Little Goffy

4 minutes ago, Adam The God said:

That's Barnahy Joyce isn't it?

Now there's a locker room conflict pre-packaged in a box with a bow. Or bottle, I guess.

Makes Geelong look above board with the jobs at sponsors and property 'tips', too.

Jack Fitzpatrick.

Jack Grimes.

Hmm, that's just about the full box set.

As a side note, journalism was ruined because improvements in 'productivity' technology, as basic as microsoft word and a google search, made it possible for total non-experts to churn out $1 dross that resembled $10 real journalism enough to flood the market.

Its a cycle that sits somewhere between the pottery wheel, which crashed the market for prestige ceramics for a millenia, and AI which is currently crashing the market for undergradauate essays, sincerity in communication, and [censored].

If you dig around you can find great sources of football news and views and inside knowledge, not least of them Demonland of course. The only thing holding it back at the moment is the power of the AFL HQ and 'Broadcast rights' holders. If the material was more open sourced, just imagine the kind of content which could be produced by the current enthusiastic and informed amateurs, if they could go full time!

In the end, it is the monopoly on access and footage shared by an old clique which is the ENTIRE problem, and every time we undermine their business model we are doing football, journalism, and football, a favour.

15 hours ago, Dannyz said:

👀

TIME TRAVER IS REAL.

That post is in fact recently-recruited free agent Humphrey and ex-president Green celebrating the opening of the Caulfield training facilities.

They're together because Humphrey is particularly excited to mentor Green's son, who just joined Melbourne as a top-3 F/S draft selection.

1 hour ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Agree. Picks 30, 45, 56, 58 & 73 might also equal pick 1, but are nothing like it in reality, unless you are holding them for a FS / academy that would actually be bid on at pick.

Hmm, I guess if you had unlimited list spots then 5 picks spread out might be worth more.

And if it were the 90s when junior recruitment wasn't so professional, even very early picks were hit and miss, and there weren't academy programs skimming off a bunch of speculative kids, then that would boost the relative value of later selections. Just ask Geelong, and even Melbourne, in 1999.

For what it's worth, very late picks aren't worth anything in the points system. Only 30 and 45 would have points value out of that hypothetical set, and they'd be worth pick 24.

To get points value to pick 1 from five later picks you'd need them to be roughly picks 20-24.

And that actually confirms your point. Probably the best and only good result for that in the last decade would be Max Holmes and Jake Bowey vs Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.

Pick 6 and 7, well, we can still realistically hope for a Naughton, Serong, Butters, Pickett, Will Day, or Nasiah WM. At that point in the draft, such players are still pretty regular.

Wow. The little white ants already nibbling around the edges.

This club should get a pyrethrum sponsor.

I don't think there's any remaining of the calibre of Mihocek and Steele, who are as good as it gets for leadership short of the likes of Gawn.

Keep the flow of kids coming - top few based on talent, then go hunting for smokies with good character.

Plus, we want to be in that mix for 2026 free agents.

26 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

If you thought I was bad in the Zak Jones thread......

With a 14 weeker on my shoulder, I paid far too close attention to that gif and I have real concerns about the health of that baby. I'm proud to say my little Sam hurls only the purest of puke, and gets much more distance even from a casual blurp.

A baby puke version of this thread would see a lot of distance, a lot of colour, and a lot of premium carpet in the splatter zone.

Seems a good moment to reiterate the thought that losing Brayshaw and Nibbler had more impact on us than losing Oliver and Trac will have.

We also lost Gus and Nibbler for close to nothing back.

In contrast at least in the short term Steele and Mihocek really help to supply that cultural strength that was lost. Longer term Picks 6 and 7 aren't to be sneezed at, either.

And 2026 free agency is our very own salary cap riot.

For all that his petulant moments this season have annoyed me, I do feel a share of sympathy for him going into almost certainly his last season, with a clear need to undergo a bit of transformation of both body and play style, and not a great prospect of a glorious result anyway.

