In answer to your questions Budzy:
1. Yes, if Smith is nominated as a rookie who is available for senior selection, other rookies can still be promoted to the Senior List to replace players who might be transferred to the Long-term Injury List from time to time. But in each such case, the rookie must be transferred back to the Rookie List when the relevant senior player is transferred back to the senior list. The idea is that every club should have 40 players to choose from at any time in the season.

By the way, a player can be transferred to the LTI list if he will probably not be available for AFL or VFL games for at least 8 games rather than 10 games.

2. Carlton can not nominate a rookie until the Rookie Draft is complete. Only then will we have a full list of 5 rookies. For the sake of argument, imagine if Carlton followed the recent lead of clubs such as Melbourne and Western Bulldogs and we failed to draft 2 new rookies for financial reasons. In that highly unlikely scenario, we would not be entitled to nominate Smith then because we would not have 44 players in aggregate on our lists.

Carlton also has a history of not promoting rookies until the club wants to play them in the seniors. Over the last couple of years, we have only promoted rookies like Setanta, Carrazzo and Bentick on the eve of their debuts. This gives them the idea that they have to fight for the promotion, and I don't think that is a bad thing.

So don't assume that a rookie will be nominated immediately. And it is not absolutely certain that it will be Jesse anyway.

Let's imagine that one of the other 2 rookies we draft ends up showing exceptional talent and that he should be in the firsts. Maybe we take a tall defender who can slot right in, or a pacy midfielder who can take a wing. Maybe Caydn Beetham is plucked from obscurity. You wouldn't want to have committed to Smith too early, and forfeit the chance to play that player for the entire year. Better to let the 3 of them fight it out for the position (assuming that Batson or Aisake would only be promoted to replace a ruckman placed on the LTI list). And if none of them shows enough to break into the firsts, then none of them should get it. After all, it isn't an encouragement award.

But if things go as expected, then Jessie has a very large carrot dangling in front of him. He knows if he really puts in, he can play seniors in 2005. That is much better than the frustration that Setanta felt this year, where he should have been in the firsts for more than 1 game but long-term injuries just didn't happen.

you make some great points there SOS...appreciate your excellent reply

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There's so much I could say...

dont worry SOS i believe you!... Its only because your name reminds me of someone. Can any one guess who?

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"Dont count the games, make the games count"