Demon Dynasty

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2019/10/28/edmund-new-victorian-club-enters-the-frame-for-bennell/

Still like him as a potential forward but seems like the obvious option in terms of addressing the OP's question. Cut his teeth playing predominately as a HB. Extract (Tom Couch..Nth Launceston's coach) courtesy of Foxsport... “When I went down there, there were big wraps on Jay. He’d played rep footy for Tassie the year before and was a premiership player, a best and fairest winner and everyone was saying he was the best player in the state,” Couch said. “He was very talented, there was no doubt about that. He could play everywhere. We played him back, mid, forward, but predominantly down back because he is such a good reader of the ball and such a good kick, so he was able to set us up. “You have one of him, but you want three of him so you can play one back, one in the middle and one up forward.”

Sold! Get Kemp!

What a diabolical DEEbacle that would be. Can see the threads in five years time as Young helps kick his team in to another finals series while we are still wondering what to do with two ruckman who never quite found their niche or lived up to their hype who have almost zero trade value.

The Ox, Marko and KB (Yes he's back on in the arvo's on 1278 Macquarie, commencing this arvo...until the Spring carnival finishes anyway) were talking about this and the Burgess 'approved' Dr Peter Brukner appointment just now. All very positive imv and tells me the club is leaving no stone unturned to get us to an elite level in terms of off field FD support staff.

I think this is the best option if Weightman is the target. Second rounder on Picket. Having these two gives us two very decent small crumbers / finish / extra pressure to lock ball in and convert more often up forward which was badly missing in 2019. Out of the half dozen medium & stalls at Casey i would be surprised if two make it through into regular 22 so another two who I believe will make it are a must imv. Need to learn from the Tigers here. Then we need a genuine KF to assist T-Mac for 2021 and beyond.

Nice!

That is unlikely DP. If you can reference anywhere (other than game day mascots) where we are "the Demons" pls i would be astounded. That aspect of the club commenced back in the day, courtesy of the great Checker Hughes as you no doubt know, and began a slow dearh starting with Cam's attempt to change our colours to maroon and blue years back (working under cover on a covert Vlad operation to destroy any remnant of the Demon spirit...a la Fitzroy ... the only reasonable explanantion of course!) whilst gradually removing any reference to the 'scary' Demons in all marketing material and clothing etc. The nail in the coffin the "we are Melbourne" vomit dished up a few years back.

While i'm only going on hearsay, my understanding is the 24k (or so) you are referring to are 'MCC members' that 'support' the MFC. Only approx half ie; 12k of actual MCC members who 'support' us hold the dual membership. Wearing a club's scarf or colours/turning up to yell in support etc and actually putting up your hard earned are two very different things in my book 58er. Regardless, the MCC aspect was only a part aspect of the point i was making which still stands re influence and clout at corporate / elite levels on or within the AFL re fixture outcomes and the like (see new HQ).

Can't recall Clint playing from a BP. Then again i wasn't in a state to recall much of most matches after half time so i could be wrong.

The top clubs are using these blokes to drill down and find weaknesses / strengths of both individual players, line trends and game style trends (short and medium terms also). They look to expose or uncover these strengths weaknesses wherever possible, in many cases we are talking about small incremental gains or losses each week (where teams are closely matched) that might turn the tide a few percent in a player/teams' favour. Don't discount their value as most of the top clubs have them and from interviews i've listened to over the last few years, most coaches utilise them both at line level and in some case up to the head coach, depending on his view of 'value added' in this field. Some coaches can't stand it and will distance themselves and/or leave it at line level (including post match reviews on Monday) to sort out. The bottom line is, most top clubs are using them to extract the nth degree out of their players and to counter the opposition's players and game style from week to week looking for recent change ups / match ups and game day tactics the opp might be using etc etc. Why wouldn't we want to add this to our arsenal to counter the opp using it against us? Would be crazy not to if affordable. Anything that helps with game day analysis / incremental advantages etc has to be a good move imv.

Connections, backers and embedded support through the AFL hierarchy. Those two haven't been out of success as long as us, particulary Essendrug who had built up a massive corporate following amongst the Collins St and general 'professions' fraternity over many decades during the Sheedy years. We have been in the wilderness and doldrums for far too many decades to matter at any significant corporate / backer level now or in circles of influence within the AFL. There will be remnants i'm sure, but without the punch / influence they might have had in the 70s to mid 80s. Our last big backer was Joe and look how that ended. The last survey i saw still had the MFC as the most followed club amongst MCC members but that was 2010...approx 19k or 19%, down from 26% in 2006. The Pies, Carltank and Essendrug were still a chunk behind in 2010. But our results since then, barring one odd 2018 year, might suggest they've gotten even closer or may have even caught up or gone passed. The last i heard (unofficiall) was that we had only 12k MCC members who actually held dual memberships and at one point that figure was 24k. That's a huge drop off from an MCC perspective if it's somewhere close to the truth.

