Davos

This obsession posters seem to have with height and size as a midfielder is becoming pretty ridiculous.

Curnow might be a big-bodied player who can potentially become an AFL midfielder, but not once have I read anything about how his football related skills match up. Like his kicking. Which for the MFC, must be our number one pre-requisite when going to the draft.

They seem to be all the rage since Roosy jumped on board, but given our lack of skill level in general in all areas of the ground, I'm certainly not enticed by the sound of a big-bodied athletic type of player when there is no mention of the fundemental skills you need to become a good player at the highest level.

Kennedy and Mundy are natural footballers. Both of them kick well and are really good decision makers. They understand the game.

I think it's imperative for us to draft players who will compete hard at all times and be able to use the ball well. Big-bodied or not.

'His disposal needs work' is not something I want to hear when it comes to a potential top 10 selection at the draft. That's just [censored] ludicrous.

Why do so many underestimate the importance of being able to kick well?

I see absolutely no evidence of Curnow needing to work on his kicking. In fact, I'd say he's a really good user of the footy, by hand and by foot.

So you wouldn't look at Fyfe in the top 10 then?

Pretty much saw it the same as you Davos.

Yeah, Parish's competitiveness stood out. I think the Falcons as a group looked like they wanted to make a statement against one of the favourites. Geelong also had the carrot of a double chance after Sandringham upset Eastern yesterday. Parish didn't get an absurd amount of the ball (as opposed to 38 touches last week), but used it well when he got it. His movement at the stoppages is very good, which is something the Demon mids have been sorely lacking. Always seems to get the ball while he's on the move.

Mathieson did a fair power of work in close, got a little bit on the outside, but also turned it over a little bit too. Was generally good though.

Curnow niggled his opponents during the game and looks like he really likes the physical side of the game. Did finish with 3 and his overhead marking was very good. Athletic in the air, good strong hands, and was able to get separation from Collins on the lead. Was a pretty good contest between he and Collins. Curnow's still a fair way from full fitness though, so don't think we'll get to see much from him in midfield this year. I'm certain most recruiter's see his future in midfield. That roost from outside 50 was a beauty. Made it look effortless.

Noticed little bits from Jake, like calmness in close quarters, a couple of nice tackles, but he still seems like a late pick to me.

Liam Hullett caught the eye for the Stingrays. Might be one to watch over the course of the finals.

Weitering was typically good one on one in the air and on the ground, but a lot of Dandenong's good work up the ground was wasted by some pretty poor finishing.

Re: Parish vs Curnow. Parish has put up some excellent performances and would give the midfield exactly what it lacks. Creativity, cleverness and skill. On exposed form he SHOULD be the pick if he's still on the board.

That said, Curnow has a lot of raw traits which could give him the highest ceiling of this years crop. Injury hasn't given him the chance to put up the production, but there have been plenty of glimpses. Strength, athleticism and mongrel are all there. Hopefully we see a bit more through the finals. If he does, he could shoot past Parish. If we miss on Parish, I'm more than happy to take Curnow.

I'm REALLY intrigued to see how this all pans out. I know we're a long way out from the draft, but at this stage, if we keep our first pick, I'd be surprised if we didn't take one of these two.

I'm a big fan of Curnow, so I'd definitely go with him. However, after watching us over the last few weeks it has become apparent that we're in desperate need of some leg speed, so I could understand why we might take Parish if both were available.

I think that's why any club will take him. I doubt he'll be drafted as purely a key forward. Although he hasn't shown the ability to be a big time accumulator yet, he absolutely has the potential to be the next Josh Kennedy.

Will be interested to hear how Chaser saw the game in comparison to me.

Thought Parish spent most of the day trying to start a fight with the opposition, which was intriguing. Even flipped the bird to some Dandenong supporters in the last half. It was one of his more quiet games, but still showed some of that trademark dash and skill.

