Little Goffy

Weird odds if you ask me. Fremantle that high? Kangaroos that low? Again? You'd think we'd learn. Then again, they seem to have become the finals shinbone chokers. Richmond at only 67? Interesting that Melbourne and the Bulldogs are matched up. I guess both teams have a lot of 'who knows' with the young group, plus a handful of quality veterans each. Hmmm... Essendon might just be in the crapper. There's still a lot of older players on that list, especially in defence, and remember they still have their bold Hird-less future to come... and a crap coach! Because Essendon's out-of-the Blue unknown quantity coach is nowhere near as good as Melbourne's out-of-the-blue unknown quantity coach. I'm quietly hoping for another Demons-Bombers game for round 1, those games have a touch of meaning and get good crowds, and then we thrash the bombers and go home happy. Which is nice.

Me, I'm waiting for Sylvia to deliver about 40% of Chris Judd. Pick 4 another 40% pick 21 the remaining 20%.

What is he, 36? They're looking for another coach to go three decades I like Knights, but it really begs the question why didn't they even interview Bailey if they were looking for younger options from slightly left-of-centre? It'll be interesting to see what happens to the Bomber's profile in the next few years, with both Hird and Sheedy out of the immediate picture.

Maybe it's like that baseball movie with the kids who busts his arm in some kind of accident, and then the muscles knit so tightly when they heal that he can pitch a ball at major league speeds. Robbo will be easily the fastest, but will lose because his strong leg will go faster than his weak leg and he'll end up going around in a circle. Other possibilities - The club and Robbo have agreed to do everything they can to boost his profile and trade value. This is the club's way of saying "Robbo, we love you, see, we do all these things for you, but could you just take the damn two years?" And bizarre possibility three - Robbo has really looked after himself these last few weeks, has been working hugely on strengthening his legs to overcome the persistent knee problems, and has developed an explosive pace off the mark which might just give him a crack at the sprint.

Matthew Whelan Brent Moloney Jared Rivers These are three highly respected names who will all hopefully be coming back in 2008. Rivers has a spot, no doubt. But Whelan and in particular Moloney have a bucketload of competition for their roles, mostly from young and promising players we'll be wanting to give a fair run. How do people see them slotting back in? At who's expense?

Bartram should definately be marked as a run with player occassionally going to back pocket if the match-up suits. Bate and Green should be roving the CHF area and providing deep leads into the midfield. Bell is a strong, fast, determined defender. Yeah, he can attack a little more now that Ward and Brown are gone, but really I'd prefer him to stick to his number one task. Bruce should be in the thick of things, midfield/onball with rests up forward. Has the engine, give him maximum game time as he will demand a tagger. Davey should get back to the joy of his first years - forward crumber applying the pressure to opposition defenders. Should be given occassional run onball, just incase his evasive skills click in and he becomes as dangerous as GAblett. Don't like him on a wing or in wide open areas, he's just to good at making something out of a quarter-second gap. Dunn is looking like the next Bruce - tall utility running with or providing a forward option. A possible future match-up for the weird match-ups like Brad Johnson. Frawley needs to grow a bit to be a stay at home defender. We'll see how he goes but for now I see him as a tall rebounder, like Wheatley has often been. Holland is our back-up Full-forward, Full-back and possibly even ruckman if Jamar gets traded. Petterd & Chris Johnson will be competing for Ward's old role. Paul Johnson could become Holland's best friend and worst enemy. At least his emphasis should be on ruck, then forward, then back. Big ask, but I like the guy's efforts. Miller. I don't know. Directly competing with Holland as depth both forward and back? Newton will find a place based up forward with midfield runs to keep him active. There will be a spot. Sylvia will play like Mark Ricciuto. That's what they said. With fitness and focus, he could, too. Yze will provide, at last, a good kick coming out of defence. Will also spend half a game in the FP just to shake things up a little. That's eveyone you mentioned. What about Whelan? Back pocket/run with tough nut again? Carroll will be moved from full-back to second tall defender as soon as a replacement is found. That rides on Garland mostly, but maybe Ferguson will finally add another five kilos... Warnock seems big enough, but we're waiting on the footy smarts. Simon Buckley, Jace Bode, any suggestions? I like Bode at FP, back-up to Davey. Buckley is Johnstone's understudy for my mind. And one last thought, what the hell do we do with Brent Moloney? He was an unmistable gun before OP struck. Just what do we do if we get him back!?

