Whispering_Jack

Not quite Half Time in the Carlton VFL game, the Blues are 4 goals down. Harley Reid’s stats - 4 kicks, 0 handballs, 0 marks, 2 tackles.

IMO it shouldn’t be a question. You try to get the wins on the board early to set up your season and finish in the top four after round 24. I know that football’s all about taking things one week at a time but looking ahead at our next few weeks I would be very disappointed if we weren’t in first or second spot before the break for the bye. As for tonight, I think it’s time to lift ourselves back to the form we showed at the start of the season when we overran the Bulldogs in Round 1.

Whenever I read about players training away from the main group, I get the feeling that there’s a mystery injury of the week brewing. When the player in question has been named in a position with which he’s not usually familiar, the feeling grows in intensity. Bayley Fritsch at CHB? No way. The stage is being set for someone like Daniel Turner to slip into defence and hopefully return to the form he was showing in the first half of last year’s QB block buster (with no injuries this time please).

IN Buntine Duursma Laurie, Melksham J Smith White OUT Edwards Grey Neocleous Simpson Shepherd Valentine

Harley Reid is available to line up for Carlton in his first VFL match this weekend due to his Coates League team having a bye. Let’s see how he performs for the Blues. Also, Zane Duursma could be in the Casey Demons lineup to play Box Hill Hawks at Wonthaggi on Sunday.

But you’re missing the point bub. The question is about the worth of the player not which club was ever going to get him. Daicos was the real standout #1 player in that draft and an equivalent to the Harley Reid of 2023.

Let’s wind the clock back two years and ask yourself whether you would rather have:- • Nick Daicos (taken at pick 4) OR • Mac Andrew (5), Neil Erasmus (10) and Angus Sheldrick (18) Your answer please.

Yes, brother of Jacob who reckons he could have kicked more goals but for his inaccuracy.

If the Dockers stay where they are, we get picks 6, 16, 25 and 35.

Titus chimes in:- Fremantle (69) v Western Bulldogs (118) First, can I apologise for the lack of columns recently, I’ve been unwell. So unwell that last week I lost my voice completely. This was welcomed as a blessing for those that deal directly with me. Luckily, I’m on the mend, but my doctor says I may need to start thinking about something called ‘exercise’ and eating exotic foods like fruit and vegetables. It’s a credit to the Dockers that by round six they can give off serious ‘season already over’ vibes.

There’s a nice WA connection between the lads in those pictures. Kalani’s dad Jeff, played three seasons with the Fremantle Dockers in their formative years in the AFL. Kozzie was born and bred there but went with his family to SA and was recruited from there and JvR was drafted from Claremont Colts in the WAFL. Hopefully, they will all be teammates terrorizing opponents in the red and blue on the MCG in the near future.

The five day break between games will influence selection this week, ahead of yet another interstate trip the week after. Luke Dunstan, James Harmes and Daniel Turner are all in the mix for selection along with Josh Schache who was rested this week. The first post match training session will determine which players get managed this week. We’re in the fortunate position of not only having the playing depth and being able to afford to use it but we don’t want to get too arrogant just because we’re up against North.

Richmond were alright tonight. I think they should win enough games to finish ahead of the Dockers this year.

John Ralph reporting in the online Herald Sun ~ Melbourne star Kysaiah Pickett closing in on four-year deal

If Melbourne puts the same application in tomorrow night as most of their counterparts at Casey, we’ll be moaning about a similar outcome. That was poor today.

The two young blokes who have been playing with the Stingrays aren’t contributing a great deal to date. Kyah Faris-White has 7 hit outs but otherwise no touches or tackles. Cooper Simpson, just the one handball.

