DeeSpencer

I'm not big on the term 'natural footballer' and using it for someone like Curnow because to me he looks like he is out there playing in an undeveloped and unmanufactured way. He is playing his natural game. 'Well rounded' is probably the term to describe a player who has a high level in most of the skills and I agree that isn't Curnow. Ground balls, left sided skills and his high ball drop are definitely a knock. I also agree it's important to take away some of the flashier traits and examine the base. So forget about the very good tank and the possible midfield ability, it counts for nothing if he doesn't have the basic qualities. Where I do disagree is whether we can afford to take a riskier proposition. I think we can. We have to build the fabric of the club based on player development, culture, consistent drafts of talent finding it with late picks including rookie picks. Yes it's early days, but the signs are starting to look towards an ability to develop talent and find it in the later parts of the draft. We've been spoilt a bit by Hogan who does the basics so well and can do special things as well and that's what I'd be looking for in every draft. But if the choice is between the guy who does the basics but has limitations or the super talent who has deficiencies then it should be decided without fear of failure.

I've tried to read between the lines on Taylor's comments. He's strong in his praise of Parish, whilst careful not to give too much away there's no doubt he's fan. If we had picks 1-10 I think it's clear Parish would be one of them. Otherwise he confirms when asked about Curnow and Weideman that they are in the mix 'amongst others'. I'm glad to hear that we will be considering what Essendon and the GC will do, but we won't be too clever by half. I have wondered if we included in our deal with Gold Coast for them to not take our player at pick 6 but I doubt that given we originally got pick 10 in that deal. There's - to my creative mind anyway - a bit of a tell later in the conversation about who we will be picking at either pick 3 or very likely at pick 7 if they make it. But I could be reading too much in to it.

Seems incredibly logical to me if we rate the drafts similarly. Next year worse case scenario we have pick 3 (or 2 or 1 but let's no go there). This year we have pick 6. So we make a couple of trades and end up with picks 3 and 7 this year. Now we have pretty much the same 2 kids in but we have them already. You get a year of Paul Roos' culture. A year of Simon Goodwin being able to coach without the burden that comes with the senior job. You get a year of McCartney etc. Of course we will have a target at 3, but the important thing is we have 2 guys in the top 7 who we think are as good as what we could get next year and this year. When we traded down from 2 to 9 for Salem we obviously believed that if not Salem then either Kolodjashnij, Billings, Bont, Freeman, Lewis Taylor etc would be good players. It's the same theory in trading up in to this draft.

Didn't see him. But could've been. So many staff in red tops and hats it was hard to pick out. The actual footy drills part of the training was all pretty simple and only made up a minor part of it. One of the coaches was encouraging fundamental skills and high work rate. Otherwise I get the feeling it was more about getting the bodies and minds warmed back up to footy. No need for any specific coaching.

There's only one key forward in that list, and whilst I'm a big fan of Max King until he builds his body and in particular his tank he's not really worth considering in any position. I do like the collection of half forward/midfield types we've assembled - Kent, JKH, Brayshaw, Petracca, Harmes etc we only have 2 reliable goal kickers in Hogan and Garlett and good sides probably have 4 or more. Best available is always the right move when drafting, but that doesn't mean there isn't a big need for another goal kicker, which usually means a marking forward which in turn often means a tall forward.

Trengove is in New Zealand playing golf with his former team mates and ex Melbourne footballers Shannon Byrnes, Bail, Howe, Spencer and Watts. He's been injured for years due to overtraining and only needs to get back to a decent fitness base and play some good VFL this year to have made a lot of progress. He can't run himself back in to form and fitness. If there's players to be disappointed in not being there it's probably the likes of Dunn (VC), Dawes (constant injuries), Pedersen, Gawn, Michie and Jetta (need the fitness base), Grimes (a leader who needs to be at his best for a game) and Melksham (big recruit on good money). But they'll all be back in a couple of weeks and it's months until the first game. We don't know who is at the club doing weights or otherwise and they've all got programs to complete. Plus the mental and physical break is important to get the best out of themselves.

