Mick

Hi All.

I would just like to let everyone know that my post regarding Kennedy was a genuine post from a good friend/source. You can check my history in 'topics'. I started a thread in June stating that Frawley was gone and the club understand this. This was way before anybody thought he was actually going. My source has always been on the ball, so I will back the information I was given in. To the mods, please leave this thread up.

Thanks guys,

Go Dees

I for one believe you! Thanks mate and god I hope it's true. What's effectively pick 2 + Frawley for Kennedy and Lumumba I would do in a heartbeat. Hopefully we have a few other tricks up our sleeve as well to upgrade 23 and either the Clark pick or the pick we get back from the Swans

Just wow to people laying any sort of blame on Buddy. He was magnificent. One of the goals he kicked no other player in the league would have kicked. Another one you'd struggle to find a handful capable. His play around the ground fending off players. finding space, releasing a team mate etc. was just incredible, especially for a player of his size. The Hawks weren't too Buddy centric at all. If they got the ball out of the midfield more in the second quarter and gave him more chances he probably would have buried the Swans. Most of the game he was basically unstoppable and he was close to winning the Norm Smith in a losing team

I am very pleased with the fact of how it seems that Cameron Schwab (and Mark Neeld) pulled out all stops to get Mitch Clark to the MFC.

To get a player that we "need" in the forward line is a massive coup for the Demons! We haven't really landed a "big fish" since we got Jeff White from Fremantle at the end of 1997. Coincidentally, Cameron Schwab was involved with that as well!

To think that a few months ago Cameron Schwab had his head on the chopping block by the MFC board!

I must admit that I've always been a big fan of Cameron Schwab...but I will say that I hope he continues to do well as the CEO of the Melbourne Demons and can get the opportunity to extend his contract at the end of next year.

Having said that, Cameron Schwab now needs to concentrate on getting a new "front jumper" sponsor for the MFC. Hopefully we will end up getting the Bank of Melbourne as has been touted will possibly happen.

Congratulations to Cameron Schwab and his hard work!

Thanks for stopping by Cameron

Now STFU [censored]! BIRNG. IT. ON.

Want to give me a couple of examples where we have been in a bidding war with Essendon, Collingwood, Geelong, Bulldogs, Sydney, West Coast, Port, Brisbane and St Kilda (that should do) over the last 10 years?

Just give me a couple even one would do for each club.

Hahaha - keep trying to justify the ridiculous. Why don't you come up with examples of bidding wars where each of the parties involved didn't recognise anyone at the table? Pretty confident I could come up with more examples where 2 AFL clubs were involved in a bidding war than you could provide where one AFL club was bidding with some random stranger looking for a bargain!

Keep digging yourself a hole if you like. Another joke post.

So you are saying that every club is after every player?

No. But your analogy is hilarious...

"very rarely come across the same people even though it's in the same area and a similar house. Each one is generally unique and has it's own set of bidders."

There are 18 clubs. As if you're not going to come across the same people and be bidding against the same clubs often. It's just completely different to turning up at one of hundreds of auctions happening on the same day and your suggestion that it's a similar situation is quite frankly a joke.

Have you ever bought a house, good doctor? I must say I've bought a few in my time and I've very rarely come across the same people even though it's in the same area and a similar house. Each one is generally unique and has it's own set of bidders.

Haha. There are 18 AFL clubs. It's not an open market!

Can't wait for Viney to arrive but tell me this. Does anyone see a problem with Jones, Mckenzie, Moloney and Viney all playing In the side? A little one dimensional? All of them love the hard ball but how many of those sorts can a team play In the one side.. Maybe add Gysberts also.

Did you see Hodge, Lewis, Mitchell and Sewell going around for the Hawks the other night? Honestly don't think it's a problem at all. In fact, bring it on!

Brown is a Premiership player, also a past All Australian, who still has plenty left to give.

I'm not saying Gold Coast wouldn't be happy to get him! I'm talking about the compensation the AFL gave the Hawks. There is no way he is equal to those players and the Hawks are laughing all the way to the bank

Yep the compo for Harbrow is correct. Can't believe Campbell Brown is rated the same as Rischitelli, Harbrow and Bock. Hawks must be laughing!!

