DeeSpencer

Hibbo was the other one to come off and get a good looking over by the medical staff in the last quarter. Can't see him in the photos (which doesn't mean he wasn't there).

The only evidence that Brayshaw is anywhere near a Brownlow comes from 2018, when we were an awful defensive transition team with Gus on ball and when he got all of Oliver’s votes because Oliver talked back to the umps. There’s been nothing either side of that year to suggest Brayshaw is a good on baller, yet alone a great one. He has nice clean hands around a stoppage but his pressure and in tight defensive work is a mess. If Gus gets 30 you have to live with his opponent getting 30 too, and there’s plenty of mids who will do better with their 30. Thats why our coaches use Harmes, Sparrow and Jordon on ball rather than Gus. He might enjoy playing on ball more. And might get that chance more often at a bottom 6 club. But he’s not getting on ball minutes at a top team the way he currently plays. If he was at Freo for instance he’d be behind Mundy, Fyfe, Andy Brayshaw and Serong and playing on the wing too!

Do we think this is: A) Tim 'the Bull' Smith. B) Tim 'the drink driver Smith C) just a regular Tim Smith

No idea why I said grand for Toby. Meant final. He's played some really good ones. The best argument against him is that he'll get suspended and miss the rest of the finals as he has now twice if not more. I'm not saying Fritsch didn't play well or even amazingly well come the granny, he just has a distinct role as a goal kicker for the comps best side. And I'm not convinced that other players are finals flops because of lower averages, especially when they play in a lot of losses due to being in inferior sides to Melbourne 2021. Naughton did get May once in the 2nd quarter and I guess if Fritsch got a mountain of space and good delivery he'd be a chance to get May too. But May's brilliance is in his positioning and body work before the ball arrives to gain an advantage for the contest. May buffered, blocked and out positioned Naughton in the 3rd term and did what very few key defenders can do on Naughton and beat him in contests and helped turn the tide. If he was given similar up field pressure and could do the same to Fritsch he wouldn't have touched it. Anyway, happy to agree to disagree. I just think Fritsch is more of a star in his role than a true star forward of the game. But I'm certainly keen to see more and see how he develops his partnership with a fit Ben Brown. I'd like to see Fritsch used in some different roles this year including up the ground more to use his penetrating kick creating goals as well as kicking them.

Unless an inside mid has to miss I can't see why he'd suddenly get elevated in to the team

I’ve been liking Gillard but I think Colvin is still more trustworthy at the contest mostly when the ball is on the deck. I also think it’s time for Shell Scott to have a rest. Maybe a freshen up does her good. Fitzsimon back in. Depending on the opposition and ground and various other factors we could move Sheriff to the wing, Heath back and rotate the mids forward more. But they are options.

5 - Mithen 4 - Heath 3 - Paxy 2 - Purcell 1 - Harris

I like her game. Reads it very well, punches, uses her height advantage. She’s doing an incredibly job as an 18 year old who was barely eligible for the draft

She’s been excellent since Mick came to his senses and moved her to the wing at half time last week. New lease of life

North have the rub of the green with umps and we’ve got the 2 vital 50’s resulting in goals. I think we should use Zanker and Purcell in tandem on Garner and free Hanks up to see if we can get some clearance wins.

Kate Hore needs to realise the pressure has gone way up this year and take first options. She consistently burns team mates

2 goals per final is about par these days given so many are tight low scoring contests. Hawkins single handedly turned a grand final. Greene’s had 30 and 3 in a grand final. Naughton had 9 marks and 2 goals against Port. We averaged 20 goals a final with a winning margin of 10 goals. Fritsch was a part of that scoring but he was also a benefit from excellent and constant supply. You can’t just declare him a superstar on the back of a sample size of 3 games. Not unless you want to swap Steven May on to Fritsch and give Naughton a run against the ghost of Easton Wood too.

This time last year we rested Oliver and Viney was out and otherwise we went with the best 22. I’d expect we’d go the best 22 again and only rest someone if they are sore. Hibbo and Salem two to watch in that regard. I don’t expect anyone outside the 22, or possibly the 25 if you include Hunt, Weid and Bedford to get a run. If Fritsch, Lever and Viney are good to go then that’s our best 28. The opportunity to throw young players in was there against North. But they can do it the old fashioned way through the VFL.

The top 50 is not just limited to one role. It was one game. Jayden Short was the runner up for the Norm in 2020, he didn’t become the games best back flanker. A fully fit Ben Brown and Pickett with more consistency and hopefully kicking 40+ goals again are better footballers.

I'm also the Melbourne coaches who decided he was our 11th best player and behind 3 other forwards. He played an old school undersized full forward role and did it very well, and had a blinder in the grand final. But if I had to pick 3 Melbourne forwards for this year I'd go Brown, Pickett and then have a tough choice between ANB and Fritsch.

