ArtificialWisdom

As long as Casey keeps developing VFL players into AFL standard we are going to be in the box seat to pick up some gems. But we can't pick them all. We have already got decent footy out of our fair share of VFL recruits. Fritch and Hannan are both best 22 from VFL and we picked Hannan out from under the dog's nose. Lockhart and C Wagner have shown little bits in a struggling side. And there's a case to be made Keilty might get a chance if not this week then soon. We really shouldn't be complaining about our VFL recruiting.

take the risk? jeffy straight back in. Prodigal son returns, kicks 4. Just as he did against Richmond anzac eve 2016

I know he wasn't top 2 but Gus spent the first 3 weeks of last year in the 2s and went on to have a break out season finishing 3rd in the Brownlow. Might not be a genuine elite player (yet) but the old school drop to VFL still has purpose. I'm not entirely in favour of dropping talent particularly when we are in such a vulnerable spot. But trac needs confidence. He has arrogance a plenty right up until the ball comes near then he suddenly looks timid. He should be flattening opponents to get to the footy. He's big and strong but doesn't act like it. A stint in the 2s could do him good

Obviously if May is forced out by injury Hore (or Wagner) comes back in but other than that I'd say no change. That might sound mad to some but I don't think there's any player out there that can come in to really help the situation. Anyone with half a brain could see that the problem was in the front half. And with Hannan, Garlett, AVB and J.Smith all injured there's not much I can see that will improve our forwardline, maybe T.Smith but he's coming off his own injury problems. Pruess is a ruckman not a forward so unless they really want to drop one of TMac/Weid he won't help our forward woes infact a slow ruckman could potentially make things worse. Wagner and Spargo were tried and failed a week earlier so if it really worth bring either back after 1 week in the 2s? That said... Given the theme around here seems to make more radical changes... Out: May(inj), Trac, Sparrow, ANB In: Hore, T.Smith, Stretch, C.Wagner (Fritch to move to forward/mid for Sparrow to allow Stretch to play on the wing.)

We all know Kane deliberately goes about trying to be the most hyperbolic media personality but he's not entirely wrong. I didn't mind the tactic, Max should have been better and the midfielders needed to stand up for their man. That said, preventing the designated ruckman from reaching the ruck contest as they did 5 or 6 times is meant to be a free kick.

There's no reason to panic if we lose this week. I think we need to scrape our way to 3-3 then we'll be ok. Essendon, Sydney, St Kilda games are going to be the must wins. From there we can still build a strong season. If we win this week or the Richmond game that's a bonus. Having said that I still think that Kadina Park suits us because it's so skinny. Port exposed us on the spread. That is much more difficult in Geelong without the width. A win this week would not be a shock. The only question if we can win contested footy, If we do that we win.

We've shown our cards too soon with ANB in the ruck. That was our secret weapon

I don't mind this, Has some flaws, but hits packs front and centre at pace. Did it 4/5 times in the Casey/Brisbane game. He fumbled a couple of times but getting that timing right is a rare skill. We've missed having someone with that skill since Garlett was dropped last year

Yeah I know, I can't believe he sent players in for surgery when they had injures. Should have forced them through a full preseason and just hoped they don't break down through the year.

I'm not sure. But I think after every loss, particularly in the first half of the year, we'll hear "Hogan would have helped" and every time we win we'll hear "This shows why we didn't need Hogan"

^ define Collingwood's grand final in 5 seconds. I don't think Mick is completely wrong but he always seems so selective with this evidence

From JLT2 side: IN OUT Keilty (23rd player) Frost -> May (susp) Jones -> JKH (inj) Viney -> Stretch (omit) Melk -> Hunt (omit) I was not all that impressed with Hunt forward. Idk where he fits right now. I have a feeling they intend to play Lever, Omac and May in the same side. So to have that structure I think Hore plays in the Lever role as 3rd defender. Until someone bangs the door down I think Lewis holds his spot. Misso seemed to indicate there was some doubt on Smith getting up for round one so either hunt gets a chance or maybe stretch gets a gig on the wing and fritch goes forward. I share the ANB/Spargo conserns but I doubt they will break the status quo without an obvious replacement. So this is where my side sits now but it changes every day, infact it changed 3 times while I was writing this: Nev OMac Hibb Hore Frost Lewis Salem Oliver Fritch Trac TMac Melk ANB Weid Spargo Gawn Viney Brayshaw Jones Harmes AVB Smith (Stretch/Hunt on standby for Smith) KK*, May(Frost), Hannan(Smith) and Lever(Hore) missing from first picked side. *I'm not 100% sure on KK being a walk up start, but without injury i think they'd play him, idk who would go out though

Don't get greedy. Just argue it medium to low. Not concussed, unassisted from the ground and "did not return to field" it's unreasonable to use this as evidence in a JLT game when Clubs frequently pull players. Brisbane played 25 players, there was no reason for them to put him back on

Did anyone else see Viney limping off after that contest in the middle where the Brissy player lost his shoe? He jogged off but he was sore. Good news being he is up and about after the game. Hopefully nothing in it

Almost like they were waiting for me to post this they come up right after I complain

So according to Ticketmaster, GA tickets go on sale Wednesday the 6th of March at 9am. You might have noticed that was about 25 min ago... Yet it appears that they are still not on sale. Am I the only person with this problem?

His ball use by foot is certainly closer to a Tyson than a Salem. But he can also use both sides of his body pretty well which I think balances that out a bit. There was a couple of howlers in a row on his left in the 2nd qtr but it was the first real hitout so I wouldn't stress too much.

Also worth noting that for those with home and away memberships the queen's birthday game is also on sale.

Revised headline: Average 1 on 1 defender says defending 1 on 1 is hard I expect Melbourne and Collingwood with dominant ruckman and song midfields will lead the league in scores from centre clearances but other than that this rule will make little difference. Teams will too easily rotate to get spare defender back after 15 seconds With the last minute of a game being the notable exception.

They have scheduled the men's JLT game against Brisbane out at Casey at 4:10. When the womens team are playing the Dogs 60km away at Marvel stadium 7:15 the same day. Making it practically impossible to attend both. The club will love that....

I see what your saying and when he was drafted I would agree with you but now I would argue the plan has been building a premiership around Gawn particularly for the last year or 2, not Hogan. He's our best player by streets. And has a strong support cast in Oliver Viney Brayshaw, Harmes etc to suit that plan. Anything Hogan provided up forward was a bonus.

People worry too much about what players are worth. No doubt Hogan is a better player than May. But May has more value to us than Hogan. We get KK and 23 as steal knives in a deal that trades a player where we have an excess for a player where we lack. If May was unavailable I'm sure Mahoney would have negotiated with Freo to the last second. But we had value coming from elsewhere. So He got the deal done and moved on.