On 11/03/2024 at 07:11, kev martin said:

I think they will keep Laurie in as they continually used him as a linking player in the sims, though would love to see Tholstrup in, but could be Woey.

Chandler was quiet but Goody seems to favour him. Billings in for him wouldn't be far fetched.

Spargo out, Salem back, kossie mid/forward.

Fullaton has to be a chance to replace Schache. 

I thought Spargo was only second to Viney in the midfield.   Putting him on the HBF when Bowey went off cost us all the drive we were getting and the Swans midfield over ran us.   It was a bad coaching decision.  I would rather see a direct swap of Hore or Adams for Bowey.   Pity Turner is injured.

  On 11/03/2024 at 01:27, kev martin said:

Plenty of spread and switch, and making overlaps in the midfield, but still delivering to a crowded forward area

Delivering high in hope or low (like in the Blues practice game) with intent??

  On 11/03/2024 at 03:08, kev martin said:

The wingers run into the forwards space pushing the halves into the congestion.

The strategy was during sims, so unsure if Stafford is the designer. He is more about the leading patterns.

 

Which again raise the question of a talented ruckman being a specialist forward coach.  We seem to have no leading patterns: all seem to congregate in a pack and hope for the best.

  On 11/03/2024 at 04:13, kev martin said:

Your welcome, the heat wasn't too bad (heating up a bit later), it was the dryness that is draining.

dryness draining?  Surely humidity is far more draining.

  On 11/03/2024 at 06:39, Roost it far said:

Achilles is cooked

If so why was he (#9) played without any preseason?  Bewildering really.

  On 11/03/2024 at 08:21, Gator said:

I'd bring in Hore.

We play 7 defenders in the 22.  May, Lever, Tomlinson, Rivers, McVee, Howes and Hore is a strong unit.

McVee can take Weightman.

I mentioned Woewodin earlier, but I acknowledge that's unlikely.

The Dogs are naturally taller in the front half than many other sides, so Hore makes sense as an intercepter at 191cm, who's still agile enough to be a flanker.

And it allow Salem to stay midfield.

Imagine abandoning Salem as a midfielder after one game after it's been earmarked for two years ?  It doesn't make sense to me.

Is Hore fit and ready?

  On 11/03/2024 at 23:25, Sydee said:

I don’t see the logic in rucking our single tall forward who can physically compete with big defenders 

We have two others who can do that - Petty and TMac neither is available or considered ready 

BBB can’t do it neither can Schache 

Why would you want Petty rucking? JVR is a  developing footballer and any task he can learn helps his career. I only want by him in the rock mainly up forward but an occasional stint  behind play would also develop him more quickly as well. 

  On 12/03/2024 at 20:26, 58er said:

Why would you want Petty rucking? JVR is a  developing footballer and any task he can learn helps his career. I only want by him in the rock mainly up forward but an occasional stint  behind play would also develop him more quickly as well. 

I don’t want Petty or TMac rucking I was saying they are forward options 

Rucks we have Max , Fullerton , Schache, Verrall and KFW probably in that order 

  On 12/03/2024 at 11:29, monoccular said:

Which again raise the question of a talented ruckman being a specialist forward coach.  We seem to have no leading patterns: all seem to congregate in a pack and hope for the best.

dryness draining?  Surely humidity is far more draining.

If so why was he (#9) played without any preseason?  Bewildering really.

Is Hore fit and ready?

Some of the best gynecologists are males?????

Tx Kev

 

  On 11/03/2024 at 11:52, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

Another Laurie apologist…go watch his practice match against Carlton. Made several basic skill errors in a pratice game in front of 3,000 ppl. He is lost on the big stage and executes horribly under pressure. He is not AFL standard. Lacks height and size and has little physically to make up for it, unlike a Caleb Daniel. He won’t make it. He deserves nothing. The fact he was subbed so early shows that the coaching staff knew he was a complete liability 

Is it Laurie’s fault that he gets selected? If you were in his position, would you be putting your hand up and saying “oh no, I can’t play, I’m not good enough”?

Perhaps he’s not up to AFL standard, but there’s really only be way to find that out for sure, and that’s by playing him at AFL level. Last year he showed signs, but this year he hasn’t delivered on them.

