binman

That's funny you should say that. I was saying to a mate on Friday that several of the top draft picks were being compared to Jake Stringer when in fact I reckon Jake Stringer should be compared to the track ie Stringer is the trac mark 2. I'm not sure he'll make the same impact as Hogan but there is a few similarities. One is that the Trac has sat out a season, another is that he now has an AFL ready body. Another is he has an X factor and also shares the Hogan swagger. A gun. I suspect he will play half forward and be a very hard match up given the best back will have to go to Jessie, a decent player will have to cover Gartlett and if fit Kent will pose some problems in terms of match ups. Looking at photos the track is a beast, almost too big. Big in the legs he'll be hard to move off the ball in the way that Leigh Matthews was and he will be a real handful. I reckon 25 goals is a possibility. If he stays fit he is likely to play all games and is great vale for the Rising Star at $6.50

Could not agree with all of the above points more Nasher. I haven't been able to summon up the mental energy to contribute to this post. You've saved me the trouble. I find some of the views, comments and values expresed too depressing, disturbing and frankly upsetting. If anyone doubts the veracity of the bit i've bolded they only need to read the report from the The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission discussed in this article: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-09/high-rate-of-sexual-harrassment-in-victoria-police-report-says/7012288

Boy he can really roost the ball. Off both feet as well. Penetrating, accurate kicks is something we sorely lack. I can see why they're thinking HB as if he can carry the ball 20 metres and kick long he can get get it over the press and quickly into our 50, allowing our forwards to get one out, much like those couple of goals Brayshaw set up for Gartleltt against Collingwood (i think).

And who said satire is dead. Brilliant.

Happy to be bored. Perhaps list just one specific example that provides evidence of your sources being 'spot on'. I have read a fair bit of what you have written on this subject so don't feel the need to 'check the record'.

Not wanting to pick a fight, honestly, but whilst you may have good sources as far as i can recall nothing that has happened thus far in the EFC supplement saga indicates your sources have been spot on. I mean you certainly have pontificated alot and mentioned your highly placed sources often enough but as far i can tell what has actually transpired thus far has been predictable and in fact has been accurately predicted by many on this thread who have not claimed such sources. Happy to be corrected

Or madame. As in madame tausauds

I think they are trying to ascertain if his eyebrows are real and if so how on earth they are so sculpted. They should call him Wax

Great idea. Even better if it included a rolling update of his game tally

I 100% agree. Well almost. I reckon they should let The Melk off.

You might well be right. Either way it is another shocking example of mismanagement. Or should that be an excellent example of mismanagement? As for whether they would knowingly drive their players in to the shock of an appeal i think you are giving them too much credit. If they really cared about the players they would have counselled them to go down the Cronulla path. Its funny to think some questioned the decision of the Cronulla players to take the wrap and move on. It looks a smart move now.

This is a really interesting question Chris. I have to say i disagree with you and that despite their (feigned) surprise the answer to both these question is actually yes. I'd be shocked if they didn't expect WADA would appeal. I've never called a radio station but was very close to calling 3aw and speaking to Caro on exactly this point and i'm pretty sure i posted about it here. In my view of all the complete balls up from the EFC in terms of how Little has handled this whole saga this was up there with the worst. As i said I'd be shocked if they didn't expect WADA would appeal but either way they should have counseled the players to be prepared for such an eventuality. Instead they played the shock card and allowed their players to be completely caught of guard. The bottom quickly fell out of the club and the players lost all morale. I really believe EFC were extremely lucky not to get hammered for this woeful bit of man management. The one positive is Hird lost his job on the back of their horror run.

Sorry i wasn't clear. I meant the impact the scandal might have had on Melksham. For example he had a terrific year in 2013 but fell away a bit in 2014 and 2015. Perhaps a factor was the ongoing drugs saga. Because of his personal relationship with Melksham Goodwin would likely have an intimate understanding of the impact, where as i and other DL posters (unless they knew the Melk personally) wouldn't. As i understand it the Melk and Goodwin have remained close after Goodwin left EFC

As the Fonz might have said ... exacatamoondo. Not only do i rate their opinion (on this topic) more than that of my fellow DL posters (no offence meant) they also are privy to a hel of a lot more info than us (eg contract info, personal relationship, better understanding of impact of drugs scandal, any discussion with AFL about possible compensation in the event of suspensions, MFC contingency palnning etc etc)

Of course he was drafted post the AFL tribunal decision. That doesn't change my contention one jot. NO precedent for a light smack? Yes the crounlla players pleaded guilty but none the less their light penalty is clearly some sort of precedent Fanboy speak? That's a silly comment. There is no way you can be so definitve that a light sentence is not possible. No way. And as such it remains a possibility (note i never said it was anything but a possibility) and therefore has to be part of the risk analysis equation If Melksham is rubbed out our gain from Melksham is zero? Again that is simply silly. He will remain a MFC player and potentially may go on and have a long and successful career at the dees. He's only 23 for pete's sake. Plenty of players have year long injuries and go on to have successful careers. Lets hope Petracca and Hogan are two such examples

My take (ie my opinion, not based on any fact): Goodwin is very unlikely to face any sanction so the risk in appointing him very low. Why? Even if they do go after EFC staff surely it will only be those in an authorizing roles (board, Hird, CEO, FD manager etc) as proving guilt of any one else would be nearly impossible (eg 'i was told this is what we were doing and as an assistant coach i was contractually obliged to do as directed and in any case i was repeatedly assured by my superiors that all was above board' - an argument players can't run but an assistant coach could) Also i reckon that both WADA and ASADA will figure this case has absorbed more than enough time and resources and will happily let it end with the players sanction Taking Melksham was also low risk. Why? Well firstly there is a chance he won't be found guilty. If he is found guilty there is a chance he will miss only a handful of games. If the sanction is longer it is unlikely to be more than 12 months in which case worst case scenario he is right to go XMAS time 2016 and ready to go round 1 2017. Big deal. We have in Michie a player who can come straight of the rookie list into the team and a 24 year old with 100 games under his belt and no major injury problems ready to go the following year Also the AFL might allow us to rookie another player and as someone else said this might result in another rookie gem To say hiring Melksham and Goodwin is a high risk strategy that reflects poor decision making at the top is complete bollocks - in my humble opinion.

I'm generally underwhelmed by gifs but for some reason this one made me laugh. Well played sir

Censor not working?

No left foot?

The importance of this can't be underestimate in terms of our decision to draft him. Roos has been unequivocal about the need to build a team of players with strong values and good character. Crucial element of the Roos rebuild of the MFC and the culture he is trying (successfully i believe) to develop.

An excellent summary and i concur with your analysis. Using the same formula i have more concerns about Dawes getting a regular game than Watts and its worth remembering we gave up pick 20 for him.

That's a complete nonsense. if they didn't rate him at all they would have cut their losses and taken waht they could have got, which would have been minimum a second rounder

In all seriousness if you believe the club also believe that why do you think they didn't trade him? His value is not going to increase playing him the twos and in any case i think he is a restricted free agent so they will get diddley next year if they trade him

The non footy board us demonlands equivalent to the dark web

Quoting the immortal line from Rep Man - i call [censored] on that. Listening to Taylor's interview with Burgo he is clear they rated Oliver the best player in the draft after Mills and that the strategy was always to take the best available player, noting that they didn't try and get cute by taking the weed at 3 and hoping for Oliver to fall to 9. They don't finalise their player rankings the night before the draft.