Whispering_Jack

Thanks guys. Off the twitter from NT News: The news is that Aussie is struggling a bit and being rotated off the bench. If The Oracle's post is correct and the club can pass its final rookie selection and trial players for another couple of months it might give him a lifeline if his heart's in it and he wants to further his career with us. If not, so be it and the best of luck. I hope he gets fit enough and healthy enough to enjoy plenty more celebrating up there.

So here's the scenario. The Tiwi Bombers (Aussie's team) are playing Nightcliff who are the top team. They need to win to stay in the top four because the fifth placed Southern Districts are favoured to win the early game. There are a couple of Motlops in the Nightcliff team and they're unbeaten. Waratah started off winning their first six, losing the next two without both Fevola and Manson and drew with the Tiwis last week. They're still in second spot and play St. Mary's who are third. Winner gets second spot after ten rounds. All exciting stuff.

Round 10 of the NTFL season is a big one because its the final chance for the Top End's prospective draftees to impress before the Pre Season and Rookie Drafts. There's a double header at TIO Stadium with Palmerston playing Southern Districts followed St Marys and Waratah. I believe the Fev is a no show but Waylen Manson needs a big performance today. Meanwhile, Austin Wonaeamirri makes his comeback as the Tiwi Bombers take on Nightcliff at Nightcliff Oval. If our people on the spot have any information it would be appreciated either by posting or, in the case of the correspondents who have my mobile, SMS and I'll pass it on.

Tweet today from Nathan Jones: So the lads trained today.

Good luck with the event you lucky Queenslanders. You'll be getting the first sight of the new Melbourne live when the NAB Cup gets under way!

God help us if we have any more Edelstens and Skases running football clubs. It's bad enough now with the AFL acting as quasi private owner of the Bleaktown operation. Private ownership of telephone, power and gas companies hasn't exactly been a raging success in this country - from my experience some are completely dysfunctional (mind you local government's in a mess and that's in public hands). No, the last thing we want is for some millionaire to take over a football club and treat it like his own private fiefdom. Never.

I think there is probably an art to picking rookies that's a lot tougher than selecting the early picks in the national draft. Most of the guys who go in November have come under intense scrutiny, have been tested from the inside out and their strengths and weaknesses are well known. A high percentage are found within the system and many of them play in the National Championships, TAC Cup and various state colts competitions. With the rookie draft, you still get players from those areas but the talent net is spread much further. You've got the local comps, mature age rookies, players who for one reason or another couldn't make it through the normal pathways e.g through injuries or them being late developers and such. Almost by definition, your rookie candidate has some deficiencies or bad habits and the recruiter has to know whether the player in question can be trained out of those things so that they can become valuable members of an AFL squad. Of course, you're going to get your misses but the hits are often worth it. I think Dan Nicholson was in many ways your typical tough to work out rookie candidate last year coming from the VAFA and not having gone through the Under 18 system. Waylen Manson will most likely be an interesting case for whoever takes him in the PSD/rookie draft. It looks very much like a raffle (which makes Elwood's Williams option so appealing ) but I think the reality is that BBBP and his team will be working just as hard on Tuesday as they did for the national draft last month.

Just guessing here guys but it's more than 50 years ago that the great Chubby Checker (who is apparently still with us) tried that sort of stuff and I don't think it's going to fly with the current younger generation.

Our batting line up is fast reaching the point where it's a one man team.

None of us know for sure except for the kid's medical people. I've received information from sources that are usually reliable that Scully's prognosis is as you say. If that is indeed true, then his training load needs to be carefully managed and this seems to be consistent with what we are seeing in the photo above. I don't doubt that he will play his share of games this year but I don't believe his injury, his well-being or his future career should be of much concern to us. We have 42 blokes on our list (soon to become 46) plus a committed future father/son whose health and welfare are more important to me and should be to all of us. That doesn't mean I won't keep an eye on his progress but, because of the contempt the Scully camp showed the club in his final year, I can't help it for reciprocating and enjoying their discomfort at the situation they, with the help of the AFL, created.

On the other hand Redleg's theory is that if you really want a player then you shouldn't advertise the fact by including him on your PTT list. If that's the case then, at least in the case of the two most recent additions, Leigh Williams and Shannon Burnett, they could have been invited down by the Casey Scorpions to train down there and nobody would have been any the wiser. That said, it wouldn't surprise at all if Collingwood VFL player Tom Sundberg, who isn't on any PTT list is picked up very early on Tuesday. I wonder where he's been training?

Demons tweeting about training: Sam Blease:- James Sellar:-

I like the cut of Marley Williams' jib. He fits one of the areas I think we're lacking in and I like the fact that he's a booming kick. I think the rest will probably come from the list of those who are training with us although Tom Sundberg, who was a teammate of Tom Couch at Collingwood, would be a handy addition in the midfield. The big lad Williams from Norwood EFL appeals as well but I haven't seen the rookie candidates at training so I'm relying entirely on hearsay. I suppose we'll know in a little over 3½ days.

