Roost It

That's the closest anyone has come to a valid reason why we need to win.

Let me get this straight. You wouldn't bag Brock but you think he's slow and runs around in circles and you hope Moloney smashes him. Interesting.

You were watching closely

Bailey had been using him to little effect in the forward pocket. Bailey knew his time as an AFL player was up when he broke his ankle (maybe even before) the club knew this and were very pleased to see him walk for pick 11. In steps Brett Ratten who is fast becoming the next ex AFL coach who snapped too quickly at the bait that was Brock. The fact is Brock knew his time at Melbourne was over and he and the club made an amicable split. A few other facts relating to the trade. The club was stoked that it got pick 11. Brock thought he was going to a club on the up with smarter facilities and better prospects. Oops. Brock didn't like driving to casey. Let's hope he enjoys the drive when the Bullants play casey. Ratten will be lucky to make it to 2011. Chris Johnson anyone. Bailey didn't see brock through the rose coloured glasses that some here did and was more than happy to see him go. He's too slow both by foot and by reflex. Brock will be lucky to be playing AFL in 2011 Chris Judd also chose poorly. I am in no way am bagging Brock, I'm just calling it like i see it. And I have a certain distaste for all things carlton.

The one I can find has Scully in the team

The fact is he wanted out because the writing was on the wall. Bailey had made it clear that he wanted pace through the midfield. Our FD went hunting for a high draft pick and Carlton obliged. Our club handled the situation beautifully. I have no problem with Brock and don't care whether he shakes Kirk's hand or not. I do know that that drive to Casey he found so tough is probably looking quite good right now.

I'm not sure what is so funny. Chris Connolly and co were in a car with Neville's mum on the way to watch Neville play. Mum turns to Chris and says Neville and Leroy are good but the pick of the bunch is Lewis you guy's should be picking him. he's one that got away a bit like when Freo started and wanted Darren Kowall meaning we could have taken Wirrapunda, we declined and the rest is history. I wish Lewis all the bets and he's off to a great start.

After watching that game you'd have to wonder whether Brock will ever be able to compete at the top level again. He's so slow and the game is so fast. Looks like more inspired work from Dean Bailey. He wanted Brock out and snared pick 11. carlton are fast becoming a joke and I for one am enjoying the laugh. I can't tell you what they are cooking but I can tell you they are stirring it with another wooded spoon! It might not come this year but it's coming! Is Jordan Gysberts better than Brock. I'll bet my brand new Imac on it.

So here we sit, after 3 successful drafts we have all the key ingredients in terms of talented players, we're on the cusp of enjoying league standard facilities, our supporter base is stirring and membership is growing steadily, our coaches are focused and confident and our leaders are proud, passionate and driven to succeed. Now all we need is that elusive, ever changing recipe for Premiership success. The reason that it is so hard to come by is that it's always changing, the new recipe supersedes the old in a continuous evolution of our great game. The recipe is not something found externally, we can't open a book and read out the directions.<BR><BR>No the recipe must be drawn together from several points. Some will be from the last few premiership teams, some from the minds of our coaches, some will come from the players strengths, some from their weaknesses. Some may even come from way in the past when football was profoundly different. Some may even come with Liam Jurrah and his people's ability to take our game somewhere else, somewhere almost mthyical. Somewhere where the God's play a roll, where the earth, sky, sun, oceans and moon draw together to show us something new, or old, very very old.<BR><BR>This recipe must be drawn together by our coaches and Dean Bailey is the main man here. I knew nothing much about Dean when he arrived at this "to be proud again" club. In the 2 years he has been here I have defended him against constant comments from my less informed friends. Each and every time I tell them to listen to him, or even better go to training and watch and listen to him. This is a man that is unlikely to be replaced as we begin our march up the ladder. In fact when I hear Dean speak I am filled with confidence, confidence that he has what it takes to gather together the requisite pieces of the next Premiership recipe. He's a driven, calm, assured and intelligent bloke who has the respect of not only the players but the administration and I suspect also the vast majority of informed members and supporters. I also sense he has an extremely strong will to take this club all the way to the top. <BR><BR>It's been along time since this club was truly rebuilt with a view to the future. Past coaches and administrations have appeared in a hurry, wanting success before the team was ready. The Daniher era felt very much as though it was 2 steps forward and 1 back and although he and his team got close never were we the feared hungry outfit that we all want to see. Things at last feel different. Our past is being intertwined with our future. Our heritage is being respected and all areas of our club appear to be drawing together for a greater good. No longer do we hang our hats on past heroics, no longer do we feel safe just because we are Melbourne. Now we are defining a new Melbourne, one that draws all elements together and has one eye firmly fixed on a future containing success and Silverware.<BR><BR>The names Watts, Grimes, Scully, Trengove, Jurrah, and Morton are all new to our club. They are young men and something that sets them apart from other draftees is not only their abilities as players but also their abilities as leaders. All great teams need leaders and whilst I take my hat off to James NcDonald his time is drawing to a close and someone is going to have to pick up the mantle and help drag this club back to the top. Jack Grimes brings a sense of the worker to the field. Someone who those around can depend on. He came to us in a swap for Travis Johnstone. At time's Travis had us in awe of his abilities, he was sublimely gifted and could help turn a match. He did this with a sense of ease, almost disinterest that some found hard to swallow. With Jack it's slightly different. Maybe not as purely talented but with an upbringing that has instilled dependability, honesty, integrity, intelligence and a workrate and will to succeed that is matched only by the games greats. That's what captains are made of and I'm throwing Jack's hat in the ring for our next captain. I think it would be an inspired choice.<BR><BR>Tom Scully and Jack Trengove are now almost seen as one. Both Captains of their respective State teams, both beautifully gifted, hard at it and driven young men. One with the hands of a master craftsmen and make no mistake that's what Tom's hands are. Here we have a player who can extract his own ball and in less than a blink of an eye can dish it off to a player who has the space to damage the opposition. That player might be Jack Trengove or any number of runners that we now have, say Jamie Bennell who has been compared to Andrew Mcleod (and for good reason). Or maybe Aaron Davey will be running by, or Neville Jetta, who's played alongside Jamie Bennell since the Under 6's. Now that's familiarity. He may even dish it off to Liam Jurrah who's decided to roam the centre looking for his own ball. He might take it and dance out of trouble before landing the ball between 3 defenders into the arms of Jack "who is Nick Natanui anyway" Watts. Jack will quite possibly just take the ball and swing around onto either foot and slot a team lifting goal from 60 metres or maybe he'll just walk back and line up and achieve the same result. He may even decide to dish the ball of to a running Jack Trengove who will just run towards to top of the 50 metre ark before stepping inside Gary Ablett and slotting one through from 40 metres. Anyway you look at Tom's going to being setting up goals for the next 10 - 12 years for this club.<BR><BR>Jack Trengove will be found mainly where the ball is but looking at him I'd say we'll also see him drifting back for match saving marks of even forward to kick match winning goals. Either way you have it we have them both and God help the opposition if both of them cut loose on the same day.

