Nasher

Why does the fact that it uses hindsight make it any less valid? He turned out not to be any good, I can't see how that's not a mistake. Mistake, wrong, bad. Are you saying selecting Morton was correct, right, good? The evidence that was available in 2007 is the same evidence that is available now: the same bloke who's now on the heap for the second time. He didn't magically transform in to someone different after being drafted. I'm not suggesting that it was easy, or even possible, to predict that he wouldn't make it, hence the use of the word "forgiveable" in my first post. Everyone in the footy world thought he was good. But that doesn't mean we made the right call - I would have thought it was patently clear that we didn't. Everyone in the footy world got it wrong with Morton - but we were the only ones who made a call on it that mattered and we got it wrong. Although West Coast took Masten ahead, in spite of what was almost universal agreement in the footy world that Morton was a better player. Perhaps they should be excluded from "everyone".

That's just club website hyperbole. He's a dud.

I think that sums it up: a mistake that others could have made. It's debatable (and I'm not arguing one side or the other) that it's excusable given that most of the footy world agreed that he was worth the early pick, but surely it's beyond contention that it was a mistake.

He didn't run away from Lade. Watch the subsequent 20 seconds that have been removed and you'll realise that it was selective editing to deliberately paint the wrong picture.

I'm finding in a way that having a pick in the vicinity of 9 is in a way even more exciting than having a pick in the early couple. Reason being I know we should still getting an excellent player, but there are so many permutations of who could be available and who we could like that the mystery adds another element. Can't it be draft day already?

History will repeat at 57.

Jetta played 3 years under Bailey before his two years under Neeld. As to why I don't love him: he has no career-defining tricks. I know he has guts and lays a mean tackle, but doesn't get enough of the ball (has had less than 10 possessions in 13 of his 41 games), has little leg speed, isn't particularly dangerous with the ball, and is small. I feel for the guy because he has heart in spades and I've been waiting for 5 seasons for him to come on and prove me wrong, but...

Amazed at the amount of love for a guy who played zero games for the MFC. I'd have turfed Jetta or Nicholson first, but these are all such immaterial calls that I couldn't really care less which nearly good enough player went first. Feel sorry for Stark, and thoroughly agree with rpfc that the system fails this type of player.

Not possible Ron. Without losing Sylvia we wouldn't have had the picks to land Vince. Or alternatively we'd have used 20 for Vince and missed out on Tyson. In this game of "choose your own reality", you can choose between any two of Sylvia, Vince and Tyson.

Aaron and Allen? That's even worse than Aaron and Alwyn. What is it with parents giving their sons nearly the same name?

Right on cue!

I know. Seems like a lifetime ago doesn't it. And Belly - it's such a sad story from both a team and personal point of view. Last I heard he'd undergone some treatment that greatly improved his cognitive faculties - would love another "where are they now" type feature on him.

Some amazing stories, from blokes like me who gave up before they started, to kids who are dreaming big, to blokes in their early-mid 20s who had big dreams that weren't realised, to old guys who hung up the boots years ago who are able to give some insight in to how it was. Giving myself a pat on the back for starting this thread To be honest, I wasn't really expecting this kind of response, I thought I'd get a few responses and it would die. Give people the chance to talk about themselves, I guess...

The concept of "worth" and "value" I'd have thought were relative to need. Vince was "worth" a pick in the 30/40s - according to whom? There is a need for us to have experienced, AFL capable midfielders now. I'm happy to sacrifice a long term B-grader (or worse, possible dud) taken in the 20s, who will require time to develop, for a player who will protect our already promising youth and help accelerate our return to competitiveness.

To the person who claimed (in the public poll) to have been on an AFL list: tell us your story! Alternatively, tell us the truth, as you appear to be about 15. Over to you Grimesyisgod! (It's never too late to change your vote.)

Not that I expect Daniel Cross would ever read this forum, but if he did, I wonder what would go through his mind if he clicked on a thread welcoming him, only to find a bunch of over 40s (apologies to Hazy) trying to outdo each other over a massive pissing contest. Comical.

3 Cross 16 Grimes 18 Vince 23 Michie 29 Tyson 30 Matt Jones 31 Terlich Draftees to fill the numbers from the lowest up.

In light of a recent discussion in another thread, I thought it'd be interesting to see how much footy people have played. Respond to the poll and share your experience. Me: I was footy obsessed from a young age (~4), but I spent the early years of my life living a long way from civilization and there was no way to get involved until we moved. My older brother was at a boarding high school in Hobart and was an absolute gun (played in the Tassie side with Matty Richardson), which only helped to fuel my love of the sport. The year after we moved to Hobart (I was ~10), I played one season for an underage club but my parents didn't want me to play any further as I had suffered a severe (unrelated) head injury around the same time and they believed contact sport was too risky. Once I became old enough to choose for myself, I was on a list for a local club for one season, but as I was super-rubbish and the coach was a dick, I decided that I had better things to do than spend my Saturday mornings on a freezing cold bench for 3/4 of a game before taking my place in the back pocket for a side already 100 points down, so I gave it away. I'm now 30, total career tally games: around 20. I still love the sport, more than ever possibly, but my experiences with actually playing were almost entirely negative, and as I'm not getting any younger it's very unlikely I'll pull on a pair of boots again.

Anyone want to give the avatar thing a crack now? This afternoon's little spontaneous outage may or may not have fixed the problem.

We got two experienced, proven AFL quality midfielders, two young midfielders of an age where they are ready to hit their straps, and we remained in the top 10 of the draft, in a draft where there should definitely be A grade mids available at our pick. I literally cannot think of anything else we needed to get out of this trade period.

I'm glad you stopped short of giving tonatopia any credit.

We took Tapscott because we thought he'd be a good player, I was never under the impression that it was to please Trengove. Those draft blurbs are interesting reading, Tapscott may well be the best kick of the draft, but like Strauss we'd never know because he never has the damn ball. The only notable case I know of where a club took a player to complete the set was Carlton taking Jeff Garlett in the rookie draft to help settle prized pick Chris Yarran. Little did they know they were actually taking the better player of the two. There was also talk that GWS favoured Victorians Ploughman and O'Rourke over South Australian Toumpas for mateship reasons, but I can't remember whether there was any actual evidence of that or if it was just MFC fans making stuff up to justify the slide.

It's not throw yourself off a cliff type disaster, but it's bloody frustrating.

Relax. Light hearted joke for the old school Demonland members. Call them whatever makes you happy.

The original Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were a Fremantle player, a Brisbane player, a Carlton player, and a guy who finished his career so brain damaged that he found himself wandering around a footy field with no idea how he got there or what was happening.