DeeSpencer

The issue is what do we do when we don’t come up against a side with Silvagni, bog ordinary smalls or Lewis Young as the perfect 3rd tall for Lever to zone off. If Lever has to play on a dangerous opponent no matter what size then it’s hard to say we need a 3rd tall. We also looked much better without Gus playing loose down back too. Salo, Riv, Bowey played great 2 way flanker footy. Next week we probably need Gus and he only knows how to be an interceptor down back. If Lever and Gus both naturally zone off smart teams will find match ups to abuse that. There’s no doubt in Lever’s best role but I’m hardly convinced we always have to right talent alongside him to allow him to play it week in week out.

If he isn’t he should be, but I can’t see him playing every week in the VFL whilst doing a preseason. He should have a month off and some German calves blood to be any chance.

For the love of god can we ban loading on this website. The players have played 12 weeks without a break, we need the bye. All teams do. Apart from that we are slow in the midfield. We need Oliver, we could do with a second winger who could out run his shadow and a forward/mid burner and we need some more cohesive ball use. But a freshen up that doesn’t involve punching each other would be a good result for the next 2 weeks.

6. Petracca 5. Salem 4. Lever 3. May 2. Viney 1. Fritsch Backline excellent. Riv, McVee and Bowey could’ve had votes too. Fritsch found some touch after a rough start. Great to see him up the ground and involved more. JVR good. Spargo good. Chandler almost good. Wingers had nearly games against ordinary opponents.

He’s signed a nearly unprecedented deal for a first year kid. Their culture is consistently getting abused by player managers. Worth it for the Bear but not for most deals they sign.

The free kick was rubbish but to get done 5 times inside 50 isn’t good. A couple were on hard leads with kicks that hit Harry right in the hands which are nearly impossible to stop. He also did very little with the ball which is a shame because he has the tank and skills to contribute as a rebounder. But really he was picked to lose the battle but hope we won the war. Poor guy was sacrificed for the greater good.

Everything was pretty good except the ball movement in the front half and finishing inside 50. Set shots aren’t always going to go your way and we were on a crazy hot streak before this last fortnight. But the forward structure is just hot garbage and the midfield have suddenly lost their ability to link up to create the scores too. At our best we could move the ball somewhat cohesively from arc to arc before things got hard inside 50. Oliver’s a big loss but we should have enough talent to look somewhat fluent.

First Nations has been used in the report/reporting several times, it's my understanding that one of the couples may be from a non Australian First Nations background. Not sure it's wise to really emphasise that because surely the conduct matters more, but there you go.

Verrall showed plenty in preseason, he’ll still need time but he has the talent if they can fix his core for good and get him out there. Obviously a worry that they nursed him through all summer and then he broke down pretty much immediately. Sestan started the VFL season far better than I imagined given his background. If Casey get back in form I’m expecting a break out game soon. Pretty keen to see how much he can improve after a full preseason.

I’d play him back alongside May and Lever, he’s a lovely field kick and got plenty of the ball in his stint back. Then I’d probably swap him forward and send Petty back when May is done. Our 2m+ forward is probably a second ruck. I doubt we’ll have the best combination of financial and chance to win offer. So I doubt we’ll get him anyway but his versatility means he’ll fit somewhere

We should challenge, ask them to extend it to 11 weeks and there's our midseason draft pick sorted.

So you want to replace our entire forward line with what? Casey’s forward line, so you can then complain about them? Seems unlikely to be a successful decision.

Cap space. Not nothing, but we better spend it on something good soon

They all are B or even C graders, but there’s pace and/or a physical robustness about those players that has them equal if not better than the Melbourne counterparts.

He looked good his first few VFL games but as the Casey forward line has got taller and taller and the midfield less stocked he’s dropped right off. It’s a worry he’s getting progressively less output and the bye hasn’t helped.

