Curry & Beer

I can't be as confident.. excluding Jones and Vince (who will be on the downhill in a couple of years) our only genuine, healthy, young midfielders are Tyson and Viney. Everybody else is an also-ran. That's why it is absolutely imperative that we nail the development of this year's duo (and imperative that the Saints pick McCartin)

Yep.. I watch these highlight packages and read the various superlative-laced reviews, waxing lyrical on these 'future superstars' and I tell myself 'remember Cale Morton'

Bit different though, DG was pick 38.. not pick 2. An attitude risk is more acceptable for a compete gun player IMO. A better comparison is Dustin Martin - the tiges haven't lived to regret that one (yet)

I rate him and fully support the trade BUT let's not forget he played 9 games last year @ 8 touches a game and has some off-field issues. Certainly not a slam dunk

sorry, but history shows that we will a find a way

I remember one year she got the first dozen or so pretty much spot on

except that the top sides have a way higher strike rate of turning their high draft picks into champions - see the Hawks: Hodge, Roughead, Franklin, Lewis, Ellis, Rioli.. they get full value. Surely you can't pretend that's just luck?

Agree entirely and have been singing this tune for years. Many here find it easier to believe that changing the bloke who is head of recruiting is going to fix the club. The more inconvenient truth is that there is/has been something fundamentally wrong with many aspects of the club at large and that is why we have ZERO champions on the list. So far, in the PJ/Roos era, we really only have one available case study - which is Dom Tyson. So far, so good. PS when you talk of BP going left field, the only ones that can be argued are Gysberts and Cook. Everybody else at the pointy end got picked exactly where they should have been and that's just a fact.

agree with you entirely but would definitely prefer Petracca over McCartin - as you state, with Tyson and Viney we SHOULD be able to develop a 'big 4' midfield of genuine quality players, to me this is more important than another key forward. If we have a genuine midfield the rest will fall into place.. if there is no midfield we have nothing. Our backline is very solid and Hogan a potential star.. we also have some good secondary forwards. The midfield is the big key for us I feel. If the Saints call out McCartin I will be fist-pumping!

How about the logic that the rest of the post you quoted went on to explain? You could start there

My feeling from the available information is that Brayshaw is our no.1

and each of those 4 dot-points apply 100% to the MFC in the 2008-2013 period. Textbook definition of a horrible breeding ground for footballers. You'd cry if we drafted you wouldn't ya?

I don't think it has any bearing - you could argue that having your first 5 years at a rubbish club does irreparable damage. Having said that, Morton looked a goer in his first couple of years and then stopped on a dime. This seems to be a bit of a pattern with us, we can't seem to get players to take that next step.Both Morton and Watts had/have all the tools/advantages required to be top-line players, there is no excuse or explanation, other than perhaps our rubbish culture and program, underfunded footy dept., poor facilities, bargain basement coaching etc etc I know some of these aspects have been improved (at least partially) but they were all present in Morton's first 5 years

Sorry, I missed this, what are these rumours you speak of?

More likely that whoever we take at 2 and 3, the bloke that goes at pick 4 will be the cream of the crop

and most of them stink

We'll never know What we do know is that since 2007 we have had picks 1,1,2,3,4,4 and 5 and so far we are 0-7 in terms of developing a star player. 4 of those 7 aren't even at the club anymore and another may not even play footy again. We do have Tyson and Hogan though, through trading high picks. To think after this draft the total will be ELEVEN players of top-5 quality drafted in 7 years. We should have one hell of a side.. and we don't. PS add Viney, who under normal circumstances would probably also have gone top 5 or so.

That's what I meant. Masten was working in the Eagles store at the time and I believe his dad was somehow involved with the club.. some 'experts' reckoned Morton could have gone at #1.. they couldn't have been far away from calling out his name

it's also affected by who drafts them still have to wonder where Morton would be if the Eagles had got him 5 years earlier

you have a point for the 1% of cases where there is any possibility of some sort of litigation for the other 99% you have no point.

thank you for doing some research and responding intelligently. The same can't be said for the 90-odd posts that preceded you. How is it possible that 4 of the bottom 6 lost so many so closely? Especially when you consider that NONE of the 17 close losses you've just listed overlap our close wins? It's not like these close wins are being fought out 'amongst themselves' at the bottom. What it tells me is there is SFA between the bottom 12 clubs or so on the bottom, as they seemingly interchange close battles on a regular basis. I guess what I mean is that we have a top 6 and you can throw a blanket over the rest. Which gives me reason,. as you recognise, to be positive about the building of our list/drafting vs the others however, Roosy's credentials aren't subjective, surely. People look at 4 wins and seem underwhelmed.. i look at at a 56-point halving to a 28-point loss, and being about 10 goals away for the year from a 10 win season and think that Roost's MFC debut was pretty darn good. (NB rpfc I said 'darn' not 'damn' so don't be upset please)

draconian indeed. Isn't that the type of government you're supporting? Big fan of free speech, unless it might possibly offend somebody, somewhere in any way, in which case, you're not allowed say it. Even if the person taking offense is Helen Lovejoy. but I digress... Month ban for rpfc please if the umpire is paying frees consistently.. good grief (excuse my vulgarity)

Not really. How many of them lost 6 games by 20 points or less last year? How many have a near-average score against? How many have one big out and 4 big (or at least decent) ins? How many also get draft picks 2+3 in? How many have a genuine a-list coach working on it?.. for how many is ALL of the above true? I don't know why I get pumped up just to be deflated every season but I can't help it!