Red and Blue realist

I think we still need to put someone on McGovern all day, unless he goes forward, someone like Hannan who is also good overhead. Ensure that even when he comes over to a contest he's always got someone directly on him to either help block his run or bring it to ground - it might be hard for Hannan as he seems like an attacker, but it needs to be a very defensive tag. My in: Hannan, Weid, Melk & Hibberd Outs: Hogan, Hunt, Spargo & JHK

Haven't checked this whole thread because I've tried to avoid too much negativity, but just had a look at the stats from last week and one which is completely controllable by the coaching staff has me perplexed a little. The interchanges made by the Swans were naturally well below the 90 allowed, they had 71 but were 2 down early on. We only made 74 interchanges, so when I thought we might run over the top of them with fresh players, that wasn't really the case. I know Hogan spent a lot of time off the ground in the 3rd quarter, but why weren't other guys getting a decent rest? Surely we should have been coming into the last being a heap fitter and fresher than them???

The Heeney MOTY was a classic example. Hogan on a lead but Pedersen miskicks it so poorly that he has to stop to try to contend for it, Heeney's trailing him and won't be able to do anything if the ball is kicked to Hogan's advantage but instead gets to jump all over him and look like a star. Our inside 50 kicking has been woeful all year, with players like Melksham, Oliver and Salem standing out for being obvious exceptions. The Heeney example by Brown was way off, as soon as Peds kicked the ball it was very obvious that Hogan wasn't going to get near it, but had it been a little lower it would have been an easy chest mark. I have thought for a while that both Hogan and TMac are stationed too high up the ground even when they are the deepest forward, probably comes with their main strength being the ability to roam around the grounds, TMac seems to be getting a lot of his shots on goal from 40 meters out lately. At some stages we'd be better off going back to a true old fashioned full forward who does nothing but play out of the square - even if that person rotated their, Hoges, TMac, Trac, Oliver or Melk could all do that with good effect I think (and maybe they rest there instead of the bench).

I think we need to play a tagger on Jeremy McGovern, assuming he plays back - and if he goes forward then have a tall go to him!!! But early in the game against Port they did well with Johnson playing directly on him, while a fair bit smaller Johnson matched him going up for marks and also getting in his way when he was trying to come across and intercept. I'd like to bring Hannan in for this role, given he's a good mark and has speed as well. Ins: Hannan (just to play on McGovern); Melk and Hibberd Outs: Hunt; Spargo and Peds

This is exactly right, had OMac played the same game on Buddy all on here would have been calling for him to be dropped. Frost did ok, but really the only reason he's getting any praise is because Buddy kicked 2.5, it could have easily been 5.2 and he toyed with him on occasion. I'm not a Frost hater at all, and think he's very much in the team at least until Lever is right, but surely you don't start a thread for a guy who got outplayed? We lost the game because of the mid pressure when the swans went forward and because we couldn't kick straight, the defenders overall we're reasonable, but they weren't world beater either.

He be a great pick up but Brissy should be asking for a first rounder, which we don't have. Not a top 5 pick but a pick between 13-17 or so. He's actually played most games over the last couple of years, not sure why he's seen as that injury prone anymore?

Each team is required to turn over 6 players from their list each year, one way or another.

They have a very small backline, I wonder if we'll see Peds play forward, at least initially to try and stretch them or disrupt their game plan, then drop back if needed? Hogan or TMac could then try and run Alex Johnston around a lot, he played well last week but has been out for a long time.

With the Sunday game and the extended interchange I can see the team tonight being: Out: J.Smith In: Pedersen, Weid, Hunt, Wagner and Kent Whoever the in for Smith will obviously not play for Casey, but I could see more than 1 coverage player being held over from Saturday's game, in particular Peds and Weid as cover for Maxy

Depends on what happens with the remaining games, the Hawks have StK and the Swans in their final 2 games, so we could win this week and they lose and we could still finish below them. Ideally we want Port to beat WC so we've still got a chance at finishing top 2 and guaranteed home finals, but lets just win this week first.

More so than ever before, there's no falling in at the line this year, earn it or disappoint again.

Without the injuries to Lever, JSmith, Hibberd and also Hunt, I believe Vince would already be at Casey. I know Hunt has been at Casey but I would have thought he would have fought his way back in by now if he wasn't. I just can't see us carrying Lewis and Vince next year as they both look slow at times. Weid has been doing a lot of back up ruck, and for mine is now much better than Pederson at that role, so again I think Ped's days are numbered due to age and speed.

Cracking weekend on the way, we just need to win and keep winning, there's no win and the rest sorts themselves out. There's every chance that Port beat the Eagles, Geelong beat Hawks, Giants beat the Crows, Pies beat the Lions and Nth beat the Dogs, which would remove the Crows and the Bombers from the finals equation, but then could lead to the top 8 all having needed 14 wins, with 2 teams on 13 wins missing out.

