DeeSpencer

I don't really see it with this pick. Clearly a talented player who's doing well at VFL level, but he looks flashy and outside, rather than the type of player who can step in as depth. If we're to get a key defensive injury we don't need a skilled player to step in, we need someone who can contest and do a defensive job. A former local footy forward who plays as a utility tall doesn't really fit the bill to me.

Yes, but it's at Werribee's discretion as to whether he plays against them if the sides play, and he returns to them for finals if he's delisted.

Keath or Weitering.

Apart from McKay and Walker I'd also have Hawkins and Naughton ahead of Tom as key forwards. Maybe Darling too. He's had a number of ordinary games to go with the standout performances

You might need to watch some more Fritsch and some more prime Robbo. You don't win and best and fairest in a crap team and come runner up in another if you're just chasing easy kicks. Bayley has the occasional poor game and he's not a good tackler or good at contested ground balls but I reckon his GPS numbers would be huge and I'm fine with him playing the odds every now and then to get one over the top. He opens his body up for contact on marks both inside and outside the 50.

At this stage I'd go for Lever, Oliver, Salem as locks. Then I reckon Petracca and Gawn make it because they're just special players and the alternatives are inferior. They both aren't having dominant seasons though. After that it gets a bit more tricky. Langdon's been great. I'd have him in. But he has to dominate his wing to be AA, that's the reality for wingmen. There's always inside mids left out and a lot of them are just better players. A full season of Mitch Duncan on ball is getting the Langdon spot and I don't mind that. Obviously it's different if they go with a lesser mid who just has stats. May's probably borderline as well. His best games have been great but he's made a few too many mistakes to be a total lock for mine. Probably has to hold some more intercept marks or completely blanket forwards. He's right in the picture though. Pickett, McDonald and Fritsch are all having great years but I wouldn't have any of them in the team and therefore I'm not too worried about their squad status. Kossie is probably closest to making it but there's a heap of great small forwards lifting like Papley and Cameron with AMT the standout.

When it comes to an experienced player I think they have to be in our top 28 or so and therefore likely to push for games to be worth considering. That means someone with really good state league form. When it comes to a young player the aim should be to get a jump on the draft and grab someone we'd be happy to have instead of a late 3rd round pick. Which in general means that Jason Taylor probably has to like them fairly strongly on his draft board. I believe that was the case for Dunkley. I'd be a bit surprised if there's no one who fits in either of those categories, but whether it's 0, 1 or 2 and what they prioritise I guess we'll find out tomorrow night.

Tommy Mc - slimmed down Tex Walker - slimmed down Buddy, Charlie Dixon - slimmed down There’s only one Hawkins and he’s a freakish athlete for his size Weid’s agility is hurting him at AFL level. Adding additional bulk would doom him.

Forward connection still isn’t our strongpoint. Often the forwards will be sprinting back to goal only for the mids to play on too quickly and kick it before they are ready. The forwards leading deep is a key component for opening space for others to lead in and to flood numbers forward too. So it’s not like they are commonly in the wrong (there are times they have to change plans and hit up to space). I also think we’re a little off the pace with blocking. Port are the competition standard for doing it smartly. Richmond for doing it blatantly! There’s work for others to do to help Weid (or any of our tall forwards) as well.

1. Experience. The more he does it the less pressure there is. The 3rd quarter should help 2. sports psychology 3. Reinforce the positives, improve the deficiencies with all the technical aspects: Timing his run and leap, identifying the drop of the ball, emphasising the times he used his body well.

Don't mind these highlights. https://www.afl.com.au/video/621120/vfl-showreel-jai-newcombe-making-waves-ahead-of-mid-season-draft?videoId=621120&modal=true&type=video&publishFrom=1622073704001 I'm hoping someone grabs him if the Hawks try to sneak him through to the second round. May as well be us!

He held plenty last year. I'd say it's mostly confidence. He's still rarely had a consistent run of AFL footy. Otherwise it's a bit of athleticism - he can't jump up over the pack to get clear air, he doesn't have that quick second reaction to take it on the second bite like Jackson does, and he hasn't been strong enough to hold his position until the last couple of seasons. There's not many key forwards who rely on contested marking these days. You got to get your easy kicks on the lead. The pack situations are more about not being out marked. If you can get 1-2 a week that's doing well.

Hibbo’s almost certainly the least fit player on the list, even if they shrunk the scg in half I wouldn’t have him on the wing. Plus he’s needed down back. If there was a defender to move it would be Hunt.

If the AFL allowed them the NSW Directives allow players out for exercise. I'd book somewhere in Bondi or Coogee and allow the boys to have a swim.

