Deespicable

6 Salem - Cleanest of our ball users all day and is now our most trusted defender. Hope his run in middle late was out of desperation and not something we will try at start next week. 5 Harmes - Love how everyone now realises how important he is. However his job was to stop Josh Kennedy for much of the day. If I was giving Brownlow votes it was 3 Heeney, 2 Salem 1 Kennedy, Harmes or Lloyd. 4 Tyson - fantastic second quarter and constant provider of drive from his wing. Opponent Hannebery did get it a bit too much though. 3 T.Mac - He missed a couple early as nerves took hold of side but came back later to nail a couple, including the one from outside 50m which was a gem. 2 Brayshaw - what a first term, although ultimately unable to hugely impact scoreboard. 1 Petracca - Handy as marking outlet up the line, but looked more dangerous than he actually was. Olly and Jones - had their moments but their kicking was down compared to normal. All other players drifted in and out of it, including our favourite big fella.

Interesting take by you. I actually have at least eight changes to our list for next season and there are plenty of reasons to suggest it should happen. 1) Draft observers keep saying it is one of the best for several seasons. They say that pretty regularly I know, but it certainly isn't one where people are saying it lacks depth at top like last year. 2) If we are to get Gaff, then we will have salary cap issues if we don't bring in some young kids who usually start on the base wages. Removing a few of our highly-paid veterans becomes smart economics. 3) We have three (arguably four players) in the mix to retire - Vince, Pedo, Jordy and Jeffy. 4) We have three players who have been given two years to make it and they are still a long way off from making a debut - Dion, Lochie and Mitch King. There will be no money saved there, but sadly it must be done. In Lochie and Mitch's cases, we already have a project ruckman for next year with Austin Bradtke. 5) We have three other players who are out of contract and may be moved on - Bugg, McKenna and Kent. And we have already lost one - Balic. On top of that for the past 3 years, Tubby Taylor has barely had a chance to draft more than two speculative rookies, so he will be champing at the bit to get a go at doing what he's paid for. Personally I'd be moving Keilty and Tim Smith on to the main list on one-year deals as back-ups and taking the full quota of rookies with Corey Wagner and Jay Lockhart among them. As to rule changes, if they happen then the big winners will be Weid and Frosty and both are already contracted and I'd certainly be keeping them.

I think you would find that our team is now renowned for their kicking skills. Prior to Goody, we certainly were poor, but that's an area we have made major inroads on and whilst everyone can point to the odd brainfade or poor kick under pressure, almost everyone in our side can nail a target. Those that couldn't - Frost, Hunt, Bugg and Tyson - were banished to the twos but after the Pies game, Goody also realised that you needed pace as well as precision and he had to balance up his leanings a bit more - hence Frosty and Smith got games. Vanders is such a hard bull that Goody has to weigh up his errant kicks as you point out though. But if I was an opponent, I think I know which one out of Spargo, JKH and Vanders I'd prefer to play on.

I think people are underestimating the influence Joel Smith has had on our backline - he provides pace, an ability to play on smalls and talls, he loves snagging a tackle and he intercepts really well. I accept that he's still learning the game (he's only played about eight) and his kicking choices at times are a little off, but I reckon he's been a sensational Mr FixIt since replacing Lever and he's one of the chief reasons why we are not all bemoaning the lack of pace that others possess down back. I know Wiseblood disagrees, but I reckon outside of Salem, he's the one player from our back seven who we cannot cover because of his flexibility. We can bring in Hunt to provide the dash and tackle pressure - but he is not capable of outmuscling a big. We can bring in Wags who can provide the leap and is more precise with his kicking, but he's just not as quick when teams break through our press and he's a left-footer - we've got plenty of those. We can bring in Pedo and we'll get an honest worker with a thumping kick, but if we do we are back to being the slowest side in the league that was exposed by the Pies and Tigers. I actually have three changes to fix our issues down back - that's how crucial Smith is. Firstly, we need some marking confidence down back and unfortunately for the past six weeks Oscar has lost his mojo in that area. This is not a crime, he is a kid after all. But he needs to go back and spend two weeks in the twos as the dominant man so that he can return eager to play his role in the finals. At the moment he looks worried the minute he is isolated down back near the goal square, so Frosty is now preferred for that role. Further to that Pedo has been playing even better than his normal reliable self and provided there is a slowish match up, then he is our best bet as our second tall defender until O-Mac's mojo returns. McCartin is a slowish match-up and he's a kid and Pedo should be able to exploit him and peel off for a few intercept marks. And as with Oscar, Pedo's the smoothest, cleanest kick in the side. The second change is that Hunt has to come in this week, otherwise we will just be too slow down back against the Swans who have been forced to go small because of injuries. More than likely Jetta will have to play on Ronke and Hunt is quick enough to play on Papley or Rohan if he is rushed back. The third change is that we may need to bring in Wags to counter Parker or Heeney's aerial ability when they play forward - effectively play Smith's role on the third tall. It's a tricky call because it means Bernie is pushed out of our backline. The question is whether Bernie is then sent forward where he can provide nuisance value and utilise his smarts and his kicking skills or just dropped again. But the forward line is where I'd like to see him play out this season and finish his terrific career because Lewis is too slow to play anywhere else than down back and our former Hawk is a lovely reader of the game and clever outlet - nine times out of 10 anyway. If that means JKH or Spargo misses, then so be it. Both are young, both are working their butt off and developing, but with so much at stake, they aren't quite strong enough yet to regularly make an impact. Vanders is strong enough, he just isn't game-fit yet, but he'll get there and he's the ideal type for the Swans. Obviously if Melky is fit, then one of them has to make room anyway. In: Pedo, Hunt, Wagner (Melky if fit) Out: O.Mac, J.Smith, JKH/Spargo B: Jetta (Ronke) Frost (Buddy) Lewis HB: Hunt Pedo (McCartin) Salem C Jones Brayshaw Tyson HF: ANB T.Mac Vince F: Garlett Hoges Petracca Ru: Gawn Harmes Oliver Int: Vanders, Wags, Fritsch, JKH/Spargo

Yes it really is an extraordinary story - love the way the AFL say that the Feb/March window is all they can afford for the AFLW because that is the time when no other sport is played. Let's get to the truth; 1) That is the key time for almost every minor sport (aths, swimming, baseball) and also when A-League and WNBL play their finals. So quite frankly the AFL is rapt to wipe their coverage out. 2) Ultimately I expect it to be revealed that Channel 7/Fox decided they wouldn't cover games in late January or early April. In the case of late January both Seven and Fox and Nine are already knee-deep in tennis and BBL/WBBL coverage. Then in early April, both have AFL commitments plus Fox has Rugby league committments. TV and commercial realities drive the AFL and now the AFLW it seems. 3) And for some reason the AFL decided way back it did no want to impact state-run women's comp which begin in April. The fact that April is the best time for footy - grounds are in great knick (way softer than in Feb or March) and weather is generally better for players and fans has been overlooked to serve other interests and clashes with the main game. To me, it just shows how bloody-minded and niggardly the AFL are and how they are happy to wipe everything else out, but on this occasion they appear to be about to fall on their own samarai sword and wipe AFLW out. Logic says, as Daisy says, that with 10 teams it should be a 9-game season with two weeks of finals. If that means the finals is mid-April so be it. A few games could be played as AFL/AFLW double headers.

