DeeSpencer

He's contracted to the Eagles for next year and they'd want a good backup for Wentz. The logical move might be for the Eagles to keep him until the trade deadline then sell him if Wentz is back at his best. What can they get for him now? A 2nd or 3rd round pick? Pretty handy to have that come draft time. Alex Smith already traded. Cousins and Foles available. Keenum/Bradford/Bridgewater situation in Minnesota. It's looking like a very interesting QB offseason.

Belichick made one great adjustment moving Gilmore on to Jeffery. But should he have started on him? Otherwise I was surprised he couldn't match up the rest of the Defense. That said, it was a lot of Ertz and the big plays from Clement. Possibly the problem was the Eagles had the weapons and run game. If they played Dime defense to get all the match ups right the Eagles could run the ball on them. Kansas City did it in week 1. Panthers with Newton's ability to run or throw caused them issues. Pittsburgh kind of did it later and should've scored at least 7 points more! The Dolphins even did it in December. Very easy to say after the fact but the reality might've been that the Pats just didn't play a very good schedule of teams this year. The Belichick theory of take away your strengths and beat you because you 'can't play left handed' works very well against teams with more weaknesses than his defense has. Doesn't work as well when you're playing a team with an excellent spread of attacking options up against your own weaknesses in the front 7.

I was thinking if the Eagles couldn't get a stop before they got to half way and/or 1 minute of game time left they'd may as well let Brady score a TD as quick as possible and then get the ball back themselves for a tying or winning FG. Shows how good the Pats are that I was ready to skip the 'they will score and win' stage and go straight to 'the Eagles need to go outside the box here' stage.

A fantastic coaching performance. Credit to Pederson but also it seems like their OC and QB coach are all fantastic as well. I think it takes all those minds to come up and defeat the greatest coach and particularly the greatest defensive coach of all time with a back up QB. After watch the 2 Bill's last night the game reminds me of Parcells/Belichick Giant's team beating the heavily favoured Buffalo team in the 90's but in reverse. Belichick came up with the game plan to beat the Bills explosive offense. Today, the Eagles came up with the game plan to beat the Pats defense. Frank Reich was the back up QB for Buffalo back then and was the OC for the Eagles today. That Pats front 7 is pretty light on for talent but the Eagles had to throw and challenge a very good secondary. I really thought Philly's only chance was to run the ball and shorten the game and get sacks and take aways on defense. The missed FG is in many ways a take away and obviously they had the huge sack and fumble recovery, but you're right, the Pats win almost any time with the numbers they put up on offense.

Man of little faith Dappa. Always certainties to win the Division! Now if you told me they won an epic shootout with the Pats in the Superbowl I'd never have believed you! I still can't believe it happened.

Absolutely no need for a player to sign with another team before the end of the year. Free agency has been given to the players as a right but they have to earn it, which means finishing your current contract. Hopefully in time the rules change so the entire process is smother and occurs after the year. There's plenty of open space on the sporting calendar in October and November to get it right. Players signing with other clubs before the end of the season is unnecessary and a really bad situation for clubs and fans. The idea that it is 'mature' because it happens in the NRL is stupidity.

I don't think they really do mark them down all that much. Plenty have been drafted very high after injuries, including Aiden Bonar this year who went at pick 11 after 2 ACL's. Stringer was pick 5 after a really nasty broken leg - the Nathan Brown injury. Lever was a tall defender who missed his final year and therefore miss those big state games against the other best kids with a target on his back. Lots of young talls play well as underages but don't kick on when there's more pressure - see Sam Hayes this year. It's rare to take a key defender in the top 10 anyway, so pick 14 isn't a huge slide. Burton had a really nasty injury. It's the kind of injury you don't take a chance on in the top 10. He looks a beautiful player but might not be a midfielder or KPP either so the reward isn't as good for the risk. Selwood clearly was worth the risk but his knee was called degenerative at the time. If trusted doctors use degenerative with 18 year old it's a bad combination. I doubt Spargo ever would've gone top 10. The midfielders who went top 10 were big, strong, athletic and productive juniors. Bailey at 15, Higgins at 17, L Fogarty at 22 look similar kinds of players with similar production. I don't think Spargo really slid due to injury, I think he was drafted at the right spot, but could've gone higher had he player more games and put up the big numbers. Of the teams in and around the range to draft Spargo: Richmond took Jack Higgins, a similar player. Geelong took Fogarty who's a similar forward/inside mid smaller player and then took Kelly as an outside runner. West Coast drafted some highly rated talls then took the risk on Liam Ryan who could be anything. GWS overlooked their former academy prospect for a different small in Daniels but he probably suits their needs better as more of a goal kicker. And North overlooked the (non-eligible) father son to go with a speedy and athletic risk-reward pick after getting a plug and play midfielder in the top 5.

