Red and Blue realist

Fritsch was played back because we were missing May, lever and Jetta four so long and Hibberd missed time as well, it was a necessity move. Now we've got some of those back he's been able to go forward. Frost doesn't have the smarts to play on the wing, he's got speed and strength but doesn't know where the ball is half the time. He's been much better back when May's there to tell him what to do, but even in his good games he'll still cost us a couple of goals. Last night was a great example of a Frost game, took some great marks and took the go on but probably directly cost us 5 or more goals

I reckon that's where a guy like Lewis is worth is weight in gold, he's been through that at Hawthorn. from what I've heard the morale within the team is still very very good, even when there a incidents like May vs Frost it's done in a respectful way and all end up happy. Hoping that points to a strong culture that will drive us forward next year with a bit better management of injuries, more experience and a little luck (every contender needs a little luck).

I disagree completely, Preuss was utterly terrible last week and very ordinary the week before, are you saying they should reward him by keeping him in the team just because they let TMac find form? TMac has produced a 50+ goal season the one before. I agree that he might have been left in too long way out of form, but he found it again before he got injured. Preuss has now played 5 games for us and a total of 13 for his career, so has nothing to compel selectors into giving him another chance for now. He needs to perform in a secondary role not just the ruck and hasn't been able to show he can do that yet, and Gawn is clearly dominate without him anyway. They should be playing him as a forward at Casey (and relief ruck), so he gets the chance to work on his forward craft.

Spargo, Hannan and Maynard all out, not sure why the reasons given none were mentioned in any injury reports, but could they have been given the same treatment as OMac and sent away for special fitness training? Both Hannan and Spargo have looked to lose a bit of their spark from last year so maybe their trying to find that before the seasons done so they can work on hitting the preseason at full tilt?

I'm interested in Lewis role this week, I love that at the end of his career they aren't just shuffling him to the back flank anymore. He's done jobs on Murphy, Bont and McGovern, so if I was betting I think they might try him on Ross or even forward on Savage? Anyone else got thoughts on the negating role Lewis will do?

Summed it up perfectly, the meltdown on here has been great though!

I know this will be howled down by many on here, but the reason for a lot of the injury/fitness issues were because we got so far last year with a relatively young and inexperienced team. After Hawthorn won in 2008 they dropped to 9th (but well out of finals contention) in a similar manner. Then when the matured they became perennial finalists, alongside the Swans, Geelong etc. They all have age and experience in common. The older the list means more pre-seasons so the shorter turn around between seasons don't have as big an impact, as they say the miles are already in the legs. I actually think Mission has done a reasonable job up until the end of last year, but going forward someone like Burgess should transform the list into something that can continually challenge.

Don't mind the thinking, but I reckon we could get into GWS easier and they have Essendon's first round pick too. So at present we'd trade 2 for picks 12 & 13 plus they throw in one of Bonar or Patton or Zac Langdon. They will want the trade more than Brissy as they have an academy kid who's projected to go top 5. Then I'd keep 12 and use it on the best available and throw 13 around for the likes of Martin/ZJones/Ed Langdon/BHill (plus extras where needed). Also I reckon you missed Brayshaw in your team above!

Langdon plays for Freo, surely we're much more attractive? Our game style will suit him much better. I'm not a draft expert but there's been a lot of good mature age small forwards plucked from state leagues lately, so we could add a couple who might be able to make a difference quickly. You're right about our form being on the up, given we don't really have a forward line it's been good to see how competitive we've been. You wouldn't know it on here though, I could have sworn we lost by 100 reading on here Sunday night

ANB out? Make that decision before even seeing the Eagles game? No way he gets dropped after that game, he's delivery into the forward 50 was great, and what we've been missing. Not opposed to bringing Baker back though, maybe for Lockhart who's done a good job lately but looked tired Sunday. Preuss needs to come out if weid or tsmith are ready.

He was better there than he has been at half back, but still stops and props waiting for the ball to come to him rather than going hard at it all the time. Also needs to drive through his tackles, we let to many go yesterday when we should be ensuring the tackle stops the play. Preuss had a shocker in that regard, but Wagner had 3 or 4 where he had hands on the player but it probably wasn't even counted as a tackle in the end. Not sure if he'll get another run next year, but he should get a few games on the wing to see if there's something to work with.

