Dr. Gonzo

I hope so there's something about Sheed I like. If Freeman's gone by pick 9 I really hope we take Sheed. May not have much "X factor" or "potential" or "athletic prowess" but just looks like a quality "footballer" with an appetite for the contest and who can kick a goal. The only thing more important than quality midfielders in today's footy is quality midfielders who can kick goals something we have severely lacked.

If the Pies take Freeman I hope we take Sheed.

Pre-season doesn't start for a few weeks for players who have been playing more than 4 years (I think). Part of the new EBA.

Firstly the members would have to vote for it. Secondly the AFL wouldn't force a move that is detrimental to their interests. Why would they move a team with 35k members with the chance to increase to 40-45k to a place where two men and a dog would show up to watch any game. Also advertisers don't give a crap about the ratings points in NT so it won't increase the TV rights therefore I don't think there's any risk of being sent to the NT permanently.

That was 20 years ago recruiting and drafting was light years behind then where it is now.

Didn't Neitz and Schwarz come up through the old Under 19's? Not sure how that worked with the draft in those days but I'd assume we were able to graduate them to our primary list without going through the draft?

One decision on it's own obvious hasn't destroyed the club but that is only one decision amongst a multitude. It all fits together, having a list which comprises Shuey, Darling, Talia, Zaharakis et al instead of Blease, Cook, Gysberts, Strauss et al would definitely improve our side - we may not be winning premierships but we wouldn't be losing by 25 or 31 goals either. Of course those players would not be exact replicas if transplanted to the MFC from their current environments but they would still be the same player with the same inherent abilities. Getting a group of them transplanted in instead of the players we had may have affected the environment of the place anyway so you can't just throw it away saying our development is/was rubbish therefore anyone we drafted would have been crud.

If they are going to maintain their "maximum revenue/attendance" model of FIXturing instead of creating an equal draw then they really need to adopt an NFL revenue-sharing type model. Another argument in this debate was raised a couple fo years ago by an Essendon supporter on BigFooty. It was a pretty detailed post/thread but in essence his argument came down to the fact that no matter who was playing, attendances would be relatively stable and would vary more on ladder position than on who the clubs were playing. So for instance if you had Melb v North & Coll v Ess you would get roughly the same amount of people through the gate as if you had Melb v Ess & North v Coll. So having the "big clubs" with guaranteed return matches each year and rigging the FIXture to ensure this occurs doesn't really maximise anything except for the amount of money pocketed by the bigger clubs as they get guaranteed home games against each other each year while clubs like us North & Dogs are givent he scraps of hosting clubs like Giants & Suns who no-one would really turn up to watch no matter who was playing them.

I would take Darling over Dawes any day of the week and twice on Sundays. Clark has also proven to be injury prone and even when fit would serve our team best playing as a mobile ruck where he can actually impact the game once the ball hits the deck and around the ground (similar to the way Jimmy used to play) instead of the one dimensional "donuts" ruckman we have become accustomed to. The rest of your post is irrelevant rubbish. Imagine we used pick 12 on Darling, Isaac Smith, Smedts or Guthrie or a competent midfielder instead like Atley.

Exactly - Howe and McDonald have shown they have the potential to be very good players but so far Howe is a one-dimensional half-forward with questionable goal-kicking accuracy and limited defensive pressure and McDonald is a lock-down KPD with limited ability to create defensive-based attacks and who is prone to turning the ball over. They're not busts but to laud those two as evidence that we made out like bandits that draft despite completely stuffing up our first round selection is ridiculously biased or naive. Reshuffling the 2008 draft to suit your agenda also doesn't improve things. I have no qualms about taking Watts at 1 but the rest... and then you have Gysberts at 11 in 2009 and Tapscott at 18. Tapscott you could potentially excuse but Gysberts was a shockingly terrible decision especially considering Talia was still on the board.

He's hired by the same mob who keep Andrew Bolt employed...

It's 3 years later and I still don't understand where the risk was...

Also the fact that most other clubs were looking for midfielders rather than a 3rd tall/key forward option.

Jack Darling says Yes. Although Daniel Talia says Gysberts has a fair argument to make.

Yep it's an uphill battle - conversely when the "big" Vic clubs have down years are they punished with their fixtures the following year? I'd like to see a breakdown of Carlton's home games vs interstate clubs over the last 10 years, Essendon too.

This is about who we host in home games though, not about TV exposure or playing extra bottom-placed teams. We could have the exact same draw with a variation on who we play home & away and be a million dollars better off.

That's the whole point though - the FIXture should have no connection to the performance of a team especially in regards to who you play home and away. The fact people have been conditioned to think this is fine is a disgrace. Is this a sports competition or WWF?

They are heavily consulted.

Weak as [censored].

That's more Channel 7's call than the AFL's though - they want Carlton, Essendon & Collingwood on prime time because they know they will draw regardless of their performance. The $1b+ rights deal comes at a price.

When Melbourne's playing or in general? Anyone who won't go to a ground in the middle of the city to support their club because they dislike the stadium are pathetic and can't count themselves as true supporters.

I agree mate, the way people talk about Docklands you'd think it was at the top of Mt. Buller (hmm actually maybe not the best example but you get my drift).

I agree but look at North's draw - 5 Friday games next year.

Wrong game I think he's talking about the one we won - Dogs rampaged home in the last but I think the 9 goal quarter was in R23?

Pretty sure they are all the official names - I know the Giants official name is in caps, didn't know about the Suns though.