I didn't know Clarry broke 3 seconds and I wasn't saying he was slow, clearly he isn't. But I'd stick with the statement that his agility is elite and rephrase and say he has fantastic burst speed and importantly can use that in traffic, but I imagine plenty of players would sprint by him from the 20m to 50m mark if he was in a sprint race. I guess the point is people on here were disappointed we drafted an inside ball winner and not an outside line breaker. Petty did a 3.17 20m sprint, very solid time for a tall but from the look of his highlights he isn't breaking any Hunt or Frost like linebreaking runs. My athletic comparison with Oliver is really saying this guy might be far more athletic than meets the eye and in time might be capable of some attacking play, just like Clarry has and hopefully will do even more regularly from next year. I get the feeling the footy department favour agility and burst over pure pace. They like players who can break out of traffic and suit the kicking and change of angles plan more so than just running opponents off their legs.

Red hair Country lad Late entry to the elite talent pathway after relocating to boarding school Underdeveloped physically Standout games with standout attributes Unpopular pick due to already having similar players on the list with many wanting a needs based pick Not overly quick but elite agility (for his position, 8.29 according to AFL draft central) All of those criteria apply to Clarry and to Petty. I remember many on here saying we should've picked Parish because we already had Viney, Tyson, Petracca, Brayshaw etc and didn't need another inside midfielder. Talls take a little longer but if in 3 years time this guy is looking good and playing regularly there won't be any complaints. Personally, I think we needed a key defender, but even if we didn't I like the pick.

Jones is 29 and has the fitness and skill to transition to an outside role. A couple of injuries won't change my mind on that. Vince won't be missed if he rarely plays this year, Joel Smith and Lever - different players sure - can replace his backine games. Or Lewis moves to half back and Stretch plays on the wing. Lewis will be clinging to his spot in the side for one more year, that's fine. Pretty much we are phasing out Vince for now and putting in Lever. Phasing out Lewis next year and there's a raft of players ready to replace him - Spargo could play half forward, Melksham on a wing in 2019, easy. I don't know how Tom Mc will go as a forward but it's increasingly clear he's done as a defender. Oscar and Frost have played games out of necessity. They were good enough to move Dunn on but that's about it, a healthy Garland might've played at times if available. Look at the best and fairest rankings to see the coaches thoughts. Keilty - I don't mind him - but there's nothing to suggest he's a permanent AFL player so far. Right as we sit there's more chance he's delisted than promoted in 12 months and I don't mean that to be harsh, that's the reality for mature age tall pick ups, they have to dominate at VFL and get games to stay on. I actually think Keilty's best value would be as a Pedersen swing man rather than ever being best 22 anyway. There was no reason to play Fritsch in the midfield at Casey. He was their most consistent path to goal and developing well. The Dogs did the same thing with Hannan, hid him in a forward pocket until he was drafted. Hannan clearly has something to offer up the ground at AFL level. By all reports Fristch has excellent endurance and a lovely kick, so moving him to the wing or half back has to be an option and doesn't require a massive bulking up. Petrucelle looks like a forward to me. Too shonky a kick to play midfield until you've done years of work there. Express pace for pressuring would be nice but I'd go for ability to kick and mark more. Worpel seemed a nice player but has to be in the contest, either at half back or on ball. Would he dislodge any of our inside mids? I'll stick with Viney, Oliver, Petracca, Tyson and Brayshaw over Worpel.

Frost has a limited tank. If he's streaming forward one way he wont' be streaming back. He's also a shonky kick and not a natural reader of the play. His opponents pick up the flight of the ball quicker than him. I like him as a player but he's still yet to solidify his spot in the team and the reality might be he's best used as depth.

Put 2016 down for Weeds, time will tell but we ended up with a similar pick and he's a year ahead. Put 2018 down for Lever, unless we end up in the bottom 4 I'd say we've come out with a good result there. 2017 we traded back from pick 10 to pick 36 as part of the Lever deal. If Harry Petty can make it as a solid key defender then that's also a good result.

