Older demon

Fox tonight Eddie very contrite when asked about Buckley's comment. Aware of discussion but nothing has come to the board. What a hypocrite! if it was a Pies player being poached he would be making all sorts of idle threats. Every year at trade there are 2 teams that give nothing but expect the world, they are Essendon and Collingwood. They are both miserable at the trade table. They will give precious little for Clark and probably are already patting themselves on the back for a recruiting coup. If HL is on offer then take it cos we won't get anything else.

Holy Cow "Fremantle offers James Frawley $3 million five-year deal" latest headline from the Herald Sun. Serious money now on offer and way better than Geelong. No thinking needed take the money and run Chip

Well at least Chris Scott has admitted that they are enamoured with Chip and think he is a great player. It is also worth noting that Adelaide lost Bock and Phil Davis in successive seasons, their CHB and replacement CHB and still managed to come up with a good defence. Geelong lost Ablett and the Hawks Buddy so free agency will hurt but we can move on as I doubt that Geelong will provide all the footy success Chip wants. And don't forget PJ has already stated based on our offer to Chip he wont be leaving for money.

2012 draft Whitfield (25 games), O'Rourke (9), Plowman (11), Toumpas (18), Stringer (23), MacRae(30), Wines (33), Mayes(39), Vlastuin(35), Daniher (26 & FS pick), Menzel (26), Jaksch form the top 12. So after 2 years pick 2 and 12 are allegedly returning to Victoria and many here want to trade Toumpas. Whitfield looks all class but has been injured a lot. Maybe the success of Wines is colouring everyones view as all these draftees are expected to be at his level. Mayes has been equally impressive but being in a lesser team there isn't as much written about him. In terms of a career they all have a lot of developing to do, these guys are babies and I imagine GWS losing 2 top 12 draft picks will not be happy.

Well at least with the Cats out he can hint that is where he is going. Roos is even trying to [censored] off pick 3 he is so certain he will leave, indeed can we affor for him not to go. I too the Cats slide a bit they have had a good run at it and now it is time to slip

Interesting that rumours arise for players whose contracts expire in 2015. If they become FA or RFA I suspect Roos prediction is coming to pass, "Better to control the trade of a FA before the contract expires rather than wait till it expires and they walk". Many here believe that if we thought Frawley was gone a year ago that we should have traded him rather than cop the year of speculation. To date it is very rare for the player to stay on, once an offer is made for the existing club to match. Sloan, Tex and Danger all out of contract at the same time will be a huge balancing act for the Adelaide CEO.

I doubt there will be a bidding war as there are 10 FS players floating in this draft and Darcy Moore is far and away the cream of the crop. Expect Woods to part with a first rounder to get him. Note earlier in the year that the 2 work experience (for want of a better word) underage players at pre season were Billy Stretch and Angus Brayshaw, maybe this is a hint of the direction the recruiters are taking. Late pick gems made me look up Daniel Hanneberry today to see where he was taken. Pick 30 in 2008 and stayed in Melbourne for 09 to attend school at Xavier and got his rising star nomination in round 2 of 2010. Pick 30 and 2 years how good was the vision of that recruiter? Then there is Luke Parker who went at 40 in the 2010 draft and played 13 games in 2011 but wait there is more Harry Cunningham recruited by the club with pick 93 overall in the 2012 Rookie Draft, before being promoted to the senior list in 2012. He didn't debut till round 1 2014. Shows there are gems in the 2nd and 3rd round and I hope Kennedy-Harris at pick 40 this year develops as well

One can never know all that is happening behind the scenes but maybe we should consider PJ's request to the AFL for special assistance and pre planning for this event. PJ never said we want a priority pick he requested special assistance which could even be a 2nd rounder or special consideration if Mitch wants to return but not with us. Wheels moving within wheels and frankly if he doesn't want to play with us then do our best to get compensation

Freemantle sniffing around Leuenberger ??

After watching tonight I am not sure the Cats are that good a destination. I think they are on the slide and a long way short of the Hawks and they are showing their age. There will be some ageing champions not there within 2 years and Chip may not find all that success he craves. If he was early smart he would head north to the Gold Coast

Looking back I suspect this courtship of Frawley goes back a long way. They openly stated that after the Geelong game where Hawkins monstered Frawley that the leadership group down there were assessing his worth. Sitings of the country boy in Geelong maybe for a coffee! Although he is not reliable I suspect Mr Lyon has insider knowledge hence his article suggesting MFC make a concerted attack on Geelongs elite players and offer them contracts i.e. Motlop and Christensen and the final straw has to be Chris Dawes dressing up as Chip in a Geelong jumper. Oh and as an aside a quiet chat with the current Hawthorn back line coach on the weekend indicated that he didn't have a high opinion of Frawley as a backman or the outrageous price he was asking for. A lot would have to change for the Hawks to make an offer.

