Red and Blue realist

Kayo works best when it's received directly by the device, when it's cast to a chromecast etc. is when it has issue. I've got a TV in the lounge that has the app and never ever buffers, but out in the man cave where it goes from phone to chrome cast, it frequently buffers. I have yet to convince the good wife that I need a 3rd TV out there - but a more modern one!

The only reason I say it's too early for this year, is as soon as there's an injury to May or Lever, I'd be betting that Petty goes back and they'll try again with Smith, BBB, TMac, Grundy or Schache. If the call was made then no matter what happens he'd stay forward, but the depth is better up forward then what we've got down back. I like that 6 goals will give him a licensee up there (provided we don't need to change for injuries) for the next 3 or 4 weeks to get it settled, even if he has a quiet week along the way.

He attended 15 of the 39 center bounces, and clearly has moved to a tagging role over the last 4 weeks - he was mostly on Neale from the Lions and kept him to 19 touches. Given he was the youngest mid we had in bounces (JVR and Pickett don't count), he's still learning and realistically at the moment he'd be our number 8 or 9 mid - including the wingers where he's played in the past. If he was still the same aged 25 and with 100 games you'd worry, but he's still developing and would provide decent depth, if Oliver and Sparrow come back in I'd say he'll be back at Casey.

While I think it's too early to make a call that he's a forward for the rest of the year - let along his career, one of the most pleasing aspects was it was such a big breakout performance. If he just kicked 2 or 3 goals, then it can pass by as a good game. But with 6, that makes opposition teams put more effort and work into him, which should then hopefully free up JVR and Melk (and then Fritta) if they see Petty as the main man. The Tigers move Balta onto him, but they actually started with Young who's only played the 15 games, Balta was on JVR and I assume they wanted him more involved with intercepting. So we know Petty will compete and position himself well, but if it allows more freedom for some of the other forwards (as compared to BBB who looked slow and allowed his man to help out other defenders), this will be a big plus particularly with Pickett and Chandler back in form.

Reckon we need to get Smith a full game, he's a fantastic sub and think he's nailed that role and will do that very well in finals, but in the last 4 weeks he's played 17%, 32%, 21% and 40% game time. I hate for this to continue and then he's called upon very early in a final and isn't able to run out a full game. I also think now would be a good time to give McVee a week off, it's a lot for a first year player to get through a full season, and better to rest him now right for finals. So no wholesale changes (barring injury), but maybe McVee (rest) for Hibbo, Harmes for Sparrow and Smith full game and Melk (for resting purposes) to sub (then swing either Smith or Petty back when he comes on - just to practice this scenario). I know Melk has been great over the last 4 games but he's the 2nd oldest on the list and could do with a freshen up. Tempted to rest May or bring Smith in for Tomlinson, but I think the May/Lever/Tomo combo needs as much time together as possible.

It probably wasn't the Tigers who caused this, but did anyone else notice that after the game they only played the song on the loud speakers the once? Normally it gets played numerous times, no matter who wins. I said that to my brother in law who's a Tigs fan and he said after that they shouldn't have played our song at all! (at least he was joking, but the other supporters nearby agreed with him, then went on about the umpires!)

Reminds me a little of the talk about Lingers before he got here, great runner but big deficiencies with disposal and contest. All the Freo supporters were saying Langdon's disposal will kill us but he'd only be any go being fed too. So he could be a player we could develop, but we've already got Langdon and Hunter entrenched, with some talk about Henry from Freo - who'd offer a better point of difference. I think if he was super cheap, and we had the list spots! He'd be ok, but not a pressing need for us at all.

Another complication will be just how many list spots we actually have. At the moment, we have 4 draft picks and Kynan Brown to come through after them (as projected at the moment). However, we've only got 5 out of contract players and 5 rookies out of contract - of which Disco Turner should come up to the main list. So really 4 lists spots, and those OOC are Hibberd, Melksham, JJ, Dunstan and Woey Jnr. So Woey Jnr will get another contract for sure, Dunstan is probably out and JJ might seek more opportunities then Hibberd and Melk are wait and see. So unless we move more guys on, then we don't have enough list spots for the draft picks we have at the moment (incl. Brown). Of course there's plenty of ways to get creative, but we might only want to take 1 or 2 picks on board (plus Brown).

