Seriously ... a new game plan is needed.

I can't accept that.

The exact same game plan has made Sydney perpetual finalists. It has made us competitive in most games until the last five minutes. Then the Melbourne of old kicks in.

There is clearly a problem between the ears of players at the club. We have been in nearly 10 games where we have been in front or well within striking range. We have blown about 6 of them with yesterday's being the crowning turd in the water pipe.

As said earlier, we need to stop thinking that it is still 2010. Those blokes had their chance and it's not going to work out.

Listening to the game on radio and not having seen any of it or read anything else about it, it's interesting how some players names get called regularly and others barely at all. Suggests to me the ones who's names are called regularly are working harder to get where the ball is although sometimes they make poor decisions and execution errors when (or if) they get the ball.

The players who - according to the radio call - seemed to be always in the game (in no particular order) were Jones, Tyson, McDonald, Howe, Vince, Terlich, Frawley, Jetta, Dawes and Bail. More importantly, the ones who's names rarely got called included Tapscott, Blease, McKenzie, Pedersen, Riley and Watts.

I would have thought the changes might come from this last group. If there are no injured players needing time out, perhaps Gawn should come in for Pedersen and Cross for McKenzie. I'd rather give Blease and Tapscott another chance than replace them with someone who's card is already marked - one way or the other.

LDC your assumptions are fairly close to the mark however I am not sure why you would play Tapscott or Blease ever again.

They have both had years and the last three weeks have been typical of their level of ability.

They are passengers of the highest order, I would rather have Nicholson in than either of them.

While his disposal is poor at least he can get the ball.

Edited August 4, 201410 yr by old dee

in: Gawn, Cross, Michie, Strauss

Out: Pederson, McKenzie, Tapscott, Blease

Not 100% sure but Pederson might have a pretty nasty broken nose, not sure how long he will miss if at all.

ryay next week is not an assignment it is a suicide mission! Agree Blease just doesn't have it upstairs, all the speed and agility in the world but no vision or poise. Tappy was vomiting in the second quarter yesterday before he twisted his knee so maybe there is a reason for his performance but will probably be out injured anyway. I would limit the changes as next week will be ugly, best to keep some the young ones out of it.

Agree with you on this but some like Mitchie are big boys now.

I would add a couple PSD, Yes I know Roos does not change many.

How is Bail still in? has done SFA for weeks now

Gawn for Jamar how could Gawn be worse than Jamar?

I agree somewhat Old, we could put 10 down on yesterdays performance. Bail remains because of his pressure acts inside forward 50 and to negate direct opponent. He is not there for his skills, he also remains on the team list for another year because as we evolve and move forward it's players like Bail who just come in as depth when players are suspended or injured.

Jamar has been okay for the season and can run games out far better than Gawn so as far as I'm concerned for 2014 it is not a contest. Gawny still a bit away

Strauss would be better by foot than Terlich, Grimes and Garland off Half Back but defensively he is a worry

You can see Terlich panic every time he gets the ball in his hands, its a shame because he can read it coming to him and positions so well but the impact of his failed decision making is devastating for the team.

Pedersen was great at the start of the year because he was taking marks, no longer. If he's not taking marks and not being effective enough in the ruck, then why is he there?

Want to persevere with Blease for another, not Tapscott though.

Out: Terlich, Pedersen, Tapscott

In: Strauss, Gawn, Michie

Bail is on thin ice.

Reilly is depth, no more.

We are going to need Frawley back.

Watts out. One tackle and a few possies in the last is not good enough.

Bail, Mckenzie out.

Gawn in to ff changing ruck.

Michie in and under

Cross for McKenzie

Lucky as hell: tapscott and Blease ( need to see what they can do)

Set up with JKH at Gawns feet. Dawes to attack the ball ( the one time he did this he clunked a great mark - the rest of the it eye made up the numbers in packs) starting from CHF.

It is a tough ask, but we have to play to their standard at some point or we will never get there.

We are going to need Frawley back.

Watts out. One tackle and a few possies in the last is not good enough.

Bail, Mckenzie out.

Gawn in to ff changing ruck.

Michie in and under

Cross for McKenzie

Lucky as hell: tapscott and Blease ( need to see what they can do)

Set up with JKH at Gawns feet. Dawes to attack the ball ( the one time he did this he clunked a great mark - the rest of the it eye made up the numbers in packs) starting from CHF.

It is a tough ask, but we have to play to their standard at some point or we will never get there.

Don't get me wrong, Watts was terrible, but he wasn't the reason for yesterday. If its skill areas we're trying to address then dropping him is not going to help. Having said that, kid gloves come off with him and I hope Roos and co rip in.

His positioning on the field was odd as well. It looked like he was trying to play a lot more on the inside which I didn't understand, wondering if it was a directive.

The thought of Strauss on someone like Breust makes me feel ill

In: Grimes, Cross, Salem

Out: McKenzie, Terlich and Bail.

