Jump to content

Discussion on recent allegations about the use of illicit drugs in football is forbidden

Vanilla Gorilla

Members
  • Posts

    197
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Vanilla Gorilla

  1. 18 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

    Just an interesting [censored] bit FWIW (around zero).

    Dion Prestia's management team is i50 and his manager is Marty Pask who also coaches VAFA B Section team AJAX. One of his players at that club is AJ Thurin, son of MFC Board member David Thurin. 

    I think it's time to take the tin foil off your head WJ.

  2. Had a chat to Clarry Oliver on the night. I put it to him that his hanger against the Doggies was a ripper - to which he coyly replied that he "didn't even get off the ground."

    Either the guy is seriously humble, or we have the next Nic Nat on our list...

    • Like 2
  3. The more I think about it, the more I feel we'll pull the trigger on Weideman at 3.

    It just fits in with the mould of the type of players we've been attracting over the last 3 years - and the type of targets that Taylor et al have said they're chasing - that is, competitive beasts.

    Hogan, Viney, Brayshaw, Petracca, Tyson - each of these guys has competitiveness in spades. The AFL is too unforgiving these days to be anything less than 110% committed and aggressive every time you take the field.

    That's not to say Parish is not aggressive. He has a good mix of inside-outside play and a high contested possession average through the TAC Cup this year. He has some great attributes; excellent decision making, great disposal on both sides, impacts the game (rated no. 1 for metres gained). But no recruiter would say that raw competitiveness is his number one attribute. In fact, if you watch the 2 VFL games that the Academy boys played, he never really threw his body into contests and seemed slightly reticent to tackle, let alone hunt players down. This is backed up by his poor 2.8 average tackles per game despite playing as a full-time midfielder.

    As an alternative, Weideman IS a competitive beast. He has virtually no bulk on his frame and yet throws himself into packs ala Hogan. He tackles hard, chases and generally just plays at a highly aggressive level.

    Sure he has lots of other attributes too, but if the recruiting team were to continue the current trend of picking competitors, Weideman seems like the logical choice.

    The one caveat is obviously whether he passes his upcoming fitness test with us.

    • Like 6
  4. There has been a shift in the narrative.

    A month ago indications were strong from Jesse and the club of an extension happening over summer.

    Now it seems that won't happen.

    The words 'contract on hold', or 'wait and see' are like a stick of dynamite to supporters and the press.

    Jesse has every right to wait.

    We just need to enjoy him and be patient.

    Nonetheless, the shift in the narrative is the worrying bit.

    The narrative hasn't changed. There was never a "strong" indication that Jesse would sign an extension. Rather, the narrative was that we've opened up discussions with him about the possibility of an extension. One step at a time my friend.

    • Like 2
  5. What I find fascinating is JKH's ostensible drop in training standards.

    Many here will recall his first pre-season after getting drafted, where he trained like a man possessed. Posters from this site (who's contributions cannot be understated) consistently described his overall effort, intensity and enthusiasm at every training. He was in everything and it was no surprised when that translated into exceptional form in the season proper.

    What is interesting is that there was little-to-no mention of any of that type of intensity by JKH over the last pre-season. One has to wonder whether he was trying to build respect in his first year, and simply rested on his laurels over the last. In his defence, and as mentioned previously, second year blues of that nature are typical of young players.

    All-in-all, it's clear that there is enough talent there that he could potentially be an above average AFL player. I'll be watching with interest to see the way he attacks the upcoming preseason.

    • Like 1
  6. Can anyone who has seen him play please explain whether Parish is a tough competitor? After all, thats what the FD have consistently claimed they're targeting.

    Based on the highlights he looks like the second coming of Lachie Whitfield. Surely we'd be after players who have more of a mongrel-type aggression than that...

    • Like 2
  7. I said it around draft time that year, but I'll say it again. Someone I know very well played in the Sandy teams through U16 and U18 with Salem. Consensus amongst all the players was that Kelly and Salem were the 2 best players there - and both streets ahead of Freeman.

    Also side note apparently Kurt Heatherly (the NZ rookie selection - now at Hawthorn) was a beast of a defender, and at that stage had only been playing the game for 6 months.

  8. This was a VFL game he played earlier in the year:

    http://www.collingwoodfc.com.au/video/2014-08-05/vfl-ben-kennedy

    The stat line read: 38 disposals, 9 clearances, 7 inside 50's, 3 tackles (and a goal judging by the video).

    In other news, Toumpas fails to get a sniff at VFL level.

    Let's hope Toumpas' reputation in being a prior Pick 4 gets the deal over the line.

  9. Obviously Melksham is not the 'A-grade' midfield target we'd be hoping to land over the off-season, but as far as topping up the depth of our list goes, there are a number of things that appeal to me about him.

    Firstly, I rate him higher than a host of plodders we currently have, some of whom are about to be off-loaded. Those names include Bail, McKenzie, Matt Jones, Terlich, Riley. He possesses more attributes than all of those guys. He'd be a much better 'depth' replacement which we'll actually need considering injuries hit every list hard during most years and we all witnessed shallow our depth is.

    Secondly: As a former top 10 draft pick and with one consistent playing season in 2013 with a top 5 BnF finish, there is clearly something to work with. How many times have we as supporters seen players benefit from a new start at a different club? He fits the age bracket of games experience that we sorely miss. He sits at just above 100 games played.

