A watch again on Jed Adams for this game. I am concerned about his lack of development and lack of adding size to his frame. Do we have a gym? Dees need another key defender with May’s departure but so far Adams has yet to show that he’s capable.

5 hours ago, picket fence said:

I will add some insightful brevity and expert opinion to the action!

Well that would be first on Demonland to be sure 🤔🤔

11 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

I dropped Petty for Kentfield. Turner and Rivers come in for the injured Jiath and Cross. L.Lual looks to be injured Craven to replace him. I'd like to drop D'Angelo but we have nothing to replace him with at Casey.

Think people are obsessing too much over the egregious errors ( they were horrid) petty made and allowing that to overshadow the things he actually did really well against Carlton - there’s a significant reason why McGovern went out of the game…

58 minutes ago, heath55 said:

Think people are obsessing too much over the egregious errors ( they were horrid) petty made and allowing that to overshadow the things he actually did really well against Carlton - there’s a significant reason why McGovern went out of the game…

If Turner plays I can't see how Petty plays unless he plays forward. Do they want another key forward?

5 hours ago, stinga said:

Berry is only 2cm shorter than Adams, and it's early days yet , but it seems Berry is close to going ahead of Adams as the next 3rd tall for the senior side in defence.

He's only played 1 game. I haven't given up on Adams yet but he has to get better soon.

How come Casey are playing this week?

Is it a non-bye?

9 hours ago, picket fence said:

Yeah, nar Werridee not sure if I can coz 1 If he plays a good game noone will believe me and 2 If he doesn't everyone will say... see told you he was no good!

Your a superstar I believe anything you say on here. Looking forward to your report on not just Jefferson but the rest of the listed Melbourne players as I'm going to the Gold Coast game and won't be able to watch Casey. I'll watch the Casey replay. Is it on Kayo? If it is I'll watch Sunday if it isn't I'll watch Monday. Your report will be greatly appreciated as I won't watch it for a while. I'm sure as you always do it will be a job well done.

11 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

Luker has been told he’ll need to play VFL first.

As for his confidence, dpositive, I don’t think that’s an issue. He’s as confident as he’s been since returning to good health this preseason. The broken cheekbone did nothing to erode his confidence nor has this knee injury. He used to have low confidence, when he first came to us, but playing well at Casey has changed that.

That's a shame would love to see him play but the reason why they don't want to rush him is they don't want another key forward if that's the case I can see Matthews debuting as the small forward for team balance. Matthews in for Cross, Rivers in for Jiath and Turner in for Petty. I think it will be too much of a risk to play Melksham with his knee the way it is.

7 hours ago, picket fence said:

Congratulations to these boys, but this is yet another problem with this basket case competition. As if the byes and mismanagement of fixtures isn't enough, you are selecting a state squad on a couple of very early season games, a farce if ever there was one. The sooner we get a stand alone AFL reserves the better!

I don't know if that's the answer but they have to stop the byes. Just because the VFL have always played 18 games doesn't mean it should continue 23 games it should be just like the AFL.

8 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

That's a shame would love to see him play but the reason why they don't want to rush him is they don't want another key forward if that's the case I can see Matthews debuting as the small forward for team balance. Matthews in for Cross, Rivers in for Jiath and Turner in for Petty. I think it will be too much of a risk to play Melksham with his knee the way it is.

Whilst I’d like to see Matthew’s debut as much as anyone, I think he needs a run of games at Casey, considering how far back he started this preseason with his knee. Make him bang the door down with a few good performances. He will eventually, the kid has what it takes.

37 minutes ago, WildDogDee said:

Whilst I’d like to see Matthew’s debut as much as anyone, I think he needs a run of games at Casey, considering how far back he started this preseason with his knee. Make him bang the door down with a few good performances. He will eventually, the kid has what it takes.

IMO, Mathhew's is no chance whatsoever of being selected this week, next week, or the foreseeable future. I would not be surprised if he doesn't play in the seniors this year full stop. But if he is, it won't be until the back end of the season.

