drdrake

Time, we are giving young kids time to develop. This is something we completely failed at from a long period, we continued to rush kids that weren't ready. The old line of we just need to get games into our kids is true but it doesn't need to be at AFL level. We have a crop of kids that have been developed in the VFL, Harmes, Stretch, Hunt add ANB and we aren't afraid to send kids back to learn. A few years back Oliver would have never been dropped back and Weiderman would have already played. The only kid that I see as in the deep end is O McDonald which is a bit of an whack at Garland and Dunn, they should be holding down that third tall defender role, wouldn't mind if Pederson was given a run at that role as well

There are Key moments in a game where we cry out for someone to grab it by the throat and win the game. We still don't have that player, I think we have one in the making with Petracca but at the moment we don't. N Jones free kick middle of the ground goes 50m sideways to a 2 on 2, that summed up our evening, when it mattered our senior players made some very basic and poor decisions, Vince was woeful, Dawes massive liability. I remember a three quarter time checking stats on my phone, the telling one was Tackles inside 50m, Adelaide had 11 and we had 4, the match finished up 12 to 7, the ball gets out of our forward 50m to easy. Garlett has really good with his forward pressure, it just seemed to me when to ball came out to easy.

I reckon Dawes for Spencer. Gawn is really starting to look done and I don't blame him he has rucked over 90% in every game we have played. Just play on really deep, they couldn't be any worse than brick hands

Actually had this conversation with AFl Vic and a suburban league about Junior coaches the other day. It is like the AFL draft a pure Lottery when a suburban club is looking for Junior coaches, you put it out there, advertise amongst parents and other methods and usually you get Crickets if lucky you might get 1 person to apply maybe two. You then need to hope that person isn't an ego or peanut and has some sort of coaching ability. Getting L1 coaching is just a time thing, I reckon no one ever fails as along as they attend you get your L1. The pressures on suburban clubs now are at all time highs.

Must admit I'm involved at Grass level Football, Auskick, Juniors and Seniors. The AFL and the suburban leagues come out with all the Social campaigns but really offer no support to local clubs. I think most Local Footballers are so disconnected with the AFL players that what they do has little to no effect on their behaviour. Young Kids yes they can but once you hit mid teens unless you are in the top percentage of kids you have no connection. Now with the VFL basically being an AFL seconds competition you second tear comp's in Victoria are basically your top division Suburban comps. To me this is where time and money needs to be spent in the suburban competitions ensuring clubs are supported to at least try to influence people on the right path. The volunteers at these clubs aren't skilled in dealing with Drugs, Domestic Violence and Gambling, jeez most clubs struggle to get people to run their club. I commend Jim Bartell for coming out and growing a beard against domestic violence but how many clubs has he gone out to talk to the young males and try to influence them, maybe he is doing this and I'm sure he is but that is what the AFL needs to do if they want to take this social responsibility serious. The stances the AFL take on these issues is lip service, that is all and it is about getting funding and grants and doing what is politically correct. Putting on themed rounds doesn't get down to the grass roots and that is where you need to get the message across.

Nah full member, they have already sent me a renewal notice for 2017, order now to go into a draw for free membership.

I have always seen Jack as one of our most reliable defenders, hard at it, turns it over a bit but all in all held his own. He goes from our first choice HBF a couple of years ago to being behind Jetta, H, Salem, Wagner, Hunt even Mitchie has played down back. I really can't understand why the coaches don't rate him.

Have to say these numbers mean nothing. Western Bulldogs sent a message to every Auskicker and Junior Player in the Western Region offering free tickets to the West Coast game. I decide get these as I have family playing at West Coast. All of the sudden I get a membership welcome e-mail from the Western Bulldogs and so now I'm now a member of the Bulldogs. I bet the Bulldogs had a massive jump in membership numbers around the West Coast Game

There always has been a number of kids out of this area, Ovens and Murray and the Riverina are very strong AFL areas. What I have heard from people in that region, any kid that even looks like they have any ability GWS are signing to the academy. I also know that Victorian AFL clubs are getting set for their own zoned academies, with a few client hosting academy talent identification camps for kids 11-15yo over the school holidays. I reckon by the end of this year clubs all clubs will have these set up.

We are on an upward trend, lets face it we have been bottomed out for so long that we had to improve at some stage. Couple of positions still need to be addressed and as mentioned some outside speed but we have this on our list in Hunt, Salem, Kent, Harmes, add in Garlett, Kennedy and H you get another preseason into the younger guys so they can spend more time running higher up the ground. To compare players I reckon Hunt will become like Isaac Smith. The best thing this year we have 2 key position players developing their craft in the VFL we have that back up forwards. A couple of key defenders would be high on the wish list and another ruck option.

