jurrahcane

yes Luke Blackwell (26) Ex Carlton/Claremont, skilled fast onballer, getting 30 possessions a game in WAFL

yes Mitch Wolfindden (19) Port melbourne, fast onballer, great atitude, tackler, probably unlucky not to get drafted in 2011 but his 2012 has ben very good.

yes Adam Cockie (22) ex Eagles/ Sandringham, showed some real skill for eagles, and I was surprised when he was delisted. He could be our new Fwd Pocket wizard in 2013

Did anyone see how easily Collingwood won the centre square and the stoppages. (" We need skillful outside mids who will spread, run and carry" WTF)

We need tough footballers, skilled, tacklers and good muscle. Not outside runners. Gysberts and Strauss will provide that when fit/ Nicholson, Bail, Blease are the outside runnders.... of yes and Morton.

Maybe swap Cale Morton for Koby Stevens.

Get on board, we need inside mids ... yes we get Viney but need more. We cannot rely on Nathan Jones all the time.

Hayes, Sewell, Black ... you are dreaming.

Yes we are apparently interested in Jack Martin from WA (a gun 17yo). Watch him in the u/18's champs. MFC can offer pick #3 and also say "now leave Viney off limits!!! (win win)

This kid is on the fringe on the Eagles best 22. Cannot get a go in their midfield.

He is tough, a good stoppage player, a good tackler, skilled and "muscled". A boy from Gippsland. Pick 25 in 2009 draft. He would be cherry ripe for our midfield and help the core Jones, Trengove, Grimes, Viney (a nice fit IMO).

Thoughts?

here was his Under 18's recuitment bio & spec.

KOBY STEVENS – GIPPSLAND POWER U/18'S

> Good all-round ball winning skills– 18.6dpg at 2009 U18 Championships level, 25dpg at 2009 TAC Cup level – he can play both inside (get 1^st hands quite frequently) and out, but I don't think he stands out at either (mainly due to his middle of the road decision making and disposal) – he will most likely become a genuine workhorse hard ball getter with no frills or possibly even a big bodied defensive midfielder that can get the ball ala Ling (this would be the role he should be developed in IMO)

> Very strong, well balanced and keeps his feet well - rarely brought down in a tackle

> Good height for a midfielder/flanker and strong body – large, lean build for an U18 – definite AFL ready (if fit) next season

> Good level of production and consistency both throughout a game and game by game – has the ability to step it up in the bigger games/rise to the occassion

> Good overall work-rate in both directions – is a ferocious tackler that will ground opponents in close, but doesn't possess the pace to run down players – I think he has good running capacity when at full fitness

> Reports suggest he has very good leadership potential

Weaknesses

> Pace-wise off the mark is not in the elite class. This may be ok at under 18's but will need further aerobic pace at AFL

Other

> He is a good kick, with power and decent penetration behind the ball – although watching his U18 Championships games on tape it seems his current technique could be tightened up a bit – I'm not sure maximise his extension through the footy – he does lack hurt factor with his passing due to his somewhat high trajectory kicking, modest decision making (tends to go long and straight to contests too often) and having only a reasonable accuracy and reliability at best

> He is an OK DM at best, but in no way creative/damaging or very reliable- inside traffic he doesn't seem to possess great vision to open up the play as you would want from a midfielder without pace or evasive ability, outside traffic he seems to play mainly in straight lines - on occasions he can be caught out for lack of quickness (doesn't seem to have sharp reflexes)

Overall

Stevens is an old fashioned, no-nonsense footballer that plays a team orientated brand of footy with a good-very good level of production and consistency as a strong inside midfielder..

agreed, he was not a smokey. We had all said he was a real target. Over on demonology Howe was the 2010 "mature pick", like Aaron Hall was the 2011 "mature pick".

Jeremy Howe is a GUN. He is one of our big improvers. Good stuff and exciting footy.

MARK OF THE YEAR frontrunner at the moment

forget Dayne Beams. We had our chance, in fact ask Bailey & Prendergast why not !!!

We should look at in 2012 draft

1) Two quality mids + Viney - in 1st round (like Ben Kennedy, Jimmy Toumpas, and Viney)

2) a skilled small running half back (like Oliver Wines)

3) and please please please a crumbing forward (like Dayle Gartlett)

+ Rookies - like Adam Cockie (WCE/Sandringham), Lachlan Ferguson (Collegians), Luke Blackwell (Claremont)

Channel 7's Dennis Cometti believes Scott Thompson may be a chance for this years Brownlow. A fair call given he IS a premier midfielder. It is a shame we could not hold him (I understand it was a fir dinkum family tie that took him back to Adelaide).

agreed, Jack Viney will be a Demon in 2012 NO MATTER WHAT

agree...get him in to the midfield. HFF is a wasteland. 12 disposals is max for HFF like players. Colin needs the run in the engine room.

Neeld was so frustrated ... it was a bad turnover. It cost us. He can get the footy, but but he does not WANT the footy nor drive intensity in tackling, chasing or delivery. Last chance ...

finally a tough player... bravo. Luke Tapscott is a key to our future. Love it and maybe more from others (watts, morton & davey are soft)