Ron Burgundy

Hmmm - doesn't look very good (on the face of it).

Yep. Gawn's a good bloke - super funny, loyal Demon, AA ruck etc. That said, I reckon any advertising agency would look at our list and point to Petracca every day of the week - freakish talent, explosive player, reasonably good looking, 'X factor' in spades. This is what equates to marketability IMO - it's not a question of who's the better bloke to have a beer with at the pub. If it was this, the question should perhaps be rephrased to be 'who's the player you'd most want to have a beer with at the pub?'.

It's gotta be Petracca. He's like an NBA player, albeit playing AFL. For the Demons.

I see us as a top 6 side this year. A good run with injuries and with some much needed momentum, and we’re even better than that. The ANZAC Day eve game against Richmond this year is going to be a belter. It’s not inconceivable to think we might get a crowd of 90,000 plus.

Just watched the replay. Loved our performance. If this team wasn’t called Melbourne, and the last 11 or so years could be expunged from the record, you’d think we’re a top 4 side. Our list is so well balanced. Picking our best 22 is going to be super difficult. It’s the first time in my life that I’m actually looking forward to winter. My heart’s beating again. I can feel it. Finals are absolutely within our grasp now.

We’re top 6 this year. Slobbo is not to be taken seriously.

Without getting into the merits or otherwise of the Watts ‘trade’, I think most astute observers think Port will be a very good side this year. I hardly think that’s a controversial opinion.

Full price. It was actually a pretty funny conversation. I had to convince the lady in the sales department that it was okay, that I’d act as his proxy etc, much as I would if he had already been born but was only, say, one week old. She wasn’t convinced until I said, ‘look, the club needs the numbers’, to which she responded, ‘too right, can’t say I’ve seen this before, but okay’. It was during the Neeld years. The club hadn’t had a new member in a couple of years.

Really surprised to see Tommy Mac miss the cut.

How this for timing - I literally just opened my four year old son’s new membership pack. On the front of his membership card, it has a photo of Petracca. He’s Henry’s favourite player - Henry thinks he’s a real life T-Rex. On the back of his membership card, it says ‘Consecutive years of membership: 6’. I signed Henry up as a 20 week old foetus - exact full name and accurate (future) date of birth. Pretty confident he’s the youngest official member in the history of the club. He’s already waiting for his signed birthday card from the red and blue T-Rex. I’m relieved he’s committed to this club.

St Kilda stuffed up SO badly with their first pick. This guy was a no brainer. You can build a list around him. Apparently he was thought to be a bit immature, yet all I see is limitless enthusiasm, loyalty and an unbridled team focus. I absolutely love this kid. I’m pumped about this extension. Super pumped!

For all of our woeful recruiting over the years, pick 53 for Tommy Mac has turned out to be a complete steal.

The current emblem is the best. By a mile.

Top report DJ - thanks. I, like a few others here, hope Bugg has a cracking season. We play well when he’s in the side. It seems he’s got a point to prove and, importantly, that he’s intent on proving it. Good luck to him.

Should possibly also send a letter to Rory Sloane over the debacle over pick 35 in his draft too.

Love Robbo. Always have.

So much humanity in that tweet. That’s where sport overcomes the corporatisation of everything including itself. It’s possibly the most moving tweet I’ve seen from an MFC player. I see Pedo as (potentially) in our best 22. He was AA standard for a while in 2017, but also went missing in certain games. I really hope he brings his AA standard form this year. I’d love to see him get another contract extension. I also see him as competing with the Weed, not Hogan or Tommy Mac, both of whom will be certainties to start in the forward line each week.

Yes he has.

I’d like to see less rules, not more. And not just in AFL.

I think this flexibility will be perfect for Craig Jennings’ skillset - he could very well devise some interesting structures, running patterns, match ups etc throughout the year on this basis.

Even though I didn’t think it at the time, it’s possible that 2017 is the year we had to have. A finals birth is absolutely there for us in 2018. And not a mere position in the 8, we now have the list, the coaching group and the experience to make an impact. In short, it’s ours to stuff up this year. For some reason, I don’t think we will - I definitely see us playing finals for the first time since 2006.

What’s Jobe Watson up to these days?

Jack Viney to play in the JLT. And to show that he’s still playing at the level he was playing at pre-injury last year, and for him to come through both games completely unscathed and ready to dominate in round 1 v the Cats. And no other injuries. To anyone. At all.

Agree. Many here should buy an internet capable radio and tune into BBC Radio 4, or ABC Radio National’s ‘Big Ideas’. They might then immediately realise how basic/limited these SEN bozos really are. Every. Single. One. Of. Them.

That 2008 draft was a disaster for us. Sloane was a lock at pick 35, and then at the last minute we picked Bennell instead. Shuey was apparently (almost) a lock at pick 17, and then at the last minute we picked Blease instead. Pick 19 on James Strauss - well, this was just bizarre given that 10 or so of the next dozen or so picks were seen to be well ahead of him and virtually all of them turned out to be very good players. That draft really hindered our progress at a critical time for the club. Lucky we have Jason Taylor and Todd Viney these days.