Maldonboy38

This is an interesting one because it is more than rumour, twitter feed from some twit, or an anonymous "my brother's sister's boyfriend's doctor's aunt" Facebook post. Rawlings is seen up there on MFC official business. Unless he is desperate to move from Brisbane, Rockliff is mad to leave. Considering he is contracted I cannot see the Lions letting go of their midfield gun who has 3 year's work in him for anything less than picks 1 - 4. Two things in our favour. He knows Jade Rawlings He would respect Paul Roos (and if the dislocation between Voss and players is real, this is a big plus for us)

I take your point Old Dee. But I reckon either of a young gun midfielder, or a talented fringe midfielder who was being courted by the Dees would be caught in-between a number of contradictory thought processes: 1 - Melbourne are rubbish and I could end up playing in a rubbish team. 2 - Will I see finales at MFC? 2 - I will, however, get full game time in the midfield 3 - Paul Roos is a great coach and establishes an impressive player development model. 4 - Melbourne will probably improve under Roos. And amid these factors, Paul Roos as coach will be a huge factor in finally luring the right player. I agree that there are no runs on the board, and as I have posted many times now I refuse to emotionally buy in to the Roos hype until I see substantial and consistent runs on the board. But players looking to leave their current club, be coached well, and end up in a great club culture - that will be very attractive because of the Roos. The drawback is knowing that in 2-3 years time MFC will have a different - and currently unknown - coach.

If pick 2 remains on the table from the Dees, at some time during the trade period various clubs will bite, they have to. It is too good an option to dismiss because "no-one wants to go the Melbourne". With Mahoney stating that pick 2 remains an option but only in exchange for a select group of players, a club with some young gun midfielder who wants to leave will take a very big bite at this carrot on a stick. The "not wanting to come to Melbourne" factor is being fully negated by the "I want to be coached by Paul Roos" factor. Based on the reliable foundations of rumour and innuendo, I see the following: Pick 2 getting us a young gun midfielder like Swallow, Sloane or the like. Pick 20 a talented draftee. Picks 36 and 54 being attached to players like Tapscott, Blease, or Strauss to target players like Greenwood from NM, Myers from Essendon, Later draft picks being used to gain Jolly and/or Cross.

1 x 1-year deal for 1 of Chappy or Cross sits about right with our needs at present. Not both players. No huge, luring salary. No 2 year contract. No promises. = win for MFC.

Shaw will go to the Suns I reckon, a lot of trade stuff seems to be aligning that way. And it looks as though MFC are playing a very good trade game. Go hard for Shaw without any attempt to really land him, possibly to draw attention away and price down on some other player. Shaw is not worth $500K + pick 2, nor $500K + pick 10. He is a good, almost great back flanker but we should be paying this $ for midfielders and/or A graders.

Roos' pattern while at Sydney was to trade his first or second round draft pick to get a 22 - 24 year old player from another club, and this player would end up straight in the 22. Shaw, Richards, Mattner etc... Usually it was one of this type of trades per year but someone with access to stats might be able to clarify this. He actually used draft selections later than no. 30 to pick up young players. If history is any guide he will continue to use this model. With a lot of trades on offer this year it could be a real win/win for MFC. So I reckon we will only trade in 2 players: - 1 young gun midfielder (plus other pick) for our no. 2 pick - Swallow, Sloane, Adams - 1 older player for a much later draft pick - Chappy, Cross, etc... The fly in the ointment is our play for Heath Shaw. It sounds like MFC are going hard for him and this could mean a third trade. Middle rounds draft picks will pick up youth.

So the Hawks consider goal kicking practice and accountability is innovation? Give me a break. Coaches have been doing this for years. The point is that systematic goal kicking practice works and every team should do it as a matter of course. And MFC should move Heaven and Earth to get Yze on board if his influence has been this immediate.

Yes, he is a look alike for our Jack. At the end of a depressing 2013, we could all do with a huge dose of his joy and freedom.

Thanks Demonland, for creating and maintaining a great forum for us Dees supporters. Thanks to all those who worked - both up front and behind the scenes.

