Young Dee

Lets not even go there. We have been developing him as a back (and sometimes forward) it would be stupid to play him somewhere else - we look stupid enough already. I am sick of all the potential midfielders that we are playing forward and back etc. - We need mids so lets develop mids (Kent, Taggert, Tynan etc. should be getting full games in the midfield at Casey). If we are to ever improve we need to start finding some diamonds in the rough or should I say stop looking and start making (Sydney).

A bit of info on the Melbourne recruiting team: Taylor rapt with new recruiting role DESPITE Melbourne enduring a remarkably difficult season as club, first year national recruiting manager Jason Taylor says he’s relished his inaugural season with the Demons. The former Collingwood recruiter joined Melbourne in January this year, after becoming an experienced AFL recruiter. Taylor, who was right-hand man to the highly respected recruiter Derek Hine at Collingwood, said the fact that Melbourne had put together a strong recruiting team, including full-timers Todd Viney, Kelly O’Donnell, Gary Burleigh, Tim Lamb and Darren Farrugia, had made his first season with the club an exciting one from a recruiting perspective. “Nothing’s too much for them – the guys are always willing to work hard, and we work well together,” he told melbournefc.com.au. “We get on well and we communicate, which is critical in what we do. We’re all on the same page, so it’s been really enjoyable from that aspect,” he said. “On a personal level, I’ve got my head down and am just focused on the job ahead and navigating through the year to try and find the best available talent in the national draft.” Taylor said the work that he and his team put into identifying the next Demons was “incredible”. “It involves an enormous amount of travel to view live games throughout the country. Then you’re reporting on players, who are assessed over those games, over the weekend. “Throughout the week, we simply review the weekend’s assessments to assist us with planning ahead to the following week. Taylor said there was some genuine talent on offer this year, but he added that the scrutiny of the recruiting industry – on the talent identifiers and the players – was simply greater. “There is a level of expectation that’s probably thrust upon draft picks – not just from the media, but the public interest is growing each year. That puts a level of expectation on the player, which can be a bit hasty,” he said. “If you look back on history and some of the champions of the game, their first 30 to 70 games – there wasn’t that expectation on them, even some of the elite players. If anything, that expectation needs to be doused a little bit. “That might be harder on the athletes coming in, and you might not always see peak performance. We have to pick people who will prosper through a range of their personalities.” Taylor said there was a pool of around 160 players Melbourne had monitored this year, which included watching matches live, plus “a helluva lot of vision during the week”. “It’s pretty much non-stop and you could work 24/7 for what you need to be covering, but it’s important that you work as a team, delegate and support each other. It’s intense mental work, because you take in a lot of information,” he said. “From there, we go through the interview process, where we interview the players, and that’s ongoing from the start to middle and latter part of the year. “There are heavier periods, but we need to make sure we research behind the scenes as well. It’s not just about viewing the player.” Taylor said there is an “enormous amount of work” that goes into selecting a player, and he works closely with Viney and Josh Mahoney in list management areas, plus pro scout O’Donnell. “We need to pick the right player to prosper at AFL level, because it is really demanding and getting more demanding every year. The key element of that is being prepared and not to make decisions on a whim,” he said.

Good point. I just really want a fast corridor gameplan but it really does depend on who is coach (lets just hope to god that they don't want to implement a stagnant boundary-line gameplay) Funny how Neeld was dead set sure that the boundary line was the way to go and Craig comes in and says we want to use the corridor as much as possible.

I was not just referring only to the actual coaching of the midfield but also selection and development etc. I am well aware that our midfield is crap! Someone has to accept the blame for players like Trengove, Morton, Gysberts and Moloney (you speak as though we havent had any talent come through in the last decade)

Whats Rattens contract status? Lets just get him - midfield coach with Ling as his assistant please. (don't care how much it costs - put it on the AFL's tab) If we don't get rid of all responsible for the midfield then this rebuild is pointless (...Royal)

Couldn't really care less which season was our worst - I am sick of breaking records (and not of the good kind). The only way to look is up!

He can store his gum in his ears for all I care - as long as we are winning games!

He was probably talking about Neeld

You can't just gift games to players after one good VFL game and a string of bad AFL ones...... but then I guess we gift all our players a game

PJ's got this .... I bet you he has something up his sleeve - I have heard that he has a frozen Ron Barassi from the 70's. I would like Ron to give it to a few players on our list!

I saw the same thing but don't want to get my hopes up. They will probably just fly back Nicho and Blease early if no one feels sore and keep Strauss just in case (or not even fly up Nico) We need some leg speed and kicking skills coming out of the backline (maybe a late change for Clisby or Dunn?)

Thanks for the insight S39 - sometimes you don't really consider things like that but lets hope our coaching selection panel has it under control. I think its a balance between getting someone with experience and success, likeable by both players and supporters and still has some flare (I think some have been in the game too long - Sheedy). Thats one of the reasons I think Roos is a great choice - he hasn't been out of the game for too long but enough to have a breath of fresh air and find some enthusiasm for footy again.

