6 minutes ago, JJJ said:

People who are annoyed by his presence or think he has nothing to offer really should be looking at players like Viney Oliver Bowey McAdam Fritsch and Sparrow as players who have not hit the mark this season. (Viney gets a near pass as he was playing well before his injuries)

viney started the season red hot and has cooled, considerably, as the season has progressed

oliver was always going to be hot and cold - a hamstring tendon injury last year then no proper pre-season then a hand injury

bowey looked great early in the year then had that awful injury opening round, but his kicking is a real worry of late

mcadam is a waste of space, fritsch is always going to be hot and cold as a forward reliant upon the ball coming in from a midfield being thrashed, and sparrow is classique 'good, ordinary' afl level player

people potting an 18 year old luker kentfield based on less than half a season in a system need to get a grip, or loosen the one they're applying

Edited August 8, 20241 yr by whatwhat say what

Last time we recruited a tall in the mid season  draft we got Disco. He took a while to get going too.

Luker was drafted at the end of May. If he was drafted in the National draft it wouldn’t even be mid January yet, and he wouldn’t have played a single game.

Let’s not kick a kid because our season didn’t work out. It’s not his fault.

3 minutes ago, whatwhat say what said:

viney started the season red hot and has cooled, considerably, as the season has progressed

oliver was always going to be hot and cold - a hamstring tendon injury last year then no proper pre-season then a hand injury

bowey looked great early in the year then had that awful injury opening round, but his kicking is a real worry of late

mcadam is a waste of space, fritsch is always going to be hot and cold as a forward reliant upon the ball coming in from a midfield being thrashed, and sparrow is classique 'good, ordinary' afl level player

people potting an 18 year old luker kentfield based on less than half a season in a system need to get a grip, or loosen the one they're applying

Haven't given up on Mcadam. Seems like his Hamstring was more major than minor...could be better next year. Fingers crossed. 

Performance wise I thought he was more 'engaged' in the game last week and able to get to more contests for the ball. Which was most  noticeable during the first quarter, before the dogs closed out the game. It appeared he was given a go as ruck in the forward half on some occasions. An astute move by the coach, not unlike playing Matthew Jefferson in defence earlier in the season for a few games. Gets the young blokes where the ball is more likely to be. On Luker's skills, he can position himself and mark the ball OK, but his kicking has let him down particularly from a distance. Something he and the coaches would be working on one would think.

Edited August 8, 20241 yr by Tarax Club

2 minutes ago, Wells 11 said:

Haven't given up on Mcadam. Seems like his Hamstring was more major than minor...could be better next year. Fingers crossed. 

It’s another thread but the trading for McAdam still confuses me.

We needed small forwards who can read the play, hit the contest with speed, kick goals and pressure. McAdam plays like a small key forward.

5 minutes ago, Wells 11 said:

Haven't given up on Mcadam. Seems like his Hamstring was more major than minor...could be better next year. Fingers crossed. 

we'll see

i have no faith - his body has continuously let him down

my crom mate said much the same; picking up could be a masterstroke if he can get fit, as he's incredibly skilled...but he's never been fit

Big LK was a speculative addition, if it pays off great but should get extra to see how he's tracking after an AFL pre-season. People are saying Clarry is down because he didn't have one, this fella has never had one.

We've got some talls hopefully coming with NGA/FS in 2025 draft so can roll the dice on him against next year. Especially as several key position players may not be there next year (BBB/JS/Schache/TMac?) 

10 hours ago, WalkingCivilWar said:

Exactly! He was abruptly uprooted in the middle of the year and plonked in a city he’s never even visited, let alone lived in. He’s had to make a monumental adjustment. He’s 18 years old. Eighteen! People need to give him a break ffs.

Fortunately, since arriving he’s had Kolt by his side. They still live together with the Porz family. He’s getting to know all the other players, but slowly. He’s actually quite reserved and hopefully his confidence will come. He’s happy here and is even getting used to the weather (!)