Would like to have all our mids in a race, there is no real speed in any of them line up Trengove, Jones, Oliver, Brayshaw, Vince, Tyson, Viney, ANB, Vandenberg, Mitchie and the rest of them there wouldn't be much difference over 30m, Viney would win. Trengove is OK 3 games getting the tempo yesterday he had 22 mates that look slow. His strength like most our mids is his contested ball, his marking and his running capacity.

Harmes for Kennedy Grimes for Vince(if Suspended)

We have beaten GWS, Collingwood twice, Richmond, Gold Coast and Brisbane. It is like 1998 we will need to beat West Coast at Subiaco plus another 6 matches.

The best thing is we have Hogan and I reckon a bloke that will be better than Stringer in Petracca

Well done, great to get him back. We all hope he stays fit and healthy for the rest of his carrier. He is a gun and we hope he can get back to the form we saw when he first came to the club.

That is our issue sides earn their goals against us between the 50m arcs, which Is the same as most clubs but we are to slow to react once sides work through the zone. Our defenders don't work hard enough to get back which leaves 2 and 3 against 1 open goals galore.

Have an Idea, most sides use a tall forward to go in as a second ruck, why don't we use a tall defender to follow them in. On that basis I would line up as Jetta T McDonald Frost Hunt Wagner Grimes Vince N Jones Stretch Watts Dawes Petracca Garlett Hogan Kent Gawn Viney Trengove Oliver, Tyson, Harmes, Bugg Out Garland, O McDonald, ANB, Newton, Kennedy in Frost, Grimes, Dawes, Trengove, Oliver Bugg to Bugg Mitchell all night, Grimes locks onto Rioli

Any side that can hit the target by foot consistently will beat us. We have to many holes in our zone, we seem to protect the flanks and wings and dare teams to take the kick through the corridor, if they hit that kick we are extremely exposed. Love to see the stat goals kicked against from with in 15m. We would be ranked Number , this is our biggest issue once a side gets through our zone that is set that high kicking the goal is very easy I would say 50% of goals against would be kicked from with in 15m from goal with 20-30% be kicked from the goal square.

Good topic, I think Jetta Frost O McDonald Wagner T McDonald Hunt Vince Jones Tyson Watts Dawes Petracca Garlett Hogan Kent Gawn Viney Oliver Kennedy Bugg Stretch Harmes Think it is important to play for finals in 2016 but also keep an eye on 2017 and which players we need to get games into to make us a real contender in 2017.

Must admit I have a lot more confidence in our small/mid size defenders than our talls. I can see Hunt, Wagner, Jetta and Salem, add in White as our key small/mid size defenders going forward and they will grow in confidence. The flip side the McDonalds, Garland and Dunn bit of a concern here. Oscar will be OK, his big brother needs to learn from Jetta and play with in his limitations. Garland has brain fades, same as Dunn. Frost needs to have a crack deep in defence.

North, both my kids are North members, will never go but North was offering free memberships at my kids school, the next week their free membership rocked up.

I said he can't kick at AFL standard, didn't say he couldn't kick, lets see how he goes this week but I reckon Brisbane will get 2 goals directly from a McDonald turnover or brain fade. That includes when he runs himself into trouble and puts a team mate under enormous pressure. Would be more goals but I think Brisbane will only kick 8 goals for the match.

Not sure I understand your post, you basically have agreed with everything I'm saying. My point is he can't kick at AFL standard, no good one on one but great at being third man up. Run and attack I don't think there is any Melbourne support that doesn't think Oh no what will Tom do with the ball when he gets it.

If you think this is nonsense you have never been in a review session. I will guarantee that Tom McDonald is the oppositions out man the bloke that if he gets it 25 times will turn it over 5 times which will directly result in a score. Teams identify the weakest link they can't cover everyone but they identify who they have to cover and Tom wouldn't be one. The another 5 touches will be him changing his mind 5 times and putting someone under extreme pressure with a get the ball off me disposal. Sorry, he needs to be told you are a key defender, not a third man up, stop the key forward kicking goals and taking marks, destroy the contest get the ball to ground and beat your man one on one. Simplify the game for him, don't think do

Get him in, the Buzz and excitement this will bring to the group will be amazing. He has earned his game get him and ANB in he is another that has really banged the door down