Whispering_Jack

Mid Season Review - Justin Plapp

Looking at the selected teams for the AFL and VFL for this weekend, it would appear that our stocks are improving considerably. With 16 players named out at Casey on top of the 22 playing today for the Demons, our injury list is down to 6:- * the trio who are out for the season and * Dean Kent * Christian Salem, and * Sam Frost Things are looking up for a better finish to the season than last year.

What a refreshing change for a Friday night game? Carlton's playing tonight.

Rogers really wasted a perfect opportunity for a big score and I guess I'll have to wait for the replay to comment on Clark and Voges. Starc would be a bad loss in the second innings.

The rule was a maximum of 12 but no longer applies.

Would be worth watching if there wasn’t other stuff on - Potential No.1 draft picks Jacob Weitering and Josh Schache set to lock horns

I'm really expecting our two rookies, Max King and Mitch White to play back in the development league game this weekend - purely for team balance reasons.

Yup ... it keeps getting worse with news of a Force 10 hurricane about to hit the state.

Even more distressing is this item:

Although the Essendon crowd is claiming that the sudden decline in form is related to the ASADA/WADA goings on, it's interesting to note that the Bombers have only introduced one new player to date in 2015. They've been relying on the same old, same olds - possibly to some extent because of limitations on recruiting with other clubs reluctant to trade for their players but a large measure of the problem seems to be the reluctance to introduce new blood to an aging list.

Nothing stands in Harmes' way

Redleg, you might be interested to know that according to the Geelong Advertiser, no return date has been set for Geelong "star" Mitch Clark who is sttill battling a calf injury.

Confused? This is the one from the MFC. Sam Frost now out to 5 weeks. Melbourne injury list: round 15 Angus Brayshaw (neck) – test Sam Frost (toe) – 5 weeks Jack Grimes (thumb) – test Dean Kent (hamstring) – 2 weeks Heritier Lumumba (toe) – test Cameron Pedersen (wrist) – season Christian Petracca (knee) – season Christian Salem (hamstring) – 3 weeks Jack Trengove (foot) – season Aaron vandenBerg (hamstring) – test

Disposal stats from the game. James Harmes had one disposal less than the great Jimmy Bartel. Great effort. Jack Fitzpatrick 17 disposals 9 kicks 8 hand passes 8 marks 6 tackles 1 hit out 89 dream team points James Harmes 1 behind 29 disposals 13 kicks 16 hand passes 6 marks 11 tackles 135 dream team points Jayden Hunt 3 goals 1 behind 12 disposals 9 kicks 3 hand passes 6 marks 1 tackle 74 dream team points Mark Jamar 1 goal 13 disposals 11 kicks 2 hand passes 4 marks 2 tackles 38 hit outs 96 dream team points Max King 3 behinds 11 disposals 9 kicks 2 hand passes 3 marks 6 tackles 12 hit outs 76 dream team points Oscar McDonald 9 disposals 7 kicks 2 hand passes 2 marks 31 dream team points Jordie McKenzie 1 goal 28 disposals 14 kicks 14 hand passes 3 marks 9 tackles 120 dream team points Viv Michie 26 disposals 20 kicks 6 hand passes 5 marks 4 tackles 104 dream team points Ben Newton 2 goals 1 behind 18 disposals 10 kicks 8 hand passes 1 mark 8 tackles 95 dream team points Dean Terlich 19 disposals 11 kicks 8 hand passes 2 marks 4 tackles 69 dream team points

