stinga

I guess there won't be a B game as the others will be playing VFL practice match on the Saturday.

One thing I left out of my training report because I'd already said a bit about rosman, is that he covers the ground. You know how some players get involved in something, stop and think I need to go there but are then too late. Rosman just goes. It's a breaking the lines thing. I think it's instinctive. Langdon does it for us.

Went down to Casey and watched through the fence. Don't know why you can't get into an area that could be partitioned off on the outer wing for supporters. Other clubs seem to have supporters around the grounds. A couple of rehab groups. Brayshaw, VDB, Viney and Hibberd doing laps. Bowey, Smith, Petty and Brown doing exercises, run throughs and similar on the outer wing. Bowey Petty and Smith together with coaches doing various drills whilst Brown just ran up and down the boundary line. B Brown doing a lot of body work drills with Stafford whilst other training going on. Apart from warm ups there were 3 main drills on whole ground. 1. Williams ran the first one where there were three teams. Yellow tabs, white tabs and Melbourne jumpers. going in triangular pattern HFF to HFF to FF anticlockwise with emphasis on fast continuous movement. 2. Two teams Orange tabs and melbourne jumpers run maybe by Yze. Full ground match play. They put cones down to bring the boundary in 20 m on each side so all play was through corridor areas. All about the side not in possession trying to touch the ball where it would be turned over to the other side. Kossie was one out with a white tab running through the middle going for runs bouncing the ball trying to avoid others. At one stage tracc chased him while he bounced it 4 times. Trac couldn't catch him but never gave up. Kossie kept the same 2 m in front. After Kossie kicked it Tracc collapsed to his knees trying to bet some breath - it was a great chase. Kossie just kept going. Nothing wrong with Kossie fitness. TMac is much fitter - at one stage he sprinted from the centre to the goal square to take a mark. Jordan looks really good. Jackson has gone up a level and has mixed the mobile ability to be more assured in his ball handling, especially at ground level. Bowey looks more advanced than Bayley. Oliver got tackled and went down for a while and one of the coaches convinced him to take 5 minute rest but then came back as strong as ever. The only other one to have a problem was Baker who was limping for a couple of minutes but then appeared to run it out. Rosman was the one who stood out for me. He's athletic, big strong and has a leap. Marked a few over the top of others and got a few handball receives running past. Plays like Bontempelli and even kicks like him. Wouldn't be surprised if he played first up. Spargo, Langdon and Hunt impressed. Weid presented well. Thomo, May and Lever main defenders but no close checking (emphasis on intercepting). Like the first drill it was about quick continous movement. 3. Two separate games on each side of the ground with little league type goal posts 2 m apart. Match play where eventually players tried to kick goal through the 2 m gap. No set shots - just snaps on the run. Rosman did a beauty from 40 m out. across his body. I left at 11 and they were still going.

That mark is better than anything leon rimes has done https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2315294268743397

has anybody put a current list together yet? With the three new guys.

Just what we need. A cheap back up ruck with a bit of mongrel in him.

Even without his speed he is the most important small/medium goal kicker in the list on last years averages per game. Others might look better but he gets the results.

We need either he or Tom in case either of our key backs fall over

Totally agree. He might turn into a 30 goal a season small forward, but much too early. Lots of promise.

He never had the ability to get the ball and go. Whenever he took a mark he would just back pedal then look to see where he could go. No urgency in his game. He was another one who wasn't developed properly to get his full potential.

I'm in 2 minds. With zoning, switching and many other variables, sides are just too good at creating mismatches. The days of having 77cm defenders is just too easy for forward set ups to take advantage of that. Unless you are someone special like Short at Richmond who really hurts you offensively is the exception. Lockhart could do that, but hasn't shown it yet, but certainly has 2 years of development to come til he can reach that standard. I like his commitment, so maybe he will.

Simply we need him incase either of our 2 main backs go down. The only way we could trade him would be a 3 way deal where we pick up another key defender. Same with brother Tom. We can't have him and Ben Brown as both are one trick and can do nothing when the ball hits the ground. That's why Jackson is so important.

