Rod Grinter Riot Squad

You're right re 'ology being doomed, but will always consider it home, thankfully this is and always has been a great alternative. Had an 18 month stint up in Mission beach, back in Melbourne (well the farm just outside) while doing some exams then looking for a new place to hang the hat - probably Brisbane / Cairns or Darwin (your old joint is appealing but for the cost of living there). Guess it depends where I get my next job, but they are most likely bases.

Skills, you know me better as Korean Demon, you were pumped about us getting Shannon, he didn't do a huge amount in his first year, but we gave him a pass due to his fitness. Give him a preseason you told us, speaking him up so much you had me sold. DW and yourself were right re Scully, but odd example to use when you say no-one gets it right. You'll find half a dozen posters here who do follow the youngsters and are some of the few to pay attention to at this time of year. I'm also learning to really like the ignore function as it gets a lot of the hysterical posters and those who post 20 times in every thread while saying nothing, makes the board easier to read

Nice rewriting of history there. Before Scully was drafted, David Williamson, who does watch a lot of NAB football (| believe) was very critical, consistently so, of Scully's kicking and didn't consider him a top 2 pick due to this fundamental flaw. You followed his lead.

Offering pick 4 for Wellingham and Dawes is crazy, 13 for the pair would be a good deal for boh parties. Yet again, the Melbourne Football Club seem out of step with reality. Each time you get a bit optimistic about the direction of the club you get a sobering reality dose. I would normally have great difficulty believing a club could push this trade, but maybe we are the new Dockers.

Similar to the pick 4 for Dawes and Wellingham IMO. No way would Melbourne be this stupid. Remember, we are the Demons, not the Dockers. God these rumours crack me up, some moron journo to big noting spud says or posts something, it gets online and races around. All coming from the one source originally, so many hear it from different sources it must be true....

Ray, who I can't say I'm a fan of is only 26, not exactly past his prime

Happy with this move. We desperately need some experience and a small forward, 2 boxes ticked. A hard trainer, a natural leader from a very successful club. Sure he isn't a world beater but if he can pass on much of what he has learnt over his journey these benefits will outweigh anything he does on the ground. Good get IMO.

Trade week started already?

http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/menzel-hoping-for-a-draft-kneesup-20121002-26xey.html Intersting comments from doctor, re using LARS when required, could easily get 10 years over 12-13 year period. Medical report on him being scrutinised by clubs, if available do we take him at 13 (a bargain by all accounts if we got 10 playing years out of him) or pass. As stated Selwood and Judd dropped due to injury concerns. Others had concerns and they proved true... At pick 13, I would hope we took the punt if he is as highly rated as indicated here.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/afl/gold-coast-confident-it-can-snare-former-adelaide-forward-kurt-tippett/story-fnfll94y-1226486590395 "(If) he (Tippett) wants to go to Melbourne, guess what, Carlton will out up their hand for him," Malthouse said on Adelaide radio station 5AA. "Of course I'm going to get involved. "I always thought Tippett was going to go back to the Gold Coast or Queensland because that's where he comes from. "Adelaide, to me, are a club on the rise ... now all of a sudden you hear Sydney or Melbourne and I just don't get that."

Not much of an appetite for hard work Aussie. Spent the whole time at Melbourne above his ideal playing weight. Came back from each of his end of season break in poor condition. A talented player, who walked out on us. Would I take his lazy oversized butt back? No.

Pies will want our pick 13. Offer it for Dawes and either Goldsack or Wellingham. Nothing more, it's a trade they will have to do as opposed to one we will want to do. That said, this relies on Tippett going there and I don't think he will

I stand by me first line....

Tippett will not be going to Pies. They have Lynch, who would not have chosen Pies so early if he thought they would get Tippet

Years ago Leigh Colbert walked out on the cats and went to North, one reason given was the culture of the club in the late '90s or when it was. Geelong's young players were offended by this and vowed to change the club. The culture of Kardinia park changed enormously, the players played for each other, cleaned up their lifestyles and enforced team rules strictly. The culture at a club can effect many things, like the lifestyles led by the players, like how they dedicate themselves to training, like how desperately players throw themselves into 2nd and 3rd efforts - desperate not to let their mates down. All 44players in a game may be desperate to win, but a club with the right culture will find their players are a bit more desperate. As an aside, when we belted the Swans a few years back, how many of their players walked off giggling like school kids?

Copy and paste for those too lazy to scroll down the board... I've read at least one simpleton, possibly more, argue that the bloods culture is a myth, I'd argue that said posters intelligence is a myth. Even more so than fantastic coaching and intelligent recruiting, the swans success over the last decade is built on the back of one player looking into their history at depth (as opposed to management lecturing on it) and discovering the old 'bloods' culture that existed for a period of time. With the backing of the senior players in Sydney, they vowed to adhere to a culture that represents the 'bloods'. Without exception. The players bought in, those that didn't, didn't play. I envy them and pray for the day that Melbourne show the type of commitment and passion for their club that the Sydney players do.

Geelong's success/luck with some father/son recruits led to such a distortion of the draft that the rules were changed

Believe we tried to make it happen, but Ferguson was under contract and didn't want to leave. At the time, Old55 had one of the best comments see non a forum after CAC came on and told us Ryan wasn't going anywhere. Old's response "you can say that again". What made it better was so few seemed to pick up on it

Funny thing is when the Swans were the leagues ugly duckling this extra room in the salary cap was a non-issue. Personally I think it's excessive but it has next to nothing to do with their recent success

Gee Beamers manager sounds desperate in this article. Compensation picks must be used this year

Like he did against Freo....

Would be very happy for us to chase and get Wellingham, but to pay significantly more than he is worth is not something that would fill me with confidence in our football department. Yes, pay him over his worth if it means getting him, but significantly more, I'd be passing.

Like the 4 old Xav's playing for Sydney, not to forget the St Kev's Norm Smith medalist hey Blue?

Will have to use it. Hate using it but people that put 10 posts a thread while contributing nothing to a thread are destroying this board

I suggest you try thinking before posting, otherwise the next best solution would be the ignore function