old55

Took Norf and the line as insurance

I thought you said North at the line looked good?

I won't be surprised if it's a reasonably even contest with North Melbourne tomorrow on that basis.

We should have a reasonable contingent of listed MFC players available: Billings, Laurie, Schache, Jefferson, McAdam, Adams, Verrall, Fullarton, Sestan, Woewodin, AMW, B.Brown and maybe the MFC sub depending on how musch AFL game time they get.

9 changes from the 2021 flag 23 tomorrow, in jumper number order: In: JVR, McVee, Windsor, Tomlinson, Howes, Chandler, Tholstrup, K.Brown, Turner Out: Harmes, Petracca, Jackson, Lever, Spargo, Brayshaw, Hibberd, Jordon, B.Brown 8 of the 9 replacements have less than 50 games, 3 have less than 10, 5 have less than 20.

A Moyle trade should be number one priority IMO. Battle and Parfitt are good UFA targets.

Could be lonely since we have the bye.

I'm guessing they want to see Tommo vs McCreery tomorrow. It's a horror movie ...

It's not ideal but I think it's workable if the midfield takes advantage of the ruck disadvantage.

Agree. It would have to be some combination of Fullarton/Verrall, JVR and Petty.

Not as first ruck 70% in the AFL at present no. And it's doubtful ever for the size reasons I posted, but he has other valuable attributes.

Kolt can play. He'll make it as a mid or mid-fwd.

Fullarton was good in the ruck in the last half of that quarter. No sign of "hates contact".

That's not what I was saying at all. I said he could make a good ruck/fwd. I'm impressed with his mobility and ground ball game. I included him in a discussion with 3 KPFs JVR, Jefferson and Kentfield. I think at 200cm he will struggle as main AFL ruck and elsewhere I've been very keen on getting Ned Moyle. At 200cm Verrall could provide an very good forward/ruck complement. You're not known for your enthusiasm about anything except pessimism.

No it's an assertion about Verrall

At least 4, probably 5 of the 16 listed MFC players in that Casey team will be held over to play for Melbourne or as emergency. IMO likely the 5 on the bench: S. McAdam (19), A. Tomlinson (20), T. Woewodin (40), D. Turner (42), J. Billings (14)

CASEY DEMONS B: B. Howes (22), J. Adams (26), L. Kentfield (43) HB: M. Gregory (57), T. Freeman (67), A. Moniz-Wakefield (45) C: R. Steele (54), K. Tholstrup (39), T. Edwards (58) HF: E. King (55)*, T. Fullarton (33), K. Brown (41) F: M. Jefferson (21), B. Brown (50), O. Sestan (38) R: W. Verrall (28), M. White (52), B. Laurie (16) INT: S. McAdam (19), A. Tomlinson (20), T. Woewodin (40), D. Turner (42), J. Billings (14) EMG: N. Moodie (48), C. Peters (63), H. Neocleous (75), M. Szybkowski (56), K. Windsor (66), B. Laplanche (68), T. Sheridan (53), R. Valentine (65) IN: J. Billings, B. Brown, L. Kentfield, E. King, S. McAdam, A. Tomlinson, D. Turner, T. Woewodin OUT: P. Cross (hamstring), B. Laplanche, C. Lewis, N. Moodie, H. Neocleous, M. Szybkowski, R. Valentine, K. Windsor NEW: Luker Kentfield, 18, 194cm, Carine/Subiaco; Eddie King, 19, 177cm, Wesley Collegians I see 16 MFC listed players there: Billings, Laurie, Tomlinson, Jefferson, McAdam, Adams, Verrall, Fullarton, Sestan, Tholstrup, Woewodin, K.Brown, Turner, Kentfield, AMW, B.Brown I think there's 8 unavailable: Lever, Spargo, (Gus), Hunter, Melksham, Schache, Hore, (Smith) That leaves 20 for the firsts: May, JVR, Salem, McVee, Petracca, Windsor, Viney, Gawn, Oliver, Langdon, Bowey, Howes, Rivers, TMac, ANB, Fritsch, Sparrow, Petty, Pickett, Chandler That means JVR and Howes likely definite ins. And at least 4 of those 16 listed for Casey will be in or emergency too. Would not be surprised if it's all 5 named on the Casey bench: S. McAdam (19), A. Tomlinson (20), T. Woewodin (40), D. Turner (42), J. Billings (14)