This my tip from yesterday: Hawks by 13. I want Freo to win and will be barracking very hard for them in from of the tele. But the Hawks will win because: 1. Freo's impressive wins over the past 2 weeks have come on very narrow grounds, which has suited their choking, manic press very well. The MCG is very wide, almost a circle, and this means the defensive press gaps are wider and Freo have to run more to fill these spaces. Hawks kicking skills will find a way through these gaps. 2. One of Roughhead, Franklin or Gunston will kick 4-5 goals. I can't see Freo's defence successfully covering all three. 3. They will attack Crowley and give him the worst 2 hours of his life. I wouldn't be surprised if they "take him out", or hassle him so much he is subbed off. Mitchell could end up with 30+ possessions. David Mundy for the Norm Smith. Not far off - and Mundy played well. Ballantyne and Pierce - absolute shocking games. Bad kicking has cost so many side premierships over the past 20 years - extraordinary.

Fyfe is an absolute gun. If I had the choice of recruiting anyone from another AFL team I would take him in a flash. He rates 8+ in every skill department and has a huge dose of courage. And we chose Cale Morton. I am going to need a double shot of Tullamore Dew now just to get through to the Grand Final.

Always get a bit teary watching that. Robbie played like that week in week out and we rarely saw him on tv because of the Collingwood/Carlton/Richmond/Hawthorn bias. This bias still exists. Flower had the evasive ability of Sam Mitchell, the courage of Lenny Hayes, the outside pace and skill of Isaac Smith, and was as amazing in the air. He was an exceptional footballer and I wish we could get 1 player just a little bit like him. And don't get me started on the Brownlow medal. Keith Greg gets two for being soft as butter, and Gary Hardeman gets robbed. Libba, Dippa and Plugga get a Brownlow!?!?

I almost lost my eldest son to Geelong - because of the brilliance of Ablett - until Jurrah burst on the scene. Hearing my boy yell out "Juuurrraaahhh" every time Jurrah went near the ball was magic for a Dees dad. Every move he made was breath-taking. It would be a very, very long road back to AFL footy. And to be honest I can't see him doing the hard physical yards or coping with the even tougher psychological battles in order to get back. But I would go to every Casey home game just to see him play. If he made it back onto the MCG for a home game (Queen's Birthday v Pies) it would be sweeter than mum's iced vo-vo biscuits.

Hawks by 13. I want Freo to win and will be barracking very hard for them in from of the tele. But the Hawks will win because: 1. Freo's impressive wins over the past 2 weeks have come on very narrow grounds, which has suited their choking, manic press very well. The MCG is very wide, almost a circle, and this means the defensive press gaps are wider and Freo have to run more to fill these spaces. Hawks kicking skills will find a way through these gaps. 2. One of Roughhead, Franklin or Gunston will kick 4-5 goals. I can't see Freo's defence successfully covering all three. 3. They will attack Crowley and give him the worst 2 hours of his life. I wouldn't be surprised if they "take him out", or hassle him so much he is subbed off. Mitchell could end up with 30+ possessions. David Mundy for the Norm Smith.

I see us with only 2-3 wins in the first half of 2014 as our players struggle to break free from Neeld's poor game style and embrace the stoppage based game endorsed by Roos. Players like N Jones and Trengove will be the players who get it first and lead the rest of the team into the new game style. We will win 4-6 games in the second half of the year and end up with a percentage around 75% But the measures for success in 2014 will be: - a percentage of 70-80% - Stoppage wins, contested ball wins - Equalising possessions and disposals per game. This was the key to our weakness under Neeld. - Playing an even game across 4 quarters. So often we were in the game for 3 quarters and got blown away by a 6-10 goal blitz in 1 quarter. Edit: add 1 more thing. Beat the Pies on Queen's birthday. Pllleeeeaaaasssee!!

We have salary cap room, a good number of high draft pick numbers, Jesse Hogan about to come in, and basically untried talent of Barry, Evans, Clisby. So apart from trading in for 1 experienced mid - Cross - and 1 young gun - Swallow - we should recruit/delist rather than trade on a mass scale. This process has started with the 5 delistings and 2 retirements in recent days. Blease, Tapscott, Strauss and Gawn are easily AFL standard players who have been retarded in their development by pathetic development and poor coaching. Getting rid of them now with an experienced and proven coach would be madness.

His talent is unquestioned. His ability to produce it consistently at AFL level is proven to be non-existent. His issues are NOT only between his ears. It is also about the depth of his talent. He reaches the limits of his ability at VFL/SANFL/WAFL level. Let's leave him there.