    Thirdly: We have to remember that the development of our really young guys in Stretch, Neal-Bullen etc is extremely important and players like Melksham can provide good cover for a year or two while our young kids develop the right way at the lower level. MFC have a history of playing their young guys too early and a in a side that doesn't give them enough support. Id be happy to give a fairly experienced and relatively young AFL player in Melksham a chance at showcasing himself for two years as a means of giving further time and development to our younger guys.

    He's a hard runner, is tougher than some posts suggest and his skills are actually better than all of those names I mentioned in my first point.

    Of course I wouldn't want to move heaven and earth to land him and I'm also not sure what the wada/asada deal is with him etc but if he were a third or fourth midfielder we landed this year and didn't have to give up much for him, I'd be pretty stoked.

    Spot on.

    It's amazing how quickly people on here dismiss a guy like Melksham when our midfield group is so poor and shallow.

    Before the ASADA saga was exposed, the guy was playing very decent footy and was on-track to becoming an easily above average AFL midfielder. Being Melbourne supporters over the last 8 years, we all know that a draining cultural environment can have a significant impact on players' development. Essendon is no different. Im sure the guy can play at least 30% better than he's been over the last 2 years.

    Provided we can get him for the right price, I'm on board.

    • Like 2
  10. The Dogs have genuine up and coming centre square midfielders, and quite a depth of them, that are hard to get. The Saints have Steven (26 next year) and Armitage (28) who won't get better,

    Ummm Armitage went from a serviceable midfielder to potential Brownlow medallist in the last 12 months. There's no reason why he wouldn't continue that trajectory over the next 12 months and beyond.

    Steven the same. He is 26 - just entering his prime. Plenty of improvement to go.

    Both of these guys are well ahead of our midfield (minus Jones and Vince).

    • Like 2
  11. I have a pretty wild idea, but I'm sure there are some holes in it.

    1. Introduce a luxury tax for teams that finish in the 11th-18th range: they can pay more than the salary cap to sign a free agent, and pay a tax on the extra amount, with the tax decreasing the further down the ladder you go. Let's say 75% of the amount over the cap for 11th, and 25% for 18th. So the cap is $10 million. You have $1 million left in your cap, and you sign a free agent to a 3 year, $3.6 million contract. If the contract is back-ended and you don't go over the cap until the third year of the contract, you pay a tax rate reflective of your position that year. If you finish 18th, you're best placed to front-end the contract so that you pay the minimum amount of tax at the earliest point of the contract. In the case of this contract, the 18th-placed team could pay the free agent $2 million in the first year, and $800,000 in the following years as they rise up the ladder. They'd only pay tax on that extra $1 million they pay over the cap in the first year of the contract.

    2. If you lose a player via free agency, the band compensation is reflected in a lower tax rate: the higher the salary and lower the position, the lower your luxury tax rate over a specified period (again determined by band). So in Frawley's case, our tax rate falls to, say 5% of the amount of the cap for the following year, maybe over two years if his salary band dictates it. This would entice Melbourne to sign a free agent at a premium price with a front-ended contract over the cap, pay a lower tax rate in the process, and then bring it back down in corresponding years to balance the cap out again.

    Discuss. *runs and hides*

    I like your creativity. But the issue with a luxury tax is that it would further exacerbate the discrepancy between rich and poor clubs.

    With so many clubs struggling to break even and pay 100% TPP, the idea of finding funds over and above that is impractical. It would mean that rich teams who bottom out would have the opportunity to rebound quicker than poor teams because of their strong balance sheet.

    Luxury tax works in leagues like the NBA, where the teams are funded by private owners. The oil barons and fund managers who own the teams can decide to inject their own personal capital into the team and pay however much of the luxury tax they feel comfortable paying. Unfortunately AFL teams don't have that same option.

  12. Watts dropped ,Natanui starring.

    Il admit I was wrong, it's finally time to say Nic Nat is the better player.

    Geez ,imagine having Nic Nat and Wines instead of Watts and Toumpas.

    All true - but Natanui would have retreated back to his native WA within 4 years of being drafted - guaranteed.

    At least Wattsy stuck by us and signed a long contract during the height of our incompetence.

    • Like 6
  13. He's undoubtedly worth the punt.

    If all goes well, he recovers from injury and becomes the bona fide champion that everyone thinks he is. If all goes badly, he's cruelled by injury and has minimal impact.

    What's the opportunity cost? Our first draft pick this year (pick 6ish) will probably get it done. Chances are we draft another limited player like Toumpas or Watts anyway, or that draft pick himself gets injured (ala Trengove/Petracca).

    Even if Pick 6 is not a spud AND stays healthy, there is no chance that we could develop him to be anywhere even remotely as good as O'Meara might be.

    Point is - the potentially benefit far exceeds the cost. Get it done.

    • Like 3
  14. Yesterdays game more than anything proved that the gap between VFL and AFL keeps widening.

    Neal-Bullen and Stretch were completely out of their depth. That's not to take anything away from them - they're both young, talented players that have bright futures at the MFC - but they were found out yesterday.

    It's interesting that these "kids" can dominate in the VFL, and come no where near translating that form in the senior team. And this trend applies to our perennial journeymen - Bail, Matt Jones, Mckenzie (even going back to Magner and dare-I-say M. Newton) - all of whom can tear it up for casey and yet look totally out of it at AFL level.

    Does a 30+ disposal or a 5+ goal performance in the VFL really mean anything these days?

×
×
  • Create New...