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#178
Posted 22 hours ago Vogon Poetry
I ventured to Casey yesterday against my better judgement because when you get a chance to see 17 Demons running around and the weather is good the lure is just too strong. Here's how I thought our blokes went. As always when making these comments remember that the ground is big and it's very hard to see exactly what's happening on the other side. There was a slight breeze blowing to the forward pocket at the northern end so that's where I stood.
Jack Viney: First clearance of the match and first kick was just great to see. He was harder and faster around the stoppages than everyone else and did a lot of the grunt stuff. Looked in good touch and was generally very clean and kicked the ball well when he got the opportunity. But he was heavily tagged for 3 quarters so he didn't find much space. I'd be stunned if he wasn't back next week.
Billy Stretch: I was a huge fan but was frustrated by his lack of improvement but yesterday I saw another side of Billy because instead of playing wing he played on ball, centre square and inside mid as well as outside. And he did it very well. He found the ball regularly, he had clean hands and pretty good decision making. Initially he found his kicks and handballs smothered but as the game went on and he got his confidence he got better and better. He's not as small as you might think and he's starting to use his body well in contested situations. Finished with a lovely goal and was one of, if not, the best on the ground. It is hard to see where he fits into the team though but will remain with us or in the AFL system based on yesterdays performace. His challange is to back it up. Promising signs but a way to go.
Frost: Played a solid game with some good contested marking at times and a bit of dash and continued to do what he does. He's a tweener at the moment, probably a bit too good for VFL but not good enough for AFL. Still prone to silly mistakes like letting the ball go over the back of packs when he's last up but was a good contributor on the day.
Pedersen: Full of fumbles I thought in the first half and not much of a contributor but stuck at it and played better as the game went on. A great mark in the second quarter and a good contributor. He played KPF and relief ruck.
JKH: Played mainly forward and didn't really get into the game much. Kicked the first goal of the match and I thought he might be in for a good one but faded and whilst he was far from poor he wasn't a major contributor. It's hard to see where he goes from here.
Harley Balic: He's an interesting player and one that if and when he plays senior footy for us will do it competently. Played mainly high forward and was very clean with the ball, found it well and kicked it well. Is capable above his head and knows where to run to provide options and find space. It was his first game back for a while and he'd be pretty pleased with it. It's hard to see where he fits in and will need some injuries to get a chance you'd think but when he plays he may well make it hard for whoever he replaces to get back in. I like him and think at present he's a terrific 23 to 30 player on the list but he might improve significantly over time. One to watch.
Jayden Hunt: Poor old Jayden. Looks bereft of confidence and really struggled to find the ball and get involved. He just needs to start to try and enjoy his footy again and concentrate on the basics. We all know what he can do but he didn't do it yesterday.
Tomas Bugg: I'm not a fan but there's no doubt he can play at this level. Started quite slowly but fought his way into the game and then really dominated it for a period where he kicked 3 goals quickly. They were at the other end to me so I can't really judge them but he was a good contributor in the typical Buggy way. It's really nice to see he's left the fake toughness behind and is just playing footy.
Oscar Baker: Played wing and did it well. I've seen him three time now live and yesterday was the best of them. In the past the major knock is a lack of composure and an inability to see options and take them. But yesterday was much better and he used the ball quite well. He runs hard and takes the game on and has clean hands. He goes hard for the ball too. My view is he's still a long way from senior selection but moving in the right direction. He certainly has some great attributes and he's great to watch and improving.
Harrison Petty: I love this kid and that's what he is, a kid. He reads the play really well, he reads the ball in the air really well and he's got sure hands above his head. And when he gets it he has good vision and executes really well. He was far from dominant yesterday but you can just tell he knows how to play footy and is a great prospect. Two more preseasons I reckon and we'll all be happy.
Jeff Garlett: It's hard to appreciate how quick he is unless you see it close hand. And it's hard to understand how he can see options in a sea of players as quickly as he does. But he does and was a clear cut above this level yesterday although he didn't get a lot of it. He applied pressure and provided options yesterday as well as spending some time on ball. Reality is he's a cut above Spargo at the moment (no criticism of Spargo) so I guess his selection will come down to how he's playing his role and whether Goody wants him back. But he will get back and he is in our best 22 when he's going.
Dion Johnstone: I think he's struggling at the moment and he played mainly back yesterday in what for me was a new role for him (I can't remember where he played against Richmond when I last saw him). He's tough and he has a go but he's struggling to find the ball and get involved. Hope he picks up but at the moment he's miles away.
Josh Wagner: Solid and hard at it and a very good VFL player who did his bit yesterday in a very good team effort. But he won't be pressing for a call up given yesterday's performance and that of the seniors.
Joel Smith: He's getting back if he isn't back already. I loved his game yesterday. He was involved, he was clean, he did things faster than almost everyone else, he ran well and he provided options and got into space as well as being strong in the air. His kicking is a weakness but I'd be very surprised if he doesn't press very hard for a game in the next month or so on that form. He's great to watch.
Tim Smith: I've watched Tim over a long period now and although he's played some good games I've never thought he had AFL attributes - until yesterday. He was fantastic I thought. Strong in the air, strong on the ground and found plenty of it. He's not called Bull for nothing and for the first time yesterday I thought he really could play AFL footy. Great game.
Dec Keilty: He played a really solid strong game without dominating. I didn't see him make a mistake and he took some solid marks. He was one of our three talls who, against good opposition, played their role well.
Lachlin Filipovic: I like this kid. He had to play against Ceglar who is a good near quality AFL ruckman and would replace McEvoy very competently. Flipper did well in the ruck but struggled around the ground and in the air against a much more mature player. But he does get involved and he has surprisingly good skills for a ruckman of his height and appears to make pretty good decisions. I'd be amazed if he's not retained as a long term development project because he's showing good attributes.
This was Vogon Poetry's post on the Casey match day thread and I thought it would be good to post it here for those who might have missed it.
If you want to get excited, please feel free to do so, as we are building a very good and deep list.
