demoniac

As a long term believer in Jamar's ability in the ruck and around the ground it is good to see him finally turning potential into performance. If we play a Second Ruckman Martin is the obvious option playing as a tall forward who can go into the ruck to give Jamar a rest. My read is that Martin is being played at FF at Casey to develop his forward skills and will come into the team in the role of tall forward/relieving ruck. Spencer has undoubted potential but needs time to develop and does not yet really offer enough flexibilty to play as second ruckman given he is not very effective up forward at this stage of his career. For mine while I can see the advantages of having an extra utility in Dunn pinch hitting in the ruck and the flexibilty that provides I don't think it is sustainable to play without a tall forward and Martin offers the flexibilty of being able to play as a tall forward but also pinch hit in the ruck more effectively.

In the main body of the article Kevin Sheedy writes: "The thing I can't understand is how both footy clubs have consistently picked up midfielders. In my mind you err on the side of height" In the box titled 'Coaches Call' Kevin Sheedy writes: "A club needs 12 midfielders these days with the number of rotations" So Kevin, why can't you understand why the Dees have cnsistently picked up midfielders whem you acknowledge that a club (presumably for 'club' read 'team') needs 12 midfielders these days with the number of rotations?

Melbourne realised 3 years ago that its list was lacking in both the talent and the leadership required to be the foundations of a list that can deliver us Nm 13. Since then we have gone to 3 draft periods and stocked up on elite young talent. Richmond only reached the same point of realisation after last season. We will wn a flag before them.

Not much news about Mike? Non story. At the coin coaches are on these days of course there will be little sticking points that need to be ironed out in the fine print in the contract.

Both Pagan and Matthews had lengthy periods in their coaching career where the teams they sent out on to the ground put in many a performance just as insipid as we did against the Hawks. To put it bluntly we have gone for the best young talent we could at each of the last 3 drafts. The only experienced players brought in were Meeson who had played 2 games and Joel McDonald this year. Given we had no A Grade Exprienced Players on the list at the end of 2007 this was the right thing to do. It is also fairly clear that a comprehensive rebuild while laying the foundation for a core of talented players to come through together and be the basis of the team that can give us Nm13 would see some tough years and some tough games in the first 3 - 4 years. When you factor in injuries to Jurrah, Watts, Wona, Gsrland, Morton and Sylvia our deptrh was always going to be tested in the first half of this season making any judgement on Bailey's ability premature indeed. Hopefully by the second half of this season and next year we will be able to put something like our best 22 on the park and our performances will improve significantly.

It is relevant that our experience is concentrated in Junior, Bruce and Green whereas theirs was far more evenly spread. And of course their experienced players are simply better than ours. To name 3, Hodge and Mitchell and Roughead are A Graders. We do not have one. But we knew that before the gam, in fact we knew that when Bailey took over. We've stocked up on elite youth and there is a fair chance that we will get some A Graders out of them.

Mick Malthouse last coached a team to a flag in 1994. Has had 15 seasons since at 2 of the best resourced clubs in the competition yet has not landed another. Bailey inherited a very ordinary list devoid of elite experienced talent and has overseen a rebuild over 3 drafts focussed on drafting as much of the best young talent available as possible and as a result we have the best collection of elite junior talent of any club. Of course as a result of inheriting a team with no A Graders and recruiting elite young talent instead of trading for short term fixes he has put the team and the club ahead of his own interests. He might not be the coach to take this group all the way through to Number 13 but that should rightfully serve out the final 2 years of his contract and be judged at the end of that period.

lazy article. Should I as a Melbourne fan not be happy that the game did not blow out to the 100 point loss that threatened at half time?

Bradshaw did not want to move to Melbourne - the city not the club - as he likes the anonymity of life outside of the fishbowl existence that AFL players in Melbourne experience. So Bradshaw was never an option even if we thought giving him the 3 year deal the Swannies did was the right thing to do given his age. For obvious reasons Fevola was best served by getting out of Melbourne and given what Voss ponied up when he was the only club bidding for Fev he would have been quite expensive in terms of a trade if we had been in there bidding against Voss. We are building the best young list in the AFL and in doing so undertaking the most thorough rebuild I can remember any club doing. Given the mediocre list we had at the end of the Daniher era this was the right thing to do. It has, and will continue, to cause short term pain. But it does give us our best chance of building a list that can win a flag. And thats what its all about. Who wants to just make Grand Fials and get shellacked? I'd rather have patience with our best collection of young players that I can remember and see them not only make a Grand Final but win it. We'll have days like we did against Hawthorn but as we reduce our injury list reduces and our young playrs - like Strauss - gain experience through the year we will also have better days. Certainly when we field a forward line this season featuring Sylvia, Jurrah, Watts, Wonaeamirri, Jetta, Martin and adding to Bate and Petterd who played on the weekend we'll be more competitive on the scoreboard. Morton and Garland are also pretty important members of our best 22 who are out and will have an impact when they return.

if the answer is Leigh Brown then the question is flawed.

