Adam The God

Let's move on from that though, mate. Looking forward and ensuring we keep improving our processes is what will make this club great again. A lot of recruiting has gone on since the Wines trade and most of it very, very good.

Good mixture really. OMac and Petty are nice kicks for big guys too. Jetts is a reliable kick. Salem is a beautiful kick. Lewis' ability to marshall is underrated, so he definitely needs to be in there, but I like all those guys mentioned. I find Smith a little heart-in-mouth with ball in hand, but hopefully he can gain my trust with a bit more football. The rest of those guys I'd feel comfortable getting the ball. It's great finally having a backline where we're unlikely to turn it over every second kick. In some respects, the backline has taken the longest time to come together with our list build and also been our biggest weakness, but in a way, the backline is the area of the ground that I'm most excited by. Maybe it's because of the 'potential' down there and the addition of Lever, but it actually looks good on paper and I'd back most in one-on-ones. It's all about developing together and learning that defensive system and all the tweaks that come with this.

Oddly worded, because we definitely compete with the best, but as of yet, we haven't taken that next step of beating the best. But that comes with experience. Even last week's game was the perfect example of a lack of poise that comes with experience. I think our biggest issue is leadership. Lewis is a decent leader, but Jones should not be a captain. He doesn't stand up when we compete against the best and we're really tested. Whereas, Viney is our Selwood and wills himself to contests and influences. Once we iron out some inconsistencies and get good efforts from 16-18 players consistently, we'll be a top 4 side. Until then, we're a very good side on our day and a very ordinary side when we're off. But can we compete with the best? Of course we can. I reckon we've got 6 wins in us for the remaining home and away season. That means knocking off at least one or two good sides.

Really looking forward to seeing how he goes and I hope we put a bit of time into him for the rest of the year. Injury permitting, it'd be great to see him stay there for the rest of 2018. I want our 2019 backline to consist of Lever, OMac, Petty, Hibberd, Jetta, a Smith or Hunt and a kicker. Therefore, I hope we give Harry some time to gel with OMac, Hibberd, Jetts and Smith.

Indeed it was. And 148 points from my memory. In Round 2 of 2013.

I stand by that selection, but I would have utilised him differently. I would have had him in at every stoppage. They seemed to play him mostly on the outside.

I'd go Petty for Vince and Spargo or Jeffy for ANB. I reckon the FD are determined to play Vince, which really tells a tale, RE: the inexperienced list. He was done half way through 2017 and shouldn't still be playing.

We may do. For me, it's an ability to pull something out of your arse and turn a game that looks like slipping away.

If you're right, VP, it sounds like the club are utilising the Casey system just as clubs did 25-30 years ago (think Hawthorn). Develop guys like Johnstone and Petty for as long as possible at Casey, rather than rushing them into the AFL system. Of course, it helps when your recruitment enables you to give these younger guys the time they need to improve their individual games at the lower level. I think it bodes well for our future though. Need to keep Jason Taylor for as long as possible too. EDIT. Given the MFC coaches asked Rawlings to play Pedo back with a view to playing him there next week, I'd say the FD's thinking is let Petty develop at VFL level for as long as possible. This, despite our clear lack of tall KPBs in the AFL team. Unfortunately, I'd say they'll go with Pedo next week instead of Harry. I hope I'm wrong. I do love how we're using our Casey system though. Finally, a professional football club.

Players mentioned who IMO have x-factor and can turn a game: Hogan, Tommy Mac, Petracca, Garlett and even Oliver.

