CBDees

LIKE! Davey had a lot of heart and skill and always seemed to lft the team somewhat this year when brought in as a sub (after it was too late). He never shirked the contest, was one of our best tacklers and managed goals that nobody else was capable of.

Here is another Big Footy Quote from tasmanlvr this time: Started off with a bit of stretching. Jamar, Kent, Riley, Blease watching on. Not sure if they are training. In fact, Riley and Kent have left. Jamar on the sidelines stretching. Then he and Blease run laps. Also in a concerning sign Grimes is not doing physical contact work and isn't moving particularly well. (proved to be a false alarm. Good news.) Rehab list is long. Jetta, Byrnes, Garland, McKenzie, Gawn, Spencer, Tapscott. Salem joins them. Think he needs a bit of gym work IMO. McDonald, Trengove and Strauss not participating in main group, instead doing run and carry exercises. Main group are focusing on stoppage work with some decent tackles laid. More stretching followed. Short runthroughs were also a focus. Some good news - by the looks of things Michie has joined the main group since I've last seen them. Hunt, JKH training. Haven't recognized any of the rookies yet (no epic Mr Bean face from Georgiou today, then ) Short kicks a focus too. Wayne Campbell spotted, was only here briefly á la Brad Green last week. Opposition coaches watching? Fear? Forwards/mids/defenders split. Keep a tab on this: Rohan Bail training with the forward group. Max King with them. Very raw. Needs to kick longer too. JKH looks sooooooooooooooo good out on the track. #PutJKHIn Westrupp with the forward group too. Misses a simple 20m kick to JKH. Still some way off it. James Harmes here too. Good to see a Melbourne supporter doing what I'm not and getting a gig on the list. Inside 50s drill - delivery a massive focus. MR BEAN IS HERE YES YES YES. His kicking is as awkward as the leg room in his Mini. No signs of his little bear yet. Maybe we can acquire a supplementary list position for it. Grappling activities followed. Full ground drill with emphasis on quick ball movement. Fitzy calling out for the footy is brilliant. Cross oozes class. And how about this combo for a quick handball - Toumpas2Viney! Roos urging the boys on BIG TIME!!! King looks decent. Has some speed on him but again he needs to work on his kicking. Viney looking good. Still astounds me how deceptively quick he is given his muscle mass. Grapple tackle drill - Watts had Roosy!!! Slingshot footy drill - SKILLS ARE UP!!! Players ran a 300 afterward. Gawn running 300s too, as is Salem. Some quick shots at goal. Hilarious moments as always. Georgiou, JKH, Hunt, Harmes, King and Salem went undercover for a rest. Misson working with them. Rest of the group doing pressure drills. Group implored not to stop. Kick in/defensive structure drills. Good news - kick ins weren't a kick in hope to Jamar! Kicking structure a focus too. Watts looks good. Tyler Roos is here and helping out. Goalkicking drill followed - focusing on a burst inside 50 and goal from 35 out. Did some running afterwards but had to go - going back home to get ready for Muse at Rod Laver tonight!

Touche {OK I was in a hurry}

Watts, Hunt, Salem and Dawes all hailed from BGS as did the No. 2 draft pick in Josh Kelly so I guess Robert Shaw is teaching a few of them something. I am sure that the boys will tell Taylor if there is somebody he should pick up in next year's draft. Regarding Vince, I enjoyed watching his interview and I am confident that him and Cross will play a big part in a massively improved midfield for us in 2014.

I went overseas this year in the middle of the footy season (Great Timing) yet I agree with Jazza (post #52) that we have a chance! There is no reason that Roos cannot engineer the same improvement with the Dees that Hinkley did with Port this year!

LIKE! < Thanks Again (and also to Demon Jack)

Hird must have some serious dirt on Essendon for them to acquiese to continue paying him a $Million per year for a contract when he surely must be in breach of (by not being able to provide coaching services from his end). I cannot believe that even Essendon would have signed a contract for $1Million per year with the option of provision of (coaching) services from the other party (Hird). This is a complete travesty, especially in the light of the AFL's double standards on the matter of bringing the game into disrepute as RR points out above. The AFL punish us for something they found us not guilty of then claim that they are giving us some assistance by facilitating Roos and Jackson yet they decline us PPs in a year when we win only two games (in the first un-compromised draft for three years)! Demitriou must be sacked for his categoric statement on 3AW denying that Hird was being paid by Essendon. He was either lying or he has no idea about the enquiry outcome, both reasons for getting rid of him.

Hird must have some serious dirt on Essendon for them to acquiese to continue paying him a $Million per year for a contract when he surely must be in breach of (by not being able to provide coaching services from his end). I cannot believe that even Essendon would have signed a contract for $1Million per year with the option of provision of (coaching) services from the other party (Hird). This is a complete travesty, especially in the light of the AFL's double standards on this matter as W_J points out above. The AFL claim that they are giving us some assistance by facilitating Roos and Jackson yet they decline us PPs in a year when we win only two games (in the first un-compromised draft for three years)! Demitriou must be sacked for his categoric statement on 3AW denying that Hird was being paid by Essendon. He was either lying or he has no idea about the enquiry outcome, both reasons for getting rid of him.

Getting back to Aaron Davey, it is a shame that it was Richmond that not only saw fit to make him an indigineous ambassador/mentor for their AFL Club but now it appearss that he is going to be playing for their VFL team (against Casey). After all his years of good service at Melbourne, it is an indictment that MFC and Casey could not have identified similar roles for Aaron within their structures as it it is not as though Aaron would not have fitted into Casey's best 22 even when most of the Demons team list are fit.