The last name on the list is likely to be the first to be picked. “KADE STEWART​ South Fremantle Midfielder 179cm​Resembles: Matt Priddis A hard and tough left-footed inside midfielder, Stewart is ultra-competitive with good skills, clean hands, and makes good decisions around stoppages. We first saw him at the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships where he averaged 20 disposals, 14 contested possessions and six clearances, winning his state's MVP. In 2014 he played four NAB AFL Under-18 Championship games, averaging 13 disposals, six contested possessions, five tackles and three clearances. Around these Championships, he played a full season at Colts level and from his 16 matches averaged 18 disposals, 11 contested possessions, four tackles and five clearances. FREAKO: WA's No.1 2015 prospect. Love his competitiveness and tackling pressure.” “STEPHEN TAHANA​ North Adelaide Defender 182cm​ Resembles: Brent Reilly Tahana had an exceptional 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships, averaging 11 disposals, seven contested possessions and four tackles. He was subsequently recognised as his state's MVP. A lock-down and rebounding medium defender, he is very disciplined and competes well at both ground-level and in the air. In 2013 he also played 10 SANFL Under-18 games and two reserves matches. At the 2014 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships he played four matches with modest averages of nine disposals and four contested possessions, whilst at SANFL level, he played 14 reserves and two League matches with his best performance coming against Glenelg in the reserves, where he amassed 24 disposals, 11 contested possessions and four tackles. FREAKO: Needs to improve his kicking but courageous and runs straight at the bail.” “DARCY TUCKER​ North Ballarat Rebels Midfielder 180cm Resembles: Shaun Atley Athletic and with a good turn of speed, Tucker uses the ball effectively on both sides of his body and can play in various positions. He wins his own ball in the contest, has good awareness and vision in traffic and is very composed. In 2013 he played at the NAB AFL Under-16 Championships and also played four TAC Cup matches at the end of the season. In 2014 he played three NAB AFL Under-18 Championship matches before getting injured, averaging an elite 21 disposals and 17 uncontested possessions. These performances saw him selected in the All-Australian team. At TAC Cup level he played eight matches where he averaged 19 disposals, five marks and 13 uncontested possessions per game. FREAKO: Reads the play well and has speed and endurance to burn. Will be a jet!” “JACK WATSON​ Swan Districts Defender 191cm Resembles: Scott Thompson (NM) Watson is a strongly built key defender who is solid in a contest and has good closing speed. He played every match at Colts level in 2014, however, missed the grand final with glandular fever. His season averages included 15 disposals, four marks, six contested possessions and three rebound 50s. These performances resulted in him being selected in the Colts Team of the Year. FREAKO: Consistently gets the job done. Haven't seen much of him but like what we see.” “JACOB WEITERING Dandenong Stingrays Defender 190cm Resembles: Lachie Henderson Weitering is a versatile and athletic tall defender who reads the game well and is very strong in mark contests. He has good endurance, is a good decision maker and can also play as a key forward. He averaged 15 disposals and five marks at the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships. In 2014 he played two matches at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and at TAC Cup level played 13 matches for Dandenong to average 16 disposals, six marks and six contested possessions. FREAKO: Good in defence and also dangerous up forward one-on-one. A great balance!”

