Slartibartfast

That's my concern. That won't cut it at AFL level. Think Jeremy Howe.

I get worried about players who rely on power at under age level. Also Trengove tested well but I always felt he was a tall in a small body. I want to see him play like a midfielder with a bit of class. I just didn't see it in that one game.

Can Petracca run? Does he get involved in possession chains? Does he have pace? Does he have excellent lateral movement (agility). How much of his game is built around high marking? Is he a dead set genuine midfielder? I don't know the answers to these questions as I've only seen him play against SA on TV in the champs where I couldn't judge these attributes. I liked Ahern.

What great news. Hogan and McDonald were almost more important than Frawley.

What people seem to fail to realise is that Tommy is a fantastic contested possession player and is rarely beaten. He turns it over. Fancy that from a young key position player. MFC will be desperate for him to extent his contract.

As much as I might agree, we're dreamin'.

I'm not over Tommy. I love him. I'm just hanging out for the contract extension.

Couldn't agree less. It may have happened for someone like Viney had a deal not been done but it wouldn't happen for someone like Stretch. Why would another team risk taking a player they don't want at that pick just so they might force us to take him with an earlier pick? They wouldn't because there is too much risk for them. I doubt other teams would be worried if we picked up Stretch for a "bargain". As for the pick this year I'd be dead against taking a "running HB" or a flanker type. We fell into that trap with Blease, Strauss and Tapscott. Good flanker types at TAC cup level often seem to struggle at AFL level. I want a genuine midfielder or a genuine KP player with our first pick. Leave the flank positions for later picks. It's a pity we didn't keep Bennell, he seems to be developing nicely at WCE and was always the type of player who would take time.

I don't revere Flanagan as many do here. I like him but he's as capable of ordinary articles as most. He rarely tackles difficult issues and most of his features are feel good topics. Pretty easy stuff and he does it well. I also like Caro regardless of her critical attitude to us during the tanking investigation. Murphy provides an insight into the life of a footballer and intelligent one at that. I'll probably learn more from Murph and Caro than Flanagan. Each to their own. It takes all kinds Binman!

Bob Murphy is easily my favourite player outside the MFC. He has a lot of the qualities of Robbie Flower. He's also a fantastic journalist up the in the class of Flanagan. He's written a great article in the Age today about the incident with JKH which is well worth a read. It will be a sad day when Murph hangs up the boots.

This game was against Box Hill and he was terrific. Hurt his back that game and didn't recapture this form. I was disappointed when he didn't get another go but Todd Viney was there for his entire time and would have had a good handle on him and been able to assess how much of his failure was due to ability/application and how much was environment. And I think his delisting has been mitigated by the recruitment of Michie and Riley particularly as they are similar ages and ability. I'll watch his progress with interest as I reckon there is a fair chance he'll get another crack.

I go to round 1 every year............................

Not me. I also believe in Viney but he, like Toumpas, will need time.

I enjoy reading you're posts Ben, more insightful than most and certainly entertaining. But I do think you misread the preseason horribly, singing the praises of Petersen (amongst others) and saying Viney could turn our midfield round quickly. When I suggested that preseason was like dancing with your sister you said perhaps but "she's had a makeover". You call it as you see it but by your own admission you're a blue sky junkie and that, more than personal relationships, leads you to wrong conclusions. I've given up trying to pick players, I'm not much good at it. You and I could point to numerous situations where we've each got it wrong. Come to think of it we could point to numerous situations where the recruiters have got it wrong. I don't remember your initial stance on Neeld but I don't recall it being anything but positive. I called him very early and had one poster stalking me. I also called McLardy and Schwab and was abused from pillar to post. Unlike players I reckon we can have more meaningful opinions of off field performance which is why I concentrate on that area. I think we can have views on the structure of list management so I comment occasionally on that. Neeld was a disaster from day one and there were very clear signs. His first public utterances were to criticise Watts and Davey and go on to say "I don't know the players, I've only just got here". His appointment of joint Captains was a disaster and his alienation of the senior players catastrophic. His tenure has put this club back 5 years and ruined the careers of many at our club. McKenzie, like Trengove and Grimes, has been cruelled by a coach with no idea of leadership or game plan. Hopefully the next coach can restore these players to somewhere near their real potential but I reckon for Trenners the horse has bolted which was my fear right at the beginning. The failure of our club to recognize Neeld's inadequacy is the single biggest blunder I can remember it making. And it was evident from the outside very early and blindingly obvious from the inside. Poor old Belly is a hard call by the way. Many clubs expressed interest in him because he had all the physical attributes to be very good but nobody realized he was affected as much as he was from his high incidence of concussion and the brain damage he suffered playing AFL footy. It had a profound effect on this ability to play the game. Thankfully the last I heard he had made very good progress and has overcome most of his issues.

