rjay

Sellar was picked up at 14 in the draft by Adelaide but was at one stage considered a top 5 prospect. He wouldn't be displacing McDonald but could be very handy against some of the monsters which would free up Frawley and McDonald, let's hope he gets near the potential that was seen as a junior.

I should read We took a $3000 bet on Cale Morton at $1000 for a potential big collect right after the announcement that they had recruited him to make the starting 22 at WC, so some dumb punter is confident he has what it takes to go to the next level this season, we reckon he's done his balls” Hamilton said."

Yep, me too. Was just thinking about all those starting 22 for round one posts last year when I read this. I hope I'm not kidding myself but we do look to be much better placed this year, don't we????

Team balance.

If true which one spilled the beans. I guess it goes to what my father always told me that once 2 people know it is no longer a secret.

Well written and as much as I would like to see us in the 8 it is unlikely as the whole competition will evolve and improve further, not just us. Craig has said we will not reach the required fitness level until mid 2014 according to someone here who had a conversation with him. This is not Neeld's make or break year, this is part of a well structured plan and it won't hinge on wins or loses just yet. It was always fun listening to the Essendon people bagging Knights the Carlton crew Ratten, watch the golden boy (Hird) cop it this year if they have another fade out. I don't want to be one of those clubs. Yes they were successful and still believe their own spin about being winners but it's been a while now, like Richmond and our club, the in fighting has done a lot of damage. Having said all that I would hope to see the difference between our best and worst narrow substantially this year though.

...and this is another reason why his position needs to be reviewed. He seems to me to like playing political games and leaking to the media whilst not getting his hands dirty sorting out real issues. Rendell, the messenger was shot and Neeld on fabricated evidence hung out to dry. The quality of the indigenous footballers passed up and the total number selected in this years draft should be setting off alarm bells at headquarters but unfortunately they seem more about image than action.

My spelling mistake....

So were a few other players last year...let the case take it's course, both sides of this debate.

Sorry 'BB', but I think he is proving to be good value around the group.

This guy still has a lot of questions to answer the first one being, what does he do? with a follow up of, how effective is he at it? When the integrity guys or whatever they are called finally finish their sham investigation of us then they should get right into his office and sort out a few things. After the buckets he tipped on some senior football people last season, one of them being our coach I don't know how he could possibly hold a position in the AFL. Maybe a little off topic but it still p..... me off.

'Robbie' it seems that our guys did their homework and brought senior players into the club who would make a difference to the playing group as a whole and in turn the culture of the club. I've not been a great fan of Rodan as a player and was against the idea of us recruiting him but I can see now what he brings to the group, Bynes the same along with Dawes. It's going to be interesting to watch how the approaches of clubs to recruiting stacks up over the next few years, we have moved from all out youth to a more balanced approach. GWS is pretty much a youth program with a couple of retirees to back them up but no current stars. Richmond I think have gone too far down the recycled route and it will bring them unstuck. Geelong have moved from grow your own to import and I think they may slide. Sydney worked on culture and not required's to bring in a big money player, I guess it follows Big Baz and Plugger but not sure Tippett has it to fill those shoes and whether he will unsettle them. I like our approach now no matter what the so called media experts say, we have targeted players who bring something to the club that has been lacking and one of those elements is success. edit for unforgivable spelling error of Roden, Rodan's name.

I think we were always going to take Viney so yeah I think we would have but we will never really know will we. What we will be able to compare are the careers of Viney and Whitfield.

There's just no upside there at the moment so why even tempt fate, we don't get a lock on him at next years draft if he comes good so what's the point. Fev, well we could argue that one but basically I don't think he was any good for us and the development of younger players.

I would think it had a lot to do with people at the club and is linked to the Hogan, Barry deal at a minimum and maybe also to Toumpas.

Have a look at 'Pennant's' post above and you will understand why there is plenty to lose in bringing him into our club, particularly at Casey which is a development club for our list. It wouldn't be a punt it would be pure lunacy.

I think most will be gone and forgotten unfortunately for them, there is a reason they are no longer on our list.

Yep, probably right there but it's a pity they have to.

Yep, pity they can't have a day at the cricket and a few beers with their mates without some hero's thinking they are fair game. Also a pity that many here had them hung, drawn and quartered without knowing the facts. Way over the top here mate, this has nothing to do with elite performance and it looks nothing like the Judd biz.no one was force fed beer or drunk from what I can see, no one seems to be throwing up... and what is it with the posters who seem to know what Neeld thinks or looks unfavourably or favourably on. From what I've seen of the training and work these guys have been putting in I would hope it is moving to the elite catagory that the FD and players want, from my outside looking in view it appears to be. I just don't see where going for a day at the cricket has anything to to do with it.

Time for another CW article so we can focus on someone else and stop eating our own.

This is how I've also seen it 'Redleg', but it does bother me that it has dragged on into the new year. Maybe the AFL asking for responses to their findings is part of the game but it would have been better to clean things up in the holiday period if that was the plan. I'm not so sure it is going to go away now.

From the Melbourne Port game in Darwin in 2010 where Trengove's quick decision to rush a point won us the game, also look at his stats, not bad from a first year player. I think last year has clouded many posters opinions on this forum and don't forget the effect of being rubbed out for 3 matches by a ridiculous AFL decision and what that did to stop his 2nd season in it's tracks. Anyone that has any idea on football would know that he was carrying more than the weight of leadership last year so how about getting off his back, he will be a champion of the club at a minimum and hopefully of the game. "Demon Aaron Davey was at his creative best in collecting 26 possessions, ably supported by the midfield grunt of Jack Trengove (24 disposals) and veteran James McDonald. The Demons, playing a nominal home game in Darwin, kicked five goals to Port's one in the third term to seemingly seal the result. But Port's fighting qualities were evident in a tense last quarter - the Power hit the front twice, only for Green to level the scores with less than four minutes remaining. Those final minutes were hectic, with Demon ruckman Mark Jamar taking a mark five metres from goal only for an umpire to declare the ball touched and call for a ball-up - from which Jamar and a leaping Trengove rushed the game defining point."

Not really, it is more than unfortunate when these things happen but I found this bit of the article amusing. The language used to reinforce the story. "But he was promoted to the senior list after the Magpies lost enforcer Luke Ball to a season-ending knee injury." Is it possible the standard of journalism is getting worse over the summer break, Luke Ball an enforcer, good hard at it player, inside mid but enforcer???

I'm still not sure they were tossed out for being p...d, who knows apart from security and the boys themselves. It may well have been for the better to move them on as them being there was causing friction in the crowd, nothing more, nothing less. Be interesting to hear the MCC take on this.

He was doing his job, his relationship to the club as tenuous as it is has nothing to do with it. Not sure if you heard his interview on SEN this morn but seems there was nothing in it but a good pic or 2.