DemonDave

I saw one of these at Family Day, asked the guy where he got it from and ordered the next day! https://www.redbubble.com/people/4boat/works/10232747-robbie-flower-melbourne-for-dark-blue-shirts-only?p=t-shirt

With these sorts of games at this time of year I tend to focus on the new recruits be they rookies or imports, and the fringe players. You know what you're going to get with the senior experienced guys, even at their different levels of preseason readiness. Of the new players, watching plenty of Casey games last year meant I was excited at the prospect of seeing Fritsch at this level (disregarding the abomination last week where he slotted a couple of cheap ones), and he didn't disappoint. And he still hasn't shown what I think are his greatest assets, his ability to win the marking contest in traffic and set shot goalkicking. After this and if he plays a half decent game next week, he's a lock for Round 1. Lever did enough, the ball didnt come down his way too much, but he showed he'll fit comfortably into our structure down there. Of the fringe players, I thought Harmes was excellent, Hannan was OK, Brayshaw struggled to impose himself, Stretch worked diligently all day for not much reward, he needs to ensure his possessions are more constructive rather than playing every one safe, Wagner was decent, and Bugg was pretty handy. I don't count ANB as a fringe player, cant understand why people still underrate him, he just missed out on a Top 10 B&F finish last year, and Melksham is also no longer a fringe selection, nor is Salem, if he's fit he's in our best 22 he has simply struggled for continuity in his footy to be able to remind people of his ability. If our mid tier can continue their improvement, we'll have some good depth dilemmas when Viney, Tyson & Jetta return and we get a full game from Lewis...roll on the Saints!

Now that Petracca's ticked off this list, surely the next priority is Tommy Mac and Jetta, both are UFAs next year...

Lets hope it's not a night game, visibility from the lights used is appalling. I can't believe that the AFL have scheduled our pre-season game against Saints for 7PM rather than daytime. I have no issue with the ground otherwise, apart from its geographic isolation.

Do you believe Hawthorn unceremoniously ousted loyal players in Mitchell, Lewis and now possibly Hodge, only for them to play on elsewhere? Or was that prudent list management?

maybe 8 or so. I think jacks problem is he's too honest. I had to turn to the adult next to me to make sure i heard him correctly but he was also in shock and heard the same thing

No SWYL i was standing next to him today at the mcg. A kid asked him if he was staying, and that, verbatim was his response. I was staggered!

Imagine all the stories he could regale about that time he went to play on trial for Manchester United!

Didn't play too many games with us, but Craig Ellis started a swimwear company with his wife that's now worth a cool $60 Million according to this article http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/after-the-siren-craig-ellis-was-bankrupt-but-the-former-bulldog-has-fashioned-a-new-career-as-a-bikini-mogul/news-story/b4f8c68cae9f66250121e965c8835b37

I'd love it if they had behind the play cameras for all of the cheap hits and thuggish acts that Steven Morris executed today. Time and time again he was decking guys either as or after they disposed of the ball. Or giving kidney punches as he ran past unsuspecting Casey players.

Yes indeed you did Sir! Hope you don't mind, I had forgotten I had them and uncovered them again by chance.

Oh thats my YouTube upload! I put all the other games i had lying around up as well to help get through another summer. Check out the rest of the channel

Last week was $15. No discount for members in finals so I'd imagine it'd be the same this week

And Richmond's side: B: 42. R. Garthwaite, 53. H. Beasley, 11. J. Batchelor HB: 28. T. Hunt, 51. S. Darley, 15. J. Short C: 31. O. Markov, 29. S. Bolton, 37. C. Menadue HF: 32. C. Ellis, 27. S. Lloyd, 38. S. Morris F: 44. T. Stengle, 24. B. Griffiths, 36. C. Moore R: 16. S. Hampson, 7. B. Lennon, 26. A. Miles Int: 20. I. Maric, 47. I. Soldo, 41. M. Chol, 64. T. Silvestro, 78. D. Coffield, 57. B. Wood, 54. J. Ballard, 30. R. Conca 23P: 69. S. Mannagh Plenty of senior experience in this side, including 3 giant ruckmen in Hampson, Maric and Soldo, as well as Chol at 198cm. King and Spencer will have their work cut out, as will the defence. Expect Kielty to go to the resting ruck, and the skipper to take Griffiths. Looking forward to seeing Lefau play again he was pretty good a few weeks ago as 23rd man. Also great to see Jimmy Munro recover to be available after last week's knock.

Here's the side: B: 37. D. Johnstone, 25. D. Gordon, 64. A. Brayshaw HB: 9. M. Gent, 83. T. Bugg, 6. J. Munro C: 69. B. Kennedy, 54. J. Trengove, 59. J. Spencer HF: 45. D. Keilty, 1. J. Hutchins, 15. B. Stretch F: 26. S. Weideman, 48. C. Maynard, 42. J. Wagner R: 34. M. King, 57. J. Kennedy-Harris, 2. B. Fritsch Int: 23. M. Cox, 55. L. Hulett, 5. D. Collis, 35. A. Ferreira, 17. E. Morris, 51. B. Giobbi, 7. Y. Zijai, 27. A. Scott 23P: 72. M. Lefau In: B. Giobbi, M. Lefau, M. Cox, A. Ferreira, D. Gordon Out: W. Collis I think we were too top heavy last week, so would have Ferreira in for Hulett.

