Dee-licious

Question - anyone know why Brayshaw is doing the AFL podcast every week? I love that he is doing it - but why Gus? Seems like he is crafting a nice little media career. Would be good in 15 years the for us to have Gawn, Brayshaw and others commentating.

@Jaded as you said - he needs to play inside mid. When he does we are a better team and he’s a better player. Viney Oliver Brayshaw at the coal face is pretty scary.

Love Hunt coming over and hugging him!

@bandicoot great point in here. The dogs were an anomaly at an average age of 24 years 5 months, average games 82, but they had 13 players 100 games or more and only 2 players under 50 games at the time. That got me thinking though what is their Round 1 teams then vs our Round 1 now. WB - 24y 7m, 81.5 games, 3 under 50, 8 50-100; 7 100-149; 4 150+ Rich - 25y 1m, 94.2 games, 4 under 50; 6 50-100; 5 100-149; 7 150+ Melb - 25y 5m 84.1games, 11 under 50; 4 50-100; 3 100-149; 4 150+ The big thing to take away from this is that we still have a lot in the under 50 games. Now many of our boys are pushing up from the below 50 to 50-100 bracket before finals - Salem (now there), Harmes, Hunt, Trac, OMac, Oliver, ANB, Gus and Stretch. So assuming a like for like replacement for Viney, TMac, Lewis, Hannan/Fritch (so lets say for argument Stretch, Weiderman, Wagner, Kent) <doesnt really matter its a theoretical exercise> 5 150+: Lewis, Vince, Jones, Garlett, Melksham 5 100-150: TMac, Jetta, Hibbard, Tyson, Viney (Gawn on the cusp) 11 50-100: Gawn, Lever, Hogan, Salem, Harmes, Hunt, Trac, OMac, Oliver, ANB, Brayshaw 1 Under 50: Hannan/Fritch (Hannan could be at 40 games at this stage). At this stage, we will have a team with an average games played of over 100 and a lot of experience in here. There is a lot to look forward to and these are some really good players in here (remember ANB and Harmes have started badly but they were really good last year). It is a great list to work with, they just need some time.

I think this as well. Jones obviously stays and whilst he has limitations he is still a good player and would be in any teams best 22. Lewis and Vince are good no doubt and are in our best 22, but at what expense? We’ve taken them out of the centre bounce, they aren’t playing forward - we’ve now got them behind the ball playing the same role we want Hibbard, Hunt, Lever and maybe Wagner to play. There was even a time last year where Jets was being criticised for not giving enough drive. I love what both of them have done for the club and OMac’s development I attribute a lot to Lewis - but is 2 too many?

Sorry to be the barer of bad (maybe long term good) news here but the more I kept thinking about our performances this year, this kept coming into my head - are we still incredibly young and we are expecting a top 4 side from a bottom 4 experience? Rd 5 - 80.5 Games, 24yr 6m, 16 players under 100 games v 104.2, 25y 11m, 13 players Rd 4 - 91.5, 25y 1m, 15 players v 107, 26y 1m, 10 players Rd 3 - 93.1, 25y 2m, 15 players v 94, 25y 4m, 14 players Rd 2 - 92.4, 25y 5m, 15 players v 77.1, 24y 1m, 15 players Rd 1 - 84.1, 25y 5m, 15 players v 92.6, 25y 3m, 13 players We were younger and more inexperienced that every side bar Brisbane we have played this year. This round, Carlton and WB played 17 players under 100 games to our 16. Round 4 WB and Carl (17) v 15. If you look at the experience each week we are putting out, we are more similar to Collingwood, St Kilda, Brisbane, than we are to GWS, Rich, Haw. But these are some of the names who are our under 100 game players who are also under 25: Hogan, Salem, Tyson, Hunt, Trac, Brayshaw, OMac, Lever, ANB, Frost, Oliver, Weiderman, Harmes, Stretch, Hannan and of course Viney when he comes back. These are players who many of them will play 10 years for the red and the blue and that average games will go to 100 by the end of the year and if (when) we make finals, we should have a team much closer to competing than the one that has dished out the last 2 efforts. 15 games is a long time in football. What pleases me about all of this is that for most of the top 8 teams, players are going to come in and out and the average games doesnt move much between Rd 1 and Rd 22 as they bring in debutant etc. Last year Round 1 - 74.6 games, 23y 10 months, 11 players under 50, 3 50-100 v Round 23 - 97.9, 25y 1m, 2 players under 50, 10 50-100. 19 players who played in Round 1 played in Round 23. 16 from round 1 2017 played on Tuesday and Viney, McDonald, Lewis, and Hannan are all a good chance to come back in (who played in that game). Watts is gone and Joel Smith is still developing. We have a stable team who have shown they can match it with the best, we just need to give them the time to develop that we gave our last guard. I know its been a long time coming, but for this group it hasnt. It's only been 4 years. They are allowed to still grow this year.