I didn't see the main priority of the Gold Coast deal as upgrading 6 to 3. I saw it as getting 3 and 10 so we had the 2 picks in now. The GWS deal then got us 7 back. So it was all but staying with the original pick and then adding in pick 3 as well so we can get the young talent in a year earlier. That said, of course I hope we have someone picked out at 3 who we really like, but if there was a clear stand out I don't think Gold Coast would've done the deal to begin with! We might have got Curnow anyway but the benefit will be in getting Curnow (if he is pick 3) and the kid at pick 7. Especially if we get a midfielder at 7 there might be flow on benefits of getting some games in to the midfield whilst Curnow might need time to develop at Casey. Not a good enough reason to make the move entirely but a nice sweetener.

Just on those 2: Moncrieff is taller and looks a genuine tall size. A little wiry but by no means skinny. He ran towards the front/middle of the C group. Kicks the ball ok. From limited viewing he seems solid and at least come preseason wouldn't look out of place at an AFL club. Given his stats in the VFL I'd imagine if not drafted that Casey would be keen to have him on the books still. Keilty looks younger (which he is) and a bit rawer. He's key position or just below. Not short but not a big key forward if that was to be his role. He kicks well on both feet. He slowed up in the running but wasn't disgraced. Did seem to have a habit of taking his shoes off and walking around in his socks which I'm not a big fan of. Considering there aren't many talls out there they are both pretty easy to pick out so you can keep a track of them. No idea if Moncrieff is a legitimate draft chance or not but both should get a lot out of this and it's good for the Casey relationship

Few surprises, but that's ok Who: Coaches - No Roos, no Goodwin as far as I could tell, so it was mainly left to Rawlings, Matthews, Allison Fitness staff - plenty, including D Cross. And I hate to be rude but a young lady seemed to be observing and she was a solid 9 to 9.5. By far best on track. Players - see earlier posts. But Garland, Tommy Mc, Frost Bugg Tyson (are they 4th or 5th year?) plus the 1-4 players. What: Modified program: Petracca: Agility drills, kick to kick, sprints over on the multi use oval Hogan: Started with the main group before kick to kick, goal kicking, sprints. Went longer than Petracca Brayshaw: Didn't see him do anything but was dressed and at the oval before heading back to AAMI Tommy Mc: Sat out some of drills before doing some extra sprints at the end Vanders: Took time away from the main group to complete some agility drills before rejoining For the main group it was - Warm ups - Handball and kicking drills - 7 v 4 drills - Timed running drill - 300m repeat sprints - Goal kicking The session lasted close on 2 hours. It was warm and a bit gusty. I don't think the players were flogged but they were certainly made to feel it. It's hard on such a small sample to get any idea of where individual and the team in generals skill level was at. So that's part of the no surprises. What I was looking for was if anyone had made significant gains in body shape/size or in fitness levels and again there probably weren't surprises there this year. The big positive was that everyone (except maybe Brayshaw) was out on the track and working hard. The 2nd year players were impressive. Oscar McDonald look stronger. He ran well and kicked the ball well in drills. Neal-Bullen and Stretch are pro's. White trained very well and is a beautiful kick. Vanders looks leaner but just as strong and imposing and of course Petracca might've training separately but was moving well. From the 3rd years Hunt is starting to look like an AFL player build wise. Harmes was working hard and has a strong body. JKH was running well and whilst we might have strong competition if we played an intraclub basketball game if it was soccer Salem would win hands down. He was running solidly in the second group and as always using the ball beautifully come drills. His body probably remains a work in progress but there's no rush. Not everyone can or needs to look like Jack Viney who appears cut out of stone. Of the rest it was nice to see Col Garland working hard to rebuild his fitness base and hopefully get back to career best form. Sam Frost needs to keep working as well but he's got great speed and is a big man, combined with missing time last year that's not a surprise. Dom Tyson impressed me. Kicking the ball well, making a note to kick often on his right foot (steady but not spectacular) and running strongly, early days but a bounce back year could on the cards. All up it was more than enough to see in November and it's nice to know we have 2 dozen or so mainly young players working hard to improve. A good start to a long year ahead.

middle of the 3rd group and he's short. Too early to judge any kind of skill or speed yet alone footballing ability.