Yeah I’m gonna say it… it actually hurts to read these comments about him packing his bags etc., him doing SFA, a flipping burgers gif and someone ❤️-ing these posts. I really hope he doesn’t read DL (but he probably does, just as a few of the young guys do), coz if I find these posts hurtful, he’s definitely going to as well.

So, have at me for defending him. I couldn’t care less. A bunch of insensitive sadsacks sitting behind their screens belittling an 18yo boy who’s determined to make us proud aren’t worth a pinch of [censored].

 

edit: Luker, if you do read this thread, please try to ignore the nasty comments and know that they’re in the (tiny) minority.

Pretty much nailed it, there’s other ways to say you don’t think he”ll make it.

I know the kid, (so don’t like the comments)he played cricket with my eldest and junior footy against him coming through and also coached him in WAFL development. 
When he was picked up I said he was coming from a fair way back and stand by that. He had a very interrupted WAFL pre season let alone an AFL pre season so we’re not seeing his best. To hold down a key position as a 17 going year old is no easy task but he managed it last season.

I’m not sure whether he makes it but he’s got size and some mongrel and will hit contests hard. Hopefully he gets a decent run at it in the off season 

24 minutes ago, Tarax Club said:

Performance wise I thought he was more 'engaged' in the game last week and able to get to more contests for the ball. Which was most  noticeable during the first quarter, before the dogs closed out the game. It appeared he was given a go as ruck in the forward half on some occasions. An astute move by the coach, not unlike playing Matthew Jefferson in defence earlier in the season for a few games. Gets the young blokes where the ball is more likely to be. On Luker's skills, he can position himself and mark the ball OK, but his kicking has let him down particularly from a distance. Something he and the coaches would be working on one would think.

Thanks for this, Tarax. Your posts are always refreshing, to see something actually constructive in one of these threads.

I think the frustration around Kentfield is less about how he is performing and more about a club that is clearly confused about where it is placed, both now and in coming years. 

On one hand we have Goodwin still picking injured veterans in a forlorn hope of making finals and Lamb making bizarre player trades supposedly to keep us in a premiership window.

On the other we get a chance to get an immediate impact in a need area in the MSD and we pick a highly speculative project player.

We need to fully commit to one strategy or we set ourselves up for years of mediocrity. 

the question to ask is how are we going to turn Casey into a decent development environment.

For numerous reasons it has become almost dysfunctional..

• often no ruck or midfield (besides White),
• a ground that is simply too windy with nothing done in thirty years to plant windbreaks,
• assuming Schache BBB Tomlinson go and Jefferson moves to AFL level zero KPP's left

Just here to remind the Demonland list managers who wrote off, amongst others, Judd McVee and oh yeah Christian Norm Smith Petracca off in their first year.

Just FFS give someone more than 8 weeks to prove their worth? How were you performing 8 weeks into your first grown up job? I bet not great.

Mind blowing stupidity on this site sometimes I swear.

23 minutes ago, poita said:

I think the frustration around Kentfield is less about how he is performing and more about a club that is clearly confused about where it is placed, both now and in coming years. 

On one hand we have Goodwin still picking injured veterans in a forlorn hope of making finals and Lamb making bizarre player trades supposedly to keep us in a premiership window.

On the other we get a chance to get an immediate impact in a need area in the MSD and we pick a highly speculative project player.

We need to fully commit to one strategy or we set ourselves up for years of mediocrity. 

Interesting that you don’t think quality talls is an area we need more depth in - it’s certainly high on my list of wants for this list 

2 hours ago, BangBnagBang said:

Yeah he would have been great. If only we had a pick before North

In my post I wrote a player "LIKE" Brynn Teackle.

The operative word being like, with full knowledge that we had our pick after North.

Too early.  Brought across the country.  Away from home.  I was expecting low output and that’s what happened.  4 kicks.  1 mark.  Struggling right now but probably needs a preseason and 2025.  
 

If we wanted impact in 2024, we would have grabbed a local lad who could have added to the team - like Tom Murphy from Frankston or Riley Collier-Dawkins from Williamstown. Alas that was when I thought we were still a contender.  

