Norm Smith

I think long term, not short term. I can't see the value in us handing better draft picks to the Suns, Pies and Dons. (And worsening our own picks.) I think we should blood : Jefferson, Adams, Verrall, Farris-White. Give Woey and other kids more game time. Rest ANB - he's not our future. I've always valued the logic of improving your draft hand over winning meaningless end of season games. If you're ruthlessly serious about the long term goal of winning another flag, why shoot yourself in the foot?

from Mono: And your point is? McLean was pick 5 in the worst draft for 20 years. 96 game star? hahahahahahaha Fevola? Get a grip. Good Grief. Dear Mono, we all rate the mighty Brock or the 23 yr old crock differently on this site - just depends what your opinion of him is. i think he deserved to be picked at 5, and even (up until this year) at 3 in Colin's place. and would love some extra value than 11 for him - the deal is not sealed, maybe we'll get more, maybe Carlton will read all the brock bagging and reneg. : you don't rate him as highly - fair enough. nor does DB it seems - i'm happy with that - let's be ruthless and move him on. good call, gary. the fev stuff was just a bit of fun - maybe i should have added a smiley face or two , but thought the mention of sexual aids was a clue that i was as serious as fevola is on mad monday . time will tell on the deal. i wonder how Brock, Brent and Nathan would have gone in the wet, tight granny this weekend - maybe their kind of conditions?

The Blues deliberately threw the final game against the lesser rated Demons in '07 to deprive Melbourne of a priority pick and ensure the priority pick for themselves that delivered Judd to Carlton; while also keeping pick no.1 for themselves to get Kreuzer. McLean was drafted at pick no. 5. and is a proven 96 game star and was a muted future captain of Melbourne. This year they say the quality of players in a smaller draft group drops off markedly after the first 4 or 5 picks - thus the Blues outsmart the Dees yet again. To compensate us for the massive 6 pick places difference, we should get pick 11 and their pick 27 for our pick 34. ( 7 places difference - 2nd round not first. ) And Fevola's 10 grand fine can go to Brock as some compensation for one his generous 10 grand donations to the club. BTW. didn't Carltank say after Fev urinated in the wrong position a while back and also thrust a dildo in someone's face or some such finable offence, that he was on two strikes and the next time he erred he was going to be kicked out of the club?

Thanks for the welcome. Good call about the Christian website. :-) Yes, sorry, i didn't mean to use the Lord's name in vein, just wanted a serious name to suit the topic. Maybe should have gone with Simply Simon Eishold - more my speed! Am delighted with the new look squad for the swans game esp. the blooding of Mc Kenzie and the re-inclusion of Cheney, who i think will be well served by getting games under his belt in fact all the ins were good. and glad it looks like they are being sensible/conservative with the likes of Brock etc. i hope Newton is played for the rest of the season and takes a few televised speccies and kicks a few goals. he could be a tradable young KPP. Miller's from Qld and could perhaps be traded north next year.

My first post ever - why? Because I think the PP issue is vitally important. I believe, as many of you have intelligently stated, that any club serious about competing for a flag in the current system of PP's has to use the remaining dead rubbers as smartly as they can - ie. play the kids, give players experience playing new positions etc. Wallace, Matthews go public recently ... everyone's known it for years St Kilda, Hawthorn, Richmond, Carlton etc. have all taken serious decisions to ensure PP's. Of course the whole PP system is not ideal, but if you let other teams outsmart you, you are just being ignorant, misguidedly 'honourable' or shying away from the real competition. Most smart football people call draft day the 2nd most important day of the year. This competition has never been pretty. It's a tough game, that's one reason we love it. And often the toughest and shrewdest are the most revered. Half the time a player gives away a free kick he is bending/ breaking the rules. It's an imperfect world. Footy reflects that. It's a game, like poker, like chess, like life. Sometimes the best tactic is to lose a battle to win a war. What brings us together online and at games is the common interest in winning a flag. I applaud all the honorable Demons fans who want to win every game, a fine attitude in itself; but would suggest that if the club don't make smart decisions about the Swans game and the next few weeks, then MFC will keep on losing the war. Until they become the GC Demons! LET'S TRY TO GET SOME GENUINE CHAMPIONS AT DEMONLAND!