PREGAME: Rd 20 vs Richmond

[Tarax Club 3,960]

2 hours ago, daisycutter said:

another member of the afl bad hair cut academy

 

Today's special haircut with facial.

Edited July 28, 2023 by Tarax Club

[Cranky Franky 2,091]

43 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Can't believe Harmes is getting games.

I would have brought Hibberd in and assign Rivers to play a midfield role in place of Sparrow.

Fully agree with you - Harmes is a mile off the pace this year.

And Hibberd the perfect match for Dusty esp after Rankine killed us last week.

[Jaded No More 68,974]

39 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

Would much prefer Grundy and Hibberd.

Instead of Petty and McVee?

[Roost it far 8,592]

12 minutes ago, binman said:

Fair call.

And really, if BB isn't ready, what other options are there (I'm not including brody - he'll come back in but as a forward he makes Petty look like Tony Lockett).

I think Petty can work forward. If we’re relying on Brown we’ve got issues. If we’re relying on Grundy we’ve got issues. 

[Engorged Onion 10,223]

58 minutes ago, Heart Beats True said:

Harmes being added to the team is surely a pisstake 🙄

My take is, it's a fare(thee)well match, and thank you for your services and THAT delivery to Fritsch. Good luck with your future endevours.😇

Edited July 28, 2023 by Engorged Onion

[Stiff Arm 4,419]

Harmes? Seriously?

Nearly as big a momentum killer as Neal-Bullen

Gives away stupid frees, makes bad choices, average disposal, poor under pressure

Look forward to the day we can upgrade from JH and ANB

Edited July 28, 2023 by Stiff Arm

[Abyssal 465]

3 hours ago, Bystander said:

Dunstan aside, this is very true.

Team passes A the ball, A turns it over, team is worse off by A's input: but he is credited with a possession. Better stat really would be effective possessions minus ineffective.

Worthy suggestion.

Neal - Bullen fans would be most displeased however.

[old55 23,687]

45 minutes ago, adonski said:

I'll go out on a limb and suggest Grundy doesn't play for us again

did you BYO saw?

[Jaded No More 68,974]

5 minutes ago, Stiff Arm said:

Harmes? Seriously?

Nearly as big a momentum killer as Neal-Bullen

Gives away stupid frees, makes bad choices, average disposal, poor under pressure

Look forward to the day we can upgrade from JH and ANB

This is last chance saloon for Harmes. He’s on the precipice of being a Casey regular. Finals and another flag is on the line. He surely knows that. 
If he doesn’t stand up and perform I reckon his papers will be stamped unless injuries really take a hold. 

[Queanbeyan Demon 6,865]

49 minutes ago, adonski said:

I'll go out on a limb and suggest Grundy doesn't play for us again

Enjoy yourself there with Shirley MacLaine won't you @adonski.

 

[rpfc 28,777]

Agree with some of the sentiments about The Petty Experiment but I can see the allure. It isn’t ideal we are still chopping and changing but that’s life with NQR talls in the forward line.

I look forward and I hope. The advice I gave to Grundy in his thread remains - Petty needs to make himself push the defenders around the ground and he needs to make himself important when we move the footy. That doesn’t mean to be where it is but yeah, let’s not get into that again.

Buried in this is Charlie Spargo is not best 23 at the minute and I can’t say I am surprised - he’s a ball stopper and his limitations are catching up with him when he dwells on the footy. He’s smart, but sometimes the smart thing to do is give easy hands, run to position and not yell like an effing banshee to get the ball in a spot that you can’t do anything with…

Edited July 28, 2023 by rpfc

[old55 23,687]

Harmes or Dunstan - it's not going to make the difference between winning or losing.  Not really worth discussing.

Hibberd in for Dusty and Rivers to the midfield at least has a potential to be influential on the result and genuinely experiments with Rivers midfield capabilities. A more worthy discussion.

[rpfc 28,777]

52 minutes ago, adonski said:

I'll go out on a limb and suggest Grundy doesn't play for us again

A lot of pride on that limb not failing, or possibly failing - however the metaphor should work. 

Either way it’s bad

 

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

17 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

Instead of Petty and McVee?

Instead of Petty and Harmes.

Rivers and Pickett can play more midfield time to cover Sparrow.

[Jaded No More 68,974]

3 minutes ago, Clint Bizkit said:

Instead of Petty and Harmes.

Rivers and Pickett can play more midfield time to cover Sparrow.

We are already down two first choice inside mids and we want Trac forward. Too risky asking Rivers and Kosi to fill in those midfield minutes. 
 

And Petty is a better forward option than Grundy. 

[Whispering_Jack 30,655]

Jayden Short failed to come up for Richmond which is a win for us as far as I’m concerned.

[Demon Dynasty 17,109]

44 minutes ago, binman said:

That said, he could i wonder if he could take melks role as the defensive forward and say blanket vlastun - and if that works, players like weitering, Moore and Alir. He certainly has the defensive chops for the role.

And that would free melk up to play fritters role and be more a pure attacking forward.

