spirit of norm smith

Yes they will have around 14 1st round picks if they add/hold the current selections (11 currently after removing Cunnington and Ziebell). That’s a huge group of talent to develop over the next 2-3 years. AFL might have to say sorry to other clubs in a few years. They’re good at apologizing 🤯🤯🤯

Doesn’t Melksham qualify as a long term injury? I think a train on player and SSP pickup might be the mature midfielder backup you’re referring to. Also Markov wasn’t good enough at Suns and now is a premiership player. Sometimes the environment change can be the thing that makes a youngster.

Maybe look at a train on player over the summer (such as Xavier O’Neill from WCE) and they would be the “injury replacement” for Melksham, who’s likely to be out until at least round 20-21 next year.

@BangBnagBang agree. 18th ranked AFL full back and he’s worth pick 3. Not mid range 1st round or end of 1st round (perhaps reasonable) but pick 3. Ffs.

James Frawley (aged 26) compo for FA to move to Hawks got us Angus Brayshaw. 👏👏👏 Frawley had been an All Australian, three times in All Australian squad, twice represented Australia in international rules, twice in top 5 in MFC B&F including runner in 2010. Mckay is not within a country mile of the player Frawley is/was at the same stage. AFL handouts to Kangas is transparent bias and favouritism to a high degree.

Yes four of these played a decent amount of top up games this year JJ 18, Grundy 17 , Hibbo 12, Harmes 9 Assume club looking at Laurie , Woey jnr, Howes as players to fulfill the depth positions held by Dunstan, Harmes and JJ.

I love it get 3 walking frames and ramps put in at Casey fields. If BBB and Tmcd went, then you could ramp up interest in Hawkins but I’m not buying right now.

1- Reid@WCE 2-Walter@suns academy 3- Curtin@NMFC 4- Mckercher@NMFC compo 5- Zane Duursma @Hawks 6- Watson@Dogs 7-Sanders@Dees 👏👏 then we grab pick 10 (12/13) off suns to get O’Sullivan, Wilson or Murphy

@Fat Tony “Someone like Saad or Hunt who can play on after a turnover and get a counterattack going”. I recall someone called Hunt used to play with the Dees. He had decent run and rebound off half back. Oh well we have Salo, Riv, Bowsa so I think the cattle are there to rebound just “need the courage to use the farknnnn corridor more”. ie not slow and wide.

From the words of the great man himself “Cal Twomey expects a future-third round selection to be enough to satisfy Brisbane in the Tom Fullarton deal”

He has been starved of chances but likely he’ll go to Crows or Power and try to restart his career. I would agree to have interest if we had moved Tomlinson on. But it’s not a need as we have Adams coming through and potentially will look at a young KPD (O’Sullivan or Murphy) in this draft around 10-12 pick.

With potential arrivals of McAdam and Fullerton, and departures of Jordon, Grundy, D Smith, Hibbo, Dunstan and likely Harmes, just update on analyzing our list key defenders: May, Petty*, Tomlinson (K.Turner) (Adams) tall defenders: Lever, D.Turner, Joel Smith* med/sml/running defenders: Rivers, Bowey, Salem, Mcvee inside Mids: Petracca, Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw, Sparrow, Laurie outside Mids: Langdon, Hunter, Woey jnr, (Howes) key forwards: JVR, Petty*, BBB#,Tmcd# , Schache, Fullerton (Jefferson) tall forwards: Fritsch, Joel Smith, Melksham# (Sestan) small forwards: ANB, Pickett, Spargo, Chandler, McAdam , (ANW) Rucks: Gawn (Verrell) (Farris-White) I think aside from a legitimate back up ruckman, we are well covered in most areas. If we have 3-4 list spots, I’d like to grab the elite ball users in the draft group this year. If we get three in the top 20 this year, it’s a handy refresh to the list and then look to use $$$ next year for a high quality free agent buy in.

AFL northern academy is a big rort. “Must grow the game nationally”. Three teams in finals (including runner up over 2022 and 2023) and 4th team now cleaning up picks and priority youngsters. Gold Coast had a deep list of strong youngsters. If they get it together under Dimma, they’ll be finals bound next year.

Let’s grab pick 10 off the Suns. We have the points and will have picks to compensate.

With Deakyn Smith as rookie delisted. I’m not sure Daniel Turner has to be elevated. Probably yes as he has had 2 1/2 years in rookie list. I can’t see BBB continuing unfortunately so might free up a spot in the new year.

Sorry. They only seem to publish to top 10. Maybe not to embarrass some. Political? Leaderboard 602 - Christian Petracca 527 - Jack Viney 456 - Jake Lever 453 - Angus Brayshaw 451 - Steven May 450 - Alex Neal-Bullen 444 - Kysaiah Pickett 426 - Max Gawn 424 - Judd McVee 416 - Trent Rivers Hunter was high in the voting then really dropped off. Bowey. Langdon. Salem. Spargo. All played majority of games so assume they were 11-15. Never know where they had Grundy.

