Theo

I like your work Rusty. In my opinion your comments are generally on the money. Some hard bodied accummulators and clearance specialists are required and a super quick outside midfielder. The goal to goal line is not strong enough therefore I like your comments about a key back and key forward. The Club has had 10 years or more to develop a strong goal to goal line and has failed to do so. I believe that is a major reason we are inconsistent and non-competitive at times. Big strong bodies down the spine would help the smaller bodied flankers and midfielders. I spoke to Dean Bailey just before Watts was recruited and he said midfielders win matches. The problem is the midfield types we selected are not as strong as those selected by clubs after us. I.e Strauss, Bennell, Jetta, v's Hannebury, Zaharakis, Shuey, Suban, Ballantine, Rockliff, Beams etc and many others. Recruiting has been our downfall. The senior players that should be the backbone of the side are either gone (Johnstone, McLean, Bell, Molan, Buckley, Bruce) or struggling to hold their place in the team (Bate, Dunn, Sylvia, Warnock,Morton,Bartram). This is aside from the many duds we have selected along the way as top 20-30 picks (Nick Smith, Molan, Rogers, Armstrong, Paul Johnson, Maric?). I know other clubs have poor selections and you can't get it right all the time, but they seem go get it right more often than we do. Over the years we have had to rely on late picks and rookie selections to form the backbone of the team. That should not be the case. Dean Bailey would still be the coach if the recruiting in the Daniher years had been more competent.

Predergast has done a reasonable job in the 3 years he has been there. In hindsight I'm not sold on Blease, Strauss, Bennell and Jetta selections when you consider what was available. I.e Shuey, Hannebury, Redden, McKernan, Trengove and others. Our problem is with the early selections under Craig Cameron. Molan, Bell, Nick Smith, McLean, Bate, Dunn, Buckley, Morton, Maric Many of these selections should now be our senior playing group. We continue to rely on late and rookie picks. In the last 10 years or more we have failed to secure a strong goal to goal line. Too many light bodied tall and mid-sized players with no grunt. All is not lost because I have high hopes for Troy Davis and Tom McDonald who could hold down KP down back or forward. Wer'e probably only short 4 or 5 quality players to be a very good side. A couple of hard nosed accululators that are good clearance players, a super quick clearance specialist, a strong bodied contested marking forward, a Heppell type, and a young Bock type down back to help Frawley. All is not lost but recruiting is everything and we have not been consistently good at it.k

I love your passion and we do have some talent but not enough considering then number of early draft picks we have had. We really do lack a strong core of senior players to show the kids the way. We lost an A grader in Scott Thompsom in 2004 for a C grade selection of Bate. Daniel Bell never made it, Nick Smith had one awful game and was gone. Dunn at pick 15 is a C grader. McLean is gone, Sylvia is a non-imposing B grader, Simon Buckley might be a premiership player, Morton and Maric are treading water, Davey is coasting and nearly past his best. Wona is only here because his mother told him to come back and earn some money for the clan. It's an early call but I don't see Blease, Strauss, Bennell and Jetta setting the world on fire. There were so many great picks in 2008 such as Shuey, Hannebury, Redden, Rockliff and many more that we could have got. We do have some good young kids but not enough. As can be seen we got it so wrong between 2001 and 2008 compare to other clubs. Just 2 or 3 elite or A graders from that group would have made all the difference. That I believe is the reason we are were we are. Recruitment and player development are keys to success.

We just have a quality well balanced list. Shuffling the deck chairs is a result of poor recruiting. We should have a lot more senior players than we have to help the kids. Can I remind you of these selections from 2001 to 2008. 2001 Molan, Armstrong 2002 Bell, Nick Smith - Both gone 2003 Sylvia - treading water, McLean - gone 2004 Bate, Dunn - C Graders 2005 Jones- tries hard but turns the ball over, Buckley - with premiers 2006 Frawley, Pettard - good selection, Garland - good 2007 Morton - really struggling, Grimes - good, Maric - not up to this level 2008 Watts - VG, (Blease, Strauss, Bennell, Jetta)- shown very little Sylvia, Frawley, Pettard, Garland, Watts and possibly jones are probably the only players that would get a game with a top 4 team. We have had to rely more on late selections like Bail and rookie Picks such as Aaron Davey in 2004 to offset so many poor early selections. Recruiting and player development is everything and we have not done it as well as many other clubs. We have a poor goal to goal line. Too many light utility types and not enough hardnosed accumulaters that love the contested ball. Where are our strong bodied contested marking players down back and up forward. Zilch It is not good enough considering the amount of early selection we have had in the last 10 years.