How can you say VFL is Strauss' level when he dominates at Casey and yet is never given a chance at AFL? and I suppose Davey, Pederson and McKenzie are all AFL level?

I would have liked to see Taggert as well although I think you will find Taggert is in the same boat as Kent - needs to spend time at Casey (he hasn't had a full preseason yet and like Kent is playing as a forward/mid at Casey - does not have the tank yet)

Give it to someone who might actually have a dip (Magner or Strauss or even god forbid Nicholson)

.......Sigh Someone somewhere has something against James Strauss... and James Magner

????? Why now ????? Thats just strange - about time!

Okay so everyone needs to turn on their TVs on when we are playing so we get the ratings up .... and whilst your at it open up your freezer door (do your bit for global warming )

So you think we should turn on the TV when Melbourne are playing even if we are not going to watch it? Would still rather watch Melbourne get thrashed over having to sit down and watch the X factor or Big Brother.

on a slightly different note - from the AFL: Penalties not discussed: Finnis AFL PLAYERS Association boss Matt Finnis says he has been given no indication that Essendon players will receive infraction notices as he prepares to meet with the Bombers on Thursday. The AFLPA lawyers have read ASADA's interim report into Essendon's 2012 supplements program and will answer questions from the Dons' playing group at Windy Hill. Finnis, who is yet to read the 400-page report, said he was encouraged that ASADA investigators had recognised "culpability at the end of the day must lie with those who are most responsible". However, he could not guarantee players would escape without individual sanctions. "I've got no information before me that would suggest that is going to happen, but clearly ASADA have labelled the report as interim, so I don't think we can rule that out," he said. "That's unfortunate, but it's the reality. "Now that the players' lawyers have seen a copy of the report, I'm sure the players will have some interesting questions for their lawyers in relation to where things go from here. "Clearly it's an opportunity for us to provide an update to the Essendon players on the events of the last couple of weeks." Finnis said he had not heard whether charges were going to be laid against Essendon as a club this week, and he was confident the AFL would not "pre-judge" the case before all parties had put their case forward. He said any individual penalties that didn't recognise the faith Essendon players put in their doctors and high performance coaches could cause the public to lose faith in the system. "Players do accept responsibility under the WADA code for the role that they play in ensuring that performance is clean," he said. "But we've also got to recognise that players put enormous trust and faith in people who are going to have expertise in governing their supplements program. "From the moment players come into the game, they're told to follow the directions of their club, the medical officers. "Our players have done that. So I think any system that fails to recognise that in the way in which you respond to the situation, I think will lose public confidence." Nathan Schmook is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter @AFL_Nathan http://www.afl.com.a...iscussed-finnis

I don't think Hird is not going to step down! Looks like Essendon could very nearly get away with murder: what a joke! (worse than the Melbourne tanking saga) Penalties not discussed: Finnis AFL PLAYERS Association boss Matt Finnis says he has been given no indication that Essendon players will receive infraction notices as he prepares to meet with the Bombers on Thursday. The AFLPA lawyers have read ASADA's interim report into Essendon's 2012 supplements program and will answer questions from the Dons' playing group at Windy Hill. Finnis, who is yet to read the 400-page report, said he was encouraged that ASADA investigators had recognised "culpability at the end of the day must lie with those who are most responsible". However, he could not guarantee players would escape without individual sanctions. "I've got no information before me that would suggest that is going to happen, but clearly ASADA have labelled the report as interim, so I don't think we can rule that out," he said. "That's unfortunate, but it's the reality. "Now that the players' lawyers have seen a copy of the report, I'm sure the players will have some interesting questions for their lawyers in relation to where things go from here. "Clearly it's an opportunity for us to provide an update to the Essendon players on the events of the last couple of weeks." Finnis said he had not heard whether charges were going to be laid against Essendon as a club this week, and he was confident the AFL would not "pre-judge" the case before all parties had put their case forward. He said any individual penalties that didn't recognise the faith Essendon players put in their doctors and high performance coaches could cause the public to lose faith in the system. "Players do accept responsibility under the WADA code for the role that they play in ensuring that performance is clean," he said. "But we've also got to recognise that players put enormous trust and faith in people who are going to have expertise in governing their supplements program. "From the moment players come into the game, they're told to follow the directions of their club, the medical officers. "Our players have done that. So I think any system that fails to recognise that in the way in which you respond to the situation, I think will lose public confidence." Nathan Schmook is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter @AFL_Nathan http://www.afl.com.au/news/2013-08-08/penalties-not-discussed-finnis

He looked pretty relaxed to me - I know he took ballet lessons but did he have acting lessons? At least he will be able to give us a nice little curtsey on his way out.

He has aged pretty well don't you think?

Really I thought basically anything was possible with inbreeding!

This thread is silly - its just the same as the other 10 Essendon threads (just merge with the Hird to stand down or be thread - the circumstances haven't changed yet) He is still denying it: (but then again some deny the holocaust and moon landing) http://www.afl.com.au/video/2013-08-08/hird-remains-defiant He says he has now seen the report so it will only be a matter of days before he denies the existence of the report