I reckon you had a shocker of a pre-season on and off the field. I hope next year is better.

That would sum up the year for you wouldn't it?I'm surprised when seasoned footy supporters build up draft picks in preseason only to be disappointed when 18yo fail to dominate in adult competition. I doubt this year will be any different. I reckon if you'd read Abletts crits in his first few years they would have expressed the same views. Give the kids a chance.

I feel for the whole bloody list.

I've just pressed on the little star by the topic title which takes you to the last post you read. It took me to P47. Could someone quickly summarize what's been said?

Are the people who continually criticise Hadden and Ponting the same ones who wanted Hussey gone at the beginning of last year? It's a shame that people are so quick to turn on players who have performed so wonderfully for our country. Great to see these two blokes play an important role in our success this test. I recognise Ponting is past his best but he still warrants a spot IMO and at his best was as good as there was going around. Very few of his runs came against the no name countries unlike a few other icons. Great player, love him.

Well we are going over well worn ground but the issue is our good mature players aren't that good. Green, Moloney, Sylvia and Davey who should be providing a bit of grunt, particularly through the midfield are just ordinary footballers. Green has wrung the most anybody could have reasonably expected out of his ability. That he is now being vilified by supporters is depressing and shows how little they understand. Davey has never been someone who could lead when things got tough. Moloney is another "Green", but he's younger and given a tag free opportunity can play well. But for all his possessions he rarely hurts the opposition which is why he's a good ordinary footballer and not an top notch A grader. And Sylvia is just too inconsistent to be a top liner but his best is probably our best. Jamar has been injured since Adelaide (he doesn't seem to be able to jump at the moment) and for me Rivers has been our best mature player. People don't give credit to our defense. It goes in there quickly and regularly and it's not surprising that at times it just breaks open.

Your problem is you haven't managed your expectations. Everyone is very happy to buy into a "rebuilding" process but nobody realises how long 4 to 5+ years is, and that is how long this one will take (oh, and I'm not saying I understood either). And we started from as low a base as anyone. Carlton took from end of 2003 to now to go from hopeless to good. In the 2003 draft they took Walker at pick 2 and along the way they've picked up a once in a decade footballer. I have a very simple barometer. It says games and ages will tell you where you should finish on the ladder adjusted for skill. We are in the bottom 3 for games and ages but we will finish well out of the bottom 3 which indicates skill. (and yes, I know other things will impact, this is a blunt tool). So by my reckoning we've had a good season with some dreadful characteristics none worse that the thrashings we've had. They are what have killed the season for me. I'd have been happy with 8 to 10 wins but the size of the thrashings and the inept conduct of the Board over the last month have turned a good development year into a trial. And unless we pick up some mature midfielders next year will be a steady progression, not a quantum leap. Prepare yourself!!

Moloney and Jones are 182 and 180 respectively. Bartel 187, Corey 191, Ling 189 paved the way for Selwood and Ablett. Pendlebury 191 and Judd 189 are about the best in the business. And Jones and Moloney are "good ordinary footballers" and at their height they can't impact against bigger bodies. Neither is quick. And Jones doesn't play midfield really, he plays wing (and yes, there is a difference). We need blokes that "take space" and are strong enough to hold position and block for the likes of S.... sorry. Our blokes aren't. I think McNamara 190 has been successful at Casey because he can do just this and we'll see if he can do it Sunday. Grimes 187, Gysberts 190 and McKenzie 186 are our hopes here but are all are injury prone and are young and inexperienced. This year our midfield have been smashed because we lack size and strength and are very inexperienced. Our success is linked to our midfield. I think if you stuck a decent engine in between our forward and back line and we'd be knocking on the door of the top 5 because a decent midfield would make the forward and back lines so much better. I just don't see why people don't realize that its as simple as the midfield. And unless we "get" something from somewhere for next year we will see gradual improvement not the quantum leap many expect. Just look at the difference Cox, Kerr, Embley and Shoey have made to WC this year. As someone once said "It's the midfield, stupid".

How's the diet going. I have to wait until the end of our season. I'm not looking forward to Monday week. I've skipped a lot of the "woe is me" posting but I'm afraid you're in for more pain. Until our midfield becomes mature and competitive I think we are in for more of the same next year. We desperately need to find a mature good midfielder but I can't see one. Grimes might be the answer if he can stay fit. That is my main hope.

Close, but no cigar!!

No, but they have hippogriff's. I'm getting the feeling you're out of your depth!! A Hippogriff (also spelled Hippogryph and Hippogryphe, Italian: Ippogrifo) is a legendary creature, supposedly the offspring of a griffin and a mare.