Macca

Ok, the word is that North have got enough midfielders? So that makes sense If that happens, pick 5 gets us the choice of the best 4 available Mids Pick 9 gives us one of the best 8 (or so) midfielders or do we take the punt on Armstrong? One thing is for sure is that the club knows who we are going after with a plan B and a plan C as part of the overall plan The first part of the plan was getting pick 9 off the Bombers

Ok thanks So next question is when are Armstong or Tauru likely to be picked? Top 5? 6-10? 3-7? If you don't have a good idea, don't worry, as I'm just trying to figure out whether we are all-in on 2 midfielders or maybe making a play for Armstrong or Tauru?

Just a question on the likely top 10 picks from all the phantom drafts How many of the 10 are not midfielders? (disregarding the F/S and Academy picks) I ask the question because can it be assumed that we will pick the best talent available with our 2 picks ... and are they by default, midfielders?

2024 as a season is done with and it's time to look ahead with regards to list management and the draft The club review will hopefully result in creating a clear pathway forward but we might see a few personnel changes with a few off-field positions As always, we are just mere onlookers speculating on what we think might happen

No, nothing like that What is true is you get easily triggered by any sort of optimism So instead of embracing picks 5 & 9 as a great triumph (it is) all you want to do is reference the other issues the club might have Just enjoy the moment like most others are

There's people here who can't get any joy out of 2021 flag because apparently, the GF wasn't played at the MCG Just miserable types and they've all found each on the internet. Affirmation (of sorts) Outside of the net, who would put up with their miserable utterings? The strange thing is that the miserable types have insanely high expectations. That probably explains why they whinge so much

I never quite understood what you were on about with that stuff anyway Back then I was putting a positive slant on the upcoming season and I need a walk in the sun? Were you projecting?

Pffft And my advice to you is to try and get a bit of joy out of the game and your team You pour your misery out on others so what sort of reaction do you think you're going to get? And learn how to talk with people not at them Ridiculing your own supporters wins you no favours And lose the anger

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I got lucky, Gonzo! And many others here were thinking the same way anyway Thought it might have been the Tigers who we'd deal with though Was just trying to read the tea leaves with regards to 2 Notable players possibly being on the move So the insurance policy was bought so in effect, as a result of us securing picks 5 & 9, that strengthens our position for the 2025 off season (if it all works out) We no longer have to be too concerned about falling short in the midfield (in theory) It's a midfielders game these days although the Blues with their mosquito fleet 45 years ago may have been the forerunners The old becomes the new? These days, as we all know, a team can have any number of midfield 'Types' in the 22 ... there's the 4 interchange players, High half forward (Petracca), Wings, Half backs, Defensive forwards (Viney later on?) And Kozzie can be a proper small forward as well as having stints in the middle

Tholstrup goes reasonably hard at the contest and doesn't look around. Doesn't mean he's going to get a lot of the ball (yet) but it's a great start He's not up with the pace of the game but once that happens, he can be a 20+ possession player. So those contests that he gets to will result in him winning the ball more often As a comparison, we could use Morton & Toumpas as examples (both pick 4's) Both were conspicuously absent a lot of the times. Contests were often avoided. Harsh, but true You can disagree, I'm not fussed. So let's agree to disagree, Ryan

I agree We've now got 2 gilt-edged chances to add 2 very good players to the list with the 2 high-end picks If we can find a 3rd, we're going to need a bit of luck but 2 x very good players plus 1 or 2 that end up being starting 22 would be a fantastic result Another smokey like McVee would become the 3rd top player. So out of the other 5 or 6 other players added to the list this off-season, we could unearth a gem All that added to an already talented list (if all fit & firing and playing well)

Their pure value is worth at least 2 first rounders each but their salaries, form and other factors lessens their value Or we just get them going again and keep them. And then play hard ball on a trade for either player None of us have to concern ourselves about handing out the pay packets and I always reckon there's a way to fit it all in (see Geelong) It's like accumulating points for an academy player or father/son. The clubs always seem to find a way Ideal outcome would be drafting 2 gun midfielders with Ollie & Tracca finding their best form and staying Do that and we are right back in the picture, AF

The NFC North is going at 16 & 5! AFC East 8 & 13

Handed over the keys which is not Rodgers fault either. Same deal with the Jets about who has the keys So McCarthy didn't waste Rodgers, he wasted the teams chances As previously stated, under McCarthy, it was all about the passing game The running game was bog average, run defense poor and the secondary wasn't great either It was Rodgers dominating or bust However, one Super Bowl win is better than none but we had loads of chances to at least get to 1 or 2 more SB's. I'm neither bitter or annoyed about it though There's 32 teams so all things being equal, any team has about a 30-1 chance of winning the SB It was a great ride watching Rodgers career. A genuine star But it's a team game

So we give Essendon a few later picks which were of no real use to us, but satisfies the Bombers as they need the points Pick 9 was never going to come easy although I feel we've ended up with a colossal win anyway As @Axis of Bob mentioned, our strategy has been the pointy end of the draft so the later picks are steak knives to us but valuable to the Bombers And as @DeeSpencer indicated, there's still a chance that we might trade a player out with at least something coming back (not likely, but a possibility?)