Likewise, Heath is also no chance of being selected this week, or for the foreseeable future (assuming no injury to Maxy). He'll get a go at some point this season, perhaps as a trial of using two rucks or in the unlikely even they rest Maxy at some point.

And i can't see Xavier Taylor coming into the ones anytime soon either. He's got some work to do at VFL level, not to mention some serious time in the gym, before he'll be considered for senior selection.

Edited April 1Apr 1 by binman

2 minutes ago, binman said:

IMO, Mathhew's is no chance whatsoever of being selected this week, next week, or the foreseeable future. I would not be surprised if he doesn't play in the seniors this year full stop. But if he is, it won't be until the back end of the season.

Likewise, Heath is also no chance of being selected this week, or for the foreseeable future (assuming no injury to Maxy). He'll get a go at some point this season, perhaps as a trial of using two rucks or in the unlikely even they rest Maxy at some point.

And i can't see Xavier Taylor coming into the ones anytime soon either. He's got some work to do at VFL level, not to mention some serious time in the gym, before he'll be considered for senior selection.

In a perfect world that’s how it should be, make the kids earn their spots, and be ready when they debut. Not thrown to the slaughter.

Good to see that we have the usual dumb comments on Demonland about rushing in youngsters on the back of absolutely no form or readiness to play in the firsts.

This was a Goodie strategy along with rushing back players aftet injury.

12 minutes ago, binman said:

IMO, Mathhew's is no chance whatsoever of being selected this week, next week, or the foreseeable future. I would not be surprised if he doesn't play in the seniors this year full stop. But if he is, it won't be until the back end of the season.

Likewise, Heath is also no chance of being selected this week, or for the foreseeable future (assuming no injury to Maxy). He'll get a go at some point this season, perhaps as a trial of using two rucks or in the unlikely even they rest Maxy at some point.

And i can't see Xavier Taylor coming into the ones anytime soon either. He's got some work to do at VFL level, not to mention some serious time in the gym, before he'll be considered for senior selection.

I don't disagree but with two forced changes in Cross and CJ who is replacing them? Then what happens if Disco is right to roll?
Whilst mature age, we just debuted Cross with no real exposed 2026 form and less than a month on the list. It wasnt even like for like in role being he replaced Rivers,.
I suggest Rivers or possibly Disco will replace CJ but the Cross replacement is a more difficult solution to find for mine. If you want a small then I suggest its Laurie but Cross played more as a deep mid sized forward so they may back in Melksham if his body is fine. It might also depend on where we think we are playing Kolt this weekend. I would ignore the tag and just let him settle at half back.
Its a real challenge to work out what to do or understand the decision they will make particularly with the lack of VFL games to this point.

10 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

If Turner plays I can't see how Petty plays unless he plays forward. Do they want another key forward?

I honestly don't know how they fit everyone in, but i think you're grossly underestimating the positive impacts Petty had on the game...i could be wrong & he could be dropped, but I just see it totally differently...

How everyone fits is a job for people smarter than me!

1 minute ago, Lil_red_fire_engine said:

I don't disagree but with two forced changes in Cross and CJ who is replacing them? Then what happens if Disco is right to roll?
Whilst mature age, we just debuted Cross with no real exposed 2026 form and less than a month on the list. It wasnt even like for like in role being he replaced Rivers,.
I suggest Rivers or possibly Disco will replace CJ but the Cross replacement is a more difficult solution to find for mine. If you want a small then I suggest its Laurie but Cross played more as a deep mid sized forward so they may back in Melksham if his body is fine. It might also depend on where we think we are playing Kolt this weekend. I would ignore the tag and just let him settle at half back.
Its a real challenge to work out what to do or understand the decision they will make particularly with the lack of VFL games to this point.

With King's game plan he selects a bunch of what are essentially utilities with no fixed positions as such (except at centre bounces when everyone starts in a fixed position).

