The fight for priority picks before GC rape the future drafts.

[chadjaja]

The race for the prodigy that is Tom Scully is on!

My club the Demons are under fire and the microscope for what we will do. Lets be honest here. The month before the two recent wins we were WOEFUL! We one only one Q a game and that was usually the last when the game was over. We showed nothing.

It took Jimmy to put a bit of fire into the boys to show something. That said we beat WC by only a goal or two at the MCG when they had Cox and Kerr out and they hadn't won away for 17 games!

Then we front up and JUST beat Port who played some pretty god damn awful footy all day but got up by only 11pts and it was only decided in the last 5 mins. This despite our tough play and lots of scoring attempts and forward options for us.

Now apparently the Demons are rolling?

There is a reason people discounted the Crows and Pies for so long, they beat nobody.

Another two wins means we end up on 5 wins and lose the priority pick.

Our run home is

Geelong at skilled
Sydney in Canberra
Richmond at the G
North at dome
Freo at the G
Carlton at the dome
StKilda at the G.

I see honestly
L. Geelong at home and with the ins
L. Sydney aren't good but they are better than us for sure
L. Richmond wont want to lose to us twice this year.
L. North...well its the dome and we are terrible there.
W. IF we lose this I'll be ropeable!
L. Saints simply need to show up.

That would be expected even on current form and far from a tank. We have won 3 games in 16 rounds and if we win 2 games in next 6 its tanking?

If that scenario pans out it matters little what WC, Richmond and Freo do as we get the pick regardless with the spoon from what I understand.

Do I want to win 5 games plus? Thats the big question and I don't. Winning is great and its great the kids got to experiance what a win feels like but beating Richmond or Nth doesn't prove anything in the large scheme of things. People have gone on about winning mentalities. Well the Tigers won how many to end the year last season, thats got them far this year hasnt' it.

Dean Bailey was asked the question on the couch last night and didn't answer it, he said what I've said. Development. Essentially saying we will pick younger and younger teams and see what some of our other listed players can do at AFL level. Although a few of us have been calling for McKenzie, Zomer, Strauss, Chenney, etc etc all year.

Round 22 will be a smashing but a chance to farewell the dead wood of Wheatley, Wheelen, etc anyway.

Play the kids and continue the development and the gains out of that outway any wins against bottom feeders anyway with some vets that wont be around for the future growth anyway.

Then add Tom Scully in the middle next year and another priority pick to boot.

The Dee's are rebuilding and this is the LAST year to rebuild. The AFL will push the GC and then the disaster of West Sydney for years and its just too much to give up.

So am I a tanker....well I don't want more than 4 wins but I'm not expecting more than one more win anyway. So lets simply say my thoughts on who should be named and how things pan out get us the pick anyway

Would be interested to hear from any Freo, WC and Richmond fans on how they think their club will take on the next 6 rounds.

 

[Warney]

Freo will get the wooden spoon and first pick and will take Scully

 

[chadjaja]

Even if Freo get the spoon if we win only 4 games we stll get pick number one. Destiny is our hands more so than watching to see what others do.

Unfortunately for us we play Freo and Richmond to finish out the year and I sense another Carlton vs Melb 2007 game. The one that cost us Kruezner, pick 3 AND the rights to BOTH Watts and Naita last year. That one win set us back so far and for what? What does that win now mean to the clubs culture?

 

[Mamboblue72]

Finish last in 2010 and get pick 7! win and get pick 22!!!
Get some cash on GC winning a flag between 4 and 8 yrs from foundation!! dead cert!

 

[Wattsup]

In our current form, Melbourne will beat both Freo and Richmond, possibly even North.
The dilemna is almost all of our available kids are already playing, its not like we can bring in a whole heap more as there are 4 or 5 already ruled out for the season with injury.
So yes, I agree it'd be in our own best interests to not win more than one more, but we may not be able to keep our wins under 4 1/2.
Would be devastated if we dont get Scully and pick 2 or 3.

 

[chadjaja]

I don't see FORM, I see better play against lesser opponents. We were so terrible for a month or so that any turn around looks like good form. Better attack on the ball and with no Miller the forward line looks much better. Still Sunday's game wasn't too skilled to warrant good form.

But we have beaten WC and Port at the G. Lets keep perspective on it I think. We played pretty good footy all year up to the last month and it still resulted in just one win against the Tigers when they hadn't even won a game.

WC are on the tank full on with injuries to Cox and Kerr that they have stated they don't even know what the injuries are! The Tigers will just play the kids as well. And Freo wont rush Pav back in and have no hope without him.

I still expect North and Richmond to beat us and then the problem is solved as the other opponents should esily take care of us imo.

Time to bring in Newton who's form warrants a call up, thats enough to guarantee a loss LOL

That should result in last spot depending on Freo and its wins/percentage. j

All things said I still believe we should pick the team based on development at the cost of a maybe win. The system is there to rort and the rewards this year are too great.