The next group in the AFL Prospectus 2015 Top 25 is my personal favourite. I'm an optimist so I think the shack attack would be out of our reach but how good would the combination of Hogan and Schache be in years to come? On the other hand, I think we're in the range that might allow us to secure a classy mid like Parish. Then again, our recruiting people might trade and give up some draft positioning in order to get an established player so this could all be moot. "DARCY PARISH Geelong Falcons Mid/Fwd 178cm Resembles: David Zaharakis Parish is a midfielder/forward who has a great attitude and thrives on a challenge. A good decision maker, his endurance and work rate allows him to continually get to get to the contest and accumulate possessions. At the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships he averaged 19 disposals, six inside 50s and three clearances per game. In 2014 he played 14 TAC Cup games, averaging an elite 23 disposals, 14 uncontested possessions and four inside 50s. In five games at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, he averaged 16 disposals, 10 uncontested possessions, four inside 50 and an elite 378 metres gained per game. As a result, he gained All-Australian selection. ​FREAKO: Good on either side of his body. A proven performer so far." "JAMES PARSONS Eastern Ranges Mid / Def 185cm Resembles: Mitch Duncan An excellent student of the game, Parsons is a midfielder/ defender who reads the play well and uses his athleticism to great advantage. A good decision maker who knows when to zone off, he has clean hands and an excellent leap. In 2013, he played at the NAB AFL Under-16 Championships and also debuted for one late season TAC Cup match. In 2014 he played 14 TAC Cup matches where he averaged 13 disposals, five marks and three inside 50s. He also played one NAB AFL Under-18 Championship match against South Australia where he racked up 15 disposals and four marks. FREAKO: Recruiters love the term 'upside', and he has plenty of it!" "JOSHUA SCHACHE Murray Bushrangers Forward 196cm Resembles: Tom J. Lynch A promising left-foot key forward who can also ruck, Schache is strong on the lead and has good hands. He is very athletic for his size, reads the flight of the ball very well and is a more than reliable set shot at goal. In 2013 he played three NAB AFL Under-16 Championship matches and also played two TAC Cup matches at the end of the season. In 2014 he played two matches for Victoria Country at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships while at TAC Cup level, he played a further 15 matches averaging 11 disposals, five marks, and booting 27 goals. FREAKO: A big 2015 ahead. Needs to continue his improvement to ensure the game doesn't pass him by." "SAM SKINNER​ Gippsland Power Defender 193cm Resembles: Jackson Trengove A developing key defender who can also pinch-hit in the ruck, Skinner has great endurance and the ability to counter-attack. He reads the play well and knows when to zone off and contest. Averaging nine disposals and three marks at the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships, he was awarded Victoria Country's MVP award. He played three games at the 2014 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, while in the TAC Cup he played 14 matches, averaging nine disposals and three marks. FREAKO: Improved again in 2014 and could even play forward. Bring on 2015." "JORDAN SNADDEN​ East Fremantle Midfielder 187cm​ Resembles: Dyson Heppell Snadden is a smooth moving left footed midfielder who is excellent in one-on-one contests and around the stoppages. He played three matches at Colts level in 2013 and in 2014 played a further 16 matches where he averaged 21 disposals, nine contested possessions, four marks and five clearances. When pushing forward, he kicked 11 goals for the season. FREAKO: Level-headed, a great size, and has plenty of upside."-

Terry Wallace's first post Championships Top 20 on TAC Cup Future Stars and Balic is still the man for Melbourne according to Plough: 1. Brisbane - Joshua Schache 2. Gold Coast - Jacob Weitering 3. Carlton - Aaron Francis 4. GWS* - Jacob Hopper 5. Sydney* - Callum Mills 6. Melbourne - Harley Balic 7. St. Kilda - Rhys Mathieson 8. Essendon - Charlie Curnow 9. Port Adelaide - Sam Weideman 10. North Melbourne - Darcy Parish 11. Geelong - Harry McKay 12. Adelaide - Luke Partington 13. Western Bulldogs - Darcy Tucker 14. Richmond - Riley Bonner 15. Brisbane* - Ben Keays 16. Collingwood - Kieran Collins 17. Hawthorn - Callum Ah Chee 18 Sydney - Jade Gresham 19. Brisbane* - Eric Hipwood 20. West Coast - Josh Dunkley * Academy bid