Yeah, good joke but it has a realism issue - a classroom with Collingwood fans in it.

Wow. Mate, sorry, I'll never be taking anything you say seriously again. Are you drunk?

OH bugger bugger bugger. I still haven't paid my 'Newton Pledge'. I owe $50 to someone, somewhere. If any mods know what I should do, please post or something. How embarrassing.

If we're going with player awards as symbols of recruiter ability, maybe we should look at the Rising Star award... Petterd - 2007 Jones - 2006 & 2007 (was it second or third in 07?) Bartram - 2006 (third place?) Bate - 2006 Mclean - 2005 Sylvia - 2005 Davey - 2004 (runner-up) Rivers - 2004 (WINNER) Green -2000 Bruce - 2000 Whelan - 2000 Based on this list, you'd have to say there was a serious slump from 2001 to 2003, but the form has been good since the sensational double of Rivers/Davey winner/runner-up in 2004. Meanwhile, how many of these players had poor years in 2007? Half of them were missing through injury for almost the whole year.

Essendon, Carlton, Richmond, St Kilda. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! They're gonna be cracking me up for years. I will say this, as much as ditching Daniher was ugly, at least it was done with a plan in mind and a professional outlook.

I guess that makes Robert Walls 'solid evidence' that there is no place for men in football. Pull your finger out.

Surely it'll come out in Mark Williams' speech after the grand final, he has to make one, win or lose, might as well throw that in...

I'd be stoked to pick Goose put in the PSD, but couldn't be stuffed trading for him. My big trade predictions for the Demons - Pick 4 & 21 plus Colin Syvlia to West Coast for Chris Judd and pick 32. Pick 37 and Jamar to Hawks for pick 30. Pick 29 and Miller to Carlton for pick 20. That leaves one more trade, a big name player so we can get back an early draft pick. Robertson-Bulldogs and Johnstone-Fremantle are all that have been talked about so far. One of those and pick 32 should get us a top ten? If we trade Jamar obviously it becomes crucial that we take a decent ruckman in the draft, even if he only plays four games this year. Unless we're banking that Holland will provide depth for FF, FB and ruck at the same time!! Anyway, Ben McEvoy, COME ON DOWN! That would be one of... six, seven, draft picks, most of which would be around the 60+ pick (So you know, Bruce, Hird, that sort of player) even after you allow for Bode. My draft preferences still lean towards Rance & McEvoy, come what may.

I think we have been a bit soft on the kids. Or maybe a bit, hmmm, not lazy, laissez faire? Pathetically, I'll refer to Baileys's comment about 'not putting barriers in front of them'. Telling a kid that he's basically going to spend a season 'learning the game' at Sandringham kind of puts it beyond their power to reach further. Personally it annoys me when people just stop walking when they get on an escalator or one of those flat ones they have at airports, but it's the same with kids who get told they're on a program. Don't get me started on the fricking year 7,8,9,10,11,12,cliff... conveyor belt in the education system! All the great players have had a voracious appetite for learning and improving throughout their career, and that has been undermined at Melbourne by what I think was an assumption of improvement over time. 'Give him a year and he'll be much better'. Bah. Give him a lesson, let's make him better. Give him a goal, he'll make himself much better.

I only have minor issues with Harris at the moment, and while I like confidence on him I don't have an actual problem with Bohdan. It does concern me that there were quite so many people in the room at once - and these two were surplus to that discussion if you ask me.

One reason we're in with a better chance than any other team - Our banner can authentically say - "WELCOME HOME"

Co-captains anyone? Green/Bruce? McDonald/Mclean? Neitz/Judd? Mclean/Judd? (Drooooool...)