I find your line “He deserves nothing” to be particularly abhorrent!  He is trying his hardest and that appears not to be quite enough, but it is hardly his fault. It’s almost like you’re accusing Laurie of letting the club down.

  On 12/03/2024 at 04:06, Sydee said:

No he was right about the good looking supporters in Sydney 😀

Indeed he was! 

  On 12/03/2024 at 22:55, BangBnagBang said:

Some of the best gynecologists are males?????

Yeah, I’m pretty sure it was a bloke who did my family tree… and he did a pretty good job.

On footy though, I’ve wondered whether it would be worthwhile having a successful backline player coaching the forwards.

  On 11/03/2024 at 11:52, Kick_It_To_Pickett said:

Another Laurie apologist…go watch his practice match against Carlton. Made several basic skill errors in a pratice game in front of 3,000 ppl. He is lost on the big stage and executes horribly under pressure. He is not AFL standard. Lacks height and size and has little physically to make up for it, unlike a Caleb Daniel. He won’t make it. He deserves nothing. The fact he was subbed so early shows that the coaching staff knew he was a complete liability 

And undersized and not physical or quick half forward isn’t a great package but we don’t know why he was subbed.

There’s a chance it was more that he ran his backside off. He was first in speed in attack and 3rd in speed of defence and when he came off our pressure only dropped.

He has to cut down on errors but there has to be an understanding that it’s an inexperienced player in a team with no team chemistry and few targets in the trickiest role to play.

Every half forward makes errors. Every Melbourne half forward makes multiple errors when there’s no forwards to draw the ball, create space and make kicks look good. 

Im fine with Laurie getting dropped but I wouldn’t write him off entirely just yet.

  On 13/03/2024 at 01:24, DeeSpencer said:

And undersized and not physical or quick half forward isn’t a great package but we don’t know why he was subbed.

There’s a chance it was more that he ran his backside off. He was first in speed in attack and 3rd in speed of defence and when he came off our pressure only dropped.

He has to cut down on errors but there has to be an understanding that it’s an inexperienced player in a team with no team chemistry and few targets in the trickiest role to play.

Every half forward makes errors. Every Melbourne half forward makes multiple errors when there’s no forwards to draw the ball, create space and make kicks look good. 

Im fine with Laurie getting dropped but I wouldn’t write him off entirely just yet.

I'd play him as the sub this week for two reasons:

Firstly confidence, now we have been hearing for quite some time that internally he's rightly rated. These are the same people that said the likes of Petty, Sparrow, Spargo (I'll admit he has dropped off), and McVee were highly rated while plenty on here wanted to pot them. They see something so I'm willing to back them to a point. Dropping him after a game where there were over a dozen of far more talented and experienced players played like poo makes him the fall guy. I'd rather drop someone like Chandler who for me has started getting comfortable in his selection as a weekly thing or Spargo who is underdone and shouldn't have played last week.

Secondly regarding the sub, it takes the pressure off him and if we were to drop him it's a progression. He should have been the sub vs Sydney with Billings starting, give him that role and when he comes on demand an impact. 

Let’s get real. Stafford has no strategy, no ideas and no direction for our forward structure.  
He’s a good guy and one of Goodys love pack.  But he’s failed as forward coach and needs to be moved on.  

  On 13/03/2024 at 03:08, spirit of norm smith said:

Let’s get real. Stafford has no strategy, no ideas and no direction for our forward structure.  
He’s a good guy and one of Goodys love pack.  But he’s failed as forward coach and needs to be moved on.  

What a ridiculous statement. 

Stafford might be the forward coach but the overall game plan is Goodwin's. The forward line is where we've had the least stability in recent years. Not having fit tall forwards has been an issue. It's a symptom of our gameplan that we mostly employ hard runners and defensive forwards rather than goal sneaks and natural forwards. Its defence first. Collingwood also do this. The outliers are the likes of Bobby Hill, Kozzie and Fritta.

