Darren Cuthbertson

Watts did not train with the main group at all.... which I found disappointing. He was with the group returning from injury - so was Scully - mainly doing handball drills. They also did reflex work with a tennis ball. Matched against Gawn he certainly didn't look like a big man - but he was energetic and enthusiastic throughout - and he pulled in some blinders when Kelly O'Donnell smashed a tennis ball anywhere near him!

Got to have soft hands when doing reflex work with a tennis ball.

Missed you at Casey, do you have the numbers to storm the board yet?

No the expectations are not unrealistic. .....

Monday's arrangements are not changed at 8.55 am Monday morning - unless of course the players are expected to do a Ú turn in Cranbourne Rd and speed back to the city in 5 minutes! Someone in the football department should simply add the telephonist and the communications department onto their contact lists.

If the club cannot develop systems to keep this information accurate - it should withdraw it from the website - and explain why it does not believe that members ( much less supporters) should have access to it

So we can all expect you at training Monday morning then????

I planned to make the trek for the barbie on Friday - but I'm not sure that I'll take the risk now. If you can't believe official club communications on training times etc .... how can you believe official club communications on 'meet the player' barbies?

The suggestion that the team always trains at the Junction Oval on Mondays doesn't wash with me. The club has widely publicised the fact that Casey is now its summer home

I really don't want to drive to Berwick to have a snag with the Construction Workers Union - it's probably a safer bet to head for the Junction Oval and park along the tan.

OK - sarcasm is the lowest form of wit - but the slackness of the club in failing to communicate fully with its most dedicated supporters is indefensible - and worrying!

You should go to Casey to watch the Ds train -unless that is you have upset some players there. How are you going to be the 'People's Champ' when you become President if you don't drive down the Monash to Casey. You can get down that way passing Carey too.

Surely the AFL has to look at this. Here is a bloke entering the market - and giving one buyer considerably more relevant information than he is giving all the others. There might be an argument to say that he shouldn't have to talk to the market - but how can he claim that he is not manipulating the market when he only makes potentially vital medical information available to the purchaser of his choice?

I think the footy public should push the AFL to explain why young draftees have to undertake AFL- approved medicals when mature-aged players do not.

Having said that - it would be nice if Mr Ball's season was ruined by injury!

You're a cruel man Hoopla. He is already ruined by injury -get over not getting Luke Ball -he is crocked and gets hit in the head and bleeds because he is too slow.

I liked Jamie Duursma. Will never forget the job he done on Kernahan.

Hoopla's favourite player!

Who do you think told Duursma how to put Stick's off his game?

Well it makes sense if you expect Hughes - who at 23 is not good enough to be on the primary list of the bottom side - to improve sufficiently to debut as a 24 or 25 year old in an improving side down the track.

He's not a big man, he's not especially quick, and he doesn't exhibit any special football nous. He's never been a standout in the VFL. When you factor in his history of injury - you've got to conclude that the odds are stacked against him.

Someone at the club ticked you off over bagging Barts?????

Sorry Darren... I'm not sharing them with you!

Don't freeze me out of the gossip at the club when you get on the Board.

No...let's be fair here. For someone who went from Broadmeadows Primary to Xavier College , he's done pretty well to find his way to a coherent website.

:angry: <_<

Even in those good games his work in the ruck was very ordinary... and now he is battling with stress fractures. I think we made a mistake giving him 3 years in the first place. If he comes back to our rookie list he can count himself fortunate that his career is still live. If Hawthorn take Meeson they are taking a huge risk ... good luck to them.

At 19 - with obvious physicality and competitive instincts - Spencer has a big upside and I am pleased we have been able to keep him for a 3rd year on just a rookie's salary. Clearly he has to keeping improving his basic ball skills

He might embarrass you Hoopla. Why don't you help Meesen like you did to Jamar and Sylvia or is it that you only assist the players I do not like. I heard the rumour about you and Brock and why he left.

No 1858 - that's fine ....and your thinking is sound ( and perhaps more realistic than we sometimes tend to be at this time of the year)

A lot of it comes down to our options - and to our willingness to take a risk with our last pick. If we get as many injuries as we had last year - and he stays fit - we'll all look back in 12 months time and complement BP and IH for some very astute recruiting/ list management. If Strauss, Cheney,Bennell, McNamara and etc etc all develop he might have to spend some time at Casey. How's your crystal ball?

You have the best crystal balls out there Hoopla!

I'm pretty sure this guy is a 200cm- plus ruckman .... which begs the question - who plays where when all our rucks are fit?

You have been reading the book the Draft too much, you have Dawson Simpson on your mind!

He was mates with McEvoy now at St Kilda.

Again you get you're facts wrong.

Scott Simpson is a forward at 196 cm. Please post facts after you research them and don't let your excitement over some things make you post wrong information. You're better than that!

Surely this is nothing more than a theoretical debate.What exactly is "equal talent"?.... and how do you determine that midfielder "x" has more talent than KPF "Y"?

