Dappa Dan

Ummm. No. I started talking about next years draftees about 15 minutes after Bail's name was called. The real die hards know about the big names 2 years before the draft day, sometimes a lot more. Don't you know the H&A season is really just a precursor to the real stuff? Though I will say that yes, this thread and others like it should be moved to the "drafting and trading" page... If it still existed. As for the topic, I love the idea of taking 2 mids with the first two picks. Enough of this waiting for our KP players and ruckmen to develop. I want a finished product that we can assess and basically KNOW they're right to step into the big time. A Palmer/Rich would be fine by me... That and Scully, obviously, who just has to be a demon.

1: The media don't care. 2: The severity of his kicking isn't as bad as people (person) on here make it out to be. He was always just an ok kick. Made to look good by a fit and at times dominant team that played around him. Given how our guys make position these days it's little wonder he can't pick out a target. Not many people could. While it sounds like excuse-making, the reason people don't notice his nose-dive is because he was never a great kick to begin with. Think back to his best games... (The Carlton one was an abberation caused more by their ineptitude).... and ask yourself was it his kicking that made him the player he is respected as now? No. And he's still playing the same brand of footy as he did when he made his name in the early 2000s. Why bother?

He doesn't play forward because he was crap there. Couldn't mark overhead, only collected crumbing opportunistic goals at the heels of Robbo and Nieta. Back when we had a season to play for he wasn't showing enough. Now that he's gotten a bit bigger and wiser, there really isn't any reason why he can't be tried there again. It couldn't possibly get worse. He'd only need to chip in with 2 or 3, and keep up his good work as a tall tagger. Then when the team has been recruited and is settled in a couple of years they can reassess and see if it's worth keeping him on the list.

For 2009-10 and 11 I say have him coach the team. After that, make a call on: How he has been going as a match-day coach vs whoever is available at the time in the coaching fraternity. If there's a tried and true premiership coach out there, and they're available, and they want to come over (who wouldn't with the list we'll have) then by all means. We have to leave no stone unturned. If he's the right man for the job, a la Clarkson, then by all means.

Scully is the man. Now all we have to hope is that some club doesn't get in his ear and tell him to take th foot off the gas so they can take him later in the draft. We need this guy. Has all the strengths we need as a club. Spencer to McLean, McLean to Scully, Scully to Strauss, Strauss to Blease, Blease runs into fifty and dabs one to Watts in the square who takes it over 3 opposition players. Boots it into the third level. Meanwhile, Jared is chatting with Matthew about how best to tattoo one's spine with your own surname. Martin is having a push-up competition with Frawley in the square. Warnock is having a 30 minute nap up against the opposition goal-post with a pack of doritos and a [censored].

That would be a no. But not by so much that the difference is stark. With less body issues, Sylvia would be a better player. Tambling's problems are COMPLETELY in the head. At least with Sylvia, if he gets his body right, he MIGHT end up being of use to the club. He has played some good games.

Why is everyone pumping up Grimes?!!! WTF? We're not that bereft of leadership are we? I like the kid but he's played one game! Just because he speaks in complete sentences and says all the right things, that's like the LAST thing on the list of captaincy requirements I'd worry about. Let's first see if he can play the game, play it 22 rounds in a year, isn't slow, isn't injury prone, doesn't shift clubs (unlikely, he's a demons supporter)... most of all let's wait until he's well out of his teens. The same goes for Morton too. What's the deal with everyone trying to plug captains that have barely eked out a season yet?!! Back on topic, I would say Green all the way at this stage. I wasn't always a fan, but every week he earns it. He's come of age, and while he's not a league star, he's the best man for the job going round at the moment. Besides JMac of course, who is a confirmed club champion. I like to think that given the responsibility, Green will flourish. I remember hearing a speech from someone old and important not so long ago that went something along the lines of... It's only under duress and stress that a persons nature is exposed. Some men who seem most likely to succeed, fail miserably, some endure... and others shine like they were born to be tested in whatever manner they are. The way Brad came back to the leadership group after being left out? He could easily have packed it in, switched clubs, cracked the sads. But he knuckled down and earned his place in the leadership group again. Until a premiership captain can be crowned, Brad is a sensational interim captain, and is now even an on-field leader. Actually, saying he's interim is probably unfair. I think he'd surprise a few people.

