58er

Funny how they played well in the Finals and all season at Casey. They would not have stopped like our injured players were unfortunately forced to do in the second half with smart use of the players off the bench. Just agree to disagree !

I am saying that some should have been selected during the last rounds in place of the injured. That would have given some a chance of refreshing. About 3/4 could have been selected including Bowey Dunstan JVR Chandler in the running. Please don't say we would have lost still as you don't know and can't say for certain. They were all fit and would have helped during the second half.

Are you for real Wod? We only need one KPF or ruck or other forward to drop form or get an injury to give him a chance. There is no sense in him playing all year at Casey. He needs the challenge of AFL this year for sure. Your thinking is even more negative than Goody's about giving young Casey players a go in the AFL. JVR deserves to have this season a go in the AFL as you said he is young. He can debut and see if he is up to it and learn along the way.

We are not talking about 2021 it was one player but 2022 is different entirely. We had up to HALF (9/10) carrying various niggles/ breaks/ sprains / etc. it's entirely different. What I have lamented that over 10 Rounds our healthy situation was progressively worsened by these injuries resulting in virtually no proactive changes in selection despite continual players at Casey showing promising and continual form and with ANB Spargo Hunt and BBB to name 4 who could have been dropped and others given an opportunity. In the end it was too late to experiment or give chances. Also too many players returned to AFL too early without hit outs in the Casey team. Salem and Rivers to name 2. Both with Lever injured ( ankles mainly) nearly every game all 3 had underwhelming seasons compared to 2021. Same same result all not anywhere near best. Thats 7 named plus Gawny Clarry Jacko as others not completely fit. To not try when the fade outs continued was disappointing with the 2021 team being asked to repeat with the malfunctions in fitness and form. I agsin say that we were very resilient in hindsight for the Hand A 2nd place. But Finals we couldn't go up a notch when the whips were cracking. Conservative selection and coaching plus the above fitness issues IMO held us to mediocrity potentially. we are now in the position to rectify our efforts ( every one tried their damdest btw in 2022) in 2023 with a fit and firing improved list to challenge the elite teams of the AFL.

Swans had McLean for CHF RJ but because he played so well against us his marking outstanding they made the call when he looked even unfitter than any of our injured players in the semi to take the risk. we all know Reid has had multiple injuries in a 4/5 year period and his ability to impact varies greatly form day to day. But one thing that we did not do was to block him ( in both games last year). For example a player like Tmac with bulk would no better against him than even Petty or Lever. Injury to Tmac so we can't do that. Re Hawkins is (like May he can withstand some injury and play) and was probably like us being the only injury being risked on the day. When Hipwoof ran away in the last quarter from Lever and kicked goalwards in the Semi I realised we had run our race and we're out of petrol tickets.BUT rather belatedly Simon pulled Petty out of defence and if Kossey had kicked straight and Jake not had brain fade ( result of playing constantly all season with suspect ankle/s ) who knows ? Again ( in hindsight )this move should have been made at 3:4 time because the Bris defence is always vulnerable and our attack did not have many fit players left. BBB Trac Gawny etc. We have the right mix and need to use our players flexibly to our advantage. Agree with Neveroddoreven that this flexibility from the Coach is crucial and signs like Kossey and Riv to the midfield are promising. Can I suggest that Gus Petty Joel Smith Hunter JVR Tmac Trac Chandler Dunstan andWoey and Grundy plus Schache are all able to be moved to our advantage. We have trained some and that should be an evolving discipline from the Coaches. That also assists with the WE (AFL) myth that (VFL) THEM are not good enough to be played if needed when injury occurs. No one will ever know if we had made 2/3 changes or played our sub if we would have won but it is now official ( not perceived) that we were carrying increasing levels of injuries for the last half of 2023 which explains the fade outs IMO to a great extent. Thst we were able to win 16 Games finish 2nd on the ladder and be beaten by only 3 goals once ( except Freo) also indicates that we were very brave all our troops tried as hard as possible (even Jacko and albeit with some poor goalkicking also vs Pies and Lions in Semi) and in 5 years time that effort in hindsight might be lauded instead of disappointing us. Win another Flag or two is the way to go and we have taken our medicine ( not the Damian Barrett choking on our premiership Shiraz type of medicine) and 2023 seems a great year to rewrite our fortunes at the G.

On Cue OD well done.

And rest for injured players does wonders !!

Agree just was thinking the same thing . Give McVee a full game and try another youngster. Jake should be ok for Round1 but if he goes off early with another leg/ankle/ knee type issue and returns to the field it is insanity. Repeating itself AGAIN.

That's not true. It didn't just start in the Finals but about Round 13. Some smart tinkering and rolling of dice in the rounds for say 3/4 positions out of our injured crew might have given the team greater run and carry. Agsin in the article in the Sun today I hope we play McVee today on HBF and use Angus in the midfield along with Sparrow Jordon Harmes and Pickett plus cameo for Rivers as well. We know we can switch mid game so give our younger players a go including Chandler on the HFF as well. JVR needs a better option with less others KPF just to alienate his chance of all of them going up together which is a very Melb thing. Refer to first goal for Saints last week !!

Rpfc You made the statement about meaningless raw membership numbers and to maybe ignore them now!! I alluded to OD as you know his name you would be aware of his opinions on MFC etc snd this was relevant to the post. OD has more than once posted he doesn't want us to get too big as it makes it hard to get a seat at the G.!! All the best for a good season Go Dees.

Agree !!

