Vogon Poetry

Matthews, great player, thug. We had one and he is loved on here. Rod Grinter. Saw him at PP one day end a young kids career in the two's by flattening him and as he lay unconscious on the ground high five his teammates as he ran to the backline. The kid never played again and was still unconscious hours later. Having said that Rod wasn't renowned for hitting players behind the play but the avoidable damage he did to players was significant. Jack Dyer was a thug as were many others. It's was a different era with different expectations and standards. Thankfully we are moving on. But just because blokes like Matthews and Brereton were thugs doesn't mean their opinions aren't relevant or they don't have great knowledge of the game. In fact, they probably have a better understanding of football violence and it's motives than most.

ANB? He's one of Dazzle's favourites!

Boooo Where is your sense of fun. We've all made shocking calls, wrong calls and good calls. Hell, I thought John Ahern was going to be a star! It's also a good reminder to keep things in perspective. PS: Wasn't having a go at you @DeeSpencer.

Tom doesn't get the love he deserves. He's a gun. I've bumped this thread not to knock those that bagged him but to highlight how easy it is to judge players too quickly and how successful the move to the forward line has been.

There have been a number of comments here about the behaviour and character of the Adelaide supporters. I've been lucky enough to be able to go to every game we've played at the Adelaide Oval (including those against PA) and not once have I ever encountered poor behaviour or aggression from an opposition supporter. They support their team with passion as we do but at the end of the game yesterday when we were cheering and celebrating hard we had a number of Adelaide supporters come up to us and congratulate us and wish us well for the rest of the season. Kudos to them and that they stayed on the ground to honour Lewis's achievement was terrific. They had to stand in terrible conditions for quite a while after they had just been beaten in a match that probably ended their chances of finals. I know it's popular to bag them but frankly I don't know any better supporters in the game. Those that have had trouble are either very unlucky or most probably have brought it upon themselves. As for the game it was a terrific win for many reasons. Last week was shattering, this week be buttered up. We were challenged and prevailed in a very hostile environment. Some of our players might have had poor games but all of them had their moments. The weather was fierce in the last quarter. The wind was blowing strongly to Adelaide's end and it was raining very heavily for a lot of the last quarter. Having said that it's not possible for me to comment on the wind at ground level as I was sitting in the top of the stand on the eastern side. Just a recommendation to anyone who hasn't been to a game in Adelaide, get there if you can, it's the best ground in Australia and fortunately we seem to play it well.

I’ve seen attributes Red and I’ve seen significant improvement. He’s gone from “gone” to “undecided” for me. I do have some optimism but I wouldn’t confuse that for conviction.

I too saw what he did. I wouldn’t presume to know what role Goodwin gave him although it’s easier to see with some (Jetta, ANB) than others. I’ve no idea what role Tyson was given. Nor does Saty.

I was there, were you? Section 328A seat B11.

Can you tell me what Tim Smith's role was? Thanks in advance.

So I assume all the players played their role. Have I got that right?

Yes, I'd imagine if he had a role it was given to him by Goodwin or by the other coaches. Thanks for that, very helpful. But I was wondering what it (the role) was as I don't know and therefore can't judge his game performance. Please tell me what it was. Help me out here Saty.

I'd appreciate it if you could tell me what it was. Thanks in advance.

Just a quick shout out to Dion Johnstone who I thought was nice and solid down back. I'd written this kid off after the first period of the season where he played forward but moving him back has been a really good outcome. He's showing clean hands, good decision making and his kicking is very strong. And he's tough. In our list strategy, we need to recognize that we will be a serious footy team over the next 5 years or so. Players like Lewis, Vince, Jetta and Jones (who will likely go back as his career lengthens) will leave. We won't want to bring inexperienced young players over this period. Dion is shaping as a good long-term replacement for one and will come in with 50 or so VFL games under his belt and at a good age. It's early days but I like what I'm seeing. I'm also encouraged with Bill Stretch's form. If he can carry his VFL attributes to AFL level he'll be a very useful player to have on the list.

