binman

I got everything up to 'From the AFL website....' (with apologies to Maxwell Smart). Informative post Jako, ta. Really interesting that you don't think there's no more risk of injury if the surgery and rehab has been successfully implemented than any other young kid who hasn't gone through it and come out the other side as from a complete layman point of view it is what i was worried about in picking him up. I'm guessing your view is shared by the club doc and if so reckon Lever will be a dee (assuming Petracca goes one). He seems the type of young man Roos would love to have at the club, a natural leader and a bright guy. A big part of what Roos is doing is building a culture and i suspect this aspect will be a huge factor in the drafting philosophy. Also he is big fella for a mid (which Roos has said is important) and as a defender will not have to learn the defensive mind set and focus that other, more attacking player would coming to the dees (with Roos ultra focus on the importance of defense). Even the fact he had a year off could be end up being a positive as he seems to have studied the game from a coaches perspective and obviously avoided injuries and wear and tear playing in his pre draft year. I've convinced myself. Lever is ours.

Excellent ideas. Byrnes would make an ideal playing coach and still be a pretty competitive at VFL level. Might snag a few goals.Some Casey players training with us feels a little like they are introducing elements of an academy as does appointing Plapp who seems to part of the Dees' coaching set up. Can only help Casey and as WJ rightly says something has to happen. With Plapp coaching at Casey and Miller having a big involvement, I wonder if they are also thinking a bit about creating a coaching pathway. Fits with the whole succession model they have in place. Goodwin takes over from Roos and someone below steps up to senior assistant and heir apparent. I like what they are doing at the Dees atm.

Wines has peaked and is in any case over rated. The Toump will be a gun and sail past Wines. Will be viewed soon enough as a genius drafting move.

.....and continue to post?

Spot on. A simple and elegant solution would be to have the tac cup play for another year. If cost was an issue you could simply have the kids start a tear later

Ahh. The first signs of pre season. Posters squabbling and becoming frustrated with Saty. Currently not ignored for me given the change in name. I wonder how long that will last? Looking forward to the reports.

Thread title sounds like the name of a John Hughes film. I heard the interview live. Was lead to his answer by the question, which basically asked did he fail because he was crap or because he was poorly developed. Probably should have played a dead bat but i have no probs with what he said. Who cares? Obviously has some fondness for BP, which is unsurprising given he selected him. My only thought was about why do an interview now and why was it approved. Surely head down, play a few senior games with the Cats and then maybe do a radio interview. Not a big deal though i guess

An under 19's comp would be great. Alternatively a new Under 21 team (well) funded by the AFL that plays in say the VFL with a list of the best forty or so under 21's in the land. The Young Guns. An academy if you will (assuming interstators would want to come to Melbourne - but if it meant quality training and development environment i guess most would be keen, as they are with the AIS). I would raise the age by one year as they are planning to do in the NBA next year (for all the same reasons as made here with the AFL). In my scenario the Young Guns VFL team would have the best young prospects for a year, before being drafted. Those who don't get drafted can remain in the Young Guns, continue to develop and try their luck in the following years draft(s). If not picked up by 21 they then could filter into the VFL or SANFL etc. The Young Guns would have exposure and causal fans could become a lot more aware of and informed about who is coming through (as occurs in the states with college bball and football). Good facilities. Good training and development. Would be expensive but might be offset by generating some revenue and would be an investment in the future. I imagine might also be attractive to a stand alone sponsor - eg the NAB Young Guns.

I'm with Steve the man on this. This is one draft where we will pick for need not the best available. Top teams have 10-12 mids (and 5-6 of these are guns). We have are desperate for more good mids and I would be shocked if we don't use both picks 2 and 3 on mids

Interesting article. I love the fact (which I didn't know) is that he is a lefty. I see a clear pattern emerging

More good reasons for raising the draft age

This site is a fair microcosm of society. Some good folk and some absolute f flogs. Have a look at the photos of the devestated connections of that magnificent horse admire ratki and then justify Vince's moronic comments.

