Lil_red_fire_engine

Don't disagree but he struggles on the spread and his defensive pressure is below standard. This is before we get to the fact that he has hardly participated in actual preseason drills. He will likely play games at a point and maybe the extra benchspot brings flex but it's not the way I see it.

If Melksham plays 16+games we are in a load of trouble. I dont see how 2026 Melksham being up and going enough to fit the style of game we want to play. He is great when the ball is in his immediate contest area and he is a seriously good field kick but unfortunately age has caught him in every other way the game is played. With King wanting more speed on the game and us having more true smalls and more true talls needing and likely deserving of games I can only see him playing if Fritsch is not.

For the style we want to play unless he found a new role (difficult to adjust at age I suggest) I don't think he is in our best 23. Even if he was for us to progress he would be getting in the way of the mid time for others. If he cant get the injury right it may be good for us and him as he may be available in second half of the year fresh when the ground gets heavier and the kids getting mid time start to tire. As others have said though it made no sense to extend his contract to 2028.

The above made me laugh out loud.

On May I think the truth is somewhere between the two opinions. There was a sizeable gap between his best and worst games where historically he has been ultra consistent. His worst games came when he was manned on mid-sized leading forwards, something he has excelled at in the past but age has caught up with him. He now also struggles to bend and therefore his ground ball game which used to be serviceable has deserted him. May on the right match ups in 2026 will be a benefit but this might be a week to week proposition. If King is looking for the future and not the now then having others ahead of him in best 23 is likely.

MIhocek integrated back into full training this week and Petty trained with the non contact cap on. I assume both will be ready round 1.

Jake at his best is a great interceptor. However unless he has learnt to actually defend one on one and improve his agility at ground level I worry he will constantly get burnt when our new attacking game style gets spun in the opposition direction. To also not understand why he did not warrant games at the time he was dropped is also concerning to me. Whilst possibly due to no preseason and/pr mounting injuries his form at the time was putrid.

B: Lever Petty Jiath HB: Salem Disco Lindsay C: Langdon Steele Langford HF: Chandler JVR Laurie F: Fritsch Kentfield L.Pickett R: Gawn Culley K.Pickett I/C. Taylor Rivers Windsor Jefferson Sparrow Assumed not ready: Bowey, Viney, AMW, Mihocek, Campbell, Melksham, McAdam, Henderson

Per Pickfence at start of thread K&L Pickett were not present.

Thanks for the report. I watch a lot of Essendon as the wife barracks for them and LuLu did not look out of place at AFL level in their injury ravaged side last year. Both of us were very surprised they chose to delist him and recontract some of their in-season additions. I reckon he lands back on a list ours or other at some point.

@Slartibartfast if you were to pick one tall (either end) that has stood out who would you choose?

My take. Gawn, Laurie and Sharp sound short term and completed nearly all sessions pre Xmas. TC maybe slightly longer but again did most load pre Xmas. McAdam, Matthews, AMW, Mihocek - rehabbing last years problems Bowey, Viney, Henderson really the only new injuries where significant amounts of preseason missed. We would not want to add many more over next fortnight but to me it feels like a good amount of the likely best 26 have done most of the preseason thus far.

Opinion not knowledge. There is no possible way Viney plays round 1. I would be surprised if we see him even in the first month all going well. Maybe in his prime and with the prior coach but not in 2026. Bowey is the only big loss with a watch on Mihoceks recovery (seems to me more a tailored plan recovery for a mature ager). The rest appear short term, 2025 on the way return or not impacting likely best 26.

Good to hear Metha mentioned. When match sims are conducted where is Lindsay being positioned?

It won't surprise me if we do a better job of spreading the load but it is the main watch point for me.

He was top 15 in the league last season for score involvements. It is a decent gap to fill in a side wanting to score more.

Salem will have a massive year I reckon if he stays fit.

Agreed. Nothing stationary there. That's ball in motion footy. A slimmed down JVR is moving so much better.

6 win minimum. 8 wins the line. 10 wins my hope. King is inheriting a good list that got stale with some high quality kids to develop and some quality role playing recruits added to the mix. As I have stated in other threads the loss of 2025 McVee and 2025 Oliver (negated by Steele) is negligible. Trac is a heavy loss but structurally Mihocek if fit is a strong gain. List looks more balanced and if we get a decent injury run who knows. It will likely take time for a new gameplan to embed but we will also be very unpredictable to opposition planning.

Thanks for posting this. Have you forgotten Rivers? Like the positional flex and attack in that backline. Forwardline really lacks defensive pressure and crumbers,

As you know I was hot on him this time last year but whilst he dominated at Casey he did not get a fair look in by the old regime compared to some others. I hope he realises his best bet with his skillset is to duplicate the Miers style role at half forward. He now has a reset with a coach that has seen it up close and is on record of wanting to play smaller ahead of the ball and more attacking and instinctive in general. Agree 2026 is his best chance to earn and maintain a best 23 spot.

Thanks for validating my point. Lets check in at end of season to see. I assume you didn't rate ANB either? His workrate and pressure numbers are already elite for a high half forward and his disposal numbers are above average in a role where consistency in that area is difficult. Needs to increase his score involvements in 2026 which I suggest a less constrained game style will show quickly.

Culley 2. JVR 3. Lindsay to be the three to have the highest increase in consistent impact compared to last year. Special mention to Chandler who will start to get better recognition outside of just being a role player and Kentfield who at minimum will start consistently dominating at VFL.

A thread about a mature aged role player taken at pick 64 who did not come through academy paths and played 5 games in his first year may not make it. A quarter of players taken 60-70 never play a game, almost half play less than 10. I don't think he'll be a world beater but seeing his body shape significantly change in a year and his application to not die wondering I would not write him off. At worst he will put pressure on our other forwards to perform and bring their all constantly. Not every player on the list can be in the 23 but everyone needs to make the most of what they bring if their opportunity arises.

GO YOU LIL RED FIRE ENGINE. Great news. Such an important part of our current side and future success. Now just need Chandler to sign up then really aside from Sparrow the remaining are unproven or mainly veterans (30+) and can see how the year plays out.