DeeSpencer

Perennially injured and can’t kick but he’d at least offer fresh legs on the wing and is strong overhead.

I’d have gone after Harry Jones but his injury history is as bad as most of our talls. New club might’ve helped. No doubt we’ll call Richmond and ask on Lynch but I don’t love the odds of it happening or the odds of him staying healthy. Need to audition some state league or delisted options over summer. Must, must have someone train for a list spot. But classy mids and flankers are more likely and reliable predictable ball movement will incentivise the forwards to lead better and create more hit up marks.

He and Tommy Mc could’ve competed in the senior Olympics at half time. Race with their Zimmer frames

He had a very good first half winning some vital contests. Was far from our worst

One thing we do is on repeat forward stoppages is we drop Gawn out and we pull our wings back and are incredibly defensive in set up. Often allowing the opposition 2 spare at the ball ups. If we sent Max in or sent the wings in (or both) we would be a better chance of scoring from forward 50 entries. We’d also be able to get more effective pressure on the opposition outlet kicks. Which would force out on the fulls or even better rushed corridor dump kicks that can be intercepted either in scoring range or with the option to hit up targets or both sides of the mark. So many times when we have a forward 50 stoppage we end up with the opposition getting a nice long clearing kick that goes to Gawn/May/Lever 60m from goal. That’s a good defensive position to kill counter attacks but a lousy chance of scoring.

Because they get such tremendous burst from stoppage those kicks only have to go to 50/50’s and half decent forwards can snag a few of them. Fritter, BBB and co snagged more than a few in 2021. I’m less of a believer that Viney, Gus and Sparrow can be the 3 alongside them if they all play the majority as mids. We had Gus on the wing but it was also a Harmes miracle kick that set the onslaught going. Maybe we keep all of Viney, Gus and Sparrow as on ballers but Gus is the 3rd winger, Tracc, Viney, Sparrow all play significant forward minutes and that opens a midfield spot for a classy user.

Clarry’s developed his outside running game year on year and it’s important because it gives Tracc someone to one two with even with it ends with poor kicking, but he just hasn’t been near his best since the injury. Thought he played very well tonight but we need him to get back at least to 2021 ball use and ideally to go levels beyond that.

Geelong did this for a decade guys. It takes sustained good drafting and some lucky recruits (easier when you are a genuine big club or destination club) to get out of this. Its the reality of a good side that isn’t and never was a super team. We haven’t jettisoned classy mids or gun key forwards. We lost Jackson, we tried a move to replace. We signed Lachie the stuck in a puddle Hunter we were that desperate for class. The recruiting team surely no what needs to be done. My only criticism is not taking more chances to churn the bottom of the list taking gambles on mature quick runners. But they aren’t easy to find.

He turned his shoulder. Gus turned his shoulder too. The issue is he turned in to Gus, he should’ve spun the other way

Absolutely agree. I will say Riv is trying all the time. McVee was 8 touches a year in the VFL last year, he needs time. Bowey’s often trying, Salem can do more when fully fit. Lever’s taken it on a lot more this year. Our wings just play far too wide and get no penetration, you never see either of them swing corridor. That’s a tactical and recruiting choice. Our backs know the wings are there and use them. We also lost Gus who’s probably our best uncontested disposal on baller. But his kicking doesn’t get value for it obviously.

Midfield don’t run, link and kick with any reliability. So the forwards don’t know how or when to lead. And we know tonight’s group aren’t very good. Need midfield polish. Need key forwards. Need at least another medium forward with class too. Our brand stacks up, can’t throw out the vital importance of strong body contested mids. Just missing someone other than Tracc who can break it open and more guys who can give and get

Correct, but they’ve either done it (Oliver, Pickett, JVR, Bowey and drafted Jackson) or tried it (Butters, Humphrey) nearly every year. If there’s anyone they like at all they won’t be trading backwards out of an early pick. JT’s said many times the best players go at the top.