Some handy players again in this selection and again, a couple of good ones from interstate academies. "DANIEL HOUSTON Oakleigh Chargers Midfielder 186cm Resembles: Will Hoskin-Elliott Houston is a leading forward who is good overhead and can push up into the midfield and have an impact. He has clean hands, is a good decision maker and reads the play well. He played one TAC Cup match in 2013 and in 2014 between school commitments, played a further 13 matches for Oakleigh including the Premiership, to end the season with averages of 11 disposals, five marks and three inside 50s. His best performance of the season came against Queensland in Round 4 where he had 15 disposals, five marks and a club season-high seven goals. FREAKO: Has a bit of class and uses the ball extremely well." "BEN KEAYS Morningside Midfielder 183cm Resembles: Brett Deledio A member of the Brisbane Lions' Academy, left-footer Keays is a super competitive midfield ball-magnet who loves winning the contested ball, but can also hurt the opposition with his run-and-carry. He dominated the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships for Queensland, averaging 23 disposals and was awarded their MVP. At the 2014 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships his averages of 23 disposals, 15 uncontested possessions and five tackles were all elite, resulting in him again being named his state's MVP as well as earning All-Australian honours. He rounded off his season with 10 NEAFL matches with Southport (four games) and Redland (six). FREAKO: Already a star. A standout in every competition we've watched him in." "RHYS MATHIESON Geelong Falcons Mid/Fwd 183cm Resembles: Dustin Martin Tough and competitive, with plenty of natural ability. Mathieson reads the game extremely well and competes equally well in the air as at ground level. In 2013 he won the Kevin Sheehan medal for the best Division One player at the NAB AFL Under-16 Championships. In 2014 he backed it up, playing 14 TAC Cup matches where he averaged 19 disposals, 11 contested possessions and five clearances. At the 2014 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, he played five matches and again produced elite averages of 21 disposals, 10 contested possessions and six clearances. These performances gained him All-Australian honours at the end of the Championships. FREAKO: Absolutely love this kid. Has attitude and continue backs it up." "CALLUM MILLS​ North Shore Midfielder 186cm Resembles: Dayne Beams A natural leader who understands the game extremely well, Mills is a strong inside midfielder who thrives on the contest. He has clean hands and can push forward to impact the scoreboard. In 2013 as captain of NSW/ACT, he won the Alan McLean medal for the best Division Two player at the NAB AFL Under-16 Championships as well as his state's MVP. His outstanding form continued at the 2014 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, where his averages were all elite - 21 disposals, nine contested possessions and five clearances. He was included in the NAB AFL Under-18 All-Australian team and rounded off the season with six NEAFL matches for the Swans. FREAKO: Heeney one year, Swans love their Academy!" "NICK O'KEARNEY Calder Cannons Midfielder 179cm Resembles: Brent Harvey O'Kearney is a left-footed natural midfielder who has a strong understanding of the game and reads the play extremely well. Hard at the ball and with good leadership qualities, he captained Vic Metro at the 2013 NAB AFL Under-16 Championships, averaging 23 disposals, 11 contested possessions and four marks per match. These performances resulted in him winning Vic Metro's MVP. In 2014 he played 17 TAC Cup matches with elite averages of 26 disposals, 10 contested possessions, 16 uncontested possessions and five clearances. He also played two NAB AFL Under-18 Championship games where he averaged 15 disposals, while on grand final day he starred against the Allies rackingup 22 uncontested possessions and 29 disposalsfrom limited game-time with the AIS team. FREAKO: Very rarely does a bottom-ager win his TAC Cup club's B&F - he did! Gun!"

I have received a suggestion that we create a separate thread for those wanting to express their sympathies, shock and condolences to the family and leave the other open for discussion on the cause of his death and the aftermath. I think it's a good idea and also it's appropriate to start things off with a tribute from Walsh's captain in his only season as coach at the Crows. Taylor Walker pays tribute to the love he felt for coach Phil Walsh Please post your messages of condolence, support for his family and friends and articles of tribute here.

The football community has united not only over the tragic passing of Phil Walsh but on a lesser scale but with no less grief and passion for their loss, these communities gathered together at their sporting places to mourn teenagers Jason Breakwell, Sharn Walker and Felisha Allen who lost their lives when the car they were in hit a tree last week. Rivalries aside, the hills community stands as one. Such is life and such is death.

Traditionally, we play poorly the week after our trip to the Top End so I would make plenty of changes to ensure the team that runs our against Essendon next week has fresh legs and is capable of running out the game. As well as Max Gawn has played since he came back into the side, I would rest both he and Jake Spencer by returning both back to Casey for this week and replacing them with Mark Jamar and Jack Fitzpatrick. Angus Brayshaw was due for a rest and even if he comes up after his head and neck injury, let him have the week off. Rohan Bail and Matt Jones had poor games and the deck chairs can be rearranged this week with any of Jay Kennedy-Harris, Viv Michie, Ben Newton or Aidan Riley. I'm keeping Alex Neal-Bullen and Billy Stretch in the team so I'm inclined to make James Harmes to wait that extra week before making his debut. Anyone know when Jack Grimes and Heritier Lumumba are due back?

After tonight that would be the second most disgraceful display from umpires you've seen - surely?

The loss of Lumumba before the game and then Brayshaw in the opening minutes was telling. We lost two players who can move the ball through the lines quickly ... and by having one to use our sub early, we were always going to be behind in our energy levels at the end.

Jayden Hunt joins Papley on 3 goals and it's out to a 47 point lead late in the game.

Papley now has three goals and the margin is getting to the very comfortable stage - 7 goals. With the wind now blowing across the ground, Geelong's chances have gone.