Late Draft Pick

Actually I'm quite impressed that he got the quinella; just the wrong race.

Who would have guessed then that both Cotchin and Cousins would go to the same team.

What encourages about Newton is that there have been many full forwards who don't move like your average footballer.

And fullforwards are different from many of the other players going around. It's easy to dismiss Newton because he doesn't look like a footballer

or that he has a chip on his shoulder (that's a joke)

but I think of Simon Beasley (who I am not comparing Newton to ) or even our own (and West Coast's) Darren Bennett who were not good

with some skills of the game but were very valuable full forwards ( memory says Beasley kicked 100).

As Newton's confidence increases I think we will be very pleased with him.

winning 5 or 6 games would be ludicrous for us. You are suggesting to me we have enough young talent coming through to develop for a premiership push.

After months of sitting on the fence, this sums it up for me. With what we have now we could probably beat anyone on our day in a couple of years time, but go for a premiership, probably not. We've never ever had this opportunity to add even some more class to our list. And this year offers so much

enjoyment for us fans anyway to see the huge improvements from last year. I've enjoyed all our games this year, just seeing these young blokes show their potential

I'm interested in this thread. This year is about the future and if you are interested in our development then

you can appreciate any thread that invites information about the possible draft picks this year as we are certainly not aiming for the 8.

This thread I was hoping might draw some of the expert opinion here on Butcher who we have all heard so much about but only seen on the utube

which also needs some context.

Yeah, winning games does really require you to be competitive longer.

Brad Green shanked one from about 15 meters out on a slight angle on the weekend, over the years he has been a fairly handy shot at goal.

Green is not that confident 30 - 40 metres out on his wrong side and around 45 degree angle. He is more confident on the

boundary from 50 metres out where he just roosts it and lets the ball find its own way.

But returning to Grimes. What he does have going for him is that he turns 20 in a couple of months

and is thus a year or two older than the favourites for the NAB Rising Star.

I didn't make myself clear.

Hodge's career too was held up badly with op, hence he was running around

at Boxhill for some time, because he was recovering from Op.

I didn't compare Rivers to Silvagni. Rivers is quite fast but will never look fast,

and some footballers are just like that, take Silvagni for instance.

But Lovett and Tingay were further into their careers than Rivers and Rivers

has had groin issues for the last two years that may now be ove with.

I remember Hodge running arund for Boxhill for quite a while recovering from groin issues.

And I remember Silvagni, the slowest looking footballer ever; I think Rivers has more than enough

speed inspite of appearances.

I liked your comments Fuzz.

Newton looked like one of the team today; may have done a bit better

had the ball been delivered better.

Bail 10 possies......7k 3h......4/7 kicks ineffective.

Thanks Twist

Appreciate those stats. Game time wouldn't have been 50% and

I'd have to question how many of those ineffectives were his fault.

I still feel very confident when he has the ball.

And he has elite endurance to boot means he is one i will continue to watch.

[i didn't think Bail turned it over much Big Fire Engine. I was watching him alot and really like his neatness,

his toughness. He has great balance and good skills and I am so looking forward to seeing more of him.

I think he is going to turn out to be one of our Mr Reliables with a minimum of fuss - he does have footy smarts

but I'm sure could do with the experience of more games.

I loved Morton in the first half. I think he's grown a bit.

Near the end of the first quarter Sydney's O'Keefe and Morton ran from the centre

to the wing. Morton effortlessly left him for dead. And Morton is so good in close,

though I wouldn't expect him to be doing too much of the under thepack stuff.

In the first quarter too, Bennell dived into a congested situation right near me

and I thought did the impossible to get the ball out. I watched him more than any other player

and he was so competitive and cool down back, and yes, that kick off the side of the boot to a

team mate - pinpoint accuracy within a spit second . Several times during the day he just made something

out of difficult situations. Jetta will be so good. These two are going to bring people to the footy this year.

Jack Grimes already looks like a 100 gamer.

Martin (with incredible athleticism to take an impossible mark)

and the other backs were very good today, and Cheney sure has come in out of nowhere, he was very

composed all day - Hawthorn were interested in him in the 2007 draft (thanks Emma Q).

It was such a pleasure to see them all today. And look sorry about this folks,

but I think we might have to stop thinking about Butcher and that other bloke.

"Good to see they've finally got a photo for Bail up there."

Interesting to see he weighs 91, 4 kilos more than Sylvia.

I didn't see much of him on Saturday but I liked what I saw.

He's also very agile, quick, very neat with his skills and has

that very business way of going about his game (very reliable i'd say).

so sorry he wasn't selected in the main team this week; hoping to see more of him.

also

I think it was Bail, Jetta, Strauss and Blease whose profiles included "onballer".

I continue to dream of Melbourne unearthing a super talent onballer.

watching the game again didn''t help me, I've always liked Frawley's decision making and disposal,

and I had no idea that there were so many on here that saw likewise, great thread. His age on here has

been overestimated by many I think.

I prefer the white too.

I know we are sometimes called the Redlegs but

when Travis Johnston played his first pre season game in New Zealand

we played with Navy Blue socks; that day I thought they looked good, though

I don't think they would necessarily go with the white

Thought Bail might play given his mature age.

