Adam The God

So with Neeld confirming Watts will form part of the defensive back six next year, it got me thinking about our list in a slightly different way. I started to note down who would be there and who could perform their role better than sufficiently. It's not particularly surprising that I still found quite a few holes in the list and/or unknown quantities. This is not intended to be a pessimistic thread, merely a pragmatic view of our list, by someone who's been buoyed by a fantastic trade period thus far. I've broken the team down into three categories. Backs, Mids and Forwards. BACKS: - Frawley, McDonald, Garland & Watts are all walk up starters for mine. Frawley can take mobile talls or big hulks. McDonald can play on a similar type, but needs to improve his disposal and decision making by foot. Garland is capable on the bigger blokes (as evidenced by his performance on Buddy twice previous), but provides the back six with fantastic versatility, as he can also take the dangerous small forwards; your Riolis and Ballantynes. Meanwhile, Watts is clearly the best kick in our team and should become the main distributor out of the back half. His height and pace also enable him to play on talls (let's say a Jack Gunston) or smalls. - What does this say though? Well, it says we're missing two starters in our back six. I could see Nicholson filling a role as a running defender and line-breaker in 2013, but beyond that I believe a more reliable Clinton Young type is required. We also need another top distributor by foot, as Aaron Davey became a few years ago. Could Dunn provide this? Quite possibly. By my reckoning, there's two holes in the starting back six. - Depth-wise, Joel Macdonald isn't perfect, but suits a KPB back-up role. This post assumes Rivers is out, otherwise he also make for a fantastic depth player. However, his lack of pace is a liability. Finally, Stef Martin plays far better down back and could fill that role, as well as provide a chop out in the ruck (provided he isn't traded of course). - Unknown quantities: Troy Davis (probably delisted) and Tapscott (can he hold down a role back there?). MIDS: - Jones and Grimes are the only walk up starters to the midfield long term at the moment. Jones improved dramatically this year. I haven't always been a fan, but he made the step up to the cusp of A grade this year. Our best mid by a long way. Grimes is the other that consistently has an impact, albeit not enough, but is at least consistent. - It's no secret that we have a dearth of midfield talent or at least too much "unknown" about our potential midfield that it could present itself as a glaring weakness. This may or may not be the case, depending on who takes that next step up. So in this department our unknown quantities are: Trengove, Viney, McKenzie, Howe, Gysberts and Pick 4. You might be wondering why Trengove is listed as an unknown quantity, but for me, his ineffectiveness (outside of his one-per centers) this year does not resemble his 'potential' talent. This could be attributed to an increased workload from Misson and the rest of the FD, but either way, he still has upside and improvement to come (I hope). Nevertheless, he becomes an unknown quantity. Viney could step straight in and provide an instant improvement or it may take some time. The same can be said for Pick 4. Jordie McKenzie needs to find another string to his bow, otherwise he'll find himself on the outer. At the moment, he's far too one-dimensional. His one hope is to lock down a tagging role. He must do that during 2013 and learn to kick the football. Meanwhile, Howe has the engine to become a midfielder, but was particularly ineffective there this year I thought. Finally, Gysberts is the real potential 'x factor', if you like. If he can click, particularly at the same time as Viney and Pick 4, all of a sudden our midfield becomes dangerous. It also takes the pressure off Jones (although I'd argue Jones is probably best with his back to the wall). - There is so much unknown about our midfield that it's difficult to determine the holes, let alone poke holes through at the moment, but we should know more come draft time 2013. If we can add some experience in say Farren Ray to our mix, that may prove important. Long-term, we should be looking for at least 8-10 A and B grade midfielders. I think we're still missing two or three mids, but can't be sure of that until the end of the 2013 season. FORWARDS: - Clark, Dawes, Byrnes and Blease are all walk up starters, and form quite a potent attack now. There's a mixture of height, pace and strength. The only thing missing from our forwardline is arguably 'x factor' that a Jurrah could have provided. That said, Blease may bring this in spades. - In terms of a forward six, I'd be looking at rotating someone like Howe (more 'x factor') through the flanks and even deep forward. If Sylvia can get his body and mind right, he too could rotate between the middle and the forward flank. Aaron Davey is probably finished, but I could see him getting a few games as a crumber in his final year. Once again, can Tapscott grab a position and make it his? - The unknown quantity here could well be someone like Dominic Barry, rotating between forward and midfield. - The hole in our forward half is the crumbing forward, currently filled by Byrnes, but for how long? In two to three years time we'll need to have recruited someone to replace him. So having broken all of that down, it's interesting to see how far away we are from being a finals threat, let alone a premiership contender. BACK POCKET FULL BACK BACK POCKET Garland Frawley ? BACK FLANK C-HALF BACK BACK FLANK Watts McDonald ? WING CENTRE WING ? Jones ? FWD FLANK C-HALF FWD FWD FLANK ? Dawes ? FWD POCKET FULL FWD FWD POCKET Byrnes Clark Blease RUCK ROVER ROVER Grimes ? RUCKMEN Jamar, Spencer, Fitzpatrick & Gawn, all of whom I'd keep. There are some names I've missed out like Morton, Strauss and Sellar. They're all fringe for mine though. Obviously, it's very speculative at the moment, but hey, that's what the off-season is all about. If we're lucky, at least three or four of those question marks will dissolve come the end of 2013 and we'll be well on our way. Dreaming? Maybe. Thoughts?