Love your work Jumping Jack and nice to see the public thanks and recognition from Timbo, I'm sure he was more generous in his PM's.

I headed down to the Port Melbourne v Casey game yesterday for the annual Burra burger and chips. The day was perfect for footy with a one to two goal wind in the first half but it virtually disappeared in the second. The ground was in great condition and the PM crowd are a lot of fun as long as you don't take your support for their opponent too seriously. This is how I thought the Demons went: Dom Tyson: There has been much talk about his game and like most things it's probably somewhere in the middle of discussions. He got the ball a lot. He was the main clearance player for us on the day and he bullocked and pushed and competed for everything. He was off the pace early, got caught once or twice and kicked poorly into the wind at times. As the game went on he got lots better and by the last part of the game he was close to the most influential but that is not to say he's a walk up start next week. On form ANB and Harmes have gone past him and he is down on form but he can play. Billy Stretch: BOG for mine. Got it lots, used it pretty well (with a cavaet I'll come to) and was clean and pretty strong in the clinches. I'm a fan of Billy so keep that in mind when you read these comments. I've seen Billy in his last three games and he's been BOG twice IMO. He's played all games as an inside mid and he's done well against the strong opposition and poorly against the poor opposition. Interestingly in the game he was poor in we were killed in the ruck and he was the number one mid. Billy knows where to run and can run all day. He sees options and makes good decisions. He was very clean with his hands yesterday which is not always the case and his handballing was good. He kicks it well in most cases but yesterday in both practice before the game and in the game itself he repeatedly left his passes a metre short of his target. Very frustrating because those easy 25 metre passes have to be bread and butter at AFL level. But good signs for Billy and if his opportunity comes he will at least be in good form. Sam Frost: Good and solid. He's really too big and strong for his opposition at this level but it's his execution and decision making that can go astray. He's in good form at this level and like many will wait his chance. Jay Kennedy Harris: I thought Jay played a solid game, found plenty of it, ran well and generally disposed of it well. He's come good in the last 6 quarters he's played but he's down the pecking order in getting a game in the seniors. He's pretty good at this level. Harley Balic: Not as prominant as some other weeks but dangerous around goal and doesn't need many opportunities to hurt you. Kicked a fantastic goal in the last from a very tight angle to get us going when we needed it. He's got sure hands and is good above his head for his height and he knows how to find space and link play. He's a smart player and in previous years at the club would have been quite valuable but where he fits with Kent to come back and Garlett still in the seconds who knows. He has a little bit of that trait basketballers have when they convert to footy - that ability to find time and space. Was he a BBer before footy? Looks like it to me. If he played today I'd be confident he'd competently play his role. Tomas Bugg: Quite early but played a fair game by his standards. He played quite deep forward for most of the day and it really didn't work. But when he moved up the ground a bit we got involved and was always a danger although he didn't get it a lot. He's a bit quicker than I thought too and his kicking was good yesterday. Oscar Baker: Good game overall and fantastic second half, particularly third quarter where he really dominated. Quick, clean hands, runs hard and provided options. Not sure his possessions really hurt the opposition yet but he is improving. I don't think he's really close to getting a game but he's certainly showing some AFL attributes. Mitch King: First game back and just went. Started forward and didn't have much impact and then shared rucking duties. Harrison Petty: I thought he was good. Was outmarked in the goal square in the first and lost another marking contest later in the game. Had one of his kicks intercepted later in the game but otherwise was terrific. He's really good in the air and kicks very well. This kid is just a guaranteed AFL footballer of the future and to me is showing more than Oscar did in his first year. Already a favourite of mine. Jeff Garlett: I thought he was alright but only alright but do we expect too much of players when they go to VFL level. He did some very good things, kicked a lovely goal and had a hand on some others but also had a number of uncharacteristic mistakes. Not banging the door down. Josh Wagner: Just a game. Solid and reliable but didn't catch the eye all that much. He's a good size and athlete but just doesn't impose himself on games at the moment. Joel Smith: Didn't have a high possession game but looked very good in what he did. Can't remember any clangers and he kicked a nice goal. I liked the comparison to Jeremy Howe, very similar athletic abilities. He looked a class above in what he did but he didn't do a whole lot. Dec Keilty: Solid game from Dec and like others have trouble separating him and Petty, they look very similar and being such a fan of Petty I might have attributed some good Dec things to Harrison. But Dec went forward in the last and did well I thought. Took some good marks and kicked a goal but more importantly gave us a target that the others hadn't. I don't know where he stands in the pecking order with Frost and Petty but he's a capable and reliable (and brave) footballer. Lachlan Filipovic: Did quite well in the ruck but very little around the ground.. Seems to be just a young ruckman learning his craft and about 3 or 4 years away from maturity. Watching and judging ruckman at this age must be difficult for supporters and FD alike wondering if they will flurish or fail. It's too early to call for me on both our young rucks.