The phrase he's used multiple times is 'most valuable players heading into season 2022'. He says he's assessed recent form but the decision making is based on who he thinks will be the best this year. So if I was lining up all the players in the comp and picking them purely for this year I'd have the following forwards (excluding the flanker/midfielder types) ahead of Fritsch: - Naughton, Greene, Hawkins, McKay, Charlie Cameron I'd say are 5 locks, any argument there? - Then I'd add Max King, Papley, Daniher and Ben Brown as 4 more I'd go with for season 2022. Did they have better seasons than Fritsch last year - no, but overall I'd say they are just better and likely to do so this year. So Fritsch is down to 10th at best. - Plus I'd certainly consider a number of others like Franklin, a healthy Jeremy Cameron, Breust and Kosi Pickett. Add in 10 defenders, 20 midfielders of various roles and a few rucks and suddenly that's 40 ahead of Fritsch. Goal kicking big midfielders who can go forward are the most valuable players in the comp. We've seen that with Fyfe, Danger, Dusty, Bont, Petracca really having a stranglehold over the comps best player status for probably a decade now. I totally understand the argument that guys like Heeney and De Goey haven't paid their dues to be thought of in that company, but the same was true of Petracca prior to 2020. 'Kmart Dusty' might be a joke but if you are the budget version of the games most dominant player then you'll be in the top 50 and climbing. If he doesn't do it this year I'll give up on him. But out of contract, on his last chance at Coll, new coach and a commitment to play him on ball, if his body holds up I think he'll comfortably be top 50.

I’d say Butters was close to top 50 in 2020. Cal’s betting on him resuming that trajectory. But it does seem inflammatory that he’s skipped the 30’s and 40’s and lobbed him in at 25

Not to comment on his quality as a person but De Goey is comfortably a more talented player than Fritsch. His best season at full forward is comparable to Fritsch’s and he can be a 28+ possession inside mid for half a season off little preseason. Fritsch is one of the hardest players in the comp to rank. Personally I’d go with a number of gun midfielders, talls, two way small forwards and elite defenders before I’d get to Fritter. Might find room for him in the 40’s but he needs a second elite season before I’d consider anything like top 40.

I’m a big Smith fan and not always big on Tomlinson but I don’t see them in a head to head battle. We’ve seen Lever at his best with a 2nd genuine tall and wth Petty out that’s Tomlinson. But it’s not all bad news for Smith. One thing Tommo provides over Petty is more uncontested ball and rebounding skills. Which then changes the balance of the backline and raises the chances of Smith over Hibberd, Riv or Bowey. Similarly with Smith in the side May can take a less defensive role and provide more kicking and run.

His defensive pressure was excellent but he was tentative and poor at the contest and didn’t get much ball. He’s so good he only needs to do one or the other to contribute but he certainly wasn’t at his best

Langdon was 6th, ANB was 8th playing defensive forward. No reason Gus couldn’t finish top 10 in the B+F from a wing. We should also stop thinking the wing is a demotion. It suits Brayshaw’s overhead marking game. He still attends stoppages and since when is getting the ball out in space a bad thing? The media think Gus is a star on baller in hiding. I’m not at all convinced. If Gus thinks he is and wants to explore that then good luck to him. But it might be like when Howe thought he was a forward and very quickly found out he wasn’t.

The good part of it looks like most of the force went through his kicking leg, which certainly could get knocked around and sore, but his weight was all on the other leg. That kind of force through a planted leg could be very dangerous.

I'd suggest that even more talented/natural players than Bowey have suffered from the second year blues. He struggled at times today. Uncharacteristic fumbles and skill errors. I thought he was probably trying a bit too hard to be perfect and didn't have his rhythm. But the backline as a whole were super so it's not the end of the world. If May, Hibbo and Salem are all good to go there will be fierce competition for the last couple of defensive spots which is a good thing.

Too big to counter. It’s not exactly a textbook run and jump but his go go gadget arms can’t be stopped at times. Wasn’t much of a walk, and I don’t think the medical team were just sitting him down due to time. He’ll be lucky if he’s avoided a serious injury.

Worried about Salem, that was incredibly nasty. Would also like some reassurance May was planned. Hibbo was also looked at by the trainers and didn’t play the last 20 or so. Backline was excellent given our midfield and forwards took a while to get going early. North were pretty decent for a quarter and a bit until they got tired. We bombed it to talls on the flank/wing for a while before the game opened up and we started to play more. Backline: Joel Smith did look more confident and willing to spoil. Hibberd was excellent I thought. Tomlinson does provide more run and carry and short kicking which is a different look for us. Bowey wasn’t as sharp as usual which surprised me. Mids: Langdon was Langdon. Oliver and Tracc motored. Rucks were excellent. Sparrow has his moments. Forwards: Nibs, Spargo and Pickett great. BBB too big. Tommy was Tommy. At times he’s an excellent match up problem who can clunk it and cover ground like a mid, at others he’s struggling to defend and doing odd things with the ball. Chandler kicked 2 classy goals and has his moments, but he can’t seem to evade good defenders, doesn’t offer much at all in the air and is just a bit messy. I’d like to see him as a midfielder more than a forward.