The annual argument - Melbourne needs a priority pick

[LeverPuller]

Blah blah, yes, the whole 'handouts' and 'use what you have' and blah blah again. I know. I've heard it every year for the past three.

First, some statistics.

Melbourne win totals, 2007-2014 (5 games to play)
38 wins
2 draws
131 losses
Average percentage 73.72 (lower than wooden spoon winners in 2007, 2009 and 2010)

Melbourne win totals, 2012-2014
10 wins
51 losses
Average percentage 64.85

AFL reasons for lack of a PP last year
"Some factors believed to be behind Melbourne's failed request are their emerging young talent, such as Jack Viney and highly-touted Jesse Hogan, as well as the expected return of key senior players from injury like Mitch Clark, Chris Dawes and Mark Jamar."

Hogan - 0 games
Clark - 0 games
Dawes - no preseason, 13 games
Jamar - 12 games, still has injury issues

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It may not be a start-of-first, but Melbourne deserve some type of special assistance at this point to rebuild their list. At this point, the industry consensus is that James Frawley is going to leave - their fourth free agent to do so since the beginning of FA, and another senior player who must be replaced. While a draft pick will be given, at this point Melbourne are shedding senior players far quicker than they can replace them.

Furthermore, we're talking a side that is historically bad. It's hard to find a side with five wins or less in six of eight years. Carlton 2002-2009 had 5 such seasons - and came out of it with three #1 draft picks. Fitzroy 1989-1996 had 4 such seasons. And yet noone mentions Melbourne in the same breath, and outrage comes about when any assistance is suggested.

I don't necessarily think a start-of-first-round PP should be awarded unless Melbourne gets the spoon. However, even if they don't I think Melbourne should get an end-of-first rounder.

Thoughts?

 

[etsal1]

AFL aren't going to give you a PP because your great white hopes are injury prone.

 

[boncer34]

The annual nope

 

[Matera92]

No.

Draft has been obliterated enough over the last 5 years.

If you can't rebuild a team with the amount of charity your club has been given then you don't deserve to be in the comp.

 

[port_adelaide_1870]

Melbourne need good players not draft picks and past drafts will show you that you can pick up good players anywhere in the draft... Get better recruiting staff.

 

[timtamWB]

You guys have already had enough special assistance. You don't need a priority pick. You need to get out of the mentality that a priority pick will help.

 

[Chaisa]

You could probably argue it in prior years, but I think this side is actually looking OK and might have some upside. Not for this year at least.

 

[Kram]

lol.

 

[Bluelegs]

no

Seriously what did you expect to achieve by posting this on the main board? You knew exactly what reaction you would get.

 

[Chaisa]

Assuming Frawley leaves you'll probably get another Top 5 anyway.

 

[LeverPuller]

Melbourne need good players not draft picks and past drafts will show you that you can pick up good players anywhere in the draft... Get better recruiting staff.

No.

Draft has been obliterated enough over the last 5 years.

If you can't rebuild a team with the amount of charity your club has been given then you don't deserve to be in the comp.

This is the thing - we finally have.

There's a second part to this argument that I didn't leave as I believe the simple statistical argument stands up. But nevertheless, I'll use it.

There's finally the people there to do something with the picks

Christian Salem and Jay Kennedy-Harris.

James Strauss, Luke Tapscott and Sam Blease.

A simple comparison. Consider all players on an equal footing when they come in for selection. Furthermore, Roos is on record as preferring to play players who are experienced over first-year draftees.
Yet Strauss, Blease and Tapscott have played less games combined than either of JKH or Salem.

Why?

Because they're shisen. And they have been for a while. They've had flashes, to be sure, but they're ultimately shisen.

Now the question is - what do you replace them with?

Right now, MFC have already confirmed two players gone. Mitch Clark and Shannon Byrnes. This is before the Frawley kerfuffle is sorted out. Assume Frawley goes - that's three.

One would want to replace the three of those. But can you, in one draft, with the forced losses and Frawley?

1st Round
1st Round Comp (Frawley)
2nd Round
3rd Round
4th Round (?)
5th Round (?!)

