DeeSpencer

Gavrilo Princip vs Brayden Maynard. Similarities?

Are we sure Fullarton is still out until April? He seems to be advancing fairly quickly with talk he’d play some minutes on Wednesday?

He could be a chance for round 1 or 2 (17 or 23 March).

The other question is are we sure Verrall  can’t play round 0? No expectations he’d play more than about 50% game time (30% ruck, 20% forward) but is he an option? 

Apparently played well in todays scratch match. Could well be this years Bedford.

Goody and co just haven’t been able to convince young fringe players to stay. They’ve been given contracts, opportunity and the chance to go to good clubs in a great city, but it’s disappointing.

I don’t have any issues with the way guys weren’t picked for certain games. You can’t do selection via hindsight. JJ got a good run in 2022 and didn’t really do anything to suggest he had to stick in the side permanently last year.

I have some issue that players weren’t convinced to stay with others moved out to accomodate them. And I guess in JJ’s case I’m not over the moon about Hunter taking his spot and being no better. 

2 hours ago, poita said:

I'm sure the rose-coloured glasses brigade can list another 10 players who can roll through the midfield if required, but the reality is that most of these either (a) take quality players from other areas (Pickett, Rivers, Salem, Neal-Bullen) or (b) are well off AFL standard at this time (Laurie, Woewodin, Tholstrup). The reality is that the cupboard is completely empty when it comes to midfield depth.

It's bad enough that we have no ruck depth and are struggling to find a fit key forward, but to neglect the midfield so badly in recent years is almost criminal. We haven't drafted a genuine onballer with a top 20 pick since Oliver 8 years ago. Yet Taylor and Lamb are happy to load up on multiple small-medium sized forwards year after year. The way our list has been managed since the 2021 grand final is just appalling.

Harmes was done at Melb. Dunstan done in the afl before he even came to us. It would’ve been nice to keep JJ because he’s still a young improving player but would you really be feeling great about our midfield depth if JJ was still on the list? 

Loading up on small/medium forwards in  which way? Laurie was pre the flag and I suspect bought in because Spargo and ANB were struggling in 19/20. I wouldn’t give up on Bill as a midfielder just yet

Howes was picked as a versatile wing/flanker which is still a need. AMW is cat B so doesn’t count. Sestan was a late gamble.

Tholstrup spent plenty of time on ball in the under 18 carnival. He’s about as close to a midfielder as you can get without being a midfielder just yet. But if the available mids are one paced, small or unskilled would you prefer them to a mid/forward who’s going to start forward?

Im not thrilled by the lack of turnover of list spots. And it’s crazy that Gus retires the day or so after the SSP deadline. 

Whilst it’s not optimal from a depth perspective I’m actually excited that Salem, Billings, Laurie, Pickett, Rivers etc will get midfield opportunities. 

53 minutes ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

Listening to Phil Davis numerous times on SEN, he has continually said that he thought Melbourne’s 2021 was so dominant that he assumed we’d be untouchable for 5 years.

Phil Davis also thought he was fit to play in the 2019 grand final! 

The Giants are actually a great example of a super team that won nothing and have now retooled with arguably less overall talent but a team that’s in a great position to challenge again in the next few years. 

Nothing, we were the ones that signed him on a long term deal knowing he could be done at any moment.

Medical retirement should mean Gus is taken care of by the league and not salary cap.

The only other thing we should’ve got / should get is access to a replacement player by the SSP.

It’s crazy to have the deadline last week and Gus announced now. Provision should be made for medical retirements before the first bounce of the season proper.

Our list has been continuously overrated by anyone who thinks we are a super team.

Great ruck and contested mids, great key backs, some other quality players but largely the rest has been closer to taped together than dominant.

The key forwards are the obvious one but down back it was ageing Hibbo and kids in Rivers and Bowey. Langdon had a fine 2021 but he’s never been a superstar winger and the other wing has been a tape up job. Midfield and half forward rotations have been role players similar to most sides.

The one emerging superstar that could’ve automatically upgraded the side last year and the next couple upped and left to Freo.

Perhaps our best staffer in Burgo left to Adelaide through no fault of the mfc.

The big mistake has been to think this super list will just win again rather than retool/reload which we are now been forced to do.

St Kilda in the 00’s got none. GWS mid to late 10’s got none. Pies under Mick/Bucks got 1, that’s the side we are most similar too. 

