Lord Travis

100% agree with this. Basically ruins the idea of a team, and kids will start following players instead of teams. It will also become another mechanism that increases the gap between the have and have nots. Teams at the bottom will be permanently stuck there. I'm glad they're not doing it, though it does seem inevitable with all the chatter. Just another step to the sport becoming less equal and ruined for good.

On paper it's a reasonable prediction. Other teams have got stronger over the off-season, where as we're still waiting to see if we've solved our forward connection/forward line issues. We've lost ruck depth and not added any quality tall forward prospects to target. If Petty and Brown were fit, then we'd be on our way in 2024 and possibly would've won the flag last year too. Reality is neither are fit and neither will get through a whole season. We need other options now while we're in our window. That said, I see us challenging again this year and I wouldn't be overly surprised if we won the flag. We were desparely close last year and have been underrated/dismissed by the footy media, most of them being brainless sensationalist pelicans. We do have an ageing list though, now 5th oldest I believe. With guns and leaders like Gawn and May getting on, we need top quality replacements coming through or our drop off begins in the next few years.

Losing a ruck isn't the end of the world. It's been years since Gawn dominated stoppages and most AFL rucks just try to compete. If Gawn goes down, all we'll need is a body to compete and we won't lost much around the ball. Where we would miss Max is his marking ability around the ground. Our kick outs are basically kick it long to him on the flank. His around the ground and intercept marking is elite. Filling that hole would be an issue that requires one of our KPF to become Nick Reiwoldt and work all the way up the ground. Or, we change our kick out strategy and stop kicking high and long. Shock horror!

Can't ras the article due to pay wall. What does it actually say? Thyroid issue insight?

Congrats to the Gawns!

Agree with this. He rarely impacts games and isn't able to blanket small forwards like McVee. He's got great skills, but feels like his current role isn't playing to his strengths. Outside a good QF against Collingwood, he was lacklustre this season. I'm not as sold on him long term as others on here seem to be. In his current position, he could easily be replaced in coming seasons by Howe, Woe, Hunter, Windsor etc. He should be tried on the wing or half forward to get him more involved in games and use his kicking skills where they'd be more damaging. That said, always good to lock away first rounders. Bowser's clearly got good skills and a football brain. Hoping he and moreso Laurie can step up and have a big impact in the coming seasons.

188 with the hair included.

I'd say the opposite. Ladder position is irrelevant. Finals is the real stuff and when the proper season starts. We have a finals system to determine the winners and placers. Minor premiers are meaningless. We have failed to finish top four two seasons running. We've [censored] the bed and are wasting our premiership window. If we fail again next year, I expect significant changes to senior coaches and onfield personnel and leaders. Otherwise we become Port Adelaide who keep resigning Hinkley as coach and never achieve any success.

There's a running theme in the footy media that we drafted based on needs not best talent. That's despite the fact GWS were set to take Windsor at the very next pick, and when we got him first they actually traded down as they didn't rate the other options after him. That says he was rated highly by multiple clubs that based on talent, not our specific needs. But no worries footy media, keep spouting the factually incorrect statements about drafting for needs not best talent. Mindless lying scum.

I've posted about Kynan before. He's tough, quick, can find the footy and won't die wondering. Easily worthy of a rookie spot. Glad it's official now and we can see another father son in red and blue. Best of luck little Doggy!

Traded pick 42 for St Kilda future third at the beginning of the draft yesterday.

Love it. "Make my debut and then win a premiership". Hope that happens for Caleb and all us Demons!

Strangely he's a Saints supporter?! His friend Lance Collard was drafted to the Saints, so he'll have someone he knows well moving over to Victoria also.

Tholstrup isn't a small forward. He's 188cms and plays high half forward. In time he'll become part of the midfield rotation. Consider him a forward half player. He's shown great ability to be a link up player in a similar mould to ANB. The hope would be he's got attributes to become more explosive and impactful.

Welcome to the club Koltyn. He looks like a dill and I love him already. Hope he can settle into Melbourne and start brutalizing the opposition in our forward half!

Looks a speed demon. Welcome aboard Caleb! We look forward to you motoring up and down the wings of the MCG pinpointing passes for years to come.

Need to trade up to pick 1 to land him then! Jako was the king!

Does anyone other than those close to the kids potentially being drafted or absolute diehard football nuts? It's essentially a bunch of no-name kids with a lowish chance of making a long term AFL career. No idea why it's an "event" worthy of live media coverage.

Curtin sliding to 10 would be bonkers. He's already better performed and has more potential than a few others shown their above him there. Strange times!

North have been absolutely kissed on the d*ck. Massive overcompensation. They've already got a very stacked young midfield that just needs time to mature. LDU, Sympkin, T Thomas, Sheezel, Wardlaw, Philips, Powell is the makings of an elite midfield. Add in another 5 picks within the first 20 in this draft and anything less than a premiership in 5-6 years time must be considered an outright failure. Similar stacked young list to GWS and Gold Coast, both who have failed and are now losing the advantage they were handed.

Will have he best career of this draft crop. Not necessarily the highest peak performance, but best overall career. Couldn't be more rounded as a midfielder and leader very impressive youngster and I hope he winds up in red and blue.

Curtin, Sanders, Watson in that order for pick 6 preferences. Windsor doesn't seem to be pick 6 level IMO. Curtin would be a steal.

They do use it to create a bit of intrigue for sure. We took Hayden Young and Pickett in the year we the two first rounders, so showed our hand slightly. Jackson the surprise bolter then, someone else could be the same this year.

Gave nothing away other than we're still keen to trade up whether for pick 1 or improving our draft hand. The recruiters do a mock draft together every year and it was this afternoon. If anyone gets details of how it went, please share!

I think it'll be 6 - Curtin 11 - Windsor I'm hoping for 6- Sanders 11 - O'Sullivan