RalphiusMaximus

Sounds pretty happy to have joined us given the quick interview he just gave on SEN. Oliver now on for a chat. Likes Roos, likes the look of the list...

VERY welcome to the club Sam. Here's hoping you enjoy the next decade teaming up with the Hulk.

Well, we have the Raging Bull. Best of luck to you in playing next year Clayton.

I still have him up there in our options. I worry less about the draft tests than some I think. I'm more interested in getting footballers than athletes.

The numbers indicate one of three things to my mind: 1 - He's not over his issues yet 2 - He hasn't kept himself in shape while not playing 3 - He's faking it to lower his value and get to the Pies. Quite frankly any of the above could well be the case, and none of them make him more attractive as a draftee. However, all but #3 we could deal with.

In all honesty, while I do have my preferences I'm not terribly concerned by who we take at three and seven. I maintain that this group of players are all very even and we'll get two quality kids whichever way the draft goes. As long as we don't waste a top ten pick on that big KPD, I'm happy.

This too is a fair point. I sometimes forget how big a step up there is between the age groups for teen sports. It's one I failed to make, so you'd think I could relate.

The photo of him standing next to his dad makes him look good. Has a nice build and good height. He played u16's so should have the basic skills he needs.

Nope. The pick was fine if a little high. The result was bad. There's a massive difference.

I don't dispute that we took him early. My issue is with people ranking him with epic failures such as Cook. Molan could play. His career was ended by terrible luck rather than a lack of ability or application like Cook. I just think it's monumentally unfair to list him as one of the club's great recruiting blunders. You might as well call the Ox an unfulfilled talent because his knees preventing him from matching the career of Carey.

I really wish people would stop rubbishing poor Luke Molan. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the decision to take him. His career was destroyed by terrible luck and perhaps a lack of self-preservation. He never lacked for talent, application or aggression. Nobody could have predicted the succession of impact injuries he suffered. On Weideman, I'd be thrilled to land either he or Curnow at 7. I think either one of them would be a great get for the club. A big, reasonably athletic forward with some mongrel and aggro is just what we need.

Most of it's been covered, but here are the points: - Not counted as part of the list for the purpose of player numbers (ie he's not one of the 44 listed players). - His wages are not counted in our salary cap. - We have him for an initial contract of 2 years. If we like him we can then add him to our Rookie list for a further two years. - The same rules apply for upgrading him as for any other Rookie. To qualify as a Category B Rookie a player can not have been a part of any Aussie Rules List for three years (pretty sure that's the limit) and I think they have to be playing another sport at the elite level. Playing Basketball for Australia obviously qualifies him. Blicavs at Geelong was trying out for the Olympic track and field team as a steeplechaser when he signed with them. There was a bit of talk earlier this year that Alex Keath wanted to get back into AFL. This is the route he would be taking as well, and I think he'd have his pick of pretty much every club in Victoria if he decides to do it. So basically we get to sign him outside the drafting system, pay him whatever we like and he doesn't cost us anything in terms of salary cap or list composition for two years while we train him up and see if he can really play.

Pretty sure we'll find out.

Well, after all the large scale debate on here about value and what we should pay he's here. Welcome to the club Jake. I really hope you do work well with Goodwin and take your game up a notch or two after stalling at the Bombers. I can safely say that every Melbourne supporter will be thrilled if you kick on and become more than a handy depth player.

Especially if we can get a decent pick for Howe as well. Late first or early second round would be pretty right I'd say.

I'm really not sure what to make of this deal. He's certainly a tough kid. I doubt he can be called soft although I haven't made a habit of watching Essendon games. It's just that his name isn't one that you think of when you go looking for quality players in the league. We could find that he turns into a hard running midfield workhorse who can kick goals and win his own ball, in which case we'll look back and declare this a genius move. On the other hand he could wind up being an easily distracted thug who throws his weight around on the field but plays the man instead of the ball and costs us games with his low possession count and stupid free kicks. I think I'll stay on the fence and wait to see how it turns out.

I'd take a punt with a rookie pick if he's available. We took a chance on vandenBerg and it worked out pretty well for us. He was playing in a much weaker competition than the WAFL.

AFL site is talking about us doing a three-way with Port and the Bombers. We give up Toumpas and get Melksham. I'd probably call that a good deal depending on the WADA outcome.

I'd have Watts over Melksham any day. We need more who can kick like him.

I don't expect us to land one of the top players, although it would be nice if we at least tried. I just don't want us trading for players who are kind of ok if you tilt your head and squint a little. A marginal improvement on our current fringe players is all we'd get out of Melksham. As they said this morning on the Sunday Footy Show, he's your fifth or sixth midfielder. He's just not that valuable.

Sorry, couldn't read your post. Something was distracting me.

Melksham isn't anywhere near the same league as Vince. The ground his league plays on isn't even in the same CITY as Vince's league. When we got Vince the consensus was that we'd done really well out of the Sylvia pick and he was older but a significant upgrade. That has proven to be very much the case. Melksham has so many more questions over him, his inconsistent form, poor decision-making, WADA case... It's just a really dodgy move to trade for him.

Did someone mention unreasonable demands?

Firstly, just because you didn't see what Stef was capable of doesn't mean that others couldn't. I wasn't at all happy when he left. Secondly, You're declaring that because Melksham is a former top 10 pick he must be a good pick up. How about we take Morton and Sylvia as delisted free agents then? They were both TOP FIVE PICKS!!!! You need to accept that sometimes clubs get these picks wrong, or they stuff up the development badly enough to wreck them. You may notice the best picture they have of him is one where he's being beaten to the ball. Actually, we've shown ourselves to consistently pay overs for players we don't really need. Look at the overpayment for Dawes and Lamumba. The Bombers will demand more than the Pies did. We got lucky with Vince and Garlett was out the door anyway. They took some junk picks rather than see him go FA.

I'm kind of thrilled with this record. It's the fans telling the AFL in no uncertain terms what they think of being given such a rubbish time against a rubbish team at the wrong stadium. If they want us to turn up they can let us play our home games at our home ground at a decent time. Playing the Spice Girls less would help as well.