Lutz

Disagree. Considering he was not at fault, the prudent thing to do is get the hell out of there before the media is buzzing around. Or so it would have seemed at the time. Colin had no legal obligation to stick around, so tried to avoid a media [censored] that was really inevitable in the end. Can't blame him for that move in isolation.

That was only because he led the TAC cup in goalkicking, playing at FF for a bloke his size. He always had a knack for just getting the ball and doing something with it, even if he wasn't the fastest, strongest, most skilled or whatever. Just a footy player.

I wouldn't worry about him not testing in the top bracket at draft camp. The kids he'd be going up against would have been in "the system" for years on end, getting sports science and proper training techniques pumped into them. I remember Jurrah having never done a preseason before coming to MFC. If Manson is anything similar, he's bound to improve greatly and rapidly.

I think you need to delve beyond the simple drug abuse and look at the cause for it. The kid was clinically depressed and wasn't getting much help from the club on it, because they didn't even know. I think he's now in a much better position for a club to give him a support network and the understanding to help him succeed. There's no doubting he is talented, and for a rookie pick he's worth the punt.

I read them. It'd be 1, 2 & 11. Without 2 being our compo pick, it'd be 1 & 10.

Epic effort to miss the entire point, too.

You could be right. Not sure which upgrades DJ was involves in, but these things tend to be collaborations anyway. It does sound impressive, but at the same time - what effect could it really have? 1%? 2%? I know those percentages make all the difference at the top end, but I think only then.

Yet the AFL is jumping at shadows already.

Textbook ignorance. They did what the client asked for. Blame the "turf engineers" or whatever they get called.

Him being excluded from the team is a PR exercise, because of the media focus. From having been with the team in Ireland, it's all about [censored]-ups and staying out til all hours. I recall seeing Michael Voss, James McDonald and another I can't recall drunkenly wrestling with young Irishmen in the park at 4am in Galway. Pretty sure it was the night before a match. For the players, they play hard and they party hard. It's a social event as much as it is playing for your country. Edit: the other was Nick Davis.

Not exactly related, but I was talking to a good friend who is an architect at Daryl Jackson. For those who aren't familiar with the architecture caper or Daryl Jackson, his firm is a big player in the Australian industry. They win lots of industry awards, have designed both Docklands stadium and upgrades to the MCG, and Daryl Jackson himself is a mad bombers supporter (you'd have to be...). She's been having regular visits from Hird and Bomber Thompson, so they can tweak every minute detail on their latest project. To the point of becoming a bit bored of it, she said. Now that Essendon is looking to have a new training facility built, DJ is all over it, and designing the facility for peanuts. I'm reliably told that it will feature 2 ovals - one an exact replica of the MCG, another an exact replica of Etihad. This goes beyond merely dimensions. The turf system underfoot will be built in exact accordance with that of the grounds which the ovals are to mimick. I dare say a lot of training won't be done on the "docklands" surface. Anyway, that's what we're competing with, or will be in a year's time.

Fair enough. Can't disagree with that. But I think his kicking is used to best effect in that position.

Assuming no other teams use compo picks, which is lunacy, or get priority picks, then we'd have 1, 2 & 11. The other bonus is that no team would be ahead of us to bid for Viney, so we'd be free to use our 2nd round pick to select him.

Unfortunately everyone is entitled to an opinion.

Very much doubt that we'd create space to use pick 70. We're already having a hard time coming with delists - using pick 70 would just mean another kid guaranteed 2 years, so we end up looking more seriously at guys like Strauss, Bail, Bartram, Spencer and Davis... We only have so many Dunns and Bates, and even Bate seems a required player in the club's eyes right now.

Disagree - I think he's already played in the perfect position, where his greatest weapon (his footskilss) can be used to full effect. With Strauss and/or Blease back there, we have the elite disposal out of the D50 that we need.

41,304. Pythagoras? You're thinking of Pythagorean theorem: a2 + b2 = c2 E = mc2 is Einstein's equation for energy - mass equivalence. Both geniuses from a bygone era, both would make awkward nicknames. "Hammer" wins easily for me.

If he is getting the opposition's 4th best defender, he is going to be a serious weapon. A great find.

I'm a fan of Neville, but if he doesn't take a decent step forward in 2012, he'll be gone, I think. Possibly unfairly.

Hayden Hector popped up in the VFL a few times this year, did he not?

Great news! I've kept my eye on him a little since leaving Hawthorn, and hoped we put some feelers out for him. This is a bloke that ACTUALLY DESERVES a second chance, unlike clowns like Fevola. I think Trav can still prove to be a very good player, and just needs a decent support network around him. We can provide that.

I know we're running out of options, but I'd be hesitant to re-rookie Wonaeamirri. I understand he has a lot of work to do in order to get back into the 22, but we're not bursting at the seams with small forwards. And who would MacDonald be getting a game ahead of in the backline? Tapscott, Strauss, Blease, Grimes, Tom McDonald, Davis. The very blokes we need to pump games into. Handy player, but he doesn't exactly hold the side together and isn't a key for the future. In my eyes, Joel Mac has to go.

Making a statement like that, I'd say you don't have a great understanding of AFL list lodgements.

Strangely, it makes sense for him to be Casey coach. One thing he hasn't done is coach his own team. Not sure if there's a lot of other opportunities to do that in the league. Harvey would be another feather in the cap of this administration.

Schwab actually said earlier this season that we have an issue with the majority of the group tending to OVERtrain. Possibly spin, but young bodies do need time. Maybe the previous fitness manager was too easy on them, held them back TOO much?