How could he not have mentioned our young midfield as one of the positives? With Scully, Trengove, Gysberts, Grimes, Blease, Tapscott etc. we have a potential A-grade midfield all around the same age. Couldn't believe he focused on small forwards and didn't even mention that

What is the point of resting two of your best players and bringing in Bruce. Surely bruce won't play!

Bruce will play on Steve Johnson I'd imagine...very happy to see him back in for that reason alone.

Disappointed to see the boys rested but so happy to see the Big Gizzy debut!

Great to see Scarlett out too - I was a bit nervous about the prospect of him lining up on Watts and destroying the confidence he would have gained from last week.

Making the trip down to Geelong for the first time in a few years and can't wait...Go demons!!

happy to admitt i was wrong about that then mate. From what i heard they'd left but i'm only going on what i've heard out of Casey. I'm positive about Valenti and Cheney however.

3 posts admitting you were wrong...maybe go to confession?

I thought of Lovett when I was posting, but didn't bring him up for 2 reasons.

His prowess was in long, sweeping 20-30 metre handballs, and you're right they were brilliantly weighted and always hit their intended target. But his hands in close weren't as quick or as damaging as Scully's.

This leads me to the second point which really is the crux of why I left him out. I can't agree with you about Lovett being an "insider". He virtually never played midfield. He played off a half back flank. So when I said "I've not seen a decent handballer in Melbourne's guts since I've been following the Dees" I didn't include Lovett because I don't consider him a mid.

I reckon you guys are getting your Glenn and Brett Lovett's mixed up....??

The Jurrahcane is going to be a superstar.

Love it!!!!! You should send that into the club and get them making t-shirts. They will sell like hot cakes and solve all of our financial issues!!!

http://www.realfooty.com.au/news/rfnews/me...ge#contentSwap1

Great article, although I would've liked it to be a lot longer, could've gone into far more detail. But very encouraging to hear the club are planning like this, for the long term.

Was very happy to hear them say we need 'stars' - I've been saying for years that even when we were playing finals every year and had a great all round team we really lacked the star or A-grade players to take it to the next level. Hopefully we've now got a few who can realistically reach that level and we can can pick up a couple more in the upcoming draft.

If we get a priority pick and there are two star midfielders in the draft vs one star midfielder and a good KPP then I definitely hope we draft on talent alone which it sounds is the way Prendergast is thinking as well...only problem is that at this stage it sounds like there is one out and out star in Scully and not another standout elite player but time will tell

we dont need him. he is a crap height at 192cm and we have enuf lanky defenders. Garland, Rivers, Warnock and Frawley are all around 192cm. We dont need Grimes

Hilarious...you say he's a crap height at 192 and then name 4 of our most important backmen at that height. According to your theory we should never have drafted Rivers, Garland, Frawley or Warnock in the first place because they're also the crap height of around 192cm. Seriously some of your posts are laughable. Almost as bad as your rants about Jack Grimes' flawed kicking technique!!

Am I the only one who thought Maric played like crap? I know he wasn't the only one, but I don't think Maric has shown enough in the time he's been in the team and I think it's time he went back to Casey to regain some confidence.

Leave the kid alone...will be a star and definitely wasn't our worst today. Was playing in a forward line that was given shocking service from the midfield. Not sure why they didn't throw him on the ball for a while to be honest - would love to see him in there to inject some pace and is very good at winning contested possessions as well.

I can't see there only being two changes this week. I think there'll be at least three.

Jones will play.

As for Bell, there's no way he'll get dropped this week.

It's very easy to say who won't be dropped and who will come in but who are the 3 players you think will be dropped for your 3 changes?

IN: Watts , Robertson

OUT: Bell, Jones (or Junior if injured)

I think Jones has been pretty close for the last few weeks being named on the EIB and may miss this one after having another poor game. I think Bell will also get dropped - don't think he adds anything to the team and I'm sorry to say he doesn't look like being in the long-term plans for the club.

Miller looked most likely after his last few games but I don't think they'll drop him with Watts coming in. Morton may be close as well and wouldn't be surprised if he was dropped or rested but hopefully he plays.