What the Saints do is irrelevant It's what we do that's important and we seem to be on the target to achieve an increase agsin with the pre season figures. BTW it Erks me that one or two D/Lers consistently take aim with " low fanBase" or "sparse crowd at the G comments". We are potentially a Club in transmission between "small" and "medium" with the plan (2020) to target an average of 50, 000 for home games at the G per season. Additionslly the target of 75,000 for 2023 members is a longed for figure thought unattainable in the recently near past. And this on top of a disappointing end to 2022. But it appears the fact that we finished 2nd in the HandA ladder and suffered an injury factor/tiredness they was partly of our own making, plus the general appeal of players Grundy Hunter Schache and our draft choices there are fans who also feel that sustained success is a very good reason to join up.Thrre is also among other Clubs the feeling that if things go right ( not just slightly wrong) we are in a position of seriously challenging agsin in 2023. My point is that our 5Th placing in 2022 in crowds overall is a hind effort from our smaller base and medium Members total. Let's not underestimate our developing strength and the potential start back to a more powerful and influential figure in the AFL that we have not earnt in the last few decades. When a smart well applied effort is continually successful it can attract new fans and respect ( like Hawks ) along with the faithful who prop up all Clubs. Sorry OD but we may get too big for you and as you say Casey is your bag if only for the inner city grounds we play at. And the words low and small may not be repeated by some fans ss much or hopefully anymore in the near future.

Well breeze past 50,000, by Round1, great result so far.

Four recruits from our DRAFT is the correct word.

Why A full season ? No other player has to wait that long to be selected. The art of selection and promotion of players is to give them an opportunity to gain form and show consistency and earn promotion if and when the situation demands it. You don't penalise your players saying that you haven't deserved promotion in a particular year if they have done a good period of form and are up to standard. You are only saying this about Bailey because he hasn't shown to date the required length of form and development to earn promotion. If he can put together a block of 6/8 games at AFL standard at Casey he should be considered for promotion. If you delay the young players the lure of AFL you disrupt the whole program of your list and will lose players as a result. I think Goody needs to reward more often this season Chandler and some others if this situation arises. We have to produce SIX new players in 2023 who are new and AFL standard inc. our trade players and if we do not then our chances are not great to improve and win the Flag. 2021 is now 2 years on and selection must be more robust and rewarding no doubt how much we love every 23 of our heroes who broke the drought in such magnificent fashion that year. In other words now is the right time to consider and reward Chandler and McVee if the SC and Coach deem so as I believe each have earns that right with their effort over the pre season and Chandler last season. Hunter Brody and Schache or Dunstan could be 2 of 4 trade players although that is up to opinion with the last two mentioned. So 4 recruits from our trade are what we need to keep evolving and improving. That means promoting on effort and form from below if pressure is to be maintained on all senior players. I await the season with great hope and confidence we will do the right thing for all on our list and look forward to the Dees in contention with a fit and talented group to challenge.

Happy Birthday Ron. Congratulations and have a great day.

Well put KM. Dont see any issue with McVee in our team as he will have others around him to guide and support him. Looked very natural and took the game on and moved play quickly. We need that in our plan to succeed.

At what stage was McVee knocked aside in play? He may not be Robbie Flower but might just possess some of his skills with a light body! Looked a very finely skilled player off half back with a few tricks in general play as a bonus!

Maybe the coach of the forwards should be changed like the goal kick coach!!!

Well he deserved to be omitted when it occurred but it was a travesty of justice ( selection with the walking wounded) that Bowser was not returned for the Finals vs Swans and Lions.

It pays not to judge or predict a crowd based on one's own enthusiasm to attend OD, and the forecast of 30odd degrees, about 4/5 which were in shade on the grandstand and western side of the ground. The Hsun indicated 5,000 in their match report.

If the Club had to ring every member who is not on rollover with much bigger membership now it is a very huge and monumental task. Really for all your posturing and 38 years well done BTW ( I am 57 years!!!) we have not had the rollover more than 15 years ago I reckon the online method or a phone call would take about the same as this post which solves absolutely nothing!! . Why did you cancel anyway? was the GFG a financial issue or did you not like being forced to take this and it not bring your choice. You are wrong on the reserved seats issue as all the Northern and Shane Warne Stand second level are Dees Trident/Redlegs members reserved seats who can't seem to make each home game. They booked out last year with more seats and were sold out.

I don't think that BBB Tmac Fritta and JVR would be too top heavy at all as only BBB is no good at ground level. It's Maxy and Brodie that could be rested and also the others in rotation. Fritta does not need to do second and third efforts a lot as he is a ONE GRAB player on the ground and puts the ball on his boot straight away! lLets see first so we can judge it all in the game time.

No one has suggested JVR "is an upgrade" in ground work on our much loved and very classy forward in Fritta. What has been reported and been on show from JVR is that he has strings to his bow with his ground work is very workmanlike and is good for a player of his height and size. And he has great persistence and second and third efforts to offer. I believe JVR could play in the Bayley Fritsch mould and replace him if required but I still think Fritta's all round skills in the air on the ground and kicking or snapping for goal are hard to beat. Let's just see JVR develop his skills and become the best he can and I am sure he will thrill us just like Fritta does each week.

In this respect, would we want and/or could we get Ollie Wines? At his best I think it would be a reasonable trade for Kosie in the circumstances, but I didn't follow Ollie that closely last season to know how he's tracking. Reunite Ollie with Jack and Vic - a bit if go home comming back our way Sorry That's not even a sensible suggestion. Wines to me other than his Brownlow year does not impact games enough and Viney is a better footballer than him. We would want Rosee or Butters plus a second round pick to get any where near the value of Kossie. He has a decade or more of footy ahead and a like for like is essential in this case.