buck_nekkid

MRP is a confusing mess. Gill remains a dill. demons 5th. rule of the week ruins otherwise reasonable games. Jesse Hogan absolute breakout year. Lever proves he is worth every cent. AA.

Here is why I love this trade and draft period. 1. We got Lever. You can stop reading here. The get of the draft period 2. We no longer have to draft ‘messiahs’ who will instantly fix our lot. We can draft some ‘developing talent’ and let them..develop. It has been the big problem over the last 5 or so years, that young players have not been afforded space and time to develop. Now they can. 3. We have heaps of upside in guys already on our list, who should keep developing. Maynard, AVB, Petracca, Oliver, Wieds, Hogan, the Mac brothers, stretch, JKH, Kent, etc etc etc. if only half of this group improves, all will be well. 4. It looks like we had a solid shopping list, and are rewarding players who are players and prepared to work for it. No flat track bullies here, but guys who are competitive and have had to show something to get here. 5. I think our list looks better after the draft and trade than before. There is more competition on spots back, middle and forward. We also have a few master-apprentice opportunities emerging in each line. 6. I think we are more flexible and have more options. I think we also may see a few players shifting roles to fit into the structure better. 7. Collingwood got a kid with a poor ticker. Fits the mould for the club. (Just a bonus!) I give us a fairly high rating for this period, but the proof will be in the pudding.

We are. A small part of his salary. anything else, I don’t give a stuff about. He is no longer a Melbourne player, he is a past player.

Photos beg to differ. Seemed to be running well, and not yet even due back! pic by Demonpk

When guys like Watts TMac and others are considered reasonable alternatives in the ruck, and teams like the Doggies hardly fielded a real one, I think this is a great move by the club and max. If he can be even more mobile, take really solid grabs and act as the cutout for kick ins etc, swing forward and kick a few, and generally be fitter and more agile, I think it really adds to the team. The slow, lumbering ruck is almost being made redundant. This is also where King and Flippers come in.

I don’t want them to come back early so a few sycophants can say ‘wow, these guys are committed’. The club has agreed leave for 1-4 year players, and longer break for older players. I don’t want kool aid drinkers. I would suggest that if they don’t come back when they are due, we have a problem. Until then, nothing to see here...

There is also a workplace EBA. There can be no pressure on any of them to come back early. I’m sure they have plans for the off season for what they should do, and it is not reasonable to ask people to come back from their leave early for how it looks. They should take their appropriate leave, just as you would expect your boss to offer you. Then come back and get to work, as they are paid for.

Time in season cannot be dedicated to building size. Playing, recovering, maintaining, etc is different to spending significant time and energy working on developing size and bulk. Would expect the off season to be when these guys can accelerate their mass building

Doesn't want to get ahead of himself...

Great for Jack, can’t see the sense for Port. Is he back up for Rocky? Do they want him for leadership? we know he is a great bloke and a smart footballer, but he was off the pace of AFL in the games he played this year for Melb. I think he will dominate the SANFL, but will be found out if selected for Port. Ports strategy is difficult to understand, with their outs and ins. Have brought in 4 players with specific question marks- they must believe that Kochie’s Kool Aid fixes all. 2018 will be an interesting year for this team.

Dion's new nickname then - Warwick. Had a few hits...

Now you have spoiled it for me. (I will be at most of them, anyway, so no biggie for me)

Better than only being on Foxtel, at least we gete some FTA numbers for the sponsors...

Sunday afternoons at 3:20 are usually the televised Sunday game on 7. We may get more coverage than many here expect.

Such big news, didn’t make the Age...

Soon enough he will be 'training the house down'..... We have had no news out of the club except that he and TMac will have a delayed start. It is a great question - do we know anything more? Nate Jones is out running - are there any instagram posts or anything about what Viney is up to? BTW, I reckon a few posters should sign off from Demonland for a few weeks. Honestly, every thread is full of how bad everything is, how poorly we manage the players, how underwhelming our coaching staff is, how player X is a spud, how we mishandled Watts exit, how we paid too much for Lever... Did I miss anything?? Fhark me! Sure we had a crap end to the year. But time for some of you to let go of your little hobby horses and engage in the damned conversation at hand. (I suppose this is my hobby horse!)

I [censored] love this bloke.

Can’t we pick up DFAs for nothing now, in the appropriate time window? Won’t even cost us 47. It is more a case if we have a spot we are prepared to use on the main list. Otherwise we will have to wait for the rookie draft. I think the FD will pass for the main list, and if history serves, will pull a Smokey from a state league before a DFA for either list.

FMD! Some of you would complain if you won the lotto! I am fed up with the same people, making the same assertions, on every fricken thread. Don’t you think we have heard you already? It is you humble (well, not so humble) opinion that we were ‘bent over’ or ‘terrible negotiators’ or whatever. How specifically do you determine this? If we look at results: MFC landed the player that they were after, moved on a player they were happy to move on. The rest is assumption based upon posters ‘perceived knowledge of potential future value’ of draft picks’ worth, or else a belief that we could have managed to achieve more (which is possible, but from outside, how can we actually tell?). Unless you are present, and have all information, it is not possible to tell how the trades were discussed. Unless you have inner knowledge of our list management priorities and strategies, it is not possible to determine if the club was successful or not. My personal belief (based upon evidence over the last few years) is that: The club has a clear idea of what they need for the list, and are not afraid to make the calls to see this through (evidence, Trenners, Watts, Lever) The club is innovative in its approach and open to try new things (evidence: one of the first teams to trade up for lower picks / more points that suited both parties) The club will take opportunities that suit its needs (evidence: Lewis) The fact that we did not act on the last day does not mean that we were not active. However, I would rather the club operate strategically and opportunistically in line with their vision, than simply acting to keep a few uninformed fans happy. I look forward to us progressing in 2018 based on the development of assets we already have, as well as Lever adding to the mix. I look forward to a strong culture, a leadership group at the club (not in the team) that drives its strategy and executes to get the results. I am yet to see evidence that I will be disappointed, based upon this trade period. (And with DFA options still available, who knows what else may happen?)

Frost on the wing?

Col announced his retirement today. Hopefully his shift to coaching is a great success for the MFC. Frees up some cap, and also a list spot. Just in time for ‘happy hour’ in the trade room???

Are we done yet? What/who is left for us to target, or do we upgrade picks?

Really? How do you judge that his negotiating skills are horrible when you have NO IDEA what his desired outcome, or minimal negotiating position, actually is? It is not life and death, FMD! He is not a hostage negotiator. I would prefer that the Dees are known as decent to deal with - the first step in building trust to establishing a frame for negotiation. you slag him off and have not one f’ing clue.

Mr Watts performs 30% of the time. Mr Motlop performs 30% of the time. That means in 9% of the time both Mr Watts and Mr Motlop will perform. (I made those numbers up, so don't hate me for them!). Port have gone 'all in'. It will be interesting to see if fresh starts help these two. As for Mr Rockliff, who dies he replace? Where does he actually fit into this team (I think Wines and Grey are ahead of him). If Paddy Rider is injured (or doing time, just saying..) no Lobbe. JW to ruck for Port? It is a big gamble, and I am not convinced on Port. Weren't as good as their ladder possie suggested this year, and failed to beat the Weagles on their own deck when it counted. Who won the trade period? Probably all the media hacks that get paid for an unsubstantiated opinion. This is hay-cutting season for them! (Plough, take a bow you opinionated [censored])

How many times does this stupid [censored] rumour have to be denied, by Hogan, his manager and the club? Sheesh!