Ben Brown. We knew he had knee problems at Nth and we picked him to help us climb the mountain. After overcoming the knee injury he was able to get onfield and was a key part of the team to get us into the finals. IN 2021 🏆🏆🏆He did it. We did it. We won the GF. 13 games. 25 goals. 3 important goals in the GF. 👏👏👏 In 2022 his form continued to be solid but started to taper off at late seasons end. 30 goals in 19 games. Only one goal in the two disastrous finals. 2023 started brightly with 8 goals in the first two games. Then an injury and we had a slow recovery finally getting back by round 16. But 2 goals in the next 4 games. Dropped/injured. He could hardly run after half time in the last two games. He then never really appeared at Casey or the Dees. It wasn’t mentioned but the Dees missed his forward line marking and leading. It wasn’t mentioned by the media. A forgotten man. I am not sure he goes on in 2024. He’s contracted for one more year. I am not sure we have the luxury of BBB and Tmcd taking up precious list spots if their bodies are shot. His knee is hopefully able to give it one more go. But he’s climbed the mountain. How much more can he give.

Fullerton is a free hit imv. He should be cheap $ and has some ability to relieve Gawn when needed. I think we give up a future 3rd round (or 4th) to the Lions who want points next year to pickup Levi Ashcroft.

COMBINE STARS TAKE SHAPE A NUMBER of draft hopefuls pushed their stocks over the weekend with excellent testing results in front of club recruiters at the Draft Combine. Gold Coast Academy talent Will Graham, who could be the fourth Suns Academy prospect to land at the club this draft, was a standout across three tests, finishing second in the 20-metre sprint (2.915 seconds), equal second in the standing vertical jump (78cm) and equal third in the running vertical jump (95cm). Small forward Aiden O'Driscoll blitzed the 20-metre sprint, claiming the top result with a run of 2.87 seconds ahead of Graham and Caleb Windsor (2.916 seconds). Lance Collard also ran a 2.92-second 20-metre sprint before winning the agility test. Collard, who is tied to West Coast's Next Generation Academy, ran 8.157 seconds in the agility ahead of fellow WA product Koltyn Tholstrup (8.194 seconds) and Angus Hastie(8.204 seconds). Zane Zakostelsky claimed top honours in the standing vertical jump (80cm) ahead of Graham, Phoenix Gothard and Mitch Edwards(78cm), while Darcy Wilson was the standout in the running vertical jump. The Murray Bushrangers midfielder/forward, who finished second overall in the 2km time trial, jumped 98cm to finish ahead of top-five talent Zane Duursma (97cm), Graham and Kane McAuliffe (both 95cm). Wilson was beaten in the 2km time trial by Sandringham Dragons wingman Tarkyn O'Leary, who stormed home with a run of 5:48 minutes before Wilson came through in 5:52. Ruckman Ethan Read, who could attract a top-10 bid for the Suns, was in third place with a run of 5:56 minutes.

2024 where are the improvements + Oliver back for a full season + Petty JVR development as key forwards + Howes + Woey + AMW + Daniel Turner all to push for senior footy + add in McAdam + Fullerton + 3-4 young draft picks

Hibbo Premiership player 2021 All Australian 2017 113 games for the Dees (197 games in total) MFC life member 100% effort every time He played and beat all the forwards he was on. Dusty, Papley, Elliott, Cameron to name a few. He just managed to grab that tackle, or spoil with that fist, or smother or correl, to pressure into his opponent making a mistake. I loved the Melksham farewell at the B&F. Such a tribute. And Hibbo’s response to all his family, to the club and players was very special. He was a highly valued and respected player and teammate. Farewell good luck Hibbo👏👏👏

@WERRIDEE FOLL: Edwards (pick 32)???

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Eden Zanker 🤮🤮🤮🤮umps were against us. Got Crows 4 of their 8 goals… costly 🤔🤔missed Paxy ❤️❤️Lize Mc Crows were physical and knocked us about. Umps didn’t see it our way Tayla Harris was down. She’s a huge difference and we need to get the footy to her more. We will bounce back

6 Zanker ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 McNamara 4 Hanks 3 Gay 2 Goldrick 1 Purcell

Trent Bianco axed by Pies. Behind too many similar players. He had a good under 18s career and looked good for them in 2021 and 2022, but seemed to lack opportunities this year despite his strong VFL form. We probably have plenty of similar types although I do admit he seemed like a one grab player with good skills and ability to kick a goal. Maybe another possible invite/train on summer option.