12 hours ago, kev martin said:

I would also include Jefferson, if he can start getting his hands on the ball.

As for Laurie, make or break year. I don't think he is up to it, though would love to be proven wrong. He needs some swagger/confidence, and to get consistency of involvement and impact, at Casey. 

Tommo (Sparrow), Spargo, JJ and Bowey are ready to go. They know the system, and can now begin some leadership roles. Time for them to have their best years.

Taj, Howes, Chandler, and possibly McVee and Turner could all could get a go. Casey will have an interesting year with many on the cusp. Hoping they adapt well to the speed and intensity when/if they get the call up. 

Sestan and Schache, again, I reckon the call up will be determined by how they perform at Casey and what Goody wants with our forwardline, even if different experiences and ages. Schache also a cover for injuries to our talls and depends on how JVR (if gets a run) goes.

Our list is so strong and runs deep.

Hoping for Goody to give quite a few of them a run.

Tmac, Hibbo, Melksham, Salem, BBB, Harmes, Rivers, Tomlinson and ANB may be making way if they start falling off the pace and skills needed. More confident about Tmac, and Salem to keep their spots.

Don't disagree greatly Kev. I don't think we can rule some in or out at this stage. BTW my name Tommo means Adam Tomlinson not Sparrow who could well have his break out year based on the training observers. He has up to now to be frank a very good looking tease who does quality plays but just not quite enough of them. His time should be this year also. 
Schache if he trains well and shows intensity might put his hands up as an I/C due to his versatility or as a replacement for an injured KPP forward  or back. To be honest I hope Turner and Tommo in defence and JVR and Sestan ( if he can get fitness and endurance into his body) up forward are given opportunities as specialists if they have earned it. 
I see no reason so far that any players who have fitness issues now are ruled out yet but come February would want to be automatic match sim competitors in full scale match approach.

Yes Tmac and Salo are vital and I have no doubts that both will fully fit raise our standard in play to more like 2021, and I include Riv in this category plus Tommo to have a stellar year as his ACL year becomes a thing of the past. He and Turner and perhaps Joel Smith ( if he has an extended run at full fitness) might go head to head for a third ( or fourth tall in defence) spot if those positions are ever needed. 

I hold high hopes also that Jed Adams is a quick developer ( although lightly framed as of now) as his highlight reel shows a real appreciation of how to play in defence at full throttle. I when I first saw Harry Petty's highlight reel earmarked him for a key position role in the future. Time and injury held up his progress but surely his opportunity came up when Tommo unluckily went down and he has never looked like surrendering his spot since. AA may be within his CV in the near future if he continues to mark and defend as safely as any one of his tender age. 

ANB needs a 2021 style goals total, Hibbo usually performs well once fitness is obtained, BBB needs his fitness to be carefully managed but we know his best is a boon to our goals per game totals. 
Melky could again be handy but if it was a flip of a coin job between him and Sestan I would give Oliver a go every time earlier in the season if he was AFL fit enough. 

Brodie and Lachie are virtually A graders who should improve our supply in total and style to our forwards if the game plan is upgraded from 2022. 

Plenty of hard work for all to replicate 2021 but I am confident we have a greater spread of talent and youth in 2023 than even that flag year.  Have other sides like Geelong Brisbane Swans or Pies got their teams at the top gone past us. Not if we play with the culture desperation and demon spirit of 2021 again, along with the little bit of luck with injuries that is needed in a flag year. 
 

11 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

I’ll be really disappointed if Salem falls into that category you’ve listed below re: players that may end up being Casey regulars.

Salem’s too good a player and has too good a skill set to not be automatic best 22 as opposed to your Tomlinson’s, Harmes’s, Hibberds, Rivers’s etc…

was automatic selection last season and was well off the pace Really needs to show he still has it in the preseason

 

2 hours ago, Kent said:

was automatic selection last season and was well off the pace Really needs to show he still has it in the preseason

 

You knew he carried injuries from Round 1 don't you?  Like about 7/8 who played below par for half the season Salo was never given a chance to get yo full fitness. He will star again in 2023. 

7 hours ago, 58er said:

I am confident we have a greater spread of talent and youth in 2023 than even that flag year.

We have so many possibles and good first picked players. The dilemma is who to replace if we are going to put some new ones into the 22/23.

Last season we went into the games with minimal changes, and not too many new ones getting a look. It appears we have many options this year. I just wonder if the selection committee will be adventurous. If they are, I hope it is early in the season, so we get stability later on. 

Where do we fit them all and who misses?

