DeeSpencer

He might still have an elite tank (although he's been injured throughout preseason) and a beautiful kick but neither of those attributes are super vital alone to playing CHF where you need strong mark, physical and reads the play. I'd keep him for a defender if we didn't have an overload of players doing the same thing - Watts, Selllar, Dunn, McDonald.

Blease is more AFL ready though. Put him in a good team with forward 50 entries, get him chasing as he started to learn how to do and he could hold a spot in a top side even been inconsistent. Gysberts just looks both close to AFL but a mile off. He can win the ball and his usage can be very good by hand and decent by foot but he's so far off the physical side to compete with inside midfielders and his lack of speed means he really can't play any other position. He reminds me in a funny way of Juice Newton - here is a guy whos very good at his one trick at VFL level, put him in a bad AFL team and against good opposition and he's rubbish because he lacks other tricks. For Newton it was playing FF in the VFL for Gysberts its playing inside midfield. The first step is always to get the body ready to compete because then you give yourself a fighting chance. It took Juice the best part of a decade to fill out a bit and by then he was really not going to develop any more. If Gysberts does a preseason and has some weight on and most importantly has top line endurance and has some power in his game then he'll probably do enough at AFL to hold a spot and then develop. Eventually in a perfect world Grimes plays back and Sylvia, Howe and Trengove probably play on spurts through the inside midfield spots leaving Jones and McKenzie as the only pure centre square established players we have but even then Gysberts has to prove he's a cut above Magner, Viney, pick 4 to get himself a game.

I think we should stay positive and realise that the surgeons are getting better and better and that Clark is recovering well. And yes if Dawes and Hogan become KPF stars and Petersen is a gun back up ruck then maybe Clark can switch back to been an AA quality first ruck. I think we should wait at least until we secure Dawes and Petersen.

Wings his worst position. He spuds it up in the backline and the forward line. At least when he's in the midfield you can say oh poor Cale that big bodied AFL midfielder was too good for you or when he's down back you say don't worry that forward pressure was a lot so no wonder you kicked it straight to the other team.When he jogging up and down the wing rocking up clangers it just gets worse.

In: Byrnes, Hogan, Barry, Viney, pick 4, pick 20, 2 more draft picks, Cam Pedersen or Dawes (would prefer Pedersen), Nicholson (rookie upgrade) Out: Martin (trade), Moloney, Green, Jurrah, 6 others My pick for the 6: Bartram, Bate, Cook, Morton, Petterd, Davis Happy to see Joel Macdonald, Bennell and Spencer go as well but for varying reasons I think they will stay. Obviously if Rivers walks then there is space for one more to stay. I have my fears about the ability for us to move Morton on. At this stage with us going Hogan I think Gysberts might be worth a one year deal, if not we should look to trade him for something of value.

I'd love to keep Rivers. He's a pro. He knows every defensive trick in the book when it comes to body work and spoiling and I think as good as McDonald can be he'd be much better alongside Rivers. I'm sure Frawley feels the same. Start your defense with those 3 and you actually start to nullify teams in the air if you have a midfield that can compete. All of a sudden your small defenders improve as well. Keeping experienced and quality talent is so important for rebuilding and whilst some of Rivers' traits are annoying I bet young demons players appreciate his courage and his experience come game day.

Lining up on grand final day...Paul Puopolo or Mitch Morton, one was going to be a premiership player. We need guys like Bail and top sides do to. However not only his kicking but his running to get the ball, his chasing, his marking all has to improved for the sake of the team. If we are a top 8 team and Bail is competing with more skilled players like Blease and Tapscott for a half forward spot then that will be a good day. Byrnes comes into the side this year for the exact reason to keep the competition tough for small forward with midfield rotation ability. I'd like to see him get more time on the wing and the odd tagging role as well. Playing forward for Melbourne week in week out isn't an easy gig.

Some players sulked when they got dropped from Melbourne's leadership group. Actually correction, they all sullked. And that's why they wont be at the club next year.

Why won't Gold Coast or GWS bid on Daniher? Isn't he the next big thing. Oh and remember, Viney doesn't have to be the 3rd best player in the draft for us to take him at 3, just the 4th best

If it helps get Caddy and Dawes I'd be happy but we have to make sure we don't throw all the draft picks getting them. As for free agents who are all >26 I'd rather save the cash and wait a few years until we are top 4 or pushing top 4 and then have a go. I'd almost say Essendon are going too hard too early in getting Goddard except they really did need another midfielder.

Maric, Grigg, Houli - all young and on the improve, forced out of decent teams as they weren't getting the games but still at an age that improvement with regular game time wasn't unexpected. Burns, Ray etc, past their best and whilst potential will add leadership they wont be long term success. Now I certainly think its reasonable to get a few in as we have absolutely zero leadership left if Rivers goes (Davey our oldest players then a huge gap) but I hope we still trim down the list low enough to get young guys in. And I'd still look for someone to be our Houli/Grigg/Guera at Hawthorn etc.

