Webber

Absolute gold rpfc! Just proves that nobody really knows anything.

Above pick 25 apparently, which is being talked of as a quality marker. The panel all thought it was a good deal and fair, and very Roos-like with its efficiency.

Big trade chat on ABC grandstand an hour ago with industry insiders. Melksham straight swap to Dees for second round pick on 4 year deal is done they reckon. Of all the trade talk they discussed they were surer of this than any others.

He's not that lightly built, and doesn't need to build himself up other than will naturally occur with work and maturity. He's not a heavy player, he's never going to be, nor does he need to be. It's an ignorant and redundant criticism. He has football brains in abundance, and all the necessary traits to be a great long term player. Very competitive, very good decision maker, and excellent user. Very excited about Billy's future.

Ditto.

My thoughts too. Maybe a co-captaincy dream team?

Agreed. He's rubbish, who'd want him?

A contact who was recently talking to Gus Brayshaw's mum says he is quite an old fashioned boy when it comes to club commitment and loyalty. Even at the tender age of 19, he is apparently absolutely committed to the idea of being a Melbourne player for his whole career. He also has uncompromising attitudes toward his own standards. Another one for whom Nathan Jones and Dan Cross are their professional role models.

Exactly this, he has been loping around taking speccies and avoiding hard ball gets and defensive AND attacking accountability his entire career. He is EXACTLY the kind of non-committed player Roos and co. are trying to weed out. The unfortunate thing is, as is the case with Jack Watts, that he is a very talented and skilful footballer. More and more at this club talent alone counts for nothing, and that's a very good thing. We don't need Howe, and we certainly don't want him.

Ok, I'll bite. Nate Fyfe to the Dees on an 8 year deal.

Clearly the ones you know are the moderate ones, maybe the Malcolm Turnbull variety. I wonder how they feel about Kennedy, Betts, Waite and Jacobs?

Me too. Boo-hoo.

Exactly the attitude of Carlton supporters to Garlett last year.

simply because you want your best users and decision makers to get as much of the ball as possible. Being an on-baller is the way you get this.

A very apt description, Nasher. The fact that he looks an unlikely type for hardness and pure ability is going to keep surprising observers for years I suspect.

Another interesting insight from Jesse Hogan's dad was that next to Jack Viney's hardness and natural mongrel, Jesse thinks Christian Salem has the same set of lovably nasty attributes!

I think the coaches have high hopes for him. As with all big boys, the waiting game tests the patience of supporters, but he's shown some very good signs, not unlike those of Max Gawn, who he is 2 to 3 years behind in development.

Just because the Bombers supposedly play hardball on trading doesn't mean we'll cough up more than his value. The last 2 years have shown us to be very smart at getting more than we give. Garlett, Vince, Lumumba, Cross. Any exceptions? Wouldn't we expect the list builders to remain smart? If we can get him for value, we'd be crazy not to as he's just coming into the ripe stage of his career.

Except that he has been awarded significantly less free kicks than more senior forwards in the AFL. I'm a firm believer that success and experience draws umpire love, and that as we march up the ladder Jesse and the team will be beneficiaries.

Chatting to his Dad on Sunday, we talked about the lack of free kicks, appropriately just after he'd been double teamed and molested without any ump acknowledgement. It frustrates Jesse obviously, but just makes him more committed to get more ball to compensate for it. He knows he can't count on umpires. I suggested he would find more protection as his profile grew, and learn to draw free kicks through cunning, which is a problem at the moment because he just tries to bullock through when he's infringed against, rather than making them seem a bit more obvious.

Yep. Sam Mitchell is an instinctive 2 sided footballer with ridiculous awareness and balance. Can't teach that.

Once again a top notch analysis, praha. Tending toward a blue sky / off season appraisal, but I like it, and who's to argue. Go you mighty Demons!

But a dream, sadly.

Nailed it praha, it's a default expectation, and a default commentary. It's also reflected in the level of ignorance as to our players, such as Howe constantly referenced as a forward, Jesse Hogan no good when the ball hits the ground (Leigh Matthews), first year players referred to as 50 + gamers. We just don't crack much of a thought other than to the astute observer. It's annoying, but it's going to change. It'll take knocking off a top 4 side once or twice to do it, but we probably should be happy to fly under the radar for a while longer.

Highlight for me : the nucleus of what will become known as 'The Diaper Demons', a group of hard nosed competitive guns all of roughly the same age leading us up the ladder. They will be lead by Jesse Hogan, Jack Viney, Tom McDonald, Angus Brayshaw, Dom Tyson and Christian Salem, and further enhanced by Billy Stretch, his best mate Mr. Neal-Bullen, James Harmes, Oscar McDonald, Mitch White and presumably Christian Petracca. It's a rich group who will continue to crystallise as a team and shake off the past like it's not even there.