KingDingAling

The past 2 weeks especially Harmes has stepped up when needed. Many around him haven't but James Harmes has delivered. Now one of our most important players heading into finals. If Harmes and Brayshaw can get a support cast we are dangerous in the finals.

I hope Gaff signs at North. We need to save our $$$ for Josh Kelly next year. Move some pieces around this year and make some room. Trade Tyson, delist others who aren't needed, retire Lewis, Vince and Jones within the next year and make some room for Kelly.

Thank you Terry Wallace.

Why? So we can kick it over his head? He actually needs to be a stay at home forward. We bomb the ball in, so Weideman can contest the incoming footy with 10 other blokes - who usually go up for the same ball in our forward line. No point using Weideman to lead into the space and open the forward line up. He is a tall kid, he should be back in the square contesting the bombs that come in. It will be a bit of fun for him anyway. With our junior footy tactics it might kick Weideman into gear. He is as good a chance as any who contest these hospital balls that come bombing into the forward line.

I would leave it as is for 2019. Then I would replace Jones with Brayshaw and have Viney and Brayshaw as co-captains from 2020 onwards.

Out - Spargo (dropped) Hunt (inj) ANB (dropped) Jones (dropped). In - Keilty, Melksham, Hannan, Hibberd

He runs a lot. Gets the ball, coughs it up. Repeats that sequence. Needs to learn how to read the play so he doesn't have to run as much, and needs to be more effective with ball in hand. Not rocket science. Has a lot of work to do over the summer. Could do with some work on his mobility as well - always looks stiff, robotic and limited. .

Hogan isn't our problem. But If I were Hogan I would ask for a trade if our delivery inside 50 doesn't improve. It isn't fair to even bag Hogan at this point. We have the worst delivery inside 50 of a team that I have ever seen, and that includes my junior football sides when we couldn't kick at all.

If players cannot perform consistently in the VFL, chances are they won't in the AFL. You were spot on if you called it.

We bombed the ball inside 50. It was like Brent Moloney re-incarnated everytime we got the ball outside 50. Yeah, just bomb it in boys, that will do it. We haven't beaten a team inside the top 9. I don't know what it would take to sound out an experienced coach, but we need to do so whilst we have a quality list. There is no excuse to not lower your eyes going inside 50.

Keep underrating Brayshaw Sydney. In fact every side. He is smashing this game, as he does every week.

Football isn't for everyone, and neither is high level sport. It is cut throat competitive and the demands are rigorous. It is not the type of thing one does if their heart isn't fully invested, or that they do not have the desire. There are many footy players on club lists who are going through the motions and just doing what is required. There has to be a 'will' to want to do it, and 'want' to succeed at doing it. In the end Balic neither had the 'will' to play on or the 'want' to succeed. Perhaps his heart was not in it. There is no disgrace in that. High level sport isn't for everyone. If it were easy we'd all be doing it. Good luck to Balic.

Salem still has a few things he needs to work on if he is to become a full time midfielder. He over commits too often and it affects his ability to remain in the play. If he is to be effective as a midfielder he will need to find a way to remain in the play - like Oliver does. He appears to be better as a back line player at the moment, but I still think he will eventually make a good midfielder. If he did have ambitions on being a full time midfielder he would want to be overtaking Jones next year.

Thankfully Adelaide also have some spuds.

Good onya Lewis, and well done Brayshaw for playing for us fans. He is playing like a fan. The rest of these mugs aren't having a red hot one.

Put Oliver on the basketballer and let him chase a footballer.

I agree. It would be good to get that deal done soon. Gaff or May would be a suitable target after that - providing their clubs don't match our deals and force a trade. I am not certain we have much currency in trade terms. Tyson may not even land us a second round pick. Who else do we move on that is of value?

Brayshaw is closing in on Oliver. His form is that good. He has sailed past every mid we have bar Oliver. Of course Clayton has the points on the board after putting in multiple seasons of quality, but Brayshaw is bordering on elite. I have been watching him closely and he has better traits than elite players, he moves better, is more aggressive, and is dominant physically (asserts himself on the contest). His kicking lets him down at times, but he used to be a good kick as a junior on both feet (so I would expect that will translate eventually). Whatever it takes to keep Brayshaw it is of most importance. On form he is our best midfielder after Oliver, and even then he is rapidly closing in. I have Brayshaw in my supercoach and have had for sometime, so I watch him more closely than others. I think even Dees fans are sleeping on the Brayshaw.

"But Gaff’s status as a free agent has drawn greater interest this year – free agents can be recruited without a costly trade – although as a restricted free agent, the Eagles would have the option of matching any bid and forcing a trade should he choose to leave". - Sydney Morning Herald.

Its just an opinion piece. Harvey will eventually have to go down the Kane Cornes route (say outrageous sh*t to remain relevant), otherwise he will have to go get a kick in the ams at 45+. Those are his options, but to read between the lines here it is just an article on what Harvey believes may happen. There is no factual basis behind any of what he says - other than Freo need Hogan (which is obvious that Freo need anyone who can kick goals on a consistent basis).

Not massive on Gaff, but he can do what 95% of our list appear incapable of doing, and that is hitting a target. Gaff definitely fits a need. I was leaning towards not trading for him, and ideally we wouldn't, but as the weeks go by, it wouldn't be the worst thing we could do. Thankfully we cannot trade 2 future firsts in a row, so I am confident we cannot stuff up our future (trading future first round picks away for blokes with ACL histories) anymore than we already have. If we do get Gaff and have to trade for him then I suspect it will be because we move on players - which I am 110% fine with (so long as we don't move on Brayshaw).

There is no role for the likes of Bugg or Tyson - because they turn over the ball too much. These guys have been in the system a while now and their skills have actually gotten worse. Thankfully we have drafted guys like Fritsch and Spargo, who can actually use the football. Garlett is also a welcome addition back into the side. We need players who can use the ball and hit targets (which should be a minimum requirement to get a game in our main side). Bugg is a big NO for me. He joins a long line of players we have who get a kick in the VFL but come into our main side and actually make it worse.

Spot on. You were just stating the obvious I thought. Credit to Brayshaw for not hanging up the boots - I would have. Its a dangerous game and repeated head knocks are no good at all. Everything I have read on CTE suggests as much.

I've had Gus in my supercoach for over 2 months. This is just what he does now. Massively underrated player. He will start getting props off the media after tonight - but he has been in great form for a while now. His kicking appeared to have improved a bit tonight which is good

Oliver is too good of an inside mid to take out of the midfield to rest forward too long. He has the cleanest hands of a midfielder I have ever seen. The game is won and lost in the midfield. I understand that teams have to kick goals, but if they aren't on top of the midfield battle those goals will be few and far between. Oliver's best attributes are better utilized in our midfield IMO.