I think we have to bring Grundy back for BBB. While up and going I think we're a better team with BBB in it but he's been far from convincing since he's returned from injury. He's averaged 8.5 touches and 2 marks over the last 4 weeks, while only kicking 2 goals. I don't mind the idea of Gawn playing a little more forward this week - he went very well in the practice match earlier this year up forward, maybe he goes there for 15 minutes and Grundy for 8 minutes a quarter? Tomo to stay and play on Reiwoldt, let May take Pickett and Lever on Miller and they should be able to get off those guys to help Tomo and set up play from the back end. The Tigers are pretty small up front, so I'd be reluctant to take out either Bowey or McVee, but I think we need Hibberd, so maybe he comes in for JJ, and Salem or Rivers, play a little more middle if needed. So I'd be going Grundy and Hibberd for BBB and JJ.

I'm not sure he does need a heap more time at Casey, the 'demotion' for a couple of weeks might have done the job. It was never to reset him as a player but reset his mindset of what's required when he has to play forward, how to compete and continually move, rather than the old ruck/forward pocket who just stood there being tall. I like that it meant JVR had to go in and ruck, he seems very good against the 2nd rucks of other clubs (he's had a few great taps and then competed really well after it's gone to ground). Hopefully it's given JVR a real shot of confidence, because watching yesterday I think his leading patterns went to another level after his ruck stints. With BBB though, I struggle to see him holding his spot for much longer. Smith is the perfect sub and ideally you'd have it so he could take BBB off at 3/4 time, but if there's an early injury then that comes undone and BBB has (to my eye) been much worse as games wear on. Since coming back from injury he's averaged 8.5 disposals, 2 marks and only kicked 2 goals. We are carrying him at the moment and I think Grundy's overall impact will be much greater, and hopefully he knows as a forward he has to keep moving to create that space BBB does, but Grundy has the agility to actually get back and go again and then fight at ground level a lot better than BBB.

I'm hoping they set Grundy up against Tomlinson and Turner (if fit) in a fair session over the weekend. They don't need to teach him leading patterns, but body positioning. Our rucks should really be leading up forward, but making sure they are crashing packs and not getting out marked, which I think Grundy gets too often as he hasn't played a heap forward and it's a different kick than what you get around the ground. If it works, they could potentially give Gawn a week off as well to do the same (say against Nth), then have 3 weeks to get the 2 of them back in the team together. Gawn is a better lead to the kick than Grundy but that doesn't mean they can't both be effective forward targets, which means more time on ground for both giving the rest time to the explosive mids.

The Suns are going to find it very hard to get enough points to cover their projected academy kids this year. If as above they go at 2, 8 & 10 then that's 4,370 points they have to come up with, but they've currently only got picks 7, 28, 31, 45, 56, 63, 68 & 70 - a total of 3,678. Nearly 700 points short. Good thing we've got the 2 firsts and 2 seconds, I reckon we can try and get pick 7 plus more (either a player/picks) for some of our picks. Say picks 15, 27 & 34 for pick 7, Sam Flanders and their picks in the 60's (for Kynan Brown matching).

Hopefully they might be able to give Gawn, Trac and May a few weeks to do similar at the back end of the season. Having those 4 (incl. Clarry) cherry ripe for finals would make a massive difference to our flag chances. If we lost 2 or 3 more games in season but were better positioned for finals than last year then all the blow ups on here would be worth it!!! in fact I'd be trying to get those guys a week or 2 off before the Hawks game in round 23, have them all back in rounds 23 & 24, then the bye before finals and hopefully we're fit and firing.

I'd go, Oliver for JJ. BBB for Chandler and go bigger in the front half, including Petty down forward. JVR, BBB and Petty forward, with Max dropping down back when he's on the filed with Grundy. Smith for Tomlinson. Smith to start as the sub, with a view if there are no injuries to bring Max or Grundy off during the 3rd or Petty/JVR earlier if we need greater run. Tempted to bring Bowey in for Hibberd, but I that would work better next week as Hibberd would be the Greene match up, and until the end of the year I don't think Hibberd should play 2 games in a row.

