Well Ive watched with care our performances in the NAB cup and practise games. I have been satisfied that we have approached the NAB cup purely in terms of ascertaining who can perform and who cant basically - who is match fit, who gell together and just isnt there yet.

My feeling is that firstly the players that have performed quite well during the pre season are:

Jesse Hogan - (I know, irrelevant).

Dean Kent - just a real ball magnet who can kick a goal. He gets his own ball and he can use it

Rodan - I like the bloke because he has spirit, but more because he is a big strong man who can physically go with any midfielders in other sides. With him there with Nathan Jones it makes a massive difference for mine.

Jack Watts - Again playing the same role, but clocking up posessions and using them smartly. He looks much more poised this year.

Toumpas - for a kid he can play!

Gillies - a few passages of play have impressed me. I can see him adding a bit

Viney - give him some game time

Matt Jones - looks ok

Terlich - will certianly have a crack

Some im not sure about yet:

Garland - come on mate, no more clangers

Cam Pederson - I have faith in this bloke but I didnt see as much as I would have expected - looked ok in the first game.

Nicho - kicking still an issue

Some have underwhelmed to be honest:

Davey - no chance round 1, sorry mate

Sylvia - i love ya mate and I believe in you but I just dont see any spark again...

so after all that who's your starting 22 for round 1?

So I reckon Gillies and Terlich might be a chance for the back half:

Jones, Barry, Rodan, Toump and Viney are a chance in the middle

And Byrnes, Kent and perhaps Pederson could be a chance for the forwards.

I really rate Dean kent. I liked everything he did in the first game.

I think Evans and Blease would combine well together. We need pace and ball carriers. Blease is in if fit and Evans should play with him. I don't know if we go in with Jamar/Pencil or Jamar/Pedo as our ruck duo. Jamar and Pencil both struggle when resting forward and it's like we are playing with a man down when they play forward. With Clark more then likely out our forward line is stretched thin as is. I thought Sellar would be down back as he was in the last half of the year but he may hold clark's spot down forward until he is fit.

Jetta Frawley Dunn

Watts T.Mac Grimes

Blease Trengove Howe

Tapscott Dawes M.Jones

Davey Sellars Sylvia

Jamar Jones McKenzie

Byrnes Toumpas Garland Sb:Rodan

Emerg; Magner,Kent

Edit Viney for Trengove in centre based on fitness test

Edited March 17, 201312 yr by Biffen

B: Garland - Frawley - Terlich

HB: Watts - McDonald - Grimes

C: M Jones - McKenzie - Viney

HF: Sylvia - Dawes - Howe

F: Blease - Sellar - Byrnes

R: Jamar - N Jones - Rodan

I: Dunn - Nicholson - Toumpas - Kent (sub)

In the mix: Strauss, Pederson, Magner, Gillies, Macdonald, Evans, Tapscott & Jetta

I'm assuming Trengove & Clark aren't fit & that Kent, Blease, Dawes, Viney & McDonald will be.

B: Garland - Frawley - Terlich

HB: Watts - McDonald - Grimes

C: M Jones - McKenzie - Viney

HF: Sylvia - Dawes - Howe

F: Blease - Sellar - Byrnes

R: Jamar - N Jones - Rodan

I: Dunn - Nicholson - Toumpas - Kent (sub)

In the mix: Strauss, Pederson, Magner, Gillies, Macdonald, Evans, Tapscott & Jetta

I'm assuming Trengove & Clark aren't fit & that Kent, Blease, Dawes, Viney & McDonald will be.

I'd swap Jetta for Nicho, but other than that I agree.

B: Garland - Frawley - Terlich

HB: Watts - McDonald - Grimes

C: M Jones - McKenzie - Viney

HF: Sylvia - Dawes - Howe

F: Blease - Sellar - Byrnes

R: Jamar - N Jones - Rodan

I: Dunn - Nicholson - Toumpas - Kent (sub)

In the mix: Strauss, Pederson, Magner, Gillies, Macdonald, Evans, Tapscott & Jetta

I'm assuming Trengove & Clark aren't fit & that Kent, Blease, Dawes, Viney & McDonald will be.

yeah pretty close to what I'm thinking.

This year we dont seem to have too many on the injury list. But the ones there are key players, how many will we have for rd 1?

Clarke, dawes, trengove, viney, frawley, t. mcdonald,blease. All missing now, will they be ready? If not when, going into a season with these key players not out on the park means big problems.

Unlike some teams we cant carry key players out for very long.

B: Garland - Frawley - Dunn

HB: Watts - McDonald - Grimes

C: M Jones - McKenzie - Strauss

HF: Sylvia - Dawes - Howe

F: Blease - Sellar - Byrnes

R: Jamar - N Jones - Rodan

I: Terlich - Jetta - Viney - Kent (sub)

Kent has shown he offers too much to just be the sub. He's a starter for mine.

Pedo is easily the biggest disappointment. Should not be in the team for Round 1. North may have pulled a real swifty on us there.

You may yet be able to include Mitch Clark in your potential Round 1 teams - Ch 9 News reported that he'll play for Casey this weekend and, if he gets through that game, could play Round 1.

Apart from Biffen none of the above show any interest in Davey.Yet his early training was good, he appears fit and he can kick. Is the consensus that he is done and dusted?

