DeeSpencer

Watch some tape of Bowey’s junior footy, there’s a lot of walking when the ball isn’t in his area and just hanging out around packs. Since then he’s played half back. Which isn’t to say he couldn’t be very useful at half forward in the future but I doubt he’d pick it up automatically.

I would’ve liked to have done better, but Port aren’t mugs. From a mids perspective Wines, Boak, Rozee, Gray, Drew, Butters, Amon is very solid and got them to back to back prelims. They were also 8-3 since their 0-5 start. I don’t think we took full advantage in the ruck but Dixon took a lot of centre bounces to nullify Max. They finished 13-11 but I’d imagine before the last 10 minutes that was probably even. Around the ground they seemed to push a lot of numbers up and at times I think the stoppage failures were on the forwards and backs as much as the mids.

Oliver back in and the temptation to pick JVR fresh off a bye against the Doggies are the 2 reasons I’m not sure Melk is safe. Otherwise I maintain he did his role and it was the right selection. We could’ve promoted Dunstan, but he can’t hit the side of the barn by foot and he’s seriously slow in transition. Harmes and Sparrow largely nullified Rozee and Boak’s running game. Boak got an early and a late goal but little in between. Rozee’s impact was far less than his stats, he had lots of nothing touches. If you offered me the choice of: A) Port winning around the ground stoppages and hacking it to our backline B) Boak, Rozee, Amon, Butters getting time and space in transition I’m taking A everyday of the week Individual brilliance went a long way to Pickett’s goals but he also got the ball with enough time and space to produce the brilliance. Whilst far from amazing the ball movement and forward line function after 1/4 time was solid.

Unless you count Chandler (and don’t count Bedford) it’s really only Laurie and JVR who are remotely close to a game. I think it’s clear why Laurie doesn’t fit just yet, and even if that’s not the case he’s only starting to play consistent strong VFL footy. I’m keen on JVR too, but he’s in the same boat of just starting to string together VFL games. Form which has coincided with a run in the ruck to get him involved in games. If he was a 3rd round pick would there be much interest in him getting a game? And if he does happen to be the messiah for our season maybe waiting until right before finals will prove to be an inspired move.

Our selfless culture has always involved 22 blokes pinging shots on goal. Go through the tapes since ‘21 and you’ll find so much T Mc, Brown, Harmes, Gawn, Pickett, Nibbler, having wild shots at goal. Fritsch adding a 3rd howler in 4 weeks isn’t good but I liked the general competitiveness of his game far better today. Think he saved himself by the way he bounced back after it. If they didn’t drop him last week why would they now?

Thought the same at half time but he rallied in the second half. It’s purely an issue of fitness and the tempo of the game, not convinced an easy kill at VFL will solve either of those if he’s recovering well between games

Agree on Bedford but he does have a great tank, his work rate looked good (from crappy tv angles) and Port’s dangerous back flankers never came in to the game. There’s not another alternative (Chandler, Dunstan, Laurie) that really demanded his spot. If you didn’t value Melksham’s game today despite all his usual Melkyness then you’re just being unfair to Melk and Goodwin. He was tasked with occupying Aliir and Clurey and he did what was required. Put in a solid stint defensively too. Not sure it was enough to keep the spot for next week but again, the alternatives aren’t inspiring. Melk did a successful job, a 51% pass maybe, but a pass none the less. No one can say Weid would’ve done the same.

I’d rehash my complaints about not turning over the list but that’s kind of useless now. The biggest thing we need to do is find the balance between plan A and the change ups. Short kicking, switching, getting the ball to the corridor and fat side, rolling half backs in behind the attack to lock the ball forward. All perfectly achievable things for us to do if we add just a touch more risk and flair to the side. Personell wise: Can potential shuffle some flankers and there’s a mix of options with talls. But not convinced the answer lies there

Agree on Laurie, but for JVR that game was 6 weeks ago and his first game in 3 weeks, potentially with a covid absence? 6 weeks is a long time for a first year kid. He’s since played in the ruck to learn some new skills and travelled with the team as an emergency. Expecting him to perform super well is foolish given his age but I think he can provide some spark in limited minutes.

The combination of Cameron and Cox (who was overlooked earlier this year for a kid with little senior footy experience) in their current form is functioning far better than Grundy and Cameron did. They seem to be splitting the time in the ruck about 50:50 and both kicking goals. Grundy doesn't have any forward craft so would ruck 75% of the game and Cameron would be stranded forward, unable to get in to the game as he is currently by being around the ball. Anyway, what we really should be looking for is not the next Grundy but the next Darcy Cameron.

Because I’ve watched the Casey games and Laurie doesn’t motor contest to contest the way our half forwards do at AFL level. He’s also on the slower side for a small, that’s undeniable. Doesn’t do a lot overhead, or with physical aggression. And whilst he’s taken a big stride forward his ball winning is only now getting to a good level for a VFL player, particularly as his midfield minutes increase. Without open trainings I haven’t really seen how he’s done in fitness stuff but I don’t think it was elite pre draft and he’s in year 2. Spargo is year 5 and a noted runner. Laurie has a lot of talent and when he physically matures and develops he should be a skilled mid/forward. I just don’t see the need to give him a game now only to prove that he’s off the pace as a half forward.

