DeeSpencer

I'd hate to tell people how to tip but....A lot of Dolphins tips for a line that's now swung 11 or so points since the Tua injury.

Cowboys, Jags, 49ers

JJ started the year in very good form, yes, his reluctant slow plays were frustrating but: 1. He replaced Brayshaw, let’s not pretend they were looking for Robbie Flower out of him. 2. We lost our CHF with McDonald down. Without a lead up target it’s hard to pull the trigger on quick kicks to smalls 3. The backline lost a lot of bounce with Salo out/down on form and Lever not intercepting at his best 4. He copped a pretty nasty injury and then lost a bit of zip/change of direction (neither were his strong suit to begin with) Three of those issues should be fixed and he has all summer to work on moving the ball on faster. From what I saw of one training session he was doing just that and looking good doing it. He’s had an elite tank for a couple of years now but his frame has been that of a strong kid more than a man. He’s only just turned 22, he’s only entering the age and game range where he can use more power and acceleration I’d still back him to retain his spot wing and Hunter will get used in versatile roles.

Bills Bucs Chargers

Isaac Smith is still a great runner and Gary Rohan has excellent chase down tackling but the Cats didn’t sprint their way to a flag. The thing we need is less guys with suspect mobility - busted Lever, Tracc with a broken leg, Salo with no groins, Ben Brown, Gawn rucking 80% without an ankle. Talls really being able to cover the ground and pressure should be a big step forward on last year. Even in first halves when Ben Brown could move we looked like a great side, once he was cooked at half time we couldn’t score. If JVR can establish himself as a mobile and physical presence we’re looking better, even if he doesn’t do much with the ball. Apart from that we can get bounce from half back with Salem, Bowey, Rivers. We can pressure with Pickett, Nibbler, Spargo and who knows Fritsch might chase a guy once in his life. Could do with some more outside run which Hunter hopefully helps with. A healthy JJ, Sparrow, Harmes and Gus should all fight for midfield spots. Grundy hopefully provides some inside burst too whilst holding up in the ruck. I think we’ll miss Bedford and Hunt to an extent. We didn’t really replace either of them. Bedford would’ve been good depth especially if Pickett goes on ball more, and Hunt’s defensive spread was undervalued. Even if you didn’t like him in the best 22 he could provide 10-15 solid games that help you win in May and June. Taj Woewodin might be a chance to be a depth defender with so toe who can give us a bit of what Hunt did. Is Chandler good enough forward cover? Can Andy MW take a big leap despite an interrupted summer? Does slimmed down Bill Laurie suddenly run twice the speed? Is Ollie Sestan so good that we have another mobile marking target and the smalls can work around him (unlikely but that’s the joy of the offseason).

I think WJ is more alluding to the situation of having too many developmental players in one position of the ground, especially given list spots are very limited these days. You don’t really want to put 2-3 years in to Kye Turner only to find out he’s still behind Disco and Adams, who are battling it out for a spot behind Petty, Lever and possibly still May. On the other hand we took 4 very raw players in the drafts which indicates the club are pretty confident with our mature players. And Burgoyne isn’t exactly a ready to go option either. JT also indicated the best young talents don’t last long in midseason drafts. This last list spot looms as a developmental option one way or the other. So it makes sense to not be too worried about positions. And key defenders are super valuable. If you can get one that you rate I don’t think you worry about having too many.

His legs look mostly the same to me. He’s possibly even leaner in the hips and waist but he’s been heading that way for a couple of years. Probably a bit more muscular in the shoulders - he’s had many summers spent rehabbing shoulder injuries, don’t think that was the case this year

Eagles, Chiefs, Bengals

Disagree entirely. Bevo’s their best coach in the history of their club. Fact. Of course you sign him up. Forward line needs some defensive punch. If Hannan isn’t up to it they’ll need Charlie Clarke. And the 3 talls need to prove themselves. Backline has 3 All Aus quality flankers in Dale, Daniel and Richards. Gardiner is good enough now as a lockdown tall. They need one of Jones or Keath to step up at full back. Keath was great in 2020 but couldn’t move last year and was never meant to be a full back anyway. If Jones can do it then Keath battles Darcy for CHB, ideally the veteran wins out. Relying on veterans and kid talls isn’t ideal but it can work. It’s similar to our hopes with JVR up forward. Midfield is a bigger issue than the names suggest. The on ballers don’t defend and they’re lacking wing options. They’ll need Toby McLean pushing the star 5 mids for game time and providing a defensive role. And they’ll need to find an attacking wing from Vandermeer, Bedendo, Arthur Jones or even Sauce Baker!

Chesser and Hough should be best 22, maybe Culley, maybe Ginbey back or as a rotation on ball and perhaps Bazzo as a third tall can give them something but they’re all super young. Hunt can play an important role with some much needed run. But the reality is for them to really jump back up its going to be Nic Nat, McGovern, Shuey, Yeo, Gaff, Kelly and Allen and who’s betting on those guys? Shuey’s body seems just about done. Gaff’s lost a yard. Yeo hasn’t been the same. And it’s hard to bet on Gov and Nic Nat.

If he’s showing good signs - and leaping over Max and being put in the second best running group are small but good signs - I don’t think they’ll worry about the position being too deep. Tall defenders are really valuable, well worth carrying an extra young one for a year.

