Mach5

Very impressed with him over the last month. I recall when he played in the U/18 carnival for SA that they won the champs without any standout stars, but he more than anyone in that side was simply so effective without having any attributes that made him stand out. Reminiscent of Rockliff in that aspect really. I hoped we'd managed a steal when we recruited him, but quickly gave up after it looked like he was just another bog-ordinary plodder. Happy now to pull on my NFI jumper & grin like an idiot.

I'm concerned I'm letting my emotions get the better of me a little bit, but I believe Trengove showed more as the game progressed and he adjusted to the speed of the game. Realistically, he's been out of the 22 for so long, he deserves to be treated like a JKH/Joel/Bull/etc. who hasn't had much of a taste previously. At one particular stage Boak exploited his lack of pace (or awareness for what was coming) to kick a goal. I have great hope that his ability & class will eventually shine through.

I was happy to delist him way back when... Ready to hand back my I-know-better-than-the-footy-dept membership card. Thanks for sticking fat Todd/Jason/Brendan/Roosy/et al.

Have we collectively forgotten that the sentence is (illogically) based on the result, not the act? Considering both players were fine, Bernie should walk.

White didn't do himself any favours, but he was pushed into an AFL appearance he hadn't exactly earned/warranted through performance, but rather through pulling a Bradbury. I think he simply wasn't ready for the speed of the game or the immense pressure from Syndey. He may never be, but I think he also deserves to not be written off just yet. Plenty have looked off the pace when elevated. If he plays well enough for long enough in the VFL, I'd give him another opportunity to test himself. I dare say this taste will make him a better player in the long term. Whether that's good enough for AFL is another matter.

It is a bit. We don't appear to have a desperate need, but I'm curious as to where people think we should be stocking up... beyond KPD and ruck, which have been en vogue.

Great win today against the Bulldogs. I've been happy with out perseverance with Oscar and the fact it looks to be paying off now in the last few weeks... My question is: should we actually be targeting Jake Lever or Steven May? Do we really need another tall defender with Tom & Oscar McDonald and Frosty all standing up? In terms of recruiting targets, where are our weaknesses? What should we be targeting (either draft or mature existing players)? Ruck has been a weakness, but we have Gawn (AA), a mature capable ruck back-up in Spencer (who is not so good that he has an eye on the exit) and 2 projects. I don't think we need to add more. We don't have gaping holes, but where should we focus our attention?

Great post. I still recall a bunch of Richmond supporter mates calling for Rance's demotion in his 5th year on the list and lamenting his inability to hit a target and that he "had no idea what he was doing out there." It's amazing how with some valuable experience things seem to just "click" one day for a lot of players. Oscar has shown enough for me to be excited, he just needs to develop some real power in his core and have that sudden realisation of what he is really capable of.

Probably not a great comparison, but he reminds me of Luke Breust.

I know it was stupid, but as a young man I never wore one. I just couldn't breath properly and felt like it was impeding my ability to call for the footy. Was a lot happier without one, although it was incredibly risky, especially considering my penchant for being a bit yappy.

I deal with depression every now & then in my life, not necessarily more than a lot of people. I feel like it's quite a bit, but I don't really know. Maybe it's just normal. I've suffered from it, badly in the past, but I've been pretty much free of it for years on end now & I feel lucky for that. My wife has suffered from it terribly and still does frequently, although it is better now that I have learned to help her manage it better (and completed a course on emotional intelligence as part of my CPD, which as surprisingly helpful despite seeming elementary at the time). For some reason I'm floored by Fasolo's revelation. I know it is foolish of me, but I really just didn't think he was the type. Seemed a happy, bouncy (even cocky) fella and I'm sad to hear he is doing it hard. If anything, I'm thankful he is open about it and seeking help, and also for the timely reminder that I should never assume someone is safe from the black dog in spite of appearances. (terribly self indulgent post, but I felt like sharing)

He was already there last season, just many failed to notice.

Phys Ed teacher? Explains a lot PF

Pretty sure he played a NAB Cup game or 2. Surprised so many don't remember him. He showed a lot of commitment travelling from Geelong each day to get to preseason training while he was on a trial. I think he was picked up in a weak draft purely for his commitment & attitude which the coaching group hoped would rub off on others with more talent.

The "tsunami" tactic reeks of Troy Chaplin's reported influence to me.

Idiot savant or just plain idiot..?

What pressure is he under if he knows the coaching dept have his back & are using "training form" as a cloak to hide an injury?

I think the top 8 predictions show who are at least capable of recognising a list with young developing talent that is due to ripen, and those that just follow the pack.

Champion data are muppets. That Hoyne fella should be sacked. Data analysis can be useful, but they're highlighting and analysing the data in the wrong way, obviously.

Trade Salem? You'd want to get your head checked.

SOS recruited Kristian Jaksch. Twice.

With Lumumba, I recall the AFL decreeing that we didn't just automatically get to upgrade a rookie for him. My read on it is: ok, that's fine, Lumumba still occupies a spot on our list - we're going to place him on the LTI list immediately, allowing us a spot to upgrade a rookie. Silly ruling as its 6 of one, half a dozen of the other. And if they don't allow it, they're actually penalising us for having a player retire, which is even more ridiculous.

Top shelf thread.

Like clockwork...

Agree, but reading my sentiments back again makes me aware that I trusted Mark Neeld to have some idea of what he was talking about!! Mind you, Goodwin, McCartney et al have a more-impressive pedigree. I see Goodwin as our Luke Walton.