Deemania since 56

This is one of our greatest problems at the moment. The ball certainly is getting in there, but leakages down back and non-competitiveness aligned to a complete lack of creative play alternatives in the forward line rob us of around 60% of clearance/possession returns. Coaching and team integration .... undeveloped. The lack of speed compounds these faults.

The FD suffers from short-sightedness. The FD learns nothing and cannot be advised. The FD has too many obvious favourites amongst the playing group and does little to develop younger players to a plan. The concept of 'team' has disappeared completely as a result.

...Davey to Neitz, MCG ... so long ago that I cannot remember the year.

That is not an interpreted statistic, that is an absolute fact and it just is not good enough so therefore, the overriding methods being applied by the team leadership and the coaching staff upon the rest of the team are absolutely faulty. Well stated, praha!

For the entire game, the Cats found space - just enough to beat the [censored] out of us repeatedly. That is no overestimation.

Those acres of space you correctly mention are ignored by our forwards - as if these areas were minefields. Everyone wants to take a speccy; no-one (except the Melk and Hannan - and yes, the latter draws me to confess it is a longer-term observation) goes looking for a spot in which to receive the ball. We also have two leaky 'experiments' now: OMac the Classic WAFTAM and Weed, a one mark/one goal 'talent'. ANB, Hunt, Jones, Lewis, Petracca all need to work at Casey to get some semblance of their game back. We could toss in several more, most likely. The gameplan is readable, ingrained and risky. No single player is going to save the day. This is a team-wide virus and there needs to be some serious thinking completed and applied. It was obvious that this belting at the Cattery was going to happen and despite all good intent for the Club, it is not about to happen. Our thought fairies have deserted the cause for the time being.

How about putting aside the money we might be expected to separate with for another player, using it for some intense and specialist coaching for those to whom we have issued jumpers and large salaries? There are many skills to be learned, many deficiencies to overcome, many candidates for such a process from the backline to the forward line.

Ken Oath!

Tick. Correct, again.

I would have hoped that the Weed would be on a performance-based contract - he is there to kick goals and he ain't got none, yet. He is not worth that amount. Preuss could do it all for him and then some with a little practice. Weid is not in the league of Jacovich, Lyon, Schwarta, Bennett or even Whacko Jacko who in relative terms did bigger things for lesser amounts, more often. I, for one, don't think we need him that much if we could settle our game style and use the current crop of players more wisely at selection.

Leoncelli and Rigoni - a footballing dream co-operative. Davey and Doggie - one hand fed the other. Then the Mac brothers, at different times/seasons, and their contributions. LIke 'em all in the team, now.

Nearly walked into AVB outside the Ponsford Stand before the game against Port. Side-stepped as a courtesy to let him pass unrestricted. In actual fact, side-stepped as described for my own safety! The guy looks really fit, super healthy, he is enormous from the top of his head to his feet - far bigger, wider, stronger, muscularly deeper, agile and charming - than he looks in the statistics book and on the field. He is a mountain. You wouldn't know by his gait and bearing (very impressive, at that) that he was injured at present awaiting a recall when 'things' are right again. As a greeting, I told him that we cannot win games without him, wishing him well with the 'recovery', and he smiled, pleasantly saying he'd be back ASAP and that it would hopefully be very soon. I felt like I did years ago, running into another giant (Barry Round of 'Doggies fame) by accident in a doorway who was equally reserved, polite, with that perfect 'big-man' humility and respect for his team's fans. Gee whizz - AVB is impressive - and we may indeed struggle without his unique input to our charge for the finals.

Max has no support, that is why. Our key defensive drivers in Hibberd and Frost also receive no support. Our key defensive interceptor (Nev) also has no support. When played as a backman, Salem has no support. May in the side will make a difference, providing physical and proximal support across his backline and Lever's contribution will assist this as his speciality is interception and screening. Then Nev, Max, Hibberd and Frosty can shine more assuredly. At present, Nev beats his direct opponent, then supports and mops up the exponential errors of OMac after beating his own opponent - and usually another opposition attractant, as well; this leaves Nev and his workload extraordinarily loaded against a common average of three opponents; Hibberd provides some support in clearances yet also receives virtually no support for his own clearance efforts; Frosty realises that support just ain't coming in a clearance and must use his pace to evade and make ground as a sole clearance exponent whilst others watch against proliferated hell and high water attackers - and the plural of such riff-raff is intended. Our defenders are isolates. It starts with supports from all directions for OMac and the well-anticipated expectations of major deep defensive problems that revolve around OMac and his circular waltz of evasion. People tend to blame Frosty - but with support, he could be our absolute clearance expert in three dimensions. Great teams provide abundant supports to playmakers: physical, territorial and proximal. They even share roles and responsibilities in ensuring the effectiveness of 'a play' at any point of the ground. Perhaps if our players, in general, considered Maxie's needs more fully, they might see the need to support him in any way that they can - not just sit back and admire the effort and possible performance highlights onfield. This type of playmaking would significantly reduce the 'bombing' that we are characterised by - and hard-working champions, like Max, could get on with their dominance of the match.

