DeeSpencer

Bailey contract extension would be my guess, but I would do that on the eve of next season or during it not now. What else could clarify big? I didn't want to speculate but I couldn't help myself. Maybe Jim handing over the presidency - not saying he should or he needs to but he might want to. Football department staff seem in order. Playing list seems settled. Macdonald, Meesen, Newton look set to be the final 3 on our lists. No doubt we will attempt to create a good deal of interest in revealing the numbers to our new players - but I don't think that will make much of a headline. Training venue - Casey deal looks good and can't see much changing their, maybe something to do with the rectangular stadium and everything to do with that, or even some other venue. Leadership - McDonald has been conformed as 2010 captain has he not? The rest of the leadership group would make a story but nothing amazing. Finances - AFL and MCC deals seem to be appropriate. I'd love to sign another big/good sponsor.

GH - Rohan is like a tall in that he was drafted more on potential than performance - he averages 12 possesions (I think that is in championships not TAC). Trengove's SANFL form would've put him in a lot of AFL sides late last year, so after an AFL preseason if he remains fit it seems logical for me that he will be in the side. NAB cup form will dictate. Trengove, Scully, Strauss, Blease, Tapscott must all be in with a good shot. Those 5 are more advanced than the 4 who had their debut this year - Spencer, Jetta, Bennell, Cheney. I'd be surprised if anyone else debut outside those 5. And we shouldn't forget it is more than likely that Joel Macdonald will make his debut.

I've heard Scully gets 31, Trengove 9 and Gysberts 5. I'm unsure what the other draftees get. I'm also unsure whether Blease, Strauss, Bennell and Jetta get to take up lower numbers, or if they would want to. I think the best policy on these things is to hand out the numbers as the come available, with the most deserving getting first choice. If they want to take on a highly regarded number then good luck to them. I'd say Scully and Trengove as pick 1 and 2 should get first go, then probably Bennell and Jetta for a reward for a good season, then maybe Blease and Strauss followed by Gysberts extending through the picks. But they are just numbers, you make them your own if you are good enough. If any of these young guys are upset with a dodgy number then they should have a good season because at the end of the year it is likely that the best number going around will become vacant - Junior Mac's 23!

Craig Cameron will endlessly be hurt by backluck: 1. Molan being a dud. However the rumour was Daniher pushed hard for this pick, and it will be noted that Molan was very unlucky with injuries. 2. Scott Thompson going home then Moloney going down, and Rivers as well 3. Armstrong got Bali bombed which can't help a career, and a promising Broadbridge got killed - RIP The list can go on. I don't think he was a bad recruiter - he did get Aaron Davey for a rookie pick did he not! I think his last 2 drafts were very very good. It might have been a case of not having the resources around him in that early period. The nucleus of the premiership we are setting up to win will come from CC's last 2 and BP's first 2: McNamara Frawley Bennell Grimes Garland Strauss Blease Trengove Morton Petterd Watts Maric Wonaeamirri Jurrah Tapscott Martin Scully Gysberts Gawn Jetta McKenzie Cheney Obviously you put Bate, Jones, Sylvia, Moloney, Davey, Warnock, Rivers, Green, Jamar etc and a few handy pick ups in future drafts (our Rioli or Selwood thanks) around these guys, but in terms of the sustained success it will be from when these guys go from being 22-25 to 25-29. Which should co-incide with 2013 onwards if anyone cares.

Dogs made consecutive prelims without Hall, we are yet to see how they will go with him. Hawkins is irrelevant, he just sits at full forward. Does stuff all. Unless Miller pulls his finger out he shouldn't be given the chances he has in the last 2 years. Watts, Jurrah, Bate as the talls is what we have to do to improve them. A Warnock, Garland, Stef Martin/Frawley backline for much of 2008 has paid big dividends for 2009 and that is without Garland. Speaking of Garland he is the only alternative to take pressure off Watts and Jurrah. A dud Brad Miller will get us nowhere.

See no reason why any of McDonald, Davey, Bruce, Green and Moloney would be left out. Miller is always around these things, but I think it might be easier to give him a year without leadership. But if he deserves it he gets in. After that I like the idea of Grimes. I still think the next captain will come from the experienced group - with Davey firming as favourite, but if Jack's leadership is as good as it is made out to be, then football wise he has shown enough to join the group. The major problem is that he has only played 12 games! Rivers, Warnock, Sylvia, Jones, Bate, Morton are others that looking in from afar seem to show leadership.

Not sure what games you watched. I thought Sylvia played his best footy roaming the ground from HFF, like his game against the hawks. Moloney and Jones will play most games next year as they are required in that position - and half decent as well! McDonald will still spend time working the clearances. Davey is getting better at it and needs to be in the centre clearances at least. After that Sylvia should spend more time in the role. Then it is a lottery - how much can Scully and Trengove handle? Can Petterd step into the middle? Jetta? Grimes? Morton? McKenzie in the second half of the year.

Neither can Brad Miller, for different reasons. Sylvia, Bate and Green in particular have to fill the void at CHF between them whilst we wait for Watts to get stronger and Jurrah to get fitter and cover more ground. Petterd is also handy in that area. Trengove has strong hands and a good tank, the half forward line should be a nice place for him to start, in a similar role to Nev Jetta this year (who will also be pushing for a role around half forward or midfield). I doubt we will have a St Kilda set up where Riewoldt does 80% of the work around half forward. I think we will be more like the bulldogs where they rotate 6 or more through CHF with Murphy and Johnson taking most of the work. Even Geelong deliver to Chapman out infront with precise foot skills as much as Mooney.

