Evaluate the list:

[Filthy]

OK....after the farcical Trade Week (why can't it be in a day or two), we have 6 draft choices in the first 47 picks, including 3 in the 1st 20. (15% of available choices.....Carlton has 3 too, Colllingwood 2, the rest 1 and Freo none.....and the percentage of picks in the 1st 47 is 13%, the highest in the Draft....the strongest and deepest in years.

You younger ones won't remember 1992. Add 6 top young kids, an experienced guy in the PSD, the getting rid of Soloman (less frees against, less 50's against, less clangers and we are ahead straight away), Bolton, Reynolds, Cartlege and perhaps Henno gets rid of a whole lot of clangers, OOF shots at goal and so on immediately we are in profit. Its like a Company that has 7 loss producing products discontinuing those lines and adding 7 new lines that history tells you that 3-4 will be winners.

Now add to that mix, the following:

a) Sheedys last year of a contract. He will be at his ruthless best next year.

b) Injuries. Surely, we are due for a good run there.

c) The remaining listees:

CHAMPS (no explanations needed and I don't give a stuff what Sheahan thinks):
Lloyd
Lucas
Hird (even at 34 will take a top defender)
Fletcher

TOP PLAYERS:
JJ: The only thing that stops him being a champ is his kicking.
MJ: Nothing but admiration for him.
Stants: 3 pre-seasons have shown their benefit this year with his high disposal rate, motor, strength, and improved disposal.
Hille: Another year like this one and he will arrive permanently.
Spike: best stopper in the side.
Watson: Our heavy traffic player getting it out. Improve his kicking and ??? Reinvented himself this year.
McPhee: Cruelled by injury for 2 years and he gives us a 2004 and he moves up a notch.
Monfries: Already a team leader. A top player.
CJ: Is on his way to the top now.

ON THE WAY TO BEING A TOP PLAYER:
Laycock: gets his body and mind right and he and Hille will be a potent ruck duo.
Ryder: A full pre-season, 6kgs of muscle and he plays CHF with his mobility, natural skills, freeing Scotty to CHB.
Kep: Work on your skills and decision making son and you'll get there.
Dyson: This kid will be anything if he can get some game time, get some more motor, bulk and confidence.
Licha: IMHO opinion had arrived when he broke his leg.
Slattery: We have lost toughness have we? BS and Hank is good skills.
Dempsey: The next Longy. Nuff said.
Nash: A real dasher with sensational in close skills. Is he a left side or right side player? I can't tell.
NatRat: Has cemented a HBF. Keep running those lines son and backing yourself. Love your right hook!
Lovey: Head clear, off the grog, uninjured, a full pre-season and who knows where he can go? 1st category.
Welsh: High up in B&F, gets a lot of it but I would hate to be on the end of one of his passes which is a ticket to Prince Henry's.
Peverill:Love the guy, but is slow and his disposal is poor. Is he in our best side? Great 2nd half of the year but still have question marks.

THE OTHERS NEEDING TO IMPROVE:
Cole: Not sure about him. Certainly has the skills and size. Mental application?
Campo: Injuries cruelled him so jury is still out. A Premiership player in his last 1-2 years.
Heffernan: Had a lot of good games but his disposal??? At 27 how can he improve it?
Henneman: Has been injured for 3 years...is he Sheeds new Wally?

THE REST:

I don't know enough about the rest but they are Lucy, Neagle, Lonergan, Jolley, Lee, so looking for opinions there.

So our 1st 3 category's there are 26 guys, with the "Improvement needed" category + 4.

Now add 3 really top kids in the top 20 Draftees and another 3 others in latter category's plus an experienced pick up in the PSD.

Add a ruthless Sheedy, a better structured Club following the new re-structure, a overdue good run with injury........

[Jazz_84]

sounds very promising lets just hope most of that happens, especially the delistees part

need our senior guys to have a good pre season Mcphee especially

[CameronClayton]

Filth, I reckon it is going to more like 1977/78 & Billy Stevens bringing in the Baby Bombers. I expect bottom 4 next year with a steady rise after that. Sheeds will lose his job (he has been very gutsy this time round) at the end of 2007, & either Bomber or Neale Daniher to coach us after that.

Back to back flags in 2011/2012, with Matty Lloyd playing his last game in 2012 & a team full of 23/24 year old running midfielders.

Everyone is saying how well Collingwood & Richmond are doing in this year's trading. I say they are just tinkering around the edges (get a couple of good players each year, but no major clean out) & both teams will finish between 6th & 9th for the next few seasons before the inevitable slide down the ladder - they are making the same mistake we have been making for the last 4 years.

So prepare for a roller coaster of a ride over the next few years & the ones out there that remember the late 70's, early '80's will know what I'm talking about. Sensational wins out of nowhere one week, followed by inexplicable losses to teams we should pump the next.

