DeeSpencer

He was very good and complimented Lever and May. His big tank covered a lot of ground to allow Lever and May to stay in position and his kicking gives some good rebound too. But the Hawkins game was the only one where he ended up on the best forward. I don’t trust those one on one stats at all. There’s plenty of 2 on 2 or more contests with the way the game is played where one defender is in prime position and it doesn’t count for that stat. And if you’re playing CHB with Lever alongside and May behind you’re not going to face many one on ones either, hence the 3 or so per game that is was. Anyway, he’s a lock. And there might be a few bumps as he gets match fitness back but otherwise he should be at least solid.

Were those people of mentally sound mind? He’ll be the CHB for sure until Petty makes it a conversation, and as long as he can play on rucks or ordinary talls he can do a very solid job. But he has limitations with a lack of speed and doesn’t dominate aerially. I’d be shocked if he was ever in AA contention

Weids is a fine depth tall. Melksham hasn’t played well since 2018. 3 years now. He doesn’t play our brand. Mitch Brown has never played our brand and got cut from Essendon years ago, waste of a spot. Baker has 4 years of not being anything like an afl footballer. Clear evidence Majak a nice depth piece. No idea why we didn’t have a ruck on the list until a few weeks from the 2021 season but so be it. I’ve got no issues with Turner and Deak Smith as developmental rookies. Doesn’t mean we couldn’t have tried a few 21-25 year olds.

We’re moving the ball too quick and playing pairs of talls (I count Fritsch as a tall) deep. We need to ease back the speed of ball movement just a bit, spread the ball more and get it in to the talls as the smalls come in. Plus starting a small deeper at times would help as well.

Don’t be childish. We have an exceptional best 22. We haven’t done enough to turn over the 24-32 spots on the list at a crucial time where a couple of good mature body role players could be vital.

We played just about the same 23 players for the entire year last year! Remember in 2020 when we went to Cairns on a short break and had to throw depth players in and we stunk? Brisbane by a mile, Port, the Dogs, even Geelong have far better depth than us. Collingwood might too, they aren’t a complete team but have plenty of useful options. Essendon and Hawthorn are finding ready to go talent in the SPP or midseason drafts. Durham, Bramble, Newcombe, Baldwin etc. I’m not expecting superstars, just useful players rather than than carrying guys we know the coaches don’t even want to pick.

If we can afford to pay Melk to play we could afford to pay him out and scrape together the money for an extra draft pick. I don’t even have to see these guys play at lower levels. They never get picked at afl level! The coaches are letting us all know loud and clear that Chandler, Smith and Hunt are about the best we’ve got outside the 23. Laurie’s got some moves but he’s sub 180 without speed. Don’t need to watch him play to know it’s hard to get an afl gig on the flank as a young player with that combination. He’ll get fitter and stronger in time. My issue isn’t the first and second year kids, they need time. It’s the lack of list turnover from fringe players that doesn’t make sense to me.

Tomlinson 1.05 to be in Petty's role. Tomlinson and May played in the same backline for 7 weeks or whatever it was, just as May and Petty did. Not sure why you're trying to create this idea that Tomlinson won't be right back in to his CHB role. Smith a decent chance to take Rivers' spot, probably just edging out Hunt. Unless there was someone in the VFL who really impressed.

That's true, I wouldn't have rated ANB in 2020, but he got a 2 year deal previous on the back of being a good AFL footballer. Baker is not a good AFL footballer, never will be. Mitch Brown having a list spot is some kind of sick joke. Melksham should've been paid out if we were fair dinkum. That's 3 who are offering nothing. All those guys are in the best 22 apart from Melksham and Laurie! They can't be depth when they're in the side. Melk is finished. Laurie is an ok prospect as a midfielder, doesn't have the speed or size to do much at half forward for the time being. Bedford and Chandler aren't it either, so where's the turnover of options? I'm not talking long term, we've seen these guys win a flag. I'm talking about round 1 and the early games of the season. Last year we went smaller due to Brown and Weid's injuries and Tom did a very good job at CHF competing. It also allowed Jackson a lot of game time as a forward and whilst he was hit and miss he settled more in that role. Brown dropped a few he would've usually swallowed last night and moved pretty well, so I hope that was just an off night. But I do wonder how we best use Jackson and Gawn when the forward line doesn't really need them. Max goes deep forward with Brown and they can work together but if they don't mark it we are in trouble on the way out. And Jackson can get lost if he's not rucking and not getting asked to play more as a CHF. Especially early in the year where big guys often don't hold as many marks as they do once they've got their eye in. Tom's not asked to do as much grunt work in a taller line up so he has to be holding marks and contributing on the ground when he's effectively a forward flanker at times. Weid - he's really only back up for Ben Brown or perhaps the rucks. We can't have another tall who gets beaten to the ball or run off by smaller defenders when we're already overloaded for height. And no matter how many goals he kicks in the VFL he just doesn't hold his marks in the AFL and we should stop pretending he ever will by this stage.