There's only one fifth-rounder I can name who has had an impact in the last five years from the word go - and that's Tom Langdon. It's rare as hell. So it means Melbourne are forced to either bring back the garbage they have, or hope that they win the goddamn lottery.

I'm not suggesting the argument should be "Melbourne need pick 1." I don't necessarily agree either. I think one top-up pick - at the end of the first, after Essendon's pick - would probably be the best solution if a pick was to be awarded. I don't think we'd draft with it anyway - I think Roosy'd flip it for someone - but it just gives that credit that just isn't there right now.

 

[JohnnyFontane90]

rebuilding a side is 10% drafting the right players and 90% developing them.

 

[PatientMental]

if you get one, he'll just leave asap anyway.

 

[estibador]

The AFL have already given you special assistance by paying for your super coach. That's plenty enough.

 

[master bate]

I don't think we need one or deserve one.

But at the same time I don't think other supporters understand what damage Schwab, Prendergast (our previous recruiter from 08-12) and Neeld did to this club.

Or the amount of bad luck we had with Jim Stynes getting gravely ill. Guys like Wonaeamirri, Jurrah and Clark having to walk away from the game due to off field issues.

So when someone starts a thread like this and everyone tells us to harden up it's kind of fair enough. I don't want sympathy. But I'm also sick of us fans being insulted for things we really had no control over. I guess Essendon fans might be the ones who understand the way that a few crucial bad decisions can have a huge impact on a club.

 

[Taylor]

Lachie Neale goes alright for a late pick, as does Michael Barlow and Lee Spurr.

Get the AFL to pay for your recruitment officer too.

 

[Xtreme]

Melbourne have had enough handouts, they should go to a more deserving team who might benefit more from it.

 

[Crankyhawk]

Blah blah, yes, the whole 'handouts' and 'use what you have' and blah blah again. I know. I've heard it every year for the past three.

First, some statistics.

Melbourne win totals, 2007-2014 (5 games to play)
38 wins
2 draws
131 losses
Average percentage 73.72 (lower than wooden spoon winners in 2007, 2009 and 2010)

Melbourne win totals, 2012-2014
10 wins
51 losses
Average percentage 64.85

AFL reasons for lack of a PP last year
"Some factors believed to be behind Melbourne's failed request are their emerging young talent, such as Jack Viney and highly-touted Jesse Hogan, as well as the expected return of key senior players from injury like Mitch Clark, Chris Dawes and Mark Jamar."

Hogan - 0 games
Clark - 0 games
Dawes - no preseason, 13 games
Jamar - 12 games, still has injury issues

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It may not be a start-of-first, but Melbourne deserve some type of special assistance at this point to rebuild their list. At this point, the industry consensus is that James Frawley is going to leave - their fourth free agent to do so since the beginning of FA, and another senior player who must be replaced. While a draft pick will be given, at this point Melbourne are shedding senior players far quicker than they can replace them.

Furthermore, we're talking a side that is historically bad. It's hard to find a side with five wins or less in six of eight years. Carlton 2002-2009 had 5 such seasons - and came out of it with three #1 draft picks. Fitzroy 1989-1996 had 4 such seasons. And yet noone mentions Melbourne in the same breath, and outrage comes about when any assistance is suggested.

I don't necessarily think a start-of-first-round PP should be awarded unless Melbourne gets the spoon. However, even if they don't I think Melbourne should get an end-of-first rounder.

Thoughts?

Is this still the case given Roos has committed to a third year? Wasn't Frawley saying he wanted to see what Roos was going to do?

Of course could be the usual BS served up by free agents.

An equitable solution would be for Buddy to go from Sydney to Melbourne and AFL to pay out contract outside of salary cap

 

[Heaps of fun]

Reasons why North need a priority pick:

1. Have won one final since 2001.
2. Josh Gibson is still playing.
3. C'mon.

 

[port_adelaide_1870]

This is the thing - we finally have.

There's a second part to this argument that I didn't leave as I believe the simple statistical argument stands up. But nevertheless, I'll use it.

There's finally the people there to do something with the picks

Christian Salem and Jay Kennedy-Harris.

James Strauss, Luke Tapscott and Sam Blease.