The thing that I'm hoping Dazzle has picked up from this video is that Nibbler is at the initial contest like everyone else and then he just runs (unlike everybody else) because he is the fittest bloke at the club. Yes we have all noticed he can miss the odd kick, but he's playing a position that is always under pressure and a spot where you are heavily criticised when you lose and begrudgingly accepted with "about time" or "downhill skier" when you win. What is sad is that if you really watched him as if you were his father, you would be rapt with his positioning and intensity and his team-first ethic. Instead you have just allowed your own personal vendetta to get the better of you. I personally get sh..ted off with Jordy's lack of pace but it doesn't stop me realising what he brings to the table. Repeat after me 100 times: "I must not bag Nibbler"

Hard to see any changes this week unless someone pulls up sore or catches Hoges' flu. Biggest issues now are figuring out the best way for O.Mac and Jesse to regain confidence and how to find room for Vanders. My own personal view on the first one is to try switching ends for both O.Mac and Jesse - at least until half time. Just so they can get a different perspective. As to Vanders, the only possible out, if we have to pull the pin, is Spargo, given that Jeffy performed well and I'd want Charlie back in the following week.

6 Oliver - forget the rating in the HS today, that was done by a SA reporter. Three more Brownlow votes and Gawny should now feel worried he may not receive the Bluey medal. 5 Neal-Bullen - yes and I am surprised that there are no written apologies here already from those who have been wanting him out of the side the whole year. Vision and intense pressure - a couple of errant kicks away from BOG. 4 Jordy - Yes I know I reckon he's too slow, but the Crows are the only side in the comp still dishing up big slow forwards and that meant he wasn't exposed. As a result what was exposed was his kicking skills - two rippers from 50m out that kept us ticking. 3 Tracca - Another game where his imposing frame influenced every contest he was involved in. Bring on September. 2 Tyson - it was a bad night for us DLers. Another whipping boy stands out and a few of his handball gives were Oliveresque. Further to that it seemed he again had to play outside and work his way into the contests. 1 JKH - Ok, at least I will apologise. His best game since that fateful day at AAMI Stadium five years ago when we all thought we'd snaffled a superstar. The spark in the third quarter and a running man for much of the night. He probably just cost Baker his debut game this year.

Yep, of the 14 uncontracted players left now that Angus and Jetta have signed, I have between eight and 10 missing out for next season with Oscar and Vanders (assuming he survives the season with his ankle still intact) the ones that are imperative. I also feel Jordy and Jeffy have big decisions to make on their futures, which will be determined by their involvement in the run home and hopefully by finals. Even though he's not re-signed, Bernie's post-AFL career appears set with his Pride Real Estate, so it's hard to imagine him staying beyond this season. Assuming we manage to snaffle Gaff, then when you look at our potential Rd 1 side and key back-ups for next year on paper based on who has signed and my two imperatives - it's pretty daunting. Defenders: Hibberd, Jetta, Salem, Hunt, J.Smith, Oscar, Frost - Lever (when fit) Wagner, Petty Mids: Viney, Oliver, Brayshaw, Gaff, Jones, Harmes, Fritsch, Gawn - Tyson Stretch Baker Maynard Forwards: Hogan, T.Mac, Melky, ANB, Spargo, Petracca, Vanders - Hannan, Weid When looking at overall list structure, we obviously will need to decide who is our best option at providing back-up for Gawn, although clearly we won't be able to lure a frontliner because we have the best and any back-up is unlikely to get a game, unless there is injury. As we have already decided on one of our project rucks in Bradtke, then we don't really need to keep more than one of Pedo, King and Filipovic. And if Pedo's had enough of waiting, then a younger fringe tall who can also play forward such as Freo's Matt Taberner might be worth pursuing for a lower order pick. You would also think that at least one of Bugg, Kent, JKH and Balic will be offered a new deal.

Harmes is a big loss, but another soldier goes down ... To me that means we have to bite the bullet and play Vanders, even if it is a week earlier than planned. We need another big body at night and assuming we give Tyson more game time this week (only played 63%), then Vanders should be able to cope with about 65% game time bashing into players. The other in is the certain one - Wagner. He comes in for JKH, but obviously won't play his wing. It just means that Spargo spends a bit more time on wing. Wags inclusion means he can play on one of their talls when needed (given Adelaide's big size) and also means the coach has to do what I've advocated all year - send Bernie forward where his smarts and lip can come in handy and we all know he loves a goal (and a laugh or even a smile). But on a serious level, we should be trying to manufacture a match up that sees him picking up Laird a fair bit of time. B: Jetta Oscar Jordy HB: Smith Frost Salem Mid: Jones Brayshaw Fritsch HF: Vince Hoges Melksham F: Garlett T.Mac Petracca Ru: Gawn Oliver Tyson Int: Wagner (def), Spargo (fwd/mid) AVB (fwd/mid) ANB (fwd)

As with most of you I have four players in the gun at selection this week, although I suspect a maximum of two changes will take place. 1) JKH - Yep we all know that was his big chance to show that he could handle the pressure and provide run and whilst he gave it his all and was part of a couple of goal chains, to me his nice mark on the wing and centring kick that was intercepted said it all - even at his best, he still comes up short. The only issue is who comes in for him. Do we rush back Vanders who will add those huge tackles but may tire? Do we give the running man Baker a shot at it? My preference is that we give him his debut a week later at the MCG against the Suns. If Hannan is fit then he could play on the wing. And the other option would be to bring in Wags and either play him on a wing or send Vince forward because of the size of Adelaide's forward line. 2) OMac. I can't see us demoting him this late in the season and we definitely will need height against the Crows as they have Jenkins, the returning Walker, Lynch, McGovern and the tallish Greenwood to fit in their line-up, not to mention Betts. Obviously we will zone and play a spare at times, but for what it's worth Jetta goes to Betts, O-Mac (Walker), Frost (Jenkins), Smith (Lynch) and I expect McGovern to start back with Talia now that Doedee may not play. That leaves Lewis to pick up Greenwood - hence why I think Wagner may play to give us another option. If they do drop OMac, there's two options. Pedo has been playing there for a while now and could play on Jenkins or Tex. or they could send Jesse back there given his poor run in big games and bring in Weid. The thing with Jesse is that in away games he is still playing for frees and the chances of getting one is almost impossible. 3) Tyson - I actually thought he played all right, given he was barely used (just 63% game time) and had to come in off the back of the square at bounces. The Crows game is at night, so I think he plays - just reckon he should be given more of a run because ultimately it's a 22-man game. And he's got to start in the square at bounce 1 - happy for him to moved out of there later as he tires and we want to send Trac in there. But can't believe why we want to waste his talents in the middle. 4) Garlett - In pressure night game's he's not the answer because he gets buffetted out of the way and we now have Spargo. Personally I'd leave him out for this one and while the inclusion should be Kent, he's hardly set the world on fire at VFL level. As a result I'd get in either VDB or Hannan. The rest of the team played great, although the two goals Jordy conceded because of his lack of pace pretty much outweighed all his other good work. .

6 Olly - Fantastic to see how he is now running and kicking and not always handballing. A real danger to Gawny for B&F. 5 Trac - Finally got back to his Rd 1 form and even though he played way to much game time (91%) was seriously good. 4 Harmes - Forget his dream team/supercoach score. His past two weeks have given us a player we need come finals. Liam Picken reincarnated. 3 Angus - the third member of our Holy Trinity and how many pushes in his back were missed by umps. 2 Gawn - Sometimes we forget how good he was because we expect so much. 1 Salem/Joel Smith - Aside from Harmes, this was the best thing to come out of the game and gives us depth and quality down back come finals. Both were ferocious tackling and covered the ground beautifully. We may not be as precise with our ball movement but we will be a better side when Jordy and Vince retire at season's end.