I agree with this, Lewis is out for a coupa weeks still. I also think that if we play OMac, we will lose due to his leakage in deep defence.

It is a pretty good take, Wiseblood, with the return of Lever and the addition of May...predictably, I'd also go for Frosty instead of OMac so that the 'big-eared one' can ginger up his disposals in those great clearance runs, over time.

So often, Frost realises that he is the only defender and the clearance is 'up to him, and him alone. He is seldom 'backed-up', he is a hunter in the desert of defensive support. Who wouldn't panic, at times?

Vitally unbearable leakage, game by game - not a good defender - easy to man-up on with talls or smalls - terribly slow and not quick on reading the play - easily replaceable with a 'goer' - these are the terms that a few of us hold for OMac, who is not at the standard we require in the KPD role. A ransom that Goody continues to pay to maintain the enthusiasm and availability of his skilled and determined brother, Tom. But he does kick well on the extremely rare occasion in which he is given a handball from a teammate - in the light of the fact that he almost never wins the ball himself, anyway. He would be of greater value to the whole Club if he played his football with Casey very regularly. It is not a pleasant task to state these descriptions and impressions of a player with the MFC; however, time and again, his selection mystifies and mere tolerance of such selection is not acceptable with the frequency and implications of his onfield errors. Worse still, other defenders and talls are rallied away from their direct opponents game by game where their core roles are/become sacrificed to assist and unnecessarily overcome the OMac conundrum, in his loose and weakening functionality and thus, weakening the whole for some respite and recuperation of this protected species. Such a waste of team energy and planning.

Here is one consequence that I would like to see as a result of recruiting Lewis: He immediately becomes one of the FD coaches and not a player. Imagine the tactical knowledge and skills he could develop in our 'young brigade'.

So correct and so essential to our success but it ain't happening - others say it is not part of the modern game. Good, it will be surprising if that is the case....and profitable on the scorecard.

When it comes to OMac, this post hits the nail on the head - leakage machine, absolutely no problems for any forward, in any team.

By hell, we'll get May into the team for Geelong but we desperately need AVB.

OMac has run out of excuses and needs Casey-time. One-handed marking, spoiling and other pleasures do not work and neither do running under the ball, running 4 metres behind your opponent as a defender and shirking the responsibility of the execution of shepherding, blocking and clearing a crush are regularly being observed. He is a chicken.

Now we're talking. This is the 'Demon Dream Team' that I dreamt about since our loss to WCoast last year. It still has talented blokes competing at the VFL level, getting ready to play a role as a substitute when injuries occur. It will also be indicative of the type of skillset that is needed in order to play for our AFL team. Like this, very much and hope our waiting time is not too long. One player that I have in mind to shake 'em, that will produce, is Keilty.

Interesting and not too far-fetched; kind of agree. His pace is remarkable - he actually ran down two Port players last Saturday when the opportunity arose and created a teammate possession from nothing. He also ran directly (once) into trouble and could not change direction with the ball - a weakness, yes, but at least he had the ball and game-time will enable better disposal in this function; at least he got the ball by moving into space very quickly which is always a good deal better than what OMac (the experiment) is regularly failing to achieve. Frosty makes 'time' for the team downfield - disposal options and skills will come.

The PF injury is long, long term and whilst the pain and inflammation - and sometimes flattening of the arch of the foot - tends to 'disappear a little', which raises the affected athlete's confidence, it never truly disappears and often worsens, and can reappear with very little impact, aggravation or stress/pressure. A footy match played may well be one's last if that footballer has had a dose of PF immobilisation. Surgery is a process; it is not a cure for this debilitating condition. Some cases are different, as always; however, it would seem that the condition may be re-triggered or not yet overcome.