He's said before on AFL360 this is his last year, I though about 5 or 6 weeks ago he'd only get back for a send off game, but too his credit he dominated at Casey. However, some credit has to go to Goodwin, he didn't just bring him back and plonk him on the half back flank, he's used him in positions that have helped the team, both from a game time needs perspective but also to not diminish the roles of other players. Against Carlton he used him to tag Murphy who was really dangerous the week before, allowing our best run with player (Harmes) a bit more freedom and had Harmes been used against a slower Murphy it would have been a waste. He then also used him against Bont, and then the best one was against McGovern. Before the game I was worried McGovern would destroy us given we have a very makeshift forward line at the moment, but Lewis held him to only 5 marks, and his lowest disposal numbers for the year. Shows huge leadership to come in and do any job the coach asks, so hopefully in his last few weeks with us that rubs off on the younger kids.

Instead of a PP, as some have suggested they should be able to offer rival clubs either draft picks or salary cap relief to other clubs to access veterans with strong leadership. All AFL backed of course, if a vetern leaves a team to help GC then maybe that team gets whatever GC pays them as salary cap relief to help retain or attract other players. For instance if Nate Jones was targeted and GC paid him $400k for 2 years, then we get that added to our salary cap to help the retention of Trac, Oliver etc. So clubs know they aren't going to be left with nothing and the GC should become more competitive over time rather than die a slow death. In my opinion Nate Jones should and will rightfully continue on in 2020 with us, he's adjusting well to the half back role (last week as an exception) and that's where I think he'll see out his playing days. Given he rode out some of the worst days of our club he should stay, however, he would be one of a handful of guys the Gold Coast should be looking at to give some real steal and leadership to their group. If the AFL were serious about getting GC up and going then they need 3 or 4 experienced leaders, they wouldn't have to play every game, but would help drag the kids into a more competitive/professional environment. We've had Cross/Lewis, Hodge has been a great success and GWS early days got JMac, Chad etc. At the moment across the comp these players should be approached for a similar role - Jones, Kade Simpson, Zararachis, Easton Wood, Harry Taylor, Mundy, Westoff, Ebert, Houli ect.

C'mon, he might have been officially dropped for the first time, but he wasn't in their round 1 team and when coming back from injury hasn't just been given the 1 reserves game, Jack is very much a fringe player for the Swans now. He's also lost most of his speed so plays predominately forward pocket, unlike Jones who's been moved back to make way for younger players in his position. Jones was very ordinary last week, but very good the 2 weeks before that, he'll rightfully get another year but shouldn't expect to play any significant time in the middle, and might be a fringe player next year but not at the moment.

I know it's been said that the top 2, Rowell & Anderson are locks, but is there a big difference between the guys who are currently ranked within the 3 - 10 bracket? If not, would it be worthwhile trading out pick 3 (if that's what we end up with) for either something like pick 6 Freo plus Langdon, or looking at GWS multiple first rounders plus Bonnar/Patton etc (helping their cause to get their academy kid and us extra picks/players)? Or is the draft one where we'd regret not taking player x at pick 3?

Plan A is get the ball, plan B is???? Without a smart user like Melksham we can look very ordinary going inside 50, I can understand from center clearances that sometimes the ball just goes long, but it's the general play where we look the worst. Not sure that it can be entirely pinged on Goodwin (although that is the flavor of the month on here) it's that disconnect between mids and forwards, we made the Rawlings move to help but it might need a total reset which probably only happens over summer? Maybe try Salem as a high half forward, I know we're robbing peter to pay paul, but it might help improve the retention rate inside 50? For this game I'd like to see Lewis moved back again (if he holds his spot) so Salem can go to half forward, and then throw Brayshaw back in the guts.