Warnock will also be gone at years end. I would like us to get Tim Mohr from the Scorpians as a later pick. He would add glue to the backline. We obviousy need hard nosed clearance players. When we get smashed the midflield goes missing. Our drafting was so poor from 2001 to 2008 that we have few senior players to help the kids.

Pick 26 Jack Darling anyone.

I spoke to Jordie M at the airport after the Darwin game and asked him whether it is likely to affect the following weeks game. He said physically with an 8 day break there is no issue. He said it is all between the ears. Interestingly at the airport you notice who mixes with whom. Whilst most players were in the bookstore or getting something to eat Sylvia and Scully were sitting alone in deep conversation. Doesen't mean anything of course it just looked odd at the time considering both are having contract negotiations.

A suggestion on SEN was to appoint Dean Laidley and have Mick Malthouse join him in 12 months time.

Another 3K+ down the drain by staying overnight in Geelong. We did the same thing last year and got belted. I rememmber last year one player interviewed on radio said he would rather spend the night at home in his own bed.

Agree. Recruiting Blease, Strauss, Bennell and Jetta in 2008 instead of Shuey, Hannebury, Trengove, Zaharakis, McKernan, Redden, Beams or many others was a bad first year for Prendergast.

It's easy to blame Bailey. The players should take a large chunk of responsibility for this years poor performances. There's a lack of leadership by the senior players and worst of all I seriously believe our recruitment has focussed on too many light bodies cameo type players instead of hard nosed accululaters.

Jack Grimes said yesterday on TAC Future Stars that it was a mental thing. Sometimes we don't turn up to play to the level required. What I think he really means is that SOME players let the team down on a continual basis with their mental application. Given that when we play poorly we usually struggle with clearances and contested footy and have a low tackle count. Who then in this team are the perennial culprits. Who in the team lets us down when the opposition puts their foot on the pedal and turns the screws. When the pressure is applied who are the turnover kings, who goes missing and doesn't take responsibility for the team effort. Who stops doing the one percenters. These [censored] poor efforts have been going on for so long it's endemic in the group. Who then needs to be weeded out of this group to stop the disease. It was happening when Davey,Bail,Tapscott,Spencer, Jetta and Grimes were in the team and it is now happening even with the inclusion of the new kids in Howe and Nicholson. So who are the culprits. It can't be Trengove, Scully or McKenzie in the midfield. Not Frawley down back or Howe up forward. Is it Moloney, Gysberts, Sylvia and Greens lack of 2nd and 3rd efforts. Is it Bennell and Morton who skirt around the outside and don't provide enough pressure. Is Jones a culprit as he continually turns the ball over with errant handpassess or holding the ball. Remember this has been happening for so long no matter what the makeup of the team has been. This says to me that their must be 1 or 2 or 3 players in this side that always let the team down when the blowtorch is applied by the opposition. Do you think I am wrong when I name, Jones, Maloney, Sylvia and Green as possible suspects. The other obvious ones are Bennell, Morton and Jurrah however when these players weren't in the team it was still happening. It has to be players that are always selected in the team. What about Garland and Rivers, they are easily outmuscled. We have to isolate these players,send them to Casey or eradicate them from the team. When we micro analyse this team who is contageuos and affecting the rest of the group and what is the antidote. Your thoughts. Now is the time to rid ourselves of the disease.

Maric's contract is up at the end of the year. Why not try him in Bennells position down back or forward with a run through the midfield. He has been the best at Casey a number of times this year including yesterday. It's time to give him a few weeks in a row in the AFL to see whether he is worth keeping. Bennell is contracted next year so send him back to Casey to work on his ticker and see if he can involve himself more in the game. We need 15-20 possession games out of these guys on a regular basis if they are going to have an influence in the outcome of the game. Bennell is only averaging 10 this year which is less that last year and less than his first year.

Everybody is complaining about Bennell. Why not try Maric in his position whether it be back or forward. Maric is out of contract this year, it's time to persist with him just as we have with Bennell and see what he has to offer.

