Lil_red_fire_engine

2 hours ago, Cranky Franky said:

I wonder how much selection integrity counts towards team cohesion & confidence in the coaching group.

Most supporters were perplexed when Tom McDonald was dropped despite solid form.

The continued selection of Windsor & Tholstrup despite playing poorly is also mystifying & it looks like Lindsay needs a rest as well.

I'm not a fan of Jack Billiings but after a month of good form at Casey it's hard to understand why he is not selected.

We are selecting with 2026 list and style in mind and balancing being competitive not just playing kids for kids sake.

TMac going out allowed Turner to go back and he has blossomed. It will be interesting this week to see with Lever out and Petty available what happens with TMac though.

In: May, Howes

Out Lever, Sparrow

Rivers to rotate through midfield/half forward with Viney.

Lindsay as sub.

Petty to get a full game in at Casey.

4 quarter performances
6 Langford

5 Melksham

4 Gawn
Cant ignore their impact across the last 3 quarters

3 Petracca
2 Fritsch
1 Salem

We are winning more out of depth of talent than effort. We would want to start this quarter strong as they are playing with better energy than us.

Jeffo starting to show some signs.

Kolt not so much.

4 minutes ago, Jaded No More said:

I do enjoy Langford and X playing more midfield. But otherwise I don’t know what the game plan is.

I wish they’d give Chin more game time on the wing.

They're playing up at stoppage but not at CBAs. The challenge for me isnt the kids not playing through the middle The issue is Petracca, Oliver and Viney are also there.

On a positive note Langford is a jet and Jefferson is showing a bit even though not suited to a second tall role.

I am ready to admit that I do not understand what Goodwin is trying to do to set us up for success in 2026.

Salem refusing to go hard enough for another red time goal.

Petracca inability to hit targets.

Oliver rolling through the middle like its a park run. Fritsch the same inside 50.

McKercher this weeks half back play maker we refuse to pick up.

We only look like any go when Pickett is around the ball but we continue to persevere with Oliver, Petracca and Viney on the ball 80% of the time.

Losings ok if you try different things but expecting difference with the same rubbish week in week out is frustrating.

6 minutes ago, Mickey said:

Windsor sub. What the hell

How this helps his midfield development is beyond me.

We just need to find a spot for Howes in the AFL team for the rest of the year. He has gone passed this level and now needs AFL continuity. Put Rivers midfield permanently and free McVee to attack off half back and let him take Judds more defensive role. Otherwise move Salem mid/forward or to Casey. Alternately roll him through high half forward where he played as a junior.

Mentha, Kentfield and Adams are all very promising and will be in great shape with another preseason. Adams should be given a look in before years end for his development. I would persevere with Verrall for another year but he needs to improve his tank and find ways to add value when not at stoppage. I am worried he is too small to ruck next level.

Unfortunately the rest I am afraid are all passed their best or not up to it. Though I would not be against giving Mitch Hardie the last spot on our 2026 list even though he will be 28.

I will feel great comfort when this is official but he seems a level headed kid with no strong state based pull.

Then consider the team in your home state who is interested took 5 picks in 2021 without taking you then passed with their final rookie pick whilst you were still on the table.

Versus the club that backed you in with the 81st pick and have developed you into 50+ games and on your way to 200+

There would surely be a bit each way of Repay The Faith and Stick it up em

It’s hard to judge Kolt, being his interrupted preseason and he looks like he needs to mature mentally. I dont think we are currently developing him in the best way either. He has not been brought into the side at any point on strong VFL form and then we wonder why he does not perform. I suggest he should be sent back to Casey and played in the midfield to develop his game. He still needs a few full preseasons to know where he stands.

6 May

5 Pickett

4 Melksham

3 Rivers

2 Turner

1 Viney

In Kentfield Windsor Laurie

Out Jefferson Sharp Fritsch

If Fritsch is not omitted something is seriously wrong.

We should sub Fritsch at the break and send him to Casey for the rest of the season.

What was the difference in the first 12 minutes? Pickett in the middle. What then happened Viney went in. When will we learn.

We also started to play too safe and slow out of half back after making a few blues. They just need to keep backing themselves and go again.

14 hours ago, Cranky Franky said:

A smart coach might try to rejuvenate him by playing him forwards or as a tagger or at centre bounces - won't hold my breath.

Salems best game of the year in my opinion he played in the middle.

Chandlers best game of the year in my opinion he rotated midfield and wing.

Neither of them have been seen in the pivot since we attempted to resurrect 2021 with Petracca Oliver and Viney time and time again.

22 minutes ago, titan_uranus said:

Last night on SEN Hoyne commented on a few of our players, including Salem. Mentioned that Salem is rated 257th in the league on Champion Data’s rankings (take your grain of salt if you want) and is outside the top 300 over the last six weeks. Then added that he takes the 11th easiest kicks of anyone in the comp. No idea how that’s measured but it’s data which confirms a view I’ve had for a while. He’s just going and we need way more from our half backs than what he actually produces. We get seduced by the concept of him being a good kick but he doesn’t actually impact games with his kicking to the standard we should expect.

I think he should be seriously considered for a spell at Casey.

