Lucifers Hero

Both the 'captain's call' by Goodwin (to have a co-cap and that it was to be Viney) and that Jones was blindsided were well publicised at the time. iirc Jones wasn't even told there would be a co-cap until a day or two before the announcement and that Goodwin told him while playing golf with others. Hardly a respectful way to advises a club champ that he would be sharing his job and sharing it with a kid who had yet to earn his stripes.

I'm all for a genuine experienced forward coach, one who has played and/or coached forwards at AFL level. Not one of our coaches has. Our forward line was like Brown's cows this year and it wasn't just the delivery to them. It was so bad it was the major line coach change in the mid year re-structure with Rawlings replacing Rooke. Chaplin and Plapp stayed in their line coach positions. I can't see how we can not have a genuine forward coach, especially as nearly all our forwards are inexperienced or converted defenders. We have defenders coaching converted defenders to be forwards. This year we saw the results. Lewis is a kicking and development coach but will mainly work with the team in the pre-season due to media comittments during the playing season. And his remit isn't related directly to forwards. We haven't added to our forward talent in the off-season so our opportunity for improvement is (better delivery) and better forward craft and tactics. So, who will bring the latter as we have tried Chaplin and Rooke as forward coaches in recent years. Both have been moved to other roles. I vaguely recall Mahoney saying Rooke was being put back into the position he was originally hired for: development. They are not the answer. Just don't see how anyone can expect a more effective and efficient forward line with no key player changes without a dedicated coach. Gosh, at this stage I would even settle for a part-timer!

Hopefully, Harmes hasn't spoken too early and spoilt a big club announcement! Nonethless, will be delighted for Max to be a co-cap.

It is quite disgusting. I can't bring myself to repost the comment. Some news outlets have declined to publish the original post. Ch7 have printed it in this article: liam-ryans-daughter-targeted-with-abhorrent-racist-online-abuse So sad that some people think it is ok to post such trash. His little girl is just a baby.

He isn't far off that: 18.3 touches and 22 goals in 2019 in a team that came 17th with an ineffective midfield. Martin, Greene and De Goey played in teams that came 1st, 2nd and 3rd with excellent midfields. And each of those players has more experience as Petracca missed his first year from ACL. We gush over other team's players but often fail to give credit to our own - not saying that about yourself, just a general comment about DL.

A really good article on the ups and downs of his career so far. Several clubs came calling for his services at trade time. A credit to both him and the club that they told them to go away. I liked this from the article: Petracca looms as a project player for Burgess, who already played a role in sending the Demon and teammate Christian Salem to Nike World Headquarters in Oregon, United States...They spent 10 days there before returning last week, completing a Burgess-designed off-season program, with some extra input from Nike specialists. Burgess doing his thing early. Petracca and Salem are two of our most talented and it will be massive when they both achieve their potential - hopefully sooner rather than later. It must also be confidence building for them that the club invests in their development in that way. Petracca is out of contract this year so the sooner he is signed up the better.

I really like Saty's reports and pics. And those of @Earl Hood@Big Kev@DeeSpencerand all other folk whose names I don't recall, who go to training and report back. Especially in the off-season when there is little demon related news or first hand info. Thanks one and all

Its a mock draft, no-one gets them right. We should bid on Green even if we don't get him. Let GWS sort out their draft points. They played in the GF for goodness sake, they don't need anymore help to build their list. Make them pay the going rate for Green.

Geelong's 'audacious' move is old news taken from a 'Road to the Draft' interview with Wells a few weeks ago. Wishful thinking on Geelong's part. Their picks will all move down 3 spots after academy bids. We need to remember that pick 8 isn't just pick 8 it includes our 2020 first round pick, along with some later picks 26, 50 we gave North in exchange. In no way do their 14, 17 come close to what we paid for #8. If we must trade 8 go to GCS for 15 and next years first round or mid first round pp and something else from them. Pick 8 is in high demand. It has more value than just draft points. Why would we give up the chance to get a gem at #8 for several roughies late in round 1. Geelong a dreaming and we will look very silly giving up our 2020 1st round pick to North only to cough it up to Geelong. If we do trade 8 we sure as hell need to nail pick 3.

Champion Data top Mock draft is: https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/afl-mock-draft-2019-champion-data-rankings-pick-1-prospects-matt-rowell-tom-green-noah-anderson/news-story/e8b5be824b0695bda92ce6a7869dd570 1. MATTHEW ROWELL 2. THOMAS GREEN 3. NOAH ANDERSON 4. LUKE JACKSON 5. HAYDEN YOUNG 6. CALEB SERONG 7. SAM FLANDERS 8. LACHLAN ASH 9. DEVEN ROBERTSON 10. WILL GOULD Interestingly, Green is ranked as 2nd best. Surely, we must bid for him at 3? Are we afraid GWS won't match? I see no risk in bidding for him - we either get one of the top 3 draftees (Green) or we select the player we would otherwise have chosen currently predicted to be Jackson. We must nail pick 3 and if Green is best available we go for him!

I thought his ranking on our forward line was fairly accurate based on 2019. Reckon he has our list ranked in the right region - bottom half of the eight. I don't think we are a top 4 list, yet. We might be after the draft. I do like that he has us ahead of Essendon but even then they are ranked too higly. Reckon he has sold Sydney short at 17th. And not sure how he could rank Adelaide at 15; not much going for them really. Can't say that I like him or that I ever will.