This is an interesting point and I agree. Here's the team I'd be going with in the second half of the year for most oppositions. Although, we should be happy to put out a team that enables us to counter the opposition of the week. I'd be going with a backline of Oscar Mac, Jetta, Hibberd, Lewis, Petty and Joel Smith. When Lever returns, I think Lewis drops out of this back 6, Petty takes the second KPF and Lever the third opposition tall. But for the rest of the year, I'd give Petty 10 games if possible and let him develop alongside Lewis and Jetta's guidance. There are some real competitors in that group and a good mixture of pace, intercept ability and attacking prowess. That suits Goodwin's game plan to a tee. Salem and Jones should be playing between wing, half forward and half back. Jones' pace is beginning to expose him, so I'd look at Wing-Defencing him and almost hiding him on the field, to ensure he doesn't get too exposed for pace (that probably means half back). His problem is he can't really play any other position, high half forward, deep forward or deep back. He's got 2 seasons left I reckon and that probably includes the second half of this season. He's not polished enough or damaging enough. If Gaff comes in next year, that will relegate Jones or Lewis to Casey as soon as Round 1, 2019. When Hunt comes back later this season, I truly believe we should look at Salem and Hunt on wings at the expense of Jones (I know, I know that won't happen). Hunt's versatility will also really compliment Goodwin's game style - he can play, forward, back or on a wing. On to the midfield, Brayshaw has to be in the centre square. Not on a wing or half back. His position is inside/outside mid. He's actually an incredibly well rounded midfielder. Give him another 20 games and he'll be in our top 3 or 4 players. Oliver and Viney are the other centre square starters, alongside Gawn. I'd like to see Salem in there at times too. The forwardline is the biggest variable in our side and should be dictated by the opposition we are playing, but as a rule, Tommy Mac (fwd/wing), Hogan (fwd/centre), Smith/Weideman (fwd/ruck), Melksham, Harmes (fwd/wing), Fritsch (fwd/wing/half back), Spargo, Petracca (fwd/mid) and Garlett (fwd/mid). There's a good mixture of height, pace and tackling in that lot. In 2018, Tim Smith's more developed body means he'll play most weeks ahead of Weideman, but Sam provides a good back up to ensure we don't have to revert to Pedersen ever again. The only way that happens is if injuries really hit our talls. Neal-Bullen is a hard runner, but he undoes too much of his good work with poor disposal and decision making. He looks good against ordinary opposition but his disposal under pressure is ordinary. So he should be cusp 22 for mine. The above team has sufficient x-factor, pace, pressure-bringers, ball winners, ball users and goal kickers in it to make the 8 in the second half of 2018. We need to make sure we don't go too small in defence, in favour of all out attack, because as we saw against a couple of key talls, we were out-marked too easily at times and on the bigger MCG, this will be even more evident and likely. If we can find the right mix this season, as you say PJ, we'll scare some teams in September.

Yeah, Weitering signed a long term deal at the end of last year or early this year. Certainly worth an inquiry though.

Vince is the bloke who should make way. He doesn't marshall the zone like Lewis does and his kicking isn't as good either. As we've been saying for a while, time to play Petty alongside Oscar. Jetta, Joel Smith, Hibberd and Lewis the other backs.

Pretty bloody bog ordinary, mate. Was he injured/sore in the second half? Seemed to go missing for 2 quarters and sat on the bench for much of the last.