  On 13/03/2024 at 01:41, Pates said:

I'd play him as the sub this week for two reasons:

Firstly confidence, now we have been hearing for quite some time that internally he's rightly rated. These are the same people that said the likes of Petty, Sparrow, Spargo (I'll admit he has dropped off), and McVee were highly rated while plenty on here wanted to pot them. They see something so I'm willing to back them to a point. Dropping him after a game where there were over a dozen of far more talented and experienced players played like poo makes him the fall guy. I'd rather drop someone like Chandler who for me has started getting comfortable in his selection as a weekly thing or Spargo who is underdone and shouldn't have played last week.

Secondly regarding the sub, it takes the pressure off him and if we were to drop him it's a progression. He should have been the sub vs Sydney with Billings starting, give him that role and when he comes on demand an impact. 

Mmmm?

I really cannot remember any wanting to pot McVee ... maybe I have a poor memory.

  On 13/03/2024 at 10:41, monoccular said:

Mmmm?

I really cannot remember any wanting to pot McVee ... maybe I have a poor memory.

Agree never been potted and have had no reason to. 

Also most players should get a second chance because of the humidity and slippery ball.  Except that Spargs Chin Bill and Jibba (JBIllings) are all a bit alike and can’t fit too many in the one team.

Chin needs a Casey recall and Spargs fitness is under question . Billing’s and Bill for mine and zkosdie and Petty or if not passed fit Fullarton. 

  On 12/03/2024 at 03:12, Demon Dynasty said:

While he's a decent kick over short distances Salem doesn't have the leg speed or agility (abiltiy to get out of gaol in congestion) of Mcvee.

Both should be getting mid time with a view to slowly progressing McVee into reasonably significant mid minutes if we're serious about solving the mid-forward connection dilemma.

I'm not sure about the argument that Salem doesn't have leg speed. See this article from 2021. I appreciate it's now 2024, but at least it's fact-based, rather than a subjective assessment.

  On 13/03/2024 at 20:38, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I'm not sure about the argument that Salem doesn't have leg speed. See this article from 2021. I appreciate it's now 2024, but at least it's fact-based, rather than a subjective assessment.

3 years and a number of injury set backs.... that's a long time in footy LDC.

2021 was probably the peak of Salo's powers.  I'm not saying he's slow either.  I just think McVee (now) probably has him well covered in this area.

  On 13/03/2024 at 10:41, monoccular said:

Mmmm?

I really cannot remember any wanting to pot McVee ... maybe I have a poor memory.

I did say “the likes of” 😜. 

  On 11/03/2024 at 04:33, Demon Dynasty said:

 

 

 

 

I had a good chat with Melk late last season at a Casey match (he was an observer).  While we chatted about many things, i did manage to sneak in a question specifically about "loading".

His response...

"What's loading?" lol

So i tried to explain the theory as exposed on here re ramping up training eg; through extra track work / sprints / gym work outside of the usual training program.

His response....

"We just train and hit the gym.  Yes there are weeks where we do some extra work ie; on a long break between matches, but it's not something i notice or am aware of.

You may be referring to training 'loads' which is just another term for the amount of training we are asked to complete on the track each week. 

Aside from that there's specific programmes for individuals coming back from injury etc but that's about it"

We can’t rule out the possibility that Melksham is constantly on Demonland, and was playing 4D chess with you. 

  On 13/03/2024 at 10:41, monoccular said:

Mmmm?

I really cannot remember any wanting to pot McVee ... maybe I have a poor memory.

  On 11/03/2024 at 23:06, MoeSyzlak said:

Agree re skill. But if you don’t have the competitive drive and aggressive instinct I’m afraid he’ll never really make it. 
 

See Schache, tall and exquisitely skilled for a big man but just doesn’t have the drive. 

Yep, soft when drafted, soft until 2023, and still soft at Dees, have no idea why the club would believe anything would change.  A waisted pick .

  On 13/03/2024 at 03:08, spirit of norm smith said:

Let’s get real. Stafford has no strategy, no ideas and no direction for our forward structure.  
He’s a good guy and one of Goodys love pack.  But he’s failed as forward coach and needs to be moved on.  

And WTF is a lumbering ex ruckman teaching our forward line.  Get someone like Breraton down there.