binman

I guess RR would have picked Natanui. Perhaps that should be the question - Who do you think RR would have preferred MFC have picked: a) Natanui or B) Watts Myself i'd ask: Is there any point in having poll on who we should have picked? a) yes; it is endlessly fascinating to dissect previous drafting decisions, particularly those of almost completely different football department and playing the 'we should have picked (insert flavor of the month player) instead of (insert maligned MFC player) or B) no; unless i'm mistaken there is no such thing as a time machine that means a different decision can be made now

Yes, was my immediate thought. He'll be in his element with all those youngsters to yell at and deride (whilst kissing the feet of Ablett and partying with Brown). But GC do need some bigger bodies in the mid field though so pretty good fit for them i suppose. I can't see Essendon wanting him. The demons have the worst midfield in the league. Can't see how a mid who can't command a place in our side is going to help improve Essendon's poor midfield. He'd love the weapon though - think of all those bench presses and squats he could do!

Could not agree more. He has been average at best all season, but last night he was terrible. Being caught in the center with the ball (which cost us yet another goal) was one example of many where he was too slow and seemed not to have an awareness of what is around him. In the 3rd quarter he let Walker mark in the forward half without putting any body on him. Walker was in the best position so would have tough to stop him but the least he could have done was make him earn it by smashing him (fairly). Soft Silly i know but as i left the g i wondered what trade currency he might have. I've settled since then but geez he was poor

If you do say so yourself. You're not American are you?

Spot on. Also i reckon these 3 players represent what Neeld is after. Hard working, gut busters who are prepared to take on board advice and are looking to improve. He has taken every opportunity to pump these boys up. Instructive that Nicholson is straight back into the side this week after a few weeks out with a broken jaw. Neeld is making a statement on what will earn a spot in his teams. Talent isn't the key criteria - work ethic is. Which is why Sellar and MacDonald are walk up starts. King Cutherbston i also reckon you're spot on about McDonald. Yes his disposal is sometimes not great but he has clearly been encouraged to go for it and take risks. For a young fella he shows an amazing confidence in his own ability and i love his preparedness to take the game on and run and carry. He has cemented his spot and is one of the first picked. Not one Demonlander would argue with that - which was not the case at the beginning of the year. Think of the players he has been asked to mark this year - arguably he has been a more influential defender than Frawley (an AA no less) For my money his development is the biggest positive for the dees this year and Neeld should get cudos for his role in that development

A non believer! Avert the eyes! Robbie could do anything (including spotting up players he didn't play with)

For mine i'm happy with Jamar and Sylvia. I reckon Sylvia had a bad start to the year with a pretty serious injury but has responded to Neeld. He'll always be a ltitte bit up and down but talent wise close to our best player and tough. No way he will be let go. Jamar did the club a a big solid by resigning at a time when we needed the filip, showing faith in the direction of the club and putting paid to rumours he was off to GWS. Davey the jury is out but he too had a terrible year for injury and i have a feeling Neeld (and Misson) will turn him around so he can be one of the crumbing options we so sorely need. Maloney? I think he is the one who has said good riddance, but who knows perhaps its not too late.

I'm not sure if i saw the same thing but i went to an intra club scratch match before the start of last year and he absolutely barreled a young fella (who i think wasn't even on the list - a Casey player there to make up the numbers). Tackled him hard to the ground (which is ok obviously, though it was pretty fierce and it and was an intra club game), then shoved him in to the turf as he was getting up and then game him an almighty verbal spray, with lots of pointing and gesticulating. He was giving lots of verbal sprays throughout the match, but only to young players - never to a senior player, with his trademark pointing etc I had always been a big Moloney but I have to say i thought it looked pretty bloody poor for a someone who was part of the leadership group (which, unsurprisingly, he was dropped from only a few weeks later). The thing that makes me wonder about his thinking this year is that he gives his manager authorization to shop him via the media but then never delivers a half decent performance from that point on. Even if he hasn't bought in to the Neeld regime you'd reckon self interest would at least motivate him to perform at a higher level than he has - after all he has been given the game time. He may well get picked up by another club but i doubt he will be on the sort of coin he might have been if he had been traded before this season. Poor attitude and performance is not an attractive combination, and the poor attitude part will make clubs like GWS and GC very wary as they are no doubt super keen on building a disciplined culture (and with GC they had some bad experiences with Brown and some other senior players).