Apart from Biffen none of the above show any interest in Davey.Yet his early training was good, he appears fit and he can kick. Is the consensus that he is done and dusted?

Davey's an interesting one. I just wonder whether or not there's something going on in his head. It's just that when he's a senior player or leader and has a role as such, he seems to be doing well. But when he's in the full team alongside the likes of Rodan and Byrne - who have perhaps stolen his thunder - he underperforms.

He was one of the (key) leaders for the indigenous team, and did well, was acting captain in Renmark and did well, and was probably the most senior player at Casey yesterday and apparently did well (OK, only Casey ...).

To me there are to many injury clouds it his hard to predict, I still give Clark and Blease every chance of being fit, Trengove will be close, but I think Dawes or McDonald will not play this week end and be in most doubt. My team as off today assuming Clark, Blease and Trengove are Fit

Jetta Frawley Gillies

Watts Garland Dunn

M Jones N Jones Sylvia

Howe Pederson Blease

Byrnes Clark Sellar

Jamar Grimes McKenzie

Trengove Terlich Viney Toumpas

FB: Terlich Frawley Garland

HB: Watts McDonald Dunn

C: Howe Jones Nicholson

HF: Blease Dawes Pederson

FF: Byrnes Sellar Rodan

FOLL: Jamar Sylvia Grimes

INT: Viney Magner M Jones

S: Toumpas

Clark for Pederson if fit.

Trengove for Magner if fit.

FB: Terlich Frawley Garland
HB: Watts McDonald Dunn
C: Sylvia N Jones Grimes

HF: Howe Clark Sellar

FF: Blease Dawes Davey

FOLL: Jamar Rodan Trengrove

INT: Viney Toumpas M Jones
S: Jetta

E: Magner Byrnes Kent

Obviously I haven;t given up on Davey or Sylvia and I don't like leaving Kent out so consider him the first sub in contention.

Watts, Frawley, McDonald, Garland, Terlich, Jetta, and Dunn in the backline.

Byrnes, Dawes, Sellar, Pedersen (back up ruck) and Howe in the forward line. Jamar as ruck.

N Jones, Grimes, McKenzie, Magner, M Jones, Rodan, Viney, Nicholson and Sylvia (sub) to run through the midfield and forward lines.

Spencer, Toumpas, and Kent emergencies.

I don't think Clark, Trengove, and Blease will be ready. And I don't know what the club thinks of Davey as yet.

I think the emergence of Dunn, Terlich, Watts, and Jetta will mean that Nicholson is pushed up the ground. He would be able to use his endurance to greater effect on the wing but he has got to nail down his kicking and decision making or else he is going to be the fittest player that Casey has ever seen.

This is assuming Blease/McDonald/Clark/Dawes all get up and Trengove needs another week.

FB: Garland - McDonald - Terlich

HB: Watts - Frawley - Dunn

C: Blease - Jones - Grimes

HF: Howe - Dawes - Kent

FF: Sellar - Clark - Byrnes

R; Jamar - Rodan - Sylvia
I: Viney - Jetta - McKenzie

S: Toumpas

E: Gillies - Davey - Tapscott

IF McDonald is out - Gillies in

IF Blease is out - Davey comes in

Key Matchups:

McDonald to Shultz

Frawley to Westhoff

Garland to Brad Ebert

McKenzie to Boak

Wines to Viney

Edited March 17, 201312 yr by daveytrain1

Trengove.

This is assuming Blease/McDonald/Clark/Dawes all get up and Trengove needs another week.

FB: Garland - McDonald - Terlich

HB: Watts - Frawley - Dunn

C: Blease - Jones - Grimes

HF: Howe - Dawes - Kent

FF: Sellar - Clark - Byrnes

R; Jamar - Rodan - Sylvia

I: Viney - Jetta - McKenzie

S: Toumpas

E: Gillies - Davey - Tapscott

IF McDonald is out - Gillies in

IF Blease is out - Davey comes in

Key Matchups:

McDonald to Shultz

Frawley to Westhoff

Garland to Brad Ebert

McKenzie to Boak

Wines to Viney

Is Butcher available for them? They would be mad not to play him.

Is Butcher available for them? They would be mad not to play him.

Broke his hand or fractured his hand yesterday I believe?

Geez I hope T McDonald is available. Will help our defensive structure no end.

I know it won't happen but it wouldn't shock me if Howe doesn't make the cut. Apart from the North mini game, has done nothing this pre season.

Broke his hand or fractured his hand yesterday I believe?

Swee....... I mean , bad luck for them.

I wouldn't put too much emphasis on the official injury list from the MFC website - it is a vague gauge at best and rarely accurate when it goes over 2 weeks. Having said that, injuries will play a huge part in determining round 1.

B Jetta - Frawley - Garland

HB - Dunn - McDonald - Watts

C - Howe - Rodan - Grimes

HF - Kent - Dawes - Evans

F - Byrnes - Sellar - Tapscott

R - Jamar - Sylvia - N. Jones

I - Spencer - Viney - McKenzie

sub - Toumpas

Terlich, Davey and Magner could easily find their way into round 1.

I expect Blease to be available for round 2. Trengove, and Clark available for round 3.