The big improvement this year, and the key to our future success is from the output of our young, unhyped, non-No1s.

Joseph 07
Hampson 06
Browne 07
Army 07
Bower 05
Grigg 06
Austin 06
Betts 05
Jamison 06

I would like for us to have drafted more heavily in recent years, but we have some high quality players from 05-07 some of whom have taken a couple of years but are blossoming now. Every one of those players (except maybe Army) is capable of playing AFL at a very high level consistently for a long time.

Of the 9 players listed, 3 were rookies but 6 were 2nd and 3rd round picks. I really think this is where your list is made or broken in many ways, and it seems we've finally started nailing it.

I agree.

IIRC, we got EddieBetts in the '04 PSD. He's turning out to be the pick of the '04 picks.

Thumbs up to Hughesy.

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There's so much I could say...

Yeah thank God for the tigers "stealing" Trent Knobel or we may have had another expensive dud!

Yeah it was in 04, but it's termed the 05 PSD for some reason, so I cheated a bit

Betts is top 10 for that draft year overall. funny that, because I believe Colin Wisbey said Eddie was in his own top 10 for the 04 draft.

Of that group, my three standouts for this season are:
Betts, whom we knew would improve with a few seasons under his belt,
Joseph, who has come from nowhere to being one of the better taggers in the comp and
Bower, who has suddenly found confidence and is providing run off half back.

I think we have also found a potential superstar goalsneak in Garlett. He has is all, except self belief at the moment and when he realizes he doesn't have to give it to someone else but can back his judgement a bit more, he will be on the way. He is showing glimpses alrady. A great pickup.

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Let slip the Blues of war (with apologies to William Shakespeare) (and Sir Francis Bacon, just in case)

Don't under estimate how much we have missed Grigg

He really started to ramp it up on Friday and will get better and better every game

His kick to Reiwolt was a bit ordinary - but then again if someone manned tha Mark properly he wouldn't have kicked the goal


Eddie has been good - a little quiet in the last three weeks as he has been assigned some hard tags


Jospeh has been brilliant

Austin is improving with every game

Army needs to work on his skills his running is terrific

Jamo is solid

Bower tends to get beaten early but recovers well love his run out of defence reminds me a lot of Leo Barry

Hampson gets his hand to the ball a lot but just needs to start hitting it to advantage and getting the pill a bit more around the ground

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

Eddie spent some time in the middle and was brilliant with some centre clearances - he will add another dimension through the mid-field if Yarran and Garlett can take over the small forward role.

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"Hence you will not say that Greeks fight like heroes but that heroes fight like Greeks"?

Winston Churchill

Agree , all those guys have stepped up a notch this season .
I was worried Browne mightn't make the grade , but he has shown plenty since he came in to the senior side .
A real tough nut . His 1st quarter tackle on Goddard was as good as you'll see all year .
With the right coaching he could develop into a huge help for Judd at the stoppages .

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Get the facts first.
Then you can distort them at your leisure.

Agree he is good when he is in the middle - just doesn't seem to have the tank to do it consistently - He is taking his game to another level this year he has surprised me

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If you allow the Government to change the Laws in an emergency
They will create an Emergency to change the Laws

I was in the same boat klakker.

He really impressed me against the Saints.

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Everyone looks good in Navy Blue

Santy's goal in the last was thanks to browne bursting through the middle and even though he didn't hit a target, he looked like a seasoned midfielder and we goaled anyway