I was there yesterday and I'm a bit confused about some of the reports coming from the game.

Tom McDonald played up forward for most of the game with short runs in the ruck. He certainly presents quite well and is very strong overhead, and shows some really good game awareness. I think that, as a defender, he could play some really meaningful AFL footy this year. But the coaches seem to have decided that it will be as a forward that he'll be a long term player. As a forward, he'll need time to become physically strong enough to dominate overhead. He took some good marks, but it's only his second year and he'll need time to become a monster.

Gysberts was very good and seemed to be much better defensively than he has been in past years. He was excellent in the clearances last night.

Tapscott did one or two nice things, but wasn't particularly involved. Much better in the first half and only seemed to play limited minutes. Needs a lot more game time, though it was good to see that his touch, in patches, was there.

Grimes did what he needed to do. Played at half back and got through the game with a minimum of fuss. Didn't play the full game as he was rested later.

Watts was clearly the best player on the ground. Started on the wing in both halves but then went forward later in each half. When he went forward he turned the game twice - late in the first half when he turned a deficit into a lead with about 3 goal assists, and then in the last quarter. The queries about his marking are interesting, because there are two aspects to his marking. He isn't a pack crasher, which is what disappoints many who expect Jonno Brown, but he's actually very good one on one. He dropped a couple of contested marks after he'd already done the hard work to work his opponent out of it. I think we just need him to win more of the footy around the ground than he did in preseason because every touch he has turns into gold. He was clearly BOG last night.

Morton was not his best last night. He kicked a goal, but conceded a few goals to Panos early due to body size. Better in the second half, but he has a lot more in him than what he showed last night.

Strauss did some good things although he didn't get heaps of the footy. He was good defensively, I thought, where he used his speed and power to win and neutralise contests against small, agile opponents. Copped a high elbow at one point and took time to get off the ground. Hopefully he's OK, because he's a player that needs to play lots of match footy to develop.

Fitzpatrick was a major, major positive for mine. He took a lot of good marks across half forward and competed really hard to bring the ball to ground. He used his pace well to create opportunities and was genuinely competitive overhead. What he needs to do is just get bigger. He is much bigger than the ecto-twig that first arrived at the club, so we know it's coming, but we just need to be patient.

The major thing I noticed was the amount of pressure we placed on Willy. Our midfield applied great pressure, especially early, and it certainly looked like we had a very good press going and we spent a lot of time in our forward line. A good start against a strong club, but it'll probably be one of the best Casey teams we'll see this year.

Very interesting post - can we get some sort of response re Grimes please? He is a very important cog in our team and I'm sure we all would like to gain feedback.Thanks in anticipation.

Also really looking forward to Diablo's report and summary.

Pretty certain it was just time management. He played the majority of the half.

And at the start of the third I'm pretty sure the phone call came from above saying enough for grimes. He has then called in and he went straight to the rooms. Nothing wrong with him though that for certain.

I dropped along to Casey last evening ans saw a really good game of football, nip and tuck all night with the home time turning around a last quarter deficit to get home by a narrow margin. The last quarter went over 33 minutes and with Casey in front, we couldn't understand why they wouldn't blow the siren.

I got there just as the minutes silence for Big Jim was breaking up, and they had sold out of records, so I was unsure of a lot of players. I don't know what number Sheahan is, but if he was the guy who shut down Skinner, he did well. Skinner looked as if he was going to win the game on his own. Casey lost the ruck contest convincingly, but with Gysberts and Couch won the clearances.

I was on the outer wing, Morton didn't venture over there until the last quarter, so I didn't pick up his number until then, don't think he did much. Strauss was good, coming along nicely. Grimes was Grimes, particularly on-on-one he seems to be always on thr correct side of the contest, don't know about his match fitness though.

Wats was very good. I don't know if he will ever be a key position player, but he is an exquisitely gifted footballer. Some of his work in a confined space is just sheer brilliance. I would give him BOG from Gysberts and then Couch. Fitzpatrick gets an honourable mention; for a big bloke, his ground level skils are impressive, just needs to hang onto the marks. Tynan is a real goer and looks a beauty.

Applying the least amount of benefit of the doubt possible, I could not bring myself to call Bail, Grimes, Watts or Tapscott duds. You're being completely over the top again.

Obviously that was Beer posting - I prefer it when Curry posts.

Surely that was Curry? Gives you not a lot outside of a streamload of sh!t.

Fitzpatrick was a major, major positive for mine. He took a lot of good marks across half forward and competed really hard to bring the ball to ground. He used his pace well to create opportunities and was genuinely competitive overhead. What he needs to do is just get bigger. He is much bigger than the ecto-twig that first arrived at the club, so we know it's coming, but we just need to be patient.

Well that's good. I had written of Fitzpatrick before this pre-season, so it's good to hear he's getting bigger and more confident. I'm not holding out any hope, which I guess means that anything we get from him will be a positive, but it's nice to hear that a developing tall at Melbourne is doing better than expected, for once.

