DeeSpencer

The good news on those ranking points is they were both trending up and also very consistent after the first 2 rounds when he was presumably getting some match fitness after missing some preseason. That finish to the year is super impressive, as is the off the charts game which I presume was the game he kicked 6.

To be fair if we pass him up for Oliver he's got - the Morrish medal, a good package of skills, decision making, attack etc. Good SC scores. Certainly can kick goals and hit targets. And is undoubtedly a natural footballer.

The Falcons really only have a light grasp on the 2nd NFC wildcard spot and Seattle might be the best of a sorry lot of chasers. I like the Steelers and Chiefs for the AFC wildcard spots but I'd love to see the Bills get a big upset tomorrow and get a wildcard spot.

After an 0-3 start with no confidence against good teams in Green Bay, Arizona and Seattle the Bears have gone 4-3 to now sit 4-6 with all 3 losses (and 2 of the wins) coming by under 3 points and with all 3 games pretty much 1 good play from winning. We had the Vikings on toast, we had the Lions all but done if we had a bit more time and still could've won it in OT and today we had a chance for a 2 point conversion to send it to OT. It's hard to be too angry given last year was a disaster and this year has been pretty competent. Just a shame because there's was a sneaky shot at a wildcard berth if we could get to 5-5.

1. I don't trust Essendon to take Francis. He seems the perfect choice to leak to the media and get Melbourne to over think pick 3. 2. Milera, love him. He be the best result short term (1-2 years) if we want to score more. Don't be too down on him.

Had a look for a while from about 3-4:30. Didn't see Terlich, Newton, Lumumba, Vince, Spencer. Only saw Brayshaw watching. Three in the rehab group - Trenners, ANB, Jeffy. Plus Jones, Petracca. Jesse is grumpy at the moment. Angry at team mates. Seemingly holding himself back in the running. Not sure what is going on there. Still has a laugh every now and then. Wasn't happy with the [censored] kicks from some players and fair enough too. The talk might have been a bit too negative but I'd take that over the previous complacency. Up to the coaches and leaders to make sure the mix of positive and negative feedback is there. JKH repeatedly tried to do too much in drills and was repeatedly told by all and sundry to take the simple option. Viney dropped a mark, JKH picked it up, Viney went in for the tackle, JKH evaded him beautifully for a few steps, then met his mark. It's going to take something very special to slip Jack from a tackle. Grimes was training well. Looks well also. Mitch White looked even better. So did Jack Watts. Dunn hasn't missed the buffet, but he's always looked that way. Jayden Hunt found the ball in a few drills. Runs well and marks strongly on a lead. Unfortunately, is one of those who can't kick. Might be getting better but seems a low base. I notice a couple of well timed spoils from Melksham, he does have good reach, the half back idea might just be a winner. Kent, Dawes, Vanders, Melksham, Hogan and King did a few repeat 300's. Not sure what they did to deserve it. Kent led out the first few, then Dawes took over. Not a lot of distance between the first 5. Unfortunately Kingy still looks like a sure thing to get your money back in a cup sweep, he struggles to stay with the others. It was a good session from what I saw and a heavy focus on skills under pressure and quick sharp decision making.

Does he have the skills and speed to be a Dalhaus? No doubt he can find the ball. Just a worry at that size, especially after we've added Kennedy. Not a lot of room in the team to play JKH, Ben Ken and this kid.

Taylor was at the Pies when they picked Thomas over Ellis and Pendles in the top 5 right? Doubt he'd be losing too much sleep about where Oliver has been listed in early season mock drafts.

Because this isn't the NFL with trades made during the draft. What if we liked Curnow but then his indiscretion has cost him? Or we liked a player and then they did an ACL training or got in a car crash. Not to mention maybe the most obvious scenario - one of the top 2 teams change their minds and our player gets taken off the board. They clearly liked at least 1 player, hopefully more as standouts who would be available at pick 3. I just don't think that was the primary motivation, nor do I think it has to be Parish, it could've been and or all of Parish, Oliver and Weideman who they rated as worthy of pick 3 and then made the trade knowing they'd pick 1 once they settled on them.

So do I. Although I love Toby McLean and like Ed Langdon. He was right on Oscar Mc as well. His later pick stuff seems very solid. So I'd keep an eye out for Lovell, Hore (who played a VFL game for Essendon) and Doedee. Doedee has one heck of a name for an MFC player. He seems raw but his athleticism pops off the highlight tape.

Not many, maybe even not any. At least not whilst winning the clearance at evading tacklers. Dangerfield and..... But I'll take a burst of speed and agility. Dane Swan pack bursting will do me.

He's big. He can mark. He can kick. He can play at ground level. And he's physical. If he could stay on the park he'd be a sure thing top 3.

Denver Brockos - no Jeffery for the Bears and does anyone expect Cutler to keep his great form going against the number 1 defense? Plus the Broncos run game will work better with Brocko. Green Bay - enough is enough. Forget the other 21 players on the field at any one time. Rodgers v Teddy Bridgewater for the division lead. He has to find a way. Would help if Eddie Lacy stopped eating and played though. KC Chiefs - I like what Andy Reid is cooking, and so does he.