I assume you are all posting from home - he was really strong tonight, ran into right positions, ran hard, especially in the 4th when the game was over he was one of the few who kept running.

Townsend tagged Lever (interview with Townsend at the end of the game). An intercepting defender was tagged by their forward line. Our defenders don't get tagged. Just sayin'

Not really relevant to the thread but it's headed that was. The King boys, Walsh and Lukosis would all be top 7 this year and they are 16-17. If I was a bottom team I'd want 2 x top 5 picks in 18. This year, I like Raynor I like LDU but the development of the U17 boys next year should blow Raynor out of water

14 of 15 disposals hit the target including 2 kicks that went on to be goals in under a minute. in a game that was one sided he played a rebounding role really well

Didnt make Eastern Rangers in his draft year (2014?) as he was too skinny. He dominated junior league in Coldstream, then back fracture in 2015, then knee in 2016. So really this is his first chance to show what he has got. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/leader/localfooty/his-kicking-is-long-his-marking-his-strong-and-bayley-fritsch-is-one-of-the-vfls-best-prospects/news-story/f0eec01914d13ecf2064ca25ff9212fa

Was the same guy (or gal). However does have some runs on the board, but then again so would I if I made 100 predictions a season. He is an insider, same as McClure, Barrett etc. so who knows what's going on but it does feel like Lever is gone and all the mail is he is heading to us bar Waldron. Plus with McGovern signing as predicted it just passes the sniff test No doubt that we'll be knee deep in it and here is hoping he is keen.

Be ready for this thread to go nuts again....

Really good foot skills and has pace. He is not his brother, he doesn't find it like Gus does but a great kick and good acceleration out of a pack. Is what we need plain and simple. Hoping we pick him up. Right now draft range 10-20

Couple of things here. 1. On the Mac Block thing - OMac dropped much further down the draft than anyone expected. Tom (and Oscar) thought that he wasnt going to come to the Dees once we used 40 on ANB as everyone was surprised Oscar fell so low. So Tom didnt say you have to draft Oscar or else and he isnt here because Oscar still is. They are independent men. 2. Frost is great, I like him, but Lever is an upgrade. OMac and TMac have been the 1 on 1 guys and OMac is the guy down there who understands the backline spacing. Frost has been the 2nd or 3rd tall for the last couple of years and that is his role. That is also Lever's role as well, and he is much better at it (sorry Sam). 3. We rated Lever 5th in the draft. (Heeney, Petracca, Brayshaw, McCartin, Lever). Lever was interviewing with us a lot coming up to the draft and he was the only other one in the conversation for picks 2 and 3. At one stage he thought that he'd end up at the Dees over McCartin. We know the injury dropped him a long way down the draft board and if you think about it right now, this kid was number 5 on our board. 2 years ago we had pick 4 for Clarry. Hypothetically, if Carlton came up and said for pick 4 you can have our pick 12 and our third key defender (Liam Jones?) we wouldnt have taken it. If the Crows are willing to hand over Lever for a first rounder and Frost, as much as I'd hate to loose Frost, I'd be asking where I could sign.

JUmp onto the Future Stars Facebook page and see their segment on the top 10 defenders under 24. OSvar was rated 10th (behind Barass, Melican, Plowman, McStay) Frost 5th (behind Marchbank, Andrews, Hamling, Lever). Gee it would be nice to get Lever and that back like looks like it will be able to hold together for a decade.