Edited August 9, 20241 yr by spirit of norm smith
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11 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

In my post I wrote a player "LIKE" Brynn Teackle.

The operative word being like, with full knowledge that we had our pick after North.

Was there someone?

Of decent enough quality of course.

1 hour ago, poita said:

I think the frustration around Kentfield is less about how he is performing and more about a club that is clearly confused about where it is placed, both now and in coming years. 

On one hand we have Goodwin still picking injured veterans in a forlorn hope of making finals and Lamb making bizarre player trades supposedly to keep us in a premiership window.

On the other we get a chance to get an immediate impact in a need area in the MSD and we pick a highly speculative project player.

We need to fully commit to one strategy or we set ourselves up for years of mediocrity. 

Which player would you have picked instead of Kentfield who would have made an immediate impact?

30 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Too early.  Brought across the country.  Away from home.  I was expecting low output and that’s what happened.  4 kicks.  1 mark.  Struggling right now but probably needs a preseason and 2025.  
 

If we wanted impact in 2024, we would have grabbed a local lad who could have added to the team - like Tom Murphy from Frankston or Riley Collier-Dawkins from Williamstown. Alas that was when I thought we were still a contender.  

Maybe the club had already realised that 2024 was "over" and we were drafting for the future. That seems consistent with the club getting games into Thosltrup, Howes, Moniz-Wakefield, Turner, etc.

46 minutes ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Too early.  Brought across the country.  Away from home.  I was expecting low output and that’s what happened.  4 kicks.  1 mark.  Struggling right now but probably needs a preseason and 2025.  
 

If we wanted impact in 2024, we would have grabbed a local lad who could have added to the team - like Tom Murphy from Frankston or Riley Collier-Dawkins from Williamstown. Alas that was when I thought we were still a contender.  

We should have bought in someone like Fullerton. He might have been worth a punt.

24 minutes ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

We should have bought in someone like Fullerton. He might have been worth a punt.

Yes someone who we spoke so highly about yet never actually intend to play !!! 

“We’re really pleased to welcome a tall and athletic player in Tom to the club,” Melbourne List Manager Tim Lamb said.



“We have seen what he is capable of, not only at senior level but through some dominant performances in the VFL. We look forward to seeing what he can produce as a Demon.”



With regards to Luker Kentfield the new Rookie rules will allow us to develop the young man over a 3-4 year period if he shows the right aptitude, skill set and desire to make the grade at AFL level. So no pressure and he doesn’t turn 19 until next month. I look forward to his long term development if he gets the nod.

4 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Very good point. I can see the rationale behind shopping early before everyone else gets a chance in November.

However, I still think the mid season draft should be used to satisfy mid season deficiencies, and we clearly had a pressing need for a second ruck. Someone like a ready made Brynn Teakle type player (North Mebourne) would have been a smart selection for us in order to allow JVR to focus 100% on his forward craft and development.  

It should be pretty obvious after the events of the last 2 years that having 2 ruckman is never going to work. We need a Jackson clone, not another pure ruckman. 
As for Kentfield, he has size on his side. 

Be hard for a tall at Casey with the severe lack of midfielders they have.  We have no quality ball users in our AFL side could just imagine how hard it would be at VFL playing as a key position player.

No excuse for not getting near the pill with a mature body

 

 

26 minutes ago, Roost it far said:

It should be pretty obvious after the events of the last 2 years that having 2 ruckman is never going to work. We need a Jackson clone, not another pure ruckman. 
As for Kentfield, he has size on his side. 

I would still like us to pick up a genuine ruckman this off season. We can't have a repeat of the Freo game where we've got literally nobody to counter Darcy and Jackson. That was an absolute list management bungle of the highest order.

Kane Cornes last night suggested having a look at Riley O'Brien from Adelaide.

I don't mind it on the proviso:

1) Max is willing to have some weeks off if the injury curse doesn't get him first

2) Riley is willing to play VFL with clear scope for senior appearances. 

The only negative is that JVR would still be rucking 7 minutes a quarter.