Redleg

To bring some sense to it Ash, you are as much a chance to play finals as anyone else. Your chances will depend like most others on injury and the season that your senior players in Lloyd, Lucas, Fletcher and McPhee have, as well as your ageing midfielders in Peverill, Johnson etc. If your key forwards and Fletcher are out or have bad years the season is over in my humble opinion. Not really much different to everybody else.

Either can I. The speed at which some people drop off our players is frightening. We all know Yze's negative points, do we forget his positives. He is able to kick goals. Not many can. He is not the type to attack every contest with the aim of knocking out his opponent. He doesn't play that way. That doesn't mean he couldn't win us a final with a few smart kicks. It is [censored] to say every player in a premiership is a star and is ruthless. Bad time to use him as an example but look at the Cats full forward in the GF. 3 of the softest goals I have ever seen, given to him by team mates. Not every player is a Todd Viney. Oh thats right he couldn't kick. Anyone want him out of their side? There is room for the Yze type of player in every team, as long as they contribute. I think the term is a "finisher". How many of them do we have?

I think we have to look at Adem now as the "icing on the cake." He no longer is the sweeping half back flanker, but rather another talented player who will play off the bench, who has the ability to kick a couple of quick goals including the odd miracle team lifter. I see that as his future role and could imagine him doing just that in a final. If he can play a fair season or two he will add to a great career with the Dees. Incidentally he was taken after Camporeale in his year and we wanted Camporeale. I am glad the Blues chose who they did. We got the better player.

Nor does his arrival give them a backline.

That is not the price, that is what they spent "their" money on. The price is what "we" would have paid. Given that it probably would have been picks 4, 14 and 21, then it it would have been too much for me, way too much.

Fair post.

Think a lot of people have forgotten that Adem was a great player for us for a long time. Yes he has had a couple of poor seasons by his standards, but if fit and committed, he could be great value in a forward pocket changing with Flash, Robbo, Green and maybe Sampi. All are capable of kicking a couple of quick goals and are different to match up on. Could create a bit of a nightmare for other sides.

Me too. I must say personally I am very disappointed to hear the news. Craig has been a very good recruiter for the MFC and a nice bloke as well. He will be sorely missed. I would like to know some time in the future what were the reasons he chose to go. If it it was primarily to be at Richmond, given his connection to the Tigers, it would be understandable. This was obviously the opportunity. Craig, I wish you all the best, especially with the PSD/Rookie drafts and for your future. Hopefully you can look back at the careers of some of your Melbourne recruits and feel a part of the success they had with the Dees.

Bizz was great.

I have pushed for Valenti and Martin in the Rookie draft for most of the year, but I am not sure after the draft that is the way we will go.

Given the color of the grass in the background, I think the red may appear brighter in the photo than it actually is. Well at least they will be noticeable.

The reason is to make the draft go smoothly and ensure that the participants concentrate and not stuff it up by naming previously drafted players. In other words they are trying to keep it on a professional level.

And vegemited.

I think it will be hard for Valenti to get a gig, given the type of players we have drafted and the current list. Sampi has also now probably missed out. I would imagine a ruckman and four KPP's will be the go in the PSD/Rookie drafts.

That is a clear precedent and the AFL will be hard pressed in the future to enforce the rule. In reality it is a ridiculous penalty for a slip in the heat and the Boss did the right thing. It would just be ridiculously hard on a club and its supporters. Imagine if it happened to us.

He is not a KPP, though he may become one in years to come. At the risk of being howled down and not trying to second guess our recruiters, I am a little disappointed we haven't taken a KPP, especially a defender. I know that the boys we drafted may all turn out to be good players but I am looking at it from the perspective of addressing our weaknesses. I see us as needing another KPP at both ends and another ruckman. I accept that this may be remedied in the PSD and Rookie draft to some extent, but that is my opinion. I note that Geelong who are well served in this area with Hawkins, Mooney, N. Ablett, Scarlett, Harley, Egan and even Lonergan and others and rucks Ottens, Blake and West loaded up on KPP's and even a huge ruckman. I just feel we had an opportunity to take an acknowledged young KPP like Rance who we desperately need instead of adding midfielder/utility types to the likes of McLean, Jones, Green, Bartram, Petterd, Bruce, Junior, Moloney, Bate, Sylvia, Whelan, Bell, Davey, Wheatley, Bode, C. Johnson, Dunn etc. Anyway it is easy to criticize and I have enormous respect for CAC so I wish all of the new boys great careers with the Dees.

Same thought has just been going through my mind.

No !

Whats new? The competition "is" rigged and that come straight from the CEO's mouth, " the draw is done to maximise income and attendances, not fairness".

I don't think the Pies would ever go if there was a chance that the Roos will commit. In other words, only one team will go there.

His idols are in fact Worsfold and Jackovich and he is the godson of the wife of the Eagle's recruiting officer. Interesting!

Ediie and the Pies made a smart move in offering to play 6 games a year on the Gold Coast. If that is rejected they have made the same offer for Sydney's Western suburbs. It means that they will play their other 16 games at the G and will not have to travel to any other state. That is a huge advantage. The flight to Sydney is only an hour and a half hour longer to the Gold Coast. The business opportunities and membership possibilities are enormous. They have obviously thought this out and are clearly applying enormous pressure on the Roos to accept the AFL deal. Then again if we are a little Machiavellian could we suggest it is a bluff conjured up by the AFL.

The G-Train just beat the 2.00PM deadline.

Go on the link in the club email on the Craig Cameron video. At the end of the interview Craig is asked if he has a couple of smokies up his sleeve and he grins. I love it.

We have left the topic. How many hits do you predict?