The AFC South is the new NFC South which was the new NFC West. Maybe a terrible division isn't so bad, because it means in a couple of years you might have a very competitive division. The scary thought is Houston winning the division despite being the only team who hasn't spent a top 3 pick on a QB in the last few or so years.

My only question would be whether Essendon are leaking Francis info, hoping for us to pass on Parish or Weideman in the hope one of them is available for pick 7 and in the mean time they scoop both of them. I wouldn't trust that they really want Francis because I don't trust them at all!

I don't buy the notion of trading up to pick 3 for a specific player. It goes against the notion of smart recruiting which is to never go for the messiah pick and to believe in continually good spotting of talent and good development from there on in. Jason Taylor explained the rationale of the trade to get pick 3 this year instead of next year and to get the development started and a culture built. I'm inclined to take him at his word. If we don't pick Oliver now then I'm a little confused as to why 3 journos in a row who all had different opinions have jumped on him. Unless Emma went with it and Sam and Cal followed her in? We hopefully learnt from the Ollie Wines scenario not to leak interest in another kid and then have it bight you on the butt. I'd hate Oliver to go elsewhere now because if we then did pick Parish or otherwise at 3 we'd hear about it for a long time.

Cons: - Can't kick - Can't mark - Doesn't look like he has speed or agility - Can't really jump - Not overly tall Pros; - Strong - Committed - Physical Overall I think he just doesn't have it athletically. The only centre square ruck contests he wins in that video are against a Box Hill back up who's a key defender. It's nice that he can tackle, but that's not really a core skill for a ruckman. How many AFL midfielders is he going to be able to run down?

That seems somewhat unfair and against the idea of the rules to draw more athletes in to the sport from other codes. Should at least be allowed a trial amount of games.

The best reason not to panic about picking a key forward if they aren't there..... Christian Petracca. He kicked 41 goals in 17 games as a 17 year old in the TAC cup. Yes, long term he shapes as a midfielder, but whilst he builds his fitness he'll play closer to goal and if not next year then in a year or two he could easily kick 30 goals as a forward if his development goes to plan. All a forward line needs is multiple dangerous options to function. They don't have to be tall, in fact it's better to have a mix. If Hogan, Garlett and Petracca can all kick 30+ (but hopefully 40+) then we have options and then the other taller types don't need to be stars. We will need a good role playing 2nd tall or 2nd tall/ruck and I won't at all be disappointed if we take Curnow or Weideman, but the need isn't that dire.

So there's been heated discussion about foot injuries and injury prevention with some experts (Webber etc) providing their opinion. I thought the following post on Rob Jackson's instagram @robjackson.com.au - might be of interest to many. No idea what a lot of that means but great insight none the less. Check out his insta for some great pics and vids of the guys training in the gym.

Isaac Smith the only one there who doesn't go to water in big games. Also both Smith and Jetta were drafted as mature agers and Hill a late pick up. Maybe that's not a coincidence. We do have those late 2 picks to target some speed. .

That was a glorified VFL game given the crowd and how many good players both teams had out. I'd be careful reading too much in to it. Dunn may go forward, but otherwise he, Tom McDonald and Garland will be the starting defenders. With Frost and Oscar Mc providing depth. Lumumba can play 3rd tall as well on the right match up. Given Frost and the 2 McDonald's are both pretty young I think the priority for adding a defender would be a 3rd tall type who provides rebound as well. No point turning in to Essendon this year with 3 key defenders but no versatility and pretty much forcing one out of the club. Francis is the best option if he fits at 3 or 7, not sure who else is in the draft. Brandon White looks like a good type who might be available. I think the club rates Mitch White's ability to play tall as well, but at 188cm he'd be pushing it as a 3rd tall.

Can you imagine Roughead as a midfielder at 18? Would've been terrible. I think Curnow has more midfield potential than just his running ability. He seems to know how to throw his body in naturally and I think he does ok when linking up. Plenty of deficiencies, but a lot can be taught if he has the appetite to learn things like how to pick it up and how to handball on his left. But to get to 50 games at AFL and start to feel comfortable he'll have to make it as a forward first, that I agree with. So he'll have to get the ball on the lead as well as learn how to out body much stronger opponents. Which is something he can do because even at 191 he looks like he'll have strong endurance mixed with a very solid frame.

No Matt Jones. Poor bloke. She's leaning towards Oliver and hedging her bets with the rest of the top rated prospects and I can't blame her. It's clear we haven't leaked. A lack of names for the late round picks as well. Agree we need a ruckman, but it might be in the rookie draft. Besides that the main list needs are definitely a 2nd key forward, more outside run/skilled kicking and then we could probably do with starting to develop some 3rd tall types at either end if we think Dunn and Garland are moving towards the end of their careers and Watts isn't ever going to be the forward.

Yep. Agree 110%. I was sure the picks couldn't be taken away from them because I heard Brett Clothier say they had permission to take them to the draft on the AFL Podcast. But then 42 disappeared. Now it's still there but hidden. Mind numbing. I understand they don't want to sit through 16 teams passing on the night but I don't think this is an appropriate solution.