The b team are by far the most vocal and are staying together. I like them King moves up to 2nd last. Poor Joel smith is cooked in the first group but they are getting around him

The McDonalds are smashing their respective groups. Kent and Viney chasing. The B group is even. All look fit. Tyson and Harmes strong King is having a good battle trying to hang on to Keilty. But overall I'd say that's good for him. Smith starting well in the top group but is probably now contemplating going back to basketball. Good effort by him though

A - McDonald, Viney, Bugg, M Jones, Stretch, Jkh, White, Smith B- ANB, Harnes, Tyson, Vanders, Hunt, Salem C - Oscar, Garland, Terlich. Kent, Kennedy, Moncrieff, King, Frost, Keilty Groups running from half forward around the boundary to the goal square then up to the other end. 1 group goes. Tags in the other groups who then goes back the other way and so on. So it's 300m or so running followed by rest whilst the other groups go one at a time

Hogan running laps with one of the fitness staff. I'm thinking geez this guy must be fit. Of course it's Crossy!

7 v 4 inside 50. Now 7 v 4 up and down a wing

Jhk, Oscar, King and whites kicking stood out in a group that included Terlich, Frost , T mc, and Hunt Bugg is an ok kick but he's a bit clunky for a left footer

Handball drills at one end. Kick and spread at the other. Quite breezy here. Terlich 0-3 hit targets

Hogan, who never looked all that keen on training, has gone over to kick to kick with Track. And Brayshaw who's come from who knows where has walked over as well. So buggered if I know what's happening on the main oval. Gus has given a high 5 and is taking his backpack back to Aami. Need Saty to grab him

Petracca running, jumping and playing kick to kick is football porn

Today's Lycra offender is G Lyon. Hiding under a visor and beard on the punt road side. Running was solid. But Frost, Kennedy and King have work to do

Running time. Split in to 2 groups. Hogan drops to last, 2 laps later he's near the front. He's in the a group. Kent working hard to lead the B group, super stuff. Oscar and Tyson on his trail. Vanders and Jhk take over the a group. No Tommy Mc in this. So they're the best we've got out there Kents hit the wall. Ben Kennedy is a long way back in the b group. Keilty, Frost then Max King behind him

Unless he's hiding I can't see Brayshaw. So he gets mystery injury of the week. Spring carnival time as the boys put the harnesses on and pull a team mate 10 meters

Petracca doing agility drills on the rugby pitch with 3 staff members. Ground balls, easy push off and marks, and a bit of soccer kicking for the main group divided into 3 stations. Frost is a huge unit. So is Vanders Moncrieff from Casey is a big boy. Oscar mc looks a little thicker. Ben Ken looks so similar to Viney but a touch shorter and lighter.

Garland, T mc, Tyson, Bugg, Frost here from the non expected. Hard to look for all at once but seemingly everyone from the 1-4 group is here. Tyson with precautionary taping on the left knee. Petracca tape free. Arrived a touch after the others. Jogging laps with a staff member

Expected players: Hogan, Salem, Viney, Brayshaw, Stretch, Kent, JKH, Petracca, O McDonald, Hunt, ANB, Harmes, Matt Jones, Terlich, Ben Kennedy, Vanders, White, King, Joel Smith. Casey lads - Moncrieff, Keilty Not expected: Jones, Watts, Dawes, Lumumba, Trengove, Gawn, Tyson, Dunn, Frost, Newton, Garland, Pedersen, Michie, Vince, Tom McDonald, Grimes, Garlett, Jetta, Spencer, Bugg, Melksham