And to add more context to Twomey's selection of Weightmen at 8, it is because they were acting as recruiters and Sheehan had selected Jackson at 7, as a Freo recruiter so he was off the board for Twomey at 8. He desperately wanted Jackson at 8. And they didn't make any adjustment for matching bids on Academy players. It was a bit of a game really; not really an expected draft order.

https://www.afl.com.au/news/2019-11-14/afl-announces-change-for-tribunal-in-2020 The governance of the AFL Tribunal will move from the Football Operations Department to form part of the AFL Legal Department led by AFL General Counsel Andrew Dillon, ensuring the Tribunal function operates separately to the Match Review Officer and the General Manager Football Operations. Not rocket science to separate the 'policemen', Michael Christian/Steve Hocking from the 'judiciary' the Tribunal. Don't know what took them so long. Now lets not have conflicted ex-players sit on the Tribunal when their ex team will be affected ala the Toby Green fiasco. I suspect consistency is a little too much to ask for!

Given that he was played in an unfamiliar role in defence he had a very good season. He should only be played forward where he can be really damaging. Gains separation, leads well to the ball, can take a great mark and is one of our more accurate kicks for goal. Looking forward to watching him have a settled and successful year.

Not entirely sure but I think picks need to be used in sequence for Academy players so if Freo hold 7 and 10 when Henry is bid on those picks are used. Any surplus points remaining gives them another pick further down the draft.

Just published: Live pick trading rules The answer to your question therein is: "The Giants could move on their first selection (Pick 6) in return for later selections, which would aid their second selection (Pick 40) in matching a bid. They could then look to leapfrog back into the top 15 after completing a deal with another club, following the closure of the loophole with the same club. Another option would be to wait until (after) the player has been bidded on, with teams able to make a live trade to downgrade while on the clock, allowing for lower selections to be used to match bids". The advantage to them is getting the Academy player on the cheap and getting another player in the draft. Once Freo or GWS trade out their pick (6/7)the club holding those picks drafts a player, Freo and GWS take Henry/Green on points when bid. So our pick 8 becomes the 10th pick in the draft. I am of the same view as other posters that once an Academy or F/S player has been bid on a club should not be allowed to trade out their next pick(s). There are more than enough advantages for those clubs as it is getting some of the best players year after year.

Right on cue: Live Trading Rules Released 20 minutes ago! Re GWS, it says: "The Giants could move on their first selection (Pick 6) in return for later selections, which would aid their second selection (Pick 40) in matching a bid. They could then look to leapfrog back into the top 15 after completing a deal with another club, following the closure of the loophole with the same club. Another option would be to wait until the player has been bidded on, with teams able to make a live trade to downgrade while on the clock, allowing for lower selections to be used to match bids". Fortunately, it doesn't prohibit swapping back in a pick traded to a club during the trade period. This means we can pick swap with Freo and North if we wanted to.

Agreed. I thought it was an odd video to put on line. It only raises doubts, especially after last year's exaggerated claims about his fitness on start of pre-season. Would have preferred a video of the repeat 50m sprints, flat out, as Saty described.

In the video he looks exhausted after a 30 sec jog... Looks dejected: on haunches, head on hand, looks up, grimaces, head in hands...

The fate of picks 3 to 10 has been speculated on except pick 5 held by Sydney. Nor have they been linked to a player in the top 10 except as a bidder for Green. So I wouldn't be surprised that if GWS match a bid on Green then Sydney trade #5 out. Who to and for what? To Freo for 10 and 22? With 5 Freo take Jackson, another player at 7 and get ahead of the game for Henry. To the Cats for 14, 17? Sydney also have 25 and 32 - a nice set of picks to take to the draft or extract max value from another team wanting to move up the draft. Its too quiet on the Sydney front I reckon!! They are a wild card in the top 10! Especially, if their target player(s) are in the low to mid teens!

TMac isn't necessarily a No 1 tall but can't agree with those comments from Dermot . I think it reflects that we haven't and don't have a forward coach to teach him the finer art. It also reflects that in 2019 he was the no 1, 2, and 3 tall; no Hogan, a still developing Weideman and a raft of tallish, part time supporting acts.

I have little time for Goddard but his assessment is fair as evidenced by our 2019 %'age being the second worst by a long way. But considering Petracca was the 'lone ranger' being the only one to play 22 games forward and most of the other regulars barely played half the season then 14th is ok. Would be more worried as St Kilda and Crows who have less reasons than us for performing poorly. Anyway, 2019 was a bad year no matter how it is dissected. It is now done and dusted. Nonetheless, we will see many more postmortems to fill the media space and we will not rank well, because we shouldn't. But they will have little meaning as 2020 will be an immensely better year. Scribes overrated us at the start of 2019, I will guarantee they will underrate us for 2020. We will show them!

Even if they did offer 14+17 we should not accept it - In draft points 14+17 is worth far less than what we gave North to get pick 8 and their is an intangible value in the quality of pick 8. No way should we 'sell' it at a discount to another club. If we did we would look pretty stupid having given up our 2020 first rounder and paid a massive premium to get 8.

That several clubs are prepared to package up their mid teen pick for a top 10 shows there must be some real gems in the top 10 that won't be on the table at 14, 15, etc. Two top 10 players (@3+8) are far better for us than one top player @3 and two lesser more speculative players in the mid to late teens, especially now that we are likely to have Bennell. Unless we get an offer too good to refuse we take 8 to the draft!

And Sumich seems to have an axe to grind with Freo so he may just be playing nasty so Freo miss out on him or as you say pay up big for pick 3.