Red and Blue realist

Sorry if this has been mentioned previously, but any word on JHK? He hasn't been mentioned as a possible in this week. He was playing really well then seemed to drop off the face of the planet, is there a known injury or something else keeping him out?

Any thoughts on Liam McBean from the Tigs? 202cms and has kicked a fair few goals in the VFL over the last few years. He'd come as a delisted free agent so effectively get him for nought and wouldn't cost much salary. I know when he's played seniors he hasn't done a whole lot, but I wonder if that's because the way Richmond play don't suit him at all. In a team that moves the ball better and quicker he could provide that fwd-ruck role we're crying out for. Not sure what his ruckwork is like, but has the height for it.

You've hit the nail on the head, why would they risk anyone in the VFL with only a 5 day break, particularly coming off a flight back from Perth, then another to Perth. They've also got the double chance, so I think it's more likely they'll be very conservative rather than go all out for the win. Still their list will stand up pretty well even missing a few that are borderline seniors.

This is (hopefully) 100% right, how often to true A graders leave their clubs? Very very rarely, normally they are developed from within. All things going well, Hogan, Trac, Oliver have the potential to be true A graders, with Brayshaw, Watts, Tyson, TMac not far behind. Guys like Hibberd make it easier for this to happen, because there good ordinary players, they fill and play a role.

Can't believe (yes I can it's demonland) people are saying a poorer second-half of the season means his mentally checked out? By that logic Viney's gone too??? He's a second year player who obviously tired and may have played hurt a little, that for me gives confidence that he wants to be out there for us even if not 100% to do so. Can't wait to see him with another full pre-season, plus I hope he evolves to be the leader of the forward line, while he commands the forward line at the moment due to being the bets player there, when he learn how to lead it and direct others we'll become significantly better and so will he. I loved the early season partnership with Watts, and think this will become huge if Weid joins them too.

Anyone heard anything about the interest in Koby Stevens? Apparently McCartney is a big fan and as far as I can tell is OOC at the end of the year. Some suggestions from a doggies contact that we're looking at him. Would be an upgrade on what we brought Newton and Michie (original role) in for, a mid who can win his own ball but also hit the score board regularly.

Not sure why Longer is in the conversation, he's a no1 ruck or nothing for a team, we've got the AA ruck and backup, we need that fwd-ruck player, but there as so few around. I like Watts in that role anyway, and think as the forward line matures a bit together he'll be missed less when he does those couple of minutes in the ruck each quarter.

Don't underestimate what a pre-season will do for Petracca (this will really be his first), Brayshaw, Hunt, Viney, Salem, Stretch, Harmes and Vanders will do. All of them can go up another level or two, and with Viney hopefully stop the second half of the season fade out. Guys like Oliver and Kent will hopefully be able to push up the miles in their legs and increase both time on ground and mid field time as well. Hopefully our forward line not only increase strength and fitness but also awareness of each other. If they click then we'll improve massively, the last couple of games was frustrating seeing the ball being delivered straight to 2 or 3 unmarked defenders, with a bit of experience with each other that should at least go to a contest and not come back out so easy. Experience will fix a lot of issues.

Think the shin injury made him second guess his first options, like he never thought he had full strength to get of the mark or kick long. Realistically he should have sat our a week or two (or been told too). I expect a pre-season where he might be nursed a little more (remember he did nothing in the first pre-season with us), and see him back to the Bernie of 2015 and early 2016.

I think with the way the game is played now, with a lot of attack coming from movement from defense rather than set up in the middle a player like Hibberd fits pretty well. Traditionally teams are thought of as having a back 6, middle 6 and forward 6 on the ground however realistically I see us as operating a back 5 -2xmac, jetta and frost - or their replacements and Hibberd then floating 1,2 or 3 players through their depending on where the ball and play is at the time. Guys like Vince, Jones, Salem, Hunt, Bugg etc. Whereas up forward, I see us operating 4 players - Hogan, Watts, Garlett and Weid, then having Petracca, Kent, Harmes, Brayshaw, Vanders etc. Of course the forwards should be given more scope to roam. Mids are Gawn, Viney and maybe Tyson and stretch, but again they roam all over the place.

Not sure if anyone see him as a full forward, he's just being eased in their given it's still just his second season of senior footy. Same as I don't see Brayshaw as being a half forward flanker (which he's played lately), sometimes we just have to a little patient and wait for them to mature. Hogan's accuracy is only slightly less that Tex Walker, who is much more of a full forward.

I'm always surprised that it seems every player that comes onto (or is speculated to be ) the market seems to be either instantly dismissed as coming to us or we aren't even in the conversation. While we don't seem to have much currency, with no first round pick, surely we've got a fair wack of salary cap space. From what I understand around 3/4 of milkshakes contract this year had to be paid by Essendrug, so I hope that's been front ended into some recently signed player - T & OMac, plus I think Jonesy and Viney are signed on unders (not massively but still less than open market). Plus with Dawes, Grimes and potentially Lumumba going, they'd all be in the top 10 paid players at present (assuming Grimes's last deal came when he was captain so would have been better paid than most think). Combined at a guess that could free up around $1.7mil from the current cap, I know Hogan if siging will take a fair pay increase, and we'll have to save some to increase those coming out of contract next year, but the cap is also increasing in the new rights deal. Price wise I think we should be in the conversation for O'Meara, Prestia, Mitchell amongst others - of course if we want them is another matter, but either we are too quickly being dismissed or our recruiting guys are pretty good at playing their cards close.