[robrulz5]

Great post Filthy.

I think Jolley should come off the rookie list as he did show some good from when given some time in the seniors.

Lee looks like another likely prospect who just needs some more game time.

[Windy_Hill]

I am also pretty optimistic but I really think there are still many questions on most of the younger brigade

This year will decide whether we are a chance at a flag inside 5 years or 10 years.

If the current crop dont kick on,we are in big trouble.

A lot of pressure on guys like Ryder, Laycock, Winderlich, Bradley, etc who were taken reasonably high in the draft.

Monfries, Slattery, Dyson, Nash, Lee, Dempsey, Lonergan, Lucy, Johns must all improve by 20% this year

Better efforts are required from JJ, McPhee, Peverill.

[DYSON#2]

great post filth

i reckon you are spot on, couldnt agree more.

i reckon johns will be a handfull for defenders next year... taking 3rd or 4th best defender with Lloydy and Scotty in the team together. I can see him coming out of his shell

[Filthy]

Filth, I reckon it is going to more like 1977/78 & Billy Stevens bringing in the Baby Bombers. I expect bottom 4 next year with a steady rise after that. Sheeds will lose his job (he has been very gutsy this time round) at the end of 2007, & either Bomber or Neale Daniher to coach us after that.

Back to back flags in 2011/2012, with Matty Lloyd playing his last game in 2012 & a team full of 23/24 year old running midfielders.

Everyone is saying how well Collingwood & Richmond are doing in this year's trading. I say they are just tinkering around the edges (get a couple of good players each year, but no major clean out) & both teams will finish between 6th & 9th for the next few seasons before the inevitable slide down the ladder - they are making the same mistake we have been making for the last 4 years.

So prepare for a roller coaster of a ride over the next few years & the ones out there that remember the late 70's, early '80's will know what I'm talking about. Sensational wins out of nowhere one week, followed by inexplicable losses to teams we should pump the next.

As always CC, respect your opinion as you and I have seen the highs and lows....are you reading Watto's "Jigsaw Man"?

Lets say I am over optimistic and you are over pessimistic and meet in the middle!!

[BenDoolan]

OK....after the farcical Trade Week (why can't it be in a day or two), we have 6 draft choices in the first 47 picks, including 3 in the 1st 20. (15% of available choices.....Carlton has 3 too, Colllingwood 2, the rest 1 and Freo none.....and the percentage of picks in the 1st 47 is 13%, the highest in the Draft....the strongest and deepest in years.

You younger ones won't remember 1992. Add 6 top young kids, an experienced guy in the PSD, the getting rid of Soloman (less frees against, less 50's against, less clangers and we are ahead straight away), Bolton, Reynolds, Cartlege and perhaps Henno gets rid of a whole lot of clangers, OOF shots at goal and so on immediately we are in profit. Its like a Company that has 7 loss producing products discontinuing those lines and adding 7 new lines that history tells you that 3-4 will be winners.

Now add to that mix, the following:

a) Sheedys last year of a contract. He will be at his ruthless best next year.

b) Injuries. Surely, we are due for a good run there.

c) The remaining listees:

CHAMPS (no explanations needed and I don't give a stuff what Sheahan thinks):
Lloyd
Lucas
Hird (even at 34 will take a top defender)
Fletcher

TOP PLAYERS:
JJ: The only thing that stops him being a champ is his kicking.
MJ: Nothing but admiration for him.
Stants: 3 pre-seasons have shown their benefit this year with his high disposal rate, motor, strength, and improved disposal.
Hille: Another year like this one and he will arrive permanently.
Spike: best stopper in the side.
Watson: Our heavy traffic player getting it out. Improve his kicking and ??? Reinvented himself this year.
McPhee: Cruelled by injury for 2 years and he gives us a 2004 and he moves up a notch.
Monfries: Already a team leader. A top player.
CJ: Is on his way to the top now.

ON THE WAY TO BEING A TOP PLAYER:
Laycock: gets his body and mind right and he and Hille will be a potent ruck duo.
Ryder: A full pre-season, 6kgs of muscle and he plays CHF with his mobility, natural skills, freeing Scotty to CHB.
Kep: Work on your skills and decision making son and you'll get there.
Dyson: This kid will be anything if he can get some game time, get some more motor, bulk and confidence.
Licha: IMHO opinion had arrived when he broke his leg.
Slattery: We have lost toughness have we? BS and Hank is good skills.
Dempsey: The next Longy. Nuff said.
Nash: A real dasher with sensational in close skills. Is he a left side or right side player? I can't tell.
NatRat: Has cemented a HBF. Keep running those lines son and backing yourself. Love your right hook!
Lovey: Head clear, off the grog, uninjured, a full pre-season and who knows where he can go? 1st category.
Welsh: High up in B&F, gets a lot of it but I would hate to be on the end of one of his passes which is a ticket to Prince Henry's.
Peverill:Love the guy, but is slow and his disposal is poor. Is he in our best side? Great 2nd half of the year but still have question marks.

