DeeSpencer

We are coming against the player who has the second most frees for of any non ruckman in the competition. Our players have to be specifically drilled to aim their tackles super low or aim their tackles high across the chest and as hard as possible.

I don’t think you can judge recruiters based on cat B rookies. They are a total role of the dice. On pure talent Joel Smith was a tick (I won’t say anymore). Corey Maynard could play a bit too. The rucks especially are a big gamble. Bradtke could play a little. Did alright for Frankston in the VFL. KFW wasn’t good, but that’s the risk of signing guys who by definition haven’t played much footy/haven’t played for 3 years. This kid has a former AFL club employee for a father, his brother made more money kicking a footy than any afl player did at one stage and basketball athleticism. It’s worth a shot.

Maybe we go full Neeld and let Oscar Berry have a go first up

You think the draft is that week? I don’t, there’s always quality right at the top. If we hand them pick 4 or 5 that’s significantly better than pick 7 or 8 that gets blown out by academies. I also think last years draft had about 20 guys who would go in pick 10-15 in a normal draft of which Lindsay was one. To get 1 of those in Lindsay was nice. But we missed out the chance to get a couple of them by sliding the Lindsay pick back, or sticking with our 2nd rounder and keeping the first this year.

It’s grim but as it currently stands we don’t have anyone better than Kade Chandler. If Petty could settle in a role and give consistent effort and energy he’d be an option. As it stands Bowey is the only one heading in to the right direction.

Lindsay will be a nice player but if we had our first pick we could tank and get pick 3 this year. Even with academies and a weak top end of the draft that’s likely to be a different grade of player than Lindsay. That’s before the 2nd rounder and all the other picks we tossed in.

JT still a very good recruiter but the trade up, trade up, trade up some more plan has more than run its course and will kill us this year handing Essendon a quality pick. As well as crazily trading away so many useful later picks in a deep draft last year. Our depth is terrible and unlikely to get better any time soon. Have to take our medicine with some bigger draft crops and then turn the list over

There’s almost no kids at Casey worth playing, that would be a silly decision. Adelaide are tall, has to be either Lever or T Mc in for Howes. JVR by default comes in for Petty. Otherwise the million dollar question is who comes out of the midfield or elsewhere. Fritsch needs to be sub. Lindsay might need a rest. Sharp’s no good. Oliver and Viney can’t play in the same side but it’s damn hard to drop either of them either. Spargo in if healthy for Sharp. If they want to pick Henderson or Billings and rest Lindsay so be it.

Looked like cramp. Going to be some really sore boys today playing 3/4’s down a man

sadly he’s just slow

Welcome to the reality bus. Oliver, Viney, Tracc, Salem, Sparrow, Fritsch at high half forward are the problems. Rivers not a mid a problem too.

The first quarter had zero to do with injuries or selection

Those 2 deck chairs wouldn’t have been any help. Backs and forwards haven’t had a chance, it’s a midfield issue

Our senior players don’t run. It’s not fitness

He was also captain the entire time we’ve been good, and I don’t think we have a slow start problem as much as a not very good problem. We get caught out early as times because we’re slow and unathletic, leadership can’t fix that

Viney being a difference maker when he’s all but shot as a player is an indictment on our midfield group. Especially Oliver. Same for Melk forward really. Although they’ve hardly had a chance.

He’s just a horrendous ball user, for someone so powerful he should be a weapon with baulks and changes of direction, not to mention taking tacklers on to release to free opponents. If he doesn’t have a straight line to goal he’s practically useless

Expecting to see a better Windsor after the break. He’s had some good games against good opposition this year. Excellent against Hawthorn. Very good fresh against GWS. Very good against Sydney. He’s just hit the wall the last few weeks as the interrupted preseason has impacted him. I think half back has been important in his development and he’s shown signs of learning how to defend and impact aerial. The biggest concern has been his kicking and lack of composure with the ball but that’s where a disrupted preseason can play a role. I also think he used to kick in a more natural across his body motion and now he’s quite stiff and too straight which is a common Choc Williams side effect but I might be wrong on that.

A good Howes game in the easiest position on the field is fine. A bad Howes game is a disaster that sees him throw the ball under pressure. He has 2 afl traits, he’s got good endurance and he’s tall for a flanker. The latter he doesn’t use right now, he might, but generally if you’ve got an overhead marking game you at least show glimpses of getting hands on the footy. The one thing he does do is mostly track opponents with reasonable discipline. Rarely wins contests with any conviction. Offers little in attack, if he could kick or break lines that would be nice but there’s no evidence of that. If this was year 1 or 2, maybe even 3 I’d be glad to have him. But it’s year 4 and there’s no significant progress. His contract extension is similar to Laurie’s on the back of some good preseason footy. It’s wishful thinking. He’s basically Cale Morton whilst being low enough of a draft pick not to get hate and high enough for people to think there’s upside.

When? Disco played one game in ‘22, looked ok, got knocked out at half time. He played 2 games in 23 and was fine. And whilst it was up and down he made an immediate impression last year in a foreign position. Repeated injuries are a concern and I’m a little iffy on his ceiling (is he good enough to be the main interceptor). But he’s always had AFL traits with his marking, the way he moves for his size and his ability to win the ball.

Viney, Oliver and Tracc have shared the ball more at stoppages but under pressure in general play they revert to bad habits. Our forwards lead until they see the ball fly over their head at which time they doubt themselves and stay under the high ball so they can compete. There’s a degree of coaching but more so we encouraged Viney, Oliver and Tracc for years to play a certain way, now they’re older, slower and stuck in their ways. And aside from first year kids - who are wisely being developed on the wings - we don’t have options.

Salem on his worse day at least looks like he’ll win a one on one on the deck and wants the ball. Had a poor game today but has looked better this year. Howes has Salem’s apathy but no class. He doesn’t have a strength to his game to hang his hat on.

Because the list is worse than the coaching. Name a coach that can summon a midfield from fresh air? It’s just not possible

I’m a Goody defender but he brings pressure on himself when he keeps going back to the well with guys who clearly aren’t getting any better. Lever was rushed back. Now he rushes Viney back. In fairness to the coach there’s almost nothing at Casey. Jeffo is building, the rest aren’t. And the kids in the side are fatiguing. Viney, Oliver, Tracc is now more stale than Brown and McDonald were yo forward. We never replaced those 2. Now we need to replace our midfielders Rivers having a stinker and Pickett going MIA doesn’t help. But we need trades, delisted pick ups whatever we can do to find mids who don’t just constantly butcher the footy.

Borderline insipid footballer, another Tim Lamb special Because McVee’s mostly been on him. 4 intercepts from Howes. 2 score involvements. 170m gained from 10 kicks so he’s pretty much only going sideways. Panics under pressure. Doesn’t impact in the air despite plenty of height. He’s pretty much just doing cardio out there.