CASEY DEMONS vs RICHMOND Sunday 23 April, 1:35pm, Casey Fields Head-to-head: Richmond 6-5. At Casey Fields: 1-1. Streak: Casey Demons 2 CASEY DEMONS B: J. Adams (26), A. Tomlinson (20), D. Smith (34) HB: M. Gregory (57), D. Turner (42), B. Howes (22) C: R. Steele (54), J. Harmes (4), T. Woewodin (40) HF: J. Melksham (18), J. Schache (19), A. Moniz-Wakefield (45) F: T. McDonald (25), B. Brown (50), O. Sestan (38) R: J. Bell (73), L. Dunstan (27), B. Laurie (16) INT: T. Edwards (58), H. Neocleous (75), K. Farris-White (43), C. Simpson (62)*, M. Jefferson (21) EMG: M. Shepherd (77), G. Grey (68), T. McRae (76), T. Freeman (67), R. Baldi (56), R. Valentine (65) IN: B. Brown, K. Farris-White, T. McDonald, J. Melksham, C. Simpson, A. Tomlinson OUT: P. Cross (injured), T. Freeman, G. Grey, M. Shepherd, T. Sheridan, R. Valentine RICHMOND B: L. Teal (66), M. El Nour (57), J. Bauer (43) HB: M. Clohesy (76)*, T. Bracher (74), B. Cooper (78) C: A. Johnson (51), L. Street (55), S. Banks (41) HF: B. Melville (54), G. McDonagh (53), S. Green (48) F: A. May (71), B. B-McGillen (82), J. Nathan (65) R: T. Brindley (61), T. Dow (27), J. Ross (5) INT: C. Olden (58), M. Faimalo (64), F. Elliot (67), J. Trezise (68), A. Hicks (52) EMG: W. Bravo (70), L. Hill (81), L. Johnson (59) IN: A. Hicks, B. Melville, J. Ross OUT: W. Bravo, L. Hill, L. Johnson

Deakyn Smith (#34)

Both youngsters did the AFL Academy work experience training at the Demons during the pre season and both were impressive.

There is a paywall but because The Code has an affiliation with the Herald Sun, this article or parts of it may well appear there shortly. AFL Draft 2023: Every player rated 1-10 from AFL Academy showcase The writer is on page with everyone else who has given Harley Reid a massive tick as the firm favourite for the #1 pick. “Harley Reid - 9/10 Midfielder/forward, 185cm, Bendigo Pioneers/Vic Country 22 disposals, seven clearances, six marks, five inside 50s, one goal, 111 SuperCoach points Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell was watching on in Mount Barker and Reid put on a show for him in the opening half. The No. 1 pick favourite was clearly best on to that point with 15 disposals, six clearances, five inside 50s and a goal to the main break, and his goal summed up his matchwinning ability. Reid leapt high to clunk a strong overhead mark under close defensive checking and converted the banana set shot from 20m on the boundary. But Reid, who turned 18 on Monday, lost his cool at times in the third term. He conceded a goal after giving away a free kick and 50m penalty and got into a scuffle on the deck on the boundary line after fending off a strong Port Adelaide opponent. The Tongala talisman faded a touch by his lofty standards but still finished as the No. 1 ranked player for the Academy with 111 SuperCoach points, 22 disposals (18 of those effective), seven clearances, six marks and five inside 50s.”

Speaking of Ziggy, he was in the goals again at the weekend with three goals in the Stingrays’ 34 point win over the GWV Rebels. MFC’s NGA ruckman Kyah Farris-White topped the hitouts in that game with 17 and had 9 touches. He’s learning. In father/son action, Kynan Brown had 18 touches and kicked a goal for the Oakleigh Chargers against the Sydney Swans while Noah Yze also kicked a goal.

Fremantle came back last night from 23 points down at the halfway point of Q3. We need to adjust our game and not be so cocky when going forward.

There’s a game on today at Mount Barker that’s part of the Gather Round festivities involving the AFL Academy players which will help sort out the main contenders for this year’s draft. 2023 draft guns on show in AFL Academy v Port Adelaide SANFL clash AFL Academy guns set to take on Port Adelaide

This is probably the first time in several seasons that Casey have gone into a game without both “heart and soul” players in Mitch White and James Munro but to offset that they have a few Demons with a lot to prove and some up and coming Casey players to make this an interesting contest.