Some List Analysis. Inviting comment.....

[hellfire]

Lazyboy - I don't want a bar of Cameron Bruce.

The others I would definitely look at.

I think Thomas is definitely a midfielder, but other than that, I generally agree.

 

[Snoop Dog]

That is some seriously optimistic thinking.

i didnt say how much fattening up he would need

 

[Kirby]

Everyone is crying out for a tough, inside midfielder with good skills to replace Burns and O'Bree when we already have one on our list named Danny Stanley. He just needs to get a game.

 

[Two Eyes]

Don't think you can get away with calling yourself a bona fide key position player in the AFL these days without being at least 195cm/95kg. Even O'Brien just makes it only because he is built like a brick shithouse and has fierce determination.

What was Clement then? He sure as hell wasn't anywhere near 195cm.

 

[pipeline]

Everyone is crying out for a tough, inside midfielder with good skills to replace Burns and O'Bree when we already have one on our list named Danny Stanley. He just needs to get a game.

Agreed but it seems what's right under our nose is less "interesting" than the mythical "next big thing" who might be out there somewhere. This kid is being absolutely crucified by MM. I'll bet he doesn't get a gig this week thus setting a new MM benchmark - dropped after almost getting one game in a row!

 

[Mental Magpie]

The following are done and dusted. IMO.

Thanks for memories, you've been loyal servants....

Wakelin
Johnson
R shaw
Lonie
Holland
Prestigiacomo
O'Bree
Egan
Didak (obviously subject to club's decision) - PLEASE NO!

 

[Timmy from Thomastown]

The following are done and dusted. IMO.

Thanks for memories, you've been loyal servants....

Wakelin
Johnson
R shaw
Lonie
Holland
Prestigiacomo
O'Bree
Egan
Didak (obviously subject to club's decision) - PLEASE NO!

They wont all go. One of Presti and Wakes will definitely stay unless they both choose to retire. O'Bree will definitely stay. BJ will probably survive by the skin of his teeth. Didak, we'll have to wait and see.

 

[Mental Magpie]

Everyone is crying out for a tough, inside midfielder with good skills to replace Burns and O'Bree when we already have one on our list named Danny Stanley. He just needs to get a game.

Kerr.
Cousins.
Sylvia (from Melb)

 

[well left]

I'm worried Stanley might have missed his moment on Saturday. Hopefully his back has improved and he is right to go this week but if O'Bree is right to go also he will probably get the nod ahead of Stanley.

As others have said numerous times, it seems we do not want to play all of Burns, O'Bree and Stanley. Last Saturday might have been his look in.

Here's hoping that's not the case and he gets a go as he is knocking the door down in the VFL and looks like he just needs a few games in the middle in the ones and he will settle down.

 

[MAKESHIFT]

Everyone is crying out for a tough, inside midfielder with good skills to replace Burns and O'Bree when we already have one on our list named Danny Stanley. He just needs to get a game.

Yeah I agree but MM won't give him a break!! He pulled out injured last week and that was a golden opportunity for him. Maybe he should have just played for himself instead of being a team player.
O'Bree looks ready to return so we may have to wait again to see Stanners perform. Will be going to watch the VFL if he is playing and marvel at his game once again. Maybe we should invite Mm to come and actually watch a tough hard midfielder in action. Last time against Geelong got 38 disposals how much more does the kid have to do FFS.....
I can't believe even the commentators on various radio stations are questioning MM's decision not to play him. Many have made comments on the radio about his games and lack of exposure at AFL when he is clearly playing outstanding football. Just confirms my views of MM......

 

[jackcass]

Big bodied defenders is our most pressing need. Presti and Wakes futures beyond the 08 season are very speculative, Brown can be locked in for one key back post, Thoolen shows some promise, however the remaining options everybody is throwing around (Anthony, O'Brien, Goldsack, Maxwell etc) all seem better suited to being the 3rd tall. Even the longer term prospects (Reed, Cox, Casey-Leigh etc) appear better suited to the 3rd tall option.

Need to seriously look at finding long term replacements for Wakes and Presti and having Brown as the only current option doesn't bode well for the club.