Curnow was reasonably well held up forward for the first half, but went off in the second. Kicked a goal from outside 50 off one step, and it cleared the fence comfortably. Seemed to be too much for Kieran Collins in the second half, as he out-marked him a couple of times and kicked 3(?) goals.

Didn't really notice Mathieson, do not think he had any real impact.

Jake Lovett wasn't dominant, but was okay I thought. Has a lot of Nathan Jones about him.

If you need any further detail, feel free to ask!

Glad I'm not the only one who thinks this.

I don't really have anything against any journo, it's their job to give opinions and although I rarely agree with them, that's all they're giving, opinions.

However, Russell genuinely seems to have it in for the club. Did Peter Jackson fart on his breakfast?

Will be checking out tomorrows game between the Falcons and Stingrays at Simonds. Should be a good one, with the majority of top level talent on show. Esp looking forward to seeing if Weitering spends some time on Curnow and how Jake Lovett goes against a midfield which inludes Parish and Mathieson.

http://www.foxsportspulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?client=1-3020-0-0-0&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=35785400

Think I'll go and have a look as well. Kieran Collins will be worth a look too.

I'm hoping we trade our first round pick for a quality developed AFL midfielder. If not, and having not watched TAC this year and going purely off footage, Parish looks the best of those mentioned. He seems the most well rounded, skilled and intelligent midfielder.

Curnow interests me though. I couldn't find any footage of him as he has been injured I believe? He's listed as a big forward who has played stints in the midfield. At 191cm he is too small to be a key forward at AFL level. Could he be developed into a full time midfielder? It would be great to have a big midfielder in the Fyfe/Kennedy/Watson/Pendlebury mould.

Anyone have more info on what Curnow is like as a player and if this is realistic?

You can find my write up on Parish and Curnow in the TAC Cup thread.

How many coaches can we blame?

Everything he said was bang on.

Hogan would make an awesome captain. He would only accept excellence from the team

Argh.

Unfortunately I didn't snag a record so I couldn't work out who most of the players were, but the full forward for Knights, Tilmouth-Turner, was pretty dominant. I'd never heard of him before and I think I overheard someone say it was his first game, but he swallowed anything that was kicked in his area. It was a shame he couldn't kick accurately as he could've ended up with about 6.

It really depends on how you evaluate our list DD. If you believe, like I do, that we need a monster midfielder as a fulcrum of our midfield group, then Curnow is your go. He has so much upside.

I wouldn't be opposed to taking Parish though. Has that bit of class and should be a neat player at AFL level.

I went today to have a look for the first time at Curnow and Parish. I'm glad I did in the end, was a peach of a day for footy and both Curnow and Parish played major roles in a comfortable win for the Falcons.

Darcy Parish: I'd heard about his kicking before today, but no one has mentioned how good his hands are. Clean and fast, he seemed to be one step ahead of his opponents, and sometimes his teammates, for most of the afternoon. He also possesses incredible vision, and spotted open players that even I didn't see from my spot in the grandstand. The most impressive part of his game though, was how good his decision making was and how quickly he executed those decisions. As previously stated, it was the quick handballs and the ability to pull the trigger by foot and hit a teammate on the chest in space that made him stand out. He played in the midfield for most of the day, but when rested forward still looked dangerous. Anyone who thinks he isn't hard enough clearly hasn't watched him. Although I doubt he'll ever be a clearance, contested ball winning machine, he seemed to have no issue taking a hit. He will need to work on his defensive running and pressure in the AFL, and I would be surprised if he registered a tackle for the entire game. He probably finished with about 20 odd disposals, so he wasn't exactly dominant, and as I alluded to before he reminded me of Nick Dal Santo.

