RalphiusMaximus

Well, Scully performed better in a winning team and has had good results for the past three matches also. The only issue for him could be the public profile if NicNat.

That was Moloney.

Nik Nat? 13 disposals, 1 mark, 1 goal? If that's what it takes to get the nod then the standards have really dropped. And especially not when he was overlooked for his 20 contested possession game.

I probably should add that all of the names listed by me above are players I think are out of contract at the end of the season. I have no evidence to support this list.

Watts, Straus, Blease, Jurrah, Bail, Petterd. I think PJ may be. Newton and Meesen. Junior. Bruce.

I suspect a misprint here. Davey would be the fifth.

Frawley was on Reiwolt?

So Scully gets 26 disposals with only 1 clanger and no frees against. Rising Star this week?

Bloody Hell! 13 more points would have had us in the 8 at the expense of the Doggies. Not that I'm complaining about being 9th on the ladder.

Casey are better than anything we've had recently, but nowhere near the standard of some other clubs. I have no idea what the new ones in Melbourne are like.

A frightening number of Carlton tops in evidence.

This is awesome! When was the last time we had so many players all deserving a place in the first side? The fact that we can look at a list like this and have no real idea who will be sitting out is brilliant. Add to that that there are several players at Casey who are pushing for selection and that we have three injured who are automatic starters and it looks even better still. We actually have depth! Who'd have thought?

What's unrealistic about this? It's not like we're talking about the end of the season here. There is a very real chance that we will be in the top 8 this time next week. Have a look at the ladder and this weekends matches and tell me I'm wrong.

Not really to be honest. I love the freakish things he can do, but I'm not sure he can do the mundane as well or consistently as he needs to. This is the area of his game he needs to work on, doing the basics so that when his freak isn't working he still contributes.

Actually, I did As I said in the "team changes" thread, he hasn't fully recovered his fitness or his form and would be better served rebuilding his game at Casey.

Wish I could be there to see this one. I love the look of our team when compared to last year, even though there are not all that many changes, the ones there are are significant.

I'm puzzled. Is there some special significance being conveyed here with the inverted commas?

Not that much yet, but that's beside the point. The point is that if we thrash Richmond we can theoretically get into the top half of the ladder for the first time in years. It doesn't matter that it would only be for a week, we would have been there.

We are not required to lose a player, but any player not contracted is fair game. They can take 1 player from each other club. I believe all of our draftees from 2008 fit into that group, including Watts (unless there's been a contract signed that I didn't hear about?). So do several of our older players. If we're talking about young players showing promise and hailing from the north, what about Bail? he's a little more mature, has shown some serious ability and is a Queenslander. Could be a chance to be nabbed.

There is plenty of chance for Tommy to play in the future, but right now we have a very good back six and there simply isn't room for him. No doubt he'll be in line for a call-up if someone is injured, or perhaps to be trained up as a versatile player as Bailey likes to do with his good talls. We might see him in the forward 50 before the back.

I think that the GC and GWS have been granted far too many concessions to start with, so I have no objection to a priority pick going ahead of their multitude in the draft. Furthermore, I think the bottom teams should be protected from the player-stealing powers the new teams have been granted. It logically follows that the bottom teams have fewer top players, and as such are going to be harder hit should those players be poached. I would suggest that the bottom four sides be protected so as to maintain an even competition. This would still allow GC and GWS access to 12 and 13 good players from other clubs while allowing those in the cellar to keep rebuilding.

You cook your beer? But seriously, why so negative? Can't we enjoy a win when they have been so rare? It's fun to speculate, however prematurely, on the possibility that at this time next week we could be in the top 8. When was the last time that happened? I know it would only be for a week (barring a miracle), but what a boost! As has been mentioned in another thread, a 41 point win would get us to 100%. That would be more than enough. Given that the tigers have just suspended their best defender and Cousins, it's not beyond the realm of possibility. Why not just relax and enjoy a rare week of optimism rather than rubbing our faces in the hard truths we still face as a team?

I have to say, we very nearly did beat a top 4 team. Had a couple of umpiring calls gone the right way we would have taken the Pies. Nobody can say they don't qualify as a top side. So yes, I am very much with you and happy with what we saw on the weekend.

Yeah. Perhaps Jordie mentioned that he'd struggle to keep his spot when they were both back and the journo inferred something that wasn't there?

I too have seen Joel Mac in several games and until the last two thought he was a total dud. Even on Sunday he was serviceable without being great. Burton smashed him when they were matched up. He's not fast enough to play on the smalls and not strong enough to play on the bigs. I'm really not sold on him as a long term prospect for us.