dtrinh

Has anyone heard about kane mitchell? He won the sandover medal this year for the best and fairest in the wafl with a count of 58 votes. Only other player in the history of the wafl was matthew priddis and if mitchell is anything like priddis then i'd be extremely happy! Would we have to sign him in the draft or through the PSD btw?

Even though we did lose senior players like green, moloney, rivers who i guess were the leaders at our club they have been in the system for a while, haven't played in really successful modern day clubs and have been used to training at the levels of DB. Bringing in players such as byrnes, dawes and even rodan will bring in players who train in modern day clubs who have been successful. Previously young players come to our club just expecting to play games such as morton and maybe gys and who can they look at or get guidance from in relation to training and setting high standards? I'm sure green, moloney and rivers were top blokes and leaders in their own right but not sure if they were the hardest trainers or setting high standards at the club. Even though we did lose young players in morton, gys and even martin to some degree I think that the Neeld/misson/ craig era will take Melbourne into the right direction. I'm sure both morton and gys might be able to have break out years at their respective teams but i'm not sure if that would of happened at Melbourne. We managed to bring in a good balance of youth and experience into our team. Even though people say Neeld is just trying to keep his job and win a few more games, long term it will help the rest of our youngsters in development, something we at Melbourne haven't had in a long time!

Maybe we could get a deal done to get Ray to Melbourne. Maybe we trade morton to eagles for both their remaining picks (from this thread it seems 41 and 46?) we send one of these picks to St Kilda for Ray. Means we have another pick to send to kangaroos for Pederson too. I think we are getting paid 'unders' if that is possible. Morton is a no. 4 pick and has shown something without setting the world on fire so hopefully they give us a player with a draft pick?

If it's true pick 49 + jamie bennell for farren ray I rekon is a bargain. I really can't see why Jamie Bennell would interest st kilda, really rekon that he was a high chance of being delisted this year. Can't play as a small back pocket or HBF, doesn't get enough of the ball and now with byrnes and blease doesn't fit in as a forward pocket either.

Did anyone attend the training session today? from the photo's only seemed like trengove, taggart, davey and jetta were there?

Yeah it's great to see an unbias Melbourne supporter who really has a grasp at the talent in our team. Great post Adam. With the small defender I'm hoping that Nicholson can develop further and fill this role for us. I think that Bartram's days are limited and Nicholson even then provides a better option. Watching games this year, Nicholson plays quite well one on one with small forwards, is quite physical, works hard to get to the contest, provides second and third efforts and is very quick. I do understand his disposal efficiency is questionable but I hope that can improve. With our midfield I think you correctly point out the lack of depth and stars present. If Melbourne are able to sign Pederson, I think that Howe might spend more time on the wing? He is very athletic, takes contested marks around the ground which helps us maintain possession especially along the wing and apart from his set shots on goal doesn't has a terrible kick. He still has a long way to go to play in the centre square in relation to his clearance work, that I agree with you. Great analysis Adam!

Does anyone else think he might be able to play the matt suckling type role at Melbourne? Does not have the same 'elite' or deadly kick as suckling but would probably have one of the more accurate kicks at Melbourne... has been put on the HBF end of this season. He has a monster kick, can do the kick ins, has quite an accurate kick with high disposal efficiency, he has good aerobic capacity, is experienced and seems to have a good attitude. I think he deserves another contract and see if he can develop himself into a HBF.