I don't think anyone minded you having an opinion Steve, that's what Demonland is about, but what I minded was the fact that anyone with a differing opinion was ridiculed by you and others. Not only that but you made the same point ad nauseum beating your chest at every opportunity. Further you ignored or denied Oscar's successes and highlighted his failures and your comments were completely unbalanced. You're doing the same with Tyson now and it's pretty pathetic especially given your misjudgement with Oscar. I like your posts usually. They provide contrast and are well expressed. But you nailed your reputation to the mast with your crusade against Oscar and it's almost irreparably damaged. Footy is an opinion business and if you are associated with another club then you'd know this. And if you know this your crusade against Oscar just made you look like a jerk.

You'd have been washing it everyday with the mud Jnrmac and STMJ were throwing.

I ventured to Casey yesterday against my better judgement because when you get a chance to see 17 Demons running around and the weather is good the lure is just too strong. Here's how I thought our blokes went. As always when making these comments remember that the ground is big and it's very hard to see exactly what's happening on the other side. There was a slight breeze blowing to the forward pocket at the northern end so that's where I stood. Jack Viney: First clearance of the match and first kick was just great to see. He was harder and faster around the stoppages than everyone else and did a lot of the grunt stuff. Looked in good touch and was generally very clean and kicked the ball well when he got the opportunity. But he was heavily tagged for 3 quarters so he didn't find much space. I'd be stunned if he wasn't back next week. Billy Stretch: I was a huge fan but was frustrated by his lack of improvement but yesterday I saw another side of Billy because instead of playing wing he played on ball, centre square and inside mid as well as outside. And he did it very well. He found the ball regularly, he had clean hands and pretty good decision making. Initially he found his kicks and handballs smothered but as the game went on and he got his confidence he got better and better. He's not as small as you might think and he's starting to use his body well in contested situations. Finished with a lovely goal and was one of, if not, the best on the ground. It is hard to see where he fits into the team though but will remain with us or in the AFL system based on yesterdays performace. His challange is to back it up. Promising signs but a way to go. Frost: Played a solid game with some good contested marking at times and a bit of dash and continued to do what he does. He's a tweener at the moment, probably a bit too good for VFL but not good enough for AFL. Still prone to silly mistakes like letting the ball go over the back of packs when he's last up but was a good contributor on the day. Pedersen: Full of fumbles I thought in the first half and not much of a contributor but stuck at it and played better as the game went on. A great mark in the second quarter and a good contributor. He played KPF and relief ruck. JKH: Played mainly forward and didn't really get into the game much. Kicked the first goal of the match and I thought he might be in for a good one but faded and whilst he was far from poor he wasn't a major contributor. It's hard to see where he goes from here. Harley Balic: He's an interesting player and one that if and when he plays senior footy for us will do it competently. Played mainly high forward and was very clean with the ball, found it well and kicked it well. Is capable above his head and knows where to run to provide options and find space. It was his first game back for a while and he'd be pretty pleased with it. It's hard to see where he fits in and will need some injuries to get a chance you'd think but when he plays he may well make it hard for whoever he replaces to get back in. I like him and think at present he's a terrific 23 to 30 player on the list but he might improve significantly over time. One to watch. Jayden Hunt: Poor old Jayden. Looks bereft of confidence and really struggled to find the ball and get involved. He just needs to start to try and enjoy his footy again and concentrate on the basics. We all know what he can do but he didn't do it yesterday. Tomas