DeeSpencer

Fullarton’s a decent leading forward who’s ordinary in the ruck! Tall mid/forward flanker is about his best position.

If he plays half back where does he get his touches out the back? Level 4 row DD?

What’s the answer for Blicavs and especially Cameron on the wings? Rivers and Howes following them and Windsor or Langdon to half back? I like Goody, but we’ve got a coach who tries about nothing against a coach who usually the 9 easy beat games they get at Goombha to flick around all his magnets. How about Petty and/or Disco - both good movers at ground level - doing stints on the wing when Cameron does?

Was more than one bad kick from Tom, he doesn’t put air under the ball so a lot of his under pressure exit kicks get picked off. Has to adapt that quickly, and he’s another non or poor handballer. Still playing ok though, but needs to keep improving. I liked Woey’s tackling and general effort. Especially his preparedness to quickly counter run, unlike some of our backline who stand like statues when they win the ball back. But he had moments caught in transition just watching his opponent rather than hitting top speed immediately and he’s not quick enough to make ground, especially as he tired. Skills/vision aren’t great either. I’d go with Hore next week who is a far more experienced defender. And get Taj back to full time mid at Casey. Two full games down back have been good for him adding strings as a utility, but mid/wing/forward is probably more his future.

Jenkins wouldn’t know what a key forward is if he tripped over one. The man loved a handball in to the open goal so much he makes Fritsch look honest.

Tom still can’t change directions or get off the ground. The moment you throw him forward he’ll turn back in to a witches hat. A few errant kicks aside he’s playing well down back. Why move a player in form who hasn’t been good forward since early 2021? Petty: Hawthorn: 9 marks, straightened us up Port: played a role forward in the second half Adel: 1.3 He looked every bit a forward until whatever happens when he plays Brisbane. And whatever happened to the rest of the side too. Even last night, took 3 marks, dropped at least 3 more simple ones. Confidence isn’t great but otherwise putting in the effort, his pressure and chasing makes a big difference and allows us to get the zone right. Everyone just needs to take a deep breath and back him in. I see nothing but a player who’s lost some touch and confidence. By the way, they same issues are hampering him when he’s been down back the last 2 years. A but of continuity, sports psychology and some better ball use and he’ll be back marking everything at CHF

But it’s realistic. We go with just 2 talls and Fritsch the Cats can play Henry, SDK and Kolo on them. Got to at least put out a line up that has a chance in the air.

Or shows we’re nursing a younger winger through the seasons and Laurie on, Billings wing is logical, when changing the back 7 mix 3/4’s through a game wouldn’t be

Hey Tom Stewart, want to play on Petty on Laurie? Come on now

Hore for Woey is the only possible change I’d be looking at making. Petty had 2.5 good games as a forward before losing himself against Brisbane. Whatever that trauma is it seems to muck him around and he’s clearly not over it. But he’s our best option to clunk marks and he draws defenders away from our other talls. No way I’m bringing in Fullarton or any other low ceiling option. McAdam, no tackles, possibly not a full game, no way he’s in after 1 vfl game after months injured. Billings, he’s so meh to watch, but he hit some targets tonight, not the worst. More wing time for him, loved the look at Lingers forward. Can we try some Windsor forward too please? The main things we need are Oliver to sort himself out, Tracc to give up the fumbles and prime Viney. Simply have to get value for getting hands on the ball. Then we need our backline to take a class on risk management and flow. Stop burning the ball chasing miracle kicks in the corridor (especially limited kicks in Lever and McDonald) and move the ball out to the fat side Actually the whole team needs a lesson on how to give and receive the ball with momentum. Mr Miyagi that stuff.

Haven't been since the season started but what I saw over summer was a player who was leaner, fitter, faster and more decisive with the ball with some real class at times. His practice game against Carlton was very strong, then he had a stinker against Sydney in round 1. I don't think he's all that far away from being a useful contributor but it's going to take a few small improvements (especially nailing tackles and not getting caught flat footed on transition) as well as the side either getting their ball movement game up to the level that utilises half forwards in space, or giving Laurie high half forward/on ball opportunities so he can offer something at stoppages.

Read the training thread, the 23 has been (unofficially) named

I wish we had proper journos covering this side because that rest needed to come against Adelaide rather than the short break. Still staggered it didn't happen. We don't seem to ever be proactive with resting players, instead we wait until BBB hits zero on the tank and now he has to get back in form at Casey, the tall forward graveyard.

Seems it will either be Laurie as sub for fresh midfield legs, Disco forward with the ability to swing if we need a change. Or, Tracc forward (post centre bounce) with Laurie forward/mid and Disco sub. Weather might play a role. Super warm the last 2 days so might be rain coming although forecast suggests not. It’s far from an ideal prep for Disco, one Casey game after a decent lay off. But before you knock it I’d ask, did you watch the VFL game?

Meh, was a one game replacement as the only guy with some pace for Pickett. He’ll get plenty more chances. I worry about continuity for guys in years 3-4 on the fringes, like Laurie and even Taj.

