You forgot Nicholson.

Bartram is a hard bp/tagged and a very good player.

Bennell has HUGE upside

Blease will be a gun

Grimes is a gun

Tapscott played his best footy for MFC in the backline.

Tom McDonald, I don't think he has enough to be included in our best 22 until someone retires or gets injured.

Nicholson's a fringe player as well in that 23-30 bracket.

Bartram is a good player and can be used as a tagger if needed but his kicking is a liability and is not guaranteed a spot each week.

Bennell's upside hasn't been shown consistently yet. If it does it may change but until then...

Tapscott's played his only footy in the backline really (other than today) but was recruited as a HFF. I see him playing a similar role to Chapman at the Cats.

Besides all that, McDonald is a different proposition to those players as he is a tall KPP. All those guys you mentioned are small/mid types.

Jared Rivers would want to have a big preseason next year.

Its a bit sacrilegious, but I like McDonald as a possible upgrade on Rivers - being 194, with pace and foot skills. He's got me excited.

Nicholson's a fringe player as well in that 23-30 bracket.

Bartram is a good player and can be used as a tagger if needed but his kicking is a liability and is not guaranteed a spot each week.

Bennell's upside hasn't been shown consistently yet. If it does it may change but until then...

Tapscott's played his only footy in the backline really (other than today) but was recruited as a HFF. I see him playing a similar role to Chapman at the Cats.

Besides all that, McDonald is a different proposition to those players as he is a tall KPP. All those guys you mentioned are small/mid types.

Why use a slow key backman, when you have quick kpp's.

Tom Mac is playing for rivers spot.

Edited August 28, 201114 yr by tonatopia

There's always a role for a quality running player these days. A coach's dream to have a collection of versatile big men allowing for a bench full of extra midfield rotations and half-backs or half-forwards.

Also, Joel MacDonald is the first man 'out' from the half back line if space needs to be made. Garland would be a better option to handle anyone that MacDonald would currently be assigned to.

I'm sadly with the others - Jared Rivers needs to continuously improve in order to hold his spot.

Strange situation, our captain and two of our vice-captains all being outside the set of 'first picked' players.

Edited August 28, 201114 yr by Little Goffy

Who does Collingwood drop out of their back line - Tarrant, Reid, Maxwell, O'Brien or Goldsack?

You're really not going to like it next year when Davis is playing in the backline too!

Yeah, Tom was great today. Very good debut. Could push for a rising star nom this week.

Rivers was decent in patches today, but he certainly looks the weak link in our defence these days.

Ok genius, then where do you play grimes, bartram, nicholspn, blease, tapscott, Strauss, j. McDonald, bennell and warnock.

None of them are competing with Tom McDonald.

Anyway, since I also want to be a genius:

Grimes - HBF/mid

Bartram - VFL

Nicholson - VFL

Blease - HBF/mid

Tapscott - HFF/mid

Strauss* - VFL

JMac - VFL

Bennell - small defender

Warnock - VFL

*Plausible that he could make it, but he's not competing with McDonald anyway

I disagree. Frawley and Garland can play on mediums/smalls so I don't see that as an impediment.

You right rogue, but he's not big enough to yet play on the big boys. so they all can't play on the mediums. lets give him time to build.

You right rogue, but he's not big enough to yet play on the big boys. so they all can't play on the mediums. lets give him time to build.

Given his third game will, at the earliest, be about seven months away, there's plenty bit of time. I reckon he's quite big already. Garland isn't exactly a gorilla keeper.

You can't compare the two. One is a proven champion, the other has played one game.

Yet you are prepared compare McDonald after one game that he "will always be behind Frawley and Garland" ! wow.....

Tapscott played his best footy for MFC in the backline.

Tapscott played his ONLY footy in the backline - yesterday was his first adventure up forward.

I think Tom Macdonald spells the definite end for warnock ....

Why use a slow key backman, when you have quick kpp's.

Tom Mac is playing for rivers spot.

Who are our defensive KPP? We have one which is Frawley. Garland and Rivers both too small for that spot.

I liked what I saw, his body shape reminds me of Dustin Fletcher a bit.... Wouldn't mind that at all!

With Warnock a near cert to go come end of the year, Tom Mac might be our back up backmen, someone to throw on the gorilla forwards (not right away, but down the track).

Great debut. Fast, tall, good skills, and seems to be able to defend one one one.

Hopefully Rivers will get judged on merit by the next coach and not reputation, and he plays at Casey or somewhere else.

Great debut. Fast, tall, good skills, and seems to be able to defend one one one.

Hopefully Rivers will get judged on merit by the next coach and not reputation, and he plays at Casey or somewhere else.

I agree that this was a good debut, but I would be interested from those who have watched him more at Casey, whether he is a good kick and decision maker. A big negative that stood out to me was that his kicking was sub-par, but maybe that's a bit unfair on the kid.

Given his third game will, at the earliest, be about seven months away, there's plenty bit of time. I reckon he's quite big already. Garland isn't exactly a gorilla keeper.

I know, but IMO, he and our other youngsters would get more out of it, from playing together in Winning finals games together.

They can bring that shared experience through together as a unified group.

Wanting him to play one more in a Demon jumper, and miss the finals, is just selfish and shortsighted IMO. And it takes away from our other kids striving for team success.

I know, but IMO, he and our other youngsters would get more out of it, from playing together in Winning finals games together.

They can bring that shared experience through together as a unified group.

They still can can't they because even if Casey lose to PM next week they have the double chance which will give McDonald, Fitzy et al all the opportunity they need to experience what you're talking about.

To me the concept of Fitzy knocking back a game with MFC to play with Casey is absurd and if that was his attitude I'd question his desire to play AFL footy.

I accept you and I will differ on this.

I know, but IMO, he and our other youngsters would get more out of it, from playing together in Winning finals games together.

They can bring that shared experience through together as a unified group.

Wanting him to play one more in a Demon jumper, and miss the finals, is just selfish and shortsighted IMO. And it takes away from our other kids striving for team success.

I'm not sure why you quoted my post in particular because I never weighed into this debate about him playing next week, or even alluded to it.

However, since you did quote my post, I'll chime in on the issue. I completely disagree with the idea that it would be in the best interests of the Club or player to demote McDonald because of some desire to seem him play at Casey for finals, cohesion with some other blokes there, etc.

Yeah, Tom was great today. Very good debut. Could push for a rising star nom this week.

I think Sam Blease has him covered.

You wonder?

Only a simple mind would make an assumption like that.

Back on topic.

Tom MacDonald allows a bloke like Garland to play on a mid-sized forward, and exploit him with his strengths.

This, i have said it more on BF if anyone is over there, we are one Tall defender short, more of the Frawley dynamic and Mcdonald fits the bill, i wont get to excited and say best 22 ect right now but he is exactly what we need imo, and this allows Garland to dominate the mid sized forwards and can still play tall if needed, but his run yesterday, even against the Gold Coast kids was great, cant believe he was still stepping around the Kidd in the last quarter lol he was never going right....

Its a bit sacrilegious, but I like McDonald as a possible upgrade on Rivers - being 194, with pace and foot skills. He's got me excited.

Yep.

JR can go back to the Scorpions now.

Who are our defensive KPP? We have one which is Frawley. Garland and Rivers both too small for that spot.

Disagree. Garland is our second KPP. Arguably had a better season than Chip too. Both of them can play on a Buddy, but also on a Le Cras.