FB: Hibberd May Lever HB: Salem Tomlinson Bowey C: Brayshaw Petracca Langdon HF: ANB T Mc? Spargo FF: Fritsch Brown Pickett Foll: Gawn Oliver Viney Int: Jackson, Sparrow?, Harmes?, Hunt/J Smith? I guess that's the team if the sore guys recover and everyone pulls up well from tonight. I do wonder if we're a bit tall for early season footy. Generally the key forwards struggle to mark it early in the year and games can be won/loss on work rate and pressure. But there's no one really in the frame to replace T Mc if we went smaller, unless we go JJ in and use Harmes/Petracca forward more. The 7th defender is a worry. Could be Brayshaw and go JJ on a wing, but neither of those moves worked tonight. Like most of our games against the Dogs in recent years it will be a big clash of styles and vital to get the game on our terms and likely goals will come in waves. Not grand final waves, but often 2-3 goals each way. We need our mids and half forwards a lot more switched on to get the game on our terms than they were tonight.

I'd even suggest Bowey did do it in the second half when they replaced Baker with Turner, and then moved Lever, Hunt and particularly Bowey up the ground more.

Harsh on Bowey, he was a bit rusty early but finished with 22 touches and 10 intercepts. I thought the longer it went the better he went, and even though they weren't good players Carlton did replace 4 half forwards with 4 fresh players. There's every indication Bowey will grow in to a very good player in the Salem role, he's just a second year kid. Similarly Tommo looked much better when not against McKay, and he's missed a year. He'll be at his best when allowed to play CHB on the less dangerous talls. Which is the same as Petty. Petty v a full fit and in form Tomlinson, I lean Petty but it's a discussion not a clear choice. At least that's one position where the choices are both solid, rather than a choice between guys we have no confidence in at AFL level. Brayshaw got better with the pace out of the game too, but if he's used at half back he has to be told to stick to a man like glue until a kick comes in. Was giving huge amounts of space. Think that's just a break glass if needed role for him. We definitely need more 22-25 year old midfield and flanker depth though, particularly some guys with some size.

I doubt it's tapering. I hope it's mostly mental, knowing we had a great hit out the first week, then a few players out opening a deficiency (last year it was no Viney, Gus or Oliver killing our midfield v Dogs). The concern is last year we started the reason without playing great footy but with a lot of desire to grind out wins. This year there's pressure to play well AND to win. The players have to all focus on not putting the cart before the horse and knowing what we need to do to win games rather than to expect champagne footy.

I'm annoyed that we've knowingly kept 3+ list cloggers on our list rather than gone and chased midfield, half back and half forward depth. Players that you can find in the state leagues and players that other teams have found in the SPP period. Not much we can do about that now though. Game plan wise I maintain that we just aren't sharing and running with the ball to full capacity. Everything is too straight lines and bomb it. That worked last year, but you have to adapt and build. Bowey, Lever and Tomlinson started to settle down in the 2nd half, that was good to see. With more quality back in against the Dogs the backline should be far better. Midfield probably couldn't play much worse. Oliver and Petracca do play such a physical style though so I can see why if they're a little bit off they kind of drop away. Just not convinced by our depth though. JJ was a great story last year but he's kind of meh. And Sparrow unfortunately doesn't look to really have made a big leap. And Harmes in Harmes, useful, but not exactly getting any better. Forward line is the real worry though. Ben Brown fell back down to earth after a great effort last week. Jackson hasn't made a lot of progress in terms of clunking marks and it can't be easy having to switch positions so much. And Tom McDonald is so feast or famine from contest to contest. You just don't know if he'll clunk a mark or hit a target or if he'll let his man gallop away from him with ease.

Think this one is against Peanut McDonald and not Tracc.

Kind of funny that Fritsch is one of our better players on their non preferred

He’s not being impartial he’s been overly negative. It’s unprofessional.

Turner on, wonder who’s off

We play so direct it really exposes the backline if the forwards and mids aren’t on. If this was a real game I’d hope the message from Goody would be tempo and spread. Bomb bomb bomb is such bad footy

Joel Smith has talent and a potential role but it’s got to be being used in space and on smaller opponents. He has elite athleticism and movement. He doesn’t have any idea how to use his body to shift bigger forwards who can out reach him. As a 7th defender who does a bit of everything he’s interesting. As a full back he’s hopeless

Not having another mid sized marking forward on the list is an oversight. Not counting the super collectors in Melk and Brown

Our big guns are a bit off and we’re mucking around with it inside 50. Plus the backline is the backline. Nothing too concerning so far, really it’s the result of winning a game by 80 points. Advice for the inside 50’s is take the easy ones. Advice for the backline is stick more defensive then worry about rebound or intercepting.

Sure but it’s a new rule and preseason, someone has to stuff up so the others have seen it

Baker in a different role was worth a go but the backline isn’t it. Half forward next (at Casey)

Jordon stiff. Free kick was rubbish and we’ve got away with walking up as we returned the ball for years. Viney is Viney.