Bugg: I'm not a fan but there's no doubt he can play at this level. Started quite slowly but fought his way into the game and then really dominated it for a period where he kicked 3 goals quickly. They were at the other end to me so I can't really judge them but he was a good contributor in the typical Buggy way. It's really nice to see he's left the fake toughness behind and is just playing footy. Oscar Baker: Played wing and did it well. I've seen him three time now live and yesterday was the best of them. In the past the major knock is a lack of composure and an inability to see options and take them. But yesterday was much better and he used the ball quite well. He runs hard and takes the game on and has clean hands. He goes hard for the ball too. My view is he's still a long way from senior selection but moving in the right direction. He certainly has some great attributes and he's great to watch and improving. Harrison Petty: I love this kid and that's what he is, a kid. He reads the play really well, he reads the ball in the air really well and he's got sure hands above his head. And when he gets it he has good vision and executes really well. He was far from dominant yesterday but you can just tell he knows how to play footy and is a great prospect. Two more preseasons I reckon and we'll all be happy. Jeff Garlett: It's hard to appreciate how quick he is unless you see it close hand. And it's hard to understand how he can see options in a sea of players as quickly as he does. But he does and was a clear cut above this level yesterday although he didn't get a lot of it. He applied pressure and provided options yesterday as well as spending some time on ball. Reality is he's a cut above Spargo at the moment (no criticism of Spargo) so I guess his selection will come down to how he's playing his role and whether Goody wants him back. But he will get back and he is in our best 22 when he's going. Dion Johnstone: I think he's struggling at the moment and he played mainly back yesterday in what for me was a new role for him (I can't remember where he played against Richmond when I last saw him). He's tough and he has a go but he's struggling to find the ball and get involved. Hope he picks up but at the moment he's miles away. Josh Wagner: Solid and hard at it and a very good VFL player who did his bit yesterday in a very good team effort. But he won't be pressing for a call up given yesterday's performance and that of the seniors. Joel Smith: He's getting back if he isn't back already. I loved his game yesterday. He was involved, he was clean, he did things faster than almost everyone else, he ran well and he provided options and got into space as well as being strong in the air. His kicking is a weakness but I'd be very surprised if he doesn't press very hard for a game in the next month or so on that form. He's great to watch. Tim Smith: I've watched Tim over a long period now and although he's played some good games I've never thought he had AFL attributes - until yesterday. He was fantastic I thought. Strong in the air, strong on the ground and found plenty of it. He's not called Bull for nothing and for the first time yesterday I thought he really could play AFL footy. Great game. Dec Keilty: He played a really solid strong game without dominating. I didn't see him make a mistake and he took some solid marks. He was one of our three talls who, against good opposition, played their role well. Lachlin Filipovic: I like this kid. He had to play against Ceglar who is a good near quality AFL ruckman and would replace McEvoy very competently. Flipper did well in the ruck but struggled around the ground and in the air against a much more mature player. But he does get involved and he has surprisingly good skills for a ruckman of his height and appears to make pretty good decisions. I'd be amazed if he's not retained as a long term development project because he's showing good attributes. The game was a pretty fierce contest yesterday and Casey were relentless in their pressure and tackling and it was a genuine 4 quarter effort. The Hawks always threatened as they have very good system and use it well by foot but Casey just fought so hard all day that they finally wore them down to kick away to what appears to be a comfortable win but wasn't. Good fun yesterday and great to see the spirit and effort of all the players.