Well they would, and did, and won a flag in 2008. Bailey's not going anywhere. So it's as good an idea as any to try to see what his plan is... The time to mark him is not now. It will be in another 18 months. The Hawks only juuuust stayed with Clarko, and it reaped a flag for them. When the development is done, it will be at the end of a few years of pain under Bailey. At THAT stage we will all have to look and see if he's a good enough match-day coach to get us there. If not, then i would be time to go with someone like Eade... or, silly as it may seem, Wallet... who was never a bad match-day coach.

I won't whack you. I agree, his skills as they were when he came to the club, and as they are now are why he remains such a big topic. But you sum it up yourself. He will never be an out and out blue chip star... So why not entertain the thought of a trade? Rhino hits it on the head. He has little value that would make it worth trading, but if he monstered the comp over the second half of the season, we could ride that wave and get something for him... I actually like Col, enjoy watching him play, but like you I have to admit he will have limits. It's like with Bruce. He has limits too, but he gets the best out of himself, and would be pretty worthless in a trade at his age. Col is the other way around. Recruiters may believe all he needs is a team around him, a firebrand coach who can get into his ear, and time, which is still on his side. I'm thinking GC would probably be our best bet at this stage. Freo are probably not going to be the promised land of draft picks anymore.

ONLY a 10 goal victory will keep the dogs at bay. My goodness. Hadn't thought about that. Cometh the hour... With some Wallet-hunting going on over the next 19 rounds (probably less) it'll take heat of the demons, which is good in anyones' book. I might have to drop in to 'ology... That TGR (?) guy would be having a fit. Post of the week to KJ. It's kind of sad, you don't want to see a coach get smacked around the way Frawley was 4 years ago. His reputation will now be absolute mud. No supporter base would tolerate the hiring of this guy if it all goes pear shaped the way it looks like it's going to, and I don't want to see that from any former champion player. WB fans (with long memories who hold grudges) aside, it would be a dark day for footy. But that's the name of the game I guess.

Que? People are sick of it? Or is it just you? The club's been in a rough patch because of silly little boys who get their teeth into the inner workings of the footy department and tear apart any good work that's being done for a quick fix, and a handful of meaningless wins. Mate, the vast majority of demons supporters, at least the ones who know the smallest bit about footy, want to recruit heavily for the next year or two. NOT win a handful of games in '09. Try this on for size. Answer a simple question, if you can. How did Hawthorn win the flag in '08? If you can manage to answer correctly, you'll see why, in VERY "simple" terms, your post is nonsense. And as for McLean. He's playing hurt. I would say if he's never going to get better, then yes attempt to unload him, or delist if he's done so much damage to his ankle that he won't come good. Otherwise what we're talking about is a call that's been made by the EXPERTS in the demons' medical staff that the problem will sort itself out over time. Again, simple.

Thanks to Nicolasmia over at Bigfooty (don't judge me, I had a few hours to burn)... This made me feel kind of good. "If carlton didnt get Judd, They would of gotten Kruezer and Palmer/Morton ( they rated Morton/palmer equally third They would of kept Kennedy They would have gotten Selwood/Ward at pick 20 last year. Without judd this year they would of won 4-5 less games, which would of qualified them for pick 1 and 2 in this years draft. So they would of gotten Watts and Natanui, furthermore they would have gotten Warnock for free in PSD, or Okeefe for free, or both and would of cost them a round 2 pick. Therefore the choice is Judd Armfield or Palmer/Morton Selwood/Ward Kennedy O'Keefe Naitanui Watts who would you choose In hindsight big mistake IMHO, they would be set with the best group of young players in the league. Big opportunity missed " Thoughts? I don't know if I agree completely, but it's an interesting point. They certainly did lose a LOT in the recruiting stage making the choice they have. Also, they have a lot of time left before it's too late for Judd. Also, spare a thought for where we will be in two or so years. We will have the best young list going around, teenagers to burn, and we may be looking at a similar scenario. One would assume that if a star 23 yr old midfielder wanted out of a club, we would have the picks and players to have the most clout...

