Jaded No More

One gun key position player and a bevy of midfielders who can deliver the ball to him, is better than one gun key position player and two other ordinary tall forwards with no midfield. Outside of McLean and Morton we have no quality in the midfield, and given that McLean can't physically carry the workload, and Morton is a beanpole who we may even have earmarked into a forward role in the future, that's really not great. How many times last year were your tearing your hair out because our players couldn't deliver, by foot or hand, and we stuffed up any forward momentum we had? Our lack of skills, and at times pace, continuously killed us. Without a great engine room, your forward line is irrelevant and you can't win games, let alone a premiership. Besides, Watts, Bate, Miller, Newton, Dunn, maybe even Garland and Martin are plenty of forward options for one club to work with. Long gone are the days of a giant forward-line. All you need is one really good quality tall and quicker, smaller forwards to work around him (which many of the players drafted today could do, along with Davey, Aussie, Maric, Sylvia and the list goes on).

"Watts Up Buddy?" (Franklin loses the plot as he watches Watts steal his limelight )

Exactly. Which means he has big personal issues, because bloody hell he looks like Buddy. For a club not to take a punt with a 6th round pick on someone who can clearly move and play, is a real worry. So yes, look at him, but talent is not the one factor and if he has issues where he'll go missing after a week of training, or he has issues with substance abuse, or he has a court case hanging over his head, etc etc... than what's the point? Cousins is a proven quantity and didn't get a second chance, although he can clearly play and will help any club looking to win a flag in the next couple of seasons (you know you're in trouble when Leigh Brown gets a second chance and you don't! :D). That's how scared AFL clubs are to touch anyone with any personal issues.

Captain Jack... But only after McLean wins us a premiership and two Brownlows and decides to hand the title over to his three-time Coleman medal winning teammate

I'm assuming this is meant to be a joke... if so, you missed out on the humorous part Our recruiters know a hell of alot more than any of us. Lets just have some faith before we dismiss a player that I'm sure you've never seen play.

"A skilful, high possession winning midfield forward who is strong overhead for his size. Was a WA U18 representative in 2008. From Carey Park JFC." Cousin of Essendon's Jetta. HEIGHT 179.6 WEIGHT 76.6

You can have the best ruckman in the league, but if your midfield can't get the ball or kick, then what's the point? How many premierships did Jeff White bring us? You can have great success with ruckman you pick late in the draft or as a rookie. Wasting an early pick on a beanpole who might take 5 years to develop, if at all, seems silly.

"Originates from Bunbury and is a player who Swan Districts officials rate very highly. He is a quick and agile small who displays clean hands and uses the ball well. Attended the WA NAB AFL state screening, where he tested very impressively in the speed and agility tests, recording 2.99sec for 20m and 8.34sec in the agility" HEIGHT 178.5 WEIGHT 68.2 (very skinny!) I'm seeing a pattern emerge... pace, foot skills... the two things we lack the most.

It's a very good thing we didn't take yet another player with an injury cloud hanging over them. Sylvia, Moloney, Rivers etc... not even headaches for you? Being fit and healthy is the most important aspect of being an AFL player.

Excellent! Blease= PACE. Thank god.

As I said in another thread, some of the Lions' biggest sponsors are against them drafting Cousins. Seems they're taking their sponsors' advice.

Make it happen, oh please make it happen!

To be honest I expected us to say nothing, and tell the members that a decision has been made but we are not willing to disclose the name of the player we're taking before Saturday. Had the club said that, I actually would be more comfortable that we'll take Watts. The fact that we mentioned both Watts and Naitanui, but didn't actually commit to anything, makes me nervous. Maybe it's just a silly gut feeling, and I do hope I'm wrong, but I have this strong sense that we're going to take Naitanui.

Oh gees, there's a surprise! I actually think that the lack of desire to commit to a name, might mean that we're taking Naitanui, because our decision to draft him will impact a whole lot of clubs and draft choices. Quick, someone get him drunk and make him talk...

I know for a fact that both St.Kilda and Brisbane were pressure by their sponsors not to draft Cousins. The Lions could still go ahead and take him, but one of their main sponsors will not be happy if this happens. There are way too many factors in play here, and as good as Cousins is/was, he is seen as too much trouble by most clubs.

Of course I'll be disappointed if we pass up on Watts, but I can't compare my knowledge of these kids to that of our recruiting team. I'd have to trust their decision because they would have spent practically the last year looking and researching their picks. Their balls are on the line here as well. And even if we end up making the wrong decision (and who knows, we may get Watts, and end up missing out on the biggest freak the game has ever seen), I'll still support this club and buy memberships and go to games because I'm a sucker for punishment and a sucker for this club (and you are too!). Besides, this is hardly the first or last draft we're likely to screw up.

I just hope that if we do choose to take Naitanui, that we know for a fact that he won't be asking for a trade home in 3 years time, because I have no doubt that if we pick him, it will be because we absolutely think that he's best available and will develop into a great talent. Our recruiters watch more junior footy than any of us, they talk to the players and their ex-coaches and their doctors, so at the end of the day we need to trust that whoever they pick at number one, is who they believe is the standout, and that things like marketability have absolutely no influence on their decision. I want a star player, not a marketing machine. A star player will bring us success, and there is no better way to market our club than to be successful. If the club thinks Naitanui is the man to bring us that success, than I'll welcome their choice with an open mind and a lot of hope. (and we better take Watts! )

We obviously don't think he'll be available at 17, plus we want to target midfielders given we're taking Watts at pick 1?

There's a lot of 'upholding' going on between the AFL and certain clubs. Our relationship with the AFL on the other hand, needs a lot of Viagra

Yeah never mind upholding the integrity of the salary cap, or anti-doping code, or general fairness of the draw... as long as the National Draft has integrity, the whole competition will be just fine

What a cruel and sad story. Goes to show that he really wasn't meant to be an AFL player, although it's so much easier to say that when you're standing on the outside looking in. To have your life dream shattered at 18/19/20, is just way too soon. He would have probably never been a superstar, and even without any injuries he may not be playing now, but I'm sure it's the not-knowing that hurts the most. When you look at it, only Brad Miller has really worked for us from that draft, even if he isn't a superstar at least he's still standing on both his legs.

New Years Day... everyone is way too hungover to care, or possibly sleeping in a gutter and using the day's headlines as a blanket :D

I guess if we decide not to take Watts it will give Demonlanders a few extra days to have a meltdown :D

We can take Naitanui, but can we keep him?