Whilst the Roos we see at press conferences and on AFL 360 is a calm reasoned well spoken individual of camera he is a most competitive tough person. Chip may indeed have not liked what the coach had to tell him at his exit interview. Players have told of some of the most withering sprays directed at the group behind closed doors away from the press. I think even Jonesy stated that Roos is amongst the best at delivery a spray. personally I think Frawley deserved it and his bruise free display against the Kangas really annoyed me, would rather we had someone desperate for their football career, playing than one who exited the building a month ago

My read on the morning after is that Roos and co have spent the year determining what sort of list to build and deciding who cannot take us there. Unlike the saints we haven't sacked anyone yet but I see a few out of contract players getting the bad news Wednesday. The pre season sounds like a horror movie and one that will test the mental strength of many. I accept that from an improved 4 and 9 halfway that we fell away badly in the last 9 and that was due to lack of pre season for some and chance testing of others. One of the earlier posts got it spot on when stating the shortcomings of so of our better players i.e. Viney needs to learn to stop ducking his head, get a right foot and get more penetration with his kicking (no knock on Viney but he needs to take the next step). I am sure there is a dossier on each player and this is where the improvement and development must come. While I am surprised that some contracts were extended the club needs solid citizens to hold firm and develop a good culture while the young guns develop. I hope the assistance asked for by PJ returns an extra pick in the 20's as a look back at recent drafts have shown that many of the better footballers have come in this region.

I believe that Chip will be best man at Rivers up coming wedding so I would be surprised if they haven't been talking to each other

Does anyone know where Mitch is currently residing? I think he may be back in W.A. and note that he is selling a lot of his photography gear yet still canvassing for photography work. Doesn't sit well with me and I fear he is still quite unsettled

From todays AGE "Football boss Mark Evans made it clear this week that the priority selection had been retained only for use in dire circumstances – more drastic than that facing the hapless Demons. Evans even referred to human tragedies such as the death of a player." I would agree with another post that the loss of Mitch Clark to a debilitating medical condition and to a lesser extent Liam Jurrah would satisfy the AFL criteria. The implication was that this may be the AFL solution to players who get suspended for 2 years for drugs!!! Given the Mitch returning from injury was one reason the PP was knocked back last year opens the door for consideration this year given his premature retirement. Of all people Caro mentions this in her article today and too me this would be the most complain reason for the AFL to grant us a pick in order to replace Mitch.

What can Roos do? Dawes cannot take a mark or hit a target: Viney continually ducks his head, predictably turns on his left side and cannot hit a target with a handball; Garland continually butchers the ball to give a few examples of the efforts of individuals who we want to lead us forward. We all know who won't be there next year but at the moment it is the so called good players who are letting us down. The list turnover cannot all be done in 1 year it will take 2-3 seasons to clear out the deadwood

His last 6 weeks have been horrible. cannot take a contested mark, turns the ball over and cannot hit a target. Not getting a game on form

Hopeful that someone sends a copy to Glen Bartlett, a well constructed and written appraisal of MFC.

Last night on Chooseday footy on Foxtel they played the 1987 semi Melbourne V Sydney. I had forgotten how awesome that team was under Northey and for anyone who doubts Steve Stretch's credentials or bravery he was sensational as a hard running goal kicking winger. I hope his son is half as good and we recruit him.

Just read the VFL player review this week. very gloomy for several senior players, blunt and honest and hard to see Terlich, Strauss, Evans, Clisby or Evans ever playing AFL again. Best summed up as not up to standard for at least last week and in some cases the last 6 weeks. Grimes, Toump, Pederson and HOGAN back this week

Beamer was good at the interview but has ultimately succumbed to a chronic achilles injury which he has carried all year. Sounds like that when he left Melbourne he had only 1 year left in his body.

AFL wrap of the weekend listed Billy as best player for Glenelg, he certainly isn't laying low so other clubs won't notice him.

Posted it before, Greg Wells the genius recruiter at Geelong has 10 rules for drafting. Rule 1. Player must be prepared to put his head over the ball sadly I cannot remember the rest but they relate to ability to kick, run, mark over head that alone would exclude some of our recruits

After todays effort and the disgust and surprise expressed by Roo's at his presser I would be surprised if any of the out of contract players gets asked back (except the rookies). Have never seen Roos so grim