Interested in how Cheney, McNamara, Meesen and Zomer (if they play) go.

Yes, I was hoping to see Bail. (Bailey probably forgot about him)

But I'm still interested in this game - Davey, Mclean, Moloney coming back

and Grimes and Petterd only playing one game last year.

Spencer and Zomer, Cheney and Newton.

See the progress of Buckley, Sylvia, and Morton, and how our young backline

are coming along with an improving Frawley who is no longer a teenager and has had two years to grow and develop.

And I just want to see Wonnaeamirri again (yes we are all going to have to get to know how to spell it now).

Hoping to see a better coordination amongst the players and after 12 months perhaps to see a new game plan

emerging. Lots to look forward to; now to find a place to watch it.

I can't wait for the Melbourne- Carlton match the week after, it will be packed.

I think Blease and Strauss would have been top 5 in some years, and for that reason I don't see them as critical, or more critical than

Watts or Bennell or now Jurrah.They are both going to make it.

I sure hope I am still not waiting for Blease to get a regular spot in five more years time (he is 17 now).

I haven't seen an onballer like him at Melbourne for many years and see him playing regularly by 2010.

There are so many players that have been picked up in the last 10 years that people just don't keep there fingers crossed for.

(Juddy gee I hope he makes it, Reiwoldt, gee I hope he makes it, Cooney, gee I hope he makes it)

He (Blease) actually reminds me of Kevin Bartlett, and I don't think i'm dreaming here.

Yes, we can worry about any choices, but there is nothing about either of these (Blease and Strauss) that makes me worry.

There have been many skinny and scintillating players that never bulked up and I'm sure Blease will never, and will never need to.

Tingay (that skinny little fella from Shepparton)may have needed to but I don't think Blease does. And for Strauss, bout time we got one of those "fat arsed" footballers.

These drafts have been really good for us I think. With the variety here I am starting to forget the "What could have beens," if we

had got the full Priority pick this year.

I don't say much here much but can I just say that during this draft period I have really appreciated what all of you have

contributed. I'm amazed at the information I have gathered here, and appreciated the threads that people have started including this one.

And people like Morton2Watts and was it Davis 33 that have bothered to put utube contacts - amazing.

I am still so very very happy were managed to get Blease. Melbourne has not had an onballer

like him for many many years. His get the ball and on your bike style reminds me of Kevein Bartlett;

he's as tough as nails and his body size doesn't bother me. I would have been devistated if we had

gone for someone else.

On another note, the sen callers menitoned, and i hadn't heard this before, that Swift is a swimmer (?)

and swimmers joints are softer that those of the normal population (my phrasing), this having lead to his

knee problems. I was also hoping Swift would fall to us but I am more than happy with Strauss who like many

others (eg Rys O'Keefe) had varying assessments of them before the draft.

With Bennell and Jetta and Bail on the list too, I'll be looking forward to going to the footy again next year,

and its less time to wait for the preseason that it has been since our last game.

Really appreciated the youtube address. He looks (and from everything Emma Quayle says, is) like a taller Michael O'Loughlin.

He said that because Carlton has pick 40. In actuality, there are only 39 good picks in this draft.

That's funny, I had't realized that.

Interested in Alpha's report from Emma Quayle. No mention of Blease or Swift but they could still make up the top 16. She's no longer mentioning Davis or Beames. Her short summary of McKernan in The Age this morning had him going 10-16; there's that magic number again.

Haydo's doesn't mention Blease or Hill in his first 16. And then this guy leaves out McKernan. I have this vision of Geelong and Hawthorn playing sweepers and snatching some dream pick from us at the last minute. Not that I don't think there are a further 4 or 5 very good players I'd be pleased with after that.

I think pick 35 makes this draft even more interesting for Melbourne supporters.

The Carlton recruiter said there seems to be a consensus that there are 40 good picks in this draft.

McNamara, also played mostly with the sandy 2nds. He is a running type tall back who reads the play well & will be an attacking player out of defense, either as a tall flanker initially, growing into a Key posi player down back, but who knows, maybe up front as well.

And is there anyone here who could say anything about our two young draft picks from last year, McNamara and Cheney

and how they would be matching up with this years players? A hard question as they both missed games this year through injury.

And I'm really hoping for a skillful onballer at 17 or 19 so I am hoping Blease, Swift or even Sidebottom fall through.

Yes I have the same 16 as Freak. In Sidebottom and Trengrove.

And from what I have read on this site the ones I see hovering just outside are:

Lisle, Robinson, Schoenmakers and maybe Davis who Emma Quale says Crows are keen on.

Interesting that Kevin Sheehan said he saw a possible 32 players, before going to Draft camp,

who could be picked in the first 16. Whilst two or three may get into that top

16 I don't know enough to start wondering which ones would drop out.

Not necessarily, no one minds a ruckman getting a couple of centimetres taller.

But an onballer having a growth spurt to 192 and you can't be sure of what you are getting anymore.

It became far too hypothetical for me to handle.

But a little more seriously from me, its not the differnece between 194 and 196 but

the one that worries me is 187 - 192