FB: Garland, Frawley, Nicholson (Rivers) HB: Watts, Mcdonald, Dunn C: Trengove, Jones, Blease(Ray) HF: Sylvia, Dawes, Howe FF: Byrnes, Clark, Pederson R: Jamar, Mckenzie, Grimes Int: Viney, Tapscott, Draft pick Looks like we have the 'solid core' of players that Mark Neeld keeps talking about, the forward line will look a lot more potent and difficult to match up on with the three talls down there. If one of them go down doesn't leave us stranded like last year with no one to replace Clark except Rivers. This will help add consistency to our side. Backline: Frawley will take the no.1 KPF, McDonald no. 2, depending on match ups may have to play Sellar as the third tall. Watts will take over the Rivers role he has played previously to this year as the third man up and be able to provide very useful run and carry out of our back line with dunn, both very good and accurate kicks. Garland will take the small forward. Now with this draft and hopefully development we will have more midfield depth with a core group of: Jones, Trengove, Grimes, Howe, Sylvia, Viney, Blease, Byrnes if we pick up Ray he will add more depth. We just need to see proper development to these players who hopefully similar to Jones this year will take the next step forward. Placing pressure on our midfielders hopefully will include: Taggert, Tynan, Bail, Gysberts (if he stays), Morton (big question mark still showed glimpses when he went into the midfield but needs size and confidence), Strauss Hopefully with the addition of Dawes and Pederson for the right price we will have a settled team who can further get used to Neeld's structures and hopefully provide more excitement and put a few more wins on the board!

I'm not sure why you would shift Garland/McDonald or Watts forward... Watts would be the most likely if anything, but he seems like he will be our distributor from our half back flank/wing atm. Garland will probably take the small forward depending on how nicholson and strauss develop, McDonald is locked into CHB... no way we're going to move him from that position. I think that adding one of Pederson/Gumbleton will be important to our structure, now that we have a core of players we think will move us forward it is important to get consistency of our back 6 and KPFs to allow our team to really develop and play to the structures Neeld is trying to teach them. Throwing players forward and back really hinders their development, even though it might allow for flexibility, playing a player forward and back week to week really would mess with their form and consistency.

Yeah here's a link to his draft bio and some highlights... he looks solid and I rekon would be a handy addition to our team. Seems to have speed, looks like a decent kick, the highlights don't show him so much as a lead up forward but with his height, size and mobility i think he will be a real asset to our forward line. http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tabid/208/newsid/104466/default.aspx

Why is everyone pointing the finger at Davis. Hasn't seemed to have put a foot wrong since he's come the the club. Hasn't seemed to break into our best 22 but it seems our defence in relation to talls is settled atm. He has seemed to put on size and usually takes the no.1 forward in the VFL which shows that they rate him highly and he mustn't be too far from really pushing our other defenders. I would definetly delist bate, petterd and bennell before him! At least he can bring something to our team if required!

Bail is definitely not the worst player in our team. It seems he has the right attitude, professionalism and seems to train hard which seems to be exactly what Neeld is trying to bring into our team. I think Bail will hopefully become more of a depth player for us who might replace an injured player during the season. That will mean our midfield is becoming stronger and more skilful.

Yeah anyone know why Melbourne decided to get Barry in the min-draft and not Jed Anderson? I thought Jed was very highly rated and is an indigenous kid from NT, couldn't we have pre-selected him through the GWS zone and drafted him instead?

Yeah dawes for pick 13 is way too much.. even at best he'd be a second round pick. Average player that had a couple of ok seasons when collingwood were the premiers... wouldn't be too happy if this happened. I rekon we'd have a better chance trading a couple of players for him or trading a player and a second/third round pick for him and a lower pick

I don't understand this players not buying into the training regime of the new coaches/ sports scientist etc... As a number of people have stated already and i agree with is that going to another club does not mean that you are going to have it easier. The dees under Bailey have had under-par pre-seasons and I'm guessing a lot of encouragement and positivity even when they are not training/performing at AFL standards. Neeld and craig have brought an AFL standard to our club and even though the first season has resulted in poor performances we only need to look at Hawthorn to show us how their development happened... around the time Clarkson came in, made the tough decisions and made Hawthorn a hard team to play against... Hawks were near the bottom of the ladder for a number of years, it paid off now. A game plan which has strong emphasis of defensive efforts not only as a team but also at stoppages. This is something that Neeld is trying to implement which and I hope after a couple more pre-seasons we can see real development in our younger players and hopefully final football in a few years!

yeah started playing quite well in the forward line for a period there, is tall, athletic, can take a mark i think there is a little question over his kicking ability tho?