Charlie Curnow: Charlie finished the game with 4 goals (by my count), which the Falcons staff must be stoked with as it was his first game back after having significant time out through injury. First thing you notice about Curnow is his size, he is very well built for a kid. He played forward for the whole game and was dominant, every time the ball came near him something looked like happening. Probably took 4 or 5 contested marks for the day, and was very clean in the air. Can take a grab. Although he didn't play through the midfield, there were a few instances where it was clear he has great midfield potential. Incredibly strong, and like Parish seems to be very clean by hand in the trenches. Wouldn't have missed a target by foot all day either. I'd be surprised if Curnow holds up as a full-time key forward, don't think he has the height to be a modern key position player. I've seen Skippos on Bigfooty compare him to Stringer and Darling. I disagree, he isn't as dynamic and is certainly not as quick. I'd say Josh Kennedy/Nat Fyfe would be a far better comparison.

Feel free to ask any questions about the game today, I'll answer as best I can.

Decided to go.

Who would we rather, Josh Kennedy (of the Sydney variety) or Nick Dal Santo?

Might go and watch Curnow today. The kid is a monster.

I love this [censored]. Well done Max, Wattsy and good luck Jack!

Not enough love for this bloke after his effort on Saturday.

Loved the grab and first goal, and he definitely showed some tenacity.

Here's to hoping he can get another crack at starting on the field.

It was a joke. Doubt he's still punching durries at this stage of his career!

Anyway, loving his work at the moment. Hopefully he can manage a full preseason this time round and build on his endurance.

Could be anything.

Seems like it was a focus of ours to target Pendles physically. Really tackled him with intent whenever we had the chance, and Jonesy doesn't get into blokes like that unless he has a reason to do so.

Don't think he dealt with the treatment all that well either.

Nice one. I remember commenting during the Geelong game that it was as if he'd just suddenly realised he was supposed to mark it. He'd always had safe hands while playing in the VFL apparently, and has turned in to a reliable pack mark now.

Engine is probably his main priority to work on now, I'd think. He looks knackered in final quarters, though this is hardly surprising with the stop-start nature of his career to date, though that seems to be behind him now hopefully. Some adequate help in the ruck wouldn't go astray either.

Needs to lay off the darts...

Great win.

Can we please not go into meltdown when we lose next please. Trust what Roos is doing, we'll be alright.

http://m.theage.com.au/afl/afl-news/afl-marketing-fiction-of-its-own-making-with-flashing-lights-20150515-gh1hj7

"We should look to the lessons of Irish football, which continues to thrive by standing steadfastly by its core values, celebrating its place in Irish culture, and not being seduced by the tawdry and ultimately conformist values of the global entertainment industry."

I hope the club has a really close look at Burton. Will be a steal for whoever picks him late in the first/early second.

Yes a few flares and balaclavas make work

No pyro, no party.

They're concerned about the A-League's "Match Day Experience" and are trying to replicate that atmosphere at AFL games.

Good luck with that.

Relax relax relax.

This year we've been in positions to win against: GWS, Adelaide, Port, Collingwood, St Kilda.

That has us in positions to win, or have won 8 out of 11 games. There are still 11 games to go in the season. Assuming we are in positions to win 8/11 remaining, puts us up to winning 16 out of 22 games in a season.

Some of us have short memories. When was the last season we've been able to win, let alone get close to 16 out of 22 games?

Last year was purely bridging the gap and trying to repair some mental demons. (pardon the pun)

This year is purely getting us to play so we get into positions to win. (we haven't been there for so long, so we don't know how to)

Next year will be about winning 50/75% of those winnable games.

Just remember, there is so much to take out of this game.

• I've never seen a better game out of Watts
• I've never seen a better game out of Toumpas
• Gawn, while dropped marks, looks like something
• Grimes looked the most confident I've seen him in about 2 years
• Hogan.
• Viney continues to improve
• Brayshaw.
• While not great games for Stretch and ANB, they'll be better for the run.
• Petracca, Trengove, Kent, Salem, JKH still to improve, break into this side.

So now that the emotion of the heartbreak loss has subsided, lets reflect and be grateful. We are in such a better place then we were pre Roos era.

The loss was painful, but our young guys will be better for it in the long run imo.