I was thinking the same thing in regards to the dons, only my end result was the opposite... The Done have had some recruiting blunders, chief among them guys like Mal Michael. They are still relying on Lucas, Lloyd and Fletcher for a lot of the REAL work put in around the ground. Throw in an absent McVeigh, and while they're running a young side, they are in exactly the same place we were a few years ago when Neita was declining. They spent time papering over the holes, and will pay for it in the future. They may have a brief resurgence, but they won't get anywhere near the top 4, and will certainly not win a flag before bottoming out again. We are ahead of them simply because we have around 2/3rds of the kids we need to rebuild. They have only a handful. The youngsters they have now that are making good running will look just like Brock, Sylvia, Davey etc etc in a few years. Without their older team-mates they will struggle the same as our mid-twenties players do.

Getting more possessions than just about any other demon. In case you were watching a different game. Never let the truth get in the way of making a tool out of yourself. [censored]. BOG for the game? Or for us? Serious question, I was unable to watch. I love how everyone seems to think we won't win a game. They said the same thing last year and we came out and recorded the second best half-time comeback ever. And then wen ton to win 2 more games than we needed to, securing Jack and Blease in the mean-time. And the funniest thing is, we're better than we were last year. I mean... we're still diabolically bad, but we're better than last year. Exactly the same thing will happen as last year, only we are more of a "danger" to win more than 3. Mid-year, other clubs will start to suffer injuries and tire. A club will come in not taking us seriously (a la Brissy and Freo) or one will just be worse than us... (WCE). Also, our kids will still be hungry come round 6 when things cease to be as hectic and messed up as they are in the first few rounds. I don't know what people expect. All the other clubs are fresh as, and no matter how fresh our teenagers are, they are still just teenagers. I would say a 60-point flogging at AAMI is about par for MFC. Back when we had a mature list, we were getting done by just as much. Add to this the fact that we actually won the last quarter instead of fading out as usual, and you have plenty of reasons NOT to lose your cool.

Rob Murphy anyone? I reckon he certainly could, it just depends how he plays the role. Besides, a true CHF role is actually a bit of an out-dated model. He can be a rangy tall forward, certainly. It's just a question of whether you want him to play the body-on-body role a la Fev and Brown, or the rangier role where he's more of a link-man. I think he has the capability to be similar to Murphy, certainly.

I hope so... I think he'd be the one Id be hoping for even more than I hoped for Watts. And that's saying something. As for the thread... I like Enforcer's Chappy comparison with Maric. Though that could be because of last round. I know it's boring, but of course Watts will be a creator. I don't think he'll even play forward as much as everyone says. Or at least he'll play up the ground with his speed, engine and footskills. Think Hird. With some help, Aaron will be an X-factor for another 5 years or so.

Going on your criteria for talking up a future captain, half the players on our list have what it takes to be a captain. Or at least did within their first 2 games, and with just over 12 months at the club. Jones, Petterd, Bate, Dunn, Brock, PJ, Spencer, Grimes, Morton, Moloney... In fact there are precious few who actually DIDN'T show what it takes to become a captain. Most of them have been delisted, or are Sylvia. At the start of this thread it was mentioned that Watts and Grimes would make good captains, and that we should think about someone in the meantime. That's an absurd idea. I'm all for a bit of generous hype and positivity, as I hate the negativity over at 'ology grandma's club, but jeez, there has to be a limit. I'm stunned he's not in the leadership group. I'm all for him being a VC, and being the one to beat as skipper of the club. My only question mark there is the same one we've been harping on about since his debut. He's not got the physical presence required to make a dent in finals... and I'm one of those people that think a skipper has to be a figurehead, taking on the physicality of the game, as that's an area a team needs to have an example set. No disrespect to Aaron, but he's just not that kind of player. The issue with him being appointed would be that many would claim it's something to do with his heritage. Many would celebrate it, and rightly so, but then many would also criticise it. And that would be a shame.

Wattch the footage. He'll be none of those. He screams Hird to me.

The way he's been frustrating us in recent games, and in recent years (since 2006), I can see Chook taking on Cameron Bruce-like infamy on this site.

This has to be the only reason. It's a no-brainer. Unlike so many positions where we have a bunch of mediocre players who come in and out of the side, we're screaming out for forward options who can be inventive. The temptation is to rush him back and have him end up doing a hammy. So kudos to the coaching staff there. No huge rush. I would think by next week, or the week after he will be launching his campaign for the Rookie of the year awards... And this is why I don't bother posting team-sheets anymore. We don't have players that occupy real positions (McLean HBF???). We have little structure, and barely any of the names on the list fill me with enthusiasm for the following round. Yes, yes, the future is encouraging, but the IMMEDIATE future is dire.