Yes Goodwin was there, he and McCartney had a word with coach Plapp before the huddle at each break.

A disappointing day for Casey today, with a sense of dee-ja vu. From sitting in the new grandstand for the first time at this ground, it was hard to determine whether or not the wind was favoring any end in the first quarter, but the next 3 quarters emphatically answered that question. Goals kicked to the grandstand end after qtr time were 21 to just 3 up the scoreboard end. From the opening bounce, the die was set as Nick Meese, all (alleged) 105 kilos of him, stood his ground like the human tree that he is, Spencer seemed more concerned with his opponents positioning than actually winning the ball, and the hosts cleared the ball out of the middle thanks to an uncontested tap from Groot. This sequence was repeated 4 more times in the first 7 minutes, and the day didn't get any better for free agent Jake. It's one of the worst performances I've seem him put in. So much so that Mitch King, who started deep forward in a tall setup alongside Weideman and Fritsch, ended up spending the majority of the rest of the game as first ruck. Another interesting, but not unprecedented in recent weeks, move was starting Wagner on ball. Losing the important Jimmy Munro to what i can only assume was concussion after backing selflessly into a huge pack from a kick in didn't help our cause in the first quarter either. The ball spent most of the quarter in Willys forward line, as their mids were getting the ball quickly to boot out of the middle, and their half backs were working hard to constantly repel our backline clearances. We were probably lucky to be as close as we were at the first break, but no-one was prepared for the second quarter onslaught that followed. Willy sparked immediately playing long direct forward entries that had our usually reliable captain Hutchins scrambling at shadows, Dyl Collis caught outsized in marking contests and Willy forwards using their knowledge of the grounds wind quirks to kick goals from all angles. We got some respite eventually hitting the scoreboard late in the qtr with 2 goals, one a beautifully curved kick from Fritsch from a set shot. The 3rd quarter saw the roles reversed, all of a sudden Brayshaw was in everything, and was ably supported by Kennedy and Kennedy-Harris. Fritsch's 3rd quarter was sublime, he was playing in front ready for a quick kick out of the centre, and a short time later playing from behind outsmarted 2 defenders taking a mark he had no right to. The coach swung Kielty forward as well to push home the advantage, he had a very good qtr at both ends. Angus Scott popped up as he so often does to be in the right place at the right time toslot a couple, and a long range bomb on the run from Kennedy topped off an astounding comeback qtr. The last started perfectly with Casey hitting the lead with the first goal of the qtr, but that was to be it. All of a sudden the seagulls pressure around the packs lifted, and the goal onslaught began to mirror the 2nd term. 3 free kicks for ruck infringements to the home side inside their forward 50 resulted in 2.1, they were diabolical decisions that had me completely baffled as to how the ruck rules are interpreted. As the skys and my mood darkened, the siren thankfully brought things to a close. I must also add that Williamstown have seemingly the most inept scoreboard operator going around. They completely missed a Willy goal in the 2nd qtr onslaught, then missed a point of theirs in the 3rd qtr, so it appeared scores were even whereas in reality the home side still had the slenderest of margins. Without being privvy to the stats, here's my thoughts on mfc players: 15 Stretch- Tried hard, but found himself running sideways rather than forwards trying to find space to get his kicks away when in possession. Just a game in the end. 26 Weideman- I'm getting sick of Plapps match reports saying that the conditions weren't conducive to Sam's game, I've seen it many times this year. The fact is Fritsch found a way to get on the end of leads and affect many many more contests than Weideman managed to. And just like in the afl, when he found himself clunking one and having a set shot on goal he fluffed it. A wasted stuttering development year. 34 King- Thrust into the majority of the centre bounce work due to Spencils failings, i thought he battled manfully but was ultimately beaten. There's plenty to work with here for the future though, he looks like a future ruckman. Obviously needs to put on several kilos and develop his core strength as he had the chance to take a couple of big pack marks today but couldn't quite hold them. 37 Johnstone -Is a bit harder at the ball than i realised, didn't ultimately have much of it or any discernible impact on the game, but definitely making incremental improvements in his game. 42 Wagner - a surprising start onball didn't ultimately last, he did get a fair bit of it early but his disposal ultimately let him down time and time again. Whether that be an errant kick or a slow looped handball that pressured the recipient, he was his own worst enemy today. 45 Kielty- started slowly but got better as the game went on, taking several crucial intercepting marks. In our best half dozen. 48 Maynard- battled well, albeit a lot of his possessions are in heavy traffic a la Oliver so can go unnoticed. Also pushed forward well to have a few shots on goal. 54 Trengove - played off half back most of the game, was ok. even at this level now his possessions look slow, and a couple of his clearances went out on the full. What can't be disputed is his tackling which was outstanding and his leadership. He pulled all the defenders into a huddle during the 2nd qtr goal spree and tried valiantly to get them to structure up better. 55 Hulett- when i look at stats from his games this year I'm amazed at how little of the ball he has. Today was no different I'd be amazed if he had more than 5 possessions all day. He did lay 2 nice tackles in the 1st qtr once he came off the bench, but that's it. Will be lucky to his spot next week. Delisting looms. 57 Kennedy-Harris- I didn't mind his game, was good in the 2nd/3rd qtrs particularly. His workrate and 2nd efforts have definitely improved this year. 59 Spencer- Possibly the worst game I've seen Jake play.. Banished to full forward/ bench/ relieving King for the last 3 qtrs after his embarrassing opening term. 64 Brayshaw - easily our best today, started off half back, but soon swapped with Wagner and found himself the catalyst for all of our good chains of play. Wether in an under or on the outside, his football smarts, composure and balance stood out for the last 3 quarters. Will be interesting to see if tigers tag him next week. 69 Kennedy- played well after a slow start but wasn't alone there. His ability to get in and extract the footy, as well as find space on the outside meant his workrate was rewarded with plenty of touches. An atypical 2017 vintage BenKen game. 83 Bugg- If Spencer wasn't out there today, he'd be my choice as the most disappointing player of the day. Played I the same wing for the whole game, but was rarely sighted. Not sure if he was being tagged, it's rare to see him have this little impact at vfl level where he usually dominates. Special mention goes to Bailey Fritsch. I know I'm not Robinson Crusoe here in pointing this out, but this kid is seriously talented and could play afl round 1 next year. Listed at 189cm and only 81kg, he somehow plays taller than his thin physique would seemingly allow. He effectively plays as a key forward, yet it's also unmistakable his resemblance to Robbie Flower. Not only does he wear #2 and is a left footer, it's his ability to snake his skinny body through traffic or to outbody an opponent that makes him such a hard matchup. A lay down misere to be drafted. Bring on the tigers!