Agree that oppostion small forwards cut us up so a high class pacey small defender would be the next option. McArthy might be that player. Dyas also shows promise but is highly speculative.

Personally I think we have a very good mix of potential midfielders already on the list so ruck would be my next priority. Wood shows promise and Bryan has been servicable this year but other options wouldn't hurt. Particularly given the time ruckmen seem to take to develop.

All that said, I think the club has openly stated that they'll take who they consider to be the best available talent at their pick reguardless of type and trade to fill gaps so most of this discussion in pointless anyway.

 

[Gone Critical]

I think R Shaw has been v good this year. Dont like idea of trading him.
He gives us run and carry which we already lack.

Didak wont go, nobody will deal equally with us for him and I would hate to see us stampeded into a hasty deal by PR fears. His sins are not that great and he is arguably our best player. We will not get anywhere near good value with a swap.

Players most likely to go are

Lonie -could have been so much better, run out of time

Holland -injuries and age mean his time is up

Wakelin - Love him but we got the extra year already, his time has come

Iles - Some of the younger guys have to be turned over and he is at the bottom of the pile

Toovey - Just not good enough even considering last few weeks

Maybes
Presti - Would want a medical report saying he has a good chance for successful rehab

Egan - Deserves to go but could hurt us elsewhere if he does

Rocca see Presti, has to be doubt on that achilles with his size weight and no of injuries, its a hard injury to fully recover from

 

[joefootylover]

My take:

I think people underestimate out tall stocks. Few teams have Franklin and Roughead, most defences these days are organised with a lot of tall rebounders and one or at most 2 monster minders, guys like Glass, Scarlett and so on are no where near 195cm, more like 192-3 and quickish.

I would divide the list up into tall forwards, small forwards, tall backs, small backs and midfeilders and rucks, when you do that you see that the glaring hole is still in the midfield.

Basically our list is approaching a nicely balanced state, with Keefe coming on we will have four rucks, which is nice. The full list is basically 2 teams, the 1sts and the 2nds. each team has 3 tall forwards (2 KP's and 1 '3rd' tall), 3 small forwards, 3 tall backs (2KP+1 '3rd' tall), 2 rucks and eight midfeilders. multiply each of those numbers by two and you have a list of 44.

Tall Forwards:

Rocca*
Cloke
Rusling

Dawes
Reid
Anthony

Thoolen+

Small Forwards:

Didak!
Meds
Davis

Thomas
Dick
Macaffer

Rucks:

Fraser
Bryan

Wood
Keefe

Midfeilders:

Burns*
O'Bree^
Holland*
Lockyer
Lonie*
Rhyce!
Swan
Pendles

Stanley
Cook?
Wellers
Egan
Iles?
McCarthy
Barham
Reed

Tall Backs:

Wakes*
Presti^
Maxy

Brown
Goldy
O'Brien

Casey-Leigh+

Small Backs:

Johnson
Heath
Clarke

Toovey?
Cox?
Dyas

Looking at that list, you will see that the over 30 KPP's in Rocca and Wakes have some youngsters on the list ready to move up the pecking order in Thoolen and Casey, and in Cloke and Brown there are now 2 Keys at either end to hold down the fort, Presti for experience down bak too, though he and O'Bree are next in line after Burns, Wakes and Rocca retire, I think we get at least another year out of those two.

But look at our midfeild! Burns is 33! Holland is gone! Lonie is probably gone too, Rhyce may be traded away, there are question marks over Iles, and to a lesser extent Cook.

at minimum Holland and Lonie will be gone next year, I have my doubts about Burns too, he has had a great year, but each year it gets harder to get through a pre-season, and he will hang up the boots sooner rather than later, That is on top of Bucks and Licca hanging it up last year, and Davies, McGough, Iaccabucci and others not working out over the journey, Stanley may be a great player, but he can't replace all of them, and O'Bree has probably only 1 or 2 seasons left too.

My feeling, if we keep Dids and Rhyce, we need to draft a bunch of mids, probably a minimum of 3 first up, then maybe a KPB after that.

Mids!