Grandson of a gun

I believe the club has already sorted out an arrangement to facilitate the use of Pick 40 and it just hasn't been made public yet. If they are paying out and rookie listing a player, there's no real reason it needs to be made public until list lodgement deadlines. I wouldn't be surprised at all if we found out Evans has already been paid out and told he will be Rookie listed and hence has continued training at the club as per normal.

Wrong use of smokey on my part. He is considered too 10, even top 6 but there hasn't been that much public talk of him at 3. I only raise him given out obvious midfield needs, Roos comments and Lever's injury. I don't have his combine stats to assist but he seems to provide a point of difference to the other mids we've brought in recently. I'm not specifically advocating him over McCartin, just interested in thoughts.

I couldn't find a thread on him and thought that if Petracca goes at 1, Laverde is the smokey that might go at 3. Smokey in terms of not being one of the top 4 talked about already. Here is the AFL draft profile... Jayden Laverde Don't know too much about him other than what i've seen and read in brief snippets. Anyone with some in depth info???

St Kilda were a real chance of taking Frost especially given thru traded Stsnley out. It also gives Melbourne a chance to have a pick in the PSD not already committed to Frost. We may already have an eye on someone.

Thanks WJ. I agree we are desperate for mids. I would hope that our drafting and trading strategy is aimed at that, however, if and it's a big if, Boyd does want out- we would be mad if we didn't consider and make a serious play for him. Hogan and Boyd, both 19 year old beasts does fulfil a desperate requirement for us. With those two, like the hawks when they got buddy and roughy, are what you build a team around. Mids mids mids, except if we can land Boyd...

As I said, I am passing on the information I was told. I have no reason to doubt who told me. My take was it is the living in Sydney thing first and lack of opportunities to date second. Whether it is correct I don't know but thought it interesting and if true could make for an interesting trade week. Wiseblood take it as you like. I can only hope if true and he is open to a return home then we are into him. We will have negotiating chips.

Was speaking with someone who worked at the recent National U18 champs. It was raised by someone close to them that Tom Boyd is not happy at GWS at the moment. He is not getting a game and isn't overly enamoured with being in Sydney. He is currently 3rd behind Cameron and Patton and the feeling is he wants more opportunity. It was suggested that should a Vic club be able to convince him to come back home and play for that club, that he could seek a trade from GWS. The trade would obviously be costly- very high pick and possibly a player but if Boyd wants out then it is possible. Before anyone shoots the messenger that is all I know and thought it a worthy topic. I won't betray my source but they are heavily involved at that top level and their information was from a reliable source close to Boyd himself. I can only hope that if true Melbourne are into him big time...

Just cracked one through the covers....

Don't know the exact demerit point allocation but I would say it will be a reprimand. He may even get off completely as force used not sufficient to warrant a report (or even a free kick).

I cannot remember the last time i saw the entire Casey best 6 be made up entirely of Melbourne listed players... Regardless of the result this is a good thing and is all part of the culture building exercise. If there were no changes this week i would be quite comfortable with this and it would help reinforce to the players that not only do you need to perform consistently well at Casey, but you then need to grab your opportunity in the seniors with both hands and if you do the coaching staff will show faith in you.

Roosy spoke on stage. As did the captains. Dom Tyson made the wife weak at the knees and the players were very giving of their time. Plenty of smiles, photos and autographs for the kids. But for the rain it was really enjoyable. Here's looking to a few more happy days for the Demons this year...

I reckon people will actually look back on our recruiting through 2013 and realise we did very well.

I watched the highlights and look at his bold and with that pace it just screams Isaac Smith. Hope that is the case anyway.

Thanks RPFC. Looking at it, would love to sign Frawley and Hogan to long term deals this year but that aside there are some fairly easy list management decisions at the end of 2014 if the following players don't extract the digit... Tapscott, Strauss, Bail and Byrnes. Also teetering on the edge will be Blease and to a lesser degree Spencer and Dunn depending on performance... Of course Cross is unknown how long he will play and Nicho may be gone or only get 1 year... That's at least 4 changed and possibly more depending on performance which as we improve should hopefully become more the norm rather than 10 or 11 like recent times...

