bing181

Not necessarily. There's a team there that he's building, I don't know that it's actually "built" yet. I also don't really get the "we haven't seen if he can coach" line. According to all reports, the players have come back in much better shape, and there's a lot more intent and intensity at training. Which would indicate that (at the very least) Neeld knows how to motivate players to get the best out of themselves. A big part of his job I would have thought. Coaching is not just about what happens on-field - though admittedly, it's about the only place we get to really see what's going on. It reminds me of the discussions as to why players like Bartram were in the leadership group. There's just so much that happens off-field, where Neeld seems to be doing well.

"Can" being the operative word for me. Viney alluded to one of the rationales behind the choices is to create competition for spots. There's no pressure to perform when the player who would take your spot won't actually be ready to do so for a couple of years.

I would have thought that ONLY drafting kids, and expecting that to turn into a premiership was an "extreme approach". With the players we've brought in and moved out, we now have a list with an age distribution much more in keeping with that of most clubs.

If Kent even plays this year he'll be doing well ... or we'll have a hell of an injury list. In my opinion also ..

I've always found this a fairly shallow argument myself. That was a one off ... confirmed when we couldn't repeat it the following year, even though we had basically the same players ... who, BTW, also travelled down to Geelong one fateful day in July last year, if we really want to put the Sydney win in context. It's a bit like taking our Essendon win this year as being representative of where the team is at. The rot started long before 2012, and was never going to be turned around (on-field) in one season.

Yep - Toumpas played in the SANFL grand final the year before last, as a 17 year old. (BTW, Jack will be fine/great. More than anything else, he needs a solid pre-season, and a solid run of matches. He showed last year what he was capable of before injury cut him down just as he was getting going.)

Exactly. Does he have the wherewithal to be an elite, professional sportsman and all that that entails? Why bring in someone who's not prepared to do the hard yards? Which would seem to be the case here.

Yes, this has "hardest team to play against" written all over it: "Dean Kent is just a unit. I can't believe he didn't make the 18s squad. He is a tough nut and has a booming left foot. Was reported in the 3rd for high contact but I think he'll get off. A very solid physical player who I rate highly."

Probably most interesting thing to come out of the night. That we rate guys like Jones and Terlich above the potentials there says something.

Dean Kent?? Any info?

Anyone know why that is? Was tipped much higher.

Collingwood going to be laughing here.

Stringer at 5. Wouldn't have picked that a couple of weeks back. Wines to Port?

.... and yes!

... and here we go ....

Didn't seem to have one ... Garlett, Grundy etc.?? O'Rourke to GWS. Toumpas to us now surely.

You're not right about either of these, as per the posts above, but just to add ... there are North supporters think we payed too little for Pederson, and they payed too much for Gysberts.

Australian actually.

Not possible to post without taking a swipe at someone? Shame.

Ah, we can save ourselves a fortune that we're obviously wasting on recruitment. Just ask the draftees!

Greek Cypriot. If it matters.

Which implies that you've reached your conclusions prior to any such scrutiny being undertaken? Scrutiny, whether here or elsewhere, not a problem. Witch hunts, speculation based on nothing more than conjecture (or stories based on "my girlfriend's hairdresser heard from the wife of ...."), personal vendettas masquerading as "for the good of the club" etc. etc. are not what I (for one) would consider "scrutiny".

I think that's a given. Aiming for round 1, apparently, but he will have missed a lot. Certainly a very serious injury.

Bad day at the office?

Add in Sheehan, Williams and Lawrence. 15 players!!! And still with a possible one or even two more - Davis and Jetta.