Sorry for no reply Hemingway, I've not logged on for a while. When I've been to training I've rarely seen a coach with a player as he's practising goal kicking but others would be better placed than me to answer as I'm an infrequent observer.

I'm assuming Frost was injured and that's why he didn't play at any level this week. When I went to training he was in rehab. Joel Smith did most of training on Wednesday but pulled out of a few drills towards the end and he didn't play at any level. Fritsch, Tim Smith and Balic didn't play at any level this week but were not mentioned in the injury report. Does anyone have any information on these players? I don't recall seeing Balic at training. Is he injured?

Maynard, Frost and Jetta in the rehab group initially. Jetta later joined the craft groups but seemed to be limiting his running. Didn't look in any discomfort and was working with the backs later in the session. Weid, King and Flipper doing some drills together early whilst Gawn was in the main group but joined all in full training later. Interesting that Weid was in this group whilst Pedo was with the main group. Doesn't seem as though Pedo is seen as a replacement/second ruck. No sign of Viney or Vanders. Tommy Mac was running slow laps (in runners) for the first bit of the session and then did some work in football boots but nothing like full pace. He did a lot of goal kicking practice and was very good. He was kicking with both left and right and not favouring any foot. Who knows if they were playing ducks and drakes in the "open" session but if he is as close as suggested I would have expected him to be in the main group or at least doing some high intensity stuff. Joel Smith didn't do the whole session and finished with the rehab boys at the end but didn't look to be in any discomfort. I'd think it was a management issue. Hunt also didn't do the full session and was practicing torps from about 60 out and also long drop punts to the boundary from defence. Didn't look in any discomfort either and was kicking the ball a mile. Tyson did the full session. Was at the northern end as well and Melksham and Bugg seemed to be having a competition at shots at goal. Melk took the chocolates but you wouldn't feel confident with either having a shot. There were lots of different groups doing things so it was difficult to see everything. It wasn't a hard session, just a bit of short sharp intensity work and craft work. Questions welcome.

Pity you didn't have a psychic flash about taking cash to Casey last year. You have saved you, and us, a lot of angst.