I think we are reading waaay too much into the interview, but because everyone else started I shall too. I dont think it was a forgone conclusion, clearly feels Nathan is stitching him up a little. But didnt seem like it was decided at all either way. At this stage of the season with Sydney right up there for the premiership, you'd think that he'd be a little more committed to a team looking to loose back to back grand finals.

Second this. All the Under 18 coaches I've spoken to always talk about Lever as one of the most coachable guys they have ever had and what a great bloke he is. I cant remember if he was the one with issues with language or not (I actually think it was Touk Miller who needed to calm down on that...). Anyway, main thing is Lever will be an asset for the dees and would love to see him in Red and Blue.

Yep. The Trenners trade might as well have been called the Lever trade. Up until a couple of days before I kept hearing that they were flipping between McCartin and Lever as pick 3 (Trac, Brayshaw, McCartin/Lever) and possibly even Lever over Brayshaw at one stage. To the point that one of his coaches at Caulder thought he was a lock at Melbourne. I think you are right Dappa, if Lever is on the market, we are going to be up to our eyeballs.

Hey team - I dont think that you will see us part with 2 first rounders for Lever. Basically, there are a heap of talls in the next 2 drafts in the first round (maybe not as good as Lever) but I cannot see them handing over 2 for him considering what we've seen with Caddy, Prestia, Trealor, Adams, Mitchell, etc. The first rounder and something in the back end. ANB is now too valuable to us, Ben Ken maybe and something like a second rounder (or swap of 2nd and a 3rd). If Lever wants to come to the Dees we shall get it done without selling the farm.

I forgot to give you the links: Zak Jones: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/sydney/zak-jones-set-to-remain-in-sydney-shunning-interest-from-home-state-victorian-rivals/news-story/bbbc917a60aeb672c862eb05f8f2488d https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/essendon-melbourne-north-melbourne-and-st-kilda-all-interested-in-outofcontract-swans-midfielder-zak-jones/news-story/a00adbc617e1288857027890117e6938 Jake Lever: http://www.sportingnews.com/au/afl/news/report-three-victorian-clubs-making-big-money-offers-to-jake-lever-afl-collingwood-melbourne-western-bulldogs-adelaide-crows-magpies-demons/16u1fd28z82fw18grjmhpc4qyx https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/adelaide-coach-don-pyke-confident-jake-lever-wants-to-be-at-the-footy-club/news-story/39bdcb7e6a698f6c309ad3804304d467 http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/jake-lever-likely-to-remain-at-adelaide-despite-big-offers-from-rival-clubs/news-story/febf1ccec421f2c1247c973fd67b6993

@Moonshadow nothing personally since May at a demons lunch but McLure et al have had us linked all year along with Saints and Dons. I recon it is fair to say any out of contract player who has the ability to be an A grader we are interests in (like everyone else). I'm sure other clubs are waiting to see what happens with Salem.

Just wanted to bump this up the thread. Assuming we are still interested, he played well again yesterday on top of a really good season. He along with Lever are the two we are apparently into in the offseason. Jones can just be a handing over of a first round pick (depending on how high it is, we might get something back), Lever looks like he will cost a mint. Next year's first rounder and ??? If we can deliver both of these boys into our side next year it solves our outside run and key defender issues.

What I find hilarious is that he clearly has a lot of one-liners ready for these media conferences but because all of the journos are focused on their job (I guess that is what they are paid for) a lot of the times they are gawn unnoticed and Gawn just stands there waiting for someone to laugh. The comment above saying he was best on, nothing at all from the journos. His pre-surgery press conference was hilarious as well.

End of the day we want the best 22 players in the league on our field. If May is gettable, he is an upgrade on present day OMac and Frost. I cannot help but think though that we might be making a mistake there as Rance and Hurley are the only two KPD who are better than Tom Mc and O Mac is progressing roughly the same as T Mac. I dont know what we do here at all. I've heard that Lever is happy (only one source so not confirmable) but May is very gettable. As the last poster said, first rounder and something at least.