Delighted with the changes and the scene is set for a ripper game down there. I'm sure we'd win if it was back at the 'G, but down there they are a 5-10 goal better team, part of that because of home-town crowd inspired umpiring. Whilst I would have liked to see our ever-ready battery Baker get a gig, I'm pleased he doesn't begin his career in such a cauldron and I'm also pleased JKH gets a chance to see if he can make it before decision time at season's end. He doesn't have to be sensational, he just has to stick his tackles and be evasive and link up. If he ends up on Kelly he's got to be there with him and if it's Menegola, then he's got to negate his height advantage. I suspect Scott has decided to use Blicavs as back-up to Stanley at times on Max in the hope of running the legs off him. And I'll be gobsmacked if Scott Selwood isn't given the job of a hard tag on Angus. How Angus copes with it, will probably determine if we can get a break on them before three-quarter time. I think all of us will be gobsmacked if in turn Goody plays Tyson again on a wing. My guess is that we will be sending him to Joel Selwood from the outset and hoping he can negate for at least the first half - the role he should have been given in Rd 1 if you recall. Oliver, I suspect, will start forward and if our coach has started to learn that you need to have the odd structural move up your sleeve, then he will move him into the middle when Tyson starts tiring each quarter. I love us having the flexibility of both Smith and Fritsch to throw forward, back or on to a wing as needs be. Ultimately though it will most likely get down to the final quarter will to win and that's when Joel does his best work and it's when we will really miss Viney. It would be lovely if Trac stepped up and took over the stoppages in the last, but it's hard to believe in fairytales.

It is interesting to hear you say that and he would keep the left-foot defensive brigade happy - Salem, Lewis and now Fritsch. I am still interested to see if Frost is also jettisoned for Joel Smith - as I said elsewhere, Goody would have been fuming at some of Frosty's choices last week, but hopefully his rage will have subsided and he will realise that Frosty does bring other attributes to the table which we need now more than ever. I'd go for Joel Smith ahead of Wags because he is that little bit quicker and gives us more flexibility because he can play as a forward ... and I've got him in my SC team! Furthermore, Wags' left foot can be covered by Fritsch if needed. It sounds to me that the selectors have decided to bring in Tyson for Hannan and I don't mind that provided Dom plays in the middle of the park. It will be a spiteful, niggling game played for high stakes at night and whilst we are some chance, I think we all have to realise what it will mean to the Cats and Joel Selwood if they lose. They will be feral and so will their fans.

Obviously our No.1 target is Gaff and we need that to be as a UFA, as we can't offer a deal that would meet their requirements. For us it would be a coup and if it means they get a first round concession pick for his loss, so be it. It's the same principle as to when the Hawks used to take players from other clubs, which was hardly the intent of the rule - but that's another matter. As to others, I suspect we will have about 8-9 players coming off our list this season - I know some of you think it will be just 4-5, but sorry I have a few more in mind and I suspect the club does to. That will allow us to rookie our two emerging Casey boys - Lockhart and Wags Jnr. But after Gaff, I think our main priority is securing a replacement for Pedo - a back-up tall who can ruck if required. Obviously Weid is progressing in that role, but we need another one. My view has been for two years now that Freo's Mitch Taberener would be handy and realistically he is a third round pick now - which is what we can offer. That would then take the pressure away from us having to retain either Pedo or our two project ruckman and leaves us a bit of time to see how Bradtke develops. It would be lovely to get a player such as Dahlhaus but we have virtually nothing to offer the Dogs in return.

Not as many changes required this week but still plenty of thought for match committee. The Cats down there are a seriously difficult proposition and we will only get free kicks in our back half. Further to that Joel will be manic and we don't have Viney to counter him. Then there is his niggling brother who will wear Angus like a glove - the first time he has had to counter such a tag. On top of that they will most likely dump Buzza and maybe either bring back Smith to try and negate Gawny with some rough stuff or alternatively play Henderson as a forward. As to us, we have to decide four things. 1) Will the coach stick with Frosty? As most of you know I love Frosty attack on the ball and unless we plan to send Hoges or T-Mac back, he is our only tall defender apart from Oscar capable of playing on a big and playing our game-style. But he went against team rules in the second term with his kick-in and there was enough choice errors for Goody to throw the book at him (way more than his past indiscretions which were pretty minor in comparison). Hopefully Goody realises that Frosty is our best chance come finals and his speed is critical in a side trying to use Lewis and Vince down back. The options if Goody jettisons Frosty again are 1) Pedo - In form down back in VFL and we all know he does the right things, but he ain't no racehorse. 2) Joel Smith - if he is fit then he has to come in ... surely. But can he cope with Henderson or Stanley? 3) Fritsch - he was trialled down there for a reason, but as with Joel Smith, can he cope with a big boy? My guess: Goody will drop Frosty and go with Joel Smith, or if Joel is still too sore, then Pedo gets the gig. My wish: No change. 2) Will the coach stick with JKH? It was an interesting choice v Dogs but JKH's VFL form was very worthy. But will he cope with the pressure of a night game at a rabid Catland. He may also have to pick up Megnola, Kelly or even Duncan at times, so it's a huge ask. This will either make him as a player or will be his last game for the club. My guess: Goody will stick with him. My wish: I'm sorry but I am not a fan of JKH on a wing or as a forward, although I can see some potential in him as a defender with clean hands and good kicking skills. Also this is not the week to bring in Baker, although I have warmed to him and with Billy now out and no sign of Jayden back for a bit, Ronald McDonald is our best chance of providing the run we need for finals. But we can wait another week on Baker and likewise VDB. 3) Will the coach stick with three pacey forwards - Hannan, Garlett and Spargo? Obviously this is a bit of a selection luxury that worked on Saturday because of who we were playing and might work on a dry day at Geelong - but we are playing at night in the middle of winter. My guess: Goody will stick with all three. My wish: Unlike Goody i can't see all three in same side come finals. Two yes. This is the week for another grunt forward such as Bugg or Kent - neither of whom dominated in VFL on weekend. 4) Is this the game for Dom Tyson? The answer is yes because it will be greasy and at night and will be a tackle-fest. His inclusion will take pressure off Angus and allow Oliver to play forward for even more. My guess: Dom has barely played in the middle all season so why would Goody change now - even with Viney out. My view: This is the game for either Dom or Buggy. But as we know Dom isn't a natural at chasing down blokes, so he can't play the forward pressure role as well as others and if Goody won't play him in the middle, then it's a pointless swap. My view: If I was picking the team it would be JKH out and Joel Smith in because he is more physical and quicker, but I am not. And given the likely niggling game, I'd even consider dropping one our small forwards for Bugg or Tyson (only if used in the middle). My guess is that we will bring back Joel Smith and Frosty will be dropped and if Joel is still too sore, then Pedo will replace Frosty. What will most likely happen is that we will be hard at it most of the night and lead for quite a bit of it but Joel Selwood will have a huge last term and with scores level Trac will be pinged for a high tackle on him late in the game. The ball will be moved down the ground where Henderson will nudge Joel Smith under the contest allowing TomaHawk to mark. He will turn quickly and spot Parfitt or Kelly or even Ablett 2m clear of Jordy and it will be game over.

