Little Goffy

Hmm.... I'll say 350, no... people will check early in the day to try and get immediate reactions/info, and then come back later (once they've voted) for a more through look. 555.

I'm dreaming that all the right players will slide - There are plenty of theories suggesting Cotchin could drop to 4, slim as the chance is. Many have predicted Rance as a slider... I've seen Pears touted around the early second round a number of times... It might seem a bit much to go with two KP Defenders, but lets face it we're still looking for a True CHB and a true FB. Holland will chugg along but isn't going to be no1 FB on a regular basis, I think Carroll would love to be released to be a rebounding tall (and lets not forget that Carroll isn't actually all that young, 27 now?), and Rivers we all know plays best given as independent a role as possible, rather than directly holding an opponent. Rance seems to be destined for fullback, Rivers, Pears and Frawley are all quite flexible, and all four are noted for reading the play and playing smart football. They could become a stunning set of tall, mobile defenders, with the prospect of being the best Melbourne has ever had.

It's a common theme for Australian tourists in Thailand - Beer Beer Beer Beer Beer Beer Beer Beer Beer Beer Beer Beer STUPID. But 'left arm, right arm' is just gold.

I'm just going over the '08 fixture thinking about which games I'm best off making the effort to travel to get to. Queen's Birthday has been fun for the last few years, mark that in. But which games have the highest interest for people around here? I'll start by adding - Carlton in Round five. We should be a bit more settled under the new coach by then, some of the under-50 gamers will have a grip on their increased role in the absence of the veteran depth players Ward/Brown/Johnstone/Pickett/Bizzell. I'd love this to be the breakout game for a new Melbourne. Not our first win, of course, but the first game we really, really show there's something powerful coming through. I don't quite hate Carlton, it's more like disgust.

Bizarre side story of the draft - there's a real chance West Coast will end up with as many as four Victorian players, based on the various phantom drafts I've seen, but at the same time there's a whole host of quality players who'll be coming out of the west to play in Victoria. Quirky.

Hang on a minute... I need to get something straight - Liberatore was aiming for the Senior Coach position, not assistant?

I'm sure we would have add the occassional Irish flag appear in the crowd once upon a time. I think kept flags away from the cheersquad but in stadium can't be an issue.

That sounds very, very good all up. Obviously it's still a big question mark on Sampi but if he looks like the real thing, hoo haa it's fun times at Melbourne FC Junior Squad! Ahhh... there's that sneaking feeling that things could go very right for Melbourne pretty soon. MEMBERSHIPS, GEEEEEEETTTAAA YA MEMBERSHIPS! Buy now before you look like a bandwagoner, make sure you get in before the premierships. MEMBERSHIPS!

Geebus, Franklin one-on-one is a big ask. If we're going to beat Franklin/the Dorks it'll be because our cumulative defensive effort gave Rivers the latitude to read the play and cut off Hawthorn kicks going into 50m. That said, I think Frawley could be part of that defensive effort - certainly enough to help close out options and prevent the Hawthorn midfield kicking to clear leads. But it'll be Rivers or someone in Rivers' usual role who will win the defensive battle for us. It's the old Infantry/Cavalry routine - Infantry (Frawley, in this case) does most of the fighting, but their main job is to force the opposition into positions where the Cavalry (Rivers) can hit them hard where they aren't prepared, and decisively turn the battle. Those Macedonians were on to something!

And if the next award is for 'pointless sniping with little or no basis' you'll be up on stage next.

Jaded, sometimes you say it all so well. You'd expect to get more games in the first year from seven new draft picks than we got last season from the seven players delisted. Only Johnstone was a straight-up best 22 in 2007. And looking at it position by position no real gaps have been created, even with losing Johnstone. It makes it two years in a row where our delistings/retirements have not really been an issue for team quality (2006 - Read, Nicholson, Smith, Motlop). I take that as meaning that there are 11 young players on the list now, each one of which is either a break-even with the delisted player (playing minimal games) or a step up. It's been an odd calm before the storm in a way - the really damaging retirements are coming in the next few years (Neitz, McDonald, White).

The AFL 'leadership' has, once again, being completely clueless in it's handling of the issue in general, the specific events which have gained attention, and the interests and welfare of everyone involved. They have not had a clear idea from the start - at each step they have had to decide their responses on the run because the AFL itself lacks substantial knowledge and keeps responding only to the latest stimulus. The worst possible executive style, and it reaches into every aspect of the code. How is it that these people have so much job security that they can repeatedly underperform and not face any performance reviews, or simply be sacked? If I was that bad at a job, I'd quit from the shame of it.

