DeeSpencer

Uploaded with ImageShack.us So We've got Dean Bailey on the left. His plan is to get a whole bunch of skilled players and play an attacking skillful game plan. Then we've got Mark Neeld on the right, he wants to make us the hardest team to play against and is full of tough talk. Paul Roos in the middle though, he's got this all sorted, he just wants more midfielders.

So it works out as pick 2 for Adams and Rory Sloane. Talk about immediate midfield impact right there.

I've heard that he doesn't want to do it. That's why he's been an assistant at Geelong, StKilda and then Sydney and only now has he been talked up. You'd think with that resume he would've been all the rage for the last few years if he was keen.

Nathan Bassett could be a smoky as well. His record with success and player development is off the charts, but apparently he's turned down multiple offers of assistant jobs before. Maybe a senior assistant job would be a completely different opportunity that he'd be interested in.

The emerging Dees really put on a clinic against the tiring swans that day. Our young running players were too skilled and too smart and our midfield held up very well against a swans midfield that needed some rejuvenation with the likes of Kieran Jack and Josh Kennedy having taken them back to the top since that day. Unfortunately they regrouped whilst Dean Bailey kept backing in the shaky parts of any plan - outside flashy football - without cementing the stuff that actually sets up those kind of wins.

I don't. He wouldn't have got the value out of Kane Cornes for one. He might not have brought Monfries over or had the faith in little Jakey Neade who was fantastic at the start of the year. Plus remember Port one a bunch of close games including 2 very close showdowns they probably had not right to win. It's much easier to win those games with complete faith in your coach and the coach in the players. Primus didn't have that. One case for your argument though is Darren Burgess the fitness guy coming on. He's helped Hartlett get into the midfield and Gray stay on the park and the overall fitness level im sure.

Yeah but we need stars as well. When has a team ever won the grand final without some serious class in the midfield, even Sydney under Roos had Goodes. Based on those averages it looks like we need at least 5 in the top 100 and averaging around that 25 touches a week. I think with proper coaching either or both Terlich and Grimes can get that off half back. Matt Jones on a wing. Sylvia, Viney and Nathan Jones in the guts and maybe even Trengove as well. That's 7 players who I think are easily capable of getting it over 20 times a week. Roos shouldn't treat this just like Sydney. We are a low way down, the expectations of a quick turnover are not that high. He doesn't have to sell out all the draft picks to get a team capable of instant significant improvement within his 2-3 years. The other thing is that if he trades the picks he might not get the guns in that we think. Which will improve the team but without the skill level taking a step up maybe the disposal numbers wont either. No doubt Roos can improve the list, but there is still a huge need for talent turnover. We've got probably half the list who are almost complete dead wood. I'd say at least 12 are so far off it I doubt any coach could save their careers. The best way for the talent turnover is and always will be the draft.

Matthew Primus! Now that really is putting the Mad into Mad Melbourne. Have a look how much better Port are now they've got a coach who knows what they are doing.

Haha I see you pretty much posted my thoughts exactly. Couldn't agree more.

No way. We only have 10 decent midfielders on our list and some should be in the VFL (Matt Jones, Toumpas, Evans shouldn't be regulars at this stage). We urgently need depth just as much as a star. A star will just carry a huge load unnecessarily. Get a mature guy, maybe get a Taylor Adams as well and then still get a potential star at the top of the draft.We shouldn't be looking at Roos to just maximize wins in the next two years. He still has to maximize the list potential as well.

I'd be happy for Tudor, Simpson or Scott Burns If we went with Ling I'd be much more confident if Roos was keen to stay for 3 years. I don't want another false start rebuild ala Bailey

You know anyone who has ever had an appreciation thread on here has ended up fired usually in a huge mess. But a good start by PJ. MFCSS

2 years with an option of a third. Not sure if that's good or bad. Up to the club and Roos to get things moving quickly I like it!

Zaharakis! No bomber I'd want more than this guy Would also be keen for Jobe for a couple of years just to help develop the midfield

Ok so the B+F system needs reworking. In some ways this ones been ok because it means for 100 point thrashings you can just give everyone 1 votes but it seems its become a who played the most games as long as they weren't completely useless they polled ok.. I'm not sure if it's 3,2,1 or even 5,4,3,2,1 and you let the coaches have discretion on awarding the 5 and 4 vote depending on team performance but something has to change. It has clearly identified the 2 best players but that's about all it did this year.

