CBDees

By contrast I live in the shadow of the MCG and would dearly love to have our firsts and seconds both within a ten minute stroll of my home!

He is suspended for Round 1. it is not a matter of room!

This is making the call that Viv Mitchie will never be part of our best 22! Some of the experts have other views! http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-12-06/your-clubs-best-22

I recall Nathan Jones when he first started and i was disappointed with his lack of chase. Now he is a warrrior. I feel that there are a number of Demonlanders who will be surprised in the improvements of Salem and Toumpas this year, some may even be disappointed by the slow start of Petracca and Brayshaw and others by the football being played by Mitchie, Vandenberg and Neal-Bullen. Hogan will be a star and Jones, Tyson and Vince will be even more productive than ever. Underestimate the current depth of our list at peril and drop the idea that we need x number of A-Graders to compete! I would be happy to have the lowest number of players in Sheahan's Top 50 again this year as long as it is compensated by us being in the Top 4 on the AFL Ladder!

Normally yes but with the year starting with Trengove eligible [and likely to go on] the LTI list, the two latest rookies are in a unique situation where they find themselves as eligble as any other player on the list. This is not to say that Roos and the FD will make a call on upgrading a rookie too early but the opening has been created if any player really impresses. Personally i feel that our coaching staff will have a nice problem on their hands come Round 1, namely trying to identify the best strating 22. This, for the first time in years, will not be a case of who can we get to plug a gap [like we did with Pederson et al] but which deserving player do we have to leave out to reduce the list to 22. A good problem, but it won't be easy on some players. let us hope that Casey are out-and-out runaway premiers this year, driven by the depth of talent afforded by Melbourne and their revised coaching structure.

I have a feeling that this bloke will get some senior game time this year [and/or feature in the B&F at Casey]. http://madmondayshow.com/2014/11/14/alex-neal-bullen-player-profile/

I would personally love it if we moved to Punt Road and took over the Richmond Ground. After all, the Punt Road Oval is in the City of Melbourne [and was never in Richmond]. Why don't we do a take-over and let them relocate to the Kevin Bartlett Oval [in Richmond]? That seems a good deal to me, especially as we let them play their Senior (AFL) games at the MCG, our traditional home ground ever since we started life as the Melbourne Cricket Club Football Club (MCCFC)

Long term he will be remembered more than Wines (except by some die-hard demonlanders)!

Have faith in what is happening around the Club! He will be still there!

I prefer to beleive the other commentator who rated us A+ as it was a perfect result as it could be (including the subsequent rookie draft)!

$CULLY

Well done! I am still mldly optimistic that we will see a bit of both Petracca and Brayshaw this year, but a well thought-out team structure for consideration [as well as some food-for-thought for our recruiters today]!

That should not necessarily matter. Hopefully Casey and MFC will be more closely integrated this year and on their way to a premiership. Nothing wrong with training together with this objective [provided their day jobs don't get in the way].

You will get no argument from me on the balance of trade and drafting as all teams need both [even Hawthorn]. The upside is that we did exceptionally well in both of these in the last month and we will see improvements in all areas of the ground.

Each year we lament that we would have done better if only we had a better midfield [like the other 17 Clubs]. We look at them in envy and make suggestions who our football/recruiting department should pick-up or poach from the other Clubs during the trading period. Names like Sloane, Dangerfield, Stevens, Rich keep cropping up [as does the seemingly over-abundance at GWS and the Suns]. We envied Collingwood all those years with Beams, Swan, Shaw, Pendelbury etc. Most Demonlanders cannot change their thinking about trade being the only option for us and it seems that a strong midfield is a mirage that that will never become a reality. I feel that, given our drafting of the last two seasons, we should dismiss this entrenched view and have faith in our new look coaching and development start and the nucleus that they have so skillfully assembled. The relaity is, with the recruitment of Petracca, Brayshaw, Neale-Bullen, Salem, Viney, Toumpas, Kent and Tyson, we already have the potential to mould an elite midfield from within which will serve us well for the next decade. N. Jones, Cross, Vince, Newton, [a returning] Trengove, Mitchie, Riley and Bail are already there to lead by example and Stretch, JKH and Hunt also will make valuable contributions further down the track. M. Jones and Mckenzie are also there as back-up should we have a massive run of injuries or a specific [tagging?] need. With Goodwin, Mathews and McCartney on board, a closer synergy with Casey and a healthy dose of self-belief, I believe that our midfield will be the one which is the yardstick for the AFL, rather than the reverse.

I enjoyed reading this immensely, not only the fact that we were rated above everybody else at A+ but also the fact that the four 'losers' included both Port Adelaide and Hawthorn at B-

I think that we will do a "Port Adelaide" and come in eighth!

Correction: We had an excellent draft and a good trading period. Bring on 2015!

I think that you have under-estimated Petracca and Brayshaw. I think that they will have an immediate impact in 2015.

my changes to your list, either bolded or crossed out.

I would be tempted to include Frost & McDonald instead of Grimes

I would like to see salem in the side possibly in lieu of mitchie [or whoever is injured from your list come round 1]. I agree with Pederson playing round 1 in place odf dawes as that will enable us to settle our structure.

Disagree with the suggestion of M-M that only Newton of the five midfielders added are ready to play in 2015. IMO both Petracca and Brayshaw will play a majority of matches next year, possibly from as early as Round 1!

I like the way that you think however I would be inclined to name Gawn instead of Pederson largely based on helping Jamar out with the ruckwork. Also I would like to delay a call on whether JKH or Toumpas starts until after the preseason]. I agree with your earlier post on Grimes.

My version of best 22 and the reserves 22 Jetta Frost Dunn Garland McDonald H L Watts N Jones Vince Petracca Dawes Howe Garlett Hogan Gawn Jamar Tyson Viney Cross Kent Toumpas Brayshaw _____________________________________ M Jones O McDonald Harmes Terlich Pederson Grimes Stretch Michie xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx King Hunt xxxxxx Fitzpatrick JKH Spencer Newman Bail Riley Neal-Bullen McKenzie xxxxxx > Obviously there will be some of the Casey VFL list [who are training with us] will be up for contention plus our other two [unpicked] rookies and Trengove when he recovers. Although I haven't indicated as such, I expect that Salem and Grimes will be a regular in the first 22 and that my views will have changed after the preseason and the emergence of injuries.