Little Goffy

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.

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.

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.

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?

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. 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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

That's been my enduring impression from the games I've seen him in. One of those players who appear suddenly and squanch an opponent, ending what looked like a clear attacking run. If I were his coach I'd have him playing a fair distance away from defensive goals, ready to disrupt any running approaches towards/across the 50m line. He's also okay at closing fast and getting up for a spoil, though you wouldn't want him matched up on a genuine tall forward. Being a bit further out also means more space to run and less risk from the impulsive kicking. So, not quite as a defender but kind of like a defender's best friend.

At post 3000 Bailey Humphrey personally hands out sausage sangas to everyone who participated, and that's even if he doesn't come to the Demons. I dare anyone to ask for the sauce.

I condemn your anti Sam bias. And I expect silent credit for not making the obvious but not really impressive joke.

If we get picks 6 and 7 I'd be right up for this pair, nevermind the early call, as my little one is named Sam. I guess there's a place for another runner too, so Sam Swadling from a pick in the 20s range. Not an entirely nonsense set of picks, actually. I think we could do quite well with an exclusively Sam-oriented drafting and trading strategy for years to come. Definitely should have gone harder after Flanders, Draper and De Konig. Sam Walsh is a free agent next season and maybe Sam Lalor will want to pull a Horne-Francis if Richmond don't make progress. Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam Sam. Lovely Sam! Lovely Sam! Sam Sam Sam Sam.

It is pretty clear the club views Clayton Oliver's impact on the performance of other players, the time and energy the takes up from coaches, board, and media, and likely also on the reputation of the club as a destination for recruits, as outweighing his 'good ordinary' on-field contribution in the last 24 months. I do have a vague recollection of people complaining that we hadn't been able to attract any A-grade players for a while... hmmm...