It'll be a credit to him if he does stand up and be the good teammate as well asadalt enough to spend most of the season in the first 23.

On the other hand, he'll be paid as much as most people get for ten years or more of work with all its strains and [censored] bosses and horrible clients, so if he can't manage to deliver on KPIs as basic as 'be kind, commit to the little extras, have the humilityto support others to perform their role', then it is a failed test of character.

I'll choose to be optimistic and I'll look forward to celebrating his fascinating career when the time comes.

5 hours ago, chookrat said:

Im assuming other clubs have fathers who have had sons too

Starting to look a little dystopian; "Breed, or be sent to the island".

They just seem to be particularly glowing descriptions, even for u15s. In contrast to the way many of our recent f/s prospects have been described with a few 'potential AFL-grade attributes' but nothing like 'an explosion of excitement and energy'.

I'm also a fan of high footy IQ as a characteristic, because it makes everything else possible.

Does this mean we are saved from the scourge of Tasmania?

20 hours ago, BoBo said:

And if we lose Max/McDonald/May/Melksham during or at the end of this season, we will need Steele for his proven leadership capabilities.

18 hours ago, bing181 said:

You might be writing Max off prematurely, especially as he has a contract for the next 2 seasons.

A real vendetta against the letter M from Bobo, there. Worse than my 'Sams only' drafting and recruiting strategy for 2025-2030.

Gawn will stay on until at least the 2028 premiership.

2 hours ago, dees189227 said:

I'm not sure there is enough being spoken about stkilda trading their captain.

I know he was told to explore his options but this was a captain & hearing from some saints fans they are gutted.

Somewhere between the reassuring earnestness of James McDonald and the indomitable will of Nathan Jones. That's a relationship with fans that takes a decade to build and now St Kilda's success or failure relies entirely on the performance of imports on inflated contracts, and Wanganeen-Milera fulfilling his apparent destiny as the vorpal blade incarnate.

Meanwhile, Jackson Macrae, brought in by St Kilda just one season ago as a 31yr old slowing but dependable midfielder, must think the world has gone mad.

One thing I will find interesting to watch is how Oliver and Tom Green work together. Three years ago Green was basically 'Oliver -10%' in all statistical areas, such was their similarity in roles.

Now Oliver will be second chair behind Tom Green at his core tasks, when Green has also been able to adapt his game better to more dynamic requirements.

My hunch keeps insisting we'll end up using 7 and then live trading 8 to the Blues so they can get a pick in ahead of the Harry Dean bid - which otherwise we would be making ourselves at 8.

It is unlikely to have too big an impact on the final outcome of this draft. Probably we'd have Carlton's pick 11 instead of our 8, and then some bonus material, but we have a record of arranging remarkable live-trading chains so anything can happen from there. Perhaps even movement into the 2026 draft.

The more I think about it, it'll be pick 6 then shenanigans all the way down.

Perhaps a pick in the 20s to grab one of the tall defenders who aren't so highly rated but fill a need and are worth making an effort to develop given the space that will be available, at least at Casey for the short term.

If we were having a nearest the pin contest, I'd say Grlj early then trading back a bit to take Thredgold, and White and Sinnema, of course.

I like the implied versatility of Thredgold and White developing together.

He'll never be a 'great' player again, but if he can find some humility, recognise his limitations and play accordingly, then he can continue to be a very good player with great moments.

It is also pretty clear we aren't going to be making '60 points or less against' as a major benchmark any more. It might mean a more direct accountability to an opponent when defending, and a bit more freedom to hoof it when he has the ball. Lord knows he can get some distance on it, but it has always been the 'percentage' play of sending it long to the left wing.

But, yes, it all depends on finding some humility. If King is as serious about culture as first impressions suggest, and May doesn't get a grip on his inattentiveness and mouthing off, May could find himself uninvited to some training sessions before we even hit the 2026 season proper.