Our inability to be clean inside 50 and connect regularly with each other / have any forward half synergy, meant that we didn't capitalise early on our ridiculous midfield dominance. I have so much love for Neville Jetta though. Feel like adding him on Facebook. What a star. I wish all our leaders played like him. Tom McDonald looked really good early on. Viney, Oliver and Brayshaw had good games. Gawn battled manfully but still continues to tap to ridiculously dangerous spots at times. Melksham is now a gun for us. It feels as if when he gets it across half forward, we score 90% of the time. His kicking is beautiful. However, tonight he was absolutely murdered by the umpires. Should have had at least two goals and instead had about 3 free kicks against. Just on this, it was the first time this year I felt the umpiring was incredibly one-sided throughout (the QB performance was only lopsided the first half). ANB continues to make stupid mistakes with ball in hand. Harmes was better, but fumbled when it mattered. Oscar wasn't immune from mistakes either - why didn't he handball to his team mate in space, rather than try kicking it 5 metres and turning it over. Fortunately, Joel Smith's spearing tackle knocked the ball free to Jetts. How did Oscar get caught on the mark too? That cost us another goal. Poor communication back there. Petracca was impotent again for 3 and a bit quarters. He drifts in and out of games far too much for my liking. He's played 50 games now and struts around as if he's an A grader. It'd be really good if we didn't have to wait another season for him to play consistent footy, but I fear that's on the cards. And then there's Hogan. WTF was he doing tonight? He spent the first three quarters inexplicably trying to crumb the packs when it clearly wasn't working and then his night was summed up in the last two minutes, when he failed to take a relatively gettable contested mark in our forward line, only for it to ping outside 50 and see Westhoff take the contested mark that he couldn't. Hogan's inability to compete in the air meant our system consistently broke down. How does one player lose so much confidence across one game? He was flying heading into the Collingwood match and against Port, he looked like he was afraid of body contact. He's lost his creativity far too easily. Then there were our leaders. Jetta was brilliant. Lewis was passable. But Vince was ordinary. Hibberd was uncharacteristically fumbly and continually beaten one out. And Jones. He was terrible. Is there a worse captain in the league? Maybe Jarryd Geary or Marc Murphy. His leadership was found wanting yet again in a crucial game for the club. He's really on the cusp of B and C grade these days. His leg speed is becoming a real issue and were Viney 2 years older, I'd say give Viney the sole captaincy. I bang on about his leadership whenever we lose, but so often when the game is there to be won, Jones is fumbly, or tries to take on too many players, or simply kicks it long in hope. You could tell we were cooked when Smith, McDonald and Jetta all went down within 2-3 minutes. The umpires killed us, but to not kick a goal in over 40 minutes of football, it's no wonder these media muppets keep saying we need to earn respect. I didn't think we'd win tonight, but I thought we should have. We just don't seem to have the leadership yet and until we do, we won't win these important games or earn respect.

Jones is a liability. Seriously. So slow.

If you compare our forward syngery this week with previous weeks, it is miles apart. I don't know how many times Petracca knocked over his team mates and then fumbled the ball. We've been rattled by the Collingwood affair and seem to be lacking confidence (Hogan and Petracca in particular).

I reckon Harmes will play on the outside. Maybe on a wing. Otherwise, Jones goes to half back or the wing. Harmes' strengths are working hard and getting into good position to receive. He's improved on his tackling and contested work this year, but he should be utilised on the outside IMO.

I reckon there's still too many scarred supporters out there that won't come back purely with one finals appearance, unless we go deep.

I previously said I didn't think Smith would make it. I apologise. I am glad to see him back. He really impressed me earlier in the year. He brought the ball to the ground, was good below his knees and brought team mates into the game. An important "in" I reckon. Lets see how the forwardline functions with him in it now. We play the Adelaide Oval really well, so I'm hoping we can get on top of them early and silence the crowd.

Pretty obvious move for mine. We've lost the stoppages convincingly in the last few weeks, so Tyson's clearance strengths will contribute to our midfield and his weakness of lack of foot speed won't get shown up given Port's slower midfielder.

I'll take 44,000 this year. Let's make finals, win a final and we'll be able to surpass the 45,000 barrier next year. 50,000 is very gettable by 2020.

Quite true. We don't know how they were treated internally and maybe they were thoroughly respected, consulted, felt valued etc, but we can only comment on the external messaging and to my mind, if that was me, I could have interpreted that as a shot to my ego. I guess given how carefully PJ choses his words, I would hope Bartlett would do the same. And look, perhaps there wasn't a lighter way of saying it, but that does seem unlikely.

It's more how you manage an organisation or a team of people working for you. As someone who oversees film productions, I can tell you that people feel a lot more valued and work harder when they are respected. I think this is a completely separate issue to the participation award culture in schools and in some homes, which will see a generation of kids grow up with absolutely no resilience what so ever. Instead, I see this as being about organisational cohesion and the evidence says ensuring people feel valued and part of a team (good culture), is how you get the best out of the majority of people. It's also a key pillar to ensuring loyalty. Loyalty is also clearly a trait PJ has worked hard to build up within the walls of the footy club. Time will tell if Bartlett's messaging around topics such as this, will impact on the culture of the club.

Or... Petty debuts alongside Oscar. Particularly, with Port's talls. My gut tells me Harry will debut this week.