Yeah a bit sad about ratten, was hoping that he might have come and coached our midfield, but maybe would be a power struggle between neeld and ratts. Would want to bring in proven coaches from successful teams so even if melbourne could snare bassett as an assistant coach.

I think a good pick up for Melbourne. I believe Byrnes will bring a professional attitude and specific work ethic that is lacking at our club. Although not the most skillful player, will provide us with a small crumbing forward who can rotate with Blease through the midfield and add depth to our midfield rotations.

Seems like Melbourne are interested in Chris Dawes. Interested to know people's throughts on getting Chris Dawes. I'm not so sure about him... I think that he is lucky to be in a good team which makes him look better than what he really is. this year really highlighted how over-rated he is and how he played above his true colours last year. Not so sure that he would be the answer for our forward line. Is young and tall but not sure if he's going to be very good.

Just wondering about other people's thoughts on drafting or rookie listing one of these three players. They would have the skill set except for kicking abilities and game sense they would have the following attributes: - elite athletism: speed, agility, lateral movement, vertical jumping - great ball skills: marking - Great hand eye co-ordination: great passing skills and game sense in relation to positioning of players and who to pass too Wouldn't be bad to see if we could develop one of them.

Yeah Butcher was rated really highly before he got drafted. I remember in one of his first games he took like 5 marks in the forward line and kicked 5 goals. Exactly the kind of player Melbourne should be chasing. Tall forwards who can take contested marks and convert. Appears to be injury prone but i rekon we should take a punt on either Butcher or Gumbleton. Gumbleton has been injury prone and with the number of tall options at Essendon now I think it would be smart of Melbourne to chase him. Offer him a 2-3 year deal and average money but with the promise of giving him games.

With what appears to be Collingwood snaring Lynch as a FA, i rekon that this gives Melbourne the opportunity to grab pederson. From the limited number of games he played, he showed glimpses of being able to play at AFL. Hopefully he can fill the role of providing a second ready made lead up forward helping clark out. Might also provide help for development of a fitzy or martin who can even play as a third tall in our forward line. I hope melbourne signs him, can see him being a role-player and even contribute to our forward line structure

Yeah totally agree with you there Hogan. What Mark Neeld seems to be doing is trying to bring in players that have high level of professionalism, experience, high work ethic and players that will be able to change the culture at our club. I agree that even though he may not be the most skillful or elite player his work ethic he brings to the club will show our younger players what it really takes to become a strong team and a successful footballer. I rekon with Blease hopefully moving onto the wings and through the midfield next year byrnes will be able to provide us with a small crumbing player who can add to our midfield rotations. Even though he's not going to catch the world alight, i think he will be a handy acquisition. Hopefully along with danyle pearce!

Not sure what Gys is thinking if he wants to leave Melbourne. If he's not happy with the workload and changes to training at melbourne i'm not too sure where he is going to go? Melbourne is only embracing training and intensity which is required and being completed at almost every other AFL club. If he thinks he can just switch teams and play 22 games a season he is kidding himself. Maybe MN has put out the ultimatum for Gys... work harder or you won't get a game and maybe that's the reason why rumours have come up about Gys leaving? I'm not sure whether it's a good idea to just drop him after a few injury prone seasons. I think it'd be a good idea to give him another preseason, see if he can change his attitude like blease and hopefully become a key to our midfield in years to come.

yeah agree here... maybe instead of kennedy o'rourke? sounds like he's classy user of the ball and works hard? if we can get this draft right it would really help melbourne. Add in monfries or pearce and that would really add depth to our team. Provides experience coming in with monfries and pearce while hopefully adding players with huge potential in development. From the article from grimes... seems like the core group is keen to move forwards which really helps in player development. Adding these players would allow us to increase depth meaning average players who work hard are replaced by better players: bail, jetta, dunn, strauss so far but hopefully he can develop because he has great kicking skills.