DeeSpencer

Their next 4 weeks are Sydney (H), St Kilda (A), Rich (H) and WC (H). They should win 3 out of 4 and they have a repeat match up with the saints in round 23. If they take care of the Swans this week it won’t be a story and they’ll be well positioned for their tricky last 6 weeks. My concern would be managing the guys who are gritting through injuries to play each week and the guys who could invariably get dropped.

Dangerfield took a mid year preseason last year and really this year too. We did the same with BBB in 2021. For someone like Rich who’s had a very disjointed season it makes sense to get some work in to the legs. Gunston might be more of a mental toll of a forward in poor form. But no doubt his body is crying out for a freshen up too. I could certainly see it becoming a trend for teams that are up the ladder but in patchy form. Obviously you risk missing the top 4 but if you can dip down a little over the next month you’ve still got 6 weeks to catch up. As we showed last year, there’s really no point limping in to a top 4 spot and hoping you can get hot. You need to carry some form in to finals for the last month or so of the home and away season.

The way I saw the Cerra one was he really should’ve got a week for the action, but there was at least some argument that the force just wasn’t at the level worthy a suspension. Joel Smith and Jack Viney haven’t even been assessed by the MRP for tackles with some sling in them because they clearly weren’t all that dangerous. The only valid defence for Cerra was that it really looked worse because Hickey’s a big galoot.

Mansell is a fault in the system. Even if you think it was avoidable and claiming you were contesting and bracing is no longer a valid excuse (similar to Hunter) it’s just not right he gets 3 even with Aish concussed. Needs to be 1-2 with some allowance for the genuine lack of intent. Sicily, I don’t see the outrage. Yes there wasn’t huge intent, so you could give a discount, but it’s a dreadful tackle that slings, rolls, and dumps down pulling on the left arm. Slam a head in to the ground and result in a concussion and you’re getting a holiday Watch the additional angles:

No De Goey and Sidebottom impacted the Pies ball movement more than I had predicted. We managed to win the corridor battle by defensively owning it despite rarely using it ourselves. The first quarter looked like a train wreck but we slowly ground them in to a contested fight. We Ross Lyon’ed them to death and the constant point kicking allowed us to neutralise their run and keep the game in tight and in our forward half. Brilliant tactics from Goody and execution from Choco to get the boys to consistently miss goals. The aerial impact of our rucks and tall forwards might be the Pies only worry. We did a great job stopping Moore taking over the game by throwing big numbers at the aerial contests. They’ll get some stars back and get their attacking game going and be far better. We’ll have to do a lot more than just kick straight to beat them again.

My guess is Tracc was sick of Cox’s antics, he seemed to point the to spot on the ground where Cox celebrated his barely contested mark against Judd McVee with ridiculous taunting. He might’ve said something or refused to shake his hand. Sometimes you can do the wrong thing for the right reason. A token fake apology to stop it being a bigger story maybe. But no remorse.

If Smith plays it will be as a tall, not alongside 2 talls, a ruck and a Fritsch. As well as he moves for a tall he doesn’t have the skills, the anticipation, the contest to contest work rate or the creativity of a small.

I think we use him as the 7th mid playing a mix of wing and on ball. Sparrow, Petracca, Viney, Langdon all take stints on a forward flank and we go in with one less small forward. Especially if we play Smith as the second tall. But there’s an argument he could even be the sub which would be a luxury. The sub is really growing in importance. JJ was very impactful when he came on. The reality is teams are never full strength for long in the AFL. Sling tackles alone are ruling out a few players a week across the competition. And regardless of whether you think the current backline structure should stay exactly as is I’d be surprised if there’s not resting the veterans (we already know Hibbo will be) and possibly Juddy.

Salem is borderline but not quite, lacks penetration for a half back. 20-30m out of congestion he’s amazing but he’s not a weapon. Fritsch is very close, I’d say an elite kick for goal but I don’t want to curse him in to another slump. Did you see Hunter’s first 2 shocking kicks yesterday? Or him struggle any time he has to kick more than 30? He’s barely an average kick these days. Bowey and McVee, nope, not yet.

Goodwin and Longmuir were asked a lot of questions on 360 about dangerous tackles. Both suggested players should be careful not to milk free kicks. I had the distinct feeling Longmuir was indirectly referencing Sprago. I had the distinct feeling Goodwin was doing the same with Murphy. He felt the spin and face planted.