McStay Gunston E. Himmelberg James Stewart Shannon Neale Chris Burgess Josh Corbett Wade Derksen

JVR for Bedford Rivers for Bowey Take your pick of Dunstan or Melksham for Oliver if needed, just depends where they want to use Petracca, Sparrow and Harmes Fritsch survives especially if Oliver is out as we need the scoring power. But it’s last chance for him. Brown, JJ, Spargo….for now they’re all better than the alternatives

On a forward flank Laurie’s a slower, less fit, less experienced, less combative version of Spargo. Laurie’s VFL form is very promising for his future as a mid/forward type player with excellent skills. But that’s the future, when he’s developed his tank and his strength to play AFL midfield minutes. He’s barely established his midfield craft at VFL level, he’s a long way off AFL level. In terms of bringing fresh players in to play half forward I’d still have Chandler and Melksham more impactful at AFL level than Laurie. And Spargo ahead of both.

I said before the game we shouldn’t have played Brown on a 5 day break. He’s battling to run games out and being asked to do a mountain of work in the smaller line up. He’s having to crash packs at CHF and then get back inside 50. JVR gives us the 2nd tall forward, which means will can limit Brown’s minutes (and Gawn and Jackson for that matter). And JVR gives us the mobility to get up the ground and chase that Weid doesn’t.

Accidents will happen on a footy field, but it wasn’t a case of a player coming in from the opposite direction or being obscured by team mates. Oliver and Selwood were contesting as direct opponents. To hack wildly at the footy when your opponent is going for the ball is bush league. Of course, being Selwood it isn’t even mentioned

Agree. Geelong have kept their A game (short uncontested kicking) whilst adding some riskier long kicking (often to Cameron) and skill behind the ball. Plus they countered our stoppage strength by sitting on our mids and tackling very early/aggressively. No one is suggesting we completely abandon plan A, but we need to adapt to the way teams defend us by rounding out our game. We don’t need to add in high risk kicks, we simply have to look for and take the low risk options as they present.

Salem and Bowey aren’t going much better. The whole backline seemed to have lost their ability to generate run and carry and hit kicks. Choco doesn’t appear to be the saviour as advertised.

True. But especially when we go with 2 rucks and 2 key forwards Fritsch is rarely asked to do the grunt work. By kicking to contests at half forward we also create the space Fritsch works in to inside 50.

Key forward is the hardest position to find, any other position I’d say overwhelmingly you take your chances with state league, delisted, trade offs etc. But the gap between ‘playable’ and ‘unplayable’ key forwards at AFL level is massive. That said, I’d probably still go down the pathway of taking multiple dice rolls at low risk solutions and target a long term fix even if it takes a year or two longer. Tex just doesn’t fit our game style and I can’t imagine we’d suddenly start hitting lead up kicks and asking less defensively and in the contested game for 32 year old Tex

What it reminds me of though is the Houston Rockets (Morey/Harden era) v the Golden State Warriors. Both cutting edge analytics organisations. But the Rockets leaned all the way in to the maths and made their entire offense based around James Harden's shooting and fouls, where the Warriors always kept a focus on moving the ball, diversifying their scoring and keeping every player involved. Sure, they had nights where they had a heap of turnovers that cost them games but that's part of the learning process. The warriors were fresher and deeper come the playoffs. The Rockets faltered as Harden wore down and didn't always get foul calls in big moments. If our entire game plan is the pound the ball forward, field position, stoppages, get some front half turnovers then we're limiting what our players can do. Our players lose the ability to make decisions based on what they see. The unrewarded running drops off. Clear opportunities to switch or use the corridor go begging. We've got a fleet of players: Salem, May, Bowey, Langdon, ANB, Harmes, Pickett, Spargo, Fritsch who have the run and/or skills to really impact games in a more kicking and running style. We have to use their strengths.

For some reason I can't seem to link images but whatever. [url=https://ibb.co/t4mrMHn][img]https://i.ibb.co/f21wYXZ/42544-B03-1566-4-CAD-889-A-64-C8-C252-C1-F5.png[/img][/url] With 7:13 minutes left and the game still alive May just completely ignores Petty by himself in the corridor with no defender anywhere near him - the Cats players even see him and are worried about it. That's crazy to me. You've got a great mark in Petty and a regulation kick for an AFL player. Petty can mark 40m out and can then go anywhere he wants with the ball. That kind of decision making all over the ground (not just kick outs) is really killing us right now. We have to use the space teams are letting us have to move the ball.

That’s great that Laurie has played his best VFL game and clearly stepping up to the level now. If he does debut I think he’ll have to play some midfield minutes to get involved in the game. His skills and vision are excellent though, so hopefully he keeps this level of ball winning. JVR: I think he’s getting pretty close. He can’t give us what full fitness and form Tommy can, but maybe he can give us flashes of it?

Adelaide just made the grand final. Let’s no assume we couldn’t be in a similar spot to them in a few years (minus the infamous camp). We also don’t know all of Jacko’s story. He might be incredibly tight with his family and have good reason to be with them. Players get to choose, that’s the system, if Freo are willing to pay the price then we aren’t getting screwed.

Bring in the rule, stop players and clubs meeting and talking in the media so blatantly, and the discussion calms down during the season. It won’t even be at zero but it surely helps. Its best for clubs and players and only impacts the media marginally. But the trade off is more players will move clubs unexpectedly when the off season starts.