As far as I can see, with the number of mature-age retirements and delistings, we'd have trouble not picking a young team next year. I don't think any particular extra emphasis needs to go on kids - just play whoever gives us the best option on the day, plenty of young players will get their chance whatever happens. I would like to see a lot less of the 'playing injured' pattern - particularly noticable in our forward line, where a restricted Neitz and a restricted Robertson simply couldn't provide enough leads and create enough danger to demand extra defensive attention. I rate Frawley highly, but we'll see how the preseason and the pre-season cup play out; who knows, Garland might turn it up! If I had to make a predicition, I be pretty certain that Frawley would play a majority of next season's games.

Absolutely agree with the topic title. Come off it, a tall defender in his first year, in a losing team which routinely failed to apply midfield defensive pressure, and had a mess of a structure from both injuries and lack of system? There were games where he was being beaten and was simply left to hang. I'm actually a little angry about it, because I also think he's shown enough to be confident he'll step up and be a quality tall defender for us. But seriously. Tall defender, first year out, most difficult possible environment, and beause he only did ok we hang s$ on him? I don't think so. And in keeping with what seems like an odd tradition at the Demons, he's player just under ten games in his debut season, keeping him eligible for next year's rising star award.

I hadn't heard much of Myers except that he was good and a definate first round pick, but you make him sound credible. Like Freak, I worry about Pears' height, we have a lot of 190-193cm players running around. Still, he's a teenager - if your starting point arriving at AFL is to be the exactly same size and weight as Jared Rivers, you'd hope a few seasons of growing and training will add a little. Veszpremi is touted as a first round, but if he's available at 21 then I'd be happy with that. Other than that, I'd be thinking of taking yet another potential KP defender. Perhaps the genuine tall that Freak is looking for. We have an interesting height structure, actually, big jump from Meeson, Holland, Jamar and PJ, then straight down to White at 195 and it's all 192-3 and a whole host of 190cm utilities. I'd be keen to bring in a genuine tall player with good general skills and attitude as a future gorilla-keeper fullback. Maybe pick 21 can be the next step in the 'Alistair Nicholson best pick 22 ever' story. All up, I like your choices. Definately adjusts to the new position of not really looking to use a high draft pick on a ruck. That's obviously not the plan when we have four ruckmen all over 21 already. Speculatives and rookies might see another.

Last I heard, Channel 9 had confirmed Judd was signed sealed and deliviered to Melbourne, too. I think Welsh is an ok player whose had some bad luck. On the one hand I think the Crows are being a bit pissy not offering him two years, on the other hand I don't think it would be much of an addition to our list, for immediate need or long term, if we grabbed him. So it's a no from me on Welsh, particularly if he's asking for a full senior player's wage. If it's an old Welsh for $200,000 vs young Sampi for $60,000 then it's a no-brainer out of the two, whatever doubts we might have on Sampi.

Hang on. If you can't tell at 18 that they're going to be as good as they are, doesn't that mean there's a good chance that real quality may emerge from lower down the list (say, pick 14 & 21?). I'd take an extra Bate and Rivers any day! And who cares if we have to go through the terrible shame of an extra Mclean along the way! But I do agree that the past KP black mark has had an impact - I think the most evident is actually with our ruck recruiting strategy - second/third round picks traded for rucks who hadn't broken through yet at their original club (PJ, Meesen). When was the last time we actually used a high draft pick to secure a ruckman? Second to that - it's noticable that we have been unwilling to commit to designating a player as fullback. Seems like we're just hoping that someone will slip in to fill the need, like Nicholson did (kinda) and like Carroll is doing (mostly) and Holland (sorta). I get some heart from the fact that people are explicitly saying they see Frawley as a fullback once he gets more experience and a bigger body. Come to think of it, I actually get the feeling that a lot of black marks and bitter lemons are being steadily cleared out. Here's to some more renewal!

I have to make a comment on the AFL article about best all-time draft choices. Firstly - Alistair Nicholson at 22! Go big Al, it's no accolade but it is a nice thing to know about yourself I spose. Second - pick 6, only one player made it past 100 games after being taken at six?! That is truly scary. And finally, once again a reminder of how good Melbourne's 99 draft was, with multiple players fromthat year being touted as best of their pick, and almost all of them getting honorable mentions. I want another one. I really want another one. Now that we've loaded up on development staff and we're committed to actively supporting growth in the kids, and with a series of excellent drafts behind us in the last few years (03, 04, 05, 06 must all be counted as pretty successful) another draft like that could blast us into a golden era. And then we've got four rookie slots to fill, which I think is the most 'morally' pleasing part of the draft, because it gives underdogs a shot and there's a huge thrill when someone from the rookie list makes it.