Y_M, one in three of your posts work perfectly for me, and this was one of them. Now I have to brace for the next two...

It's hard to play youth when even the back-up players are getting cleaned out by injury! Still, our list 'under 24' is brilliant if you ask me. We've just delisted Bizzell, Brown Ward, Pickett and Godfrey, with an average age just shy of 30. More significantly, all of these five players have successors in our young players, and won't be badly missed on the field (I'm prepared to shed a tear for them away from th 'G). I'd hesitate to put a line under Bode and Buckley just yet, though I like them. 88 - Bartram, Frawley, Garland, Jones, Petterd 87 - Bate, Buckley, Dunn, Newton, Bode 86 - C. Johnson, Mclean 85 - Bell, Sylvia 84 - P. Johnson, Moloney, Rivers 83 - Davey, Jamar, Miller Seven players in those minimum age levels who you'd be pretty sure of an AFL career for. It's interesting that it gets a little sparse from there, just one or two a year going back to 24 year olds. But it's these last couple of years of drafting that have changed the tone. You have to go back to our own little superdraft ('99) before you see anything better. And you can really see that in the shape of our team now.

Is it just me or is West Coast actively trying to make Judd look like a selfish brat? That offer of 'he can live in Melbourne and still play for us must be a joke - it's after the horse has bolted, totally impactical, and if they were serious about the offer then the last place they'd make it is in the media. There's been a couple of little things like that which have me thinking WC aren't going to let this all happen smoothly. I wonder if there will be some kind of, what was itcalled , the 'Veale deal' which prevented another trade going through so a star went into the pere-season draft?

On the plus side, Adelaide might be looking for a replacement, relatively young ruckman. Perhaps a big-bodied fella who hasn't quite learnt to contribute around the ground but has routinely shown potential, possibly really benefiting from a change of club?

I think the club needs to go for a "Quality over Quantity" strategy with the merchandise. I'd like to see something really special - a step up. You know, like those double-image 'hologram' cards/fridge magnets, with kind of an action sequence - Something like Rivers going back for one of those priceless defensive marks - first shot total focus on ball, second shot massive pack all crunching around him. A two-frame shot of that Juice mark might work well - one on the ground, one not so much Come on, I know I'm not creative, what are other peoples suggestions for GOOD merchandise. Good being - Memorable Sharable Durable

Robbo averaged three goals a game to kick those 40-50 goals this year (and be our leading goalkicker by what, 20 goals?). Assessing realistically - With an interrupted season, carrying injury and in a collapsing team, 40-50 goals. With an imporved injury situation, we could bank on 50+ goals. With other forwards injury free, it increases his freedom. With a midfield actually delivering, another step up. Best realistic scenario for Robbo is to put in another 70 goal season or two before he retires. Worst realistic case is 40 goal / 15 game years, which continue to include a few game-breakers each season. So we're looking at a player with a bad season returning 40+ goals, and a good season bring in 70. And while we all get annoyed about his habit of doing a cartwheel belly-flop several times a game, there's no denying that he is a genuine matchwinner. Even a couple of this year's wins hinged on Robbo up forward. And he's really not that old. I'd honestly give him the three year contract because I think his commitment to the club is such that he would retire gracefully if he just couldn't contribute anymore. Keep.

I am only basing my speculation on what I've seen written, here and other random places. The starting post of this thread describes Sloane as pacey with good kicking skills, and good at clearances. Also says he has lifted since a teamate got injured. Playing for Eastern Rangers, I wonder if he ever gets called the Sloane Ranger? A couple of people have described players on my preferred/realistic list as being higher draft picks than the starting post here has them. I'd also heard McEvoy was a likely first rounder. I'm hoping that our trade strategy will be to improve our second pick from 20ish to 12ish, by trading the current pick plus a relatively low-value player (Jamar would be the main example) for the higher pick. Securing the two big guys is first priority, the three remaining preferences I've got are tipped at 20th-60th, 30th-60th and 50+ draft picks, obviously no real predictions can be made about who of them would be available that late, so I'll let CAC handle the rest now that I've sorted out the top order