How is this thread still going. Imagine Galea up against Darren Glass, do you think he has a hope in hell out bodying him? Then the ball hits the ground, who's going to be first to swoop and pick it up, it won't be Galea.

He comes from the same school on fitness as Brendan Fevola and I. He's had a tough time and AFL isn't for everyone. If he wants to make it back then I say he should return to the VFL/SANFL/WAFL and we keep an eye on him, but I don't think he does.

It shouldn't be. Even the best first year players are still first year players. For example GWS had about 5 top liners (Greene, Coniglio, Cameron, Hampton and Treloar) and 5 more who looked about as good as your average top draft pick (Smith, Shiel, Patton, Hoskin-Elliot, Adams, Tyson etc) ad they couldn't influence games. Obviously its different with the rest of our side more ready to go the GWS but I still think even if they are playing well 3 18 year olds wont massively change things overnight.

How is anyone possibly rating Spencer? He's hopeless, open your eyes. I like Gawn but he's now had 2 ACLs in the last 4 years. I'd take Giles in a flash, delist Spencer and be glad we've got Jamar and Giles for now and Gawn for the future. That said I'd rather invest in a forward and midfielders so I wouldn't go all out on him.

After AFL experience and bodies. Denied games over with Wellingham. Denies interest in Knights or Reilly and sidestepped a proper answer on a few others. Important to get players who can play Neeld's game plan. Happy with the core group and wants to bring players who can assist or compete with current players and then will make decisions on list. Aaron Davey to be at Melbourne next year. Simple one with Viney, will make decision based on what the other 2 clubs do and comes down to the day. Denies denying they have decided!

That was the old Morton family, surely we can convince them to take Cale now he is part of the premiership winning Morton family.

Certainly the next level for his is to play with physicality when it counts. None of this niggling stuff but actually cracking in a winning the hard ball. Skill and atheltic wise he has all it takes to be a reasonable half back flanker. I get worried because the last time Dunn played as well as he did in the backend of this year was when he was last out of contract. 1 year deal only is a must.

My vote is for Jake Spencer.

Surely delisting Jay Van Berlo will hurt their chances.

Anyone seen him play. He's slow and turns it over. Not interested. Toy has had a spectacular fall from grace since been touted as a top 3 draft pick, but I'd prefer him on potential alone. He had amazing skills as a junior it just seems he can't compete physically at AFL level yet (or maybe at all).

Whilst I wouldn't mind keeping Martin if I had to choose between Martin and Pedersen I'd probably take Pedersen. He's a reliable type who will get the job done as a back up ruck/forward.

Exactly! But are we a top 4 or even top 8 tackling and stoppage team yet? I doubt we are, so I'd do it again.

Say you were Mark Neeld for a day and you got to make 5 decisions on list management/pre season training/ and they were final. 1. Organise a camp with a heavy feature on adversity. I don't particularly think that these trips like Arizona deliver massive fitness benefits but I'm sure they built team work, I'd like to see our young guys go on a camp and show their leadership. I don't care where it is but I think our players have to experience hard work as a team, not just individually running laps of AAMI park. 2. Bring in a couple of recently retired players who have played Mark Neeld style football as assistant or development coaches. I'm not sure who they are but somewhere I think we need to find someone like a Brett Kirk. Maybe a Brady Rawlings who built a career on work rate. Hearing Jones talk about the benefit he's got from a mentor thinks we need a few guys around the place who have delivered on Neeld's message. Maybe there are other Sydney premiership players around. 3. Trial Tom McDonald at CHF until mid next season. Presuming we can convince Rivers to stay we've certainly got enough down back with Rivers/Frawley/Sellar/Watts that its time to trial a CHF. Neeld's game style revolves around having support for Clark so why not try McDonald who clearly has the work rate and athleticism to make it as a forward. He might not be up to it skill wise but lets give him a go. Clark will draw the second defender and Howe can help out as a target so why not try. I don't see what is to lose in this regard. 4. Go hard for mature talent who will fill roles in the team. If that is Wellingham or a lesser talent lets try to get some guys in who will do a job, we just have too many spots to fill on our list that the draft wont cut it. Richmond's success with Houli, Maric and Grigg is off the charts. Someone out there must be keen on a regular starting gig and has the talent to get the job done. 5. Put on a focus on tackling and stoppages. If we still can't run or still can't kick then that's too bad. Some players wont ever work hard enough and they'll be found out, others wont ever have elite skills, but I think everyone should be able to win the ball at a contest and tackle. Just by doing that I think we could improve from easy beats to at least rival teams. I'll live with a few Bail or Bartram or Macdonald clangers but I can't stand getting beat up at stoppages week after week and then Neeld preaching about playing a finals brand of footy.

I don't care. I think his skill set - clean kicking and good pace is better suited down back. The most important thing is that he plays at a high work rate and lifts his intensity. When he played at a good intensity he played good footy this year. When he wasn't attacking the game at 110% things started to unravel.