LIKE! Make Hird return all his payments! How can they still be paying him under the terms of his contract? Surely his contract involved him performing a coaching role for his side of the agreement which he is clearly not doing over the next 12 months putting him in breach! Essendon are not as silly as they would like to have everbody believe and they should be sanctioned along with Hird for being so disingenious!

And as a bonus he can play Didtrict Cricket for Melbourne in the off-season!

Good article on Georgiou on the MFC phone App and website. I didn't realise that he was 24yo. They sound very serious about him by the article so it will be good to see him play! http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2013-12-02/georgious-great-adventure

LIKE

Just keep Chip! (He is on record as having 'red and blue' blood in his viens so it shouldn't be as hard as some would like to make out!). Just win a few matches.

This is the prediction above>

Interesting that Carlton picked up two Irish lads. I expect that as internationals they will not count in the rookie numbers and are in efect a bonus?

I am not convinced by Herbert the player nominated as our first pick in "Snoop Dog's Phantom Draft" (pasted below). I hope that Taylor and Viney have read Tall Defence's suggestions (in the post above) as i agree that Sully is the type of player more suited to our needs rather than that the scenario suggested by Snoop Dog. # 2 Melbourne Louis Herbert - NBR / 187cm / 75kg / '94 Terrific kid who has really improved a lot this year. Frankly thought he was unlucky not to go last year but he took it in his stride and has come on again this year and learnt some different roles. Terrific height and wonderful mover who is very quick for his size but the frame is still pretty skinny for a 19yo. Burst onto the scene as an x factor fwd and he can do some very good things in the air and on the ground but this year also showed an ability to go back and through the middle. Also been given some game time against the men this year and acquitted himself well. Has good pace and and is good in the air. Reminds of Andrew Mackie at the same age and is probably physically stronger than you would think. Why and who else: Took mids and mids during draft and trade. Suspect they will go taller at some stage but this kid is to good to pass. # 20 Melbourne Chris Cain – Port Melb / 181cm / 83kg / ‘87 Destined for the AFL after some stellar seasons in the VFL. His coach is a massive wrap on him and has been mooted to land at WCE, Freo or Collingwood all year. Classy type who if you saw the state game got a good insight into his game. Can play fwd and middle, has really good vision and decision making and ball use is elite. Will play more as a fwd would think early and has strong hands which you want in middle / fwds along with the ability to read the ball early. Very good 1:1. Ticks all the boxes for mine. Why and who else: Would walk into the Rd 1 team. #38 Melbourne Fraser Fort – Geelong Falcons / 196cm / 84kg / ’94 Been highly rated for a couple of years now and has shown a lot of positional scope having been played more as a fwd before being sent back to FB this year. Wonderful size and very athletic he presents in a manner that would excite recruiters because he could be groomed for a few different roles. Has a great leap on him and he is a strong mark but also a strong spoiler and seems to make the right decision. Seems very composed which is good but equally pretty competitive which will bode well for him with recruiters. Kid is a lovely kick to. Personally I think he will be developed as a tall athletic FB type but he could be a bit Jake Carlisle type and be sent fwd. 56 Melbourne Erin Wasley-Black – NT / 188cm / 79kg / ’95 AIS holder who was highly rated at the start of the year and with good reason. Kid was showing he could be one of the best from NT in a long time but unfortunately he just didn’t have the impact this year we were hoping. In saying that I think it just means someone will get a bargain because I think he is a big talent and you could mount a case it was hard to be good in what was one of the least competitive NT sides I have ever seen. Tall kid, with good agility and pace and could play a few different roles but probably best suited to a HB and then in time maybe as an inside mid. He is competitive and hard at it, he has pace which he will use to attack the game and his ball use is good enough for AFL level for sure albeit during the champs I think he overplayed his options a bit. Bit like Nathan Wright and if he gets it all together could be one of the steals of this draft when we look back.

I must admit to being underwhelmed by the picks suggested as being destined for Melbourne. I hope that Taylor and Viney don't read this Phantom Draft and get any ideas!

Yes because he always lifted us when he came on as a sub (which is where they ended up starting him)!

Exactly my point!

LIKE! (Commendable for a first post > Welcome to Demonland!) I like the look of this team and might add: > Emergencies: kent, fitzpatrick, clisby

21yo and a solid frame, Sully seems ready to play. We need back-up KPDs going forward so as we not exposed as we were last year by lack of depth in our forwardline, something that hopefully will be less of a problem next year with Hogan coming in, Clark coming back, plus Dawes and Fitzy.

LIKE! Good post KD. Sounds like some good prospects!

Rather than focus on delisting Nicho and then rookieing him, I prefer Redleg's idea that we entice Byrnes to retire and offer him a playing coach role with Casey which would then leave us with three live picks in the rookie draft rather than two under the scenario above. This could end up a Win-Win-Win outcome for Byrnes, MFC and Casey by ensuring he is not out of pocket and continuing his football career whilst gaining coaching experience, we get the best available player in the PSD and Casey is strengthened in their playing/coaching depth courtesy of MFC.

Rather than delisting Nicho and then rookieing him, I prefer Redleg's idea that we entice Byrnes to retire and offer him a playing coach role with Casey which could end up a Win-Win-Win outcome for Byrnes, MFC and Casey by ensuring he is not out of pocket and continuing his football career whilst gaining coaching experience, we get the best available player in the PSD and Casey is strengthened in their playing/coaching depth courtesy of MFC.