Lil_red_fire_engine

How was the delivery today? Bit early to go the crow on that today.

Bedford played a quarter and showed more than Spargo and Chandler combined for the full match.

We were always going to get outclassed around the stoppage with the players missing. However the ease they walked out of stoppages and our inability to stick a tackle was a disgrace. That and not one outside of our 2020 top 18 stamped a spot for round 1. May and Lever can only stop so much. Very underwhelming regardless of the players missing. Hope May is fine and take that as a win, because not much else was.

The biggest disappointments from the game so far is no one outside of our normal best 18 putting their hand up and our inability to stick a tackle. The stoppages are not a surprise when you see Jones Jordon and Vanders in against Bont, McRae and Libba but our ability to connect from half back and lay a tackle are a concern.

The young kids look like....um young kids. Not everyone is Clayton Oliver in their first 10 games.

ANB forward and mid has been exceptional and May and Lever have kept us in it. We have gotten better as both quarters progress which is a good sign. Forward structure very much a work in progress. You wouldn’t be trembling if you were a dockers backman. I would play LJ ruck and Gawn forward for a lot of the second half.

No Oliver, Brayshaw, Viney, Melksham ........Defended well. Our small half forwards need to get to work

Great opportunity for more midfield development for Sparrow and Jordon and next level exposure for Laurie and Bowey. I hope Bowey, Laurie, Petty and Bedford really make it hard for selectors for round 1. We are missing a lot vs a very strong Bulldogs side so today for me is about no injuries and those on the edges to really press a claim.

I actually dont think our turnovers or our kick inside 50 is the true issue. It has been our inability to switch quickly to defend and pressure when we turnover and an inability to contain inside forward 50s and maximise the value of stoppage goals. A more defensive mindset mix at stoppage, Gawn drifting forward and taking more i50 hit outs rather than dropping a kick behind and our likely increased small forward mix in set up will address a lot of this even if we didn’t improve our kicking efficiency.

May should play on him.

Unfortunately Kobe looked way off in a B scratch match and is vying for a spot in a role we now have a lot of options in. I too would be gobsmacked if we rookied him but would expect we will encourage him to ply his development at Casey.

I cant comment on Barrassi but I would have Flower ahead by a long way (in the best 5 I have seen with Carey, Ablett Snr, Matera and Hird). Stynes and Gawn neck and neck for top 3 MFC in my lifetime.

Based on watching the 7 “quarters” I would give votes to in order of best Oliver, Lever, Gawn, Langdon, Bowey. Bowey was WOW in the B game and should be trialled next week wing or half back instead of Jetta, Baker or Harmes. Nothing wrong with Jetta’s game but he slows connection and is playing on players too tall or too mobile. Other points of note for me Chandler and Spargo had a great balance of defensive pressure and clean crumb and attack. Hunt whilst offering straight line rebound at speed needs to learn to defend at a contest otherwise will cost us 3 goals. Baker was ok but I feel will just be warming the second wing until we find a real good partner for Langdon. We looked super quick in defensive run, offensive movement and general recovery out of a stoppage. And that was without Bowey, Bedford and Laurie who were all super quick and super good in the B game. Also as part of the B game it will be difficult to not play Petty up if he plays to that level. A good problem to have.

But Frost could defend his man.Hunt at this stage loses his man at the contest which cost us 2 possibly 3 goals.

In Sparrow Bowey Out Harmes Jetta

I suggest we are also looking at our centre square crew for first bounce tomorrow morning.

Have not read any of the thread to not be biased. I reckon it will be something like. Surprise Packet - Jackson will come on a lot quicker than anyone thought and show he is more a forward/ruck than ruck/forward Surprise Packet 2 - Spargo will show the natural footy player he is now that his body and preseasons will let him do what his brain sees he should. Whipping boy - Tomlinson. Will get games most of year and no one will understand why as they praise May and Lever dominating.

They did not take their chances in the first and third and then got beaten up around the ball as the bigger bodies of the dogs took their toll. Hore missing was a massive loss in those conditions. I felt they tried to play Mithen more forward to cover the loss but it didnt work.

I dont. Though I will back that being we have never put him there the club either feel the same or rate more highly his value out of the back half. My personal view is he does not have the tank or natural want to push up and back to meet the requirements of the role. I also think he is one that reads the ball better with the ball coming at him. I understand that some would love him kicking the ball inside 50 which he could do more as a high half forward. However I do think his best value continues to be off half back.

We used to play picks too early to get games into them and I am sure that killed some careers. Now I dont think we hold players back now I think we reward good preseasons and then post that make youngsters earn their spot when they are ready. It’s hard to say we hold players back when last year Pickett, Jackson and Rivers in a similar fashion to Port with Rozee, Butters, Duursma. Jordon and Sparrow have been unfortunate that they have been behind some quality mature mids. Petty and Chandler were injured most of last year.

I am always interested in those that want Salem on a wing. What makes people think he is suited to a wing? Don’t we think that 2 years ago when we tried 10+ players there and no on suited there is a reason he was not one of them.

We have next to no maturity of talls other than M Brown with BB and Weid having delayed starts. We have no mature ruck coverage. We have enough developing players now. We need a mature tall body or two just in case. Daw fits as a ruck if needed and defensive tall either directly or to allow more forward flexibility with Petty or May (not that I would swing him).

Can he play ruck?

Its a no for me because of the risk. Its also a no because I dont think our club should be encouraging the return of such players regardless of what medical advice has occurs. But its also a no for me because there is no consistent exposed form that he is actually any good.

Yes. Nothing they showed made me think that’s who we were looking at with those two picks.