Jack Viney an elite kick and Choo Choo that's Oliver yeah? Literally the second worst kick in the comp of the early rounds this year. If Oliver could even get himself to an average kick he'd be the undisputed best player in the comp, that's how far off it he is.

That change would allow Brayshaw to play part time on the wing and give us more height if needed. Or even Gus full time wing and use Hunter and Langdon across half forward.

They are at times, but Bowey is a much stronger aerial player than Hunter at this stage of his career no matter the height difference.

In terms of half backs: Rich, Tom Stewart, Darcy Moore, N Daicos, Hayden Young, Sicily, Bailey Dale, Jake Lloyd, Jayden Short, Tuohy Mids: Bont, Jordan Dawson, J Daicos, Z Merrett, Pendles, Sidebottom, JHF Forwards: Jezza, Hawkins (field kicking), Tex, Gryan, Larkey

Geez Robbo looks well. The hair plugs have done him wonders

From what I remember seeing of Bowey as a junior he wasn’t really a natural at making play when he was at half forward or at pressuring. Looked better on the wing I wouldn’t mind seeing him as the 3rd winger and a very high half forward coming up to stoppages and even as a midfielder post centre bounce. More of the role Nibbler But I’d have to trial it at Casey first.

Happened twice. Against Murphy for the Fritsch off ball free and another one in the 3rd where he replaced Moore

You can drop one of these for an extra mid. You can’t drop all 3. Nibbler had an absolutely Nibbler of a first quarter but geez he was pretty good after that. Chandler hit the post twice. Pickett was quiet but pretty close. Small forward struggles in a high pressure game, wow, there’s a surprise. I suspect Spargo might have a week in the 2’s but that will be it. The others aren’t getting dropped for Moniz-Wakefield or Sestan.

Depends on your definition of elite, but for mine elite kicks are guys who lace the ball a variety of distances and routinely hit corridor kicks. Salem’s always been undervalued for his contested work, marking, positioning, tackling and slightly over valued as a kicker. If he was unquestionably elite he’d take more kick outs.

Shaun Grigg was a proper solid footballer. Jacob Townsend is the short term aim for Joel. Come in later in the season, compete in the air and provide immense defensive effort and run to be an outlet.

Salem is a borderline elite kick, good vision but limited penetration. Bowey and McVee aren’t elite either but the hope is they keep growing. The 30m up and under king Hunter sure isn’t. Spargo is an elite kick for his role but he needs to get more than 3 of them. Fritsch can be. But it’s incredible how well we play given how limited the foot skills are particularly across the midfield.

6. Viney 5. Salem 4. Tracc 3. May 2. Gawn 1. Gus Fritsch, McVee, Rivers, Sparrow unlucky

Salem, Hibberd, May, Rivers, McVee were amazing and Tomlinson played as well as he could. Lever was incredibly ordinary and the Pies caught him in no man’s land and danced all around him pretty much every time they went forward quickly. Had he put an intercepting clinic like he did v Collingwood I’d play him in this role each week but Salem, Rivers and May had as many intercepts and McVee just the one less. Hibberd played full back on Ash Johnson as the third tall. We didn’t need a 4th tall and we certainly didn’t need Brayshaw’s turnover ability in the middle, though he did get his hands on some clearances. He could’ve done Lever’s role, Lever could’ve played Tomlinson’s role and assuming he was not terrible in the few big aerial contests Tomlinson had the game would’ve been the same. We dragged an undermined Collingwood in to a dour defensive battle. If the aim is the lose in a prelim at best we’ll keep this set up. Barring Tomlinson making big strides in his defensive reliability whilst somehow still lacing targets on his left, Lever improving his mobility to levels that allow him to chase smaller forwards and not look completely inept and Hibberd keeping the fountain of youth we’ll be too slow, too defensive and lack the kicking skills to bounce the ball out effectively. If we want to go further we need a backline with more run, skill and speed for when we play the real Collingwood.

Phillips was very much an outside mid, Brown looks much more of an on baller with tackles and contested footy a big part of his game. Smaller, quicker inside mid with a lean frame but good contested work. Maybe a bit Darcy Parish like?

If we win by dragging them in to a defensive battle my opinion won’t have changed. If there’s flare, risk and the forward line functions I’ll re-asses. Carlton game was a step in the right direction in terms of our use from half back but our forwards were still a mess and the midfield didn’t exactly link up like a well oiled machine either.