A simple comparison. Consider all players on an equal footing when they come in for selection. Furthermore, Roos is on record as preferring to play players who are experienced over first-year draftees.
Yet Strauss, Blease and Tapscott have played less games combined than either of JKH or Salem.

Why?

Because they're shisen. And they have been for a while. They've had flashes, to be sure, but they're ultimately shisen.

Now the question is - what do you replace them with?

Right now, MFC have already confirmed two players gone. Mitch Clark and Shannon Byrnes. This is before the Frawley kerfuffle is sorted out. Assume Frawley goes - that's three.

One would want to replace the three of those. But can you, in one draft, with the forced losses and Frawley?

1st Round
1st Round Comp (Frawley)
2nd Round
3rd Round
4th Round (?)
5th Round (?!)

There's only one fifth-rounder I can name who has had an impact in the last five years from the word go - and that's Tom Langdon. It's rare as hell. So it means Melbourne are forced to either bring back the garbage they have, or hope that they win the goddamn lottery.

I'm not suggesting the argument should be "Melbourne need pick 1." I don't necessarily agree either. I think one top-up pick - at the end of the first, after Essendon's pick - would probably be the best solution if a pick was to be awarded. I don't think we'd draft with it anyway - I think Roosy'd flip it for someone - but it just gives that credit that just isn't there right now.

There is this thing that many clubs do now days, it's called trading and F/A. It can be used to replace players... You say Melbourne have the people now to take advantage of picks, great that eliminates any need for a priority pick then, as you should be able to pick up good players no matter the number in the draft

Like a poster said above if frawley leaves you will have 2 top 5 draft picks, you are insane if you think u deserve another one or even another first rounder

 

[estibador]

There's only one fifth-rounder I can name who has had an impact in the last five years from the word go - and that's Tom Langdon. It's rare as hell.

Michael Barlow? Lee Spurr? Greg Broughton? And that's just from Freo.

Time for Melbourne to dig themselves out of their own hole with some astute drafting instead of relying on the great white hope of another priority pick.

 

[port_adelaide_1870]

Reasons why North need a priority pick:

1. Have won one final since 2001.
2. Josh Gibson is still playing.
3. C'mon.

4. Have Ben Jacobs on playing list.

 

[timtamWB]

Right now, MFC have already confirmed two players gone. Mitch Clark and Shannon Byrnes. This is before the Frawley kerfuffle is sorted out. Assume Frawley goes - that's three.

One would want to replace the three of those. But can you, in one draft, with the forced losses and Frawley?

1st Round
1st Round Comp (Frawley)
2nd Round
3rd Round
4th Round (?)
5th Round (?!)

There's only one fifth-rounder I can name who has had an impact in the last five years from the word go - and that's Tom Langdon. It's rare as hell. So it means Melbourne are forced to either bring back the garbage they have, or hope that they win the goddamn lottery.

Whoop de ******* do you're losing three players. Guess what?

Right now, FFC have already confirmed two players gone. Tom Williams and Daniel Giansiracusa. This is before the Higgins kerfuffle is sorted out. Assume Higgins goes - that's three.

One would want to replace the three of those. But can you, in one draft, with the forced losses and Higgins?

1st Round
2nd Round
2nd Round (Higgins comp)
3rd Round
4th Round (?)
5th Round (?!)

There's only one fifth-rounder I can name who has had an impact in the last five years from the word go - and that's Tom Langdon. It's rare as hell. So it means Bulldogs are forced to either bring back the garbage they have, or hope that they win the goddamn lottery.

 

[LeverPuller]

Whoop de ******* do you're losing three players. Guess what?

Right now, FFC have already confirmed two players gone. Tom Williams and Daniel Giansiracusa. This is before the Higgins kerfuffle is sorted out. Assume Higgins goes - that's three.

One would want to replace the three of those. But can you, in one draft, with the forced losses and Higgins?

1st Round
2nd Round
2nd Round (Higgins comp)
3rd Round
4th Round (?)
5th Round (?!)

There's only one fifth-rounder I can name who has had an impact in the last five years from the word go - and that's Tom Langdon. It's rare as hell. So it means Bulldogs are forced to either bring back the garbage they have, or hope that they win the goddamn lottery.

The difference is simple there. Track record.

 

[Upgrayedd]

Whats the definition of insanity?