After a restart, players like Langford, Culley, Sharp, Chandler, Langdon, Latrelle, Kolt (if not tagging or playing at HB) and Cross (though he did play pretty deep) play roles similar to that of high half forwards acros sthe comp in the previous 2-3 seasons - ie pushing up the ground deep into defence when required, running ahead of the ball on turnover to provide an option and tonnes of box to box running.

So, i think under King the idea of a like for like replacement, except for some very specific roles such as key defenders, key forwards and ruck is no longer relevant.

Which means in practice, Cross wasn't a like for like replacement for Rivers, and as you suggest doesn't have to be replaced by a small forward (as you say he actually played quite tall in the sense that he obviously had the freedom for fly for marks). And CJ doesn't have to replaced by a half back flanker either.

Kolt could go forward and play as a utility or play at half back. As you suggest Laurie would be a good fit because he can play the utility role, and whilst not particularly quick is not slow and has the tank required to cover the ground utilities need to cover under King. I can't see them picking Melksham because i thinks he's just too slow, unfortunately.

My guess on who will come into the side (as opposed to replacing Cross and CJ) is Laurie and AMW.

If they are 100% confident Disco is good to go, he'll come in (and i suspect they'll be keen to bring him to play on King). And sadly for Tmac, in that scenario, that probably means he comes out.

On 30/03/2026 at 15:57, Diamond_Jim said:

Easter Sunday morning at Cranbourne/Casey.

Could break the all time low attendance record. Not that this is relevant anymore to the VFL.

Seriously what was wrong with 1:30pm Saturday ??

Nothing DJ, do really expect sanity from the vfl? The media just seem to ignore this shambles of a feeder competition.

6 hours ago, binman said:

IMO, Mathhew's is no chance whatsoever of being selected this week, next week, or the foreseeable future. I would not be surprised if he doesn't play in the seniors this year full stop. But if he is, it won't be until the back end of the season.

Likewise, Heath is also no chance of being selected this week, or for the foreseeable future (assuming no injury to Maxy). He'll get a go at some point this season, perhaps as a trial of using two rucks or in the unlikely even they rest Maxy at some point.

And i can't see Xavier Taylor coming into the ones anytime soon either. He's got some work to do at VFL level, not to mention some serious time in the gym, before he'll be considered for senior selection.

Mathews will come in for Trelly once he has a few games at VFL under his belt. Trelly is just so raw and while he flashes in and out he is a dear in headlights more often then not. Trelly time will come.

5 hours ago, BangBnagBang said:

Mathews will come in for Trelly once he has a few games at VFL under his belt. Trelly is just so raw and while he flashes in and out he is a dear in headlights more often then not. Trelly time will come.

Maybe BBB but Trelly is superfit and pretty tough, whereas Mathews has missed a chunk of the preseason due to his knee injury that he was recovering from when we picked him up. Mind you if he starts kicking lots of goals that is a different equation.

On 30/03/2026 at 14:06, Nascent said:

Hopefully Luker and Jefferon are back this week or next. Feel we could do with one more key forward. Cross coming out of the goal square is probably not the preferred set-up despite him contesting well.

Not next week … another, the second, bye in the first 4 weeks. 😡🤮🤯

AFL get off your backsides and start a proper reserves / seconds / development / support competition. You are a multimillion dollar competition and could probably run it with the executives bonuses.

Likely to see Kentfield and Johnson back in for Casey this week. They’ll need to be the targets with guys like Craven, Matthews and Scapin chipping in. Not sure Melksham gets a start in the AFL v Suns.

On 01/04/2026 at 23:21, WERRIDEE said:

I don't know if that's the answer but they have to stop the byes. Just because the VFL have always played 18 games doesn't mean it should continue 23 games it should be just like the AFL.

And guess bloody what Werridee!! CASEY HAVE ANOTHER BYE after the G.C game😵😵‍💫🤯🤮🤮

SERIOUSLY WHAT AN AMATEUR COMPETITION THIS IS, ABSOLUTE GARBAGE!

Actually I might have got this wrong!🤣

I assume side to be finalised today?

58 minutes ago, picket fence said:

I assume side to be finalised today?

Correct - late in the afternoon.