The lineup:

B Whelan Warnock Bennell

HB Grimes Rivers Frawley

C Bruce Moloney Green

HF Watts Miller Bate

F Maric Robertson Sylvia

R Jamar McLean Davey

I/C Martin Morton Johnson McDonald

BEST. NEWS. EVER.

Thanks Steamin Demon...i wanted to believe you all along but couldn't let myself get too excited just in case. Been burnt too many times by big claims from great sources.

Now hopefully the Watts image on this site can get updated so Jack is in a Demons jumper instead of the Big V!!!

Go Redlegs!!!

Fair call, the disucssion has been spanning 09 and 10. But you're right I was talking 09 and shouldnt have included that point (two points actually). Are those potential (botom age) 33% the 33% that get picked first round in a draft? Usally not. Maybe one or two of them. I guess I'm trying to say that while sure the draft may be shallow in raw numbers, I don't believe it will be shallow in available talent.

There are normally a few bottom age picks in the first round. If you have a look at this analysis of the last 4 drafts it's on average 5 players so close to 30%: http://www.afldraftinfo.com/2009/01/how-mu...9-national.html

It also shows the actual number of players from the U16 2008 Championships who have been ‘lost’ from the 2009 draft due to the rule changes: 114 (60 Div 1, 54 Div 2) total 2008 U16 championships prospects. It also lists the players and there are some very high quality players in the list.

So I think the impact really has to be that it is shallower in terms of quantity and quality and that seems to be the consensus amongst the real experts as well.

Anyway, we will have some early picks (hopefully 1 + 2) and hopefully we won't have to worry too much about overall depth. I really think we've bottomed out at the perfect time!

The variables are too many to say the draft will be shallow (overall, leaving individual clubs aside)

GC will be drafting for their needs, all clubs needs will be different in some way

GC have those juicy picks (to trade for hard bodies) that we're limiting ourselves by saying we dont have

GC can take up to 12 from the cordened off date range, will there be left-overs?

There are many reasons though why the draft is likely to be shallow compared to previous drafts. Another article today highlighting why and with our very own recruiting manager saying "potentially 33 per cent of the draft isn't going to be there with those under-17s out": http://www.afl.com.au/news/newsarticle/tab...60/default.aspx

In terms of GC picks they don't have ANY picks this year so your second point is irrelevant for this draft. They only have access to 17 year olds outside of the actual draft. It's the impact of that as well as date changes that is having an impact and if you take away approx. 33% of players that would have been available in previous years it's pretty obvious that it's going to be a shallower pool of talent.

Prendergast also makes the point that "a lot of teams probably looked to load up on last year's draft and maybe they'll look the other way this year". That's why I don't think we will have a huge number of delistings this year (apart from the fact that I think most players bar 3 - 4 should be retained, notwithstanding trades)

In the past recruiting managers have been able to choose kids from a specific 12 month exclusivity in a particular draft, in 2010 it reverts back to 12 months but in 2009 it is 8 months.

Basic probability lends this fact to a shallow draft.

What opportunities am I discounting from this draft?

All I am saying is the likelihood of a player being picked up at 50 being a success is the same as someone picked up at 75 in a normal draft. Therefore, recruiters will look at rookies, and re-signing players rather than give an 18 yr old a place on the list they normally wouldn't.

Completely agree with what you're saying...I think it's naive not to think this is going to be a shallow draft in comparison.

Good analysis here of the impact the changes to this year's draft rules would have had on previous years drafts - i.e. some FACTS for you Rhino: http://www.afldraftinfo.com/2009/01/how-mu...9-national.html. Not to mention it's the experts saying it!! http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sport/afl...2-19895,00.html

It's not to say that good players won't be able to be found later in the draft but the overall depth of quality talent will be comparatively shallow

I'd guess that it will be Jones, Maric, Bennell, Newton

Maric had some shocking disposals last week but he got his hands on the footy and showed something - definitely deserves another chance at least based on his Casey form and for his development

Grimes didn't do enough for Casey last week and doubt they'd bring him in after that...needs another run

Newton as others have mentioned might take soem of the ruck duties in the forward line or will provide another forward option if Martin plays back or in the ruck