Diamond_Jim

The whole idea of the ruckman is up for debate. I am starting to think that you have one maybe two at the most and then you back it up with KPP/Ruck players. These are competent Casey level players who would ruck for that team at least one quarter per game. The idea of grooming future ruckmen is just too fraught with chance and ties up list spots. I also think it is relatively easy to go into the trade season and pick up another club's back up ruckman in return for a promise that they will be first ruck. Coming into 2017 I was excited by the dominance that Gawn could deliver. Injuries aside my thoughts have now changed and while I think rucks are useful they are rarely winners. Will be very interesting to see how Natanui and Gawn perform in 2018.

Pick 31 has 3 players (Shane Wakelin, Paul Chapman and Jake Sinclair) around or above 200 games. Take them out (you are talking 31 year averages) and the average number of games played drops down substantially. Perhaps better to look at the median level of games which I suspect is around or below 30 games for pick 31. By the way we got Jakovich for pick 6 but of course he only played 47 games. The top game players for pick 6 were Kepler Bradley and Chad Wingard both at just above 100 games. As you say a cursed pick.

so I assume no one wanted Kent? Says a lot for our depth players

I know it's special circumstances etc but one cannot help but note that we have lost another home grown veteran. Now that Watts has gone I think that leaves only Jones and Gawn as MFC drafted players over 25... (Vandenberg technically qualifies as well I think)

WOW... just wow Almost Howard Hughesque

I like the one year but it does confirm that the FD think he is a long shot. Good luck.

Very surprised by the AFL decision. Dubdee's was my fist reaction but when you do some reading the answer is obvious. The IOC have been dealing with this issue for some time and have clear rules based on testosterone levels. Mauricey clearly satisfied the testosterone levels as a female athlete. End of issue from my viewpoint.

no problem with trading Macca. It is simply that the terms of the trade whichever way you look at it simply do not make sense.

Someone earlier posted $165K or thereabouts which was a third. What was your source for the higher figure? The basics of this trade are so flawed that it becomes more unbelievable by the day. How not to negotiate and trash your limited brand in one exercise. Sorry if I have little faith in the football department but they have done nothing to command the blind faith that many on this board seem to exhibit.

on no level is this a good deal. Whatever you think of him he's better than what we will get at pick 31 (sure I could win Tattslotto but unlikely). And then we part pay his salary so the idea that somehow that it will free up money is a misnomer. So we are left only with the send a message brigade... that is so old school it does not need to be discussed

tough ... uncompromising ... etc etc ... seems we had a coach like that in recent years. This will be a big year and not just for the playing group

Once upon a time we had four Jacks and now there is one. Hope this is not an omen for the last Jack and his "foot."

ok... but if that were true you would still expect the number of trades to remain relatively constant across the board in the sense that at any one time there will always be teams at the various evolutionary points. Still does not really explain the absence of trades this year. Also if you accept that this year is a "shallow" draft you would expect a higher number of trades as teams try to compensate for the lack of talent in the second round etc

contrary to the collective wisdom on the Jake Lever where the "experts" kept telling everyone that a player beats a speculative draft pick any day of the week.

Fascinating .... wonder what is the driving force in the change

Seriously nice beach at Byron Bay One of the few northerly facing beaches in Australia. Noosa is another as is 1770 (but no surf there)

that deal will probably require us part paying his salary I suspect

Kardinia Park has a capacity of 34,000 persons. It effectively precludes any substantial attendance by opposing supporters. This will only get worse as it increasingly becomes a reserved seat stadium. Not sure why MFC supporters should continue to be the ones who are effectively locked out.

traditional in a game plan sense ... if any thing they are the Frankenstein of the traditional game plan with big forwards, running backs and a deep midfield. Again they will have good draft picks to top up the "machine" but has the game passed that model by? Sure they will win more than they lose and therefore give themselves a chance at the big one but statistically is it still the better style. Frankly I'm not sure .. thus the question.

Lot in what you say and obviously the MCG was a factor. Last year the Bulldogs played mainly outside Victoria in the finals and they just won those games. The Tigers on the other hand won by decent margins at the MCG. In truth given the relatively easy shots they missed in both games it is arguable that they should have won by 3-4 goals more. What I cannot understand is why both Adelaide and GWS gave up the corridor to the Tigers. Their hug the boundary line and kick to the big forward was slow and relatively easy to defend. Of course they had the contested marking talls but it seemed that when they didn't fire around the wing or thereabouts it was game over.

perhaps OD but as he will probably spend most of the year at Casey I cannot see him qualifying as a regular whipping boy. I was starting to think Lewis was making a late run for the role this season but I suspect his B&F position will keep the wolves away for the first half of the season at least.

perhaps we should move onto a flugel as distinct from a mere bugle .... far more in keeping with the blazer and handkerchiefed pocket look

Agree ... just a hypothetical that I am putting out there... let's say the pick is 46 (or whatever we have around that number). Personally I think Fritsch will go late second round but others think he could be top half of the third which is not too far from 46

but if Jack goes we will at the very least need a new whipping boy .... though somehow I think Tyson could firm for that position

That Watts for Tippet trade that everyone was lambasting earlier in the week is starting to look reasonable