binman

Maybe the Saints will put Ratten on their rookie list? If they can't find a coach, they can pop him back in the coaches chair.

Ta. As i said, i knew it would be there somewhere. But it is in the 'trade period' specific section of the website - and not in the 'draft hub' where logic suggests it should be.

The AFL website is a complete joke. So much content. So little useful information. And so difficult to search, filter etc etc I wanted to know when draft night was. The logical place to find that simple bit of info is the AFL website. But for the life of me i could not find out that simple fact - despite there being a whole draft hub section of the site with videos, podcasts, etc etc etc. Now i'm sure its on their somewhere, but i looked for 5 mins to no avail. Can someone please tell me what night draft night is?

Something doesn't add up. Sack a coach straight after the trade period, when the attention is all on the trades that happened. Maybe they didn't want to scupper any trades, though of course the go with that would have been to have a new coach in place. They won't have a coach in place for the draft, or if they do that person would only have just arrived. And their draft board would be shaped by what type of players ratten wanted to bring in. There's no way this was the plan All smacks of damage control.

I just got home from seeing agnes obel at the best venue for sound i have been to - the recital centre. Brilliant gig. And am seeing Aldous Harding there Friday week. Can't wait

I actually think the thin talent pool is a really big issue for the AFL, particularly with a tassie team on the horizon. The game is aerobically demanding now that in addition to requiring elite footy skills players also need to be elite athletes. And they need to be prepared to train to a level probably not a million miles from say Olympic level 40 metre runners. That's a pretty demanding combinations of requirements.

I think you are missing the wood for the trees. The point that was being made is our depth is no worse than any other AFL team - and arguably better than most other AFL clubs. Talent is spread pretty thin across the AFL

That doesn't really make sense. We had our share of injuries in the VFL. Not as many as other clubs perhaps, but we had at least the following injuries i can think of: Howes (out for at least 8 weeks) Turner (who was out twice, once for 4 odd weeks with a foot and then again later in the season with a broken jaw) Smith (out for a big block of time) Rosman (hammy x 2, concussion x 1) AMW (at least once, but i think twice with soft tissue injuries) And no doubt some others missed multiple games. That's a pretty big list of AFL listed players out of the side with injury - and probably north of 35 weeks lost due to injury. On top of that Chandler missed 3 games through suspension. And perhaps of most significance, we lost our number one ruck halfway through the season and never really had anything but a makeshift replacement, for what is one of the most important positions on the ground, particularly the way we play. All VFL teams have veteran AFL players running around, and most have a decent rump of VFL level players.

Lost one game for the entire season. Had two more wins than the lions who finished second. Our percentage was nearly 26% higher than the next best in Southport. What does that say about other club's depth?

Totally agree. Jackson was out of our control, but nonetheless left a huge hole in terms of the need for a second ruck. I was really concerned we would not be able to fill that hole given the paucity of such players - in a general sense and also specifically at tgis point in time. To snare a ready to go ruck of Grundy's talent was an incredible outcome. We were crying out for an outside runner with above average kicking skills and hunter ticks that box. And it's brilliant that the pies and dogs have to contribute to Grundy and hunter's salaries. Hard to argue hunter is not an upgrade on Hunt, not that the two were nessasaily linked I guess. I agree Schache is an upgrade, albeit just, on weed. And Shache won't be asked to play a role he is not suited for - which to be fair to weed, he was. And as you say the draft picks give us something to negotiate with. By any measure that is a fantastic trade period. Kudos to lamb and his team (who by the by were super proactive with grundy).

Cool that he has his own signature tune, though Aldous got the lyrics wrong a bit. 'He's a Hunter, and a good man, be brave when he brings nothing home', should have been: "He's a Hunter, and a good man, be brave when he brings no goals at home'

Yes.

The punchline just landed.

Free from bevos ire, sung to the tune of free from desire would be better trolling

Apparenty his full name is Josh Oscar Alex Sam Schache.

Did you confirm they had to have any liquid in the stubbies? If not give him a slab of your empties.

I have always rated Schache

That is legitimately funny. Kudos GNF

Back in the day, my ability to get nicotine from a durry into my lungs was elite.

Strawbs was a bloody good ruck man. Very underrated - perhaps because he looked a little ungainly. But in many ways he was ahead of his time - like Maxy, very tall but super athletic. And smart - he had the knack of all really good footballers - he got to the right spots

I might have missed it, but what is the Pies rationale for trading Grundy? Do the pies think he doesn't suit how they want to play or is it as simple as wanting to get his salary off the books?

Agree. Hard to split them, but neither are ever going to be one on one beasts so the fact that Schache is more mobile and athletic means he is can probably be used in more roles (though Weed can ruck) which gives him an edge over Weed. And i like the fact Schache is a left footer

Mitchell putting his stamp in the club

Good points. And totally agree with you and deanox. His best position is a true lead from the goal square full forward. I posted something similar a few months back. I can't recall who it was, but another poster replied and made a good point that the way footy is now he's not going to get space or leading lanes at any club. But with our game style he's got no hope of getting space. Whatever happens for him, I hope he makes it.

So people pick and choose their angst? Weed is a good bloke so he gets a pass? Wattsy was a dee AND a top bloke. Didn't stop him copping a fair bit of vitriol on this forum. Likewise col Sylvia. There are any number of other examples over the ladt decade. Again, I'm glad Weed didn't cop much heat. But I'm not sure why you're surprised that I'm surprised he didn't.