This is not at all surprising. He plays safe footy in every meaning of the word safe. Its a real shame Sestan got injured when he did as I am very keen to see him trialled back half of the year in half back place of Salem and/or Rivers. He is a high quality kick at varied distances who takes chances that open the field.

8 hours ago, Ghostwriter said:

You’re right: captaincy is not something that Clarrie would want to do, and it’s also something I could never see being offered to him.

On the subject of potential captains, I find it amusing that according to some on here the criteria seems to be the next captain should be someone who is playing really well at the moment. The mere suggestion of Kozzie as the next captain is ridiculous.

Personally I think Spaz has future captain written all over him, as does Kolt and Chin

That’s the distant future, in the near future I’ve always thought and still think Ricky Lever should be our next captain, and so did many others on here… when he was playing well.

The qualities found in a captain don’t appear and disappear depending on their current form.

As always, this is MY OPINION.

But it’s important that a captain is in the best 22 and more importantly on the list. I am not convinced we can be sure of either with Lever in 2026.

I suggest unless he doesn’t want it that Gawn goes again in 2026 but with 3-4younger players in the leadership group with him. I would suggest they should come from Rivers, Chandler, Petty, Sparrow but I think all of them need to show further on field potential.

3 hours ago, titan_uranus said:

Joel Freijah went at 45. Every club missed him, but still, wouldn’t he be a great addition to our side.

As for the OP, I agree with those who defend our kids given they are just that. Our biggest issue is the ongoing reliance on senior players who aren’t performing. 19 and 20 year olds who aren’t getting consistent runs at it are not the focal point right now.

However, I’m not quite sure of Kolt’s AFL-quality talents. You mention his clean hands - that might be fair, but he has to get more of the ball, and in contest, for us to be able to judge that.

Yep Morris and Freijah are the ones everyone missed. They are also the only two I would be confident will have better careers than Kolt. The issue for mine isn’t that we took Kolt its that we traded up for the privilege when unlikely he would be gone later and in a draft that has generally looked pretty middling thus far otherwise.

1 hour ago, dees189227 said:

It's just depressing when you see the players who were drafted after him who are going so well. However get a full pre season into him & if he has no injuries next year then we'll see the real Kolt.

Kolt is super clean with his hands and feet but doesn’t get enough of it yet and makes howlers when he overthinks the game.

I believe he will look a lot different with a full preseason and continuity of play.

As far as those who were drafted after him, I suggest go and have a look. Of the next 15 drafted, only two of them played seniors on the weekend and they were Darcy Wilson and Riley Hardeman neither who have been killing it this year. Logan Morris is the one at pick 31 that most clubs missed.

I know this will go against what most think is right for where we are at.

In Campbell, TMac, Billings, Laurie.

Out: Petty, Howes, Sparrow, Sharp

Fritsch as sub.

Campbell and Gawn to offer a long target when not in ruck. Old Man TMac to play on Old Man Walker. Billings and Laurie may not be the future but their VFL form warrants selection and they have endurance and polish. There will be better development opportunities later in the season if warranted for players.

I suspect we will reintroduce JVR, Lever and Windsor but that would be wrong.

Let JVR gain touch at VFL. Let Windsor get a clear month developing his midfield role. Let Lever show he can actually add value defensively.

6 Melksham

5 Pickett

4 Bowey

DAYLIGHT

3 Gawn

2 Turner

1 Viney (at least he gave manic effort)

How anyone could give Petracca a vote yesterday I assume they just check the stats. His defensive intent was poor and his use of the ball by foot was poor and he was one of the key players missing in Q1.

Goodwin needs to go. They either dont know what they are meant to do or dont believe in it or both. They dont want to play for him, for the jumper or for their team mates.

Premiership players need to be moved on for whatever you can get Trac, Oliver, Salem, Fritsch May thats you. Watching them jog around with half ar$e efforts is embarrassing.

Time to be brutal, reset and move on.

Like our backline structure. Don’t love our forward set up (but when have I) and will be able to see whether we have post bye learnings for our midfield based on the CBA mix during the first quarter.

Best of luck to Jeffo who after a few soft kill 5 goal VFL games had his best big boy footy game in the VFL last game against Essendon VFL. Hopefully he takes that attack on the ball and demand on the lead into today’s game.

9 hours ago, MurDoc516 said:

He has had bad luck with injuries...

Let me just check Fullarton's stats in comparison.

McStay's contract with Pies is 5 years estimated at $600k per.

Fullerton signed with us for 2 years at I assume more like half that salary.

McStay has missed more than half the games through multiple injuries since joining and when playing has averaged just over 1 goal and 4 marks a game.

I would take Fullerton's non impact over 2 years over the cost and patchy impact of McStay at the Pies.

I suggest landing a quality proven key forward at end of 2025 is unlikely with us based on market and chips to get a deal. We have to my knowledge attempted to land Larkey, Mitch Lewis, Tex Walker and Waterman at different points in time and all stayed at their original clubs. I am sure there would have been others.

Our best path is as others have stated, bring in better ball users through the midfield via positional changes, trade (in and out) and draft. I hope we never see Oliver, Petracca and Viney at a centre bounce together again.