Kelly may become a jet but give me two very good midfielders over 1 great any day. A champion team beats a team of champions on any day. Backing in Roos and Stone who have runs on the board for developing players, we have now got a nucleus of very good young first string onballers in Viney, Tyson, Toumpas and Salem. We have Jones, Cross and Vibce who are all hardened and experienced and have performed well at the top level for long times now and can protect and teach these youngsters. We also then have some very good quality potential long term mids in Michie and Reilly. And this doesn't take into account blokes like Grimes, Watts, Mckenzie et al whom can then play roles more suited to their skill set.Pick 2 and 20 for Tyson, Salem and Vince (pick 23) is a very good outcome for me when we are trying to build a long term high quality midfield... Edit- Mods change the thread title to something like post draft discussion as even though it was in jest originally it won't end up that way....

We have been crying out for our team to 1- get the freaking ball and 2- stop butchering the ball every chance they get. People need to look a little deeper at the selections/trades. All are either pure mids or can go into the middle for bursts. All have a hardness at the ball with most also possessing a like of hunting the man too. All have good to excellent skills. All run both ways. None are slow and most possess good to very good pace. I couldn't care less what any other player in any other team does from now on. It's about what these blokes can do for us. I firmly believe believe we have had a very good trade/draft period. We have strengthened the midfield considerably. We have addressed areas like pace, skill, ball winners and small forwards and we still have a few rookie picks to use on addressing further needs. I wouldn't be surprised to see 1 or 2 bigger mobile talls to develop as backup to current stocks as well as maybe another small forward. Welcome Salem, JKH and Hunt. Here's to successful times ahead...

Thanks WJ. Good chuckle. Love the Power Forward bit...

My exact thoughts as soon as I heard this. It may well be cat and mouse with Collingwood, trying to force them into a move. Think back to Hawks /Toigs. Hawks had 2 and 4 and Tiges 3. Hawks wanted both Buddy and Roughy. Rated Buddy higher but wanted Roughy too. Knew Tiges would take Roughy if available but if he was gone they'd go Tambling over Buddy. So they forced the Tigers hand by taking Roughy and as planned got Buddy after that. I reckon the Pies might think we are their Richmond and wont take Scharenberg at 9 thus they can pick a midfielder at 6 that we may have been targetting and then Scharenberg at 10. We are calling their bluff and positioning as if we will take Scharenberg if available. Collingwood cannot then take the gamble and the midfielder we wanted and identified at 9 will still be available...

Correct me if im wrong but Nicho may well still end up delisted. Depends on draft day doesn't it. If we select three kids in the draft, then upgrade Clisby with the 4th pick our list is full. If we then decide there is someone we want in the PSD we can still delist Nicho to make room on the list. To be brutally honest I don't reckon either Nev or Nicho are up to AFL standard or would take our team to the next level. Both have far too many limitations. Good luck to Nev, no one could ever say he didn't have a dip...

Played in the TAC Cup but only a battler and never good enough at that level consistently. Played local footy from then on till injuries, family and work took over. Just another footy tragic who loves the MFC.

As I understand it the only players who can go in the PSD are those out of or coming out of contract where no trade reached. My basic understanding anyway. Therefore those under contract like shaw, bugg or buntine can't go in PSD. Adams can. Don't know if Lyons or Myers are contracted or not, if not then we definitely can get them.. Anyone know other targets? BTW cross falls under the delisted free agent category and as such can be picked up for free without affecting PSD or ND except for list spaces...

In terms of poo you mean? Well, there's the top teams, then there's the middle teams, then theres the bottom teams, then there's 50 feet of [censored] and then there's us.... Seriously though, you decided this would be a good thread? You must like punishment and reflecting on the painful truth a lot!!!

Bassett has issues (apparently). It is the reason clubs haven't been trying to snap him up. They were talking about it on SEN today. Can't remember who it was. I got the feeling that he wasn't really a team player when it came to the coaching side of things and hence the difficulty in stepping in as an assistant and taking orders etc...

Confirmed in a tweet from Patrick Keene this morning... @AFL_PKeane: Melbourne's jack Viney is the round 21 #nabaflrisingstar after a team-high 28 possessions in Sunday's loss to the Dockers,1 goal & 5 tackles @AFL_PKeane: Viney, recruited under the father-son rule, has played 11 games in his debut season, averaging 18 touches per game. Well done Jack.

Thanks for that guys. Great work by not only the FH but to all of those/us who have stuck by and supported this club in whatever financial and emotional way possible through a particularly difficult few years.