JT’s philosophy has almost always been to get as high in the draft as he can. Every year he’s trading up or attempting to. The 2021 flag was almost all first and second round picks or players traded for them. So whilst he has found a couple of rookies in the best team now (McVee, Chandler) overwhelmingly he’s favoured nailing early picks. I remember thinking we overpaid massively for Pickett (until we did the second part of that deal getting the Riv pick). North fans were celebrating the home run. Now it looks a great deal. Unless it’s a team that’s guaranteed bottom 6 next year (North, WC) I wouldn’t trade pick 5 just to get a haul of lesser picks and wait a year. The time to add high level talent is now so they’re ready to make a big impact sooner than later. And a tall is less likely than a mid/small. I just wouldn’t rule it out because best available is always smart and the good ones can impact early (Ie. JVR, LJ). May and Gawn are our best big impact talls and a replacement for one of them would really help us from 2025 on.

The Jackson deal put most of our picks in to 2023. 2022 picks - Jefferson, Adams both long term projects 2021 we took JVR and thank the lord we did because we’d be stuffed without him. We need to take at least 1 high quality player now and get them in to the 22 as soon as possible. Either an elite tall if they’re too good to pass up or more likely some pace and class. Trading out of 15, 25, 35 whatever they are I get. I don’t get trading out of 5 unless JT hates the top of the draft

Many of the guys who might be leaving are either contracted requiring pay outs or paying a good chunk or salary or injured requiring injury match payments. Probably marginal savings a lot of which is taken up by young players getting pay rises. The big one is Grundy’s contract, which was Jackson’s contract, which could/should become a key forwards contract. Richmond might follow the Hawks model (especially if they appoint Chris Newman which I believe they will) and see the success of moving Mitchell and O’Meara. The difference is they don’t have key forwards to come in the way the Hawks had mids in Newcombe, Worpel and Day. It might take a first rounder to get them to do it, which is a lot for a 31 year old.

Plays much above his height but probably too similar to Lever and unlikely to produce his best in 2024. Brisbane apparently keen because he fits nicely with Andrews and Payne. I’d probably go for a cheaper depth player to compete with Disco and focus resources on rucks/forwards.

Classy forward mid with some medium size is something we could really do with. Tracc’s our only forward/mid, there’s no great option to change him with. Can’t really see us paying a fortune to get him when he’s contracted though.

The pies have just about named a squad of 25 for the afl final where as we might have 26/27 in contention, The difference might be in the ineligible players. They’ve had a settled line up for most of the year so probably less players ruled out by afl/VFL rules nonsense

Are you sure all were eligible? I’d imagine Grundy, Spargo and possibly JJ and Hibbo weren’t. Would like to hear the club protest because if they’ve had players pulled out due to the afl bye making them ineleigible it’s a joke.

I’d rather take a chance on one of the many back ups around the league coming in to their prime than Lycett who hasn’t been able to get through a game all year. If we are after a veteran Goldy makes more sense than Lycett. Otherwise I’d be looking at Jordon Sweet, Matt Flynn, Sam Hayes, Tom Fullarton or even Ivan Soldo.

6. Heath - 11 tackles! 2 snags. Stopped Davey in her tracks and got her the other way 5. Hore - full of class and versatility 4. Mackin - exceptionally wing game, 16 kicks and a heap of penetration to them 3. Bannan - 17 touches, 3 snags, worked up and down the field 2. Hanks - just makes it look effortless at times 1. Purcell - quiet first half but got rolling late Apologies to Paxy, Tay Harris and Zanker, with goal kicking the difference for those last 2 missing out

All our forwards are fighting for spots because Aimee Mackin is going to come in and runs rings around teams very shortly (I hope)

Continuity is the Dees big advantage over the comp. For the sake of the league hopefully ever other side can get something similar.

Maybe he had it wrong to start with but Hore as a spare back to kill momentum, then on ball to get them going, Heath tagging and Paxy Pacman out of the congestion to half forward have all been excellent coaching moves from Mick.

If Banno can start clunking big grabs then she might go to a whole new level