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To say that we have had a disappointing season under Mark Neeld would be a gross understatement. MFC fans anticipated huge improvement on 2011 but were hugely disillusioned. I have nothing but praise for the manner in which Mark Neeld and the football department have reacted to the disaster that has been MFC this year. Enticing 'good' players to our club has been an almost impossible task these past couple of years. It would seem that things have changed. Neeld has set standards from which he has not deviated. He knows exactly what needs to be done to transform us to a tough and competitive team. By the end of next week we could well have several experienced players from other clubs who will become positive role models for our youngsters on and off the field. Neeld's has been a polished performance and I, for one, acknowledge his huge efforts. I'm excited!

A Collingwood supporter said on SEN this afternoon that Dawes was a MFC supporter as a kid and that she thought this might have had some influence on his decision, along with Neeld and Brown having been at Collingwood with him.

We were doing more than 'sniff around' last year.Dawes was offered a truck load of money to join us.He won't be getting as much now and we've also got Clarke, so things have worked out well.Who will play at full forward, Clarke or Dawes? Or will they alternate between there and CHF?

Do we have to convince Dawes? Does he really have the final say? I would think that Collingwood would take the best offer they can get for him. The final decision might be theirs.

I agree that getting the 'right' players involves more than the chief recruiter at a club. But he has a big part in it. I believe that a 'good' recruiter can recruit talent irrespective of the pick, particularly in the first and second rounds. I also agree that our woes are not the sole responsibility of Prendergast. Not having two or three older players who are champion players and great role models is one factor. Given his time again, would Prendergast make the same selections?What is my definition of a top team? One that their supporters can go to watch each week knowing they will give their all and they (the spectators) can expect a heap more wins than losses. One that consistently makes the finals. One that has a great off-field team that does well when issues and controversies arise. One that attracts free agents among the players because it is said to have a 'good culture'. As for your examples of clubs that have good recruiters, I couldn't agree with Richmond over the past 30 years and I'm not all that convinced about Essendon.I agree that Sydney has benefitted enormously by its wonderful ability to convert marginal players at other clubs into good, regular players with them. They have the great 'culture' that I mentioned above. But good draft selection has also helped, for example Goodes & Roberts-Thompson amongst others.

It's a shame that you see fit to reply in a negative 'put-down' way to a fellow MFC supporter who is posting a thread that will be of interest to many fellow supporters. Why don't you just ignore it, rather than challenge his choice of topic?Unlike you, I think the topic is highly relevant. How do 'top' teams recruit the 'best' players? I doubt that this would be through good luck.If a recruiter wilth an excellent record of making 'good' draft choices at another club is around, then why not 'bust a gut' to get him to MFC?

In effect we would be getting Hogan & Viney for picks 3 & 26.Yesterday most of us were prepared to use pick 3 for Viney.So pick 26 (in essence) for Hogan is a good deal in my opinion.

Thanks for your comments on my thread, W J D.I was simply after information on likely recruits and how people rate them. Perhaps some clues as to who we might pick up. I was also trying to show how difficult it is to pick 'good players' from a bunch of 'kids with potential'. A bit like backing favourites in a horse race - there's no guarantees. But easy to heap scorn after the race has finished.Several people have done this and I appreciate their input.If such posts have such an adverse effect on your bowels, could I suggest you just ignore them. manner. Leave the responses to those who would like to make a positive, non-vitriolic contribution.

I take my hat off to you, Tall Defence. This is great.I've not heard of most of these lads, let alone know anything about them.Where did you get the data for your list? Do you watch TAC & junior football?MFC could do worse that have blokes like you on their recruiting team.

Thanks for your input RM. This is a good start.However, there are posters here who know all sorts of details about the kids and I'm hopeful they will contribute tp this post. I'm amazed at what I read.If Whitfield, Grundy & Toumpas are the 'top'3 then we would have to get one of them and the 4th best - possibly Oliver Wines - if we still have picks 3 & 4.If we trade picks 3 &/or 4 for 'established' players then we know we have to do better than the kids.

Attacking the club for inept performance at the draft has become a regular habit of many posters over the past few years. 'Naitanui should have been chosen instead of Watts'. 'Scully should not have been selected'. These attacks invariably come well into the first season (or the second season) after the draftees fail to live up to their potential. I would like to see posters compile a list of the top 20 draft prospects in order. It would be interesting to see how we fare by comparing the list with the performance of the draftees down the track. Such a list would also give us some idea of who might be available for our picks 3, 4 & 13. A popular choice of no.1 is Whitfield, but I'll leave the compilation of the list to those of you with knowledge of the lads involved.