Must be the bad body language that Purple was reading into in his weekly 'look at me' article he somehow gets on the afl site. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-08-26/sliding-doors-round-23-2016-afl for those who haven't seen it or want to laugh/cringe a little.

Wouldn't be surprised if we sit back and wait to see if this gets drawn out a bit, then get involved if the front-runners, reported to be the Hawks, Nth, Ess and Saints. While he has had 1 really bad injury, his first 2 years were up with the best first 2 years played by anyone, so if he can get to those levels again he'd be a great pick up. Massive IF, but if the medical team think he's good to go and everyone else stalls maybe we could swoop in with the 2017 first rounder plus one of or a combination of Dunn, Garland, ANB, Avdb etc.

Agree he's no pure defender but not many players are (in a the smaller defender role). Realistically he would have played all his junior footy in the middle, then gets to an AFL club and is asked to play different roles. Similar situation to ANB and Avdb at the moment, I think Roos and the other coaches would be hoping that by playing him in defense it will help long term with his accountability when he he gets more game time in the middle. I too see him as the Hodge type player, he reads the play well, has a great kick, makes the right decisions and over time will be able to inject himself in the right places at the right time (not saying he will be as good as Hodge, but playing that type of role).

Hi KC, love the work you do reporting on the boys at Casey each week. Do you (or anyone else) have a list of all the MFC players who will qualify for finals? I suspect that's behind some for the changes this week, but interested in the status of Weid, Oliver, Pedo, M Jones, Salem, BenKen etc.

Anyone know the eligibility requirements for finals at Casey? Given Roos said it was important that Casey does well, and as far as I know we don't really have anyone booked in for surgery (maybe Bernie), I'd hate to see a younger player miss out on VFL finals just because they played 1 extra game in the 1s. I think playing finals will be good for the overall team, not just those involved and Casey will go further in finals if we have more players available. Guess what I'm saying is while we seemed to have had one eye on the future with some selections lately, I'd hope we have an eye on our eligible guys playing longer this season in the VFL finals.

To help with their development I'd love to see ANB go head to head with Selwood and Oliver go with Dangerfield, I really don't think ANB is suited to a forward pocket and won't be played there long term so get him in the action where he belongs.

I like the sentiment but not necessarily the title of the thread. Earlier in the pre-season to show the guys what we need to do to go to the next level we should show them a replay of this game, then follow up with the Hawks game. Show what level of intensity we need to bring all the time to be competitive and go far into a season, highlight that if we think it will just happen then the comp is too even and we'll get embarrassed. Just showing the Hawks game will only get them feeling good, but we also need to know how to play when things aren't going our way which is when intensity and hunger for the contest could at lets allow us to stay in an ugly game like yesterday.

Surely with one look to the future we're better off to ensure that anyone who can qualify for finals for Casey plays at that level? Not sure if anyone knows the qualifying status and could let the rest of us know? Ideally I'd love us to bring in Salem and Garlett or maybe Harmes, leaving out Mitchie (cards marked as mentioned) and Bernie (has been ordinary IMO since that shin injury and should have been rested earlier), that way we start playing close to our long term 22. I don't see any reason to drop younger guys such as Kent (unless injured) or Weid, their better of getting experience with the guys they'll be along side long term. Unless there going to lose qualification for finals for Casey, because a lot can be gained by younger players playing finals even at the lower levels.

So it's looking like, with Weid and Oliver in, that Goodwin might have said throw the 2017 team out there against the champs and we'll see how we go. Hopefully a brilliant development idea.

Amazingly looking at the teams that just played last weekend, the Hawks have only 4 players different to when we last played them. We on the other-hand have 14 who weren't in the team last week who played round 7 last year. I think one way to look at it would be that the Hawks are very good at keeping their main team together - the saying of one soldier out, one in. Could be why we might be reluctant to make too many changes each week to try and get a similar group together.

wouldn't be surprissed to see him in the team round 1 then back at Casey within 3 or 4 weeks. With Brayshaw, AVB, Petracca and Trenners to come back I think there'll be good opportunities to give him a few breaks this year. It was clear last year Gus tired and should have been rested more than once, with more depth it'll mean less burn out.

Loved the defensive pressue brought on by, Jeffy, kent, Harmes and Kennedy. We've struggled keeping the ball alive in our forward half but those guys were manic yesterday. Frustrated by the skill errors coming out of deep defense, while the idea is right the skills weren't great. Hoping with Dunn and Lumumba come back and if Bernie can play more half back this can be addressed. Not sure how many of their goals came from turnovers but it's one area if we tighten up on will make us much better.

I've been wondering if the more attacking style will suit the remaing guys from the Bailey era, especially Watts and Grimes, who were brought in because Bailey (and the recruiting at the time) were very free flowing attack orientated. It just seems those 2 in particular sometimes second guess themselves between attack and defense, but with Roos defensive grounding they might now come close to fulfilling their potential, i certainly hope so because inthink those 2 at their best will be a big reason we can push closer to finals.