No, you'd be wrong. Our first live pick will be 4.

There's nothing to say that we actually offered pick 20. That could easily just be Walsh putting two and two together.

No he wouldn't.

I think their treatment of Moloney was down to two things. One, I'm sure Neeld was wary of setting a firm example of at least one senior player. Part of the 'cut the tumour of deplorable culture' from the club. And two, that the FD simply didn't rate him that much. We have no real way of knowing whether the FD tried as hard as they could to get Moloney "buying in" as it were. Either way, he didn't and he's left the club. We were never going to get fantastic compensation for him the way he played 2012.

And you're right, Jaded. He'd go to GC.

I'd still go the three pronged Clark, Tippett, Dawes attack. That'd be amazing. Of course, presuming it was the ND our midfield wouldn't be as potentially bolstered, but that's something we have to weigh up. With Free Agency in now, we may just pick up a gun mid next year or the year after. If it's the PSD, we can't really loose can we? Hello, "war-chest".

I kind of see where you're coming from here, BR. Gysberts has played three gun games. I was at Shell Stadium to see his first game. He was in the top 5 players on the ground, even though we got smacked. It was a Chris Judd-like start to his career. Blease has kicked some wonderful goals, but has never really strung a consistent four quarter performance together (owing to his poor tank).

He struggles at AFL level though, albeit with limited game-time.

What a disgraceful way of putting it.

That team looks like a team that would finish anywhere between 13th and 10th. I'd expect to win between 8 and 10 games too.

Hey, that's a pretty good team on paper. I'd say the only thing it's missing is a second zippy forward crumber. Outside of Byrnes there's not a lot of foot-speed in the forward half. I wouldn't rule out a Sylvia trade just yet either, personally.

He's a defender and should be played as such. His record on Buddy in the past is solid as is his record against Rioli. Two very different players, but highlight his flexibility and value as a defender.

Jesse Hogan supported Adelaide as a kid. Confusion has spawned from a Tweet Emma Quayle made regarding The Age journalist who shares his name with our latest acquisition and is a fanatical MFC supporter.

Or this (hopeful maybe): @ emmasq heard any thing about cam pedersen emma? Expand Reply Retweet Favorite 21h Emma Quayle ‏ @ emmasq @ robber99 will get to Melbourne at some point it seems

We also have to officially select him before all of that.

I don't think that's a problem. Mitchell and Sewell are very similar players who end up complimenting each other.

We weren't soft this year either. We were just incredibly slow and bereft of talent. Hopefully this is on the up.

Source on that Parma?

Trade Radio - his manager just said they haven't spoken to us. So that's no Caddy. Thank God.

Let's just hope we don't get Caddy.

Delist for mine.

The thing about this is if we were to go Martin and Hogan, the MFC would have a year with them to get acquainted with the club and players, ala Viney. They'd be raring to go come 2014. Part of me doesn't want to wait that long, but the other half says, no short cuts.

A definite no to both, thanks.

Misson was already on his way to us before Neeld was brought to the club. He didn't choose him. That's not to say he doesn't rate him though.