Whoa, because Worsfold is known as a soft trainer? But ditto on Motlop 2.

North aren't going through a tough patch - they are a dead club walking. They are bleeding millions of dollars a year from the AFL and have no plan or prospect of turning that around. Realistically, they can choose to become a power VFL team and compete with Sandringham, or they can make a radical move, which the AFL has indicated would have to be to the Gold Coast. It's a miserable situation, I don't like it and it is obviously driven by the commercialisation of the game and the ridiculous resources going into football clubs. But buy a membership of another club which can't motivate it's own members, and can't enact a business plan of any sort, when it's heritage is on the line? Buy a membership of another club when my own club needs backing and is actually doing the responsible thing? If I was going to spend another $100 on football, it's all going straight to the Demons, because the sooner we're not in need of help from the AFL, the more resources the AFL will have to help struggling clubs turn around. As for the Bulldogs, if they can't get it together when they've had $30m worth of facilities thrown at them by working with blatant electoral pork-barrelling, stuff em. They made a pact with the devil, if they still can't get by then they get what they've earnt and can fill the gap in Sydney's west. Maybe if they'd spent some of the last twenty years trying to actually welcome the West Melbourne migrant communities into the culture, instead of using the club culture to assert their 'Aussie-ness', they might be alright now. Just a little explosion of frustration there. I'll hate myslef in about an hour, don't worry about that.

Careful there, the Bulldogs might be in serious strife by next season. So might we, for many of the same reasons. So i'm not keen to make the connection too often. But you're right, we do look like being in a better position to step up than the Bulldogs. Lots of returns from injury (surely, surely, it can't be that bad again), our retired/traded/delisted players are much more replacable than, say Grant and Darcy, and we have a better balance of player types in our young squad. Add to that, we all seem to rate the new coaching staff and structure pretty highly. Bailey has a lot more back-up than Daniher did, or Eade does. And Eade just seems like a bit of a tool, so we have the advantage there.

There's a part of me that wishes we had picks 7 and 8 instead of 14 and 4. That way, we would be better placed to fill needs at the same time as taking best available, with a good chance of ending up with Rance and McEvoy. Obviously I'd hardly complain about a Cotchin or Palmer, but I'd rather have two top(ish) picks in this draft than one super-top and one just off the top. Just a quirk of the options and my desire for everything to work out smoothly without anxiety.

It's kind of hard to believe that WC would have delisted Cousins due to salary cap issues. Just how much to they plan on paying Josh Kennedy?

Political correctness is what you get when people have to deal with constant bull**** all the time on account of other people picking out something to have a go at. Remember the Akermanis 'those monkeys upstairs' comments? He knew he was talking about executives, not aboriginals. But think about the guy who keeps having to put up with drunk idiots asking him where he keeps his banana. Brock Mclean just got back from a trip where, apparently, he was jinxed enough to have repeat times when some idiot decided he was a free target. If he's headed out one night and someone drunk comes up and starts just giving him a bit of a ribbing, there's a bigger chance Brock would give the guy a spray and tell him to [censored] off, even if there wasn't really a problem. That's the whole deal with political correctness right there. So deal with it. And if you want to have a whinge about how you have to watch your mouth all the time, find some of the pricks who dish out the rubbish that starts the whole problem. Yeah, the post is a storm in a teacup, as others have said, but I'm really sick of people whipping out 'aww, no need to be so politically correct' everytime they realise too late that they've stepped on someones toes. Next time, try 'yeah, sorry bout that one, didn't mean anything by it' and cop it on the chin. Anyway, I'd take a punt on Sampi, for no cash and effectively a 70+ pick, why not?

Dean Bailey The only Melbourne coach never to lose a game. It's a record that speaks for itself, and I'm sure he'll be keen to maintain it. But seriously, the whole restructure of the Footy department looks pretty sweet. I'm stoked to have the two development coaches in particular. Nomed you are absolutely right about the 'rebuilding phase' rubbish. Richmond and Carlton have been the big talkers about long-term rebuilding programs. Whoopee for them. Seems they decided they were so good at it they'd just keep on going. Maybe their plan is to keep losing until they can start picking up not only top picks, but grad Gibbs II and Murphy Jnr with Father-Son selections. Then they couldn't possibly lose. Mind you, talk of 'we're just about to turn the corner and become a powerhouse' can knock the legs out too. Think Hawthorn before Schwab's last year, Doggies this year, Demons this year, Freo and Richmond most of the time... Again, Dean Bailey seems to get it right. He hasn't promised anyone anything, and good on him for it.