BAMF

I get the angst and I agree that his premiership medallions aren't worth as much as others. Yeah, he was at the highest level and should have got the best out of himself no matter what the scenario was. But think about how poorly the club was being run. Our priorities: Losing games. High draft picks. Arguing with suppliers about the colour red. Blazers. Complicated logos. The presidents health. Whiteboards. At the time I was really disappointed with how Chip left the club. In hindsight I think it was a fantastic decision for him and don't begrudge him a single thing.

Nominated for the draft for an AFL career. Was very unlucky to be picked up by a club which was about everything except winning games.

Ok... do we have rookie space to move KK?

Hmm... Collingwood have another Daicos father/son next year who is going to go top 10. They won't mind if they are in deficit going into next year as thier first rounder will go towards him. They might be willing to give up their first round pick if we could give them some points back in return and cut their deficit this year.

I dislike the advantages the clubs with real academy's get, but the advantages for the league as a whole is too much to abandon them. The AFL have got the marketing right these days in NSW and QLD in regards to the kids. There were junior AFL leagues set up in the off seasons years ago, meaning kids didn't have to give up the NRL and could dabble in AFL. All of a sudden there are a heap of kids with more of an interest and lot realise they are more suited to this league. With a few generation changes there will be far more interest and we will have a much larger pool. There has to be a vested interest in the clubs training these kids, so unfortunately I think they are here to stay. Or the AFL finances them independently of the clubs but I can't see that happening. There will be changes to the NGA academys though. So the other clubs will be pulled back a bit.

If true then our pick 50 will be a super late pick. Still hoping we will package it up to move up into the mid first round otherwise it wasn't a great move to trade it in. I thought that it would come in a bit due to clubs matching bids, but by my calculations it will only end up coming in about 5 spots to pick 45.

Fully agree on what you are saying, but I cannot see Sydney giving up thier 2021 first rounder. I've done the rough maths and they only need to cover around 376 points. They are much more likely to offer their future 2nd as a trade to a club and get burner picks back in exchange. This would still be a great deal for the club giving up late picks. Mahoney has come out publicly and said we might be moving up the draft. I found it strange that he would say this and think that there is a potential plan in place already depending on how the draft plays out. Personally, I think our plan was to bundle 19, 28 and 50 up to move up the draft. It's about 1800 points or the equivalent of pick 6 (we would have to pay overs so would likely get pick 10-14). I cannot figure out who would need points bad enough to do it though.

One of the most entertaining things this off season so far is to see you take the bait and carry on like a pork chop. Thanks for the rumours and the entertainment

You can have as many picks as you have available list spots. If a team delisted 20 players they would have 20 rounds of picks. Its a common misconception as the phantom drafts and AFL website often only bother going up to the third round. Also, there is a rule that you must use 3 picks in the draft. Not sure if that rule still applies these days.

The phantom drafts have Sydney's kids going at 6 and 22. They will be short on points by 376 points (equivalent of pick 43) if this occurs. (I reckon the first kid will slide like Green did last year). If they go into deficit their first pick next year will be pushed back. They will desperate for this not to happen. However, Sydney's first pick next year a good one. Potentially top 5 again. There is no way they trading out of the first round for around pick 22-25 this year. They will be much more likely to trade a future 2nd or 3rd round pick for an extra pick around 43 to make up the 300 odd points. They will finish up with 3 excellent kids and keep their excellent pick for next year.

I'm sure it was Barry Prendegast.

It will be really interesting to see how Jason Taylor attacks this draft. Will he stick to the best available practice, or will we be targeting positions where we have holes in our list? There are a lot of KPP in the top end of the draft. Will he pick one if they slide? Picking another inside mid would likey annoy many of us.

Hey, don't get me wrong. I think Salem has the tools required. But in 2019 when we are crying out for 2 wingers and the coaches refuse to play Salem in those roles, you have to figure they have made a decision for whatever reason that he isn't suited. I would be shocked if that reason was that we have no half back flankers to play Salems role. Even as typing this I realise how often Goodwin has done this though!

I remember him training with the mids in the preseason a few years ago, but he only played a few games until he was moved to the half back flank where he seemed to fit. From what I recall, he played as an inside mid. I know he attended the centre bounce regularly for 2 games and while he didn't have much of an impact, neither did his opponent. Rivers was a great hbf as a junior and should get more games this year in that position! Hoping he can develop into a wing too. Love this kid. A real find.

The idea that Salem can be released to the wing is a fallacy in my opinion. The wing position has been our biggest whole for 2 years. In 2019 we had no one who could adequately fill the role on either side of the ground. We subsequently recruited both Langdon and Tomlinson to fill these roles. Langdon has been a god send, but Tomlinson was found a bit lacking and we plugged the hole with Vanders for most of the year. As well as vanders did in playing out of position, I think we can mostly agree that its still our greatest weakness. If Salem could play the role he would have been doing so consistently a long time ago. He simply doesn't have the tank to be effective as a midfielder. In saying all of that. I would love to pick up another youngster who can start at hbf and develop into a winger.

It matters if the club involved needs to use points.

Yep. I found it odd that we had leaked. Or... we have positioned ourselves to trade up on draft night

Changed my mind

Oops.. sorry mate, I was supposed to quote DeeSpencer.

What about that super tall kid who trained with us at the start of the year? His folks posted here telling us that he was set for a basketball scholarship in the USA. Hopefully covid hasnt ruined this opportunity for him.

First up. Well done for getting in early and putting your hand up for not getting this one right. You and I have had this conversation over the past 2 years and I always felt like someone would pay a 2nd rounder for him. He will be their number 1 ruck next year and was contracted for 2 more years. It had to be around that pick. But while I congratulate you for saying you didn't get it right, I also don't think you were wrong either. He has no tank, can't play forward consistently, gets injured right when you need him and to be quite frank.... is a bit dim. He shouldn't be worth a second round pick... but its worked out due to timing and demand! We done MFC!

Pick 53 = 233 points Pick 43 = 378 points We have gained 145 points.

I really didnt want to offer him a fat three year contract, but I was salivating at the thought of a quick fix to our biggest hole for 2021. I hope we have something else lined up for the wing. I dont want to see vandenBerg plugging that position again.

I read it that we are offering the same money per year but have an extra year in the contract. Otherwise there is no way you would consider us an option at all. No one would sign a three year contract at his age when you can guarantee the same money in two thirds the time. Especially not to come to us.

No doubt you class him as a small because of his height, but he doesnt really play what i would call a traditional small forward crumbing role (which is why he is in and out if the team) like Pickett or Eddie Betts etc. Spargo can crumb but doesnt do it as well as most traditional 'small' forwards. He is actually a small inside midfielder who is forced to play forward because he is never ever going to get to play inside mid in our team (and likely any other team at afl level). He strengths are that he has good disposal over short distances, great awareness, hard at the ball and player, can read the play better than just about anyone on our list and usually makes the right decisions. His weaknesses are his lack of height, size and speed. Most of his good attributes are shared with Hannan, except Hannan is obviously better in the air with his height. You would never call Hannan a small, and I wont call Spargo a traditional small. Sparrow, Jones and Baker are all midfielders who play half forward flank and pitch in on other areas. Jones and Baker on the wing and Sparrow in the guts for his own development more than anything. Higgins is exactly the same. He was a pure mid at underage level who could push forward. At the tigers he started out as a pure forward as thats where he could get a game, but he spent a considerable amount more time in the midfield in his second year.