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Some very astute commentary in here from DeeSpencer, Dazzle and KozzyCan. The voices of reason bubbling to the top now there is some genuine exposed form against good opposition. We have an unbalanced list and continue to have too many of the same types.

Small defenders and small forwards are a real problem. Bowey - don't care how many touches he got - he did extremely little constructive work. Overkicks, runs into trouble and he's actually a very bad defender, weak tackler and not very accountable. Panics under pressure. He frequently has bags kicked on him. I honestly can't remember when he ever shut a good small forward down. But at the same time, he really doesn't offer that much going the other way. Being a nice penetrating stationary kick who takes kick outs is not enough. We can do better. The gap between Koz and Chandler is too big and without ANB there, Chandler looks lost and not at the level. Unfortunately all our best forwards are medium sized and don't apply pressure. It's quite the glaring list hole. If Langford can show a bit - and I'm not quite sold he's ready - I would consider putting Viney in as a small forward. Not slow, has tricks, will pressure and could be a leader in a forward line completely devoid of it..

Pretty off Lever. Doesn't do anything. Chandler likewise, I've been a defender but has has a very hum ho pre season

Wonderful to see Clarry back

BOWEY

Has been for a while. Offers very little going the other way as well. Fremantle expose us the same way every time - tough lads in the middle to win traditionally when they can, a very staunch defence to catch our dump kicks when they lose clearance and then slingshot with all their fast wingers and half forwards against our treacle half backs.

Everyone still think Bowey is an excellent half back?

Those bemoaning lack of a new game plan...it's the cattle. As soon as the ball is in motion we can't stop it because we are slow on every line. It's been happening for years. We're a tough, slow team. We've never been a fast or skilful team, and unfortunately that's where the game has gone.

He's never done it before....

Dee Spencer is correct - we just don't move the ball. Zero run and carry....other than Koz there is no speed or dare. Devoid of ideas at half back because no one has the speed or creativity to create any space. Very vanilla and boring so far

Pretty tired of opposition players sharking Gawn better than ours. We get opened up off half back a bit too easily..

Adelaide adding 3 best 22 players of the right age and experience is big for them. They'll be good this year. Neal-bullen raising the standards as he does

Freo are my dark horse tip for the flag. Good test for our midfield in particular.

I hope you're right. I'm just ultimately not sure what an elite Bowey looks like. Caleb Daniel at his best? He was ultimately found out as the game moved away from his style. Just not sure on what he can become even if it does all work. He's not a ball carrier or a line breaker with his legs, and all the best rebounders can do both whilst being accountable defensively. He can break lines with his kicking, but actually misses a lot of targets. He was an ok wing as a junior but you need height and greater defensive presence to be an a grade winger at AFL level. Maybe a forward pocket, but we've never seen it tried. Even then - doesn't have the movement or tricks....

No I'm not. Bowey has many fooled but if you pay attention - and watch games from previous years - has a lot of goals kicked on him from defensive lapses/1v1 losses. He is a long way from an elite defender. A long way. I'm well aware it's not a popular opinion. Let me put it to you this way... Who do you think is a better defender - Mcvee or Bowey? Now who do you think is a better rebounder - Mcvee or Bowey? I think most would agree the answer to both is Mcvee. Bowey is currently not a great small defender - and also not a great rebounder. He could be - but he's not there yet and been around for quite a while now (longer than Mcvee). He seems to escape any sort of criticism because he's got a nice looking kick and gives a lot of effort. AMW cops it for defensive unaccountability but Bowey does not. AMW also brings better ball carrying ability, tricks and better tackling than Bowey atm. Sharp is messy. Don't let 4 in a practise game fool you. You'll see. As I said, I'm ok with it as he looks to bring a lot of other attributes to the table. As for Chandler - yes he's 2nd best in that spot. If you don't agree that there is a big gap between him and Koz - both offensively and defensively - not sure what you're watching.