38 minutes ago, Pennant St Dee said:

Prelim 96

Prelim 99

Premiers 00

Runners up 01

Not to mention half a dozen won the flag in 93

Not even close

 

They had the best team just about ever in 00 and won 1 flag.

We are half as good by comparison, that we haven’t made another prelim or granny doesn’t matter. It’s 1-1.

1 hour ago, leave it to deever said:

Wasn't referring to his age Ds.

He played some very good games and then inexplicably got dropped.

What I mean by game time is a string of games where he can feel the pulse of the game and be his best without losing momentum and relegated to the twos. Confidence means a lot and double in footy.

We give Tmac and a couple of others more chances than Tommo. I personally think he's a quality player who we should trust in more. That's all.

He has the easiest job in footy playing on second talls and gets dropped because he’s either no good or there’s no match up.

And his body language is abysmal at times. He’s a depth player who somehow got elevated to a starter over summer.

1 hour ago, Jumping Jack Clennett said:

Last year we put McVee on Dusty in the practice match. It seemed to show him what’s required .

This year we gave Howes the unenviable assignment on the brilliant Bolton.

wouldnt it be great if history repeated itself!

That was surely the coaches plan but quite clearly it didn’t repeat itself 

4 hours ago, leave it to deever said:

For those claimed Tmac will go back in defence and possibly take Tommos spot, I wouldn't hold my breath.

In fact I'm not sure Tmac will play much at all this year. I also think it's worth persevering with Adam as he is a good player that just needs more game time and confidence.

Also of Tmac is fit enough to play at all, he would surely be better fwd where we are lacking somewhat.

Tomlinson is 30 and has played 170 games, how much more game time does he need? 

Im not saying T Mc is going to be any better but I’m very keen to see if a move down back does unlock some form for him. 

I definitely want him to be a more consistent centre bounce presence this year, but we need him in the forward line. There’s no one else with his speed and pressure.

Has to be clear communication to work the swaps after clearances.

And I agree he has to do more with linking up in centre clearances.

You know who we underutilise after the first possession of a clearance? Big Maxy. He should be used as a basketball low post style distributor. Where every other player is spreading out and trying to run just handball up to big Maxy who’s impossible to tackle cleanly right away and have him dish handballs to the receivers.

26 minutes ago, drdrake said:

Rivers isn't an elite kick, over distance he is good but that 25 to 35m kick he misses it to much.

To Jack Viney's credit, I thought yesterday was the best he has kicked the footy.

Windsor hit the hard kicks, just missed some easy ones but you walk away happy with what you saw for his first hit out.  The speed would take time to adjust, you hit a kick based on what level you last played at and it is a turn over at this level. 

The 2 Windsor kicks that hit targets were lucky shanks that wobbled on to chests, otherwise he missed pretty much every target on the run and some in slow play too.

His role in the side is to take it on at pace and gain metres, plus he’s adapting to the pace of afl footy. In his career to date he’s almost always been able to gain a gap and then steady, he won’t have that luxury at afl level. 

He’ll adapt to the pace and hopefully get more cohesion with his team mates but everything I’ve seen at training has been a lot of missed kicks. Yet reports from Casey days has him lacing it out? 

A really good result for Windsor would be something like a less prolific version of Langdon’s 2020 season where his run was obvious but his radar and cohesion lacking. Or a bit of a Jayden Hunt season where there’s brilliance mixed in with some errors.

12 minutes ago, binman said:

Based on yesterday's game i think Brown is a red hot chance of being in the team in round one and playing that small forward and/or high half forward pressure role.

I’ve flirted with teams without him but I still think Chandler will play based on no Pickett and no McAdam. We need a small who can mark and contest in the air.

The big change should be ANB and Spargo back on the half forward flanks. If either of those 2 miss then Brown is a chance potentially even ahead of one of Laurie/Billings who seem to me to be fighting for one spot. It’s hard to justify 2 attacking forward/mid types who aren’t at the level of pressure/run we’ve become accustomed to.

The big thing we need to adapt is fast run from the backline isn’t a signal for 3 or 4 forwards to get deep, the plan should be for hit up leads at half forward to punish interceptors and yesterday it looked like JVR, Fritsch, Chandler, Schache all wanted to be inside 50. Too many leading back in to the same spot and a bunch of kicks just lobbing to intercept markers. Nibbler and Spargo change that balance, but still a big concern that without Petty there’s no tall or medium who’s a natural hit up player.