That's the kind of cop out that our list have been using to justify their rubbish efforts. We've got close to a dozen players who look ok under the Neeld regime, why do the others expect a coach will do it for him. The B+F result has not led me to change my view on Dunn, it's actually the other way round, I'm paying out on the B+F for being such a rubbish award that its let Dunn finish 6th

Will be the catalyst for my 'B+F voting system must be changed thread' that I will start tomorrow. What a joke

Where's Clisby! Still can't believe we didn't fight that suspension. The werribee team has a big ruck and good midfield. Should be a tight game

Fev and Lloyd both looked like the game was past them when they finished up. Old school full forwards that the game had moved passed. Roughead and Pav both move and at time play as midfielders. So yes you've made my point for me. And without a tape measure I wouldn't say Roughie is much less than 195cm, certainly 193 isn't much less. Where are the 190cm or less key forwards? Their days are over just as the 195cm rucks have been replaced by 200cm plus

Watts second half improved massively on his first but did his year improve on last? I'd say no.Totally agree it should be Watts, Strauss, Blease, Trengove, Tapscott

Not keen on the Yarran one but I'd take all the rest of those in a flash. Particularly the Armitage and Selwood ones. Getting a decent experienced mid and only going back a few picks in the draft would be ideal. Really like Sam Mayes as well so I'd love that one. I wonder if we did get pick 1 if we could start a bidding war like that. Surely all those teams you named besides West Coast and you can probably add Freo are in desperate need of a key forward.

Well you underestimate just how bad our midfield is and you also realise that if we are kicking the ball forward to 4 talls that means the forward pressure won't be there and it also divides the number of marks by 4 because you have to separate the talls. Otherwise 2 on 2 is much easier for the defenders no matter how stretched they are. Clark would have to ruck and probably full time for that to work. That's the only way all 4 could play together.

That was the old days before everyone ate too many Coles chickens. Every team now has key defenders around 195cm with excellent agility such as Chip Frawley. Very hard to be a gun key forward at less than that height and very hard to be a good medium sized forward these days. A lot of teams don't have any of them and if they do they usually are required to play in the midfield. I like Hogan over Boyd because I like Hogan's ability to get in the game when he's not just playing as a lead and mark or contested mark player. He looks to have that ability to be the loose man in defense or even do spurts in the midfield if his body holds up. But most importantly he'll be a thread around the packs and in contested play as well. Playing as a designated full forward is getting very hard. I've got no doubt with a fast ambitious game plan than Jack Riewoldt could easily get 80 goals most years and maybe more. He's got that ability to time a lead and mark strongly out of the square. But Richmond can't afford for him and the team to play that way so instead he comes up the ground and does his share of work and also leads back towards the goals and other things. It's unfortunate and I hope one day there's a coach with enough innovation to play a super attacking game plan that features a key forward going bananas! Otherwise we'll all be looking for Jeremy Cameron's, big and fast guys who could easily play a goal square full forward but are required to do so much more.

Not sure if this is even an award at the B+F but wanted to get thoughts Col Garland Went from a semi decent back pocket who defender a man and not a lot else to a very high class defender. Now is willing to come off his opponent to help. Attacks the ball. Runs hard. Intercept marks. Really took a step up Jack Fitzpatrick Was a breath of fresh air when he burst on to the scene midseason with his hard leading and crazy goal kicking action. Certainly came a long way from his first AFL experience. Fast, not afraid to get into to it and surprised with decent marks. Needs to keep improving to be a regular but considering before the year most weren't too keen on him at all it's a good improvement Dean Kent Difficult to nominate a first year player but I think he really improved as the season went on. Started at Casey then got into the side and really held his own the last month or so Michael Evans For guy who'd missed so long out and hadn't played much he showed some very nice form at the start and middle of the year before succumbing to injury. Was one of our harder runners and attacked the ball. Max Gawn Again another who had missed a lot of footy and played a really good stretch at times, especially good against Sydney and a few other games. Also got the sense they were holding him back and not flogging him in a dead season. We hope for another big improvement next year Jake Spencer Graduation from complete spud who missed the ball when he tried to kick it to only mild spud. Still don't want him kicking or marking the ball but he showed his competitive nature and also that he can win hitouts, even though he still needs to get much stronger so he doesn't get pushed around by smaller but stronger rucks

Why would you trade Hogan and then draft Boyd? Why not just trade pick 3. Also not to mention West Coast who have Darling and Kennedy would much prefer to keep their 2 best CONTRACTED young midfielders. Pick 3 for either Shuey or Selwood if they wanted to come home makes a lot more sense for all parties. Also Hogan's home sickness now is irrelevant. We need to at least wait until the end of next year when he's had the chance to play at MCG, most likely under Paul Roos with big crowds and kicking goals. That's much more likely to make him feel like sticking around than playing out at Casey