Nasher

Off to Port. Good luck - I already felt like you were one of ours and I'll watch with interest. I'm so happy.

We knew this was a batting wicket anyway, and let's face it, the SA bowling has been dead set rubbish. Despite this onslaught SA have still to bat, it'll be interesting to see if they're able to make hay in the same way Aus have. Losing Kallis was a seriously cruel blow though. I actually felt sorry for them for about a minute.

What that ^ guy said; use one of the zillion other threads.

It's possible, but it's negligence crossing the line of incompetence if it's the case. Given the "clean slate" nature of our current recruiting team I'll assume they're not morons and will pick the better player.

I'd deduct points.

You've got Gillies in there twice. Next year's delistings look interesting, but I guess that's a discussion for another time.

These kind of posts make my brain hurt. Why do so many people automatically equate "class" with "soft"? I've not heard or seen a single thing to indicate that Toumpas is soft. I suppose it's the same logic that leads people to believe "inside" automatically equals "plodder".

While I'm not normally one for pitchforks and torch bearing, I'm amazed their supporter group hasn't driven CEO Trigg out of town (not over this bit specifically, but the situation as a whole). What an absolute mess.

He's on the wrong trajectory for that in my eyes, but I hope you're right.

A misconception, some concern that can be allayed with due diligence, and some racism tossed in for good measure. Well done.

Watts won't be a star which is disappointing, but he's not the hack you're making out. In between star and hack is a massive area of grey and Watts is in it. He's still a good player.

Wouldn't consider it for a second. There are more than enough "pretty good" players out there that actually want it enough to behave at the required standard, so there is no need to waste time on guys like him.

Not everyone agreed - I wouldn't even say most people did. Not being sure which NQR to squeeze in to the 20th and 21st place in the side isn't my idea of depth - and I'll go on record to say that despite the optimism (including my own), that will still be a problem this year. Depth isn't worth a cracker if your list has no top end talent. As far as I'm concerned this is the first time our forward line has looked strong since it had Neitz and Schwarz in it. You can remind me if this in 12 months time if you want.

I doubt anyone with a clue was salivating that much about Green and Petterd. The Jurrah thing panned out the way it did, but Clark (pre-injury) and Howe both had excellent years. Comparing that to a forward line that has added a premiership grade key forward (doubling our count) and a premiershipgrade small forward (taking our count from zero to one) is hardly comparing apples with apples.

My IT person radar just went ballistic.

Clint Bizkit will be happy.

You'd never pass on a player just on "go home factor". Last year we had at least 10 (I stopped counting) players who came from outside Victoria who had "go home" options and how many took that path? Zip. There are literally hundreds of players in the system listed by clubs outside their native state and there's probably one case every two years or so of a player cracking the sads in this manner. Even if the kids are homesick after the first year or two, suddenly they make friends, establish working relationships, meet a young woman and so forth, and suddenly life in the new city doesn't seem so bad after all. If Toumpas is the best player available (and if he's available at all, being the best will be a given I'd have thought) then it'd be ridiculous to pass him up.

This thread is just an excuse for me to jack up my post-count without contributing anything. I've got a lot of work to do if I want to catch WYL.

In the same way that Jarryd Roughead isn't a key forward, I guess.

A bit late, but I finally got around to watching his presser and I thought he was very impressive. He seems a measured and intelligent bloke and seems to carry confidence without arrogance. Also seemed genuinely enthusiastic with the prospect of working with Neeld and Brown off-field and Clark on it. I got a chuckle when Neeld mentioned that it wasn't every day when top-class forwards were on the move, so when they are you need to pounce (or words to that effect). Funny, I remember him saying exactly the same thing last year. There's obviously a lot of water to pass under the bridge yet, but on the face of it we appear to have struck gold two years in a row. Fingers crossed.

Welcome to 15 hours ago,

I often wonder when I read articles like this, what goes through the author's head at the time. If it were me, as my fingers busily worked away at the keys, I'd be thinking, "how did I become this? I'm not a journalist, I'm just a fraud". They probably don't have the presence of mind, though, which is how they became that in the first place.

Are you saying Cam Pedersen was there too? Must find that guy a new nickname...

+1 for the I'd never heard of him brigade. The only disappointment for me is Tapscott's choice of company.

I for one am grateful that it's suddenly interesting again. Being group-thought in to knowing who our only early pick was, followed by a whole bunch of who gives a shite for the rest of the draft wasn't a recipe for wetting my pants with excitement. Excuse me while I go change my pants. That said, I do still think the "agreement with GWS" thing is crackpot and if we do happen to land Toumpas it will be purely good fortune (another KotD), but I have more faith now that this is a possibility than I did last week.