Lucifers Hero

Any room for Stretch? Ok I won't post this response to our hypothetical teams anymore. But I feel we have forgotten about him as he went so early in the recruiting process. He may well be one of the greats for us!

Any room for Stretch?

Any room for Stretch?

Agree. Feel comforted that we have an 'un-live' pick 43 (Stretch). So recruiting in terms of our age profile: - 3 - (18 year olds), - 2 - 22 year olds, and - 2 - 26/27 year olds Looks ok from a team balance point of view but I pray that they turn out to be good decisions. Time will tell: I now fluctuate, almost daily from great excitement to good god I so hope this new recruit works out!

For all our collective DL angst about losing players to Free Agency, the Delisted FA's aspect of the policy is working well for us: Cross and now Newton. Perhaps this is where clubs like us (and Saints with Membrey) can make FA work for them. It does require their club delisting them and both Sydney and Port have done the right thing by delisting good players to let them choose their own club. Nonetheless, great opportunity for lower clubs. Edit: Can't imagine those 'impossible to deal with clubs' like Essendon or Collingwood ever treating their players so well...they would demand 1st round picks instead.

With the recruiting of Ben Newton confirmed the club has decided that: - Ben is better than anyone at pick 40 and we will go to the draft with just picks 2 and 3, or - We will use pick 40 if a really good player is still there and we then delist a contracted player. Either way a really good result for us.

Now officially a Demon!! Newton switches Power to join Melbourne "General manager of player personnel Todd Viney said the club had kept a close watch on Newton throughout the season." "He looms as a shrewd acquisition by the Demons." Good to see we are getting players we target during the year (Frost included) and not just those NQR at other clubs (as in our 'moneyball' days). Me thinks we may have had a word in his ear early on so he didn't take up the Port contract. We chose not to trade for him and Port were good enough to delist him to chose his own club rather than force him into the draft. Well done by all and welcome Ben.

Is this post to justify your choice of avatar Agree with your sentiments tho.

We are forgetting that during the DB years reports were that the players called the shots particularly how/when to train. This was at a time when we had a mediocre player leadership group. So yes, very difficult for new, young players to get the development they needed and deserved. Sam could have worded his comments better but they aren't much different than what we all think. Hope he really makes a go of it this time. edit: it would be nice to change the title back to Sam being a Cat...

Consider our list (with known recruits): -Only 7 players have played more than 100 games. 7 !!!!! -There are 7 players under 20 years of age, 5 aged 21, 10 aged 22 to 25. This age/experience profile is totally out of sinc with other AFL lists. So why worry about using pick 40 and 53 in a 'lottery' for more 18 year olds. It also may explains why Roos offered supposed 'duds' contracts...we need some experience!!! If a good prospect with experience comes up, who MFC consider offers more than a contracted player I am sure they will have the fortitude to delist that player. Otherwise draft pick 2 and 3 it is!! BTW we will still have 2 rookie spots for other experienced players who may not find a home during the main draft. Doubt we would rookie any 18 year olds though.

Firstly, not all those players were re-signed during Roos tenure! What is so sacrosanct about using all the draft picks??! Surely it is the resultant list that counts not the method of getting them on to the list. Consider our list (with known recruits): -Only 7 players have played more than 100 games. 7 !!!!! -There are 7 players under 20 years of age, 5 aged 21, 10 aged 22 to 25. This age/experience profile is totally out of sinc with other AFL lists. So why worry about using pick 40 and 53 in a 'lottery' for more 18 year olds. It also may explains why Roos offered the other players in your post a contract...we need some experience!!! If a good prospect with experience comes up, who MFC consider offers more than a contracted player I am sure they will have the fortitude to delist that player. Otherwise draft pick 2 and 3 it is!!

In 87 they did it for Robbie!

I'm referring to the decisions made by the AFL admin that don't need to go to the Commission and seem to favour Carlton...

...it pays to have a past champion captain, rhode scholar, influential man about town, as the AFL Commission Chairman...

Essendon haven't fared well with the 2015 fixture. They have only 4 night games about 1/2 of 2014. Is the AFL planning for them to not be very competitive? If players are suspended presumably coaches/sports science staff etc are prohibited from 'training' players at alternate premises...so can't see them being 'game fit' until mid-year. Just hope they don't 'tank' the season.

PJ's reaction had a 'no-comment' element feel to it. Disappointed? While we have a really difficult draw in rounds 4-7 it opens for us after that. So feeling optimistic for a much better year. I'm delighted we have the ANZAC Eve game and hope it becomes an annual event. This game is a big plus for us.

I would reluctantly add Jesse. All the talk is positive but he didn't finish the one game he played to manage his game time and he didn't play any part in the next Casey game. Have niggling doubt on how he finished up. Hope the medicos have learnt from their poor handling of him in the practice games early this year. Will sigh with relief when he has played out a few full games be it Casey or AFL.

Any wonder that we wanted to keep pick 23 so much...some highly rated players in top 10 or so will be sliding to 20+

So, he takes it easy last year, then gets the big coin and decides to put in some effort and get fit!! Shame he didn't care enough to do it with us...

I would be more comfortable with someone who has had forward line coaching experience. Dawes will be busy just getting his own game into shape and Miller wasn't such a stand-out forward. Ox would be good for nous and skills - talked glowingly of the work that Robbie Flower put into his kicking for goal. With Hogan coming in, good small forwards and some goal-kicking mid-fielders I feel it is time to seriously beef-up our forward coaching expertise, IMO.

Something new...who we will take with pick 2 and 3, perhaps!

Totally agree! In fact the only real interest for me in the draft is to see what 'rabbit we pull out of the hat' at 3. Will be surprised if it is not a surprise!

Unless of course, if Ess were stripped of their last flag, in the year 2000 it would magically become our flag!!!! So, the 13th is already done and dusted! Nope, when we win the 13th I want it to be fair-and-square so they can keep their last flag (even tho hey didn't win it fairly)

Joined up Redlegs again today! Discovered we now have a 'digital membership'. I only found it by accident so here is the link http://membership.melbournefc.com.au/packages/view/202/Digital+Armchair+Membership It can be purchased on its own or at a discount as an add-on to a game membership. You can watch all games live... ...2015, Go Dees

I reckon Toumpas, Fitzy and Pederson will make it thru with flying colours! Hunt will step up and Bail will get better. These plus aforementioned players by other posters are my 'most likely to succeed' list from the the 2015 OOC's