Earl Hood

Yes me too! This the second time I have attended at the advertised time 10.30 for them to finish up at 11.00. They are starting at 9.30 or earlier why advertise the wrong time repeatedly?

Jamie, very talented just couldn’t find his own ball enough in a poor side as I remember. More talented than Neville but playing as a small forward his opportunities were limited in a poor side. Great to see him putting back in for young indigenous talent.

And let’s hope AVB and JSmith are pushing hard to get into that first 22!

Were you referring to Ed Zachary disease DC?

Love his name but!

He fell through the glass working as an apprentice builder I think. You know in the days when players had weekday jobs.

As long as we are not playing the Suns in Darwin as the away team!

If we are so hellbent on Weightman then let us hope we can split pick 8 into a pick 15 and a second rounder with someone. But really let’s just pick best available with pick 8 and forget so called needs. We have heaps of needs, but we have a half dozen so called small forward types on our list and there are a few recently delisted that we could work on. Meanwhile our key position forward stocks are as thin as!

Interesting idea. First thoughts for me are third tall forward but I think Fritsch has taken first dibs on this position, that is as a half forward, with Melk/Tracc/Harmes on the other flank. So maybe a fit Joel looks to play half back or back pocket. He will need to work on it. But for what it is worth his dad made the swap from high flying, mercurial forward to dependable full back in my memory re 1992/3?

Another one? To go with ANB, Lockhart, Spargo, Chandler, Sparrow, Bedford, the Wagners, Dunkley, how many do we need on the list?

The AFL stats for Billy’s 47 games has his kicking efficiency in the elite class! So that disgusting ball drop must have worked most of the time.

Re the 2020 midfield rotations does anybody have any insight into Dunkley, can he morph into something like his ball magnet brother at the Dogs after a full preseason? We played him as yet another smaller forward option in the second half and he did OK as a part time newby. Is he a potential midfield asset?

As per my #292 post earlier in this thread, our Darwin game was dumped after the AFL announced their rescue package for the Suns. They now have first dips on the Darwin zone, we were effectively sent on our way by the AFL and thanks for your help. Perts announcement of listening to our fans calling for a MCG game is just so much corporate weasel word spin, we were always leaving, at least I hope so! The worst outcome would be for us to be playing there as the away team.

On SEN this arvo Martins manager admitted MFC had made enquires but the manager said Martin was not interested and was determined to get to the Blues so if you add that to his inflated salary demands I can see why we might move on. Not sure what hard ball pick exchange deals we could do with the Blues to make them earn this freebie.

Didn’t Luke Ball do just that to get to Collingwood? Ball should have been charged by the AFL at the time but they looked the other way. SEN talked to his manager this afternoon and he said MFC had already been in contact but Martin wants Carlton. He will put a ridiculous price on his head to scare us away but doesn’t that mean Carlton has to pay that price?

Well I would have hoped we worked him into the deal for Frost! We ended up with jackshyte for Frosty in the end when we should have worked Isaac into the deal. A 2 year deal gets us an experienced player who still has ability. It is interesting how easily we could have moneyballed this draft to fill some obvious gaps for minimal cost while we still played the main game for first round draft picks. Think Isaac Smith for the wing, Jenkins/Bruce/Ellis, up forward, Dougle Howard down back? Oh well let’s go to the draft for a small forward and what else?

I would have made a big play for Bruce myself but hey do we really need a tall target for not a big price? Someone who can actually take a contested grab and I believe can kick straight from a set shot more often than not.

Yes it is all quite puzzling for us supporters. What was the 2019 stat I saw on Demonland? Yes the worst conversion rate for scores versus inside 50 entries ever recorded (i.e. since the mid 90’s). The forward line was totally dysfunctional most of the season but the club doesn’t rate that issue as a current personnel problem! Inability to take a contested grab, no crumbers, no forward tackling pressure added to an appalling and morale sapping inability for forwards to convert set shots for goals from inside 40m. Oh and forward X factor rating was next to zero with Jeff being our only small opportunist forward when not injured, who could also apply inside tackling pressure but he has been delisted. On the positive side if everyone is fit game 1, a decent forward coach should be able to develop a functional forward unit out of TMac, Weid, Petty, JSmith as talls and Melk, Tracc, Fritsch, AVB as mediums along with a 2019 small forward draftee. But get a few injuries and it all gets problematic, I believe we need some more forward depth. And the other issue is our game plan up field that makes being a forward at MFC a nightmare but maybe that changes next year!

Isn’t all this just Pert putting positive corporate spin for the AFL dudding us with the Suns being given priority over the Darwin zone? Weren’t we always leaving Darwin once the AFL announced its rescue package for Suns?

I think the Frost trade to the Hawks, under the tutelage of the world’s greatest coach will be facinating to watch next season. In my opinion Frost’s learning curve is still on the up, as he is a great athlete not a natural footballer, so needs time which we had run out of. With us I thought under immense pressure he learnt to play within his limitations with short kicks to position when he was running forward and free but yes turned it over when facing the wrong way. And he at times punched the ball back into the corridor but a lot of this goes back to our coaching I think. The Hawks defence is much more composed than ours and as I rank the 2020 Hawks as very likely to finish top 6, I suspect Frosty may shine. It will be interesting to see how they cover his deficiencies and play to his strengths.

As Nietzsche said to me as he ran past at rehab training earlier this year, what does not kill us, makes us stronger! So am expecting a big year from him next season.

GC I haven’t seen him play much but he is often described as a 200cm flanker not a KPF so I assumed he doesn’t kick all of his 2 goals a game from taking pack marks or manhandling KPB one on one, but just as often when the ball has hit the deck in the forward line. Also being 200cm would give us a ruck support option as well.

Averages 2 goals a game. Can he kick set shots for goals from inside 40m consistently? If so go get him in my opinion.

Re Bennell the talk is that they have got to the bottom of his soft tissue problems and they have been rectified and he is now more mature and asking for a chance. We know he has exceptional skills that we don’t possess and that is why some here have suggested he train with us over the preseason to test both his physical and mental resilience before we would take him on. Seems a low risk possible high reward approach to me.

Love his attitude but what are his weapons? Not tall, not fast, nor great closing speed so not a great defensive tackler. Can’t kick more than 40m so what have we got? Admittedly the above commentary would describe Diesel Williams of course, too small, too slow but he had that undefinable quality of being where the ball is or is going to. That skill you cannot teach or acquire, you have it or not. No sign that Spargo has that skill that I have seen.