Little Goffy

He fell just 9 disposals short of being the first player since peak Stevie Johnson (2011?) to have both 20 disposals and 2 goals per game for a season. The lift in his sheer volume of output, without any drop in quality, has proven beyond doubt that he's a worker as well as a genius. 2025 for Pickett would seem almost as important as Ablett Jrs 2007, except that Pickett has never been an unrealised talent - he has been a 40ish goals per season forward since his second year. It'll be fascinating to see how his dynamism is woven together with the stalwart types Viney and Steele and the unpredictable amd diverse mix of young midfield and mid-forward candidates.

I've become increasingly convinced of the argument that things drop off by 7 and 8, which is unfortunate. I'd be perfectly okay with some of the options at our current picks (obviously I'm hoping for a double-Sam selection) who would likely be stalwart contributors, but every phantom draft and power ranking and anything else pumped out by the track watchers suggests that once you set aside the academies there are really only four or five of this year's crop projected to be outstanding players. Anyway, I'm an absolute sucker for nearest-the-pin speculations; Option 1, use 7 and 8 to build up a full 'best 25', with White and Sinnema completing our list. Option 2, go nuts burning 7 and 8 for an early selection and hope for a star, take White and Sinnema late, and have a SSP/midseason slot available. Option 3, use 7, live trade 8 with Carlton so they get ahead of the Harry Dean nomination, shenanigans ensue.

If St Kilda goes off the rails, it'll be because they didn't have enough Steele. There, I did it. Mostly just for Demonstone's benefit. Who wants to make the 'something something staying on trac' joke? Nobody? Excellent. I think I'm just bumping this thread to reaffirm what a great acquisition Jack Steele is. And to wonder is the Saints are for the first time without a successor to the great Nathan Bourke-Robert Harvey-Lenny Hayes-Jack Steele progression of indomitable midfielders?

I think 'I is i' brings an important philosophical side to the training routine. Tomorrow's session will focus on transition from half-back and Wittgenstein's early work. It will not be open to the public. Troop on, Ghosty, every typo is a proud scar! Speaking of which, did they 'put a fork in the ground under Steven King' as described over a zero hanger? https://www.zerohanger.com/melbourne-captain-breaks-silence-on-star-duos-departures-170124/ Ten points for whoever can get a player or coach to do that first.

Please introduce me to these tier 1 builders - the apartment building I live in has been getting a 4 week remedial works program done on the balconies, which probably should only take 2 weeks, ongoing since early July... But at least there's no noise. The main challenge is getting builders who will actually prioritise your site over their multitude of off-the-books work. Hopefully when its a big enough project that problem is solved, he said, naively.

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.

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.