Striker475

In, Striker475

I have my Reach #11 jumper. Will be wearing it with pride soon.

28,267 as of right now. I think we're going to see a big jump this week.

For a Magner, he sure does go like an Evo X...

Eighth. With an '87-esque storm to the finals, beating Freo in Perth to knock them out and make it. Form on our side, we go all the way to the prelims, and get knocked off by Hawthorn again in the dying seconds due to a Buddy freak goal. And if this happens (again), I might just cry.

This, Paine looks a beauty. How the hell he dropped to the 50s is beyond me, people were pre-ranking him in the 30s IIRC

All this says to me is we need to poach a goddamn recruiting manager ASAP. I'd back in Quayle over TV unfortunately, but I'd back Rendall over both.

First round pick: Viney First round compo: Best Available mid Mid-first round pick: Unknown Second round pick: Crumber Small forwards usually slip.

Both picks activated. http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/131093/default.aspx

You can order them to pick up through the MFC website - I'd do it that way before they run out.

I think a lot of people will be paying their respects next Saturday at the 'G somehow.

Reach jumper with #11 on the back on the way.

Fingers crossed they do another run of them, I'll order one with #11 on it.

Rest in Peace Jim...we've lost a legend, but all thoughts for Sam and the kids - they've simply lost a husband and Dad.

Only one of the two it seems...

Another thread on the board talking about it.

I'll take him, based on that.

I'm not a praying guy, but I'm offering whatever I have tonight, as always. Get well Jim.

He slides to #21. If we were to finish that badly, we could genuinely have (assuming 16th and both GC and Port don't get priority awarded) pick #3, pick #4, a pick at around #12, and pick #23 or so for JV (due to other compos). Best result out of the draft, but I don't think I could deal with that.

Argh, my UF team! First Nicoski, then...well, I think I'll survive

Honestly? It's too bloody soon to tell. Look at Geelong - they drafted big around 2001. Struggled and didn't hit their real stride until 2007. St Kilda - similar pattern. Hawthorn - similar pattern. We have pretty much as far to go as the Saints did, if not further. We've had the setback too - HWFUA has meant that the rebuild itself drops back a couple of years, which I don't believe is a bad thing. I firmly am of the view that our window will be open around 2016 - by that point, JT, Watts and the class of '08-'09 will be approaching 100-150 games, our 23-24 year olds (Frawley, Garland, Jones) will be in that 150-200 game bracket and our younger ones (Stretch, Viney, compo picks, Cook) will be really priming up. The problem with our cattle is that it is either of the maturing type (Watts, Cook, Fitz, Gawn, Davis) or has been struck down by ailments (Gysberts, Tapscott, Strauss, Blease, Jetta). The former we did know about; the latter we have been unlucky to a significant degree. We need more time. We do. The skills are there. Watts is as silky as they come, as is Trengove. Tapscott's booming punts are a joy. Strauss is a forgotten man among us right now, but he was really finding his feet before the break. Blease has lit up the field a couple of times. Davis has been good during the NAB, and the whole team is getting there. I don't want to wait any more than some of you. I've seen eleven AFL sides win flags in my life. The other five are perennial losers - Fremantle, Richmond, St Kilda, Footscray and unfortunately the MFC. We need that fact changed. I need that fact changed for my own sanity. I'm keeping the faith...I have to.

With the events today over in Adelaide and the storm in a teacup that's been brewed up by the media, I'm going to put it out there. We need a recruiting manager. Not just Todd filling in. A recruiting manager with pretty damn good credentials has come onto the market. Admittedly there's been some issues. Do we take the punt?

We are: - Pre Round 1. - With a new coaching group. - A new, extremely different gameplan. - And a new forward setup. - We have only small amounts of data on how the team plays, and even then it's not a best 22 look. - We have a coaching group trying to get a feel for the side under match conditions. - We have numerous upcoming draft bonuses, including J. Viney, B. Stretch and 2 compo picks - We have a long way to go, but we are slowly setting ourselves up to be dominant across the park. Nights like tonight make me wonder why I support this footy club, but ultimately it is in my blood, and I've burnt too much time already to give up on a season before a real ball has been bounced in anger. Things will change. We will get better. It may take til 2013. But we will improve.

We've got til the end of 2013 by me. Finals this year, I can deal if we miss. If we miss next year we're in serious strife, to the point of the rebuild will need to be re-done. By then we have Jones in the ~150 game bracket, Trengove and Watts approaching 100 games and most of the middling group in the high 90s. That said, we are setting ourselves up to run smack bang into GC and GWS.

I'm getting nostalgic for the Daniher years. Too young for Swooper and my earliest memories of the Dees are missing the finals in '95. I'm concerned for my mental health if that bonkers Melbourne side that couldn't work out if it was a premiership contender or total dross is what I look back to in memory.