Could've had him at 37 if West Coast were scared off as well. Unfortunately the talks of substances, nights out and defects only made them keener.

I forgot Petty fell over and broke his elbow at Norwood training but that shouldn't be a problem. Good signs that he was out there training pre draft. Country SA defenders. Ingerson, Rivers, Petty.

Flags are won with Rance, Astbury and Grimes as well. Or Morris and Hamling (with Roberts) shutting down Franklin. Or Brian Lake. Or Scarlett and Harley. If Weeds comes on we trade Tom McDonald or Hogan. Cross that bridge when we come to it. Weeds has all of Cam Pedersen's games to play first before taking games away from those guys. Jones has plenty of time left. Vince and Lewis were both ordinary for most of the year. Getting Salem, Oliver, Brayshaw and Petracca fitter means they'll be the possession winners with Viney and Tyson. Along with Hunt, ANB, Melksham, Hannan, Harmes, Stretch. Give me those 12 with a lock down defensive unit and a functional forward line and I'll be happy. 3 picks of running players. 1 pick on a tall and I can see a tall defender being of much more value than a tall forward or back up ruck.

What plethora? Tom is a forward now. Years of turnovers = no more backline. Oscar, Frost and Lever are our starters. Joel Smith the back up medium, Wagner a 3rd tall option if needed but really a flanker type. Keilty a rookie list mature back up. That's it. Frost is a bit out of favour, Oscar isn't solidfied as a genuine long term option, Joel Smith limited experience, makes a lot of sense to bring in another one.

2 members of the Wilburys. It will be the end of the line for opposition key forwards. He'll handle them with care.

Love his kick as well as his mark and he can run. There's a lot more to footy than that of course but really it's the basis of AFL football isn't it? Wouldn't at all be surprised to see him playing half back or rotating through a wing as part of his development.

Competitor without the ball. Good evasive skills and vision with the ball means quick and quality decisions. That's a nice combination. More of a midfielder than a speedy crumber but as defenders get quicker I don't think pure speed is going to run them down all that often. I like the pick and I think he'll be a player.

I like Bailey much more than Baker if I was lining all the kids up in the draft. I don't have a full list, I don't watch the kids I just see a few games of state champs or TAC plus make judgements from what I read or see in highlights. I'm just not overly enamoured with him like others seem to be. Sounds like Bailey will be gone by our first pick and he would've been a nice fit there but I think there's others who are as good. Baker seems like someone fun for our later picks.

Do the outside players? If the inside mids are getting it 50 times there might be less footy for the runners! I like the look of this guy and I think he suits our needs, but I'd rather take best available for a couple of picks and get him with the 3rd or 4th choice. He's linked with our first pick much more than any other player and there's other speedy outside types in the draft so I think there's probably some truth to it. That said, once you get linked in one phantom draft the other 'media drafters' often just follow it.

Averages 16 disposals which probably isn't too bad for a 19 year old outside player. His team went 8-10 so were probably not all that great at getting the ball out, especially up against the stronger AFL reserves sides. He looks like he plays a bit taller than a 6 foot guy and I think that's maybe where some of the interest is. If he can hold his own in the air as well as take the game on at ground level then he might not need to win a lot of gound balls. I've seen a few times his endurance has been listed as needing to improve to play regular AFL midfield footy. That might be my biggest concern. If he runs hard and has the speed and evasive skills then that's almost enough for a good player. If he doesn't have above average endurance then he's probably going to be more of a Gary Rohan than an Isaac Smith.

The AFL website list is after rookie promotions. They've already assigned a pick 80 (for example) to him and done that. They changed the rules a year or so ago to stop the charade of reading out promoted rookies on draft night and made that process complete before the draft.

Back on to Liam Ryan - still seeing him mocked to the Eagles in the 20's. I think they'll get him in the 30's. I don't think we can risk it for a player with a strong go home factor and doubts over his defensive game. I'd love to have him and move the ball in quick to him one on one and see what he can do but too much of modern footy isn't played one on one anyway

Nope you're wrong. Joel Smith is part of the 36 on the senior list. Rookie upgrades just get assigned a late pick and upgraded now, they don't have to go through the draft process. We wouldn't have to use 47 on him anyway, we had a pick in the 80's or 100's available if needed. We can and should use all 4 picks on Friday night.