From what I’ve seen of Fullarton he isn’t any good in the ruck at all. In fact, I’d be fairly confident if they wanted the best result JVR would still be the second ruck. A position he does well in. He can get beaten by height and movement but he has no issues with weight/strength. Fullarton’s best attribute is he’s slippery on a lead. He’d give us another lead up option to go with Petty. Whether a 200cm lead up tall is worth picking I’m not so sure. That is kind of most of what BBB is, but BBB can occasionally reach the big mitts up and mark or bring it to ground. JVR hasn’t really worked out how to set up his leads at half forward. He gets stuck in between. He’s great on the charge out of the square but our coaches are reluctant to take Fritsch away from that role.

Take it to the Benkh?

100%? Great time to join the Gold Coast suns, that’s what I’d be doing

A VFL review. What on earth! How, why, amazing! Personally I think it's best for the coach to just go through the best 5 performances because trying to say nice things about guys who had stinkers isn't worth the effort, young guys don't need that publicly. But I'll take the full thing over nothing at all. Love including a couple of the VFL guys. Paddy Cross was excellent. Worth watching if he can keep up that kind of form.

Need to do a Collingwood with Howe to him. Bring him in as a forward, watch him battle to get a kick, find an opening down back, move him and watch him flourish as the rebounding 3rd tall we need.

And here comes one who could fit the bill - AFL clubs lining up to sign former BBL bowler Zak Evans as Category B rookie


Correct and you can only compare Cat B to other cat B. Honestly cat B should probably be replaced by giving each state league club scholarship funds to develop a bunch of athletes from other sports, Ireland, the NGAs at a semi pro level, as well as the best guys who miss the draft through bad luck not lack of talent. Some kind of system where you give students and trade apprentices some form of extra payment/allowance and a couple of fitness and skill development sessions above the VFL norm. I’d rather give 100 guys 20 grand extra to work on their game than 20 guys getting 100 grand.

No point comparing Cat B to regular players tho. To me there are 4 main types of Cat B rookie and how I'd rank them: 1. Genuine former footballer with a proper pedigree of under age success who've gone to another sport for 3+ years. Alex Keath, James O'Donnell and I'm not sure who else even fits this category - Wil Parker to the pies? This is the dream. But they are incredibly rare and all 18 clubs will be spying the same names on the rare occasion a proper young footballer goes to another sport. 2. Former NGA/Academy player - think Andy MW for us. This is probably the best common use of it. You get genuine footballers who are in the draft system. But our academy stocks seem pretty ordinary so generally getting a guy who's worth any kind of list spot is rare and often times we'll just draft them straight up. Northern clubs have an advantage here having far bigger talent pools and more money invested and even the WA and SA clubs with a stronger indigenous contingent. Should we have cat B listed Riak Andrew or Orlando Turner? I've got no idea but I'd suggest not, but we need more of our academy guys progressing to good Coates league form and state under 18's level. 3. The Irish. The hit rate is still very low. Geelong have 2 or 3 good ones but Tuohy was developed elsewhere from a bunch of guys Carlton tried. McKenna and Keane are at new clubs are going home, so that's a big risk. I like Cal Brown, I don't love Nash even if he's carved out a lot of games. 4. Basketball/other sport without a proper junior Aussie rules pedigree. Be they rucks or any other position. I'd have no issue with keeping on churning through rucks hoping to find premiership players like Mason Cox, Mike Pyke, Mark Blicavs. They are all as useful as any Irish guy to play since Tadhg Kennelly. And rucks are hard to find, most of them drafted as footballers in late rounds or rookies are no good either. I'm less upset that Bradkte and KFW are no good than I am that the King's and the other big lad from Ormond were bad and we used real main or rookie list spots on them. TLDR: I'd really consider an Irish program but I suspect history says you have to try 3-4 to get 1 half decent player and the best guys are probably going to Brisbane, Geelong or Sydney who have been trying it more than other clubs. And it's entirely possible you do an Essendon - grab a bunch of them, get a good one then lose him for nothing. And I'd keep turning over the rucks with a realistic expectation they are complete dice rolls on very tall non footballers. But the main investment could be just trying to get luckier with the academy by spending if possible, with the proviso being you're just developing players for other clubs if you make top 40 guys.

Petty’s played 2.5 very decent CHF games. Then one stinker against great opposition. Was ok but not great in his half a game down back. Got beat deep a couple of times. (One on one defending was always his weakness though, just like Lever, better when in position to intercept.) Honestly I think he just needs the freshen up from the bye and will come out and be very good. And he needs some sports psychology against Brisbane because he’s been awful the last 2 times he’s played them and clearly they are in his head. Needs to find a way to get through that.

He’s repeatedly tracked opponents all the way to the back 50. After May gave up the 50 he went and reassured the backline. There’s not a lot of evidence for this CBF’ed except maybe some confused efforts against Brisbane where everything he tried didn’t work.