Richard Tambling, eh!?!?..... speechless! Some people need to learn inner monologue and not share every insane, psychotic, momentary "brilliant insight" with people around them.

I am enjoying watching us develop a hard line dose of mongrel, all wrapped up in the polite, calm exterior of three men - Jackson, Batrlett and Roos. We have never seen them ruffled, speaking from emotion, getting caught out by a tough question, moaning or whinging. But beneath congenial exterior lies a hard, aggressive heart beat that is impossible to shift or worry. The last time this attitude emanated from our great club was when Northey was coach. He was often polite and calm in the media but a full dose of coaching mongrel existed behind closed doors. (He was one of the greatest coaching spray-ers of all time). But I will not place a crown on Roos' head, a laurel of ivy on his head, a halo above him or any other expression of transcendence until we start beating top four sides and playing finals. Even if this is 4 years away I cannot ever again fully buy in emotionally at the appointment of a coach just to get my heart ripped out. What I am enjoying is the feelings of genuine hope, and seeing other clubs beginning to rally against us as we become aggressive, business like and success oriented.

What is interesting this time is the amount of really good assistant coach candidates that are looking to step up to senior assistant or take on a senior coaching role. I remember 2 or 3 years ago the pickings looked lean and frugal. But I am trying to sort out rumour from fact (yeah, I know, good luck with that) and stick with what officials from MFC have actually said. From memory, in one way or another, MFC have confirmed having spoken to Dew, Tudor, Burns, Lade & Simpson. Any others that we KNOW have been spoken to? Is Tadg Kennelly one of the prospects? Have the MFC ever confirmed that Kirk has been approached or is it that they won't say they have until Freo exit the finals? It also sounds like George Stone is a lock in. I can't wait for next Monday when the Dees for 2014 starts to take shape.

So many variables and computations. The foundation stones for this draft/trade period are : 1.Our desperate need for a massive and immediate increase in midfield class and ability. A ready-to-go primed midfielder (Swallow, Sloane etc...) A young potential young midfielder (Aish etc...) Watts being hinted as a midfielder Cross as a possible DFA 2. The possible trade of Sylvia, Jamar and maybe Blease, Tapscott, others... 3. We need to look back and see Roos' history at the draft/trade. How did he go about getting Richards, Shaw, Mattner, etc...? What did he let go to get them? Players like Hanneberry, Luke Parker, Reid - what number were they drafted or were there other draft trades involved?

OK - I know 2013 was living hell, but all this Brad Miller angst is unbelievable. He wasn't the best on our list but he was also far from our worst. Cut him some slack. PJ and Roos see something in him. Denis Pagan - average to poor footballer but great coach Tom Hafey - average footballer but great coach Alistair Clarkson - ok footballer but great coach And I would have him back as the whiteboard wiper if it meant seeing Pia around the traps again. There is prettiness, girl-next-door prettiness, voluptuous sex queen, beauty...and then there is Pia.

I reckon he has reached A grade this year. He is not an Ablett, Pendlebury or Selwood but the potential might be there. Apart from all the in-and-under grunt he shows each week, he is a magnificent kick, feeds the ball out with creativity, and brings others into the play.

Leoncelli may have rally enjoyed Daniher's coaching as many of us did, but I think he is not giving Balme some credit which is his due. The'94 Dees team - with all fit and firing - is still the best Dees team I have seen. I was more devastated about the Prelim loss that year than I was about the GF in 1988. We had a team capable of anything, but injuries simply killed off the talent. You can't get to a Prelim by being unfit and lazy in comparison to the teams around you. Lyon, Tingay, Ox, Jakovich all injured!!! Oh, what could have been.

The Darwin training has its roots in military philosophy. You take the group to an extreme environment, take them to the edge of physical, social, mental and emotional exhaustion and test the calibre of their decision making, mental toughness, team work etc... Darwin is the perfect place for this and I hope they do it again. I don't reckon Roos will do it unless the sponsorship deal is a lock-in. I don't think Apollo Bay and Sandringham are "extreme". Unless, in the case of Sandringham, you are talking an extreme amount of Beamers, Mercs and Audis, and an extreme amount of 30+ blonded mums driving black Volvo xc90's, having massages and drinking lattes. I should know I work in the area.