He could go to the Jets and reunite with Rodgers!

Drafting talls with early picks is often a bit iffy. We missed with the Weid but he showed heaps of promise at under 18 level He had the skills but there was a lack of intensity at AFL level. At junior level some deficiencies just don't show up Drafting mids and trading for KP talent seems to be the go. We did well with Ben Brown but decent experienced KPF's are hard to get hold of Same for tall backs in a general sense. We traded in May, Lever & Tomlinson. You could even count Hibberd in that area

Depends on whether you believe the hype or not. They are a bit young to judge even in their first year or 2 at AFL so any definitive judgements at under 18 level are premature What I look for are signs. So it's Windsor with his pace coupled with decent decision making and disposal skills The same doesn't apply to Kolt as he hasn't adjusted to the pace of the game (yet) but he does get to a lot of contests and there's no short steps either. To me he obviously just needs more time The MC played him in the last 9 games of the year and I read that as them wanting to have a good look at him and give him plenty of game time

Writing off a 19yo already? Half the battle for a teenager is getting to contests and then adjusting to a sport which is miles quicker and physical than under 18 footy So Tholstrup is getting to the contests when a number of debutants don't Adjusting to the pace of the game takes time unless a player is a step ahead of the rest The draft can throw up mixed results so throwing up descriptions like X-factor should be taken with a grain of salt Watching his highlights at under 18 level showed a player who gets to a lot of contests and then having the time to dispose of the ball ... and at AFL level, disposing of the ball accurately and quickly takes time to learn Patience, Grasshopper

Tholstrup gets to a lot of contests. He's got plenty of 'go' in him as well. Some players are inconspicuous when it matters but the Kolt is often thereabouts. Which is a great sign for the future The game is too fast for him right now so he'll need another season or 2 to get into the tempo. From what I've seen, he'll be a good player With Windsor it's different as he has terrific leg speed off the mark. He's already caught a number of opposition players napping. Will be a player As for Lamb, trading just 2 spots up looks like it will be well worth it. And Taylor's long journey to talk to the lad (Tholstrup) was well worth it as well

Further to the above It's a difficult assignment to add 2 or 3 very good players to a list in any given year. And in the last 20 years, there has been quite a few years where we didn't even add one very good player (but that's going back aways) So since 2021 we've added McVee, JVR, Windsor and maybe Tholstrup Is there a 5th very good player? Maybe Daniel Turner if he keeps improving But the total is 3 of 4 which is short on the desired outcome of at least 2 very good players added per season An example of 3 is the off-season of 2019 Kozzie, Jackson & Rivers Add 2 per season and if the average career for the very good player is 10 years then in theory, you'll constantly have about 16-20 very good players on your list The window is always open if the above happens. The 5 year window just keeps getting extended So picks 5 & 9 under the magic of Taylor and we might get lucky with another one to make it 3 Just keep bringing in the talent because it's the talent that wins you games more than any other factor

We might gave to trump up a bit more than what we're hearing (to the Bombers) but it will be worth it And I'm convinced that the need to replenish the midfield (with picks 5 & 9?) has got a lot to do with the uneasy situation with Trac & Clarrie The club can't sit idly by and hope for the best. So go the other way and create a position of strength By doing that we can trade and bargain in the next off-season knowing that if we lose either player (or both) we won't be left short In fact, if both are worth 2 first round draft picks then both combined are worth 4 first round draft picks. That's a lot of picks As well as picks 5 & 9 this off-season So go hard this off-season and then get Trac & Clarrie fit and firing and playing well By default, increasing their trade value for the 2025 off-season (if either or both want out) In the background there's JT who doesn't draft busts. His ability puts us into a no-lose situation

A week is a long time in sport (sometimes) and after reading about all the reasons why Bill wouldn't take the job on, it seems a long shot now anyway So the Jets are probably going to have to find another way forward. And because the AFC North is not a strong Division, they can make the playoffs But they'll need to win the Division as a wild-card spot might be out of reach I wouldn't rule a line through Belichick right now but it seems unlikely that he'll take the Jets coaching job

Well I answered your inane question so are you satisfied or is fighting back from adversity something foreign to you? We are all faced with adversity on a daily basis. At work, when playing sport etc etc Not everything goes smoothly and without fight back qualities, you'll fail