DeeSpencer

Mark Cisco 207cm/115kg 17/7/91 Columbia Uni, USA Ruckman Potential ruckman from Columbia University with a basketball and NFL football background. Imposing athlete with a great appetite for the competition. Has a natural leap (standing vertical jump - 70cm, running vertical jump - 85cm). Has a double degree in political science and psychology. Jason Holmes 203cm 28/10/89 Kentucky, USA Ruckman Potential key position player/ruckman from Moreland State University in Kentucky with a multiple sports background in basketball, soccer, NFL football, baseball and golf. Was introduced to Australian football at the USA Combine in April, 2013, where is vertical jump scores (standing vertical jump - 78cm, running vertical jump - 91cm) were impressive. Left footer who looked very natural with the ball by hand and foot. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roGD-ZCGNU4 Jamar isn't really in the long (or short) term picture so the future of our ruck division may well be Gawn with Spencer as a serviceable back up if Gawn gets injured on losing form. So it's certainly time to think about getting another guy in one of the drafts this year to eventually replace Spencer if he develops well. Roos has been putting a few through the works up in Sydney. I like the sound of this Cisco bloke, he's a genuinely big unit and has the smarts to record Roos on TV and put it on youtube. Nothing beats a bit of self promotion. Anyway with Roos having the inside knowledge I wouldn't be surprised to see one of these guys come on to our list as a rookie.

Whenever I've seen him play he's looked like he's got poor skills, doesn't win much ball and isn't a great defender. So I can't see him having a future off half back. Can he re-emerge as a midfielder? I'm not sure but I wouldn't be queuing up to see.

He doesn't have the speed to match Watts on a powerful hard lead. Which is how he got 3 goals. The other came from a rubbish free kick. It was certainly an open match without much pressure. Morris still shut him down and stopped him touching it for most of the game.

Guys we have a contract thread to check out before you comment on those contracted. Unfortunately it includes a lot of guys I don't want on the list. And also remember Hogan will come onto the list. So: Retirements: Rodan, Davey, Macdonald Delistings: - Sellar - no need for another depth tall when we have Pedersen - Gillies - see above - Davis - see above - Jetta - just hasn't showed enough - Tynan - not coming on quick enough, poor skills - Nicholson - skills and vision aren't up to it - Couch ® - slow, small, poor skills - Magner ® - see Magner Possibly Stark ® - injured all year and not great when he isn't Trades if we can get anything - Blease - Struass - Bail - Tapscott In terms of main list its 9 changes plus maybe more with trades. Hogan will come on and then we'd need to find 8 more: 5 draft, 1 PSD, possible rookie upgrade for Clisby, 1 PSD/FA, possibly traded players in for a player for player trade. So that's how it's looking.

Just like the morrish medal winner (Best TAC player) often doesn't end up very good in the AFL. Of course mitigating circumstances - the medal winner is often overlooked for rep teams but the point remains.

Bendigo Gold stiff you'd have to say.

His wife and eldest son are going away to Bhutan (sp?) and will come back and have a decision for him on families perspective ie: convenient excuse to not say too much. He thinks the B+F was about this season and therefore it's not appropriate for him to be there - although he didn't quite say that, he said more he said it in a way that if he rocked up to the B+F he wouldn't look stupid. Very tactful but also very comfortable. Not a man hiding something, more a man just confident in his decision making and process.

He started as pretty much all round soft. Then he developed courage in the air with his marks but still liked to very much take a big chest mark and protect his ribs. Certainly never saw him attacking the ball on the ground like a Jack Viney does now or a Nathan Jones. He went from a bit of a soft crafy forward pocket to a decent outside wingman to a full forward who hit the ball hard on a lead but didn't really do a lot else hard or otherwise. Certainly wasn't an ideal career progression for a guy with lovely skills, good reading on the play and strong hands for a guy of his size. Like Bruce he was never developed properly to maximise his strengths and minimise his weaknesses

You know most of the photos are of dogs players! But come on YD surely Cam Pedersen deserves a beer and a pie. Or Sam Blease he's worked hard all year. Jeremy Howe must be mentally spent after all the hangas. And hasn't Jack Watts earnt a day playing dress ups after all his second efforts this year?