It was one of the better days at Casey today, light wind, good conditions and a lot of MFC on display. Here are my observations of the Demons: Kent: He was clean, fast, kicked well, dangerous and clearly better than the opposition and most of his teammates. He covered a lot of ground and looked strong and determined. He played a very good 4 quarter game and would certainly have put his name forward. He looked well ahead of Hannan for a spot in the 22. Hannan: He was pretty good. He played midfield and forward and found a bit of the ball. He made a few mistakes by foot but he has speed and a great sidestep. He had quiet patches during the game and struggles put 4 quarters together but he displayed the skills we know he has. My observation with Hannan today is he lacks the leg strength to break or stand up in a tackle so it's easy for the opposition to hinder him when he has the ball. A number of times he won the clearance at the centre bounce only to have a fairly innocuous tackle laid which either knocks him over or knows him badly off balance. As a result, he's not very effective as other than an outside player. Brayshaw: Unlike others, I thought he was very good today. He started in the centre and got leather poisoning early and used it well most of the time. He is strong around the ball and tackles hard. He played forward for a lot of the game and kicked a few and gave a few off. He was spent at the end but never stopped presenting and creating. I wish he was in the team tomorrow and is just waiting for an opportunity. Spargo: Started forward and was busy early and had an opportunity to goal which he unfortunately missed. Had a quiet second quarter but was moved on to the ball in the third and got involved around the ground. He's quick without being really quick (if you know what I mean) and he's clean with the ball. He is very aware of teammates and continually looks to do something with the ball. His disposal is good and he has clean hands. He's small, think Caleb Daniel, but there is a lot to like. A good hit out but a fair way down the pecking order. Frost: Best game I've seen him play. He marked really strongly, ran and broke lines, kicked very well and was clean. He monstered his opponent and was clearly our best defender but there wasn't a lot of pressure on. This kid has attributes and is still learning the game but if he had to play tomorrow you'd be pretty relaxed on today's form. Excellent performance. JKH: Was pretty good doing what we know he can do at this level. He played a lot as a high half forward and linked up well and won his fair share of the ball but given the type of player he is he misses too many opportunities at goal and often doesn't hurt with his disposal. He's showing signs as a classic 'tweener and he'd be behind a lot of players for a spot I'd think. Weideman: Played as a forward target and was on the end of some good passes and kicked some good goals. Found a fair bit of the ball. He appears to me to have bulked up a lot from the last time he played, still nicely agile but his upper body looked a lot bigger to me. Most interestingly he played a fair bit in the ruck and did very well, winning a number of centre bounce taps and finding his target. He was also very involved around the ground and used the ball well. If he keeps this form up he'll push to take Peddo's spot but one wonders how Hogan, McDonald and Weideman fit in the one forward line. It was a very encouraging performance especially seeing he missed a lot of preseason. Balic: Was fantastic early when he came on. He has great vision and found the ball well and often. He's quite a big body and won a fair bit of contested ball and his kicking was pretty good. He's got clean hands and always looks to do something with the ball. He's not quick at all but seems to have the ability to find a bit of space when he needs it. I was impressed and would think he'll play at some stage this year. Baker: Started on fire as most of the team did running hard playing wing and half forward (if those positions exist anymore). He is quick, has very good hands but is prone to the occasional "blunder". His field kicking was pretty good, he knew where to go to get the ball and he goes 100%. He's a good size and clearly has X factor and is well worth a spot on the list. King: Won the ruck comfortably, looks nicely coordinated, kicks well and took a nice grab in the goal square in the third. It was a solid effort without being in any was spectacular. Petty: I’m pretty excited by this guy. He reads the play very well, is a good mark and has clean hands and good vision and he executes his kicks very well. Was part of a solid back group and will develop into a good footballer I’d think. He didn’t get that many opportunities given the game but hardly put a foot wrong. Johnstone: Didn’t see him much at all until the last quarter where he was involved a bit. On today's performance he’d be behind any number of players for a spot but he works hard, can kick it well when he gets it and pressures the opposition. Smith: This kid is so athletic and has a great physique it’s hard to think he’s not a key position player. He didn’t do a lot and in racing parlance will be better for the run but he did some good cameo’s and was noticeable when he got it. It’s hard to believe he won’t make it when you see him run around the footy field but he does need to get involved a bit more. Smith: Played well, very well at times. Got to the right places, kicked for goal beautifully, worked hard, very clean in the air and clearly favourite amongst the players. My issue with Bull is he doesn’t get involved when the ball hits the ground as much as he should. He does the 1%ers but just being part of the play is not his strong suit (in contrast to Weid who was involved in general play a lot around the ground.). But it was a good game. Keilty: Had very little to do but did what he had to do well. Frost seemed to hog the ball when it did go into our defence but Dec competed well and I doubt his opponent did anything much. Filipovic: Looked likely at times. Kicked a great goal from a fair way out and competed well in the ruck. He’s clearly third ruck in line but he showed enough athleticism and footy smarts to think given a fair bit of time he’ll be a useful ruckman. In writing this keep in mind I don’t have an eye for the defensive side of the game so a player I think has done very well might have played his role poorly. Also the opposition was poor. At times they had a go but really it was a bit like watching the first quarter of the MFC v Saints JLT game. We played well and dominated and in those circumstances it’s hard to know if the domination is us or them but I was impressed by the general skill level, the commitment and particularly the cohesion of the team play.

Casey 121 v Frankston 32 at 3/4 time. Weideman very good that quarter. Spargo a good spell on the ball. Bull Smith excellent and 2 goals (maybe 3). Brayshaw continues to rack them up. Kent and Frost good. Frankston not much good but our skills look impressive.

Oh, and bad news for Old Dee. Weideman looks good. Playing ruck a bit and getting involved around the ground.