Pick 4 is certainly fairyland. How gullible does Eddie think we are? Perhaps we could offer GWS six of our 'get rid of' players for their pick 1 in the draft? Wise selection - and surely it is time for that - could/should see us with a keen youngster who will eventually contribute more than Dawes and/or Wellingham would. Let's face it, Collingwood don't want them. It's not as though we're after Swan or Beams.

Don't be shattered, MFC will not pass on Jack Viney. Tough, skilled son of a tough, skilled dad who was a captain of our club. He has a passion for MFC and will not do a Scully or a Thompson. Who knows how the first 3 or 4 draft selections will turn out. Watts, Scully, Trengove all showed great promise but so far have not performed to the expectations placed upon them.I reckon we could write our own odds for a bet on Viney not being selected by MFC.

Well TU, I bow to your superior knowledge of the situation. However, when Collingwood won the flag in 2010 didn't they have Cloke and Dawes up forward with Brown as the second ruck? If this is the case, then wouldn't Lynch really be the replacement for Brown?My point still remains, Lynch is 4 or 5 years older than Dawes so Collingwood obviously believe that Dawes' best football is behind him. If we can get him 'cheaply' then do so, but paying over the top would be unwise in my opinion.

Yes, we do need another big forward. Perhaps one like Dawes, even.The thing that worries me is that Collingwood have 'recruited' 28 (or is it 29) years old Lynch to replace a much younger Dawes. Warning bells are sounding here.And then Eddie will want and expect and probably get huge compensation for Dawes, who has effectively been sacked. Is Dawes really worth pick 13 (or better)?

I'd prefer to have champion players from other clubs lining up to join us, but I'm of the opinion that we don't appeal as a club to many players, let alone champions. Money (in copious amounts)would seem the only way to attract one or two of these.We need fixing, there is no doubt about that. Taking 'good, ordinary players' might be looked at as a 'quick fix', but there is little wrong with that. Being more competitive, winning more games, giving supporters some hope rather than the gloom and doom we currently experience week in and week out, would have to be better.It's hard work following Melbourne at the moment. I'm prepared to support anything the club tries to improve our stocks.

Why would Collingwood want Lynch? Would they play Cloke. Dawes & Lynch at the same time? I would think not. Will they get rid of Dawes if they get Lynch?Something NQR regarding this.

You're right. We need to show immediate improvement to lift our morale and give us hope. Winning a few more games would be a great start.So what if players like Lynch are not with us when our 'window' period arrives.If we are only interested in recruiting youngsters who will still be with us then, I would have to ask 'Are they born yet?'

If Collingwood can pay Cloke a huge amount, sign up all their out of contract players and recruit all those who are said to be going there then I would have to compliment them on their astute handling of the salary cap. Ha ha! Talk about the fishes and the loaves!

I would think that Moloney's form in the games that he played this season would clearly indicate a fall in attitude towards the club.He didn't play or have the demeanour of what the 2011 club best and fairest should have, in my opinion.I would prefer him to stay, but he would need to overcome the negative vibes he is displaying on the field. A return to his form of 2011 would be great. I do hope this happens with us, but I doubt this will be the case.As for him reading my post, they are my opinions and they were expressed in a manner that were intended to reflect my thoughts. They were not for the purpose of 'player bashing'. In fact I would doubt that Moloney could seriously challenge what I said.

Rivers will be missed, if he leaves, as he is an intelligent and competent defender. Of the others mentioned as possibly going, will they be greatly missed? Jurrah could have more problems outside football. Will he ever play top level football again? Moloney's attitude and love for the club he supported as a kid seem to have diminished. We all saw the difference that Clark made in the first half of this season. Another 'top' signing would make a huge difference. We might not be a club that appeals to many players, but money can be very persuasive. Recruiting marginal players from other sides might well work out. It has at Sydney. Perhaps we would benefit from picking up some 'might be's' and getting rid of our 'never will be's'. We need to be more competitive to encourage fans to join up as members and to go to matches each week. At the moment most of us would have more enjoyment at the dentist. I would expect that Neeld will do his utmost to make significant changes to our playing list in the coming weeks.