Yep but logic goes out the door a bit when you lose. If we were to beat Geelong, then yes, we wouldn't need to rush him in. But given it's at their stadium and three umpires will only hear one noise, I think it would be one of our finest efforts to win down there - Richmond couldn't do it down there last season if you recall.

It's a short selection night coming up. If Smith is fit, then it's no change for me, because he adds flexibility and pace to our line up. Loved the way he went forward and even though he wasn't able to get on the end of anything, he's a presence in air and on the ground. That's the flexibility we need - but sadly in these days where clubs train up players for one of three areas - the mid-game switch rarely happens. If Smith is still too sore (note he was moved off Walters when he pulled up sore when he got away over the back), then there are only two players to consider - Bernie and Wags. And if either comes back you have to also consider whether the loss of pace means Jordy has a rest up for the Cats game - which is our real test anyway. The good news is that AVB is only about two weeks away. I doubt we will risk him for the Cats game, but I reckon the week after we regain our tackling bull. And yes he will turn it over ... but have a look at what he brings. And if you don't know, go down to training and walk on the ground near to where he is and ask yourself would you want him tackling you?

To me it's more about the restructuring. The first area is that we need to fix is our forward entries - which way too often head to the goalsquare where we either are outmarked or fail to crumb. The situation has been made worse when we took out Spargo and didn't replace him with a fellow crumber - like Jeffy. We had success during our six-game win stretch with the three tall forwards, but I said at the time that it may not be sustainable at night and also in the winter when agility is almost everything. Having three talls is a luxury up in Darwin anyway, because it's at night it gets dewy/greasy - it's very different to Alice Springs. Clearly having another small helps our pace and mobility and forward pressure and maybe forces players to look lower. Telling players (namely Hoges) to lead up to the contest is also crucial. The second area is our failure to cover opposition sides on the break. We no longer have Lever to intercept and save the fix a two-fold. 1) we need to make sure our mids aren't all downhill skiing - Viney and Jones definitely ain't ones, so the others need to lift as well and rotate quickly enough to maintain their ability to get back and pressure. More two-way runners are needed which to me means ANB needs to go in there at times and we need to add pace to our wings - Stretch is a must and Baker needs to be considered, even though I doubt his kicking ability at this stage. But Baker will certainly add run and the fans will love him. 2) We need to add more speed to our back line or play an extra down back (although we did do this on occasions against the Saints). The downside of the extra down back means you turn the game into a low-scoring close tussle, but it may be necessary if we can't get our mids right. And it might be necessary because whilst Jordy bring precision, he most certainly doesn't bring speedy defence. In terms of players coming in, the following must be considered: A crumber - Spargo is a given and there's a case for Jeffy as well, especially in Darwin. Kent will be ready again soon, but not yet based on his game in VFL last week. More two-way runners, ideally with pace - Stretch is a given because of his VFL form, but there's a case for Baker, who is quicker, as well, although after what happened with Petty, I am not sure Goody will be so eager to trial that this week - once bitten, twice shy. There's also a case for Buggy because whilst he's not quick, he works his butt off and we may need him to tag/niggle in coming weeks. But with Fyfe out, do we really need Buggy to tag Neale this week? Maybe he has to wait for Toby the following week. There's also a case for Frosty - some will argue Keilty but he's the same player as Petty - not mega quick, just more developed and more of a man. But you can't bring in Frosty unless the coach wants him and he has to be part of his restructure. Given it's going to be slippery in Darwin and Freo have lost Taberner and Nyhuis and Kersten are hardly big names, maybe it's the game to go small down back anyway. In which case you have to consider recalling Bernie, who is honest and will make a contest and is by and large a terrific kick. Or as I have stated before, we send Nat Jones back there to make our transition game more smooth and also because he's a hard nut and will put his life on the line. I'd have him play on Ballantyne with Jetta on Walters and Hibberd on Matera. As to the outs, I have three certs. 1) Hannan - I still think he's critical come finals, but he may need a few weeks of dominating in the VFL again before a recall. 2) Tyson - unless we play him in the guts, then there's no point having him as that's his forte. he's not quick enough to be an outside mid. 3) Petty - I have made comment on another thread about this, but we don't want another Chris Lamb scenario - he needs to regain his confidence and the best place for that to happen will be in the VFL finals. We need to win this game. The other outs - possibly 4) Petracca - I said last week that it was imperative that Goody shows him some tough love for his long-term development. Please bite the bullet with him Goody - if you don't we all lose as he is imperative as a weapon in the run home against the good sides. He needs to be playing in the middle for Casey for two weeks and working his butt off. The time to do it is now, not in Rd 21 when we are out of it. 5) Weid - I actually feel that with Petty out and with Frost unlikely to be recalled, we can rejig by sending T-Mac and Hoges back to help out for part of the game. That could leave Weid to play the outlet role down the line again but as I said earlier, three tall forwards is not an option at night against a quick young side. But my gut feel is we'll give Weid another go. He's ready. He just needs to show it. 6) Lewis - The big call if Goody has the courage to make it. Clearly he gets caught out on transition defensively and clearly we need his smarts and precise ball movement offensively. Can we keep playing him and if we ain't a chance to win the flag, how can we justify playing him? So: Forward 7 - Spargo, Weid, T-Mac/Hoges, Fritsch, Melky, Garlett, ANB Mids 8 - Gawn, Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw, Harmes, Baker, Stretch, Jones Defenders 7 - Lewis, O-Mac, J.Smith, Salem, Jetta, Hibberd, Hoges/T-Mac Or, in simpler terms: In: Stretch, Spargo, Baker and Garlett Out: Petty, Hannan, Tyson and Petracca

I found it quite distressing watching his debut today - I felt sick for him and I'm sure nothing anybody could do or say will make him feel any better tonight . I had to turn away as I watched his left foot kick dribble off his boot in the second term because I have seen him train and I know his kicking is normally one of his strengths. Some of you will remember the debut of Chris Lamb back in 1999 when he played the first two games of the season. Lamb was a high draft pick but just 18 and we needed a tall because I think Shanahan was injured. Can anyone else recall how he stubbed his toe on the ball trying to kick it one time and you just knew he was never going to live it down - at least in his head. He didn't play for another two years and despite a good turn of speed, he never really overcame that horror debut. What's worse is that he had to back up the next week because the coach was hopeful that his nerves would be overcome. They weren't. And it's worse for a defender because you can't hide away on a wing and pick up some lazy touches. Time will tell if Harry can overcome what happened. I am a bit worried that Goody will get all stubborn and decide to play him again next week, hoping he will show his true form. But I'm sorry the psychological damage of rushing a player in can be huge and your mindset, once shattered, doesn't change that quickly and we can't afford another loss. What needs to happen is that Harrison needs to play in the VFL finals and get his confidence back. Provided he has a good strong pre-season, he then needs to be given a shot in pre-season games so that he can get a taste of what AFL is like before his next main stage performance. If Goody thinks he can play him again this season, he's a bigger dill than when he used to gamble his earning away. Sadly he now has to go to the player whose manic play at times frustrates him - welcome back Sam Frost.

