stinga

Seems to me we have 3 problems 1. Too many players back after injury still carrying after effects combined with lack of game time 2. Too small Jetta, Harmes, Jones, Viney, Hunt, Spargo, Salem, Neale Bullen, Sparrow, Lewis and Wagner from last week are all under 185cm 3. Too slow. Only Frost and Hunt have short burst pace. Until we get better players back from injury and game time into those returning we need to look at pace and height. The only options are May, Preuss, Keilty, Kolodjashnij, Baker and Garlett I'd take Kolodjashnij Baker Preuss and May and lose Hore, Neale Bullen, Sparrow and Viney(he's obviously carrying something). Did anyone else see Oliver vomiting down on one kneee after the half time break? I wonder if a virus has gone through the team.

In aflw the boundary umpires have been throwing the ball in from about 20 m inside the boundary line so that it ends up as a contest close to the front of the goals from anywhere inside the forward 50. Defenders knocking the ball to a place where it might go out rather than trying to get it past 50 is not likely to continue. More players would have to be around the contest for defenders at throw ins as well. I'm not even sure if this is going to be trialled/accepted in JLT and season games. Are they doing anything at training about that.

Weid had a problem of positioning himself or making his leads so that he found himself under the ball too often. Towards the end of the season he was coming in from the side and took some great marks. Has anyone at training seen that he is building on that.

Before VDB came back from injury our best players available to fill gaps were JKH, Garlett, Stretch who are lightly framed and easily pushed off the ball. VDB gave us that extra grunt around the packs. If he goes there's no one on our list of a similar type to take his place. The nearest from Casey would be Lockhart and he's not on our list. Baker is probably next cab off the rank but he is more like Clarrie

As much as I hate it we need Lewis still. He gives 30 touches each week and mostly pin points the kicks (I know one was a shocker). He's too slow but the benefits outweigh the negative. We need his experience and help to some of the younger ones. That said we need pace. Something is wrong with hunt because he's not running even at casey. Baker is tallish, is quick and most importantly runs through the spine. We have too many of Nibbler, Brayshaw, Harmes, Salem, and Spargo. Medium sized, not fast, not overly good at marking and most importantly nearly always go out wide. When we win well they all play well but not when we are in close games. One of them has to go. If Tim Smith is fit again, he's done enough to come back in. He needs a patch of at least 5 games to get confident. They've done it with Spargo and he'll be better for it over the next few years. He comes back for Pedo. Joel smith did enough, is athletic and adds variety to defence. He needs 4 -5 game patch. That said, if we play someone with to big talls like Weagles I'd like to see Petty have a crack. He's our only 197cm defender and looks to have some footy nous.

apart from Oliver our mids are pretty small. Viney and Salem back does not help this. I'd like to see Tim Smith in there. He is not only tall but strong and aggressive. His 31 possession BOG in the last VFL game shows he can do it. With Suns and Carlton coming up it would be an ideal time to try it.

I agree but there's another way at looking at improvement. We had many who hardly played a game due to injury so they all have to make a huge % improvement on such a low base. Both Smiths, McKenna, ANB, Brayshaw and Hogan