Dr. Gonzo

How big was the folder?

Or a few of those clubs who will never win a flag will die, there will be fewer teams, a more even draw and the quality of the game will be vastly superior as the talent won't be spread so thin across the comp. A good thing for the game possibly (although significant history will be lost) but catastrophic for clubs like ours, North, Dogs, Saints who could be forced to make way for the truly national comp.

Haha pick 2 for a 28yo with mental issues who plays as a rebounding defender not a midfielder, no thanks. Even getting pick 10 back is ridiculous, pretty sure the only reason they've stated this is because their preferred deal is to get Adams from GWS in a straight swap, maybe with pick 10 going back to the Giants. If we're going to blow pick 2 would rather go after Dusty, at least he's got plenty of years left in the legs.

Hawthorn's base is out at Waverley - I doubt you'll see too many heading out there to meet up before games/after games. For some that live in the area they might head there during the week/for training but it's not like it was in thr 60's or 70's with training after work on a Thursday, sausage sizzle and team selection. Most training sessions occur during business hours now. The sport has become professional. I think there's an argument our Admin & FD should be housed in the same building but I don't see the benefit of a social club in this day and age. There are the rooms at the G where premium members can meet and have a drink/feed and hopefully the southern stand facilities will be upgraded soon. I don't like the separation with MCC especially due to so much of our support there and the change rooms hidden away where most people can't access them but at the end of the day every club has to deal with that now. If we ever do get that elusive premiership, celebrations aren't held at social clubs anymore - a function room will be hired at Rod Laver or Crown or something where the players will go back to celebrate with those of us lucky enough to get a ticket.

I'd go for him if he could go through the middle but he can't - he is a back flanker and I'd rather have Grimes in that role. We could perhaps use another alongside McDonald, Garland & Frawley but not at the price Collingwood will want. Seems more likely to end up at GWS in a direct swap for Adams perhaps with swapping of picks involved.

Just two examples, and I don't mean to pick on you guys but reading through the threads the past few days the sense I get is one of impending doom if we didn't get the PP. Robbie, the Bulldogs, Saints, North etc are in a similar position to us yet they haven't been anchored to the bottom of the ladder for 7 years at any time during the national era. North hasn't had any top 5 picks from memory and the Dogs and Saints have performed very well recently with multiple top 4 finishes and were often in prime time slots. Being a smaller or poorer club doesn't preclude you from competng on-field and subsequently demanding better/fairer fixtures.

Of course a PP would help, any club could make that argument. What I am fed up with is the sense of entitlement that we "deserve" and are doomed without it. It would have been nice but not required for us to be competitive again, the decisions made so lets get on with the job of supporting Roos, Jackson, the new board members, FD and players instead of whinging about the unfairness of it all and how we have no hope. Regardless of whether that is the intent that is how it comes across. There are genuine grievances to take aim at such as the FIXture, no point wasting time on the peripherals.

That's my point - getting a PP doesn't guarantee anything and doesn't automatically follow that we'll be better/more competitive tomorrow. Regardless of which course we take the impact is years away. If we got a PP do you think we'll all of a sudden be premiership or even finalist contenders next year? Nothing worth doing comes easy, it takes hard work and time.

Why do people think Sloane is a realistic target? Has there been any indication whatsoever we have talked to him let alone could get him?

Cry me a f'ing river. Look at our early picks from recent years - Sylvia, McLean, Morton, Watts, Scully, Trengove, Toumpas - do you really think adding another one of these types of players to our club is really going to fix all our problems? This is what is meant when we talk about MFC having a "saviour" mentality. Getting a PP may have assisted us in some way but on the other hand it may not have - it is not a silver bullet that people on here are indicating it is given the level of whinging going on. Why can a club like Sydney take other teams rejects and borderline players and turn them into best 22 premiership players? Answer that and you'll have your answer as to how we can help turn this ship around. Look at what many of the Geelong players have said over recent years - it doesn't matter who you recruit if you don't have the right environment to develop the players once they get to the club. Work on fixing the environment or culture first (something through Jackson and Roos we are doing) and the rest will take care of itself. A player like Blease (or Sylvia) could be a very very good player under the environment, under the wrong one he will be a borderline best 22, in and out of the VFL.

Whatever we do we must use it on a hard-bodied mid who can compete and help Jones and Viney straight away.

FFS

Exactly you'd think people would learn from past mistakes. Yes a PP may have given us an opportunity to get better in a slightly quicker timeframe but it doesn't guarantee anything. Who is to say that we wouldn't have used that pick on another Watts or Trengove or Sylvia or Blease? Getting the development, coaching and recruiting right is far more important than one extra draft pick.

If we didn't have Hogan coming in next year it may have been different, but Hogan coming through is essentially like a PP anyway. Look at Freo's midfield, probably the best going at the moment and not really a high pick among them, besides Hill. I don't disagree they should effectively disband the PP now except for exceptional circumstances. Getting the top picks is enough, you don't need extra ones and the most important thing is having the off-field coaching and development as well as recruitment department to be effective and well-funded.

Clark, Dawes, Hogan, Howe, Watts, Trengove, Jones, Jones, Viney, Toumpas, Sylvia, Blease, Strauss, Grimes, Frawley, Garland, McDonald, Terlich is a decent base to work from. Every club has a few crap players, now is the time to stop whinging and expecting handouts and do the hard work to get back where we want to be. Not getting a PP doesn't mean we can't be successful, it's just means we might have to work smarter and harder for longer.

Geez, that game he played as a defender on Barry Hall must have really left an impression/scarred Roos for life.

I actually think a mid-first round or after first round PP could be more beneficial to us if we are seeking to trade it out for an established player. If we got pick 1 we would be unwilling to give it up unless it was for a genuine midfield gun. No club would give up a genuine gun for the chance to draft another one, it doesn't make sense. And there are none that seem to be willing to walk out on their clubs at the moment with the exception of a couple of FA. Having pick or 9 or 19 however could give us some handy currency if we are looking to trade it out for a guy like Adams.

Maybe he was predicting we would use out pick on a mid so they'd take Boyd with pick 2?

Reasons I love Jones; 1) Has improved himself steadily since being drafted instead of just being happy to get a game 2) Goes about it in a no-nonsense fashion and is a great role model to his team mates 3) Appears to genuinely love the club 4) Gets the most out of himself by giving as much as he can every time he's out on the ground 5) Looks like he's 35 and on the verge of retirement but is only 25 and still has plenty to give

Pretty sure Ling's already ruled himself out of coaching next year.

The point is it would be good if we could let some of these guys actually do it first before heaping the expectation on them. And yes I am very excited to see him run around on the G next year.

Whoever we pick I just pray it is a midfielder with a strong body who can compete in the AFL almost instantly. No more skinny kids with heaps of talent and "potential".

Get a life mate, got far more important things to do than argue semantics wih a nerd on an internet forum.

As the defensive line coach I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest he may have had something to do with our key defender...

Hopefully we start to improve and Sydney begin to hate us developing a strong rivalry like we tried to earlier last decade (with the ANZAC Day game).