Maldonboy38

Hated Alves and Wells leaving. Two very bright stars in an otherwise dull period. I was young and cried like it. I never really understood Woewodin going. Surely we could have cut others before him? Farmer was a superstar - people would jump to their feet when he got the ball in case he did something amazing, which he usually did. And where did he go? FREO???? I was a Brock McLean fan and grumpy for days when he departed. I am even more grumpy now that the real reasons behind it have been revealed. I am slightly disappointed at losing Jurrah, but will be severely miffed if Port take him. And off topic - the era 94 to 96 - oh what could have been. This remains the best Melbourne side I have seen. Two issues stuffed it up. 1) injuries 2) A dysfunctional club I have to stop here, it gets too depressing. Every time I think of what could have been the Glenfiddich begins calling again.

I rate him and reckon he is in our best 22 - if and when he can get fit. If he gets a big injury again this year then it is over. He isn't Sydney Swans Jetta quick but is surely not slow. His first 3 or 4 steps away from trouble are quite quick and you will find he does get space when he has the ball which means he has time to deliver it. And he can kick all right, so that puts him ahead of a many of our hackers (Bartram, MacDonald, Bail).

I was really surprised by the photos on th MFC website - Taggart looks so much stronger. He definitely has the skill, pace and endeavour. If he also produces hard work on the training track then I agree with DemonWA, I reckon he will be like an extra draft pick this year.

I really like the option of Dean Towers. I am unsure if we have the right trade personnel and/or draft pick numbers to get him but he appears ready to play. But is he the outside runner with great skills that we need like Isaac Smith, Christ Yarran, Daisy Thomas, Daniel Wells etc...? I really want Toumpas but he won't make it thrugh to pick #4 unless some behind the scenes deal was included in the Hogan/Barry deal that allows him to slip through. Hey, I am allowed to dream!

Best of luck to Rivers - he has been a pillar of strength and consistency after a few early injury-riddled years. But I reckon it is a poor decision on his behalf. The Cats have lost Ottens, Harley, Ling, Scarlett, Wojinski, and probably others I have forgotten over the past 2 years and I see them sliding gradually out of the top 8. And as good as Rivers was for the Dees, there is no way he fills the Scarlett hole. What it does emphasise though is Neeld's take on our past leaders. He preferred Grimes and a very young Trengove to any of Davey, Moloney, Green, Rivers, and did not express much disatisfaction at Rivers' desire to move on. This is beginning to feel a little bit like Blight taking over Adelaide in the mid 90's.

Neeld is correct in saying that we matched 50/50 for contested ball in the midfield over the last half of 2012 season. It is the next ball movement, those players 5-7 metres away who receive the ball, who can run and carry and deliver. Forward spread players who are vital in the modern game. Watts can do it down back. Blease will be a gun. Bail is still in the potential versus performance stakes Byrnes will deomstrate this in the forward half of the ground. Tynan, Taggart are unknown quantities at this stage. Barry was recruited for this job and I reckon we will recruit another like him in the draft.

"Going to be some very serious competition for many spots now. The bar's been lifted. Itl be beyond some and for others a goal. More wheat Will be sorted, more chaff moved on." I agree 100% belzebub59. For the first time in a long time we have players having to work hard to get into the 22, and even harder to stay in it. We have a lot of people able to play down back and now at leat 6 who can play forward. The next step is to develop 8-10 who can rotate through the midfield and play at 4 quarter consistent AFL standard. We might not get the midfield up to speed in 2013 but then again who knows? But what it does mean is that players like Viney, Jones, Trengove, Grimes, McKenzie, Sylvia, Blease, Bail and maybe also Gysberts and Barry have got to out-do each other at training, in the VFL, and/or the AFL to stay in the side. It feels a but like the early days of Yze, Rigoni, Leoncelli, Glen Lovett, etc... actually it feels better than those days. But again - the proof will be in the 2013 season.

Dad born in South Melb and a life-long a Swans supporter. Eldest brother also follows Swans - lucky bast..d Mum a mad Dees supporter. Next older brother followed Dees until 1974 when we got beaten bad and he jumped to the filth. Remains unforgiven and on the outer. I loved Greg Wells and Stan Alves, and cried when Hardeman lost the Brownlow to one of the softest players of all time - Keith Greig. I was emotionally hooked from that day on. What kept me going during the 70's? One thing: Robert Flower. What keeps me going now? I have absolutely no idea. But I remain red and blue through and through.

It is too early to be doing this but I can't help myself. B: Garland Frawley Strauss HB: Dunn McDonald Watts C: Howe Jones Trengove HF: Tapscott Dawes Byrnes F: Davey Clark Jetta R: Jamar Grimes Sylvia Int: Gawn McKenzie Viney Sub: Bail or Tynan Neeld appears to be a fan of Joel MacDonald so he will probably push one player out. The list above is probably who I want to be in there, not who will be.

Toumpas. We have : 2 proven in-and unders in Jones and McKenzie. 2 stop gap in-an-unders in Magner and Couch 2 potential in-and-unders, Viney and Gysberts. We NEED outside brilliance. Toumpas - but I don't reckon he will get to pick 4.

HF: Byrnes Dawes Sylvia (or Tappy) F: Davey Clark Jetta I agree with above - a lot of onballers will rotate through. Can't see Pederson forcing his way into the 22 yet.