If we just want a back up for max, geelong have got a few -some of whom will probably be delisted. Then we get a good player for Preuss from GWS. Win/Win

I hope they take a punt and play Gawne at CHF and put Preuss in the ruck. We don't lose a lot that way in the ruck but you saw what happened when May went forward in the last quarter with a guy who can compete hard in the air. Brown (as well as he played) just stuffs Weid up and Weid is the future. We can't afford to take May from defense. We are really missing Jackson or an improved Petty. The Defense should tighten up with Hibberd replacing Smith who I hope never plays another defensive game for Melbourne again. I don't know who had the great idea of turning him from a promising forward into a hopeless defender. Its a pity Jordan and Sparrow are unavailable. Probably VDB to take Brayshaw's spot if injured. Maybe Bennell to cover Jones if he doesn't come up. No future in Josh Wagner so I'd take Loquart Neale Bullen out for Pickett in.

If no Preuss , Jackson or Gawne and considering Smith has been emergency often recently, they might use him as a foil against English. I don't know if he has rucked before but he would certainly have the leap over English at Centre bounces. He gives a lot away in height though. Oscar could match him for strength but doubt he could keep up. Other than Bradke, there's not many choices.

why only limited game time

how does melksham still get a game ahead of Tomlinson

you can only have 4 of the 8 on the bench. Pickett, AVB, Smith and Jackson for me. The last 2 simply because you've got to give them at least 2 weeks to show something. ANB, Jones Hibberd and Hannan miss.

Agree with all that but differ in the ins/outs. I'd keep Jackson and Smith (They need at least 2 games to see what they've got) It was the experienced players you named that let us down. I'd add AVB to the ins and drop TMac, Jetta and Melksham with Jones. I really like Lockhart. At least Weideman, Smith and Jackson can jump and go sideways which Tmac can;t.

Agree with the side but I'd have Jackson instead of weideman simply because he is more mobile for shortened quarters.

Just heard on the drum tonight that because of the ICU beds shortage in Italy people over 60 are being triaged not to get them. In OZ we have 2000 that are mostly already in use. Good luck everyone.

it just makes sense to me. we've gone from a small midfield of Jones Viney Brayshaw and harmes with the only tall being Oliver. To a taller group of Viney VDB, Trac and Oliver (maybe even Jackson next year). Brayshaw is more outside. Even our two new wings have height. The tall midfielders dominate the comp with some notable exceptions. It's only a few cm but with that height other sides have to go sideways and gives us more opportunity to own the corridor. Not only height but they are all hard men. Harmes is not small at 186 but in the back half against smaller set ups like richmond makes sense. If Jones is going to be that extra small forward he can rotate through Harmes in the back half as well. Harmes is a much better mark than Salem.

you forgot our 2 wingers

I couldn't agree more with what you are saying, it's just that we don't have anyone that has yet shown they can do that. It's like playing with one player short. If one of them does give a consistent performance of one or two goals per game and an occasional bag full, and consistently chases down players it would be great. But that hasn't happened yet and I'd rather have someone who lets the defender know he's around and can still get that 1 or 2 goals a game. I hope you're right and one of them does it.

I agree with how you've broken the forward line up into 5 sections, but I think you've missed 2 sections. Resting on ballers of which Petracca, AVB and maybe Brayshaw, Sparrow or Clarrie would mostly utilise one high half forward Flank. I doubt Viney would go through there. They can't all be on the bench at one time. Resting Ruck of which Gawne, McDonald Weid take up one. I think for that reason we might go 3 talls. Petty/Jackson or Brown as the extra. So that we have two marking targets when Gawne goes to the bench. Fritsch and Melksham are certainties so only leaves one small forward spot. Picket and Bedford are untried, Jackson goes missing in about 70% of his games but maybe improves it this year, Hannan can also mark but again he rarely gets more than 5 possessions, Chandler and Wagner are more consistent but at this stage neither has done brilliant things. That leaves ANB (running ability but not a marking option, has defensive ability, but not strong in a contest), Jones (experience, goal sense, leadership, defensive ability, hardness, can mark) and Hunt (Pace, marking target, x factor). I'd go with Jones but I see why others might pick another.