Some of our kids will be rested and some of our other kids at Casey given a chance to see footy at AFL level.

 

[graham]

Who cares! Go Lions

 

[DGCollectables]

Melbourne shouldn't come last on current form and the upcoming schedule. They need the win over tanking games for the 1st pick for pride's sake.

 

[chadjaja]

We only managed 3 goals against the Dockers when we were playing well. Not that much better than Freo at the moment. A win doesn't always indicate form, we have just had a turnaround in form but that wasn't hard.

Ben where are you? What do you want mate?

 

[dickyKnee]

Chad i want us to get the priority pick as much as you do. But don't sell the Dees too short. Given the momentum we have wins against Sydney, Richmond, North and Freo aren't out of the question. However, a 15 goal loss to Geelong would extinguish all that momentum.
I think its a win-win if the team can show some maturity and win another 3-4 games great. Otherwise we get the early picks. Picks would be good but wins are worth a lot in the development of the young guys as well.

 

[chadjaja]

Thing is our backline future looks great!

Forward line with Watts, Jurrah, Bate, Maric etc etc looks great.

In the middle, the engine room for clearances and delivery to the forward line we suffer and thats where the older players are as well. Scully is what the club needs and I'd go with two midfielders. Only really McKenzie looks promising at AFL level maybe out of the bunch we have for Casey. Valenti is a great VFL player but not damaging enough in AFL.

I'll pay the momentum but I'm not paying the form tag though.

 

[Wattsup]

Hmm, the wins would be good for short-term confidence, but what happens if at the start of next year we start getting flogged again, given that the team will be younger than this year?

Definitely should play Newton one-out alone inside the Forward 50 if we want to throw some games away! I think we may as well play Watts for the rest of the year now, give him some game-time to build confidence that he belongs at this level regardless of the game consequences.

I'd say bring Bennell and Cheney in as they're showing promise as well.....

 

[DGCollectables]

who wants to play for a team that gets flogged all the time and doesn't have a winning culture? this would certainly be tested if you tank games just for a priority.

 

[bjs127]

Hasn't Scully gone on record as saying if Freo finish bottom and get first pick he will not nominate for the 09 draft and go to GC in 2010??

I can't blame him either - Freo are quite simply a rabble and a total laughing stock. If he can't stay in Melbounre then the Gold Coast will do him nicely...

 

[chadjaja]

Winning culture? We have won what 8 games in three years? Whats another few losses in the next 6 rounds going to do to the club that 4 losses wont Gary?

Bennell and Cheney should be close our best 22 anyway I'd think. Wheatley should be back at Casey or shown the door.

Tank for picks.....just like Carlton, Collingwood, Hawthorn.....etc etc. When things turn around with two top 5 picks people certainly want to play for teams.

The thing is we are genuinely a pretty bad side, not a side that plays badly(Freo, WC). Melb out of all the bottom sides deserve the picks but might suffer because it actually shows some heart out on the field and could knock off a side as long as that side turns up and puts in a pretty bad game.

 

[nyana450]

as usual it looks like richmond is gonna get the short end of the priority pick stick (like my rhyming there?) we missed out on pick 1 in the 2008 draft due to carlton cheating, and looks like this year any one of 3 clubs could cheat us out of the top pick by tanking.

the priority pick rule is a joke and should be removed from the game, or at least changed so pick number 1 is not up grabs (maybe an extra pick at the end of 1st round). as long as it is, teams with no sense of the spirit of the game will continue to play for the draft and not ladder position.

the only reason the afl won't change the rule is because then they would have to admit there is an issue, that they have ignored it in the past, and will then have to investigate it. they would never want that, as they make too much money from betting rights and it would throw into question the integrity of the competition. punters would demand their money back, tipsters would be up in arms and the afl simply stands to lose to much money.

 

[Fishy]

cmon maybe richmond shouldve thought about drafting buddy franklin instead of tambling then you wouldnt be whining

 

[chadjaja]

Great article about the Eagles in todays paper and the movements of players out of position and use of the bench in a close game there for the taking. As the article said its gone under the radar here in Melb as there is little press about the Eagles here and the home town press isn't going to flog them. But other coaches and clubs are all talking about the moves made that made no sense and led to the loss they say in no unspoken words.

To get the priority pick the Eagles will have to have lost something like the last 12 games or more in a row.

 

[dickyKnee]

Pretty doable they way they are "playing" at the moment

 

[nyana450]

cmon maybe richmond shouldve thought about drafting buddy franklin instead of tambling then you wouldnt be whining

ah, how great hindsight is. back then, tambling was the player to take as buddy had too many "personality" issues according to recruiters. why do you think hawthorn, western bulldogs and richmond (twice) passed him up. he went at number 5 remember. having said that, our recruiters should be shot as it is not the first time they have stuffed up early picks, as we all know!