Almost impossible to read what the selectors will do these days. The most interesting thing so far is that Joel Smith has kept his spot, even with Petty coming into play his intercepter role. To me that shows that Goody is aware of the pace issues we have down back and kept him in the back seven ahead of Bernie and Joel will most likely play on Josh Battle , leaving Membrey and McCartin to O-Mac and Petty. I'm still awaiting to see our restructure up forward, but like many, would be surprised if Weid hasn't done enough. Can't see Pedo playing this week - the second tall defender role went to Petty already - and in my view, Pedo's too slow for that role anyway, even though his kicking skills are up to the required level. And as a forward, I expect Weid to play his back-up ruck role - so even if T-Mac is a late withdrawal, Pedo's chances this week appear limited to me. I'd be shocked if Stretch doesn't get a call up, but I've been shocked before. Could Vince play up forward if T-Mac is injured? Will both Harmes and Tyson be kept? Who knows? Find out at about 6.15pm tonight!

Will be interesting if Goody restructures up forward or just assumes that things will be easier because we are playing a side lower down the ladder. As I said in my rankings this week, I think it is time we sent Petracca back to the VFL. He needs some tough love to force him to take his game to the next level.I've been banging on for some time on how he doesn't go back far enough when he gets a free or a mark and his low-flat kicks are easy to pick off or just smother. It's a flaw that needed addressing a long time back now and it infuriates me that he's been allowed to get away with it because we all know he's a serious talent. In three weeks time we have some really big games and that's how long he should have in the VFL to get his fitness and his headspace right. The obvious replacement is Stretch. If Billy doesn't get a go this week, then he should ask for a trade to Port now - he is way too good at VFL level to be shafted week after week. I am sure that Goody will pick Stretch this week and my guess is that he will drop Tyson again because he doesn't want to confront the Trac issue and Dom did make a couple of howlers. I also mentioned that Weid has arrived - or at least almost. At training this week he moved like a midfielder. His agility is up and he gives a quick handball give and now he even has some goals behind him. He is ready to have an impact at AFL level and that means Tim Smith misses out. Bull has done little wrong but Weid is the future and he is no longer a kid who gets pushed aside. He has to play now. The other player who should be in the mix this week is Frosty. I can't read what they are doing with him. He clearly was needed for Westhoff or Dixon and we decided to send him forward in the VFL last week and then he played as a forward in training drills this week. So he then lines up in defence in the VFL this week. Go figure! Against the Saints we need him as a big for either McCartin or Membrey or Bruce if he plays. It's a question of who Frosty replaces and whilst it would be a tough call to drop Vince or Lewis but it might happen. Goody also has to consider whether he sends Hoges down back early against the Saints to get his confidence back up before moving him forward after half time.If he does that he might decide we don't need Frosty yet and he can recall either Bugg or Spargo to provide more bite around the packs. It's a tough gig being a coach when you lose and putting up with know it alls like us!

Finally finished watching replay 6 Oliver - unbelievably clean hands and even ran and carried it a bit. 5 Viney - Guts personified but disposal was poor. 4 Brayshaw - BOG to half time and seriously clever. 3 Jones - sorry haters, but he worked his butt off like Viney. 2 Jetta - Super first half on Gray but his free in last was majorly costly. 1 Gawn - As with other midfielders he was in everything and had a good opponent to match up on. Unlucky: Fritsch - Almost won it for us in final term. Unlucky with umps: Melky must have gone close to decking one giving the treatment he copped,

For some reason it didn't like my word documents, but when I copied it into pages and tried again it worked. It did keep the attempted downloads on bottom though of topic though and I couldn't remove it - see actual topic called Deespicable's 2018 player rankings