Agree about Brodie and Hunter, and I can see Schache being useful. Hibbo is such a stable factor down back and reads the play extremely well, Tomlinson is looking very fit and powerful, I haven't seen enough of Adams, JVR is exciting, I believe Turner needs to tear it up at Casey to get a boot in the door, Melky is looking good on the track and Sestan needs to prove himself. Petty is getting better and better, love his mongrel as well (not many left in the modern game).

Can't wait to see our 22/23 selections for game 1. Are we adventurous or are we with going with tried and experienced players? 

Edited January 14, 20232 yr by kev martin

59 minutes ago, kev martin said:

We have so many possibles and good first picked players. The dilemma is who to replace if we are going to put some new ones into the 22/23.

Last season we went into the games with minimal changes, and not too many new ones getting a look. It appears we have many options this year. I just wonder if the selection committee will be adventurous. If they are, I hope it is early in the season, so we get stability later on. 

Where do we fit them all and who misses?

Agree about Brodie and Hunter, and I can see Schache being useful. Hibbo is such a stable factor down back and reads the play extremely well, Tomlinson is looking very fit and powerful, I haven't seen enough of Adams, JVR is exciting, I believe Turner needs to tear it up at Casey to get a boot in the door, Melky is looking good on the track and Sestan needs to prove himself. Petty is getting better and better, love his mongrel as well (not many left in the modern game).

Can't wait to see our 22/23 selections for game 1. Are we adventurous or are we with going with tried and experienced players? 

I hope we select with improvement and goal scoring in mind.

Kevin, love the expression Pettys mongrel. I must admit he reminds me of an English Flight Commander during WW2

18 hours ago, Hellish Inferno said:

Did you clench before writing this?

I found it hard. I'm from the era where liking anything to do with Collingwood was grounds for dismissal. Not just from work, but from my own family. It says a lot about how much I admire what he's achieved that I included him in that list. At least the Irishmen all had some experience with Gaelic Football. Cox started a lot further behind than any of them. In my opinion, that means he's arguably a greater success story. 

It would have been so much easier to like him if he played for any other club.

 

Except Richmond.

 

Some boys look like they're in unbelievable condition.

Gus Brayshaw isn't one of them!

5 minutes ago, JimmyGadson said:

Some boys look like they're in unbelievable condition.

Gus Brayshaw isn't one of them!

Someone uploaded a few flicks to instagram from training recently, he looks in better nick here

Edited January 15, 20232 yr by adonski

12 minutes ago, JimmyGadson said:

Some boys look like they're in unbelievable condition.

Gus Brayshaw isn't one of them!

Same bloke that is desperate to play midfield. 

Put him alongside Viney Oliver Petracca who are all in unbelievable nick, then yes, he's in terrible shape.

Just to remind people that he's got a history of this.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/melbourne/melbourne-midfielder-angus-brayshaw-sheds-four-kilograms-for-afl-return/news-story/661ecd77c52a35d78c556079306a4191

MELBOURNE hard-nut Angus Brayshaw was asked to shed four kilograms after becoming “a little bit chubby” earlier this season.

Get it when they're starting off In the system because they're still working on getting that professionalism right.

But when you're 27 year old, almost 150 gamer coming off a huge 6 year deal then it's absolutely not a good look.

46 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

But when you're 27 year old, almost 150 gamer coming off a huge 6 year deal then it's absolutely not a good look.

He (Brayshaw) is coming off an interrupted preseason. It will be the next few weeks that will tell the story. Maybe not in the midfield, but a few extra kilos won't go astray for him as a defensive player (putting his body on the line). All players have to be team orientated, so I wouldn't see a problem if he is not a permanent mid. He is a useful player wherever they put him.

Edited January 15, 20232 yr by kev martin

Love it. Petty as the WW2 flight commander - the Supermarine Spitfire pilot. My grandfather flew them in WW2 so I have a soft spot for them. He’s my new favourite.

 

If you haven’t loaded up at at $7 now is the time.🕵🏻👀

include Trac and #13 in your calculations 

 

like big Kev, I’m [censored] excited!🆒🍌

Edited January 15, 20232 yr by Superunknown

Also photos of Gus from the past 2 trainings.  Mountain out of a mole hill.  Never been gifted with the rig, and is pretty open about that on podcasts and that stupid interview he did in his towel one game.  Will be in the 4 man midfield rotation and have his best year since 2018

4 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Same bloke that is desperate to play midfield. 

Put him alongside Viney Oliver Petracca who are all in unbelievable nick, then yes, he's in terrible shape.

Just to remind people that he's got a history of this.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/melbourne/melbourne-midfielder-angus-brayshaw-sheds-four-kilograms-for-afl-return/news-story/661ecd77c52a35d78c556079306a4191

MELBOURNE hard-nut Angus Brayshaw was asked to shed four kilograms after becoming “a little bit chubby” earlier this season.