He had Ingerson, Icke, Hardeman, Biffen, Mark Jackson, Moir, Templeton, Bennet, The Whiz, Lyon, Neitz and Williams to go to.

This thread has veered off in the strangest direction! There is occasional talk the club sometimes check the site to get a feel for what supporters are thinking. This thread (or at least the amazing number of posts about the TPP etc etc) will sort that out. I doubt they'll bother from now on.

I agree, i'm a fan. The Gys will be a really good test of Neeld ability to develop younger players i reckon. Of course Gys will have to do the work but finding a way to motivate young players to do the work is part of the job of a coach - and it is worth noting that Neelds ability to develop players was one of the strengths the club highlighted (and presumably a key reason for his appointment).

It started with the clubs feedback pre season. The reports from the club were that he was consistently at the rear of time trials, he was a fait way of the fitness level required and was struggling with the demands. To be fair though that doesn't indicate he hasn't worked hard this year, it might just mean he hadn't in previous seasons. The club said similar things about Blease early on, but have also publicly praised his effort a few times in the last few weeks. I haven't heard them say something similar about the Gys, even giving him a slight backhander i thought after bringing him in for one game and then dropping him. But again to be fair Gysberts has a wretched run with injuries, something the club has acknowledged.

We're looking for an athletic crab

That's true but i reckon a big reason for this is that the big fellas, if they don't mark, consistently (and more importantly perhaps in a predicable way and spot) bring the ball to ground, allowing the midfielders to hit packs front and center and crumb). Also with the decent big fellas bringing the ball to ground there are more stoppages again bringing the mids into play (goals from stoppages have been key to Colls success in the last few years. Finally, having backs super focused on stopping the big marking forwards and the fact they are often doubled team brings mids who are resting or floating up forward into the game (Swan and Pendlebury come to mind)

Good post and spot on i reckon. Didn't Quentin Lynch play for Wet Coke in 05/06? He was ok in that role so that gives them 2, with Hansen

Mini-draft prospects shine Draft prospect in focus: Jesse Hogan Cheers for the free links. Martin and Hogan in the photo below. In years gone past we would have focused on Martin - look how skinny he is! Also Hogan looks like a wuffian.

I have no doubt they'll keep him. I reckon he has shown a great work ethic and i suspect Neeld places a very high emphasis on this

I guess Phil is the exception that proves the rule

Signed for another 3 years.

I am strangely confident about the Adelaide game - and i for one hope we win.

Its a yes from me. I reckon he has done enough in the last few weeks to sneak a new contract. I like him up back - one on one he is good, he takes the game on and is a good kick (long too). Has he played up back previously? Another interesting and quite creative move from Neeld.

I know i'm a hopeless optimist - but i have a good feeling about next week

In which case i want him at the dees! Demonland unite. Lets get Brodie Grundy to our club. To all the naysayers i say phooey. Brodie is our man. GRUN DEE i'm with you 100%. BG to the dees!

What about a new posting name - GRUN DEE?

No i don't think so. He went at no 17 didn't he when first drafted? Do you think he has improved on that,? I don't. I mean he only played a handful of games, suffered a very serious injury, is not great defensively and has really only played one or two really good games. Don't get me wrong, he's good and will get much better but if he did nominate for the draft (which has been previously mentioned in this thread that is unlikely ie if we couldn't come to terms and forced him to go to the draft he's more likely to go thru the PSD, assuming of course his suitor is GWS or GC) i reckon he'd go late first round at best.