Changes for next week...

[P-man 13,366]

Strauss, Blease and Tapscott need to tear up a VFL game or two before they can even be considered, surely. Clock is ticking for all three. Another season of nothing and that will be another three high draft picks in the bin.

[old dee 23,774]

Strauss, Blease and Tapscott need to tear up a VFL game or two before they can even be considered, surely. Clock is ticking for all three. Another season of nothing and that will be another three high draft picks in the bin.

IMO P-man they are already gone, three miracles needed and we all know how long it is between single miracles.

There is a better chance we will see Clark playing in 2014.

[DeeSpencer 25,442]

IMO P-man they are already gone, three miracles needed and we all know how long it is between single miracles.

There is a better chance we will see Clark playing in 2014.

They are surrounded by so many others of similar failings that they remain chances. Only have to follow the Lynden Dunn career plan of 10 good games in the last half a year of their contracts to get new deals.

The real pain at the moment is the VFL season is yet to start. When it's up and running we will actually get proper reports of who is and isn't performing at the lower level and that way when we have these threads attempting to shuffle the side to get improved performance we can bring in guys with confidence and belief.

[old dee 23,774]

They are surrounded by so many others of similar failings that they remain chances. Only have to follow the Lynden Dunn career plan of 10 good games in the last half a year of their contracts to get new deals.

The real pain at the moment is the VFL season is yet to start. When it's up and running we will actually get proper reports of who is and isn't performing at the lower level and that way when we have these threads attempting to shuffle the side to get improved performance we can bring in guys with confidence and belief.

The major difference that I see is that Dunn did have a number of good games over the journey up till 2013.

Blease I remember one good game and the odd quarter, Tapscott I remember a couple good halves in his first year and with Strauss the best that I can remember is the odd dependable game. I have never seen him play a game that I would rank in the top five MFC players. Even at Casey they appear average players, there have been games when Blease has made it into the top three but never seen that with the other two.

Edited April 3, 2014 by old dee

[Ted Lasso 19,282]

The major difference that I see is that Dunn did have a number of good games over the journey up till 2013.

Blease I remember one good game and the odd quarter, Tapscott I remember a couple good halves in his first year and with Strauss the best that I can remember is the odd dependable game. I have never seen him play a game that I would rank in the top five MFC players. Even at Casey they appear average players, there have been games when Blease has made it into the top three but never seen that with the other two.

All three would need to produce their absolute best form consistently to have any chance of hanging on,

[ManDee 7,124]

Sorry, you are right about contested marks. However, this was entirely because he was actually presenting a lead and finding space, ala the JKH goal. Which I'm only banging on about because it's the only one with footage up, I would of witnessed this at least two other times and that doesn't include the leads that weren't rewarded.

Of our other forwards on Sunday the only one I saw making an attempt to present was Pederson, who is too slow to break away from his man and find space, which, I believe, is why he often fails to take a mark. This is further compounded by players kicking too long or too short.

I do prefer Dunn as a backman and remember a stat from last year that rated him Number 1 in the comp for 1on1's but I think we need his foot skills and his ability to actually present a lead in the half forward line if we want to kick some goals this Sunday. As much as the problem is our forward line, it's also the fact we simply turn the ball over across half forward too often

Dunn always has a go, but struggles forward. His penetrating kick for mine is better going into the forward 50. I would prefer with the current lack of forwards to play Garland or Tommy Mac forward. Maybe given Frawleys apparent lack of interest last week try him forward. For what is is worth rotate all of them through the forward 50, couldn't be worse than last week. Pederson for mine goes back and when forwards return way back - to Casey.

[praha 11,229]

It's comical that Pederson seems LESS a liability at Full Back than he does at Full Forward.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,687]

Dunn always has a go, but struggles forward. His penetrating kick for mine is better going into the forward 50. I would prefer with the current lack of forwards to play Garland or Tommy Mac forward. Maybe given Frawleys apparent lack of interest last week try him forward. For what is is worth rotate all of them through the forward 50, couldn't be worse than last week. Pederson for mine goes back and when forwards return way back - to Casey.

Frawley's "apparent lack of interest"? Silly statement. He made some disposal blunders but he was consistently making efforts to create run and opportunities off the back line.