How is it that people are already earmarking Watts and Grimes as captains?!!! And WHY?! Are we that desperate? They're 17 and 19 years old!!! There are so many things that could go wrong between now and the time they mature. We don't even know if both players will still be at the club! Wouldn't it make more sense to talk about who's going to succeed McDonald? It bothers me how Grimes pops up with a half decent run in the NAB cup, and a few interviews where he seems to have his head screwed on straight, and everyone already is talking about him as a captain?

I was under the impression they had too many ruckmen. He was the fourth in line in their ruck stocks and had to go. From memory they had Gardiner (when he was a star), Cox (as he was becoming a star) and Seaby (erm.... was playing football). That's a pretty sweet lineup for that stage, and they were on the way to a flag. Under those circumstances, PJ was a NQR who just had to be shed. Pretty sure right now he'd be preferred over Seaby. I'm the same. I don't rate Zomer, but for me it's not THAT personal. I just reckon KP forwards who are huge and can take a grab are really not that special, or rare. Nothing against the kid, but if we want a star for our future to play along the side of Watts (and maybe a Butcher-type) they have to be able to contest, mark and finish, along with having a good footy brain. And that's a minimum... Zomer doesn't even have those strengths. Look at Miller. He has so many gifts, and is hamstrung by the fact he's not a noted finisher. It's the reason we have clung onto Newton. He fits all the criteria, and has a leap to go with anyone's, and even he can't crack it in the worst side on the comp. Like I say, I don't want to sink the boots into the kid. Maybe he can find a physicality and toughness that's missing with everyone else. Or at least force our other KP forwards to compete for their spot in the team. I just can't be convinced to have high hopes just yet.

Not everyone agrees with Freak, but yes, we are looking now for kickers, and we need to. As usual, following whatever made last years premiers get over the line. I'm not completely certain just recruiting good disposers will get you there. We used to have one of the most skilled groups of kickers going around, an it got us an express ticket to mediocrity. For mine, I reckon the bottoming-out thing is crucial, but so is timing. We have gone for talls/talls/talls in recent years, and now have maybe only one or two more bona-fide prospects we need. The midfield is something that would come together quicker from the recruiting stage. Rich, Murphy, Judd, Palmer... These are guys tha within a year or two were making good accounts of themselves in the big league, not taking 3-5 yaers to come good like so many talls do. When our mids start developing, once recruited from next year on, they'll all come good (hopefully) at the same time. From there, I think our kicks will be MUCH improved. Maric, Blease, Watts, and many of the lesser lights can kick... I think they just need the mature bodies around them to steady, and to offer some space.

I never even look at these threads anymore. It's just an excuse to put: Ins: (insert favourite players name here) Outs: (insert players you dislike) If we were to go by what we see here, at some point or another EVERYONE in the side is going to be dropped. And apparently replaced by Jurrah or Newton. WTF?!!! How about, just for something completely different, we go with some truth. Bailey will try to cling to the same list as MUCH as possible. Making wholesale changes week-in week-out not only achieves nothing in terms of winning games, but hurts the development of what we would call key players for our future. He did it last year, mostly because we were bereft of 22 AFL-ready players. We're closer this year. The seniors will stay, because you can't field a team of 18-21 yr olds. Bruce is still one of our best players (not necessarily GOOD players), no matter what some deluded, self-centred wankers on here would tell you. Green is way too important. The guys in their early twenties will stick around because by and large they are the ones who have shown a bit of grit. Moloney chief among them. Also Warnock. The VERY young guys are the only ones who might have to give way, and only because nobody wants to wear them out. At the moment though, this would only happen if there was a Grimes, or when he's up and about, Maric who can slot in. Just relax everyone. We're [censored]. We know this. Look for small victories, and stop expecting a finished product... more importantly, stop wielding the axe every time we don't win by 10 goals.

The swearing was deleted. Typical 'ology supporters. Somehow forget that we're all on the same side, and hijack a thread that has nothing to do with 'ology, OR football for that reason to snipe. I wonder, when the demons start winning again, if they'll actually be able to remember how to stop being nagging, negative, whining old grandmas? And I would post there, but there would be no reason... they know everything, and in case you have your doubts, just ask them. They'll tell you.