I agree that small/running defenders are an issue - both defensively and offensively. Bowey is and has always been a very poor 1v1 defender and tackler. I've always wanted to see him up the ground but didn't love the look of that yesterday either tbh. Just doesn't have any tricks and for an elite user, overkicks frequently. A real shame about AMW. Howes is an enigma. Does some ok things but I hate his kicking and think he often makes the wrong decision coming out of defence, which is where a lot of play is supposed to be setup. If you could combine his height and reach with Salem's decision making we'd have a player.....Ah well. The other glaring issue I thought was in the air. It's always obvious when Gawn doesn't play and May missing didn't help...but gee we just lacked any sort of dominance in the air either forward or back. Lever/Tom Mc/Petty offered very little. JVR looked ok but didn't offer any marking option on the wing, and Jefferson isn't strong enough. Turner is a good mark but he's a hybrid size and isn't going to win contested marks on the wing in a pack of 4 unless he takes a hanger. I liked what Langford brought - seems to get footy and Understand time and space. He's exciting. Not sure why anyone is surprised by lack of pace...we knew it going in. His issue at the top level will be defensive - will get run off and the lack of pace will show most without the ball. Lindsay looked ok but I'm yet to be convinced he could hold down the wing in the 1s. These types of pre season games often throw up heaps of space as each team is usually missing some best 22 players and it only takes a few weak links in the chain to mess with the structures. Billings was ok but can't kick under any sort of pressure. Chandler quiet but has proven what he can offer in my view. He starts round 1. Sharp was handy and better than I thought. Didn't think he had that level of goalsense. A messy player if ever I've seen one but 100% effort, endurance and speed is valuable if he can play within his limits. I know we were experimenting and missing senior players but felt our transition defence was still mostly very poor. Most turnovers we engineer in the middle were Koz coming up the ground to interfere and apply pressure. We have no one else who has his speed energy or physicality and it's a big hole when he's not there. I thought we looked a team in the range of 6th to 10th. Add in the stars - which are the difference to any team - and who knows. But I'm relatively unconvinced by our 2nd/3rd stringers overall or whether our 2nd tier premiership players - Sparrow, Bowey, Laurie, Howes - have the levels required to make us a really good team again.

Ok. Not sure why you're staunchly committed to defending a player that we haven't even signed yet. He has attributes - he wouldn't be in the realm if he didn't. I'm certainly not against giving him a shot. But a balanced view informed by more than what you have seen - opinions of eagles fans who watched him for 2 or 3 years - is that he is slow. Its not something that remains to be proven. There have been slow champions and he may yet be one. But he is slow.

Bit of a whinge, but if he does end up going it's pretty heartbreaking for our supporter base more than anything. A difference maker, unpredictable, incredibly skilful with the discipline and application to match. About to hit his absolute prime age and maturity, getting physically stronger and on track as one of the best small forwards of all time. Like Jackson at 3, no one else had the balls to pick him at 12 and if they replayed that draft today I can guarantee no one would have touched him before 15. We took the risk. We've subsequently potentially over invested (relative to players with lesser needs) in his wellbeing, connections back home and overall happiness. He's been a champion for us and it's his life, you can't begrudge him for making a decision for family - but it will be gut wrenching to see him turn it on for another team. He's our special player - someone the opposition genuinely fears and cannot contain. Would just suck so much to lose him right in his prime

The universal knock on him seems to be his lack of speed. Talk to eagles fans - they'll tell you he's as slow as treacle in space. Nevertheless I'm open to it - 193cm midfielders don't go on trees and I think we need the depth, and he's of the right age/mindset after getting delisted.

Culley reminds me of Tyson - left footer, some nice attributes, moves well but is a bit slow?

I had some hopes pre Xmas of a bounce back this year. It's now starting to feel otherwise. A long injury list including some very important players, others again in the news for the same / wrong reasons, and the same doubts on some important young players and potentially important older players (McAdam) Oliver getting near his best makes us better if that happens, but not enough to offset interrupted pre seasons to the likes of Trac, Mcvee, Gawn, Chandler, Lever, not to mention Kozzie's mind being elsewhere and the loss of ANB. It's great if Langford, Laurie and Turner are taking steps - but if these are the bright spots of our year we'll be in trouble. Ditto on the likes of Sharp.

Agree - what's he done? Was really hoping he could build some continuity, shows a lot

This won't help him and in fact will make it worse - we kick it on his head, he waits under the pack and knees come for his ribs from all around. The injury is relatively common - I've done it myself - but his mental state around this is the big watch out. You'd have to think he'll be hesitant and nervous under high balls and generally around contact for quite a while. Can't reset by going to Austria every time. If he had another year under his belt since the big one that would be ok - but it's happened in a pretty short time which will leave him thinking this is going to be regular thing. Not good. Our chances this year just took a hit.

Posting opinions is what this site is for. It's what you've done in this post. No one asked you to weigh in. So perhaps take your own advice. I've nothing to 'let go' here. I've not doubled down. GW and I exchanged DMs - we evidently don't see eye to eye....but that's ok. As I said it was never my intention to upset her and I respect her contribution. I'm not going to revisit my initial wording, and would suggest you and the others piling on try not to look for something that isn't there.

To be clear I do like the content and said as much. GW and I are talking privately - never my intention to upset anyone.