Cheney - has to play a few good games OR improve speed OR skills otherwise will be too far down the order to persist with Bartram - has to play a few good games AND show an improved skill level to persist with Bell - has to play some good games AND show improved skill and decision making Miller - has to show improvement, particularly getting more possessions and kicking more goals Mcdonald - body will be in trouble, he'll need to stay fit and play 12 or more decent games Johnson - Alot depends on other ruck prospects, but at the very least will need to play 12 AFL games. 08 form will probably be adequate Bail - needs to show something, consisted footy for Casey and possibly at least a couple of AFL games might be needed Rookies Meesen - will need to recover from injury, a lot depends on other ruck prospects Spencer - once again depends on other ruck prospects, but will need to regularly play good VFL footy and show more at AFL Newton - needs a miracle Healey - needs to be playing Casey seniors and rivaling more highly rated midfield prospects who will be playing for Casey (ie. Gysberts, Jetta, McKenzie, Strauss) Hughes - anything short of an AFL debut will not do enough

Jack Fitzpatrick - Bruno - Might be only me and I don't want to cast assertions on his sexuality but I can see a definite likeness

Hold your horse Nasher, this draft has so so so much more to offer! 1. Melbourne (Macdonald) 2. Richmond 3. Fremantle (McPhee) 4. Sydney (Bradshaw) 5. West Coast - delisted Tyson Stenglein 6. Essendon - for losing McPhee Will Richmond pounce on McPhee or Bradshaw (not a chance in hell), but what excitement as we wait to find out!

If Garland is done and dusted we may need another tall, but I have all confidence in Frawley, Garland, Warnock and Rivers if fit and so I'm happy we didn't bother for a KPD in this draft. All 4 will be big enough to take any forward in the comp even though we will aim for Warnock and Frawley to do that. I'm expecting more improvement from Riv this year, he had good games and bad. Warnock is only serviceable but even in a terrible team in the last 2 years he has rarely been embarrassed. For the flanker roles Joel Macdonald steps in, Bruce will play there this year and after that it is whoever you want. There are just so many talented players who can fill the rest. I'd like to see Bennell given first shot on most of the crumbing indigenous forwards this year - Rioli, Neon, Alwyn Davey etc. If he adds a really strong defensive aspect to his game then we a looking at a hell of a player. The other position we might need to settle is who to play on the dangerous smaller marking types - Popyz, LeCras, Medhurst etc. We used Frawley in that role but I think he has more important things. Garland if fit excels in the position. We could try Joel Mac or Cheney and Bell if they found there best form could be handy in that role. But after giving him a good shot in the midfield it might end up being Grimes' spot.

He didn't do the testing at draft camp, I doubt they just thought oh really, thats ok. No doubt they have investigated it and come to the conclusion that it is fine. If anything they might have thought having the manage a groin injury meant he could produce even better footy that what he did this year. Sounds like a well balanced, determined kid - with a hint of personality which I think BP takes a bit of a liking too. After taking Jack and Tom you need someone with a bit of character! Reading about Big Gawn he seems the same way.

Benny is a great bloke, I was hoping in some way we could get him as a rookie. Such a shame he is at the filth, maybe he can lay low for a while and then make his way over in a couple of years. Any idea how many games his old man played for us?

I think it is crazy how tall all the recruits are. The entire first round all dwarfed their coaches! Trengove looks like a freaking CHF in that post! Gawn will just look like a freak show!

Macdonald Warnock Bennell Grimes Frawley Bruce Morton Moloney Scully Green Bate Sylvia Watts Jurrah Petterd Jamar Davey Jones Martin Trengove Rivers McDonald Lock in the bolded players if they are fit and have uninterrupted preseasons.

Brendan Van Schaik? Ruckmen out of contract end of 2010: Jamar, Johnson, Meesen ®, Spencer ® Ruckmen out of contract end of 2011: Martin, Gawn, Fitzpatrick (key forward?) If the 5 on our list as of yesterday weren't working their backsides off, they will be now!

In regard to Talia by all the way to Adelaide you mean we passed on him and Carlton passed on him. He didn't get far! I have a feeling if we went for Lucas then Carlton would have snapped him up, but just like us they found the midfielder too promising. First 4 we took the best available, there is no denying that. We will see how good those selections are in years to come. We needed a ruckmen, we went with Gawn, we got him at a good pick. Pick 50 - no doubt we probably would have like the big forward to slip. I feel we must have deliberated hard on Troy Taylor, in the end we went with Fitzpatrick who has the athleticism to be a very good player forward or in the ruck. If we hadn't heard of this guy and he didn't look like such a dopey clown then I bet we would have been over the moon.

I couldn't stand looking at Paul Connors and his smug face. Why anyone signs with him is beyond me. Likewise Pickering.

Although in reality they are announced months before and then confirmed on the night. It is to give the guys a number as described on foxsports. Because they really need numbers!

I believe we have 2 options. One option is keeping them. The other option is getting sued by the players and in serious [censored] from the AFL.

Watching his youtube footage, his tackling looks a prominent feature and I fancy it would be one the would impress the recruiters. What was the injury the kept him out of the testing at draft camp?

well played!

From my tommy sauce: Broken wrist, no touching a footy for 6 weeks. Also rear ended his car today, only minor. Editorial: Very dedicated to his footy, was nice and fit after surgery etc. But certainly isn't the brightest tool in the shed.

No this is Scott Simpson not Dawson Simpson who is the 200+cm young ruckman at Geelong. I think Scott is originally from Dandenong Stingrays so it makes sense that he'll play at Casey. A Geelong supporting mate thought he goes pretty well, but his kicking for goal isn't great. So I'd be a little worried if I was a Casey supporter about him and Newton in the same forward line. Might need quite a few scoring shots to win games.