Fat Tony

This game has reinforced a lot of my views. JVR is a defender playing forward (and is being played forward because he is a good set shot kick for goal). Jefferson is a bust. K Brown could make it. Sestan could make it. Howes is a good VFL player. Culley is way too slow. Campbell is a very good backup. Verrell is not strong enough or good enough at ground level. I don't think Adams is a good enough kick to make it. Overall, out list management decisions have been too conservative in turning the list over.

Howes has definitely struggled at AFL level this year and has made too many critical errors. In particular, fumbles and poor handballs. He needs to be ultra clean because he has no real penetration in his offence.

Dees are dominating but not on the scoreboard. Lever looks to be playing well. Howes is going well also. JVR has played well but has missed two long shots and is a very good VFL forward. (But I maintain he will be better as a defender in the AFL.) Jefferson has one goal (after nearly dropping the uncontested mark) and missed a earlier set shot and another one kicked into the man on the mark. He is a dopey footballer. Tholstrup just had his first kick and has been invisible. Casey 32 Southport 27

Losing Jackson arguably cost us the 2023 flag.

I don't think the 3.20pm slot on Sunday is a bad one to get. The Saturday night game is no longer as good as it was from a commercial perspective given the change in free to air games. Being sent to Tassie, Darwin, Alice or Ballarat for a foxtel game is what kills the club.

I can’t see him making it due to lack of effort unfortunately. He was a passenger yesterday.

We won the clearances by 38-27, Newcombe had a quiet day and Oliver had 85% disposal efficiency. Isn’t that what really matters?

Hopefully we get a four quarter effort and some Kossie magic today.

We need another great game from Max to win this. He’s. been able to dominate Reeves, but Meek will be a tougher matchup.

Jackson is 28th in the AFL for Player Rating despite being played out of position for a huge chunk of game time. He is definitely worth the money.

Just to highlight how well Turner played, he had a player rating of 24.0 and Gawn had a rating of 24.1.

Kolt is definitely not a lock. I am a fan, but that's hyperbole. He has had player ratings of 3.9, 8.4 and -1.7 in the last three weeks. Sharp has had player ratings of 2.9, 3.5 and 5.5 in around 30% game time.

I expect Rivers to come in the midfield and Turner to play in the back 7. That said, I hope that Windsor goes into the midfield rather than Rivers because Rivers has finally found form in defence and Windsor has not quite clicked in the backline. This is the week to try Windsor in the middle or back on the wing. Petty will play as the ruck relief, but this means our forward line will be very short for 30-35% of the game. With Oliver out his week, I can also see Sparrow, Langford and Chandler being used in the midfield more. Chandler was very good in the midfield against the Roos and I am surprised we haven't tried this again.

How is Turner going? Melksham?

I hope TMac can play again next season, but I would not offer him a contract until the year is done.

I am not sure he is the best first year player in the team this season.

How was Turner going?

He is slow off the mark, which is what really counts in Australian football.

I think the one handers are all footsteps ones.

He dropped one last night.

Solid game last night but not as good as the week before. That said, I really don’t like the way Langford is trying to take one handers running with the flight of the ball. I count 3 times this has happened in the last 3 weeks.

Missed another one LEFT again last night.

WCE forward line is pretty tall with Allan, Waterman and Archer Reid (203cm). I think we would prefer to play three tall defenders and I like Turner as a player. I would look at Windsor's spot in the back 7 and see if it is working. Windsor's kicking has been poor. Rivers has been much better in defence and I would not shift him and Salem, Bowey and McVee are locks in the side. JVR for Fullarton seems obvious given how well JVR played yesterday. Melksham could be the sub if he comes in or he could push Tholstrup or Spargo to be sub. I would be dropping Fullarton and Sharp. But this means there will be one unlucky player who is dropped from the 23 if all of JVR, Melksham and Turner come back in. Selection this week will be hard (for a good reason).

Interesting that Oliver had such a high player rating and Langdon, Salem and Viney had such poor ratings. Watching live, I felt Viney and Windsor were poor with their skills and the noticeable weak links.