Well let's not worry too much about Daniher. Dunn was only under him for his first 2.5 years and you aren't tipping out a first rounder at that stage unless he is truly rubbish (Lucas Cook). So Bailey takes over in 2008 and Dunn has played 3 years and I'm not sure or don't care how many games. So he plays him as a forward because he's at the age where he should be starting to contribute regularly in a young side. That doesn't work so he tags a bit, that doesn't work so he makes him into a defensive forward and he shows a bit of promise in 2010 so he gets another 2 year deal because there really isn't much on our list to pressure him and he's still relatively young. 2011 comes under Bailey and again he's in and out of the team and not that great but by now he's one of the better athletes and we are an up and down team so guys will get games. 2012 comes and he's got his contract and Neeld plays him a little then drops him and tries him as a defender to save his career. He looks ok finally starting to attack the play a bit and gets some possessions and Neeld, the master of contracts for everyone no matter how crud you are gives him another 2 year deal! He starts this year a bit shaky in one of the worst teams of modern time and then comfortably sees the season out because let's be honest how many mid sized defenders or defenders at all are pushing for his spot at Casey - none. And now he's contracted again for next year, where following a trend he'll probably play a rubbish first half but do enough in the last 8 rounds to earn another contract. So the moral of the story is he's always been young enough and worth a shot at a new position to get games. That's how he's spent most of his career averaging that 14 matches a year you put out. He's played his career to date in a horribly weak team with a horribly weak list and been young enough and worth reinventing that they've kept him. But it will do my head in if he gets another two year deal ever again. Also I really with we kept Petterd and moved him to half back. Sure he can turn it over at times but he attacks the ball 110%, isn't afraid to tackle and runs and finds the footy. He's twice the footballer Dunn is.

He only got 7 touches yesterday FFS!!! How did he do 10 great things! At best Watts did 4 good things yesterday, he led up and made the most of shots for goal. The one great thing he did was leading very hard after he dropped a mark in the middle of the ground and then getting on the end of a piece of play. Besides that he did nothing of not at all. He played on Mark Austin who is completely VFL and Dale Morris who just doesn't have the speed for him on the lead. I don't think he'd get a similar match up that works for him against any other side than the dogs. I don't see how he's improved at all since 2011. Still doesn't tackle, still doesn't win contested ball, still doesn't fly for the ball in the air whilst putting his body on the line.

I think Tony meant play a 5 man defense and 7 man forward line. Considering we had the one on one defenders capable of neutralizing the dogs forwards and our forward line struggles anyway it might not be the worst idea. Then again a bulldog midfield on fire and even more space for their forwards is not a great thing.

I think that's optimistic. But I agree now is probably the time to spend money to make money otherwise we will be in the hole even deeper. For us to afford a 500k a year coach and a full footy department we need to get 40,000 members, proper sponsorship and decent attendance. For us to afford Paul Roos we have to get even more than that. But right now the extra million a year might be AFL funded and therefore if at the start of his tenure we can get decent results and by the end of the tenure we've pushed towards 45k members and very good crowds then we will be able to afford him on our own. I'm sure that's the way the AFL is looking at it. Otherwise if results continue and our revenue stays at this very low level we won't be able to afford any coach out there, yet alone a decent experienced one that we need.

What I'm hoping for is improvement from Toumpas, Evans, Matt Jones and a good pick 2 (maybe Aish) and that they are all in and out of the side due to pressure for spots. That's what we really need for our midfield. Unless Toumpas really steps it up and Aish is a gun from day one and holds down the other wing but really at the moment every midfield at Melbourne besides Nath Jones could improve almost 50% and still not be a regular in a top 4 side.

We'd all love to see Jack Steven but StKilda wouldn't trade their best younger player even if we gave them pick 2, so let's be a bit realistic. Aish with pick 2, second round for Adams and third or forth round for Greendwood is a realistic trade period. I'm not sure Clark will be ready to be the back up ruck come round 1. Fitzpatrick may find a role over Hogan who might be eased into the team. If we get Roos he won't be rushing Hogan. I'm also not sure about having 3 big forwards and Watts and Howe named in the same forward line. Roos would rather use those positions for back up midfielders. Starting Watts or Howe as the sub or playing them on a wing after a proven preseason might be wiser. I know Roos is generally anti preseason but I'd love to see us treat all games like round 1 and be prepared for once.