Like most readers of 'land and 'ology I get frustrated by a minority of posters who repeatedly fail to respect their fellow demon fans. I'd be happy for a hard line on these posters who repeatedly seek to denigrate the views of other posters rather than discuss them in a constructive manner. I'd ban and ban and ban and ban until the message gets through.

What the Champion Data 2010 AFL Prospectus (the must have guide for any serious footy fan - player profiles and stats so much better than AFL Season Guide or Inside Footy) reveals about Sylvia's 2009... - recorded personal bests in disposals, contested possesions, uncontested possesions, goals, score assists and tackles. - recorded the most inside 50s of any Melbourne player, generating a goal from 30% of those entries - ranked Nm 1 at Melbourne and the 6th highest percentage of any of the AFL's top 50 inside 50 players during the Home and Away rounds. - Despite missing 5 games he was involved in 25% of Melbourne's scoring chains - ranked second at the club - and on average was the leading score involvement at the Dees - his skills were highlighted by the fact he averaged 34 metres per kick - the most at Melbourne - at an average retention of 65%. -From long range (outside 40metres) in the past 2 seasons he has kicked an elite 24 goals from 34 shots What Demoniac says! His progress has been frustrating, slowed by OP and by a lack of professionalism. But its 2010 and his attitude on and off the field are vastly improved. When the Sherrin is in his hands things happen. Lots of players rack up possies without doing much damage. The stats show that when Sylvia gets it he is damaging. Coming off a career best season and with another good pre season under his belt there is no obvious reason why he won't maintain his 2009 level or even improve. Definitely a key player as we progress towards MFC PS 13.

Have more than a few friends who are Carlton fans so am much enjoying this latest Blooze debacle. It is quite hard to understand that a few months after Blooze players saw their team mate and second most important player traded for alcohol fueled indiscretions they decided that a Blooze Cruise would be an appropriate way to celebrate the xmas breakup. If the rookie was an apprentice tradie and the senior carlton players were tradies wouldn't WorkSafe get involved? In the light of Fevola's departure why didn't Swann or Icke make a point of checking with the players to see what they were planning for Xmas breakup which would strike me as being a fairly obvious risky get together for a club with a Blooze culture? What was Judd doing? Apart from letting the Blooze Cruise go ahead, attending the Blooze Cruise and standing by as a rookie drafted a few weeks prior was tied to a senior player and made to drink till he was barely conscious? He may have no other experienced leaders around him but that is not an excuse. In most ways the epitome of the professional footballer but I don't think he has any real insights about leadership. James McDonald or Nick Maxwell do not have anywhere near Judd's talent but I would back them to have intervened and put a stop to the idea of a booze cruise about 1 second after they were told about it. and..Tim Lane manages to write a whole article about a lack of leadership at Carlton and one four letter word doesn't get mentioned. Tim how can you possibly write an article about the leadership vacuum at Carlton and not mention the Captain of the Carlton Football Club? In case you have forgotten Timmy his name is Chris Judd!

Yes Veronica Premiership Teams can include players aged 30 and Yes Veronica Premiership Teams can also include players over 30. To wit I do not concur with those who automatically assume players like Warnock and Jamar will not be a part of MFC PS 13.

Even just looking at key defenders our defensive stocks are coming together nicely. Frawley, 21, 193cm, 91kg Future All Australian Key Defender. Strong one on one, good mark anf spoil and has that vital speed required to be an elite Key Defender. Another pre season should see him add another couple of kgs to his 2008 listed weight of 91kg. Rebounds well, just needs to further mprove his kicking. Warnock, 26, 192cm, 95kg Reliable and unobtrusive Key Defender. Rarely beaten one on one. Just gets the job done. Another strong mark. Rivers, 25, 192cm, 90kg Key Defender. On the way back. Under rated by some for his spoiling and defensive marking. Having a full pre season under his belt after his first full season in a few years should see him go into 2010 with greater confidence in his body and his own ability. Rare ablity to read the play and judge when to leave his man and help a team mate. Garland, 22, 191cm, 85kg Athletic and good mark. Reads the play well. Could play in defence, on the wing or up forward. Martin, 23, 198cm, 100kg Athletic and versatile. Late starter to AFL. Still developing. Can play forward or back and pinch hit in ruck. Height and strength means ideal option for taking resting Rucks in defence.

