durango

If we compare a player who has not played a game as yet to players with over 200 AFL games then we do the recruit a disservice.

He is at the start of career whilst the 200 game player has retired.

It is like recruiters compare the player they pick to past players which puts undue pressure on an 18 year old with potential but no record to backup the claims, what a player does at U18 level has no bearing on how he will perform at the highest level.

Training habits are good but you can train the house down but when it comes to the crunch be intimidated by the bigger bodies of your opponents.

There are players like Jake Bowey who are small in stature and fearless which makes him the exception.

Bowey's previous coaches probably told him during his pre-AFL he was too small and light framed but he was determined to prove them wrong.

Not every player recruited from the U18's will play at the highest level whether they are drafted to the main list or rookie list but those that do and play over 100 games should be applauded for their determination and willingness to train hard.

In the article about Max Gawn he believed that if he was not 208 cm ruckman he would have been cut from the list several times for his training habits, indiscretions and injuries.

Good luck to all our recruits in their endeavours to play their first game and have the long successful careers at the MFC. 

I know that coaches decide where they think a player is best suited to play in the team not where JT thinks is his best position.

The only area were we are thin is the rucks where we have only 3 genuine ruckmen and a few fill ins.

The AFL has made Father Son harder in many ways by having the play at least 100 games, if that happened in the 1950's then Ron Barassi would not have qualified.

Jake Bowey's dad Brett played 85 games for St Kilda and did not qualify.

Tom Brown's dad Paul played 84 games for Geelong and did not qualify.

Jonathan Brown's dad Brian played 51 games for Fitzroy and qualified.

Oakleigh Chargers have a very good development program.

That means we have 3 player with hypenated surnames.

Next year it will be harder for 1st to 4th year players to be gifted games they will have to earn the spots unless we have a horror run of injuries.

It will be a year of development, playing various roles and getting VFL games into these players who will slot into the teams when they are ready to do the job.

We are no longer a team which rushes recruits to fill holes in our AFL team as there are players like Melksham, Dunstan, Daw, Hunt, Tomlinson, Smith, Weideman, Chandler, Jordan, Baker, Bedford and Mitch Brown who have tasted AFL football and are itching to be a part of the 23 who will lineup for our next Premiership.

So recruits like Laurie, Rosman, Turner, Von Rooyen, Woewodin, Deakyn Smith and Howes who will have to fight and scratch in the VFL to even get recognised as AFL players.

1 hour ago, Lucifers Hero said:

Maybe as his second team and he had the 'Away' jumper already or someone delivered that jumper late last night.  Why would we have arranged an 'Away' jumper for him, I wonder.

His dad has the right colours!

Maybe the stores in WA don't have a home MFC jumper in stock since they bought all the stock during and after the finals.

The problem Mac Andrew may have at the Suns is that they want success now and they will not be patient enough with his development in the weight room and the football field. 

I watched the highlight but when you look at recruits you have to watch what he does when he does not have the ball or his positioning when players are coming down the ground.

Punching the ball when he is behind and tackling when it is your turn to go.

He has time on his side and our Development coach Williams will make him work his a*** off to improve his deficiencies and make him a more rounded player.

Only time will tell whether he is a great player like David Neitz or a Jack Watts who was a great U18 player due to his size.

Maybe they are swooning in hope since the selections will be seen on the smallest body of work in the history of recruiting, the 2020 draft may have played very little football but at least they played a full season in 2019, whereas this year no 2020 and very little 2021 in Victoria where most recruits are taken.

WA and SA have had a good 2021 but who knows what the standard was. 

There is a saying that beauty is in the eye of beholder, I think it was a fly and he should rename himself as nightmare because he was dreaming or maybe just a sleep.

Hawkins was a father son selection and no other club could have selected him and the bidding system was not used.

A good analysis but the MFC will be picking a player who JT think is the best available or best player for a position where we are thin.

I still thing Mac Andrew is over rated at this stage of his career and if the Suns do a Jack Watts with him he may endup a washout in the future because rushing young players causes them to doubt their ability and belonging at the highest level, causing them to stagnate and never reach their potential al la Colin Sylvia and Jack Watts.

When a player is properly developed and the coach is patient you get a star al la Christian Petracca.

I think the club should set up a number of membership sales stalls on the 5th of December where long time supporter can purchase 2022 membership. 

4 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Is Pickett's surname actually Kropinyeri-Pickett as described in Luci's List? And if so, would that mean he has the longest surname of all players who have won a Premiership in VFL/AFL history?

If that is so has the MFC created another first in a premiership team where 2 players have hypenated surnames.

Picking a favourite goal is like picking your favourite child, they are all my favourites because in the end the premiership was won and we have a team worthy of the term the Mighty Demons.

It like asking which disposal of Petracca is your favourite.

Maybe the first goal from Petracca was the best because it helps settle the side in the most important match of the year or Fritsch 2nd goal in the 3rd which gave the side a sniff or Petracca's 2nd goal which started an onslaught or Sparrows 1 step goal in the middle of 3 or Oliver's running goal which broke the Bulldogs resistance.

You could ask the same question what was the most important moment of the match and I would say that Bailey Smith's fumble in the 3rd quarter allowing Harmes to get a clean disposal and pass to Fritsch which basically shifted the momentum.

Vanders career was ruined by injury but he help shape the 2021 team and eventually a premiership.

He will always remember being on the list of the premiers and will always have a team photo of the 45 players on the list.

Great the MFC has become proactive in signing players now.

I believe this premiership may bring all the father son children back to the Demons fold and they will have a desire to play for the Red and the Blue like before the 1970's.

I believe Nathan Brown has some boys?

Does anybody know about Jed Brereton, I know he is 201cm but what is he like as a player or is he just tall.

The major problem as you get older is recovery from soft tissue injuries al la Prestia, Richmond had a great midfield but like Geelong the sides age demographics is now near late 20's and unless some of their younger players make a quantum leap towards stardom they will be reliant on the older brigade to get them to the 2022 premiership and hope for no injuries to critical players at the wrong time al la Bruce for the Bulldogs.

You could make a case for probably 10 teams for 2022 but it does not allow for a MFC coming of age and a finals campaign of total domination.

The question I ask  was when was the last time a team dominated the finals like the MFC?

There was a coach or commentator who once said 'you don't win premierships in April', so I say 'no team will ever win a match in December'.

His opinion may turn out to be correct or way of the mark because no one predicted the MFC was going to be 1st in 2021 in August and Premiers in September.

The greatest leveller is injuries and no one can predict that future, look at Fyfe his future is in doubt because the injury was treated but a problem occured during rehabilitation.

If both Richmond and Melbourne players remain healthy it maybe a Grand Final worth watching until half way thru the 3rd quarter like 2021 where predicting the result was very iffy. 

I thought the same in 1965 when we 8-0.

The wheels fell off because players like Roet and Trevor Johnson left mid year to further their careers, I look at the team and believe it has not peaked yet but injuries are a great leveller.

I hope we have an injury free year and can repeat the dose in 2022, because their is a lot of improvement yet to come in Rivers, Pickett, Jackson, Sparrow, Jordan, Spargo, Bowey and Petty.

I believe that Clayton Oliver has even more improvement particularly his kicking can get better still.

Who knows what players like Tomlinson, Hunt, Weideman, Laurie, Dunstan and Rosman can do with a good development year ahead.

In fact it is scary what these MFC players may be able to achieve in 2022. 

I think they changed the regulations from last year the where the clubs could move players to the rookie list from the main list and opposition clubs could not get them but players like James Jordan are UFA when their contract expires.

Now you have to delst the player and redraft him to the rookie list.