I’d prefer Giants stadium than the SCG. The thinner and longer dimensions suit us more then the short and wide SCG. Plus the surface seems in far better shape. Given the crowd will be next to 0 regardless I would’ve thought we’d get a choice. Maybe Ch7 and the AFL want the more prestigious ground but that’s bad luck for them. The main benefit to the SCG apart from a few more neutral supporters is the players probably get a nicer hotel and shorter trip. But they’re flying out for business and if they’re restrictions travel with them I doubt they’ll be doing much sightseeing.

Too expensive in terms of cash and draft picks I’d imagine. A third A grade mid is a huge expense. Particularly when we have Gawn, Viney, Harmes, Langdon and most likely Gus on the books. Unless we find value in trading players out I’d imagine we look towards free agency, even if it’s matching and getting a discount. Plenty of other holes we need to fill with draft picks or cheaper trade acquisitions.

My post was in a response to a suggestion JJ goes to half back. All the things you’ve said are true and he’s a great competitor. But if he went to half back spoiling and intercept marking would become very important. Compared with Salem, Rivers or even someone like Gus I don’t think that’s a huge part of his game right now. In my opinion in limited opportunities he hasn’t looked as developed in that part of his game as tackling or clean hands or plenty of other things he does well. I don’t think that’s controversial or nit picking.

If Salem’s fatigued with soreness I reckon it would be madness to ask him to do a mountain of running on the wing. Surely the aim is to manage him until the bye. JJ’s clean hands have been excellent but he hasn’t looked natural in aerial contests and his kicking is very hit and miss. I don’t think he suits half back at all. If it’s not Baker I’d go JJ to the wing with an extra mid coming in (Sparrow and/or Jones). I’d save the option of a Hunt/Brayshaw swap in game if plan A fails and we need speed on the outside.

Agree Brown’s Swans game was the best we’ve seen from either of them and thought it would buy him more time. But I do think they’re in no hurry with Brown, they’ve got 11 weeks to get him right. Disagree that the draft pick means anything at all anymore for Weid. It’s ancient history. The big thing I keep coming back to for Weid was the 9 game stretch when he came in to the team last year and was an above average AFL key forward. Multiple goals in every game. Contested marks. Halved a lot of contests. 10th in the best and fairest. If he plays like that he’ll keep his spot. Sadly he doesn’t have the athleticism to contribute without marks and goals like a Todd Marshall. And isn’t doing the ruck minutes due to Jackson. And we don’t kick well enough to give our forwards easy chances. He has to crash and clunk to hold his spot.

Jordon’s the best endurance midfielder on the list. Won’t have Langdon’s freakish repeat speed but pure endurance won’t be an issue. His game time is low because he’s the 4th best on ball and the main 3 are handling the bulk of the duties.

Weid's rucked. Brown hasn't. That's a big factor for a lot of those stats. One thing to consider is that Weid fits better as the 3rd option out of the way. With Fritsch at full forward. Brown demands the full forward spot. Fritsch then becomes the 3rd banana most likely. That worked for him v North but in other games he got lost in between. My overall opinion is if Tommy McDonald can crash packs slightly better than he has been. If Fritsch nails his set shots. And if LJ can just hold a couple more marks then we're better off without either of the big fellas. The biggest worry with that situation is it puts a huge strain on all of those guys but particularly LJ and Gawn. So maybe you keep trying the big boys whilst we're in strong ladder position. The Hawks used to play Schoenmakers all the time until finals. Or the Tigers would play Chol a fair bit last year. Sometimes you just play an extra tall to get through the season and then when the whips are cracking go small and hungry.

These aren't just isolated errors though, it's some I've seen multiple times. TMc's fend worked well against the Swans but unless he's running in to space it's not worth the risk, in a crowded forward 50 he should give quick handballs. Same goes for Gawn trying to kick unless it's from a stoppage. He should be a handball first player. The deliberate issue has occurred multiple times with us. We don't appeal for it enough and we don't try to influence the ump by a forward running to the ball to keep it in or look like they are close to it. The turnovers were in the last quarter and when defending a lead. I don't think we really played like we learnt much from last week. We have to ice games. It's pretty silly that we're 10-1 but haven't really taken the chance to move guys around in the last quarter to get some experience in different roles and to rest up the best players. JJ's made a great start to his career and I love his no fuss playing style but now is the time for him to put some work in to his kicking and decision making. Not over summer. Not 3 years from now. Centre bounces should be pretty easy. The forwards should be predictable. There should be a target area for where the long kick lands. It was by far our best centre bounce game of the season but we didn't take full advantage.

A triumphant return to Cairns would be a bold choice.

Giants stadium is my guess.

Next Wednesday night We’ve got 2 spots free. Although that could be 3. One of Hore or Tommo isn’t inactive yet I’d imagine. My guess is we only take 1 pick Players can nominate on 6 or 18 month terms. Given they’ve all been overlooked in previous drafts I’d imagine they are life time free agents. Extending players probably isn’t the main concern, the first concern is finding one good enough!