Yeah good topic an I agree with DD's except that we only have to turn over 6 players, and you've put forward 9, remember Balic has already retired (or 8 if we get a player instead of pick for Kent). Depending if we go for Gaff or another free agent then one or 2 of Johnstone, Flip, McKenna or Bugg might hold on, plus we won't have a great deal of draft picks. It might just come down to the $$$, keeping Bugg, JHK and TSmith will be more expensive than a new draftee or one of those who haven't played seniors yet, it might only be a couple of hundred thousand but that might be needed to help retain Hogan or get Gaff?

Suggest you watch it again, the ball carried well over their heads, which was happening a lot during the early part of the game due to the wind, as they turned Leslie put an arm across OMac which checked his run but in the end neither managed to get back to the ball. OMac had one very poor game against Geelong, but has been very good besides that and won't be dropped on the back of the 2 games since then.

Pedersen has the turning circle of the queen mary so will be caught out even more by those balls that get over the top. In general OMac's strength in the last few weeks has been that goal keeping role where he is the last man back, that Sexton goal was a freak event that in the same situation would be lucky to go that way 5 times out of 100 (blaming OMac is drawing a very long bow). I've asked but no one has been able to really give an answer on what Ped's role at Casey has been, has he been playing as an intercepting 2nd/3rd type tall or as a main key defender. I know we've got Petty and Keilty down there as well, so he might come in as a direct replacement for Smith if playing a 2nd/3rd defender role but I don't think he'd come in to replace either Frost or OMac as a main tall role - especially against Sydney who rely on Buddy and smalls.

Haven't had time to do a lot of research on this, but it seems when looking at the Swans games their opposition seem to kick a lot of points, only 6 teams have more goals than points against them this year. Putting this down to the pressure they can put on those having shots on goal either in general play or forcing them to have set shots from out wide. We need to not only generate a lot of inside 50s but also get good shots on goal, a high scoring game won't suit them.

I think Frost will get first crack, but Jetta will be to busy on Haywad/Roonke/papley to be the loose man. I think OMac will go to McCartin (who everyone on here has forgotten - he hasn't kicked a heap of goals but needs to be maned up on),which will hopefully mean he can come across and either intercept or spoil. What hurts Buddy the most is the 3rd man over the top to kill the ball, while he is strong he rarely relies on his strength like a Hawkins does, Buddy gets into good positions early then holds his ground, he's not after a wrestle and contested mark situation. OMac was pretty handy in this role over the last 2 years before changing to be somewhat more of a true key back, so hopefully he does this again Sunday.

We had 13 players kick 10 or more in 2000, but haven't done that since.

Asked this in the changes thread but if there was anyone who was there can they answer the following: Haven't seen Casey play - just follow the scores on here - but for those who do, and for those wanting Pedersen to come in, can I ask what position has he been played in the backline, a pure key defender or more an intercepting 3rd tall? There's no point bringing him in to play as a key tall because I don't think he's in front of either OMac or Frost and neither of them are true intercepting players. We do need a defender who can read the play and get in front of the ball coming into the def 50, I've thought Smith's last couple of weeks have been much better at this, and was partly the reason why Adelaide's key bigs only scored 1 goal between them. So if Peds hasn't been doing this, then there's no point in him coming in, we'd be better with Wagner or even Hunt and give them that role.

Just wondering if he's been doing this at Casey, if he hasn't then no point bringing him in because he might gut run but he's not quick and we've already got OMac, Lewis, Vince and Jetta who aren't all that quick, so we might be too slow. Sydney have Franklin, but then Hayward, Papley, Ronke and Heeney who are the next best goal kickers who are all smaller quicker types.

Haven't seen Casey play - just follow the scores on here - but for those who do, and for those wanting Pedersen to come in, can I ask what position has he been played in the backline, a pure key defender or more an intercepting 3rd tall? There's no point bringing him in to play as a key tall because I don't think he's in front of either OMac or Frost and neither of them are true intercepting players. We do need a defender who can read the play and get in front of the ball coming into the def 50, I've thought Smith's last couple of weeks have been much better at this, and was partly the reason why Adelaide's key bigs only scored 1 goal between them. So if Peds hasn't been doing this, then there's no point in him coming in, we'd be better with Wagner or even Hunt and give them that role.

Can we stop it with the Vince the tagger myths, he hasn't done it all year, yes he did it a couple of years ago and had that blinder against Danger, but hasn't been played there this year. Sexton kicked 5, but there wasn't many that could be put down to a direct opponent, one was from 100 meters out and caught the wind/lucky bounce and a couple were from close in where the team defense should have been better. Not saying Vince had a great game at all (although to be fair we didn't have any bad players really), and if Smith hadn't have got injured and Hibberd was back he would have been my choice to make way, but I can't see him being dropped now.

It's the reason why Adelaide didn't accept the compensation for Danger and made a trade with Geelong instead. The Hawks elected to take the compo from Buddy (pick 19) becauce had they matched and Sydney then not traded then they would have been left with his massive salary and their team would have been pulled apart earlier. If we made an offer for Gaff, then unless WCE know we can be traded with they'll take the compo pick.

Hopefully the club will be standing up to argue about this, surely they just shift around the fixture from this year where we played the Tigs Anzac eve then the Bombers the next week while the Tigs played the Pies. Just do that the week before, but on the Thursday/Friday night, not the Saturday which gives a short break to all 4.