manny100

In relation to the off field bad press it is common for the opposing party in an action to feed bad press to the media. It appears that the media maybe being fed 'stories' to put a huge amount of pressure on the Dee's to perhaps eek out a huge settlement. Let's face it - the press has been unrelenting for a couple of years. As BB said "its never as good as they say or bad as they say". Then the press blame it for our performance on field. It maybe partly responsible but its also due to us playing an unusually large number of young players. Also injury to Tracc and retirement of Brayshaw plus Oliver's issue. I think our list management and football department are forward thinking in playing talented kids and recruiting early in the draft. I hope we trade our future 1st and maybe 2nd to get another early pick in this draft. At least we have some 'guns' still playing to educate the youngsters. Eg, Gawn, Viney, May, Lever etc

I think we have a chance to get pick 11 from Freo. Its rumored that Warner wants to come home and will request a trade next season. Freo will need our future 1st round pick. they flogged us late in the season and would back it in to get a pick 5 or better from us next draft.

Twomey, ESPN and rookie me all have the following in their top 10. Ashcroft, Smith, O'Sullivan, Langford, Draper and Lalor. Thet differ on the other 5. Rookie me who put their rankings out after the Coates GF had Bo Allan pushed up to pick 5 after playing in a WAFL premiership. Evidently has good acceleration and at 191cm plays interceptor back, forward or mid. They also have Reid at pick 3 whereas Twomey at 5.

Hopefully JT nails a mid that turns up a gun with pick 6. We should roll the dice and go for the GC pick 12 with our future 1st. Hopefully we can draft Dodson with our pick 25 from Adelaide. We may even be able to trade that up a bit?? No doubt Riv and MCVee will train with the mids this pre season.

9 news say Cats to offer future 1st. With Smith and Clarry the future 1st will likely be pretty ordinary. There would be a lot of things going on we do not know about. We will need to trade picks for another 1st rounder in this draft to go with Windsor and Tholstrup. We could get a good player with the pick 25 from the crows although it will fall back a fair way with compo, academy picks etc

Cats would have to throw De Koning in.

The Cats will offer us a late pick and ask us to throw in $250 - $350k plus a season. Heaps of players from all clubs look around. Seems a contract is not worth much. If we refuse to deal because its a [censored] offer and Clarry refuses to train and pay do we still have to pay him????

Cats mids are ordinary. They have no good trade capital. A top 6 pick for a start required. Oliver plays for Dee's in '25 or he sits the season out on leave without pay.

ROOKIEME Sept'24 power rankings out

Gold Coast have Lombard as an Academy pick this year. Their 1st 3 picks are 6,12 and 20. He is expected to go in the Top 12 or so picks. We will know closer to the draft. They have plenty of picks from 20 on to match a bid. They likely plan to use pick 6 on Rioli. They plan to trade out players and bring Noble in, We may make a play for pick 12 or 20 using a future pick or combination of picks.

The Lions will have to trade a future in or trade out players. Otherwise they will have to pass on Marshall. I suspect they will trade out player/s. Both Ashcroft and Marshall are mids.

Yep, a lot of supporters still suffer from PTSD over that one. Especially since Curnow went later. Can't win them all i guess.

In the mix is our likely FS Kalani White in 2025. We will have to assess the draft picks we need next year. At this stage he is not regarded as a 1st rounder maybe a late 2nd or 3rd rounder. But things can change. He has been playing back and we will have a couple of spots available when May and TMc hang up the boots.

The Lions will be on the hunt for points. We may try to get their pick 17/18. They have Ashcroft and Sam Marshall to bring in. They may have to trade out player/s or a future.

I emailed the MFC outlining my concerns and requested they have dialogue with the AFL.

Could look at a future 3rd or 4th rounder.

Cal Twomey just dropped his September phantom on the AFL website.

ESPN power rankings drop tomorow. Evidently 4 new faces added.

Twomey and Rookie me have him at pick 6. So rated highly. ESPN have him at 18 with a Q on athletic abilities but do say he is a pure footballer.

Its the strategic advantage that comes with Father/sons and NGA picks that is part of the deal. For example if we know we are getting 2 talls in 2025 via those avenues we can go 'hell for leather' recruiting/drafting mid type players in earlier drafts. The Swans played this very well. They knew they had gun Academy type players coming through and that enabled them to go for a few 'riskier' taller types in the draft.

I sent the club an email saying that it would be appropriate to ask the AFL to review these rules. The issue is whether players of a multicultural background but are not 'draft' eligible should be allowed to be part of the Academy? Members and supporters in a way can 'pin their hopes' on some of these players and naturally feel deflated when it all goes 'belly up'. The other issue is that the club invests $$$ and time which end up benefitting another club. We have already been bent over in this regard via Mac Andrew. Its a sure thing the AFL did not reimburse our development costs. Also the Pacific islands are a rugby heartland and Samoa has its own language. Then there is the talent squeeze with Tassy coming in.

Yze may get the stopper role on Langford???

Yes, the game will have to be stopped for regular incontinence breaks.

I think its either the Saints at pick 7 or 8 plus change or he stays at Port.

Ooops, still take pick 5 any day of the week.