Yeah looked like a deliberate tactic on TV, flatter passes towards the pockets to create those stoppages, unlike us where we bomb high and long into the middle of the forward 50 where it is easy to pick off, and there's no one better at picking it off than McGovern. Ideally we'd come up with a tactic that will not see them mark every ball that comes into our forward 50, which is why I think we need to try an replicate what worked back in round 9 and tag McGovern. Until TSmith got knocked out he had done nothing for the game, then dominated the last quarter when they ran over the top of us.

Col Garland once kicked 3 in a game, and Anthony Ingerson did it more than once! Lets not get too far ahead of ourselves though, it was a good game but long term I think Petty will be a better defender than forward.

Who else could do the tall tagging role? If TSmith is right then he'd be my first pick, or even Weid coming back and Petty doing it, but in the absence of those 2?? Collingwood don't bomb the ball long like we do, so we'll have to play the Eagles differently and not let McGovern dominate like he did that last quarter in our first encounter.

If Tim Smith gets up then he needs to come in and tag McGovern, like he did for 3 quarters last time we meet (before he gave away that horrible free kick ). I also think given the success of Lockhart tagging he should go to Jetta, with ANB shadowing Sheppard. Realy disrupt their backline. If TSmith isn't available then I'd look at bringing in OMac to play back and get Frost to do that role. I don't think we've got anyone else who could do it and I'm keen to see OMac play with May and Lever in the team to see if his confidence is back up. While it might not happen Lewis of Jones would be the out for me. So out: Lewis or Jones. In: TSmith or OMac. I'm expecting a lot to kick up about this but think about the rational. I'm assuming that Weid will miss again.

Good post, team availability is often overlooked by those who want to throw the baby out with the bathwater after every loss. As mentioned, in no way should Bradtke, Jordon or Bedford play senior footy this year, yes Jordon has been improving but he'll improve more at the lower level than at AFL IMO. Therefore who else could be put up? JHK, his papers appear to be stamped. Baker - looked good, and will get more opportunity but looked tired when he was dropped, it happens to younger players. Maynard - no, he's a pure inside mid. Wagners - Josh can only play back and is depth at most, while Corey looks good at VFL he hasn't shown anywhere near that at the top level. So playing Brayshaw below his best is probably the better option, it wouldn't surprise me if he is one of the first to be sent off for surgery/early season rest, but maybe the only way he gets back into gear is by continuing to play, and we know he's been crudely knocked out at Casey before so better to run him in in the 1s.

I doubt we're any chance for Cameron, GWS cleared a fair bit off their books last year (Shiel, Lobb & Scully) so they have room for him and Cogs. However, I put in another thread that I'd be looking at trying to get involved with GWS at the trade table. They have pick 9 & 13 as it stands at the moment, but I think there pick will end up high. They have an academy kid who might get a top 5 bid. So if we could leverage that and say swap pick 3 & 25 for picks 9 & 16, plus Patton and Bonnar or Langdon, then I think we'd do well. We keep a reasonable first round pick plus get a tall marking forward and add ready to play player/s who are decent depth at worse. GWS keep a high pick plus get their academy kid, while removing more salary off their books. In the end it'd be out: Picks 3 & 25 for picks 9 & 16 (projecting out), Patton & Bonnar.

This is exactly why Preuss hasn't been getting a game. While he's had a couple of games where he kicked 2 goals, by and large he wasn't great beyond that. What I'd like them to do is to have a plan B if playing Pruess as a forward isn't working, to maybe play Gawn as a backman, with one of May, Frost or even OMac (if picked to replace Petty) swung forward when Preuss goes into the ruck. There is no rule that a resting ruck has to play forward and we all know Max is a great contested mark and very intimidating presence when he positions himself a kick/kick and half down the line when the opposition are coming out of their backline.

We manged to keep the ball locked in our fwd 50 for most of the first half and ANB we great with his run, chase and pressure. No way he goes out. I think it'll be injury replacement only, if Gawn is ready then he'll bully English and it should be a big advantage. Lever will be back as well. I think they'll also bring in omac for petty, so the same team structure is kept

I'm happy with the win, even if most on here will be negative. 3 down on the bench for the whole last quarter and we fought out a win. Wasn't pretty, but too show that heart says something about the group