In reality once you get past the first couple of picks - the assessment of relative "talent" is so subjective that you have to factor the "type of player" into your equation. It seems to me that is exactly the approach that BP is taking - and he has strongly hinted that we're looking at talls for picks 11 and 18.

Then according to your 'theoretical debate' no Luke Ball then?

You've got it , Titan .The comparison is spurious anyway - because Rivers and MacDonald are not competing for the same position

Roost It knows what he's talking about as well

What does 'spurious' mean Hoopla?

You'd think that we'd only take a 24-25 year old if he had outstanding leadership qualities - or topped us up in a position of need. It's not as if we are short of options for a mid sized defender.He may. of course, be an exceptional bloke - but other than that I can't get too excited about picking him up.

You'd think that if he is on a promise for the psd , he'd at least be training with us by now.

( Did you see him at the club, Darren?)

Yes he was there yesterday. I saw him. I was at the club looking for you to discuss football matters.

I reckon your asking for the impossible there

If Ball is draft tampering - then Eddie and his mates from Broady and Xavier are in it up to their armpits

What are your Carey boys going to do to Eddie then?

Luke Ball doesn't want to play for the Ds, no one else wants Mitch Thorp because he is naughty and the Ds don't want him anyway. Melbourne will redraft Meeson and Newton, McDonald is the pick in the PSD -other than that I'm sure you can fill up the spots with whoever you want subject to availablity given you power within the club.

I wouldn't give McPhee a second thought.

Ask an Essendon supporter - he is inconsistent and unreliable. He is 27 .. with a history of injuries - and he is holding out for a 3 year contract because he is concerned that he might start to struggle in year 2.

Subject to his training form - and attitude - Thorp has an upside that Mc Phee doesn't

Hoopla I did ask Essendon supporters about McPhee and they don't like him and are happy to see him go.

Joel McDonald will be Melbourne's #1 pick in the PSD. He was at the club yesterday. His decision not to nominate for the National Draft is based on this fact.

Correct. I'm just not sure whether the worst thing about this bloke is the fact that he barracks for Collingwood or the fact that he went to Xavier - and is proud of it !!

Carey's where it's at isn't it Hoopla!

Saints will not Lovett

Hey Hoopla -what happened to Lovey? He has a history of mucking up at birthday parties. You hang around the Barkley -it is likely to have happened there right?

[ Quote Don 24

Still seems to be a boy? What basis are you making these judgments? Having spoken very very little in the media about this, no one really knows what has gone on in Balls decision making process. We are just guessing from the end result.

As someone who knows Ball i can assure you he is an extremely mature and professional person, in general let alone for his age. Let's talk about professionalism in the business world that you seem to know about. Is judging a person or a situation, with no knowledge of the facts or the people involved, and making negative statements about someone in a public environment professional? No, it just shows your lack of professionalism in that you have let your support the dees and your feelings of being let down by not getting Ball cloud making a rational evaluation of events.

Back to the drawing board mate, you have no idea...]

Got to say that I agree with you

Clearly it is a complex issue

At the end of the day I don't think the whole situation reflects well on Ross Lyon. He narrowly lost a Grand Final after ignoring Max Hudgton in favour of Raph Clarke - and leaving one of his key clearance players ( Ball) on the bench for most of the second half. Now he has effectively pushed a popular former captain out the door without compensation

If anything happens to Lenny Hayes, St Kilda will be screaming for Luke Ball...... and Ross Lyon's philosophies will come under the microscope.

Luke Ball is limited -in a bang for buck scenario Valenti offers more for a club than Luke Ball. Raph Clarke is a dud yes but Zac Dawson played over Hudgton. It was Zac that lost the game for St Kilda as his error in the Hawkins point/goal was the trigger for Geelong to get back into it. Raph Clarke is hopefully played away from bad areas of the ground -where his mistakes don't cost. Don't worry about Ross Lyon, he is a premiership coach.

Not only that - but as so few of their supporters can read and write, their literate minority have to come to other club's sites to get a bit of intelligent debate!

Yeah to read the great Hoopla's posts!

What are you doing up so late?

I don't think anyone's answered this yet- Is he training with us or isn't he?

Hey Hoopla -who told you to pick him up?

I'm sure he will play well

Junior's role has been well discussed on several threads - and the debate has completely overtaken these initial views. The fact that these dated results are shown without challenge is a very good reason for the moderators to kill off this thread

You got Junior his extension and burned Robbo. Your mate Nat Jones needs to step up. Junior has no place at the Ds if we get Luke Ball. You're trying to take over Demonland now! Rhino Richards is the boss of Demonland.

Given that one Blue at least has the option of getting favours from Rebecca Twigley, we're doing pretty well

You think? You must rate VS above her don't you? Rebecca Twigley looks like she's had some work done ala Wacko Jacko. Refer to recent Brownlow emails that confirm this.

Maybe he wants to play for the Dee's because he's heard (correctly) that the best looking birds follow us .

He wants to play for the Ds only because no other AFL club would want him.

All the best looking girls left when Jimmy stormed the board and when Hoopla became a mover and shaker!.