Demon Disciple

It would be ideal for McCartin to almost play the entire year in the VFL. All u-18 kids in Vic don't get the chance to play against men and the bigger bodies, unlike in the WAFL and SANFL. Give him a year playing against the bigger bodies, his transition in to AFL will obviously go up again from VFL to AFL, but it won't be as big a jump. Maybe give him a game towards the end of the year (if he has earned it), that way he will be hungry for more AFL action over the entire summer.

Speaking of f/s's, isn't Jake Lovett eligible next year?

he has also been working on improving his speed throughout the year too. As for Petracca, his explosiveness also comes through his power out of the stoppages. His force to go through a contest or separate from one is raw power, not to be confused with speed.

It's a shame that we didn't draft Naitanui. We could've had NikNat & Paddy Mac

I suppose it's a good thing that he has improved his speed, recently running a 2.91s (correction, make that 2.81) 20m sprint time. Whilst his kicking is not a weapon, it also isn't a negative (Grimes-type turnover negative). His ability off both feet is a huge plus imo, and is more beneficial than if he were an elite kick off one foot and sub-standard off the other one (like Mitchell, i wouldn't call his kicking ability punishing, but his dual-sidedness makes it a weapon). Suckling (L+R): 100+25=125 Mitchell (L+R): 70+75=145

I think i would be far more disappointed if we don't draft Brayshaw, than i would be excited if we drafted Petracca!!! I suppose we've all gotten use to feeling that Brayshaw is Dee-bound, a long way out from the draft.

I will admit that i was one who wanted us to bring Garlett in with a late draft pick the year prior to Hawthorn drafting him. I also thought that the Hawks got themselves a bargain with him when they drafted him at their pick (along with Hartung too), thinking that being away from his problems in WA would help him mature and curb the negative influences on him. Only to learn that he developed his methamphetamine addiction in Melbourne, away from home. Given what has transpired since being drafted, i'm glad we didn't draft him. This kid needs serious help, with the help of his family too (as they no doubt will be his biggest support system). I think it's pretty certain that he will only get better once he hits rock bottom, what that will look like i'm not sure, but if he goes to prison it could be both the best thing for him or the worst. Hopefully for his sake, he will get rehabilitated (as the justice/prison system is designed to do). Hopefully it ends on a good note, as i don't think he deliberately goes looking for trouble, he just makes poor decisions.

Please explain!!!

complete if we also bring in McCartin as a KPF (assuming he turns out to be a good player and not another Luke Molan/Lucas Cook dud)

Simple, we re-draft Evans, Tapscott, Strauss, etc and rue the missed opportunity to regain Blease.

i always thought it was the other way around? I was under the impression Neeld had a raging............ for Wines.

Nor CEO Keith Thomas's

So just to clarify, this now means we have picks 2, 3, 40, 42 (Stretch F/S), 53 & 83 (Jetta promotion) in the draft

Touk Miller or Caleb Daniel for pick 40. Spread the love for the little fellas!

I'm sorry ADC, but i wouldn't have called Barry a promising type. Never saw anything all that impressive about him as a footy player. I would've preferred Nick Rippon instead of Barry at the time of the Hogan deal. Although Rippon has gone the way of Serhat Temel and never been heard of again, i reckon he would've given a footy career a better shake than Dom Barry.

Opens up pick 40, maybe i'm too harsh, but if Evans was being considered for a payout and de-listed, this should in no way affect such an outcome. Sure we get pick 40, but prior to this practically everyone was saying that Evans would never make it and was worth de-listing. It might be another 13 spots lower than 40, but i would still like to try our luck with pick 53 in the draft and de-list Evans, rather than keep him on the list (we know that his contribution doesn't amount to much).

I'd have drunk myself to death after the first one, so wouldn't bother me!!!

Totally agree. If we are going to de-list him (payout included), there's no point in re-rookieing him. We're better off selecting a kid who is still an unknown quantity, as opposed to re-selecting Evans who is a known quantity, of which there isn't much quality onfeld-wise.

I'm not sold with all the hype on Cockatoo. As has been said, he only played one game and it's not exactly against the best of his peers (although no fault of his own). I have no idea who we are going to select with pick 3, nor do i have any favourites, but i just don't understand the logic (or lack there of) of some poster's, who are creaming their pants for this bloke off 1 game, yet dismiss several others who have performed more regularly and at a higher level throughout the year. Then again this is demonland, centre of the universe for all the illogical.

De Goey hey? Well he does fit the Roos mould as a tall mid who is tough and loves to run and take them on, yet can also be a workhorse in the thick of the action. Doesn't take a backward step, that's for sure.

That would be Steven.

There are just as many question marks on Lever and Laverde making it as a mid. Surely pick 3 will be out of those guys, if Petracca goes at 1 and we select Brayshaw at 2.

I totally agree with you here Picket. Our most pressing needs are mids and KPF's, then followed by KPD's, but we have some depth in that department in Dunn, Frost and McDonald. Laverde at the moment is what i would describe as a flanker/wingman, not a mid but a hybrid. Lever, whilst impressive is currently a KPD and untried as a tall mid. I see real value in Wright in that he can play as a forward/ruck, something we lack at the moment (particularly quality ruck depth), but in terms of overall quality, Picks 2&3 would have to be Brayshaw and McCartin. All other potential draftees would simply be picked on speculation and potential ahead of the 2 named above. PS - my heart is set on Brayshaw, but pick 3 is still a massive guess. I have no bias either way and will back our recruiting team and PR 100%, but if it's best available, then it simply would be: 1- Petracca 2- McCartin 3- Brayshaw

I'd love for us to draft him, if only to see the huge apology/excuse you'd have to come up with!!!

I'd rather just pay out his contract if it's Evans. There's no point keeping him on the list, he is a clogger (harsh, but realistic). Sure it's a lottery at Pick 40, but why not try our luck since we don't know what 'player 40' is capable of yet, we know what Evans brings ... and it's not much at all.