Who? None of their backs are, that’s for sure, they play 7 very solid players who all complement Moore, a little undersized with Markov in for Howe but he’s not terrible. I don’t think their mids are. We’d love Josh Daicos on a wing or even WHE so we had a 3rd wing/forward. Their forward line aren’t big names but Cox is a forward/ruck when we have 2 rucks. Mihocek and Ash Johnson (in place of McStay) are better than our talls. Elliot >>>> Fritsch because he defends. 3 smalls - Bobby Hill, McCreery and sometimes Ginnivan all are better than Spargo and Chandler. Taylor Adams plays the ANB defensive forward role. They’ve got more run, more mid/forward and backline versatility (Crisp and Daicos can swap) and better more functional talls. The only advantages we have on them is 2 rucks - which we can’t leverage, and 2 superstar on ballers - which we struggle to leverage. If Petty plays back we have a height advantage with 3 tall backs but we need run from the backline and a CHF so that’s no advantage either. Don’t make the mistake Langdon did thinking the Pies are some coaching/game plan miracle. It’s not true, they’re a very talented and well balanced team that play to their strengths.

If you don’t think our handballing doesn’t need work I don’t think you’ve watched the last two weeks! Attacking handballing to get out of trouble allows a player running free to then balance up and kick to a target. Not saying kicking isn’t an issue too but handballing drives our scoring chains, the same for most sides

I know the 21 day hamstring isn’t a thing any more but I wouldn’t want to be the coach or medical staff telling him he can’t play King’s Birthday if he ticks off all the clinical indicators.

2 of those 3 are true. Carlton have been moving the ball like they’re drunk. Due to lack of half back skill and midfield pace they have no tempo. Much like us at times. Their midfield injuries actually open up a chance for Fisher and Dow to come in and be a completely different mix.

We’re all a bit sensitive today aren’t we. BBB is a premiership hero and a great person but he’s over 30 with a chronic degenerative knee issue. The poor guy can barely break out of a jog any more. Kane Lambert is a Richmond hero who had a bung hip and couldn’t run to his previous levels. He was 30 last year when Richmond - in finals contention - wound him up prior to the midseason draft. He’s now their midfield coach. BBB could be in the coaches box helping Stafford get the best out of forwards and letting Jefferson have a more prominent role at Casey. I’m not saying boot him from the club. But it really looks like time for him as a player

Riv mid. Riv mid. I know he’s been mostly good down back but Gus can roll back with Hunter in. It’s time to unleash Rivers on ball. FB: Hibberd May McVee HB: Salem Lever Brayshaw C; Hunter Petracca Langdon HF: Spargo T Mc ANB FF: Pickett JVR Fritsch Foll: Gawn Rivers Viney Int: Grundy Bowey JJ Sparrow s: Chandler

Why not today or tomorrow? The issue with this group is it’s one too many players unless they are providing significant midfield minutes. ANB usually gets a go on a wing or mid, but that takes him from his best role. IMO Pickett’s lost the trust of the coaches to play midfield due to his suspect attack on the ball and we need him forward. Spargo and Chandler don’t go on ball (they could!) and lack weapons to create goals through pressure or craft. And I’ve made my thoughts clear on Fritsch if we’re playing 2 rucks and 2 talls he has to provide pressure or a wing rotation to contribute to the team and not his stat sheet.

Which one of Curnow or McKay are you putting Tomlinson on because their goal kicking woes won’t matter when they have 20 shots. Lever just has to grow a set and win some contests, which in fairness he has been doing. With the occasional loss which I can live with unless it comes with the game on the line (should’ve been a free for unrealistic attempt not withstanding)

His consistent fend offs rather than using the first option are coach killers. If you don’t trust yourself and your team mates to give a quick handball you’re fundamentally broken as a player. Yet alone spoiling team mates in the air The problem is we’re crying out for a half forward with a bit of speed, power and size. Freo’s half backs were killing our smalls, but it can’t be Harmes

Collingwood have a far better list than us. Much better backline, deeper and more balanced midfield, much more even forward line. Goodwin crafted the perfect system to get the most out of our stars but so many of our players are one dimensional and fit in certain roles. It’s not a surprise that injuries or shifts in the game have opened up deficiencies quickly. We also maxed out every talented player on the list for the 21 flag. The only recent high pick who didn’t play that day was Laurie who still isn’t at the level. Look at what Richmond added in 2019 to cover really only the loss of Rance: Richmond fielded sixteen of the twenty-two players who had been part of its premiership team in 2017: Pickett, Tom Lynch, Shai Bolton, Ivan Soldo, Jayden Short and Liam Baker were the new players Grundy for Jackson and the downgrade that forces on Max, the tail end of Hunter, McVee, Chandler and a baby tall in JVR isn’t enough.