26 minutes ago, jayceebee31 said:

Yes, we did…..we got it wrong.

The only choice we made was a 2 year deal for Chandler and 1 year for Bedford at the end of 2021. At that stage Chandler was more advanced and had rival interest from the Crows pushing the extra year. 

All reports were we matched Bedford’s 3 year deal offer from GWS and were very keen for him to stay. He was never put on the trade block in preference for Chandler.

4 hours ago, praha said:

We effectively picked Chandler over Bedford. 

No, we didn’t 

2 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

Interesting isnt it. 

If they're looking to rejiggle some of last years into new roles/positions have they placed too much reliance on what others might be able to do...as opposed what some can ?

Might be some auditioning this week perhaps 🤔

Howes played on Bolton for a fair chunk of the game and got beat up, clearly a harsh test that he wouldn’t get in a real game.

McVee played on no one of note and up the ground more and whilst he had good moments I thought he was lost in transition at times.

A simple change to help the backline defending is revert McVee to his job. Gus or Salo to half back where they have more experience.

But the talls is still a worry. We need guys who can cover ground and variable match ups if we are playing more open at the back. And they need skills as well. May bombed every kick and spilled every chest mark. Lever was rusty with the ball. Tomlinson didn’t do enough on the counter.

10 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

🤔 whos our 3rd up defender.... might be an opening.....just sayin' 

I’d be tempted to go small. Lever takes a man. Gus plays as the interceptor, a role he excels at. McVee and Rivers take on some height.

But we are hardly stacked for flankers. If Salo is moved to the midfield to finally attempt to fix the unbalance in the midfield we are looking at another medium tall in Hore playing out of position, Howes - who cant defend at all but has interesting flanker skills, or possibly mix it up with Woewodin?

I’d even think of trying Sparrow on a back flank if he continues to be an almost player as a mid.

36 minutes ago, dl4e said:

The thing that struck me was how easily we were beaten out of the middle. Same old I guess. Oh I did not see all of thegame.

We dominated the middle early with Gawn, Tracc and Viney and even in the 2nd when we didn’t play well Kossie won a number of centre clearances with ease. We just didn’t turn them in to deep and retained forward entries. Then we butchered it on quick counters.

It wasn’t so much bombing inside 50 or even aerial contests that were the problems, it was mids and half backs turning great run in to bad missed targets across half forward

Petty draws the ball. Fritsch can be freed up by McAdam.

But in the meantime and perhaps for longer we might have to play Tracc at CHF just to have someone demand the ball.

10 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Is there even a 2s game for him to play in next week?

Possibly not on the Wednesday but I’d be surprised if they don’t have something organised for the vfl guys closer to the weekend. If nothing at all is available then maybe a half for Clarry in the side 

FB: McDonald May McVee
HB: Brayshaw Lever Bowey
C; Windsor Petracca Langdon
HF: Billings Fritsch  ANB
FF: Pickett JVR Spargo 
Foll: Gawn Salem Viney
Int: Rivers Sparrow Laurie Verrall
S: Schache 

E: Chandler, Woey, Tomlinson

Out: Tomlinson, Howes, K. Brown, Chandler
In: Brayshaw, Salem, Spargo, McDonald if fit

Another week in the 2’s for Clarry.

That would be my plan. 

Not so sold on Clive Waterhouse but he has novelty value 

I like the look of Bent/Benckt whoever the medium tall is for Casey, nice body work unfairly pinged

Quality finish from Jeffo 

pros:
- first 20 minutes was champagne football
- Laurie and Billings both had some really good moments, not sold on either but they can both contribute
- Windsor was a mess with his kicks but he made position and surely had 15+ touches?
- Kynan Brown looked comfortable
- Max dominated and then Verrall injected something in the second half 
- Kossie (sadly just one of him when we need 2 or 3)
 

Cons:

- tugboat
- run and carry being too condensed and so easy to defend, need width on the runners 
- still not going out the fat side enough
- JVR and Fritsch both stationed too deep, get someone who can draw the ball at half forward
- Schache  
- forward pressure was non existent when Kossie was on ball
- midfield pressure poor all game
- half backs gave a heap of room and didn’t show a lot of ability to close space and tackle 

1 minute ago, Stiff Arm said:

Rivers syrong improvement continues

What?