Hannabal

I don't know more than I've already stated, but I suspect they've been pretty gung ho with his manager painting the club's vision and have made an attractive offer, or at least indicated their preparedness to do so..

I don't know. I'm not sure he does. And I completely understand the reasoning. If I was his Dad I'd probably agree. Ray played 55 games for Richmond and South.

Actually, that is a pretty fair comment. The Ball Camp: 1. An influential Family member doesn't want Ball to go to Melb. He's done the hard yards at another club and Melb's window for a flag is considered to be at least 5 years away. He's Captained another club and has probably passed the stage in his career where he wants to revisit struggle street, albeit they know Melb's future is very very good. 2. They consider it a "2 to 1 chance" that he'll reach Collingwood in the ND. I was surprised. At this stage, and it could well change as they firm up the chances of reaching C'Wood, the likley scenario is that he'll take his chances in the ND in the belief that he'll get there. But repeat, this isn't set in concrete. Next week could change the landscape. 3. Melb have pushed hard and impressively. 4. Nutshell: Collingwood favourite (in their view), i.e. 2/1, with Dees and Saints still a chance. He doesn't want to return to the Saints, but it is still an option. Of course they may be too optimistic with regards to Collingwood as I see roadblocks in their way. We'll all know soon enough. Source: impeccable. But as I've said, things can change.

Heard a whisper. Don't get your hopes up for Luke Ball.

I don't know what has happened to you lately, but you and a couple of others genuinely make this site unreadable.

I believed you the moment I read it. Sometimes one just has to go with one's gut feel. Also, you've been on the money before.

Talia is not in Hurley's league. And if you thought that he was that good why would you say "or even Talia" and list him last ?

It's Trengove. There's only one 'r' in his name. FMD

Good article, except at 185cms he's a tick under 6'1" not 6'.

I found out after my first post that my Nephew is one of the 9. Naughty boy.

Knowing his manager quite well, and in fact when I saw him a few weeks back unprompted he said "you'd want to be a Dees supporter for the next 10 years", such is his regard for our future prospects, then I'd think it unlikely Ball would have the view you paint. And if he did, I suspect it would soften after talks with said manager.

There's no way that Ball will nominate for the ND because there's too much uncertainty involved and he'll want to be the master of his own destiny. He'll remain a Saint or nominate for the PSD.

Cale Morton said recently on MFC.com (I think) that the players keep a close eye on what is going on in the draft. I believe that the player you talked to is simply speculating and mentioning the two prominent names that the whole footy community is discussing. And yes, it has also been discussed that Butcher may slide. Thanks for sharing your conversation, but I don't believe that it sheds any new light.

Firstly, I don't believe that a listed player would have access to that information, as BP doesn't even tell his own MFC scouts who he's going to take, and secondly, you said that a "contract was close for Ball" and now you say "he has many options", which is contradictory to the first statement - although true.

Carmelites Good luck.

Being an Old Xav myself I can only hope that their throwing was accurate, especially towards those Scotch poofs.

It's a good point you make, but I'd rather seduce Joan Kirner. I find myself skimming threads these days until I find a poster I like and then stop and have a look. Needless to say, I don't read much.

150+ posts on the merits of the delistings of fringe players of the reigning spooner club. Brisbane delisted/traded 12 players including Roe, Harding, and Rhan Hooper who've all showed more than our boys, yet when I checked out the reactions on a Brisbane supporters forum there was barely a whimper. There were a couple of raised eyebrows, but all in all their supporters took such proceedings in their stride. They're backing a winning regime to best place their club in the premiership stakes. Because that's all that matters - a flag. I look forward to the days when Melb supporters aren't arguing over the delistings of complete hacks. And I mean that it in the nicest possible way to the departed, as I'm on record as having said that I would have given my left one to have been good enough to play 1 AFL game.

It's worth noting that none of these 'ratings' are Matt Burgan's. He's simply estimating where players may go in the draft based on his conversations with recruiters, clubs, player managers, etc.

What ? Midfielders don't take that long to have a significant impact. And that's what we're talking about here. Not their best, but making a real difference to our fortunes. Judd, Hird, Voss and Cooney all won Brownlows within their first 5 years. Deledio has won 2 Best & Fairests by the age of 22. Murphy and Gibbs just finished in the top 3 in their B&F and both are yet to reach their fifth years. Bernie Vince won the Crows B&F this year in his 4th. A mature Rich finished 6th. I think you greatly underestimate the impact that Scully, Grimes and Trengove can have within 2 years. They may be at their best in 5+, which I know you'll say is your point, but you're misreading the impact that they can, and I believe will have, early in their careers. Coupled with the improvement expected from Frawley, Jurrah, Sylvia, Morton, Maric and a host of others and there's much to be optimistic about relatively soon. Some will accuse me of putting too much pressure on the likes of Scully too soon, but that's not the case. It's just understanding what sort of impact the best mids coming into the system can and do have within a relatively short period of time. Especially the ones that you realistically consider have a high probability of being stars.

As TimD alluded to, if Ball doesn't want to play for Melb then nominate for the ND. We will pick who we deem to be best available in the PSD. It's pretty simple really.

I don't agree. Our football club line must be, "The MFC will be choosing the best player available in the draft and we will make that decision on draft day, or earlier if we have an agreement in place with our preferred player". If we have no such agreement we will take the player we deem to be best available. End of story.

Richmond = Cousins, Foley, Deledio, Cotchin, Tambling, the out of favour Tuck, plus King and a couple of other hacks. Dees = McDonald, Moloney, Jones, Davey, Sylvia, Green, Bruce, plus youngsters on their way. They have a little better top end class, but in reality not much, if at all. Deledio doesn't do much in the midfield and Cotchin had a poor year, yet reeks class. Foley sprays it a bit, but is a good player. If anything we've got more depth through the rotations when you add Grimes, Morton, Petterd, Dunn and a couple of other hacks. Once Blease, Scully, Trengove and Grimes get their teeth into the midfield we'll surpass them quite easily. Their midfield was basically on a par with ours in 09 considering we beat them reasonably well the first time - although they came back late; and virtually won the unlosable game the second time round. And if we'd won, as we should have under 'normal' circumstances, they'd be the spooners. Games are still predominantly won and lost in the midfield. Sometimes we can fall into the trap of overrating others in an attempt to be seen to be 'above' the parochial masses.

It's funny. Tenace is a slightly better version of Buckley, yet supporters bemoan the demise of the latter.

There's two sides to every story, Ern. The bottom line is that Bartam is a plodder that was border-line best 22 in the reigning wooden spoon team. He has the heart of Pharlap and the class of a Clydesdale. Tagger or no tagger he's not good enough. Thanks for your service Clint.