Nelson I live on the Eastern Seaboard, imagine how late it finished for me last year!

Like Oos said, make a time and date that suits you and if people can't make it they can submit team lists.

While the DFFL is highly competitive, come draft night the other Dufflers have been pretty generous in helping out the absentees.

I for one would be happy to take on someone's list and do their drafting for them.

Just say when and what time Nelson and we'll be there .

Last season I wasn't given a spot in the DuFFLe until the last minute when others pulled out. Unfortunately it meant I missed the draft but the beauty of this comp meant another generous DuFFLer stepped in and picked my side.

It's inevitable that not everyone will be there and I dare say I could miss it this year too with Sunday and Tuesday about the only nights I'll be free. So it's really what suits the bloke in the Big D's shoes. That'd be you Nelson.

Should the chat room crap itself again this year during the draft, I DO NOT WANT FRIGGIN LYNCH in my team, you bastards.

Name a time and I'll get there.

Ok, Alvn Pple obviously has some naked ambition to be the DuFFLe champ and takes the final available spot.

The Draft will be held in the Dockerland Chatroom at 6:30pm on Tuesday 23rd March.

Prior to that date I will email all sixteen players with at least the stats from 2009 and time permitting some stats from the NAB Cup to assist with there selections.

All sixteen of you should contact Shane for my email ASAP and email me, so that I have your email address to send the stats to.

Prior to draft night you should all also provide me with a top 100 selections list in order, by email, for your draft should you be unable to make it to draft night - another DuFFLer will pick your side based on your top 100.

If you dont send me a top 100 list and dont make it to draft night, then you WILL have a team selected for you, but it will be full of egirls, Cousins, Lovett and Lynch.

I do reserve the right to hold the draft over two nights if we start dragging on a bit on the Tuesday night. I suggest you arrive in the chatroom as early as possible, so that we can organise who is and isnt there, and who will do your selections for you.

My wife will randomly select the draft order out of a hat and I will let you all know what that order is when it has been done. (My wife will do the draft picks from 2 - 15, with me locked in at 1 and Polly at 16 - just kidding).

Message to the newbies, when compiling your top 100 list, be aware that ruckmen tend to go early.

Well done, Nelson.

She has been talking with Mrs HG!

Ok I know that there are virtual sheep stations riding on this and so guys like Mr Smiley will be taking it very seriously and may not want to share tactics, but as a newbie I'm just trying to get my head around how this all works.

For example I can see how with limited ruckmen you would have to pick one early but if you only pick one genuine ruckman and he is out for a week or two can you just play a midfielder or forward as a ruckman?
Obviously you wouldn't get any points for tap outs but could pick up a few for marks (except of course if that player was Lynchy).

And for the other poitions how do we determine wether a player is a defender or forward etc do you just try and find a player that fits the scoring criteria ie can you play someone that normally plays forward or midfield as a defender.
I'm sure I will get the hang of it, how hard can it be to beat a drunken busload of Hooley Dooleys anyway?

Once you get the list of stats, whack it in a spreadhseet with the multipliers according to position, then assess who you think will improve or take in to account new players etc. Just remember though, a ruckman who has 51 hit outs may well win you the tie.

Alvin my dear, destined for the bottom of the DFFL ladder, friend. If you pick a quality ruckman who will give you anywhere between 25-50 points per game and you lose him to injury, you need someone who can mitigate that loss.

Frankly, lose your key ruckman and you are screwed.

Typically, a good ruckman will give you 30 points per game. A good midfielder will score similarly. However, it's mighty easy to replace a midfielder from your squad than it is to slot in a spare ruckman. Midfielders are a dime a dozen.