Forgot about Cross.

Out: Terlich, Pedersen, Tapscott, Reilly

In: Strauss, Gawn, Michie, Cross

OUT: Blease- cya buddy you got your chance and did sweet F all..

Mckenzie- dumb footballer, even worse kick.

Terlich- when he gets 25 touches you know a 3rd of them will be useless/turn overs

IN: Cross - self explanatory

Michie- the blokes earnt another crack, see what his got

Strauss- I'm not a fan but his put a couple of good games at casey together. It's now or never, roos has to give him a chance to

prove his should remain on the list. Take terlichs spot at least he is a reasonable distributor of the ball

I'll be curious to see if Roosy backs up his words of disgust post-game with a stack of changes at selection table.

My suspicion is that we'll see the usual one or two changes as he stays loyal to a number of non-performers.

Either way we are shaping up for a belting unless we can figure out a way through Clarko's cluster.

By my reckoning there's six players who could all come in this week and two are a must - Gawn and Cross, unless Grimes recovers quickly and make it three.

The Hawks are playing two rucks (McEvoy and Hale) plus two more bigs up forward (Roughy and Gunston) so there's no way we can go with Pedo as a back-up ruck.

If Pedo is not dropped then he should play back this week on resting Hale/McEvoy with Garland either sent forward as a defensive half-forward on Suckling or given some time in the magoos.

Crossy's return will probably cost Blease his spot but it could also mean McKenzie is expendable because Cross can mark up Smith and Viney is doing well in tagging roles. I'd like to see Viney go to Lewis, who has been the Hawks' main man of late.

The other four potential, but unlikely, ins are:

Michie - He deserves another crack, but which central mid does he replace.

Matt Jones - He's now done two weeks penance and he does provide run and makes space well.

Christian Salem - He's the future but I want him to play in defence because we don't have a left-footer down there and we keep cocking up our disposal down left wing.

Strauss - His form has been better in VFL the past few weeks (according to reports) and his career is over unless he can get a couple of game's to show his value in next few weeks.

So, what I expect to happen is:

Out: Tapscott (knee), Blease. In: Cross, Gawn

But what I'd like to see is the following side:

B: Jetta (Breust) Dunn (Roughy) Pedersen (Hale)

HB: Howe (peeling off Puopolo) McDonald (Gunston) Salem (Duryea/Woodward)

C: Blease (Hill) Tyson (Mitchell) Cross (Smith)

HF: Kent (Birchall) Dawes (Schoensh.it) Garland (Suckling)

F: Kennedy-Harris Frawley (Gibson) Vince (Hodge)

Foll: Jamar Viney (Lewis) N.Jones (Shiels)

Int: Gawn, Riley, Terlich

Sub: Jack Watts (this way Roosy can avoid focus of dropping him and still give him a rev up).

Out: Tapscott (knee), McKenzie and Bail (for butchering the ball the most last week).

Out: beer

In: scotch

Unfortunately Salem won't be playing anywhere this weekend. He injured is quad Saturday and was only walking at training with the other MFC listed VFL boys today. He mentioned this at the pre-match function in the Victory room

Don't get me wrong, Watts was terrible, but he wasn't the reason for yesterday. If its skill areas we're trying to address then dropping him is not going to help. Having said that, kid gloves come off with him and I hope Roos and co rip in.

His positioning on the field was odd as well. It looked like he was trying to play a lot more on the inside which I didn't understand, wondering if it was a directive.

I also noticed Watts making leads off half forward that were ignored mostly. On two occasions he moved to spaces that required a precision kick over the opposition, both passes were intercepted. He doesn't lead into the right spaces for our guys to deliver to.

Edited August 4, 201410 yr by Earl Hood

Terlich is very stiff to get the axe by 75% of you

Was better than at least a dozen players yesterday, I had him 6th best in fact

oh god, we re playing Hawthorn... shudder

the best kicking team in the AFL vs the worst kicking team of all time

Anyone wanna guess the final score?

How can we honestly be expected to front up to this, it is going to be torture

Why is Pedersen suddenly in all the outs? Doesn't belong near Casey on form, and would be the first player of all time to miss a game with a broken nose if that's what people are worried about?

Why is Pedersen suddenly in all the outs? Doesn't belong near Casey on form, and would be the first player of all time to miss a game with a broken nose if that's what people are worried about?

hasn't done anything for weeks

How can we honestly be expected to front up to this, it is going to be torture

Might take in a movie C and B I hear there are couple of good ones about.

Might take in a movie C and B I hear there are couple of good ones about.

at least it is a Saturday night, so I won't even need a thinly-veiled excuse to get blind drunk and belligerent in the Smithy bar

Ins

Has to be Cross

I want to see Strauss and Michie. They have decent sized bodies which you need for the hawks and should have an engine.

Grimes or M Jones

DropTerlich, Tappscott. Mckenzie Blease.

It will be the definition of ugly.