Grandson of a gun

I also remember that another footballer from interstate used to have the nickname FIGJAM....think he went on to play in a couple of GF's, captain the most hated club in Australia and win a brownlow............... Not for one moment do i suggest that FIGJAM Jnr is anything like FIGJAM Snr however, if he was even potentially a third as good then i would take him as a rookie...as has been alluded too, age and the events of the past couple of years can quickly mature a young bloke.

Reckon you're pretty close to the money there E25. Although if he was still available later, the club was satisfied he had progressed on a maturity/personal front then i reckon Bails may have also been hinting at someone like Mitch Thorp.... just my completely baseless two-cents anyway! That's what these forums are all about after all....

Cale might consider trapping the arm and moving to side mount to secure the Anaconda choke....otherwise, if he finds the ground and pund ineffective, he can always consider the kimora!

Had a good old chuckle at that one E25.... C'mon Robbie, there is no link- just a journalist trying to fill space. Absolute crap and he won't be at MFC next year given we have no picks in the PSD and i'm tipping our 6 picks in the rookie draft will be much better spent elsewhere.

Nah Joel is just sucking him in so when Cale postures up for the ground and pound, he can just whip up a leg, trap the arm and secure the triangle choke Anderson Silva style...

I believe that BP drafted him with this capability in mind. Whilst i believe he will be groomed as a forward (as that is the best place to use assets like his massive tank, work rate, disposal) he will at times feature in the defence. However with Frawley, Garland, Warnock, Rivers, Martin (maybe) plus new draftee Davis i don't see any real need to stick him down there at the moment....

Good post Ralphius... Smoking the reefer??? The posts aren't about underestimating anyone. I think everyone here knows and believes that MFC players will be on the wish list of many clubs. But like they did this year, the majority have the belief that MFC will sign all of the required players to keep them out of reach of GWS and other clubs. We also believe that the players WANT to play for the MFC because they can see where the club is trying to get too. Your post about Richmond also makes no sense in the regard that you are suggesting they are going to throw huge money at a 19 year old who has played 1-2 seasons when they have a batch of young midfielders already and are trying to build a great culture (ie no mercenaries). As per Ralphius' post above, they'd be more likely to throw large money at a middle aged player to inject experience and hardness rather than a kid and risk unsettling the harmony of the group. In line with Hutchy's article, you are offering no credible evidence that Richmond are even remotely interested or would be willing to go down that path for a young player...

Not a concern at all. He won't go anywhere. Just like with all the GC17 talk last year and fear of losing MFC players, it just won't happen (at least not with any of the 'flag core' players). Hutchy just needed to fill space...

....and with the recruitment (and continued development of Jack Viney) we don't have to worry so much about topping up our midfield stocks. We can concentrate through the 2011 draft / trade period on those other needs (although at least this years draft we went some way towards another KPB) being a second ruck, a high skilled running HB and a KPB.

How thick are you? Honestly, you don't think our club has done its homework on him. He is also a member of the AIS academy which i do believe is a good player factory. We get to control his development and work on whichever areas he needs to reach the required level for AFL. What better way to groom a draft pick 3 years out from his first game????????? You say we would get him anyway- think again with GWS lurking and throwing around big cash plus other clubs like Adelaide looking to do big deals your assumption that he'll be coming to us anyway is much further from the mark than you realise. And the answer to swift is below... Thomo doesn't want to hear logical arguments like that........

Thomo you would be the exact same person who would want to tear down the walls at Melbourne if they didn't pre-list him and he then turned out to be the star everyone thought. You want your cake and to eat it too. Get a grip you fool. Ravi, a comment like that makes me tend to think your surname starts with W...... Surely after all this time people have started to trust the MFC football department and in particular BP. Talk about MFCSS. These decisions aren't made on a whim or with no intelligence gathering. MFC have been watching this kid for years. This is nothing but good news for our club. It means we can keep a close eye on his development and for 2 years give him specialised training to continue his growth and ability as a footballer in readiness for 2013. Wallis and Little Libba were both talked about in the same vein as Jack Viney a couple of years ago and i'm sure the doggies are nothing but happy with their decision now.

Well the decision has come and he's ours!!!!! Great work MFC and JV. Now all that is required is hard work........ Jack Grimes kicks long from full back, Jack Fitzpatrick takes a towering pack mark, handballs off to Jack Viney streaming along the MCG wing, Whack.....Jack Trengove lays out Dale Thomas with a wonderful hip and shoulder as Viney keeps running. A spearing pass down the throat of a hard leading Jack Watts who immediately turns onto his trusty right foot and goes BANG from 50..................Goal. Sorry, just a little day dreaming...think i'm a little excited!