Those of you with an hour to spare, here's my now annual mid-year report ranking our Demon list. What's the line from that English makeover show - pash, snog or avoid! Deespicable’s 2018 Player Rankings It’s 26 years since a ruckman won the Brownlow Medal (Goodesy wasn’t a true ruckman) and I reckon there’s a chance with our Max this year. Against Essendon, I noticed that the umps were finally starting to look after him like they did with the late Jimmy – could that be an omen that a Charlie is around the corner? Naturally he’s my No.1 Dee on this year’s rankings, although Olly is making sure our best and fairest award is a thriller and our 20-year-old also needs a big finish to the season to win his first AA gig. But how good is it to finally have some players whom you can genuinely call stars. And with tricky away games to come against Port, the Crows, West Coast and Geelong, plus hard ones at home against Sydney and GWS, we’ll need everyone on their game just to make the finals. I remember how we all thought we’d finally made it in 1984 under Barrass having just won our sixth game in a row to defeat the Hawks at Princes Park only for Greg Healy to be taken out the following week by an Essendon thug. That thumping by the eventual premiers set us back three years, so hopefully our loss to the Pies didn’t give us the Colliwobbles. It shouldn’t for two reasons. Firstly we have incredible list depth now (I mean Dom Tyson a VFL player …seriously!) and secondly Goody gets it. The guys he selects now are either tough nuts or work their butts off. He made his statement at the end of last year with Wattsy and whilst some of us bemoan his departure, we all now understand why. Goody’s two big tasks now are finding a replacement for Lever (Smithy deserves his shot at it although I’d prefer him as our third tall defender) and sorting out how to inject pace come finals – getting Mr Nippy back firing from injury will determine our fate against the quick sides such as the Tigers and Pies. But this list is about the players, so here goes. 2018: One to 44 – Rating our list (last year’s rank in brackets). 1 Max Gawn (2) OK Gawny, you’ve made it – you can have a cigarette and a bucket of chips now. I’m sure that three years ago, Gawny would have celebrated in such a way, but I think our most popular and marketable player now gets that in this industry, you have to keep your discipline levels up 99% of the time. And let’s face it, he’s still got the battle with last year’s All-Australian Patty Ryder and will need to keep beating his opponents in the back half of the season because at this point it’s neck and neck with Brodie Grundy for the AA spot, although they do have a bench to reward both of them if needed. How good has Gawny been in almost every game so far – he just gets to contests even at ground level, then bobs up on our forward line to take a mark or two. And it’s not always his fault that our players don’t read his left-handed taps. Media commentators and everyone with a microphone or tape recorder flock to our one-liner king post-game now and I reckon there’s a Danger in that – remember how we all loved Dangerfield two years ago Maxy. I’d cut back your media next season before you fall victim to the nasty Tall Poppy syndrome. 2 Clayton Oliver (3) With Gawny on song and in vogue, Clayton has barely been sought out post-game this season and to be fair, most games he’s been good, without being our matchwinner. As a result his superstar status is on hold, but there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s the man. I have watched him annoy the sh.t out of our fellow midfielders at training with his push and hold scrimmaging for ruck contests – maybe he’s trying to invoke the Jack Viney style hardness into others. But sometimes I just wish he’d not get caught up in that “bold and hold” play and just go the pill at clearances – he’s the best I’ve seen at it in my time and that includes Wellsy, Willow and Viney Snr. 3 Jesse Hogan (11) Forget Roaming Bryan, this year we have Roaming Jesse. With the Tigers having success playing Jack Riewoldt in the role, Goody decided to let Hoges loose and have carte blanche to pretty much go anywhere up forward. And given he’s got such a good natural tank, it’s really helped him be more involved in the game and gone (mostly) is his petulance over poor entries from teammates. What has impressed me more this year is that he’s finally shown he can kick a longish goal – he took two shots from outside 50m against the Tiges and both made it. Sure he’s no thumper like Neiter, but he’s more accurate than him and if shots from the 50m arc become part of his routine, then he’s way more damaging in his roaming role than isolated in the square. After all, he’s our second best pack mark behind Gawny and presents better than Jen Hawkins down the line. With Lever gone, he may have to on occasions play as a tall defender, but what I hate though is his short forays on the ball at centre clearances. Firstly he’s untrained in that area and he’s just nowhere near as quick at the dish as Olly or Trac or Jones or Salem or Angus. And as for his defensive work at the centre stoppages, take a look at his first quarter effort against Geelong – he lined up on Ablett at the first one (goal to Gaz). He then moved to Selwood for the second one and was absolutely schooled. Why Goody, why? Let the mids be mids and your star forward, roam forward. 4 Nathan Jones (1) OK you’ve all read a lot about him lately with him notching up his 250th in Round 11 and joining a select group of nine that have reached that milestone for us. Come finals time only four will rank ahead of him and he will have gone virtually 250 games since his last final in 2006. He’s a man of few words but we all know what Jonesy stands for – he’s as tough and reliable as they come and after a bit of criticism responded with a career-high 10 clearances roving Gawny against Essendon. How many years can he go on for? My view is that he should break Neiter’s club record in 2021, provided Goody sends him down back – I reckon he could become a dead-ringer for Jarrad McVeigh with his elite evasive and kicking skills – in fact with Viney back, we no longer need his ground-based skills in the middle so much, that the move should happen now. It won’t though, Goody will keep playing Lewis and Vince back there. But next year – definitely. 5 Michael Hibberd (5) SuperCoach does funny things with your head – the minute a player posts a few low scores we start questioning his value. But Hibberd is still the same player who won an AA spot last year, he still charges into packs when required, still bodies his opponent to make sure they can’t get a clean grab and he still mops up almost anything that comes near him. He’s as dependable a defender as we’ve seen. Many ask why hasn’t he been as dominant as last year and my gut feel is that his direct opponent has been told to take him over to the right side of the park, where he’s not quite as confident and natural as on his left boot. But did his name come up on Demonland’s potential outs when we lost badly to the Hawks and Tigers – no way. 6 Jack Viney (4) OK we’ve barely seen him this season, but already you can gauge his value. I’ve said for a long time he’s our Joel Selwood and there’s no-one who likes playing on him – even at training. He was majorly missed in the game against Richmond and as with owls, I reckon he does his best work at night when conditions are greasy. Sadly we only have four games to come at night, so we may have to wait until finals for him to really show us his true value. And hopefully that involves tagging a couple of big names – that’s where he does his best work. 7 Jake Lever (New) It’s took some DL’ers a bit of time to warm to him, but most could see his worth before his luck ran out. We haven’t exactly had a great run with marking intercepters – Clint Biz came to us late, Jared Rivers’ best year was probably his first, while Howey was allowed to leave. But now we have a genuine reader of the play who is a lovely kick and whilst we may have paid top dollar for him, I’d rather that than taking a punt on a kid via the draft. And he’s only 22. Assuming he comes back OK from his latest ACL, I reckon in time we may rate him as our best tall defender, even snaring Gary Hardeman’s team of the century spot. 8 Tom McDonald (13) All of us tend to be a little hard on T-Mac. In the old days it was his occasional low pass out of defence that was picked off by opponents that irked us. Then his magical game against West Coast last year made us expect five goals almost every week. In my view, Tom will never be a superstar. But he is what all coaches want – a mega-fit worker who courageously presents time and time again (just ask Howey who reckons he’s the world’s best stepladder). But the good thing is that not all teams have a jumping jack, and Tom’s work ethic means at some point he’s the one with the sit and his hands are incredibly reliable, just as his flat kicks are deadly accurate. That makes him a very valuable tall forward in the James Westhoff mould with the added bonus that he has the tank to play as the back-up tap man. 9 Jake Melksham (19) Melky had an unbelievable pre-season and whilst he hasn’t been able to dominate each week (what small forward does) he can lay claim to a rare victory against Alex Rance (four goals) and arguably our best individual game of our season against Carlton where he kicked five and set up another handful. What makes him so dangerous, apart from his hard running and surprising core strength is his thumping long flat drop punts that split open opposition zones. Sure he’s not quite as glamorous as De Goey or Toby Greene, but right now he’s climbing the rankings of small forwards and is even being mooted as a possible AA. 10 Angus Brayshaw (No rating) What a relief. We all knew he was a talent but it seemed he was on his way out, courtesy of the grim reaper known as Mr Concussion. As with Olly and his glove, he’s become the man with an appendage, but the helmet gives him that Nathan Burke style tough look. I was sold on him again when he touched up the Saints pre-season with a memorable final term, but it took Goody a bit longer– he waited until the Bombers game to trust him with a centre clearance or two and whilst he’s not as fleet-footed as some pacey wingmen, he’s got a bagful of tricks and we can now all see the magic of his long kicking off both feet. 11 Neville Jetta (14) After being in contention for an AA spot last year, Nev started the season poorly being touched up a couple of times by Menzel in Rd 1 and I reckon he was close to being sent to Casey before Rd 5, but against Richmond he was back to his reliable self playing a fair bit of time on Dusty and since then it’s been business as usual with his Doggie game unbelievable. Sure I’d love to see him take the game on more and provide dash out of defence, but as with Salem and Jordy he is offering the safe, precise option. 