The difference is that we are all judging him against different criteria. You are judging him against the mythical key forward you imagine in your head. Others are judging him against other images.

Too true.

Watts is not going to be the next Brown, Roughead, Franklin, Cloke, Dawes, Pavlich, Riewoldt, other Riewoldt, or anyone else, for that matter.

He's going to be the next Jack Watts. And he's going to play in a position which suits him. If that's FF, so be it. If it's CHF, so be it. If it's the wing, or HF, or HB even, so be it. The talent is there, the fitness too. Once the hunger, the aggression, and the consistency settle in, we'll see he has got what it takes.

To get off Watts for a minute, it's good to hear that Sheahan did his job well and kept Skinner quite last night. Developing well for a young rookie with a heap of talent.

thanks forthe reports, guys. I was there also and disappointed that Cale often swings into a mode where he moves away from the contest and points directions for others. I really look forward to the day when I will have to apologise to this natural talent for labelling him as trade bait; PLEASE don't be the new Juice.

Watts did some really nice stuff - a smart footy brain and unselfish. Love the recruitment of Tom Couch, he played a good hard game. Tappy up forward was good for the bits he played. I also thought Jai was good value.

Its good to hear how well Watts, Gysberts and co went, how Watts is so good in a confined space. BUT, why the flying **** can't they translate this to AFL. For a number of years with our Casey affiliation we have had far too many blokes dominate the VFL and be unable to bridge the cap. I'm talking about the Miller's, the Maric's, the Gysbert's. What the hell is going on. Do it in the AFL, not the ressies for God's sake

Does anyone know what instructions Watts was given by the coach? How can anyone evaluate his performance thoroughly without knowing what his role was?

Do you critique a tagger by their disposal count? Or their effectiveness to contain their opponent?

Thought I was here to read about last night's match. Sad to see it's become just another bash Jack Watts thread

Thought I was here to read about last night's match. Sad to see it's become just another bash Jack Watts thread

Well to be fair, Jack Watts did play in last night's match.

Well to be fair, Jack Watts did play in last night's match.

What, in 18 positions?

So for those at the game - does Couch's performance put him in the mix for round one?

And before you answer - the midfielders that I can see competing for round one (and we need about 10) are: Trengove, Jones, Moloney, Bate, Magner, Bail, Gysberts, Batram, Morton, Nicholson, McKenzie, and Blease.

I reckon he is a chance...

So for those at the game - does Couch's performance put him in the mix for round one?

And before you answer - the midfielders that I can see competing for round one (and we need about 10) are: Trengove, Jones, Moloney, Bate, Magner, Bail, Gysberts, Batram, Morton, Nicholson, McKenzie, and Blease.

I reckon he is a chance...

Without question he is in contention he is a stoppage specialist and his clearance work was very good.

I'm very confident that he will be elevated for round 1.

I've moved an metric shitload of Watts posts in to the Watts thread here: http://demonland.com/forums/index.php?/topic/29486-jack-watts/

Sorry if I've broken the flow of conversation in either thread - the Locker Room stuff is still something of a work in progress.

Watts on a wing? T McDonald at CHF? When he gets bigger.....

I've moved an metric shitload of Watts posts

Gotta love the metric system ;-)

Did anyone see Strauss in a collision? apparently he left the field, and i've since heard he has a broken jaw......

Did anyone see Strauss in a collision? apparently he left the field, and i've since heard he has a broken jaw......

I hope not, he has really done well to get back playing so early after the leg.

Did anyone see Strauss in a collision? apparently he left the field, and i've since heard he has a broken jaw......

I wasn't there, but the word is he copped an elbow to the face behind play. I don't know if they have any sort of video review system in place for the VFL though, so we may not see a report out of it.

The thing about Watts that I am worried about is his inability to take lots of marks on the lead. He's reputedly one of the fastest players ever over twenty metres, so why isn't this attribute being used? He never leads like a madman, and when he does lead at all, he is ignored by his team-mates. I'm happy for Jack to develop into whatever fits his unique strengths and weaknesses (everyone has those), but his speed is one of his biggest positive attributes. Why isn't it utilised?

Listening to Cam Mooney the other day he mentioned how it's difficult for forwards to lead in to space now because the press means there just isn't any to lead in too.

Strauss had scans but all clear. Should be fine to play next week. A big game next week IMO would see him likely to play Round 2 against West coast!

There's only one Jack Watts. If he becomes the first 196 cm small forward, so be it. So much of the criticism of him comes from expectations of what he should be. Perhaps we should just give him a chance to be what he is.

Perhaps we should call him "Tooter"

Be just vhat you is, not vhat you is not.

dpositive like this

dpositive like this

dpositive like lots of this

Any news on Jack Viney from this match?