Just hope this kid continues to develop now and carry on his under 16 form through to the under 18's and beyond. It's great to finally see a top quality father/son coming to Melbourne. You can't help but be a little bit excited by this propsect seeing how our first pick in the 2012 draft could well be in the mid-late teens if we keep improving and moving up the ladder like we all hope.

Who gives a For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. As long as these kids perform they can wear 147, 212, 0 & 69 for all i care..... For what it's worth, i have half a mind that number 11 should be the number worn by the MFC captain as the ultimate sign of respect. Then again i refer back to my previous sentence and trust MFC to give 11 the respect it deserves whoever they choose to give it too.

What i like most about this kid / pick is that he played in a VFL game with the Roosters against men and he performed well. He kicked 3 goals and according to his coach it was his repeat leads that really stood out. In line with a big tank this is key to being a CHF/FF in today's climate. If he and Watts can just keep running their opponents ragged then they will have a field day as soon as their bodies fill out. We've just got to start pumping it inside 50 to this bloke and his mates a whole lot more in 2011 than we managed in 2010.

I'm sure they drafted him with full forward in mind, even as early as the start of next year........HOWEVER Melbourne was one of the most efficient scoring v inside 50 teams in the league, problem was, they hardly got it inside 50. That is where the biggest development needs to come this year. You can't expect much from our forwards if they only see the ball 35-40 times a game.

Would also have been good to see how the points stacked up for those from the previous few years drafts to get a handle on things. Aside from his explosiveness, it appears that Cook is very good in pretty much every other category. All the talk about Day and Lynch, i would love to see Cook towel them both up!!!

+1

You said it yourself. Recruiters tailor picks to their needs. BP said that we had a "talls slant". How can you not see that? So by your assertion we should never read or research anything and just fly by the seat of our pants. I will recant with Atley, poor example and i will accept that. I'll put it to you this way then: If Heppell was available at pick 12 would BP still have gone for Cook- i think he would have based on our NEEDS. MFC Website- Barry Prendergast: "We acknowledged that tall forwards were an area that we needed to bolster in our list, but we were able to get what we were after at the opportunities that presented. Like every club…we're very happy." BP identifies this need. Drafts 3 tall forwards and a tall defender. Doesnt bother with anyone under 190cm in the draft because he knows we have a greater NEED for talls. Where's the misconception Rhino?

Good summation Bay Riffen. And re Darling, yeah he had some good qualities but he isn't overly big and he had/has some issues that clearly teams were concerned about. He may be a great player, he may not, but when Lynch went i reckon they did the right thing.

Haven't been to BF. Don't read it. Yep, read the Herald-Sun, Age, AFL websites and what was said, like you and most other people. Don't for one minute profess to be a recruiter or possess higher knowledge than any FD. When you assume (well i'm sure a learned scholar such as yourself would know how that saying plays out)...... Simple fact is that everyone kept bleating about best available and taking mediums / mids over what some may call a risk in filling our need for more talls. We didn't go down that path. If there was a tall and a mid who were even pegging, i'm tipping that because of our needs, BP went for the tall. That is my point. Period. You would not have the foggiest idea about the character of myself or (probably) anyone else on this forum. In fact i would go as far to say that if it wasn't for people like me in this world then you would not be able to enjoy the life that i'm sure you do. And perhaps if you are so thin skinned then perhaps you also need a teaspoon of cement........

Kevin Sheahan to name one...... Get over it Oldboy and let's just sit back and both watch these kids develop and slot into the team that we all hope will take us to the flag...

Old55 you too have missed the point. You are contradicting yourself as it is clear that BP identified our most pressing NEEDS being talls. Atley was rated as a better prospect than Cook but BP went with our needs first in taking Cook. Likewise as the list goes on. Get your head out of the sand. I think BP has done a great job! You missed the point- see reply to Old55. I couldn't care less how sexist you believe the comment, toughen up princess.... But thanks for not putting anything in my mouth Rather than being caught behind?????????????????

No i didn't. Are you a female- putting words into my mouth???? I said that there were more highly rated players ahead of those we picked. Highly rated. Nothing about how good down the track. How they are rated at the moment. How do any of us know how good they will all be down the track??? Bennell could be a spud (the next Daniel Wells) but at the moment he is rated the second best by GC. If you can't see the point i'm making then i don't know what else to say..........