Get it when they're starting off In the system because they're still working on getting that professionalism right.

But when you're 27 year old, almost 150 gamer coming off a huge 6 year deal then it's absolutely not a good look.

You mean this Angus Brayshaw yeah?

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxVCZUdL9bCzVZPPkoL9rznnA026zPSvtT

4 minutes ago, DEE fence said:

You mean this Angus Brayshaw yeah?

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxVCZUdL9bCzVZPPkoL9rznnA026zPSvtT

Stewie Dew like performance 💪

6 hours ago, JimmyGadson said:

Some boys look like they're in unbelievable condition.

Gus Brayshaw isn't one of them!

He’s in better nick than me

20 hours ago, 58er said:

You knew he carried injuries from Round 1 don't you?  Like about 7/8 who played below par for half the season Salo was never given a chance to get yo full fitness. He will star again in 2023. 

If injured then shouldnt have be automatic selection in my view, didnt help the team didnt help Salo

45 minutes ago, Kent said:

If injured then shouldnt have be automatic selection in my view, didnt help the team didnt help Salo

Agree but Goody played them all too early back and they didn't get a rest to get to full fitness. Hence we couldn't play out the game after half time. 

Gawny Riv Lever BBB also had fitness issues but were still selected. 

Its funny how we all look for what resemble 'baby bumps'  on players guts at resumption of training. They are a real give away. Any player training in a kaftan or a jumper 3 or 4 sizes to big is hiding something.

Young blokes should be able to drop a keg or 2 pretty quickly . Although these days players are supposed to turn up day 1 in pristine condition.

 

 

Gus has said himself that he was never blessed with a good rig and could never get that super toned look some of the other boys have, no matter how fit he was. Not everyone has the same body shape, and the beauty of AFL is that great players come in all shapes and sizes. If Gus is aerobically fit, whether he has a 6 pack or a 2 pack is absolutely irrelevant. 

Jack Watts always looked like a god out there, but it didn't make him the player we all wanted him to be.

Gus has proven time and again that he can play multiple roles to a very high level, and was one of our best players in that third quarter in the grand final just 2 years ago with basically the same body shape.

To doubt him now because he isn't sporting a Petracca physique is silly. Ed Langdon is not ripped either, but nobody is having a go at him. 

 

P.S.- if only all of us can be this 'unfit' 😅

Edited January 15, 20232 yr by Jaded No More

Do we have a substantiated explanation as to why Brayshaw spent most, if not all, of pre-Christmas training on an exercise bike or rowing machine?

Edited January 16, 20232 yr by Vipercrunch

16 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Same bloke that is desperate to play midfield. 

Put him alongside Viney Oliver Petracca who are all in unbelievable nick, then yes, he's in terrible shape.

Just to remind people that he's got a history of this.

https://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/teams/melbourne/melbourne-midfielder-angus-brayshaw-sheds-four-kilograms-for-afl-return/news-story/661ecd77c52a35d78c556079306a4191

MELBOURNE hard-nut Angus Brayshaw was asked to shed four kilograms after becoming “a little bit chubby” earlier this season.

Get it when they're starting off In the system because they're still working on getting that professionalism right.

But when you're 27 year old, almost 150 gamer coming off a huge 6 year deal then it's absolutely not a good look.

How about we stop the body shaming on here.   None of our players deserve this sort of ridicule, particularly Gus. We have no idea what his situation is anyway. Gus has a history of this? That was 7 years ago Daz - would no longer be on his record. 

36 minutes ago, Vipercrunch said:

Do we have a substantiated explanation as to why Brayshaw spent most, if not all, of pre-Christmas training on an exercise bike or rowing machine?

He was only on the rower and the ropes , no bike or running, pre-Christmas. Must be lower body related, nothing substantiated. 

Good to see him running, and doing some sims and drills now.

 

Edited January 16, 20232 yr by kev martin

23 minutes ago, Neil Crompton said:

How about we stop the body shaming on here.   None of our players deserve this sort of ridicule, particularly Gus. We have no idea what his situation is anyway. Gus has a history of this? That was 7 years ago Daz - would no longer be on his record. 

Exactly, recon all players in the AFL would have a "History" of coming back not quite in shape over their careers.

5 hours ago, 58er said:

Agree but Goody played them all too early back and they didn't get a rest to get to full fitness. Hence we couldn't play out the game after half time. 

Gawny Riv Lever BBB also had fitness issues but were still selected. 

maybe you should also question griffith's role?