Is the thread title another riddle?

Just 2 and 3?

Wines is overrated and has reached his peak. We made the right move. The Toump will prove to be a genius choice and will put Wines in the shade.

unless you are Carlton or collingwood

Yes that is the first release I posted. The second came out immediately after the big ACCA news conference in Feb 2013. And what does a failure to ask for reparation have to do with anything? I was responding to comments that the aflpa were soft on drug use

And before you say well that wasn't 'back when it first got daylight' there is this media release and quote from it (Friday 8 February 2013) http://aflagents.com.au/news/post/afl_playerss_association_media_statement The report released by the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) is deeply disturbing. It contains allegations that go to the heart of the integrity of sport in Australia and the health and wellbeing of athletes. The use of performance enhancing drugs is cheating and carries serious health risks for players. It has no place in football. That the ACC Report found the health and wellbeing of players can be so drastically compromised in the pursuit of performance is incredibly alarming and an absolute blight on professional sport in this country. Whilst athletes need to accept personal responsibility, what is apparent is that culpability for unethical practice varies and extends to a range of individuals and organizations. In many respects some of the findings point to an absolute failure in governance and oversight of coaches and officials which is alarming given the dangers to which the failures have exposed players in terms of both their careers and their health.

http://aflagents.com.au/news/post/afl_players_ceo_matt_finnis_-_media_statement A quote from the above statement: My overwhelming reaction to this is simple. This must never happen again. This is simply too important to get lost amid the legal manoeuvres surrounding this issue. This cannot be about taking sides or drawing battle lines. We cannot, as an industry, look the players in the eye unless we do everything in our power to ensure that no player is put in such a position. I want to make it very clear, for the Players’ Association this has never been limited to the specific status of a substance such as AOD9604 under the WADA Code. This is much broader. The health and welfare of players is something that cannot and must not be compromised in any way. I am asking all of our industry to do whatever needs to be done to ensure this never happens in our sport again.

That may well be true but it is nonsense that they accept uncontrolled substance experimentation. To suggest otherwise is silly

What a complete and utter load of nonsense. The AFPLA have been scathing from the get go about the EFC drug program. In fact they were one of the only ones actually making it clear that the real issue was the failure of duty of care and the health implications of the drug program (as opposed to the legailty or otherwise of the drugs used).

No. We better beat GWS and pinch a win againts GC, Tiges or Crows or else we are every chance on being 0-7 which won't help the vibe. Alternatively if we can beat GWS and pinch 1-2 other games in that stretch it sets p well for the remainder of the season

Horrendous in terms of the commercial aspect i guess you mean. I completely disagree though that we deserve a crap commercial draw. this is at the very heart of the problem with equalization. Clubs like Hawks and Pies squeal about the footy department tax and propping up other clubs but get twice as many free to air games and any number more Friday night and Saturday games. If serious about equalization and giving all clubs a chance of rising up the ladder the AFL would take less from the broadcasters and make the draw commercially equitable. Yes in the short term there would be some lousy Friday night games but that would sort itself out when the competition became more even. They copy so many aspects of US sports, why not this one? Look at the NBA and NFL. Yes different markets but all teams get a crack at good TV slots and both comps are relatively even, with new title winners bobbing up. its got nothing t do with deserve and everything to do with creating a level playing field. the alternative is creating a permanent underclass of footy teams who rely on equalization payments from the AFL (and have scorn heaped on them for doing so by [censored] knuckle clubs and supporters who see such payments as a sign of weakness and evidence of rabid socialism). The irony is that these clubs will remain at the bottom and there will end up being more and more rubbish games where the top clubs smash those at the bottom of the ladder. And of course these clubs will therefore continue to get crap commercial draws because of the 'absolute rubbish' they are serving up.

Good. I'm happy with my avatar