Neeld is proving himself in many areas of coaching - recruiting, development, dedication to training, strategy and planning - but he has not proven match day abiity yet. I still reserve judgement on this. In 2012 his playing list and performance gave us little opportunity to assess his match day coaching ability but this year we will get a clear indication. But boy does it feel good to see his determination and clear focus.

I get optimistic every preseason only to get my hopes so often dashed. But this year feels so different. It feels aggressive, determined and very clearly "my way or the highway" for players and coaches. I go to a lot of preaseason training - really looking forward to it in a few weeks.

Gumby has a horrible kicking action - a bit like James Hirds. Just lets the ball drop with two hands. But his kicking efficiency is good despite how ordinary his action is. His marking ability is amazing. He is fit, but can it hold together? I would trade our pick 45 for him, but I reckon the Bombers won't let him go for that. Pick 20 is probably too much for him.

If we don't secure Dawes in a trade, then lock in Towers. If he is available at pick 20 we cannot let him get through.

Yes, but I just sifted through and gave insights on the candidates that looked strong to me.

IN: FA - Byrnes Draft no. 13 - Barry Draft no. 20 - Draft no. 26 - Viney Draft no. 45 - Draft no. 64 - Draft no. 82 - Draft no. 100 Draft no. 118 Rookie upgrade Dan Nicholson POSSIBLE TRADE IN: Dawes. COLL Pederson. NMFC Thomas. PA Ray. STK DEFINITE OUT: Lawrence Jurrah Green Moloney POSSIBLEOUT: Morton Petterd Bate Bennell Martin Rivers Gysberts Davis Cook

"Hey, teacher, leave them kids alone". Pink Floyd

If we take a quick outside midfielder with pick 4, then I am happy with Dawes being traded for Pick 20. However, the comment above about Ben Holland fills me with the jitters. If we can't/don't get Dawes at 20, then I'd take draftee Dean Towers, planning to develop Hogan in this spot in 2014. Use Martin, Fitzy, Sellar for 2013. If we want Pederson or Gumbleton, take them at pick 45. May need to inclide Morton/Petterd/Bate to pick up Gumbleton this late.

If you look at our stats over the last ten rounds of 2012, you will find that we began to match it with other teams for contested ball. Jones, Magner, McKenzie and Trengove really improved in this area in the 2nd half of the season. We have already added Viney and will probably develop Gysberts in and under also. Our need is for players 5 - 7 metres away from the stoppage who receive the ball from the in-and-under players, who are highly skillful under pressure or when free and can either deliver with efficiency, or can run and carry. At the moment only Blease and Watts fill this category. Sylvia showed he might (oh please, please please!!) deliver in 2013. Dom Barry has been delieberately selected an outside runner and we need to bring in one more. Oliver Wines. No Jesse Lonergan. No Jimmy Toumpas. Yes, but probably won't get him Tim Mayes. Yes Jonathon O'Rourke. Yes Josh Kelly. Yes Tim Broomhead. Possible Matthew Crouch. Possible. Nick Graham. Possible See http://www.afl.com.a...x?newsid=144594 for list of best midfielder draft picks

Lawrence left and Moloney has gone as a free agent so that makes at least four. As an additional minimum I reckon Bate and Petterd will be taken by other clubs, and if we are lucky Morton could also be traded.

Very few sides have, or use, two expert and locked-in ruckman. West Coast are the exception but Cox will decline sharply in the next two years as younger rucks begin to jump over him and out-bustle him. So, we need one major big bloke to do 70% ruck time. Currently Jamar has this but Gawn will overtake him by the end of 2013. Spencer is the back up. Then we have the options of Clark, Sellar, Fitzy, Martin who can ruck in the forward line while also playing a third tall role. Because of all this I can't see the Dees chasing another tall seeing we drafted Jesse Hogan. BTW, Jeff White was close to a superstar for the Dees. Don't let ourcurrent lack of success re-write history. He was a really good tap ruckman, an outstanding mark, a reliable kick for goal, was effective around the ground and brought our midfield into play.

Jamar and Gawn and by the start of 2014 Gawn will be our no.1. Because of injury this year he fell off our radar but he is a serious talent. Apart from his one massive brain-fade in front of goal he has got good skills, is aggressive, has great 2nd efforts like Mumford and can take a good mark. Spencer is the next in line but will be overtaken by a fit Martin, and Fitzpatrick was super for Casey in the last half of the season. I wouldn't be surprised to see Fitzy overtake both Martin and Spencer if his form continues.

AFL website has just answered my own question. Quote: "Barry was zoned to GWS under the draft and player concession rules that gave the expansion club access to players from the Northern Territory who will be draft eligible by the time of the 2011, 2012 and 2013 drafts."" Although he is available for this draft, he was formally attached to GWS and that is how they were able to use him in the Hogan trade. Well done Dees.

I agree with you in part but recruiting young players who are U18 fit doesn't hold much sway when entering AFL ranks. They need to be made AFL-fit and that could take some time. The major changes to our fitness will come via Sylvia, Gysberts, Tapscott, Martin (if we keep him), Bail, Blease Strauss, Jetta etc... doing a full preseason and entering Round 1 with no injury setbacks. They will have had two summers under Misson's training regimen and we will see a massive upturn in fitness for 2013. I also think that players like Trengove and Garland will re-find form and excel next year.