For what it's worth, he strikes me as the ideal candidate to play on Cameron as he's the most likely to match Cameron's agility.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,687]

It's comical that Pederson seems LESS a liability at Full Back than he does at Full Forward.

Pederson is clearly not an AFL standard forward, nor an AFL standard relieving ruckman and has shown nothing to suggest he ever will be. On the other hand, while he's not an AFL standard defender yet he's shown enough to suggest he might become one.

He's a bit like Sellar with more pace and consequently more hope.

[ManDee 7,124]

Frawley's "apparent lack of interest"? Silly statement. He made some disposal blunders but he was consistently making efforts to create run and opportunities off the back line.

For what it's worth, he strikes me as the ideal candidate to play on Cameron as he's the most likely to match Cameron's agility.

Probably right re Cameron.

Against WCE Frawley seemed to lack intent and commitment, his disposal skills were also way down. Don't get me wrong Frawley at his best is a gun. But against WCE he didn't commit to chase, did not chase at pace, regularly peeled off a chase and his demeanor could be construed as a lack of interest. But he may have been injured, in a strange way I hope he was.

Edited April 3, 2014 by ManDee

[DeeSpencer 25,442]

Pederson is clearly not an AFL standard forward, nor an AFL standard relieving ruckman and has shown nothing to suggest he ever will be. On the other hand, while he's not an AFL standard defender yet he's shown enough to suggest he might become one.

He's a bit like Sellar with more pace and consequently more hope.

I don't think he has any more pace the Sellar. Nor do I think at his age he's likely to improve and be a reliable quality defender. But I do agree he is most suited to the backline. Seems to read the ball in the air better as a defender and can take a couple of grabs and isn't too bad at linking up and kicking long from the back half. At the same time last year he had goals kicked on him by Kosi, Grimley from Hawthorn, Q Lynch and other non AFL level forwards.

Right now whilst Garland is out of the backline and we have so little to offer in tall forwards it seems the perfect time to shift one of the better defenders (McDonald, Dunn or both) and plug Pedersen in down back.

Hopefully Jamar, Gawn, Garland are all back soon and that means no Pedersen in any position, yet alone when Dawes and Hogan are back.

[ManDee 7,124]

I don't think he has any more pace the Sellar. Nor do I think at his age he's likely to improve and be a reliable quality defender. But I do agree he is most suited to the backline. Seems to read the ball in the air better as a defender and can take a couple of grabs and isn't too bad at linking up and kicking long from the back half. At the same time last year he had goals kicked on him by Kosi, Grimley from Hawthorn, Q Lynch and other non AFL level forwards.

Right now whilst Garland is out of the backline and we have so little to offer in tall forwards it seems the perfect time to shift one of the better defenders (McDonald, Dunn or both) and plug Pedersen in down back.

Hopefully Jamar, Gawn, Garland are all back soon and that means no Pedersen in any position, yet alone when Dawes and Hogan are back.

What about out at Casey?

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,687]

I don't think he has any more pace the Sellar. Nor do I think at his age he's likely to improve and be a reliable quality defender. But I do agree he is most suited to the backline. Seems to read the ball in the air better as a defender and can take a couple of grabs and isn't too bad at linking up and kicking long from the back half. At the same time last year he had goals kicked on him by Kosi, Grimley from Hawthorn, Q Lynch and other non AFL level forwards.

Right now whilst Garland is out of the backline and we have so little to offer in tall forwards it seems the perfect time to shift one of the better defenders (McDonald, Dunn or both) and plug Pedersen in down back.

Hopefully Jamar, Gawn, Garland are all back soon and that means no Pedersen in any position, yet alone when Dawes and Hogan are back.

I agree about putting Pederson back and one of the defenders forward. But I worry about Dunn going forward because he's spent most of his career being shifted around. In the last year or so he's been settled in the one position and doing pretty well. I'd hate to see him go backwards again. So, I'd rather McDonald, or Garland when he's fit, to go forward until we get our tall forwards back.

[P-man 13,366]

He's a bit like Sellar with more pace and consequently more hope.

I'm trying to recall if Sellar actually ran backwards..

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,687]

I'm trying to recall if Sellar actually ran backwards..

I should stress that I could not fault Sellar's effort. But he's the slowest player I've ever seen. He looked like he was running in wet concrete.