We've gone from barely participating due to late picks and pre-commitments (White, Sinnema) to right up the interesting end and in a position to live trade like wild creatures.

I wonder... if Harry Dean hasn't gone by pick 6, would Carlton want to trade up their 9 and 11, in exchange for 6 plus some 'cash-in' selections?

Everyone gains, with the caveat that Carlton is included in everyone.

20 hours ago, Mattyd said:

Am I wrong though?

About what?

The opposite of love isn't hate, it is indifference.

I look forward to one day being as indifferent about Vomitwood as I currently am about Essendon.

For now, as the old law of exile says, "All citizens are compelled to do them harm according to their ability to do so, whenever they are within the boundaries of the realm."

I'm just glad we've been able to rescue that honourable young Mihocek and give him a chance at a role in our run to the 2028 premiership.

Oliver out, Steele in is a great result from that situation.

We did okay in the Petracca trade, but I'm biased because I'm going to love death-riding Gold Coast 2026.

Mihocek and Jiath are each players I've thought 'Yeah, that's probably the only player I like at that club', so now I can 100% hate Collingwood and Hawthorn. Plus, they are terrific for causing trouble at Spelling Bees.

Max Heath is actually the least known of the players for me, but, he is also perhaps the most exact description of what we urgently needed to acquire. Moderate chance we'll be watching a true successor, and hopefully he'll at least be giving good contests and ruck cover up forward. Is this the end of the 'Gawn set shot missing left from 30m in front' era?

But here's a mental summary for me - the contrast with 2012.

Dawes, Byrnes, Rodan and Pederson, of whom only Rodan had much of a profile or body of work.

Mihocek, Jiath, Steele and Heath is clearly a major step up. It's like one set was recruiting to 'dominate VFL' and the other recruiting for 'contributors at AFL'.

I am calm and content.

Except now I'm anticipating the draft, with the 2012ish period in my mind. Ugh. Will those picks bring us 'Toumpas and Cook' or 'Salem and Hogan'?

Always something to be anxious about at Demonland.

1 hour ago, Demonstone said:

You still here? You promised us you'd stop posting if Oliver was traded.

Are you not a man of your word?

He's just finishing up the paperwork on the successful Merrett trade.

Also, DEATH RIDE DEATH RIDE! WOOOO HOOO!

For decades over in the United States there has been an expression used by public administrators when the annual reporting of things like education and health care or crime rates cone out.

Thank [censored] for Mississippi!

Why? Because nobody else ever had to come last at anything.

Well, no matter how badly you think trade week has gone, no matter which club you support...

Thank [censored] for Essendon.

Do we all owe Dodo and apology? Has just just been an inevitable Essendon thing all along?

2028. The gypsy woman said.

View everything from that starting point and it all makes sense.

Mind you, if all this does work out we'll be riding an incredible wave of young talent brought up in a rigorous club culture right as Tassie blows a a fresh hole in the national talent pool.

Anything is possible.

If you'd told me separately that Oliver and Steele would be traded for such junk draft picks I'd have been surprised at the fact and offended on each of their behalf.

If you told me that Oliver (2025 variety) was effectively traded for Steele, I'd be ambivalent but accepting.

I like Jack Steele. I think he's underrated, perhaps on account of having to try to fill the shoes of St Kilda's tragic generation of stars.

Aaaand now he gets to work in the shadow of the bitter disappointment left by two of - at their best - the best players of their period.

Petracca and Oliver out means that we won't e doing any clearance dominance in 2026.

Steele in, alongside Viney, would at least mean we won't be giving away easy clearance dominance to opponents.

They are both a bit slow and neither are they attacking weapons, bit they would take and give a he'll of a lot of the battering in the clinches while letting our youngsters and long list of rotating 'point of difference' players be effective without being drained by the wrestle efforts.

He is also a reliable AFL grade player to add to a team which will have a lot of young players with inconsistent output.

And by every account, an exceptional character.