12 Christian Salem (16) For the second year in a row, there was a push to play Salem in the middle and this time around he showed more ability in the bump and grind centre cauldron. But as with last year I kept thinking what a waste. He’s not big enough to really impose in the guts and he is just so clean with his kicking that he’s needed on the outside. Eventually he was moved back against Essendon and suddenly, with Jordy’s help, we seemed to be so much more precise. And he seems to have improved his defensive one-on-one work, making him a crucial member of our back seven. 13 James Harmes (18) Goody has warmed to him this season playing him in the guts ahead of Dom and Angus and with Viney back he even gets in there ahead of Jonesy at times. The reason why is that he’s your typical blue-collar worker that coaches love because they illustrate a side’s intent. In NBA terms. he’s our Delly. Demonlanders get incensed when he tries to break though about 12 tackles and gets pinged for holding the ball, but in the current rugger style game, you need a good second rower and Harmes provides that kind of grunt. As yet this year he hasn’t nailed too many goals on the run, but that will come and hopefully it coincides with September. 14 Christian Petracca (12) With no Jack Watts for us to get excited about pre-season, Trac carried the ‘big improver’ hype outjumping Braydon Preuss to lead us to our AFLX title. His first game against the Cats was a cracker. But since then he’s struggled to really get his season going with one DL’er even dubbing him Colin 2.0. Even his admirers have admitted he needs a stint in the twos now. He’s missed set shots that he’d nail last year and his lack of explosive pace and fitness has meant he’s been caught on occasions. My biggest gripe is still that he doesn’t get back far enough on the mark quickly enough to hit his targets with his grass-burning bullet passes. But almost every game you just sense that he’s about to dominate proceedings and put those hips and leap to good use. He should join our top three as stars of the game, but I must admit I’m getting a little tired of waiting. Come on CP5 – your time is now … or maybe September. 15 Alex Neal-Bullen (21) I’d love a dollar for every time someone reckons he should be dropped. But thankfully Goody rates ANB and his hard yards more highly than the Demon faithful and it’s paying off. Yes he’s prone to the odd turnover, but yes he’ll be back trying to make amends seconds later with a smother or a tackle or just perceived pressure. As with Harmes he doesn’t always look quality, but he’d kicked 15 goals to the halfway point and averages just over three tackles which is high for a permanent small forward. At his best he has a bit of the Robbie Gray’s about him. 16 Oscar McDonald (23) He was everybody’s flavor of the month in April, but May saw him fall like the leaves outside. That’s not majorly surprising given he’s invariably our last line of defence and until QB we’d been winning. He’s handled all the big boys fairly well this year including Ben Brown and his kicking is as good as any big guy you’ll see. That’s why I hope that he gets switched up forward for a cameo when we get a game when things aren’t working out for his big bro or Jesse. 17 – Jordan Lewis (7) I said last year that his smarts were as calming for the side as a chai latte. And what happens. In Rd 1 he’s beaten for pace and makes a professional free on Geelong’s Brandon Parfitt. Then he mouths off like a spoilt child and gives away a 50m that starts an onslaught of Cat goals. For the next three weeks he is caught out for pace by the ball over the back and to be honest, I was rapt he was injured for the Tiger game – he had become such a liability. But the week off worked wonders and I reckon he managed to convince Goody that precise ball movement (Hawthorn style) could cut a swathe through zones better than breakneck speed. As a result he joined Salem in our new-look back seven and the results had been stunning until the Pies game. Jordy’s games against the Saints and Blues were as good as any you will see from a defender. But can Goody continue to overlook the fact that good sides can expose him for pace. That leads to the inevitable question – should he play on in 2019? My view is that he’s already shown his future – he’s a coach in waiting and St Kilda should be arranging a chai latte meeting. 18 Jayden Hunt (6) Mr Nippy has taken a huge step back this season and I blame that monster goal in Darwin last year. For some reason, Goody or one of his assistants decided the torpedo could be a line breaker and if you cast your mind back to pre-season, you’ll remember Gawny and Trac and Jayden unleashing. But Jayden took it way too far. Against Richmond he was hard up on the boundary under pressure in the second term and instead of opting for a centering drop punt, he went the torp in a slippery night game – Jayden, what were you thinking? Hopefully he’s back working on his craft, lowering his eyes and trying to flatten his punt. He’s No.18 because he still is a must have for this side to be successful, especially in WA and more than likely on the finals stage in September when pace becomes critical. 19 Mitch Hannan (20) I’m still a bit miffed why he copped a four-game VFL banishment after his performance against the Cats. The breaking point seemed to me when Harmes overcooked a pass to him on the outer flank and he was caught with the pill, but we are talking about one of Goody’s love-childs here. His recall in Round 6 coincided with our winning streak and whilst he hasn’t been a worldbeater, he provides a nice mix of speed, agility, pressure and a nice leap that can catch defences out. 20 Bernie Vince (15) Sure he’s sliding down my rankings, but you still have to love this guy and his cheeky grin. He plays old-style and almost got caught out again driving miss Daisy a few weeks back, but he loves a contest and I hope in coming weeks with wet weather and a soggier MCG, that we give him a cameo back in the middle scaring the life out of someone. I reckon he will need a new role come finals when Jayden returns from injury and I’m hoping Goody sends him forward where his tackling and ability to get under the skin of opponents can make a difference. 21 Dom Tyson (17) If the finals were right now, Dom misses out. But our run of form and avoiding injuries won’t last until September and he’s probably the best VFL player going around in the entire comp. Goody’s made it hard for him - he’s been forced to play a different role (wing) for the first time in his career and his days as the quarter-back appear over at our club which now has Olly to set things up. I’m sure the winter months will allow him the chance to show us what a clean ball-handler he can be, but if he’s only offered a wing, you have to wonder how he can produce the numbers to play finals and out there pace becomes a factor. Remember that wing is the same offer that was made to Grimesy and Trenners before him and we all know what happens next. 22 Bayley Fritsch (New) Those of us who idolised Robbie, had reincarnation on our minds as our new boy took his magical arch-backed mark near the goalsquare against the Cats. Sure he’s a left-footer, but it’s a shame Jonesy didn’t hand over his No.2 guernsey there and then. As with Robbie, he’s not a high-pressure player, which is why he mixed highlights with being a bit of a liability up forward in those first few weeks. But since being moved to the wing and becoming more involved with link play, you can see his attributes and evasive skills. Too early to tell how he will cope with the modern-day AFL pressure and harder tags, but certainly he’s a very clever pick up and bargain at No.31. 23 Sam Frost (10) I know I’m not alone here in saying that I really rate this guy. Unfortunately he’s been a victim of two things – the decision to bring in Lever and the preference of Goody for precision over dash, which means he’s finding it hard to get a gig down back, even at VFL level. His game against North showed the good and bad. His first touch was an errant boot out on the full and then his second was an intercept mark and crazy dash that paid off. Later he showed incredible diligence to chase down a Roo forward but because his lunge was a second too late, it resulted in a 50m penalty. That’s his lot at the moment – almost a star, but not quite the complete package yet. If I was the Saints or North, I’d be trading hard to get him in to replace Brown or Thompson, but I hope we can keep him as I still think he is as close to Sean Wight as we can get. And whilst I think there’s some good signs from Smithy at CHB, I just reckon for the big mules I’d want Frosty back there, even if our heart’s in our mouths when he gets it. 24 Billy Stretch (22) Love it NOT how Demonlanders are quick to say he’s not up to it this year after he gets one go at it – against Richmond at night – and then even the club website reckons he’s out of form. I watched him pre-season and he’s improved his kicking (now as good as his dad’s) and even though he’s best suited to link play, he still has a red-hot crack (unlike his dad, Dipper might say). His only demerits are that he’s a tad small and not explosive quick, which means he struggles to break out of packs. But he’s one of the most disciplined players you’ll ever see and I just hope he gets a go against a side where his confidence can grow. I still think he can become a regular but he may have to be recast as a small defender. And if I was with the Crows or Port, I’d be making enquiries now. He’s way too good to be playing VFL. 25 Tom Bugg (26) I really expected him to be back in our side a lot this season and that’s the way it looked like going after a solid pre-season and a four-goal game as basically our full-forward against the Roos. But his kicking has let him down and this time it may be terminal. Some of you bemoan his missed shots at goal but that didn’t really worry me because set-shots can run hot and cold. But it was the Richmond game when he sprayed a chip kick to Jeffy, who was running to the goalsquare. In a tight game it was a serious flaw and made it hard for any coach to pick him. I love his grunt work and we used to need his character, but now we have a team full of egos more than happy to give opponents some lip. He may get one more go at it this season as his form at VFL level is exceptional, but he’ll have to hit his targets. 