👍🏻👏🏼

Edited July 28, 2023 by Demon Dynasty

[Engorged Onion 10,223]

The Petty experiment forward is only deemed an experiment still, as he has been injured. If that didn't occur, we'd be all pretty clear that its JVR and Petty as the preferred set up. This is the preferred set up, going forward.

[SFebes 4,884]

10 minutes ago, rpfc said:

A lot of pride on that limb not failing, or possibly failing - however the metaphor should work. 

Either way it’s bad

 

I wonder how Grundy will go learning “forward craft” when we will have Grundy, BBB, Schache and Jefferson all playing in the same team. A nightmare for all involved 

Edited July 28, 2023 by SFebes

[Demon17 5,203]

5 hours ago, deelusions from afar said:

Agree with you on Hunter - but I thought they were alternating the wings this year based on their preferred kicking foot?

Yes that does happen. Always hunters on northern wing when we kick to punt Rd end. 

[rpfc 28,777]

45 minutes ago, binman said:

I agree. Don't like him as a forward at all. At least not a leading, goal kicking forward like brown

That said, he could i wonder if he could take melks role as the defensive forward and say blanket vlastun - and if that works, players like weitering, Moore and Alir. He certainly has the defensive chops for the role.

And that would free melk up to play fritters role and be more a pure attacking forward.

That’s an interesting thought and it would be a bow for Petty to add; being that defensive forward on a tall like Broad (who gets slightly more intercepts these days than Grimes). 

The key is engaging the defender as they approach the contest ensuring that you are physically imposing on them as they wish to impose on that contest. It is not easy to do it well, the best forwards won’t have to do it because they are usually the target, and usually the target has a hard defender on them and not an intercepting player. 

You have to read the play so well because you are protecting a Melksham or a Fritsch or a Petracca AND you need to read the footy AND you need to engage that defender.

Honestly, I reckon it’s one of the last things forwards learn because they all want to be the one getting the ball - sometimes it’s not for you…

[rpfc 28,777]

6 minutes ago, SFebes said:

I wonder how Grundy will go learning “forward craft” when we will have Grundy, BBB, Schache and Jefferson all playing in the same team. A nightmare for all involved 

Good point. Schache ruck, Jefferson wing and Brodie can watch what BBB does (or perhaps is trying to do)…

[CHF 2,768]

Finally got a bit of time on my hands to see what is happening in the Demon world. Been a busy time for me playing in the sandpit with the grownups.

Had a watch of the Crows game and a couple of things really caught my eye. In defence, Tomlinson looked very good and his game was pivotal with May looking a bit off colour. Also think that Rivers game was excellent. I would not be surprised to see him more time in the midfield next season than in defence. He may even pop up on a wing for a bit of time. He has the smarts and speed to burn.

I like the way that the midfield is being managed in the game by the coaching staff. A lot of flexibility and a lot of variables to keep the opposition looking both ways wondering what might happen. I also noted the game of JVR when he was relieving ruck, he did not look out of place there and it might be that as much as anything that is keeping Grundy at Casey at the moment. Jackson Mark II?

The forward area is its usual mystery box. Fristch goes down and we bring in Melksham and the change looks seamless. No Grundy on the ground and Gawn bobs up and kicks a couple. Chandler a couple and Kossie great in the middle and a couple of goals. If ever we get some consistent games out of a tall forward combination we will have found the magic dust.

After a couple of close games this game against Richmond gives us a little pressure release which could be dangerous. I am aware that we are a well structured mature side but we still need to have our collective minds on the game and not let any complacency to slip in. 

Tough being a selector at Melbourne these days as we have a lot of good options in all areas of the ground and a lot of players putting their hands up.

Defence is a solid unit and performing. Tomlinson deserves this game and to continue as long as he holds form. I would start McVee on Martin in the forward line initially and trust the mids to hinder delivery into the forward space. Martin is half a pace slower than he used to be and it would be good for the development of McVee to beat him.

Petty for Brown is ok, I would have given Brown one more run there to see if he could get on the end of a few but understand the thinking. We need to get a bit of time for Petty there prior to the finals to see what we can see. it will be interesting to see what will happen when Fritsch gets back.

While I would start Oliver every single game that he is fit for, I have feeling that his prolonged absence will be good for us in the longer term as it is giving our other mids a chance to move into some different possibilities. in a lot of ways it has forced the coaches hands to look at different setups.

Who would have thought that in Oliver's absence we would move Petracca forward more and have Brayshaw, Pickett, Sparrow and Rivers spending more time there along with Jordon.

Speaking of Jordon, with Sparrow out injured, I am looking forward to seeing his game this week.

Smith as sub again this week and I would still love to see the coaches game enough to put the trigger when required rather than 5 mins into the final quarter.

I feel a good win coming up. Dees by 5 ........ goals

[OhMyDees 1,834]

We talk a lot about needing players with elite kicks and Harmes ain’t one of them. He consistently butchers the ball and puts players under pressure.

Really would have preferred Dunstan.

Edited July 28, 2023 by OhMyDees

[picket fence 17,500]

37 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

I think Petty can work forward. If we’re relying on Brown we’ve got issues. If we’re relying on Grundy we’ve got issues. 

PETTY IS NOT AND NEVER WILL BE A FORWARD FFS