ladder for 11 of the 17 home and away rounds and beating the Dragons in a tight qualifying final a fortnight ago. To the victor, the spoils were a berth in the Grand Final but the Rebels were never in the hunt and were slaughtered by 83 points in the end with Chargers dominant in the midfield and everywhere else on the ground. Needless to say, I struggle to find any Rebel players whose performances are worth commenting upon. Last year Oakleigh produced Toby Green, now starring with the GWS Giants and Jack Viney (best on the ground in the Grand Final) who was the right age this year but concentrated on VFL with Casey and school football with Carey Grammar. This year the Chargers maintained their elite midfield status finding, among others, Viney's schoolmate in skillful left footer Jackson Macrae who is the perfect size for a modern midfielder at 188cm. Coming off a very good Under 18's carnival, Macrae has been in outstanding form in the finals and his stocks have risen rapidly. He reads the play well, is an outstanding kick and decision maker and he can find the goals. His partner in crime Ryan Exon, has a name that sounds like a petrol company and the Chargers have been getting good mileage out of him. The team was also well served by Aiden Franetic and bottom age sensation Jack Billings who starred for Vic Metro in the championships and was in sparkling form at half forward. He's a great user of the ball and will move into the midfield next year. He's also a certainty to be a top three draft pick next year, especially with Jack Martin and Jesse Hogan out of the way. Oakleigh's key forwards Kristian Jaksch and Ned Walmsley kicked five goals between them and while I'm loathe to comment on promising key position players after pumping up Lucas Cook's tyres a couple of years ago, I think the former has what it takes to live up to the high accolades that have been heaped upon him. Jaksch is tall, a good contested mark, strong on the ground and his kicking is solid. He also goes well down back and is another schoolmate of Jack Viney at Carey. Another prospect for next year is North Melbourne father/son hopeful Luke McDonald who, like Billings is already an All Australian. He will most likely cost his old man's club a first round selection in next year's draft. As much as I have a soft spot for the Ballarat region which has produced a few players for Melbourne in recent years, there was not much to report from the Rebels' listless effort in a must win preliminary final. Tanner Smith who showed good run in defence for Vic Country struggled in this game as a key position forward while defender Tim Mackenzie battled hard against the odds. The small brigade which has served the Rebels well all year wasn't up to the might of the Chargers although midfielder Nick Rippon, who has been consistently good, had his moments. An interesting prospect who I do like is Dom Barry, a Northern Territorian who boards at St. Pat's Ballarat and has sizzling pace. One Rebel who showed real class was bottom ager Matt Crouch whose brother was picked up in last year's GWS mini draft. He will be a likely contender next year. North Ballarat Rebels 0.2.2 1.3.9 5.4.34 5.6.36 Oakleigh Chargers 3.7.25 10.10.70 14.15.99 17.17.119 Goals North Ballarat Rebels Herbert 3 Neade 2 Oakleigh Chargers Franetic Jaksch MacRae 3 Collopy Walmsley 2 Billings Cutler McDonald Toohey Best North Ballarat Rebels Hendy Cassidy Barry Blake Mackenzie Herbert Oakleigh Chargers MacRae Collins Exon McDonald Billings Raru

Yeah, the cannons they have down at Casey were never all that accurate. They usually miss everything.

I was there last year when Jack Viney dominated in the Oakleigh Chargers midfield (which included Toby Greene) in the 2011 TAC Cup Grand Final. I've seen him play a practice game and a couple of others for Casey Scorpions at VFL and I've recently re-watched his two games for Vic Metro in the Under 18 Championships. I not only endorse what Ben-Hur says about him earlier in this thread; I'm actually convinced that he's the best choice for us and I unreservedly consider him to be the # 1 pick in the draft. Despite his size, he is easily the toughest of hard nuts I've seen come through this system since the TAC Cup started in 1992 ... and, of course that is exactly what the Melbourne Football Club needs (along with plenty else ATM but Viney will make a great start). We all know it. The club knows it and the AFL, GWS and GCS know it. You know what? As entertaining as all of these pages might be, there are only a couple of alternatives and we supporters have no control over what might happen as the f/s scenario unfolds. The way I see it, we will either reach some accommodation(s) with GWS and GCS that will see them refraining from exercising their respective rights over Viney or not. If we don't then it's likely we will use pick 3 and take Jack Viney with that selection leaving us with our two Scully compo selections at 4 & 13 and our second round pick @ 23 or whatever and our other picks which might also include FA compo and who knows what that might be? Pick 23 is an earlier selection than the one that landed Jack Darling at WCE. That being the case then it's possible that we'll still get a good player with this pick and we know we're getting a quality player who will be loyal to the club @ 3 in Viney. If we do reach an accommodation with GWS and GCS then we're likely to use 23 to get Viney and the trade off will be pick 3 for Martin or Hogan in the mini draft. Those two are reasonably good chances of being equivalent to top 5 picks in the 2013 draft but who knows? In the end, whatever will be will be and we're still well placed to draft some good people to the club over the next few months and I'm not going to get the proverbials in a knot worrying over this for the next month or so until the f/s picks are determined.

I really miss the days of Chilliboy when rumours were so fantastic that they completely boggled the mind. Thomas to Carlton sounds like one of these and is probably based on his fall from grace and the fact that he played at his best under Malthouse. However, I still can't see Eddie letting a contracted player go while he might not have a choice with Cloke.