26 Jeff Garlett (9) As with Buggy I reckon an opportunity will come up for Jeffy again and it should be the Fremantle game in Darwin (Rd 16). But our 2017 leading goalkicker may only get the one chance to keep his AFL career alive because little Charlie does everything coaches love. Jeffy turns 29 in August, so even with a contract for next year he’d want to be back in the side by finals. There’s no doubt he can still be a factor, provided he’s working his butt off, as his pace can cause opponents to panic and at finals times any errors are magnified. 27 Charlie Spargo (New) How can you possibly rank our teenage pressure dynamo below Jeffy and so many others who are playing VFL? Firstly I do get the impact he’s been making – in fact it was his memorable snap against Essendon that sparked our turnaround in our fortunes. And yes his skills are sublime and I am looking forward to him playing many, many games in seasons ahead. But sometimes we overplay a little the contributions of a newbie – he’s been great for team morale, but he’s hardly been dominant. And that’s to be expected. He’s 18 after all. The other factor that he’ll have to contend with down the track is whether he can overcome the limitations of his size in the modern game – something that has confronted other highly-skilled smalls such as Caleb Daniel and now Jack Higgins. Hopefully the club has arranged a chat or two with Boomer Harvey to make sure he knows the hurdles he will have to overcome to survive at this level. Thankfully he is blessed with a similar touch of mongrel. 28 Josh Wagner (24) Another one of our AFLX-flag men who played the tricky first five games of the season before choosing the wrong game to be missing and is struggling to get another crack at it. Part of the rejig that saw Salem head back again was to avoid the Dees tendency to have four up down back and Wags, like Nev Jetta, was one of the chief offenders in this club. It’s hard not to be when you have a huge leap like they do. He’s not a thumping kick, neither is Jordy or Salem mind you, but occasional he mis-queues one and I suspect that is why he’s now on the outer. But he’ll get another chance and given his late start at this level, there should still be some upside. 29 Dean Kent (25) It’s been a dirty couple of years for him as his hamstrings just seem to cave in – especially at night against Richmond. As a result he’s been sentenced to a life of running the far side wing at Gosch’s Paddock with his red-vest mate Pat McKenna. His only other claim to fame this season was being our leading goalkicker in that forgettable game against the Hawks. We all know he has the aggression and pace to make it to 100 games, but he’s now 24 and to be honest he may need a different medical and fitness room to try and get things right. 30 Joel Smith (Injured - NR) Three games into his AFL career and he’s asked to fill the void of our $800,000 man. That’s a big ask, let alone the fact that he’s just 190cm tall. He looked like Charlie Spargo when he was battling Mason Cox on QB Monday, but his leap and pace will give him a chance against some of the big boys and if he tackles like he did when he snagged Tom Phillips, then he’s going to do just fine. 31 Tim Smith (32) The Bull’s been part of our two largest victories this season and as a SuperCoach bargain he was all the rage. He’s way more mobile than Pedo and Weid and coped with the pressure of being our back-up tapman and also our mock full-forward until copping a couple of nasty knocks against the Bulldogs. It was strange that Goody said he was dropped for the Pies, when he was too injured to play VFL, so you have to wonder if there’s a story behind that. But with three talls up forward back on the agenda, the battle for the cherished spot behind Hoges and T-Mac is on in earnest. 32 Cam Pedersen (30) Everyone still loves Pedo and even at 31, he still does all the things you want – he’s a solid mark, he’s a thumping kick and he’s happy to get his hands dirty. But I couldn’t help but think that against the Pies, Mason Cox consigned him to the VFL for another stint that could lead to retirement at season’s end. It was the one game you didn’t want to be the ruck back-up and unfortunately Pedo drew the short straw. That almost certainly will mean Weid and Tim Smith get the next call-ups and if they survive until the finals, then sadly it’s all over for our much-loved big man. 33 Sam Weideman (31) After three years of low yield, I think almost everyone is frustrated that the Weid has failed to sprout in our back yard. But I think it’s finally about to reap rewards. His late start this pre-season may have been the best thing for him because watching him do drill after drill bounding over teammates has meant that his agility is now approaching AFL level. Sure we’d all like him to snag a few goals, but he’s been bringing the ball to ground regularly now and he does give a slick handball in traffic. And don’t forget he’s still only 20, so cut him some slack. I’ll be surprised if he’s not called up this week for the Port game and whilst I’m sure he will have the odd hiccup, he’s pretty close to making it … properly. 34 Corey Maynard (35) After an amazing VFL semi-final last year where he had more clearances than Olly on a good day, Goody had him earmarked for our Rd 1 game against Geelong. And it even came at the expense of Dom Tyson, who was told his defensive skills weren’t good enough compared to Corey. Our former NBL player started off tagging the Cats returning love child Gary Ablett, which is no easy ask, but what made it a one-week only project was several kicking blunders or turnovers. Since then he’s been out indefinitely with a hip injury. He’s 27 in October and time may be running out. 35 Jay Kennedy-Harris (33) I said last year that I suspect we will all have to look back fondly and recall his magic game and goals in Adelaide in 2014 and sadly that’s still the case. He looks good at VFL level, but being so light, he’s just not quite able to break clear of packs. I reckon he might have some value coming out of defence, but at VFL level they opted to send Dion back instead. I reckon a club with a shrewd eye will pick him up for that role next season. 36 Harley Balic (New) He’s tall for a mid/forward at 187cm and he’s got the skill to be a major danger, but he’s going to have to work his butt off next pre-season to get in the mix for an AFL gig. My worry is that he’s not quick enough and maybe dirty/ hungry enough to make it in the modern tackling game. But at 21 he’s worth another year and I’d be getting a sprints coach to help him. 37 Oskar Baker (New) What do you get when an Everyready battery meets Ronald McDonald? – A lively VFL wingman whose running ability and has seen him become one of the league’s most talked about players. I still have doubts about his kicking ability, but he’s got a great attitude, so if he can become more trustworthy off both boots then an AFL chance will appear … next season. 38 Declan Keilty (36) Dec now looks the part at training. He’s a tall, strapping man now and quite capable of matching it in the air against anyone. With Frosty out of favour, he’s even a chance to play AFL should Goody decide he needs another tall for the Eagles or Crows. But I am just not sure his kicking skills are reliable enough and that his ground-level work is good enough. Depending on what happens with others and his play in the VFL finals, he may get another year as insurance. 39 Harrison Petty (New) From a distance he looks like Keilty and there’s similarities in the way they play, although Harry is a better kick, which in the current environment is mega important. He’s 18 until November so if he continues to develop bulk and speed, then I’d expect him to get quite a few games at AFL level. He may even get a go this year, but he’s no Lever yet. 40 Dion Johnstone (38) What’s the line, as a forward you make a great backman. After about six games with little progress this season, the club decided to try him as a defender and a breakout game against Willy has given him an outside chance of staying on the list for a third season. His kicking has improved and he’s never been shy of a tackle, so it’s not as far-fetch as it seemed earlier in the season. As a defender he reminds me a bit of Marlee Williams. 41 Mitch King (39) He’s now into his third season as a project player and whilst a knee injury cost him his first year, there really doesn’t seem to be any major progress this season. He does have nice skills though, but a lack of pace and leap means he has struggled to impact at VFL level. And with Austin Bradtke signed already as our rookie project ruckman for next year, King is smart enough to know what’s in store at this year’s exit meetings. 42 Lochie Filipovic (40) He’s the same height as Mitch at 200cm and his first year was ruined by injury – a hip problem. And he’s yet to impose on a VFL game. But two things in his favour are that he’s pretty quick and secondly he’s still only 19, which means even with Bradtke’s arrival, we’d be likely to keep him on for another year. But he wouldn’t want to finish the season poorly or we might decide that Gawny’s dominance means we can take a risk and go with just one project ruckman. No ratings - injured Pat McKenna Nearly two years on since arriving from the GWS and we are yet to see him do anything but run-throughs on the outer wing at Gosch’s Paddock. He didn’t cost us a lot, but he’s kept our physios busy for two years now… sometimes guys are just downright unlucky. He’s still only 21, but he’d want to be playing VFL by finals time or it’s hard to see us risking a third year. Aaron vandenBurg I’ve said before that I really love this big brute of a guy and would have him in my best 22 if he’s fit. But since suffering ankle-related stressy’s last pre-season, he’s become a virtual trivia question – who got three Brownlow votes against Richmond in the first Anzac Eve game at the MCG. I hope we keep him on next season, but as with McKenna, it’s hard to keep paying medical bills for no onfield return. 2017 rankings: http://demonland.com/forums/topic/42181-2017-player-rankings/?tab=comments#comment-1413791 2016 rankings