PaulRB

A oft overlooked factor when assessing a young mid is who are the other/better midfielders around him? Many in the list you gave of 21 yr olds that JT should be besting serve in midfields where they are playing as the 4th best midfielder or further out in the pecking order. The higher you play in the pecking order the more attention you recieve from oppositions. For example Sidebottom would have Swan, Pendles, Ball, etcc in front of him. Sidebottom is probably 5th or 6th in the pecking order, and it's easier to perform better with less opposition pressure... Jack regularly played as our 3rd best mid (after Jones and Grimes) and performed well.

Sobering that. All the other clubs see many of our former players to be not good enough.I guess it vindicates the FD decision to drop them... Sigh.

Acts of on field brutality or bravery that hurt the opposition and/or lift the Dees, and don't get you rubbed out.

Whats your thoughts on Flash, where he's at and the role he plays in the group?

I have watched, and he has been poor. But he's not been alone in that regard. He is capable of better, he's had issues with his body, he (like Col) has had to deal with being the stop gap player who'd be shifted around from position to position, he was also for a period the MFC player who'd be most tagged and physically targeted (not without effect), who was rarely protected by his team mates. Good players in wretched teams bear the brunt, and he's struggled with that. He now plays a lesser role in a team less reliant on him. He now might have team mates who will support him when he is physically targeted. He may get his body right to play deep forward, where he would have played his career if he were in a better team. To question his integrity ("Checked out a long time ago.") is offensive and unwarranted given the footy he's brought to the MFC over his career to date. Flash may or may not rise in 2013, but he deserves our respect and compassion for attempting to.

I guess the first nominee would be for Jack Viney and his assault on the man mountain Leigh Brown at training?

Far too early to be writing off Flash... he's got 4 months before the real stuff, plenty of time.

I doubt a club would select him in the PSD if they passed him up in the National Draft. Rookie draft would make sense if he's able to convince a club to roll the dice.

Thats because he's watching Leigh Brown grind Jack Viney's head into the ground...

If "first year player" includes elder players from other clubs then Dawes would be the obvious candidate. If he can do half as well as Mitch we'll be a happy bunch of supporters.

I agree, making a GF is a mighty achievement. But watching you team lose it by a humiliatingly huge margin amongst gleeful and arrogant (with good cause) Hawks fans makes for a scarring experience. And then there was 2000.

Please don't mention the 88 GF. I rate it a far worse day than 189... The pain.

Viney should be ready after a year training with the team, although playing against men at AFL level will take its's toll (i.e. Broken Jaw last year), so if Jack can play 15+ games he should do well. Toumpas would do well to build his engine and play 15+ games, If he is doing well (being more of an outside player) we'd be flying as a team. Can't see too many of the new kids getting regular games given the other imports.

I'm coming around to the idea of the club taking a punt on Garlett. The reality of our situation (finished 16th in 2012) is we need to make up ground on other clubs as rapidly as is possible, we are not Sydney (reigning premiers) nor should we only look to replicate what other have done. If not Garlett, I hope the club views the rookie draft as an opportunity to risk some investment in players with serious upside that don't fit the standard development model. Most of our draft and trade action has been considered, and conservative, which I liked, and the list changes have been awesome. However, I hope we are looking for bolts from the blue when it comes to the rookie draft. Keen to see some medium risk, no cost (draft or trade wise) and high potential players come in next to Magner and Couch...

http://instagram.com/p/SeMloaF32D/

Assuming the FD believe they can work with Gartlett, he would appear to have more upside potential than Magner and Couch. The test is whether, with our expanded player development program and resources, we can get the best out of a player with the issues Dayle appears to have.

A common thread in all Neeld's recruits at Melb has been the players hunger for the work required to be a player in the AFL. I don't get the impression that Dayle is hungry, it seems he is more expectant and complacent that his natural talents are enough for him to get through. Perhaps a strong culture can teach him about the value of hard work and dedication, or perhaps he becomes another distracting self indulgent player who is taking the place of a truly dedicated rookie who will grow and add value to the team (a player like a young Aaron Davey). I'm certainly not interested in players who provide the media with another reason to beat up on the MFC when the footy news is a bit slow. That said, I'd love it if we picked him up and had a crack at getting him right for the AFL.

How about shorten the "Strawbs" O'Dwyer award, to the SOD award?

Mate, maybe you don't realise it but your language is unnecessarily inflammatory, a "backslapper" WTF, a "backslapper" is someone who associates themselves with success, we're not successful, so your use of the term is wrong. You are "sick of it", so what? Just because you can't see how the changes to the list will allow us to leave the bruise free era behind, it does not mean that others who see the game differently to you are wrong, they just have a different perspective, and I for one think Ron judgement is on the money. There is no skill in picking the winner once the race is won.

Isn't our pick before Port's in the rookie draft? Garlett is a potential distraction and as such ... pass.

Condescending opening line. Followed by a statement of the obvious "there have been NO results yet...". Experienced followers of football can watch the play AND anticipate what's going to come next (i.e. where the ball should go). In the same way, experienced followers of a football club can see the changes to a teams list, culture, game style AND anticipate whats going to come next. No one is talking about winning the flag in 2013. They are simply judging that the 2013 team is an improvement on the 2012 vintage. While you want to make it about you and your contrarian spot light, I'm more interested in estimating how much better we could be...

I'd never heard of three of our national draft selections before last night, so I figure I have buckley's of picking the rookies.

It's always sweet to see gruff old bears get emotional about their kids. Love it.

Thank you Cam.

The power of Gawn's yawn!