The extra week before Casey’s season starts should help him be ready for round 1

FB: Wilkie Howard Coffield HB: Sinclair Battle Clark C: Hill Steele W-Milera HF: Owens Membrey Billings FF: Butler King Higgins Foll: Marshall Crouch Gresham Int: Paton, Ross, Hayes, Windhager E: Jones, McKenzie, Webster, Sharman The emergence of the likes of Wanganeen, Windhager and Owens should allow them to move past Jones and eventually Ross too. It’s underrated just how good that draft was for the Saints last year. Windhager in particular is an absolute beauty of a player. If they can get Clark and Coffield out on the field for a prolonged period they can ditch the likes of Webster and stop moving Hill around. He either performs on the wing or is dropped this year. They’d be hoping Sharman or maybe Battle swung forward can cover for King and provide a second tall forward long term. Asking Membrey to play tall and relying on Billings and Higgins as marking options isn’t sustainable. A lot of their list is a bit like ours pre 2021 and just needs some good coaching and a kick up the backside. They don’t have an Oliver and a Petracca, but Steele isn’t far off and Phillipou could be that second guy. Its far from a disaster of a list, but it probably requires Phillipou to be special or another one out of the blue to really be ready for the Ross Lyon treatment. He might drag this list to a top 4 spot as soon as 2024 but it’s not the talent of his other grand final teams.

I’d like to know too, but the club has at least provided proof May is out there training today

I think Turner could do a job on someone like Weightman, Jamie Elliott or other medium marking types. We’d probably have to give the match up on a pure speedy type like Cameron to Bowey or Rivers. Like Jetta before him, Hibbo’s been a great luxury given he can match up on the most dangerous forward be they smalls all the way up to 190cm ish marking types. If Hibbo’s injured or slowed down we might not have that luxury.

One of McKenzie or Clurey will gave to play as key backs. They have possibly the best collection of flankers in the league but question marks on their key talls at both ends. Not getting Esava as a defender might hurt them. They have Jones, Farrell and probably Sinn who would coast in to most teams as flankers/wingers which is a luxury. And can Wines, Rozee, Boak, Drew, Butters get it done in tight? Or is JHF ready to be a powerful mid?

FB: Corr Logue McDonald HB: Hall McKay Tucker C; Howe Cunnington Taylor HF: Sheezel CCJ Thomas FF: Zurhaar Larkey Ziebell Foll: Goldstein LDU Simpkin Int: Scott, Shiels, Greenwood, Stephenson I think they’ll go with far more experience to start next year. Shiels and Howe should be used to buy some time and provide mature bodies. Thats a team without Wardlaw, Phillips, Powell, Goater, Comben, Curtis and of course George. Which means they can be allowed to develop at a far more appropriate rate. Certainly very nice of the afl to give them 2 extra rookie spots to carry veterans and the extra second rounders to bring in Logue and Tucker. We had to trade for Vince and Tyson and use a list spot on Cross and others.

Key back: May, Petty, Lever, Turner, Tomlinson Medium back: Hibberd, Rivers, J Smith Small backs: Salem, Bowey Rucks: Gawn, Grundy Mids: Oliver, Petracca, Viney, Harmes, Brayshaw, Sparrow, Dunstan Wings: Langdon, Hunter, JJ Key fwd: McDonald, Brown, JVR, Schache Medium fwd: Fritsch, Melk Small fwd: Pickett, Spargo, ANB, Chandler With the extra round and a heap of games outside Melbourne it really should become more of a squad approach. Especially if we tweak the game plan and need to see how players adapt. Above is our top 32 players who should form the bulk of the best 22. The remaining 11 are first to third year kids. It will be interesting to see if any of them can crack a debut. I’m sure Howes will be a popular pick. Laurie should be pushing his case more regularly. But if there’s a role for him I’d actually put a bet on Taj Woewodin getting a game

Vikings, Eagles, Chiefs

I went to Gosch’s. The players went to Casey

He didn’t directly say that did he? Not to my ears anyway. I think more than likely 3 firsts for 4 and 22 was offered. Possibly with some swaps of 2nds and 3rds. That’s really only 2 firsts and a slight downgrade. A fair deal that doesn’t compromise our future by going all in with just 1 player.

The thing I found interesting is he averaged 16 disposals, 5 clearances and a stack of hit outs not only in 2022 but in 15 under 18 games in 2021. He took a nice step forward with marking and goal scoring in 2022 but otherwise seemed to stagnate a bit. And then there’s this quote from the SA Under 18 coach: Bangers Says - Tony Bamford's assessment of Will Verrall ”We didn’t know what was going to happen with Will because he had a really interrupted preseason with some injuries to his groins and hips which he carried through the back end of his U17 year. ”We thought he had gotten over that but as he started to come back into South Adelaide’s preseason in February last year, some signs of aggravation reared again so he had to stop training altogether and restart his rehab. ”That really hindered his ability to get on the track and get his match fitness. ”Had Will Verrall been fit and firing, on all four cylinders, like he was as a 17-year-old, we would have played both rucks at the Nationals. ”Because at his best, Will Verrall is as good as (Harry) Barnett. So (AFL) clubs are doing some work on Will Verrall now based on what he did as a 17-year-old, knowing it was at a really high level.” If 2021 was a true representation of his talent and this year he was hampered by groins and an interrupted preseason then we may have got a bargain.

Saw this and thought, I bet JVR will be in 2. Club confirms it

Do you mean something on the Punt road wing because I can’t recall seeing anything there when I went last Friday? Or do you mean the new and much larger open air pavilion on the city side, in which they’ve set up a temporary gym and more equipment than I’ve seen in previous years?

At this stage he’s Jack Watts. Doesn’t run hard enough to play wing. Doesn’t get the ball as a forward. Isn’t trusted defending down back. I think they have to pick forward or back and stick with it, and I’d pick back because his elite skill is his field kicking.