Melbourne Evaluations and Plan for 2008
Staff:
Head Coach – Dean Bailey
Football Operations Manager – Chris Connolly (Speculation)
Assistant Coach – Mark Riley (Has 1 more Year and has stated he will stay on)
President – Paul Gardiner
Playing List 40 with 3 on the Rookie List (I think)
Captain for 08:
Brock McLean
Retired: (-4)
Bryon Pickett
Clint Bizzell
Nathan “Dogga†Brown
David Neitz (Should hang up the boots, is really looking like his age out their and I think we should start molding Newton as his successor at FF and Bate to hold down CHF.
Delist: (-7)
Chris Johnson
Heath Neville
Daniel Ward
Isaac Weetra
Mark Jamar
Daniel Hughes
Ryan Ferguson
Elevate: (+1 to List of 40)
Jace Bode
Rookie Listed Players:
Shane Neeves
Trading Block (-3)
Cameron Bruce (Contracted on for another 2 Seasons, but his skills this season have been dreadful and is a soft player and with a new coach and approach we should be looking to iron out these types of players)
Brad Miller (Produced 1 good year at Melbourne, has been given a mass amount of chances to prove himself but has shown nothing)
Russell Robertson (Out of contract and has been offered 2 years but he wants three. Id hate to see Robbo go because he is the heart of Melbourne along with Neita but he is 30 years old and his knees have troubled him recently)
Travis Johnstone (Possible, for him to stay he should be required to put in a good pre season and hit the gym and really change his attitude and his harden up. He has one of the nicest and most accurate kicks in the AFL but his rest of his game leaves little to be desired.)
Off-Season Additions:
Chris Judd
Justin Sherman
An Established Backmen (FB or a Key Back)
Any Free Agents that are well worth signing should be looked at and considered.
Draft:
If we win this week and Richmond lose (Most likely outcome) we get picks;
4
21
37
53
69
If Carlton win (than we get some real good picks)
2
18 (PP)
20
36
52
68
This will be updated after Sunday’s result but honestly I would much rather lose but I can’t see it happening. We would finish 2nd last and would be primed to get Matthew Krzuer with the 2nd Pick as I don’t think Richmond will go for another Ruckman even though he is the pick of the draft. I would also love to sign Scott Selwood, from what I’ve heard he has been labeled the best Selwood even better than Joel and he plays CHF.
Don’t know to much about the talent in this years draft except for the fact it is being labeled deep and the most talented since Judd’s draft. We should also look for a livewire, a key backmen and also a hard at it and workhorse like midfielder.
So if we win we get 2 picks in top 20 well one of them is on the cusp of 20 at 21 and if we lose than we get three picks in the top 20. So I say tank tank tank but it’s whether or not we can tank tank tank better than Carlton.
+ I think we get a pick in the Rookie Draft, not to sure about this but if it is and we do select someone than they will be thrown on our Rookie List and be required to play for Sandy in 08 to prove themselves. If though we get a high pick and select a veteran type player which can happen than id imagine they would join our list of 40 but I doubt we will opt with this option. Again I’m not entirely sure how this works but that’s my basic understanding of it.
A Trade Proposal:
Miller and a Late Pick for Justin Sherman
Miller is a Queensland boy and Sherman a country Victorian. Sherman has had a shocking season and is really finding it hard to break into the Lions team. And Miller could resurrect his career under Leigh Matthews and could be handy with Brown and like Tarrant with Pavlich.
Our Best 22 without our Off-Season Additions and taking out all my delisting and retirees’ and only keeping Robbo in from the trading block:
B - Bartram, Carroll, Whelan
HB - Bell, Rivers, Wheatly
C - Dunn, McDonald, Moloney
HF - Green, Bate, Sylvia
F - Davey, Newton, Robbo
Fol - White, Jones, McLean
I/C - P.Johnson, Frawley, Pettard, Yze
Leaves:
Godfrey, Buckley, Bode, Warnock, Garland, B.Holland
So basically with all my omissions we have to sign/draft 12 players and also add 2 players to our rookie list.
If that’s not a cleanout than I don’t know what is
That’s about it; I think my assessment is both fair and accurate and I haven’t protected any players because their my favorites, for example I am a fan of Bruce and Travis but I’m just telling it as it is. Like to hear from Ben and a few other Demon supporters to see what their take is on my analysis and get opinions and ideas. I will add to this post with our draftees and when things become official!