Richmond

Fritsch the pick of the forwards. Took an absolute screamer in the first quarter. He's a dead ringer for Robbie Flower in the way he looks and plays. Spencer annihilated in the ruck, king has done marginally better but still beaten

Max gawn and nibbler are here. As are the injured vfl players Vanders, flipper, white McKenna. Disastrous opening 20 minutes to that quarter, Willy were taking of handed marks, dribbling through goals from 50 out and simply doing as they pleased. A bit of a lift after that from the two Kennedys and Maynard at least makes it semi respectable.

1 year off qualifying his life membership too!

From the thread title alone, i thought it was the early betting odds for this week's game!

Morris, Kielty Maynard our best for mine so far. Kielty back to the form he showed into the leadin to last year's finals. Bugg also starting to have an impact We've really stopped in this last quarter though

Still no confirmation of this from the club on Pedo, but we'll assume it's announced at a time that suits the club, great news for a very popular clubman. As far as outs at end of season, delistings for mine would be Kennedy, Lumumba, Trengove, Hulett, and from rookie list White. I'd then upgrade Maynard. Which gives us our 3 draft pick minimum. Of the OOC's, ANB is the first priority, followed by Frost and Vince, and Mitch King who's effectively in his first year. The others are all touch and go. Keep the rest of the rookies for 1 more year.

You don't believe our side is young? I always take note of this stat every week in Burgos Round Review, it's been consistently like this all season, here's a snapshot of the last 5 weeks: Experience differential Games: GWS Giants (2467) v Melbourne (2138) Goals: GWS Giants (1417) v Melbourne (1231) Average age: GWS Giants (25 years, 154 days) v Melbourne (25 years, 116 days) Games: North Melbourne (1947) v Melbourne (1193) Goals: North Melbourne (1781) v Melbourne (1103) Average age: North Melbourne (25 years, 71 days) v Melbourne (24 years, 85 days) Games: Port Adelaide (2363) v Melbourne (1759) Goals: Port Adelaide (1691) v Melbourne (1093) Average age: Port Adelaide (25years, 82 days) v Melbourne (24 years, 78 days) Games: Adelaide (2251) v Melbourne (1656) Goals: Adelaide (1855) v Melbourne (1052) Average age: Adelaide (25 years, 215 days) v Melbourne (24 years, 211 days) Games: Carlton (1903) v Melbourne (1644) Goals: Carlton (1114) v Melbourne (1039) Average age: Carlton (24 years, 233 days) v Melbourne (24 years, 180 days) It's not an excuse, but part of the reasoning for our inconsistencies and late season drop-off can be at least partially attributed to the demographic of personnel we put out there each week. Quite simply we're the lesser experienced and younger side every time we run out. Carlton and Brisbane have lost 5 out of the past 5 and 4 out of the past 5 games respectively, Brisbanes win only because they played Carlton. We're miles ahead of these teams.