durango

MCG to Cranbourne most of the way is via a freeway.

It was Selwood

The fact that we have recruited players from other clubs to fill holes in our list means the new recruits have time to grow and get better before they are required to fill holes in the list. Melksham and Hibberd were retained because they have more to give before retirement and allows the recruits time to show that they are deserving of a spot in the AFL team. Unlike last year when we believed that natural growth in the younger players will improve the team, before TMac when down we were 10-0 afterwards we were 6-8 proving that our depth was not there.

The only positive about Barnett is he can play forward al la Ben Brown, he may not be ready as a ruckman but has a very good depth in his kicking and marks the ball at the highest point has reasonable agility.

Gerard Healy left the MFC not because of money but when Tom Hafey made a convincing story that the Swans were closer to a premiership than the MFC he left since he played in an era of 1979-1985 were success on the field was few far between.

If JT thinks he is the best pick 13 he will pick him like LJ otherwise we should not go over the top with our comments since we trust his judgement. Very few commentators picked LJ to be 3 but JT did and we got a player who briefly showed us why he was picked 3.

His highlights look good and maybe a good pick but is he a pick 13 and he wont be there at 37?

According to Sheehan WC will pick Matthew Jefferson and according to Twomey the MFC will pick Ed Allan with pick 13/14.

At this stage we are all speculating who JT and the recruiters, coaches and TL will pick when they get to our pick 13, I believe the club is holding their nerve and have not given other clubs a clue what their thoughts are and thru out the speculation that they have an interest in Ed Allan so West Coast will pick him using pick 12 giving them the player they really want? I have a gut feeling they have a player in mind who no one at this stage has picked for pick 13.

In 2013 the No 13 selection was Patrick Cripps probably number 1 today, recruiters who picks 1-12 must be now kicking themselves. If you have a look at the history of pick 13 it is scattered with some exceptional players over the years some like Jack Riewoldt, Taylor Adams, Shane Crawford, Robert Murphy, Daniel Talia and Nick Dal Santo just to name a few others. So a slider sometimes turns out better than the number 1 of that year.

This time of the year every draftee is the next big thing some make it while others fall by the wayside because they don't have the stomach for the hard yards. The good ones have the ability and the work ethic to become great players a perfect example is Gawn who during the early years was big but overdid the drinking, smoking and partying unit someone told him the exit door was opening and he knuckled down and became a great player and captain. Another is Clayton Oliver who was overweight because of injuries but had great potential proven by his Morrish Medal win, he was told by a recruiter he had to lose some number of kilo's to be considered and he work hard to lose the weight and guess what he is one of the greats at the MFC and he may become an AFL great in the end.

There has been plenty of players who get drafted from other states and remained in Victoria some examples are Cripps and Grundy they have turned their backs on their home states regularly when asked about going back. Blake Acres is from WA recruited by the Saints then off loaded to Fremantle and now has come back to Victoria, for the money. At the MFC Chandler is from SA, Petty is from SA, Sparrow is from SA and Alex Neal-Bullen is from SA. The current players who are very iffy are Rivers and Pickett 2023 will decide whether they want to return home or not. Often players who come from other states and meet and marry a local girl who's roots are in Victoria will stay for the family support when they have children. We must always take a risk and take the best available no matter which state he comes from, only if you get 2 players of equal potential, you then think about needs and finally consider the local as more attactive.

Adelaide cannot match any bid upto 40 which is the new rule regarding NGA players, but they can match 41 onwards.

He looks good in the highlights but Adelaide has not said they would pick him as a NGA player why?

Every year he seem to get better missing 1 game probably cost him the outright winner of the coaches award, the only area he needs to get better is his goal kicking he could easily average a goal a game and that would probably win him the Brownlow and Norm Smith.

His highlights are probably as good as Matthew Jefferson?

I have seen so many experts picking Jefferson for Pick 13 but some like Brayden George because he has a bigger upside, I am sure that JT will have a left field pick in mind al la Luke Jackson or Kysaiah Pickett.

Even though the pair is getting to the end of the AFL careers they are the glue that binds a football club and gives younger players a challenge to become better to displace them from the team. I think they will be happy to step aside if the younger brigade pass them in earning their stripes, al la Nathan Jones who was selfless in the twilight of his career.

I was very please when we selected him because he made an unbelievable effort to get fit before the AFL camp and showed he wanted a place on an AFL list. He was the Morrish medal winner in 2015 so the talent was there but he needed to show he was serious about becoming an AFL player.

The only knock on his season is he does not kick enough goals and has no depth in his kicking, otherwise I think it was his best season even though he has won the MFC player award on 1 occasion and was runnerup twice.

You forgot Schache who is a forward, back and ruck. I have faith in our recruiters to pick the right person at 13 and 37, if it is Jefferson then they will have watched him on several occasions during the season and have an informed view of the player along with vision taken by them for review by other members of the recruiting staff. Since I am not a watcher of U18 matches and have seen the highlights like every one else I am in no position to make a judgement on him or any other recruit but sometimes you get a gut feeling after looking at the vision that they should pick someone else when they recruited Sam Weideman I was against picking him and wanted Harry McKay or Charlie Curnow at the time. He needs to add about 15-20 kgs on in weight to play senior football which may effect his mobility, so if we pick him he will play at Casey for all of 2023 and much of 2024 before he get his chance at the highest level because he would be rag dolled like Jack Watts. If 2023 recruits are so good then maybe we select players who could play in 2023 in this draft?

Winner of every MFC award, AA award and AFLaward multiple times along with an AFL Premiership the only awards he has yet to win is the Brownlow and Norm Smith which he may be able to win in the coming years

Any supporter of the MFC expects and hopes the recruits become the best version of themselves, if that version is a champion like Clayton Oliver then that is even better but some individuals become complacent when they get drafted and end up on the scrap heap. I hope JVR becomes a champion because that will help us win premierships in the future but he has to want it and put in the work along with the development coaches helping him achieve this goal.

Sam Naismith is a ruckman and may be worth considering for a rookie spot.

I actually saw David Schwarz play in the Melbourne U19 along with David Neitz, they played at 15 so they were tied to the MFC for ever because there were changes coming with players no lomger being tied to the club via zones.