Keyser Söze

My point was that Thorp couldn't even get on the park and is reputed to have poor leadership skills - and the Hawks won a premiership. I think having a player like Miller in that same scenario holds us in good stead. Now just got to work on the rest of the list...

You've missed the point that its a choice between Miller and a player like Thorp (who, by some reports, possesses leadership skills that are as poor as Miller's are good) or a 1st year draftee picked at 66. If I had to fill a gap in the list with a depth tall forward I know who I'd choose.

In 2008 that was Thorp...

uhh... I think the issue is that this is about functionality first, not aesthetics. As it should be. The shape of the neckline is hardly a major factor in the scheme of things...

pick 6 more like it. You'd give Newton every chance possible to be taken by another club and take him with the latest pick you possibly can.

Not sure he agrees with that sentiment HT; merely his quoting skills need a bit o work...

Yeah, I just thought presenting a best 22 in a different way would highlight some issues not yet covered. I think Jetta on the back of 2009 should slot straight into the side and I have high hopes for him. Unfortunately I think he in particular has a lot of competition for the sort of role he would play.

I thought his 2009 was absolutely woeful and well below what he is capable of. Remember, this is rating his 2009 performance, not future potential or years past. Having said that he probably still could've squeezed on the bench at the expense of Maric. True. Didn't really take the necessary time to consider my team, just wanted to get the thread out there. AA style would be better, but i still think based on 2009 form, Miller was our best option for CHF so deserves a guernsey. Whether this applies to AA rules i'm not sure.

but can they coexist?

But for it to be worthwhile for the company giving token positions to players, said company must receive some sort of free marketing in return or else they would not agree to it. In this case it would be blatantly obvious an underhanded deal had been made. Whether the AFL would decided to police it or not is another matter.

Interesting and incorrect take on things. No one is claiming the Gysberts is significantly superior to a player of 187cm. But at 188cm he does have a significant advantage in the air over a player such as Scully at 182 or Tapscott at 180cm. May I remind you that "football is a game of inches" and being a few cms taller than your opponent is more likely to help than to hinder you. That's not to say that skills, heart, brains and guts (which I see as the same as heart) aren't also contributing factors to success as an AFL player, just that he also has height to his advantage. Don't reduce Gysberts to a player whose only asset is his height - he also posses elite kicking skills, a large engine, football IQ (which is severely underrated) and an ability to win the hard-ball. PS Your claim that Gysberts would still be available at pick 18 is unfounded. If you're basing it on Big Footy phantom drafts then you're beyond help on this issue...

True. This exercise is tougher than I first imagined. I actually considered Garland and thought it inappropriate to include him on the back of only one game, but then included Green on the back of half a season. Double standards maybe. I just think that players won't be given spots in the side based purely on potential - they will have to earn those spots - and was looking to highlight that. This could easily see Miller start round 1 aT CHF and a player like Jetta, who is managing to get squeezed out of many 'Round 1 2010' sides, would easily slide in based on his end-of-season form.

Psyche. It is a bit over the top, but so is your claim of an immature Australian psyche. I've been to many international friendlies and EPL matches and I really enjoy the game of football. But I simply don't want it here if it is going to hurt my beloved game of AFL footy. Simple as that. And at the moment it looks like it most definitely will if we win a World Cup bid. If there is minimal impact on AFL then I say bring it on. But I know this is not FIFA's style. FIFA is like Microsoft. Those presenting the argument that we could show off AFL to the world via the World Cup - stop pretending. You're not fooling anyone, lest maybe yourselves.

Based on their performance in 2009 and nothing else, this is the equivalent of the All Australian team but made up of only players from the MFC list. This is not based on potential or players you expect to improve and hold down a spot in 2010, this is purely a judgement of who performed the best overall in which positions over the course of season 2009. Basically, in other threads discussing a 2010 best 22 a lot of people struggle to fit Miller in, but I wonder what they think of his 2009 performance? There wasn't much competition for the CHF position. There are a few other players who I'm interested to see how people judge. This might even give a truer representation, in some respects, of which players a Round 1 2010 team is likely to consist of, minus any draftees that push their way into the side. My Best 22 of 2009 : B: Warnock, Rivers, Bennell HB: Bruce, Frawley, Grimes C: Morton, Moloney, Davey HF: Sylvia, Miller, Green F: Bate, Jurrah, Martin R: Jamar, Jones, Junior I: Petterd, Dunn, Jetta, Maric

Maybe its an indication that the older players that have been kept by the club, rather than being moved on, have been retained because of their leadership skills to assist in the development of the young squad. It would explain why someone like Robertson or Wheatley was not kept for the 2010 season. Neither of these 2 have ever been touted as great leaders of men. Whelan has been good with the indigenous boys, but i don't think he took to a leadership role within the group as a whole. (Obviously age, injuries and form play a role in these decisions also.)

Love it.

An eccentric millionaire doctor that lost his license to practice medicine, but made a packet by owning/running 24-hour medical practices and other dubious activities.

This situation makes me realise one thing: Whilst in the past I have watched a lot of 'football' (as opposed to footy) and I am an Arsenal supporter, I only enjoy the game. I love AFL footy. I'd rather see the EPL burn than sit through a World Cup that severely weakens my club and my league. If the end result of a World Cup is as drastic as the media is portraying it, then I don't want it and never will.

I'm not sure that's the point of all this...

Its alright, I understood. I'm just trying to hold back on another tirade over why WCE should be scrutinized for tanking moreso than the MFC...

Considering the nature of the article I wouldn't be surprised if the author had no idea about AFL player movements. I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

Gawn however is recovering from an ACL injury and doesn't have the mobility of Kreuzer. Kreuzer also spent a fair chunk of time playing in the forward line... which I guess isn't out of the question for Gawn. If we have a capable performing ruckman in Jamar, why would we persist with playing an underdone developing ruckman? I think its important to take baby steps with this kid for a while.

I thought the same thing...

To be honest, the very notion of trading Jamar at the end of 2010 before he has played a game in the 2010 season is absurd. The only reasons we would want to keep him on the list are the same ones that would give him any value on the trade table. If he becomes expendable because of the form of other ruckmen on our list, then this is worth discussing... but we will never know until we see how those players perform.

Actually, i think the ideas are there but my post was a bit hard to read! But yes, I can't find it in myself to accuse another team of tanking................ unless its an eagles supporter attacking us for last season. Hypocrites.