In recent years, especially last year, those who looked as though they were going to be delisted were banished to the VFL for lengthy periods. It didn't matter if they got BOG for 4 weeks running, Denis wouldn't give them a run in the 1s. Good examples of this last year were Kenna and Beasy.

Will the trend continue?

Players who have been banished to the VFL, but have been playing some good football in the VFL would be Clarke, Bowyer, Norman, Davies and Sporn.

Will these players follow the same line that Kenna and Beasy did and be delisted at the end of the year?

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Writer for SuperCoach Paige www.scpaige.com.au
Twitter - @johnfeeney24

We can only hope!!!!

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"Who discovered we could get milk from cows, and what did he think he was doing at the time?" Billy Connolly

Houlihan's another you can add...

And that is worrying.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

It's one thing to play good football in the VFL, another to play it in the AFL. They've all been given games in the AFL & ended up back in the VFL but I think they've run out of chances.

Houlihan will certainly not be delisted as he's contracted for another year. He's been sent back to the VFL to work on his deficiencies & once he's done that will be back & will be a long term player.

I'm not saying he will be delisted or traded or definitely is out of favour - i have no info re: that BW, but it's a bit worrying nonetheless...

Yes he is contracted next year but a trade is not beyond the realms of possibility.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

I thought Sporn played a good game against Hawthorn, will be interesting to see if he is kept on the list

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"You are being watched. The government has a secret system. A machine that spies on you every hour of every day. I know because I built it." - Finch

Sporn's also contracted for next year.

Kenna was contracted for this year but he got the chop...a contract is no guarantee of retaining a spot on the list...you will just get paid out.

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"A good composer does not initiate. He steals."

- Igor Stravinsky

Well I do have info on that & he's a required player who will be persevered with. He's been told he has to earn his spot back which up to now hasn't been easy. The longer he's kept in the VFL the lower his trade value & if they were looking to trade him he'd have been playing in the seniors.

There is a complicating factor in selection the AFL team for the last round this year - the eligibility criteria for fringe players to play finals for the Bullants.

I would imagine that coaching staff would be saying to a few emerging players.... "look you have earnt a place in the Blues line up but we think you might get more development playing a few games in a VFL finals campaign rather than one bottom of the ladder battle for the Blues."

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“Before you criticise someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticise them, you're a mile a way and you have their shoes."

I would think BW is on the money with his assessment of the Houla situation.

he improved during Pagan's first 2 years, but has dropped off a bit this year when most of the experienced players have also had poor form. i would think he is unlikely to be traded unless we get an offer too good to be true ... and yes, I know some think that any offer would be too good to be true, but I don't agree with them. Every team can cope with a Houla type player, and in fact some have more than one, but most do not have his quality upside.

Houla's not a bad footballer, he's just been played out of position. IMO he should be a half forward flanker (not rhyming slang) which we have an over supply of. Trade for a fast defender if we can get it.

He'd go well at Port or even Brisbane where he's got some tough bodies around him.

Reckon Houla will be prime trade bait this year.

To be honest I don't mind Houla when he is 'on' his use of the ball is sublime.

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A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty" -Winston Churchill

L.M 35-06

Houlihan isn't going anywhere and i'm pretty sure Davies isn't as well. As for the others, time will tell.

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Give and you shall recieve

It'll be interesting. From what I've heard, I don't think this draft is going to be worth trading into, once you get outside the first half a dozen or so picks.

If houla is trade-bait, it'd probably have to be for a player. Doubt we'd get too much for him.

All Hoops has to do is get some grunt in him. His skills are awesome but there is a lack toughness. Davies is a tough little bugger but he lacks urgency in the firsts.

And pray tell where he is going to get that from ?? Just go down to the local Bunnings store and buy a 5 litre can of it ??

You either have that facet in your game or you don't, it's not something that can be taught.

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GROUND ZERO + DRAFTING YOUTH = SUSTAINED SUCCESS