Yes well said, but you can see why the temptation was too great1

I'm so glad.

It appears the FD is giving Big Jack his "You want to play AFL, then here you go" moment. If last week is a gauge he's no where near ready but he'll wake up on monday knowing exactly what lies ahead if he is to make the grade. I'm confident in his abilities but it's going to take some time.

Probably not. In the end this match is no consequence, either for the team or the club. The last 3 years we have set membership records on the back of dismal match day performances. We will set another record this year. The team is set for a much improved year, we have better players than we have had over the last few years and more development in the 2 and 3 year players. Not to mention Sylvia, Grimes, Rivers, Moloney and Davey are all fitter and have all been serious injury free for some time now. The only goal that matters is getting this team into a position to win one or more premierships in 2 + years time. That is our goal everything else is secondary. Once we start winning season proper games on a regular basis (2011 - 2012) then the membership numbers, media exposure, team confidence, winning culture, increased revenue, crowd numbers and respect we want will all follow. This match makes no difference and your suggestion that it is Critical is to say the least premature. For the record I think we'll win by 5 goals.

Go on, take your pick. Personally, on potential(as that's all we have) I'd take the current crop. There's far more midfield grunt and class and throw in Jurrah and you have the excitement we all love.

So the point of your thread is what exactly?

It's been said several times and I'll say it again. I can't wait for the season to begin!

If the above were all 21 or less would you swap them for: Watts, Frawley, Scully, Jurrah, Trengove, Bennell, Grimes, Morton, Garland, Bate, Bruce and Green.

Jurrah's not going to leave. None of them are. It is still respected to be a one club player, espcially when you play for a powerhouse like we are about to become.

There's a lot of hysteria on this site as the season approaches. Is Watts better than NN? Why are all our players always injured? We are doomed if we get flogged by Freo in the first NAB cup game. People, we have recruited a very young, skilled and talented bunch of kids. There's also quite a few who could develop into seriously good captains down the track. Is Watts better than NN? Only time will tell, FFS you can't seriously sit here and tell me than we made a mistake when we haven't even seen Watts string a dozen games together. The FD has got Rivers, Sylvia and Moloney over cronic OP. Grimes seems over serious back problems which involved his running style, which was altered. Garland appears to be doing very well. So what if Freo beat us, it means nothing, absolutely nothing in the context of us winning a Premiership in 3 to 6 years time. Personally I think some of us need to just show some judgement and some patience.

Give me an example of where the current (and past for that matter) football departments have failed to develop talented players well.

Play him on the ball and watch as he becomes one of the games greats. I have to pinch myself at the thought of Scully playing in red and blue alongside the likes of Watts, Trengove, Grimes, Blease and Morton. That my friends is called a Premeirship top 6.

In 2 years time we can bump this thread and have a good laugh. Nik Nat will of course be a great player and i wish him all the best and hope he has a long and successful career. Jack Watts, in all liklihood, will end up in the game's elite. He has a big frame, sensational pace and skills and something that Nik Nat will never have, natural football smarts. Yes he will get injured, even Carey and Hird missed lenghty periods of football. This is part and parcel of the game. The fact is these days we have more and more knowledge of injuries and bodies and how to best prepare them. Our club hasn't put a foot wrong with Watts and is playing it cautious. We're taliking about a 10 - 12 year career here folks. Whether or not he plays AFL in the first 6 - 8 weeks of 2010 has no bearing on how well he will be playing in 4 - 5 years time which is when we NEED him at his best. That best will only be achieved if the club ticks every box in the strength and conditioning of young Jack.

He doesn't need to tag players to learn how the best go about it, he already knows how they go about it and he's working to take that to another level. I say set the kid free to damage the opposition. Players of Scully's ability learn through observation and hard work, not to mention he has that extra couple of percent in sheer determination to succeed. We're all sitting back in awe of Trengove's game on Saturday some even suggesting he shouldh've gone number 1. A fully fit Scully with a few preseason's under his belt will be the best player at this club if not in the AFL.

That's a good side. Looking forward to Garland, Bruce,Wonaeamirri, Watts, Tapscott and Bate getting a game. We should easily beat Freo and add a couple of thousand to our membership tally - sales have slowed!

Correct, I suffered from some poor wording.