Regardless of what he media say, I've always felt that Tom will stay. He is very close to his family. GWS would be a souless club in the heart of Rugby League. It's a long way from home for Tom. MFC are more likely to win a premiership before GWS. Teammates at MFC when questioned don't have any hesitation in saying that he is staying. He has good mates at MFC that played alongside him at Vic Metro. Loyalty would definately be a factor weighing on his mind. I wouldn't be surprised if D. Schwarz informants are just "playing with him" because he is Melb. and somewhat gullible. If Tom stays I only hope MFC don't get sucked in and pay over the odds. He is not worth $700K. It would cause us heartache down the track when Watts, Trengove, Frawley and Co. are up for negotiations. I would rather he go and we do what WJ says and go for the best compensation available.

This article in the Age may help shed some light. http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/dees-could-get-ablettlike-compo-for-scully-20110616-1g61f.html Sources have confirmed that despite an industry perception that Scully would be worth only one first-round pick, the emphasis on the age of the player - younger players are rated higher - and the size of the contract would be key factors in Melbourne's favour if he walked. Clearly, if he did join GWS, it would be on a massive contract, with most speculation suggesting he would receive $800,000-$1million a year for five years. In addition, the expert panel of AFL talent identification manager Kevin Sheehan and game analysis manager Andrew McKay has the power to override the formula and change the outcome if there is what the AFL called ''an anomalous result''. ''They will have the power to recommend a revised compensation outcome to AFL general manager football operations Adrian Anderson if the formula produces an anomalous result,'' the AFL said when announcing the revised compensation last year. If age of the player and his renumeration are the major criteria, the formula and the compensation committee (Sheehan and McKay) can also take into account the player's draft position and any decorations. Scully, as the 2009 No.1 pick, obviously ranks highly on draft value and though he hasn't yet been placed in a best and fairest or been All-Australian, he was runner-up in the Rising Star Award in his first season. He played 21 of 22 games, finished eighth in the best and fairest and was second for loose-ball gets at Melbourne in an outstanding debut season. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/dees-could-get-ablettlike-compo-for-scully-20110616-1g61f.html#ixzz1QBFO5tIZ

Nothing said about signing anything. He just believes that based on the information told to him Scully will go. Scully may only be trying to increase his price to stay at MFC. No one knows except Tom.

Your right 98% I wish I did not mentioned anything now. Scully will stay. Let's hope he does.

He did mention it during the general panel discussion in front of 200 people. I would would not have been so specific otherwise. He is 97% certain. He can't be 100% certain because he hasn't seen the signed contract. Nothing really has changed since he mention it previously.

Totally agree with you WJ however the AFL could not give a sh-t about us and would not like to set a precendent. Their line would be that the terms were agreed to by all Clubs. The expansion clubs will not be compromised in becoming dominant. It's AFL v Rugby and Soccer.

You can believe what you like, I'm just telling you what he told me. He also mentioned it during the general panel discussion. Scully doesen't have to sign anything yet. He may have just agreed to a HOA which is not legally binding. He could well change his mind when a contract is put in front of him. He could just be weighing up all options. The Ox believes he has been offered 5M for 4 years at GWS and 700K at MFC. The panel suggested that Bate and Morton could be good trade bait.

Only because the Gold Coast players that were contracted didn't commit to their Clubs during the season. Silence, Silence, Silence can mean see ya later.

Didn't say. I believe no contract can be signed until the end of the season. I assume he has agreed to the terms of a HOA. I guess he can change his mind as a HOA is not legally binding. He does show the classic signs of leaving though.

Just got back from the SEN Footy lunch. The whole panel believe that Scully has signed with GWS. Had a good chat with David Schwarz before the show. My wife and I spent a far amount of time with him and Karen in China last year and therefore trust what he says. Although he has not seen the contract he was told by Velocity Sports Scully's Management, one of the coaches at GWS and a Scully family member that he has agreed to a 4 year contract for 5 Million. David said that we should do everything we can to secure one GWS's 17 year-olds.

McDonald was let go because of list management. We had few players coming out of cntract last year and he was sacrificed. List management is becoming an increasing problem because this year we only have Warnock, Maric, Wona, Martin, Morton, Sylvia, Gawn, Fitzpatrick, Scully out of contract. The first 3 are the only ones likely to be axed which may not be ideal. Most clubs have a third of their list out of contract every year. We have put ourselves in a very difficult position yet again.