Put football smarts....with lightning reflexes. A genuine football brain... with grunt, a bit of nasty and follow up 2nd efforts. Add to this some class finish around stoppages and in front of the sticks. Clever unselfish knock ons, amazing agility / awareness in traffic and a super leap for his size ...and what have you got!?? Football's Masiah? Nope...just lil ol' Kysaiah!

Looking for a small guy that will chew up opp mistakes and force opp mistakes then punish on the counter. Someone that eats crumbs off the pack for breakfast with lightning quick reflexes, a great running leap for his size (equal 9th in the National Combine) and super goal sense and finish? At a pinch he could even play short cameo stints in the mid given a decent pre-season or two. Is it Weightman? ... Nope! Henry? Serong?....ummm...nah none of those. Taylor, surely it's Taylor!...hmm close but no cigar! "Whoever it is, he can't be worth pick No.8 though. That's just sillly" i hear you say. Well think again fellow minions!! Another piece in the premiership puzzle awaits...

In 2021 quite possibly 55. If not it's still Hibb & more likely Young assuming we pick him up. I'm not talking about replacing Salem as such. Is there room out wide if Hannan, Langdon, Tomo and possibly Young and Gus are running around there? Tomo can drop back to a HBF also. I'm sure there's room but just not sure what his role is with so many options now.

https://m.afl.com.au/news/2019-10-23/cal-twomeys-2019-phantom-form-guide-october-update

Ball always travels faster through the air. This bloke will speed our transition up faster than any amazing sprints off HB or around the wings. His decision making will also assist here. It's lightning quick and tends to pick the right options most of the time. Short, medium, low long rakers....this bloke is a kicking guru. We've been screaming out for his type for years.. "Frosty has speed....can't kick". Frosty has great pace...but a massive turnover king". ANB great runner between the arcs...but murders the ball". Well here's a bloke who is elite with the ball... ready for the plucking.

If we miss Young at 3 it will go down as one of the worst trade decisions of all time imv.

Surely this is a joke? Only the clinically insane would waste a top 10 pick on another 'untried' Jack the giant when we already have two running around and one is A grade. Pert needs to step in immediately and have a word to Goody & the FD if this is genuinely on the cards. Will go down as yet another mega MFC blunder if we overlook Young, Stephens, Kemp and/or Pickett in favour of a third lumbering giant.

If Young comes in and with a fit/in form Hannan/Gus i am struggling to see where Salem fits in tbh. He's a great accumulator don't get me wrong and a solid player....just not that damaging with run or penetrating kicks to damaging places. Very classy in close and dishing off to players in immediate vicinity but that mostly delays the ball from transitioning quickly inside 50.

Yes i agree. He'll be gone by 97 or whatever it is. Unless we can somehow split the pick and still be g'teed of landing Young with the first. That might give us 6, 8 and something in the 20s/30s that's more appropriate.

Not at all 247. Watched all highlight vids (about 5) via the league App and he looks very solid. I've been keen on him for a few weeks but that was prior to seeing Pickett. Taylor might be a step up on both but haven't seen any videos. I'm not worried about sources or draft positions. I trust what i see albeit i realise it's limited vision vs Weightman but the eyes don't lie. This bloke is a cat with the X factor we need imv. Having said that i doubt anyone would pick him up in the top 20 or so as they'll be too scared of getting the pick wrong i reckon. Necks on the line.

Correct...and from a running jump it looks like he is able to. Once he gets launched and he is on someone's shoulders or back though, a whole lot of other factors come in to play. Eg; ability to recover after hitting the deck if ball spills or he marks etc.

I am talking running jump Watts. He matches Weightman with the leap factor. A standing jump to get hands on the pill? I don't know about 7cm but yes Weightman would appear to have him covered finishing equal 5th in the vertical jump.

That is how i saw it after watching all highlights of both Young & Weightman (about 16 videos in total). Get Young.....consider Pickett (or Taylor?) before Weightman. Weightman will be solid, don't get me wrong, but he doesn't have the cat like sixth sense crumbing & goal reflexes that Pickett has. He is sleight of hand lightning quick...and not so much across the ground. It's the full reflex package and instinct with both hand and foot. It just happens naturally with deft touch and amazing skills. Not sure about Taylor as i can't see any highlights other than the draft reports which are postive. Anyone worrying about his height...Pickett came equal 9th with Weightman and Oscar Lewis in the running vertical jump in the draft combine and he's 7cm smaller. Still a few centimeters to go also from now till 20ish.