Hmmm it comes down to the benefit of Clark and Dawes along with the as expected outcomes of Rodan and Byrnes (they really have been neither here nor there) against the time wasted with Gillies, Pedersen, 3 year deal to Jamar etc. All in all Neeld was very unlucky he got practically nothing in return from Clark and Dawes but I hope they deliver for the new coach. I don't credit the senior coach with the national draft recruiting because any good senior coach will stay right out of it and let the experts do the job. I will credit Neeld with seeing the forest from the trees and giving BP the chop and replacing him with Viney/Jason Taylor. That was a clever move. Back on topic these two have been very good. I think both got worn down by the long season but to be 2 of our better ball winners either at half back or on the wing was impressive.

Yeah, they sacked Eade for a reason but Sydney were not nearly as low as we are currently. The second best recent example is Ratten taking over Carlton but things were starting to turn for them already, especially with Judd jumping on. And the best one is obviously Hawthorn with Clarko. But as well as he did he built them up on Crawford, Bateman, Hodge, Mitchell much before the draft picks kicked in with Franklin, Roughead, Lewis. That's Roos' challenge. Improve the slops we've all but written off so that we don't keep hitching our future on generation after generation of young player. I'll take winning in any form next year but it will be even sweeter if we do it because Clark and Dawes are on fire and we've found some midfield rejuvination all without loading up on poor Hogan, Viney and Toumpas!

I don't actually agree with any of those reasons. Come on people isn't that obvious. Except maybe the finishing every players name with a Y. That's freaking annoying.

Maybe. But found that they are kind of stupid. If a players contracted what do you say? Work hard, don't get on the [censored]. If they aren't contracted then all you can say I guess is we'll wait and see. I'm not convinced Paul Roos could come in on his first day and fire players, even if he's been watching closely he'd be wise to review the games and talk to all the current staff about the players.

I'm only high on post 19 point competitive loss to the bulldogs at Etihad who were probably half tanking and kicked 9 goals in a quarter. This is the kind of high I only wish Mark Neeld could've stayed around to enjoy. As for Roos with his family. Hi there Tyler, it's me Paul. You are finishing year 12 this year. I've got a contract deal to make 1.6million a year next year, do you think I should do it? Tyler - Hmm let me think, get me an apartment near the city that I can rent for cheap with my friends, and pay for my uni at Melbourne uni or RMIT, get us a beach house at Portsea, buy me a car, promise me a holiday at the end of each year and we'll talk. Ok thanks dad.

That's exactly my point. So I'm saying everyone you might not have long before Roos is appointed (or out of the running for the job) so lets all get all the doom out now. I'm sick of everyone with the I told you so's around here. Get it all out now.

Why not? Let's get them all out now. No point someone in 12 months time going "I told you all about this guy, he was no good". Put it out there people

1. Has been out of the game for a while 2. Is obsessed with his Sydney side - is he one dimensional? 3. Is he more interested in the money 4. Never developed players just drafted in senior ones and developed the team 5. Only won one flag in 2005 - 8 years ago 6. Had John Longmire and Ross Lyon working under him - were the assistants really the brains trust? 7. Goodesy, Joshy, Kirky, Pykey should i go on... 8. The wife don't want him to coach MFCSS kicking in early. When a 2 win season and negativity is you're starting point then it can only get better.

No his body isn't up to it, that means no. Like Rodan. See the video of Yarran running away from him whilst he goes up and down on the spot. He's mostly been a back pocket anyway. If we want the experience mid then Cross is a much better example. If we need Adam Selwood to get Scott then we could try a deal like Geelong did where they put Troy (Adam's twin) in the VFL. The tigers have the finals draw card to use, but do they have cash? And can they offer opportunity? Adams would still have to mix it with Grigg, Conca, Ellis, Foley for a game around the big 3 Tiger mids. He'd be a walk up start for 22 games at Melbourne and could still enjoy relative anonymity when living it up in Geelong in his holidays.

It seems his second half of the year was much better. Particularly as the sub he was handy. But I'm not sure we need to carry a guy like that. Today was certainly the first game in a long time I was impressed with his hardness. It's still been much below par.