Whispering_Jack

Surely a gig for @Supermercado who must have already done one for DemonWiki!!!

Chris Doerre (Knightmare)’s opinion - Melbourne List needs: Retaining talent and maintaining the team chemistry Maintain future salary cap flexibility by minimising list additions Go to the draft and secure the best available talent Draft Picks: 33, 42, 54, 91 Who should they target? Melbourne's list situation is one whereby their focus needs to be on retaining talent instead of adding it. The Demons need to ensure maximum flexibility to their salary cap situation and maintain their competition-best team chemistry and list synergy at all costs. While Melbourne may be the best situation for a draft prospect to enter, mature age Western Australian midfielder and Sandover Medallist Bailey Rogers is one of the few at the draft who both may be available at Melbourne's first pick, and who can add immediate value. A sound complement to Melbourne's star midfielders, Rogers is a classy, high impact per possession midfielder who can also cause problems for opposition defences when used up forward. With Michael Hibberd aging, overager Jack Avery would be a capable successor with one of Melbourne's selections. A 190cm defender, Avery intercepts, rebounds and hold his own against taller and stronger forwards. I disagree with Knightmare on the point he makes about having no need to focus on adding talent. It’s true that our talent level has great scope for natural improvement from within because of the number of young players on the list including those who have yet to make their AFL debut. At least he’s come up with some suggested draft options which is an improvement on the lazy journalism we’re getting from the mainstream media.

I’m sure there will be reprints.

Almanac (Obituary) Footy: RIP Greg Parke

Swan Districts won the WAFL Colts Grand Final by 8 points in a thriller. The game was available for viewing by way of a streaming link that wasn’t of great quality. Claremont’s Angus Sheldrick was close to best in ground with 27 touches and a couple of outstanding goals in the third term. We also saw a great contest between KPP’s Jacob Van Rooyen who booted 3 early goals (finished with 4) but was quelled by Swan Districts defender Rhett Bazzo. Both have played well representing WA in the Under 19s. I would be very happy if Melbourne could somehow manage to get a draft pick in the teens or early twenties where both are tipped to be selected.

Life in Australia 1964 and what a magnificent start …

Compulsory reading for every Demon fan and only $15.00.

And 12 months later, a premiership…

No room left to tape anything on my Foxtel IQ.

Carlton has lodged a free agency offer for George Hewett. The Swans have three days to match the offer.

Congratulations to those of you who had faith. 😀

Adelaide’s Jake Kelly crosses to Essendon and in return, the Crows get pick 42 as compensation.

Two of the three early predictions materialised. The first was the move of Mabior Chol to Gold Coast. The Tigers receive a end of second round pick, currently 38.

* Mabior Chol became a Sun and Jake Kelly a Bomber in the first of the free agency movements. The Tigers receive an end of second round pick, currently 38 while the Bombers score a third rounder, currently 42. * "Narkle has been convinced to stay and must have been promised considerable midfield time. He and Parfitt will continue to bring improvement next season." — Brendon Goddard * "No I can't, and why would you leave at the moment? Rivers is signed until 2023, Jackson out of contract next year and he will be a priority for Tim Lamb." — Cal Twomey on whether Luke Jackson and Trent Rivers may leave Melbourne * "I hope Ben King stays at Gold Coast and signs a whopper of a deal. I hope they all stay." — Sam Edmund

Suddenly, we’re all at a loss. We can pretend that it’s not all over. We can watch replays. We can hope that they somehow allow cricket or basketball to start. Bloody hell, it’s not a week since we smashed the 57 year premiership drought and we’re already facing nightmares about what to do. I have to admit that I was expecting to spend this weekend watching the Storm make it a double for the Melbourne brand. However, their unexpected defeat has opened up another avenue of support for a team notwithstanding that I don’t really understand rugby league all that much. The South Sydney Rabbitohs were once upon a time a hard luck story much like the Melbourne Demons were at this time last week although they did win a premiership in 2014. The tough part came about because, although they were strong in the 50s and 60s and had a magnificent leagues club at South Sydney Juniors (which I attended on my first visit to Sydney in 1972), they suffered from financial strain for 30 years until they were kicked out of the NRL at the end of 1999. Supporters including the likes of Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court had to wage an expensive court battle for reinstatement which occurred after two years in the wilderness. At around the time of their reinstatement, one of their officials spoke at an MFC function and it was in my view, an inspirational account about how the supporters rallied to save their club. In many ways, it was similar to the Melbourne/Hawthorn merger struggle. So, at the weekend, I’ll be on the Rabbitohs and after that, it’s only a few months to fill in before the AFLW starts, then the practice matches and the magnificent day will come when we can watch the unfurling of the real 2021 premiership flag.

Sorry to have to say this Chris but Stuart Spencer was never captain of Melbourne. The skipper in 1955 and 1956 was Noel McMahen. Both Spencer and McMahen finished up at Melbourne after the 1956 grand final and John Beckwith became captain in 1957. Spencer left for business reasons and went on to become a Tasmanian football legend over the following decade.

The footy season’s over and for the first time in the modern history of AFL trade and draft rules, we Demon fans will almost be on the outside looking in. It remains true that clubs can’t simply stand still but the old David Parkin rule that you have to bring in five new players even to a premiership team longer applies with new players having to be spread over 18 teams and with restrictions on list numbers and financial constraints. At this stage, I would suggest that we shouldn’t be expecting too much from the next couple of months. It all starts today with the opening of the free agency window. We’re being told that these are today’s likely opening free agency gambits:- Richmond’s Mabior Chol to Gold Coast, Adelaide’s Jake Kelly to Essendon and Sydney’s George Hewett to Carlton.

Future stars light up NAB Boys League awards

You know it’s going to be a boring trade period when three or four days in, the panel are discussing which set of twins is the best. * "I think he's going to end up a ruckman. A really athletic, dynamic ruckman." — Cal Twomey on Mac Andrew * "I think 3 Free Agency moves get done tomorrow. Mabior Chol to Gold Coast. Jake Kelly to Essendon. George Hewett to Carlton." — Mitch Cleary * "I was shocked Carlton didn't take him in the midseason draft, and I'd be shocked if someone doesn't take him in this year's draft." — Matt Rendell on Tyson Stengle * "If I was Essendon I'd seriously look at a trade for Dylan Shiel." — Adam Cooney * "I like that arrangement, but I reckon there should be another list for him to go on, not the rookie list." — Stephen Silvagni on Tom Lynch to North Melbourne Droll.

Thanks for your concerns Kane. Now, what was this all about?

Everyone knows where I stand about the overhyping of Mac Andrew so I’m not going to labour the point other than to make a comment about Twomey’s observation that “he kicks goals”. He played 8 games of footy this year and kicked one goal on three occasions for an overall total of three. If you’re a recruiter looking for a Coleman Medallist then I suggest that you suspend belief in this expert and you apply the principle of “caveat emptor”.

With less than two months to go to the National Draft, it’s becoming clear that apart from the first three or four candidates who seem to be the standouts, it’s fairly even thereafter. Cal Twomey’s form guide bears this out as far as I’m concerned. I think there will be ample players available in the 20s who could be moulded by Melbourne’s development people into solid AFL players so if we can trade up a couple of picks/players and parlay them into the high teens or 20s, we could do well notwithstanding that our current draft hand doesn’t look to be particularly appealing. Cal Twomey's Phantom Form Guide: Top draft prospects' September ranking

The full article from Aussie Rules Draft Central 2021 WAFL Colts MOTR: Preliminary Final – Swan Districts vs. East Fremantle

What about this absolute doozie! Talia to the Cats’ retirement village!