Sydee

Agree - If the best player in the clubs long and proud history is one that couldn't kick to AFL standards then we truly are a joke. Oliver can get it when fit and handball (I do question how many of those were blatant throws) but the game now relies of kicking ability - his Achilles heel imho

Collingwood GF - what absolute nonsense No chance - BOOKMARK IT

Not sure it's purely speed (neither particularly quick imo) - may have something to do with being able to kick to the advantage of a teammate and not bomb the ball indiscriminately by foot

All I want for Christmas is for Steven King to give us all the "Vision for Melbourne" that Jack Steele found so compelling It will restore faith for many here that are teetering on the edge

Hard to sing along to - maybe that's the idea ?

Why crass and why expected - may I ask?

Yep, sadly I do realise that fact We have had a long line of super talented forwards during my time as a supporter that for a variety of reasons haven't had the stellar careers their talent justified My comment on Jurrah was not that he had a stellar career but more that he was plucked from relative obscurity - the non-traditional pathway and showed very quickly he had all the weapons to compete at the very highest level. Why he failed to translate all that talent into a long career is another story Latrelle is a risk - one I am hoping pays big dividends - it may not - such is life

Perhaps you are? 😄

Good to hear Kentfield impressing - hopefully he gets super fit and makes a big statement this season

Not trying to swing the topic back to heart issues again PF?

Contract heading to bin

Could be time to rename this thread - clearly no longer relevant to Riley Onley

Noticed that Harvey Langford wore the #22 for Vic Country in 2024 - same as Onley in 2025 Hopefully makes the same impression in his first season at MFC

Good pick up imho - height and speed is a great starting point for a midfielder He might need to polish up some areas of his game, but he certainly has some strong attributes to start off with Good luck Riley and work hard

Big risks can have big returns Correct that he hasn't been fortunate enough to have been playing Coates league but there are quite a few examples of players taken from other pathways that have proven more than capable at AFL level These kids all mature at differing rates, the opportunities presented may be quite different based on a whole range of factors He is still very young, but I like the fact he has been playing against mature aged players albeit at a lower level Get him into our system, get the right people around him (coaching, conditioning and players) and hopefully he will be another diamond in the rough One of the greatest raw talents we have ever seen at the MFC was plucked from obscurity - anyone remember that bloke from Yuendumu Magpies (Liam Jurrah)

Hope we take Sam Allen or Riley Onley

I'm not opposed to drafting LSP but at 16 it seems a huge reach. Played SANFL reserves all year with pretty modest return. His one senior game late in the year was a 4 goal effort (including two that were gifts) and he was dropped after the following week. Personally, rather the two best available at 7&8 then Sam Allen at 37 hopefully if still there Just my humble take and I'm glad it's not up to me as this year and next are pretty important drafts for the club

Truth is there might be quite a few on the radar for this pick assuming we keep it - but I agree Allen does look like a good prospect and the family tie with Ray Groom is also a bonus. I'm sure had he not done his knee he would be closer to the pointy end of this draft. Sam Allen Draft Profile - Aussie Rules Rookie Me Central (formerly AFL Draft Central)

I have a healthy respect for JT but there a few early picks <25 on our list that really have yet to fire a shot at AFL level. It is far from a precise science imho and picking guys earlier than widely anticipated carries risk

Surely there are at least a dozen kids with enough potential to warrant selection for our picks this year? I'm keen to get as much youth in as quickly as possible and this time next year those kids will have the benefit of 12 months in the system rather than newbies who remain speculative picks. If we are serious about Humphrey next year then he needs to want to come to us so its critical we build a promising list asap. We should be in his ear constantly all year and hope he finds the brand is taking over his preferred role at GCS.

You could be right - however all 4 being dropped from the list is unlikely imo unless they all have absolute stinkers this year Personally, never understood the decision to recruit Laurie in the first instance when for me he seemed like a poor man's Charlie Spargo. Let's see how things go this year but on exposed form I really can't see either of AJ or Henderson lasting beyond 2026. As for Jefferson he has potential but so did many others that have come before him and failed dismally. He more than any player on our list needs to get a big dose of fire in the belly if he is any chance at all to player AFL football. He would need to show more than a few cameos this season to persevere with particularly if we see a return to form of JVR and if Kentfield or Heath show promise as tall forwards.

In the heat of the game coaches feedback and advice tends to be forgotten in my experience and instinct takes over. Accept your point on turnovers being costly (that is critical in the modern game). Our list changes have helped to eliminate some turnovers IMHO and if the list management team and coach think any potential recruit is a major risk in that area, I think it's fair to assume they will not be picked.

Good point - I was also a bit surprised the other day reviewing past results at draft combines. A lot of players that tested well went on to do not much or zero. Tough job being a recruiter that gets it right most of the time - let us hope JT is in very good form

Why would he be less coachable than any other prospect? Our new coach is on record as saying he wants to encourage our list to play with flair and more freedom - this guy seems like a good fit to me. Given the talent available at our current picks, I'm not seeing anyone who has more upside. Apart from someone wanting him to accumulate more possessions (not as easy when not a permanent midfielder) I don't see any real concerns. For full disclosure I am not a relative, next-door neighbor, his girlfriend's father or the checkout person at his local supermarket - I'm just a long suffering supporter that is keen to watch a more exciting brand of football

Really ? One of his strengths looks like his ability to step opponents effectively and keep moving forward. Personally love that he can do that - players that run around in circles or sideways are very low on my list of must haves