THE OTHERS NEEDING TO IMPROVE:
Cole: Not sure about him. Certainly has the skills and size. Mental application?
Campo: Injuries cruelled him so jury is still out. A Premiership player in his last 1-2 years.
Heffernan: Had a lot of good games but his disposal??? At 27 how can he improve it?
Henneman: Has been injured for 3 years...is he Sheeds new Wally?

THE REST:

I don't know enough about the rest but they are Lucy, Neagle, Lonergan, Jolley, Lee, so looking for opinions there.

So our 1st 3 category's there are 26 guys, with the "Improvement needed" category + 4.

Now add 3 really top kids in the top 20 Draftees and another 3 others in latter category's plus an experienced pick up in the PSD.

Add a ruthless Sheedy, a better structured Club following the new re-structure, a overdue good run with injury........

An excellent summary Filthy. I believe the highlighted comment is equally as important as anything else you have said. The club (as they've come out and said) need to get with the 21st century. No more "pizza boys" in charge of skills etc. This club has to pursue innovative sports science into the department so we can develop and nurture the youthful talent we will have at the club. It's great to recruit kids with loads of potential and talent, but if we don't support, assist, develop and inject the necessary ingredients to help them improve, then we are wasting their time and everyone elses. I am looking forward to those changes as much as our selections in the National Draft.

[DYSON#2]

and thats another important point you highlighted BD. a factor we were falling behind in

[Rossoneri]

Can I play devils advocate?

CHAMPS (no explanations needed and I don't give a stuff what Sheahan thinks):
Lloyd
Lucas
Hird gone at years end
Fletcher if he goes down this year, we are f*****. Still far too reliant on him

TOP PLAYERS:
JJdespite what people say, he is too slow and his disposal lets him down greatly. If he had one or the other he would be fine
MJ:Tries his guts out, lacks skill but adds toughness. Too short to be an "enforcer
Stants
Hille Still a long way to go to be a quality tap ruckman. Good around the ground but not that good in the middle
Spike: Need him on the ball, but doesnt do enough when he goes in the middle
WatsonSlow, but smart.
McPhee: When will the injuries stop though? He had a few at Freo and the injuries he is getting are re-curring ones.
Monfries:
CJ: Cant say he is a top player when he has only played 14 games and averages 1 goal per game
ON THE WAY TO BEING A TOP PLAYER:
Laycock: too injury prone.
Ryder: Too skinny and needs to develop some mongrel
Kep: needs to work on his body, skills and brain. Looks good at times and looks shithouse most other times
Dyson:
Licha: Still got a long way to go.
Slattery: Slatts adds speed to us, but getting soft tissue injuries at 20?
Dempsey: Next Longy? He has played 5 games, wouldnt want to pump him up hey?
Nash: has the goods, does he have the ticker?
NatRat: Learn how to kick
Lovey: Loses the plot in the game too much.
Welsh: Over-rated. Should have been put on the table at trade week. Kicks it no more than 30 meters,usually sideways. Is slow and lacks toughness
Peverill:depth player, nothing more. Can we afford to have one?
THE OTHERS NEEDING TO IMPROVE:
Cole: Will be gone after 2007
Campo: Does nothing but run behind someone and kick it 20 meters.
Heffernan: Absolute waste. Played well up until round 6 and that was it. Was playing for Bendigo when we were bottom, how good can he be
Henneman: You all know my feeling on this hack

[Windy_Hill]

Rosso - hard but probably fair assessment

[Rusty1978]

Great post Filth, and an equally good reply Rosso!! Let's just hope we are somewhere in the middle of the two next year. Preferably towards yours Filth.

[antcl]

I'd lean a lot more towards Rossoneri's take. Theres a reason we finished so low last year, and Lloyd was part of that. But remember we only finished 13th the year before, and Lucas had a stellar year.

We've got too many holes, and too much reliance on youngsters stepping up.

Also, don't put much weight on the new draftees. The odds are that at least one or two of our first three picks will be talls, who take longer. And remember, this draft is meant to be damn deep, which means all the other bottom 8 sides will benefit almost as much as us.

[Rusty1978]

Fair enough. Heres hoping we draft well and have little or no injuries!!!!! Has to be our year for no injuries soon!

[chummy]

I think rosso is pretty well on the mark,unfortunatly there are question marks over so many players on our list that if we dont stay a bit optermistic it gets a bit scary ,but to call CJ and monfries top players is getting a little in front of ourselves.I THINK WE HAVE TO BITE THE BULLET ,and do some serious delisting henno ,pev,bolton,etc heff,campo to bendigo ,get these kidz on the ground and find out who can play .