100% the game would be at Marvel, not the MCG. We'd probably also lose access to the Alice Spring academy zone.

I'd be very tempted to have Langdon come out for Oliver. The narrow ground means we could use Brayshaw as the other winger and Hunter isn't getting dropped! It's a great problem to have when there's not a real obvious out.

These are the new names, the existing one's remain - so Riak and Coren are still on the list. I'm pretty sure the guys that were on the list last year also can be put back on if we want - they might have got Finn Emile-Brennan to play at Casey just to have another look at him.

When Silvagni has kicked goals against us it's been when he's been a full time forward, I think last year was the first he rucked and he got one easy goal, but Max dominated him. Hopefully they'll drag him deep as much as possible when he's rucking. In fact I'd really love both Max and Grundy to play as close to 90% game time each as possible, I know Max normally does but Grundy's only been around the 70%, really stretch their ruck pairing.

Yeah, of their contracted players he's the one talked about, but I don't think he'd be wise coming to us, it'd be Dunstan 2. However, if they've got 3 rated academy kids coming through they might want to offload some more. Flanders is out of contract at the end of the year, while we've obviously got the Mac Andrew connection. And for all those potting Mac Andrew for getting caught drink driving and late for training, clearly forget Clarry having similar issues! Mac's looked good in patches for a young skinny key defender and certainly has a lot of talent, if the AFL didn't change the bidding rules there's no doubt at all he'd be on our list.

I think it will show the intent from the outset will be to drag TDK as their only ruck or Slivagni into our forward line, making Weithering cover the taller player while hopefully creating a mismatch with JVR or even Smith. Hopefully never getting out marked. In our wins Gawn and Grundy have kicked a combined 12 goals, while they only have 2 in the losses.

I think we should be trying to deal with the Suns anyway, and potentially Mac could come into play (otherwise I was thinking Sam Flanders could be an option). I'd offer up (as it currently stands) the Dees picks 15, 29 & 34 (a total of 2,307 points) for GC picks 7 and 56 (a total of 1,838 points) and Mac. They've got 3 higher end academy kids coming through so will have to open up draft spots, while they will be losing all draft picks they have. So we'd move up the order, then going to the draft with picks 7 & 10, while also getting Mac and having the points for K.Brown. I'd see Riak as a Cat B rookie as I doubt at the moment he gets taken in the normal draft. Mac might love coming back to play with Riak.

I'd like to see Tomo back with both May and Lever in the team, that hasn't happened this year. I thought his game against the Dogs was very good, and he wasn't horrible against the Lions or Dons, but height beat us both times but we were one of May or Lever down in both those games. We need 3 talls at the back, and while I think all our smaller backs have played well individually this year, as a team we play better with the 3/4 mix, rather than 2/5. Not sure who misses out, but unless we play Rivers as a full time mid, then I'd be tempted to rest Hibberd off a 6 day break or McVee.

Talk that pitonet has broken his hand and is in doubt for Friday. We just have to beat up on them

Got to stop both Aliir in the backline coming across and intercepting, which is why they might have picked TMac over say Melksham, with his height he demands more respect so should be trying to force Aliir away from the contest as much as possible by continually moving (Tom's old strength). Isolate the resting ruck and JVR against Jonas and McKenzie and there should be plenty of scoring opportunities. Also got to stop their mids scoring, with their outs, their forwards are inexperienced or mid-sized (outside of Finlayson who May could easily take) so I think we'll have them pretty well covered, but Butters, Rozee and even Boak can be very dangerous going forward so we need to beat them defensively at the source.

In the NAB system the bottom 3 (they call them seeds) all have the same % chance of getting the No1 pick. So I like the idea, but maybe it could look somethin like this instead: Team that finish 16th-18th get a 17% chance; 15th 14%; 14th 10%; 13th 8%; 12th 7%; 11th 5% 10th 3% 9th 2% So there's little to no incentive to finish last, while even bottom 4 has no guarantee of getting pick 1. They then give better odds on the top 10 picks for those teams that finish lower on the ladder, so in this example pick 2 is more like to go to a team in 15th - 18th than 9th, but it remains a lottery for all the top 10 picks.