Do they know the Draft is on. Is there a Logie for Worst Coverage of a Live Event.. if so Fox Sports have it sown up.

Spoke to someone who should know who said that Ball was over OP and should be finally able to get in a full pre season and recover some of the endurance and speed that he once had. Eased my mind a tad if not completely!

Spencer turned 20 on October 9. 203cm and 100kg. Tall enough to get his hand to the ball first at a ball up, strong enough to compete at throw ins. Good aggression and physicality. So key boxes ticked to be an aggresive physical first ruck. Needs to keep working on his game particularly his kicking and marking but all in all if you expected him to progress any quicker then you were always going to be disappointed and your expectations were in no way realistic. Jamar turned 26 in August. 198cm. 100kg. Jamar is clearly our Nm 1 Ruck. Will hopefully be injury free. Good at getting his hand to the ball first, good second efforts. Marking has improved over the last couple of years - good for swinging forward to create mismatch. Aggresive and physical. Has taken a fair while to come on but most rucks do. Meeson turned 23 in June. 200cm. 100 Kg. Meeson surprised me this year as a Follower. Again needs to be injury free. Competed well in the ruck, marked with his arms fully extended and used his mobility well. Stef Martin (Turns 23 in Novembr. 198cm. 100kg) will hopefully progress up forward but has the height and strength to be swung in to the ruck when required. Paul Johnson (Turned 25 in June. 199cm. 103kg) is the query for mine. Just does not seem to have nailed a position. Not quite a ruckman and not quite a key position player.

NAtional Draft Pick Spot created by NRD1 Bruce onto Veteran's List NRD2 Maclean NRD11 Wheatley NRD18 Whelan NRD34 ? (Delist/Pay Out Bell) PSD1 ? (Delist/Pay Out Bartram) Rookie ? (Delist/Pay Out Johnson) Elevation 1 Rookie ? (Delist/Pay Out/Re Rookie Bail) Elevation 2 Delist/Pay Out Johnson, Bartram and Bell. Keep Cheney, McNamara and Buckley. Simple. Where room in the cap allows we must take the dollar hit if contracted players are first in line for delisting. Possible that if a delisted payed out player is delisted then picked up by another club that we only pay difference in contract if any.

Here is Deeplan for Trade Week Friday: 1 - Bell to Carlton who have been reported as having interest in the various papers 2 - Johnson to Hawks who have been reported to have interest due to Campbell retiring and Bailey doing his knee. Would leave us with 6 spots? Bruce to VL, Wheatley, Whelan, Maclean, Bell, Johnson

Would love Rischitelli to decide to stay in Brisbane. The Blues might have to cop Joel McDonald instead. Talking Carlton might have a nervous breakdown, They've warmed to Rischitelli as a ahrd running defensive mid fielder. Its been hard enough for them to cope with the realisiation that their favoured trade of the Swans Pick 6 + Vespremi or White was always only a Carlton fan's fantasy.

Imagine if Internet Footy Forums banned the use of the words 'hack' and 'absolute gun'....posts would plummet. X Clarke can play good footy as a running utility but has been cruelled with injuries which have prevented him from stringing games together. He comes cheap and if he can get fit will give the depth across half back, midfield and half forward. Voss knows that the likes of Brown, Black, Power and Fevola (if they get him) do not have too many years left and is loading up wth recycled experience to try and get a flag before they go. If they pull it off he is a genious. If they don't then it'll be a bit of a struggle as the veterans retire and they miss the young talent they could have added to the list if they hadn't recycled.

I predict the folk over at Talking Carlton still dreaming of Pick 6 or 14 and Vespremi will read between the lines and pronounce that the Swans are still in the market!

Confirmed by Paul Roos on SEN. Reiterated no interest in Fevola. "On a different path" to wit rebuilding and happy to have 2 picks in the first 14 of the last (mostly) uncompromised draft for a few years. Also revealed Mumford has committed to the Swans and they will seek a deal with Geelong . With Mumford and Jolly off the market opens the way for PJ to move to the Hawks!

Heard our former Nm 41 state that Port asked for a list of Hawk untouchables. Campbell Brown's name was not on it. Hence they deduced that he was available for trade. Logical deduction for mine. Very glad our President does not double as our Football and Recruiting Director!