JVR has made it. It's Jefferson, Kentfield and Verrall (who could be genuine ruck/forward)

Petty is out of form but he's a gun and I'm confident he can make it as a KPF. If he doesn't he's the ideal May replacement. Hope we re-sign him soon.

The biggest current issue for Jefferson's development is the logjam of KPFs at Casey: BB, Fullarton, Schache and now Kentfield, and with Melksham to return soon. I'm not lamenting the big picture, after last year's unfortunate lack of KPF in finals due to injury I can understand he FD overcompensating. I'm fully behind having developing KPF in the hopper - as I've posted elsewhere, we need one of Jefferson, Verrall or Kentfield to make it and that doesn't feel like too many candidates. BB and Schache will be gone next year which will solve this issue, but right now there's a glut. We should play Schache in the backline, Fullarton can support Verrall in the ruck. It would probably be ideal if BB pulled the pin but I think that's unlikely.

Incredibly unlikely IMO. Clarrie has been going OK, just not at his usual sensational best. With the bye one week away I will be amazed if anyone is out "managed". When was the last time that happened at selection for us?

Ask yourself where's the biggest hole.

As I posted above, I hope we're making a strong play for Moyle who is a big unit who won't be moved off the line and follows up well at the stoppage with tackles and clearance. Witts is GC captain and is a year younger than Max, and they have Read coming through, although he may be more forward-ruck - staying at GC with all that list talent is probably a sound option for him. If he would move there's the question of would he come to Melbourne after the Grundy experience but I think we are as good an option as anywhere for him to inherit the #1 ruck mantle. Max is the oldest #1 outside of Goldstein and Stanley, who both already have good proteges in Draper and Conway. Collingwood is an attractive option because they will play two rucks and Cameron is competitive forward. There's the Dogs if English leaves but that seems unlikely. It's hard to know Max's mind, he might like to forge on for 2-3 years or he might just say ruck-it, I'm done at the end of this year and go and enjoy life without a totally busted body. Adelaide: O'Brien 28y9m, Strachan Brisbane: McInerney 29y10m, Fort 30y10m Carlton: Pittonet 28y, De Koning Collingwood: Cameron 28y10m, Cox 33y 2m Essendon: Goldstein 35y11m, Draper, Bryan Fremantle: Darcy 25y11m, Jackson GWS: Briggs 24y8m, Preuss Geelong: Stanley 33y6m, Conway Gold Coast: Witts 31y8m, Moyle, Read Hawthorn: Meek 26y1m, Reeves 25y7m MFC: Gawn 32y5m, Verrall North: Xerri 25y2m, Teakle Port: Soldo 28y1m, Sweet 26y4m Richmond: Nankervis 29y9m, Naismith 31y10m St.Kilda: Marshall 28y6m, Campbell 32y7m Sydney: Grundy 30y1m, Ladhams 26y4m West Coast: Flynn 26y8m, Williams, Barnett Dogs: English 26y9m, Lobb 31y3m I'd make Moyle a very good offer because I think a capable Max replacement is #1 priority. I've suggested elsewhere that we've got enough developing KP in the hopper: Turner, Jefferson, Verrall, Adams and Kentfield to complement Lever, Petty and JVR. And I think we've got enough untapped midfield potential in Salem, Pickett, Rivers and McVee to complement Petracca, Oliver and Viney. It sounds like a midfielder heavy draft coming up so we could pick up someone there.

Witts/Read, ROB/Strachan, Cameron/Cox (old) and Begg (miles off)

Ideal get IMO. Massive unit who can't be moved off the line and follows up strongly with tackles and clearance. I'd pay a lot.