Nasher

24 touches, with 3:1 kicks to handballs as a minimum? Not one player in our side has achieved anything close to that even once this year. The only players to have more than 24 touches in a game are Viney x3, Jones N x2, Vince x2, Oliver and Bugg - and in all cases other than Vince, the ratio of kicks to handballs was either close to square, or heavily favoured handballs. To really spell it out, these are the players who have had 18 kicks in a game this year: Vince in round 2, and Vince in round 3. That's it. It'd be nice if we could check that what we're demanding as a par performance was at least semi-reasonable, especially when applying it to a developing 20 year old playing off half back. Sheesh.

Probably my favourite aspect is that he seems to play at the same standard every week. He'll rarely get the 6 in the Demonland POTY, but always seems in the thoughts of people for the low votes. Underrated ball user too for mine. Rarely wastes it when he gets it.

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for him to "explode". What we're seeing is what he is - a defender who gives a contest, and is a very reliable user of the ball. I think with confidence in himself as a defender and his teammates he'll increase he'll slowly increase his rate of attack, but I can't see him ever being a 30 possession a game ball magnet. As others have said though, he's incredibly dependable with ball in hand.

Harsh, I reckon. It was disappointing, but I just put it down to trying to get going quickly knowing he was chasing someone with serious pace. He might have avoided it by going half a notch slower, but I doubt the chase would have much impact if he went at anything but full pace against Varcoe.

It's a long season, players will tire and get injured. ANB will get his chance, just needs to keep playing as he is to ensure he remains at the head of the queue.

I don't think anyone thinks if you just wait for all your players to turn 27, they'll magically be good. Age is still a good indicator though; if your side is full of 27+ year olds, as you allude to, you've probably got a list that is in its peak. Those players who are 27+ are all going to be better than they were when they were 22-24, which most of our players are. You haven't really disproven the link between success and age at all. I would have thought most people understand that the key ingredient to contending for a flag is having lots of good players on your list.

Players recruited as mature age players are always going to be the exception to the rule. Generally age correlates with experience; if you sort our side from the weekend in order of matches played, Jones and Pedersen the only two in the under 70 games bracket (which comprised of 18 players) that aren't in the 18-22 year old age bracket. Even if you exclude them, it is still without a doubt an inexperienced side. Our median player had 55 games. Tom McDonald also seems to be experienced beyond his years with 86 games up his sleeve at 23; he is easily on 250 game pace and is a chance for 300 if his body continues to hold up.

Not sure if joking, or just failed to read the thread, including the three posts directly before this one...

Good question. As someone pointed out in the post-match thread, you'd be pretty upset if the umpire called "touched - play on" so your defenders shepherded it through, only for the review to reveal it wasn't touched. Once the field umpire has yelled "touched - play on" then the "touched" part should not be in question because the players have already acted up on it. The umpire should be informing the goal umpire that the kick was touched and that is the end of it. The score reviews really should only be for reviewing elements inside the goal umpire's jurisdiction.

For it not to stand as an improvement, you infer that Brayshaw is more important to the side than Vince or Garlett. Vince, on present form, adds more to the side than Brayshaw, ergo, improvement. That doesn't mean Brayshaw adds nothing, just less than Vince. There might be an alternative that adds more even still without removing Brayshaw, though I haven't yet seen you put it forward (apologies if you have).

Surely it's evident by now that nobody "wants" anyone dropped. Bottom line is we've got at least one and possibly two of our best players ready to go, and someone unlucky soul will have to part. I really don't like the emotive words people use around selection. "Want dropped". "Doesn't derserve it". There's only 22 places in the side and sometimes we can improve it even when there wasn't anything particularly wrong with it. It's not personal, and I'm sure most players understand that, but some fans seem to want to make it so.

Gadammit! I was totally saving that joke for a game when both McDonalds were playing.

You've got to wonder about their judgement over there. Kennedy so far has looked fantastic, but was underutilized over there and sold cheaply.

Bugg would be the first player of all time to be dropped after a 29 possession, 9 tackle game. I know he's got his limitations, but getting the ball, or tackling the opposition when you don't get the ball, are fairly handy skills that we'd like in our side, I'd have thought.

Freo and Carlton playing off for outright last next week. Who would have thought that at the start of the year?

41 for Terlich and 38 for Michie, if you don't mind. 9 marks, 3 goals for Weideman is also very exciting. Sounds like there was some very impressive performances - I count 6 players who could be in AFL grade form - and not one of them will get a promotion in all likelihood. Pressure and competition for spots - what a novel concept.

Absolutely loving this partnership. I think they are too. They seem to be somewhat interchangeable too - both are capable of playing up the ground delivering to the other, or playing deep forward. Keep it up boys!

I know it's hard this week, but I just can't come at Matt Jones being left out on current form. If Garlett is fit, I think there's a higher chance of Brayshaw coming out - he appeared to me to be playing a deep forward role - Matt Jones is playing a run up and down the wings role with high game time (although not so much this week). I can understand why there'd be reluctance to do this though - Brayshaw is a good player and he should be and will be in front of Matt Jones before too long. I don't really like it either but I'm struggling to come up with an answer. So glad I don't have to pick this week. I agree that Hunt for Vince has to be done, but whoever goes for Garlett is seriously unlucky. You've got to feel for ANB - he has kicked the door in only to find machine gun toting Rambos on the inside. No doubt his time will come though as the season goes on injuries and fatigue set in.

Surprised Bugg is not at least featuring in more "honourable mentions", if not the votes!

Last week: 179-35-511.42% This weeK: 300-100-300%

It wasn't that long ago that one Max Gawn was in and out of the side, lacked confidence and had butter sticks for fingers. Last year a switch finally flicked during the Geelong game and he's clunked them ever since. I sincerely believe that Frost's hands will get stickier, and his kicks will get straighter as his confidence improves. There was already a notable improvement between the first half and the second half today. He's got all the required attributes, he just hasn't been able to stitch it all together yet - purely due to confidence I think.

69% TOG too - only Kennedy played less. Incidentally, Kennedy had it 22 times on 65% TOG. I was in favour of giving Oliver a rest, but it would have to be with his feet up. It would probably be inhumane (to the opposition) to play him in the VFL.

I wonder when the last time a team won by over 50 points and dropped over 200 percentage points in the same round?

He'll play some good games for the Pies (eventually, snigger), but wasn't that just such a Howe game? The worst passenger in a terrible team. I'm so glad he's someone else's frustration now.

Serious answer: early gut feel says rest Oliver, and send Hunt back to Casey. It makes me squirm omitting Hunt off the back of a seriously solid debut, but I can't mount a case for anyone else. All our other somewhat marginal players such as Bugg were excellent today. Appreciated the laugh from the Lumumba droppers though. I love what he's adding to the side at the moment.