Wiseblood

That's the main part, mate. Yes, we're playing poorly and aren't playing as well as we have over the last 6 weeks. But there is large room for improvement and this side of 2018 has it in them to do it mid-game, not next week. If we get a sniff then we can win it, but we need to work on plenty of areas to get there. Winning a few centre clearances would help.

Wells is out of the game through injury as well which leaves them a man down on rotations. Gives us a slight edge, hopefully, to run over the top of them in the second half.

For all their dominance - more inside 50's, smashing us in the clearances and they're picking off our kicks forward more regularly than they should be - we're only 3 goals down. Kind of hard to believe really. Hogan and T Mac are not having any influence, Gus is well down on his last month of work and some of other mid tier players aren't standing up. But we're well in the game. When we have played well we've scored easily and made them look second rate. We just haven't done it for long enough. We need everyone to lift from here in the second half. I think we can do it, but the first 10 minutes will tell us plenty. We did this against them in the corresponding fixture last year, so no reason why we can't do it again.

It's a reflection of their early appetite for the contest. We need to match it now.

Not a good start from us as the Pies were more switched on. It's not too dissimilar to how we started against the Dogs. That great run, drive and spread hasn't been there so far, but I believe we'll turn it around. Glad to get to quarter time to reset. Umps aren't helping though. It's not so much that the Pies ones weren't there (a few were not), it's just that we've had some similar ones that haven't been paid. I don't mind if the umps are shite, as long as they are consistent with it and 10-3 in the free kick count suggests they haven't been. Would love us to close the gap now and go in at half time ready to run over the top of them in the second half.

Bring. It. On. The Filth and their toothless morons can get stuffed. I would love nothing more than to see us dominate from the first bounce and smash them to pieces. It may not happen like that, but for the first time in ages we have the capability of doing so. Let's roll 'em and head into the by 9-3 and with a huge shot at securing a home final!

Dusty out means Port will roll them and prance around like millionaires, claiming they are Top 4 material. Puke.

It's included so they can get their 'darling' Alex Rance to the top of the list.

I agree re: Smith - he has all the attributes to be a very handy foot soldier for us going forward, but it's also heartening to see that we have so many players in good form that one bad game can see you dropped back to Casey. There are no free games for many players and we're seeing that now.

He's soft, but he's also someone who I believe they have totally misused this season. He could be a weapon for them through the midfield, but either through poor fitness or an unwillingness to play him there, he's languishing in their dysfunctional forward line. I don't think I'd be interested in him, but he's just the sort of player who could leave and dominate elsewhere.

I'm not suggesting Keilty hasn't done this, but this quote about Petty was telling: "Petty has impressed for the Casey Demons in the VFL, especially with his ability to pick up Melbourne's defensive concepts and play his role in the system the club is trying to implement"

I think the club will take into consideration his form in general, not just one week. From all reports his season as a whole has been really good, and he has some attributes that we need with Lever going down - he has good foot skills, reads the play very well and can take a grab. He might still be a little undersized in terms of strength, but then Lever doesn't really go in to many one on ones and instead plays the third man up role, so I don't think that will hinder him too much. Goody and the club have shown the ability to make the right decision more often than not, especially this season, so if they feel that Petty is the right man to go with them I'll be happy with that decision.

You're right, but at the end of the day you can't fit everyone in. The only reason the Viney omission annoys me is that he has clearly been a gun player for years now. He hasn't popped up this year, or only had one good season. He's been excellent for a long period of time. You could argue McDonald has as well. Petracca has been less consistent so I could understand him missing out. Regardless, we all know that we have some serious talent in the Under 25 bracket who are going to drive us forward to success for years to come!

You know the article is a joke when they've got Jordan De Goey, who is living off a couple of bags of goals this year, at #14. Viney is clearly an oversight with him missing most of this year so far. He is easily in the Top 25. Edit - just realised they also have Tim Kelly in at #25. The fact that he is there is even further proof that it's an oversight. No self-respecting journalist could have him there deliberately ahead of Viney.

If Pedersen plays the same role that Smith and Weid have been playing, how do you see him disrupting the forward balance? Smith and Pedersen, even though they play a little differently, essentially play the same role for the side.

Yes, I got that a bit later on Nash. I think I need to go to bed.

Spargo has been named in the starting 18 so he won't be dropped. Hannan is the one who might make way for Jeffy if he isn't right to play.

I agree with the sentiment of what the OP is saying as well. Our future, both on and off the field, does look promising. It's up to the club to keep it going in the years to come.

I'll be interested to see how Vanders does once he is fit. If he has a good second half of the season, is he worth another 1 year deal as a depth player? He's shown that he can contribute well at AFL level, so he's not exactly an unknown. Hopefully he can still be a half decent player after all the injuries he's had. As for Kent, you could argue easily that he is surplus to requirements, but when he went down with injury he was in the AFL side. Clearly the FD rate him, but have too many gone past him in the last 6 weeks for him to make it back in? I reckon a WA side might have a look at him, although his injury history isn't great either.

I have no idea why Dusty is getting so much love. Is he leading any categories this year? Is he having a consistent impact on games? I feel like he's had a good year but he hasn't even gotten close to matching last season.

3 players on the ground, with Gawn in the ruck? The media are always spot on...

On the contrary, I think it's terrific. We have a bloke who loves the club and understands the situation he is in. It sounds like he is enjoying his footy, is ready to contribute when needed and is going places off the field as well. Can't ask for much more than that!

I also think players would be actively seeking us out as a club to join as well. Why go to Norf, Carltank, the Druggies or the dodgy pricks from Moorabbin when you could join a gun team on the rise? The choice is easy.

Spot on, juzz. The worst thing we can do is overthink this and make too many changes and upset the overall structure of the side. No point shuffling players when we have blokes at Casey who can come in and play a role for us. I'm still thinking it will be Joel Smith, but the Pies aren't too tall down there so I could easily see someone like Hunt coming in to allow Hibberd to play the extra man up role that Lever plays so well. He's clever enough to do it.

Nicely done K-Mart