Austin is in line to return for the Tiwi Bombers for their blockbuster clash against Nightcliff tomorrow after he was named on an extended Tiwi bench.- Wonaeamirri back in the Tiwi fold. Hopefully, our spies in the Top End will keep us informed about how he goes and whether Waylen Manson and Brendan Fevola appear for Waratahs in their game. I wish Aussie good luck although I reckon he's left his run to the AFL too late if indeed that's where he wants play in the future.

Did we open with those two or is Hughes out?

He must be sensational. They'll have one chance to look at him at training before the rookie draft.

Of course, I do hope that training is on today. Players are tweeting about going surfing etc. Best to check with the club before you venture out.

Training this morning - I presume @ Gosch's Paddock @ 9.45am (check your local guides please - I'm not 100% certain). The mercury is already nudging 22 degrees on its way to a forecast max of 32 and the conditions are expected to be humid. This should really test their* mettle. * by "their" I mean those intrepid people who brave the elements in order to report on proceedings for us Demonlanders stuck at work or school or elsewhere on the planet. Look forward to your work.

There is no more tantalising combination in the world of Australian football than that of Kevin Sheedy and Kim Hagdorn of Sports News First - Sheedy reveals rookie draft plan This meaningless piece of blabber starts with the suggestion that Sheeds is "unlikely to use all of his privileged picks in the AFL rookie draft this month" (actually he can make up to five rookie picks which is about par for all 18 AFL clubs). The great man is so underwhelmed by the rookies on offer that he says he might only take one or two which suggests to me that his recruiting wunderkind Phil Sc ... er, you know who ... is already earning that 2 grand a week salary at the club. So, what does he do for the other 51 weeks? The rest of the article tries to make a silk purse out of the sow's ear that has been the GWS recruiting juggernaut of 2011 and promises more of the same in 2012 as it turns it's attention on the next player it can offer $1m a year plus 10% for the old man if a new position in the club hierarchy can be fabricated for him. Sheedy has also said that he won't spend big at the pre season draft citing " salary cap restrictions" . He says the club will target big-bodied players at the pre-season draft but the article does not divulge whether Phil Sc ... er, you know who ... has nominated (the Giants motto is, if you're going for a big body then go for the biggest). I love this time of year.

Maybe she thinks I'm Johnny Farnham?

Surgeon Jeffrey Rosenfeld who was "ecstatic with the outcome" of the surgery is our hero and Jimmy our inspiration. What a great story!

I could get into trouble for this but ...

I checked the profile and from the picture it's a she. ... and she can sponsor the back of my shorts any day of the week

Rookie Draft Selections 1 - Greater Western Sydney 2 - Gold Coast 3 - Port Adelaide 4 - Brisbane 5 - Adelaide 6 - Melbourne 7 - Richmond 8 - Fremantle 9 - Western Bulldogs 10 - North Melbourne 11 - Essendon 12 - St. Kilda 13 - Sydney Swans 14 - Carlton 15 - West Coast 16 - Hawthorn 17 - Collingwood 18 - Geelong 19 - Greater Western Sydney 20 - Gold Coast 21 - Port Adelaide 22 - Brisbane 23 - Adelaide 24 - Melbourne 25 - Richmond 26 - Fremantle 27 - Western Bulldogs 28 - North Melbourne 29 - Essendon 30 - St. Kilda 31 - Sydney Swans 32 - Carlton 33 - West Coast 34 - Hawthorn 35 - Collingwood 36 - Geelong 37 - Greater Western Sydney 38 - Gold Coast 39 - Port Adelaide 40 - Brisbane 41 - Adelaide 42 - Melbourne 43 - Richmond 44 - Fremantle 45 - Western Bulldogs 46 - North Melbourne 47 - Essendon 48 - St. Kilda 49 - Sydney Swans 50 - Carlton 51 - West Coast 52 - Hawthorn 53 - Collingwood 54 - Geelong 55 - Greater Western Sydney 56 - Gold Coast 57 - Brisbane 58 - Adelaide 59 - Melbourne 60 - Richmond 61 - Fremantle 62 - Western Bulldogs 63 - North Melbourne 64 - Essendon 65 - St. Kilda 66 - Sydney Swans 67 - Carlton 68 - West Coast 69 - Hawthorn 70 - Collingwood 71 - Greater Western Sydney 72 - Gold Coast 73 - Adelaide 74 - Richmond 75 - Fremantle 76 - Western Bulldogs 77 - North Melbourne 78 - Essendon 79 - St. Kilda 80 - Sydney Swans 81 - Collingwood 82 - Gold Coast 83 - Adelaide 84 - Richmond 85 - Essendon 86 - Sydney Swans 87 - Collingwood 88 - Gold Coast 89 - Adelaide 90 - Richmond 91 - Sydney Swans 92 - Gold Coast 93 - Sydney Swans 94 - Gold Coast 95 - Sydney Swans

I know Redleg's been hanging out for this - here it is:- Giants lead Pre-Season Draft 1 - Greater Western Sydney 2 - Greater Western Sydney 3 - Greater Western Sydney 4 - Greater Western Sydney 5 - Greater Western Sydney 6 - Greater Western Sydney 7 - Gold Coast 8 - Port Adelaide 9 - Richmond 10 - Fremantle 11 - Western Bulldogs