DeeSpencer

I thought after a total stinker last week ANB was better. Got out of a few tackles. Laced out Tommy Mc for a crucial goal. There will always be Nibbler moments but overall I thought he was solid. Unless Bowey is a very good pressure player - and that's unlikely because he's a first year kid sent back to add to his defensive game - I can't see him taking a pressure forward spot. It's more whether we take out one of the bash and crash players for that extra class. Until we see him play that role at Casey it's impossible to know where he can pressure and win the ball in the middle or forward. I'd like to get him a game as well just so we've got the option of using him if needed and not just fresh on debut and the option of using him as a sub. Mitch Duncan was absolutely vital to the Cats in the 2011 grand final as the sub. That's a really high bar for Bowey to clear but I'd like to have him as an option and I'm totally against a sub on debut.

JJ earnt the number 2 wing spot, especially after Gus' ordinary performance against the Giants. The move of Brayshaw to the high half forward role and playing as the extra on baller at stoppages then even switching with Petracca was a very good decision. That's a better role for Gus than the wing against a fast running side like the Power.

We really need to stop playing Bowey at half back at Casey and give him a look in a different position at VFL level so he can push for AFL level. I just can't see them changing the back 7. Rivers and especially Hunt are just too important to the defensive system to be replaced by a small defender who just won't provide the same defensive work. Play Bowey on the wing, half forward or even on ball for Casey and see if he can play well in those roles because that's where we have a need for a classy ball user.

Limited Wines at the contest but he had 33. Viney has to get his spread running back and has to do something that resembles AFL footy with the ball otherwise we won’t get far. The combination with Harmes is particularly concerning. Both absolutely butchering it.

The no reason is he knew Jackson would smash Marshall in the ruck and our defenders were killing them in the air. The way we play without a lot of uncontested ball use and flooding numbers up and back makes the talls so important and Port’s talls just didn’t have to. So they had to mix and move Aliir. For us it’s a matter of whether we can get the same control in the air on the mcg where there’s more space to cover and it’s harder to get pressure.

Brown’s first half was awful, his second half was much better. I think he needs at least 1 more against better VFL opposition to find match fitness. Then if he comes in he stays in for a good stretch. Everyone else is waiting for more of an opportunity than players having 1 or 2 down games.

Very solid debut, handled the step up in intensity and looks a natural at reading the play. One piece of play impressed me a lot where he actually stuffed up, got caught trying to play on but then dished a long safe handball back to a team mate. Anything he does this year is a bonus but I like that our draft class is now at 4 and has a tall to go with the 2 skilled users and the outside runner.

I don't understand the Fritsch negativity. I thought he made a couple of nice spoils on switches and his pressure was about as good as it has been. Including putting Hind in to the post. His work to get in to space on the counter and some of his ball use was good. He had bad kicking for goal night as did Tom McDonald, as did the whole side really. I actually think most of the forward struggles from Saturday night were on the midfield lacking any drive. Oliver got going in the 2nd quarter but that was about it. Petracca and Harmes were adjusting to more time forward. Viney was paddling in 2nd gear, away from the contests he provided nothing. Our game plan relies on that midfield run taking the space that our forwards spread to leave for them. I don't think if we added the All Australian key forwards they'd matter as much as getting that midfield part right.

Jones might be a better on baller at Casey than Sparrow but when it comes to someone playing reduced burst minutes at half forward I’d take Sparrow. Jones just doesn’t have the speed to lay tackles in that role. If Jones comes in he’d have to get some midfield time on the wing or on ball to add value.

Pickett kicked 3.3 against the form team of the comp in Brisbane just 2 games ago. Teams are putting a lot of effort in to him defensively, he’s going to have quiet games especially if the forward line isn’t functioning. To replace him with a player like Melksham who has zero defensive intensity would be madness. Pickett isn’t playing for his spot every week because he earns his spot every week with defensive actions.

Bowey’s defensive work has been the best I’ve seen from him. That’s been what’s holding him back. But it’s hard to see him getting a gig in the back 7 as is. Do we need to move him to half forward at Casey to see if he can push for a game in that role?

Oskar Baker has come in to it in the last 10 minutes. He’s been the driving force of the momentum changing back

30 out, 30 degree angle. Then doubles back and crumbs one in the square after a Rosman long kick sailed over all the players.

Brown had a dreadful first half and is playing on Bomber Thompson’s fat son who hasn’t played a VFL game since 2013. Pump the brakes on his return

Rosman is handy in space but a deer in the headlights with anything contested. Can’t give off quick handballs. Doesn’t know how to win the ball on the deck. He’s going to need a whole lot of coaching and time

Melksham, I’d delist him tomorrow.

Jones, Bowey, Weid and Turner the highlights of the first half. A lot of guys look like they haven’t played in a month and rightly so. Would like to see Chandler, Bedford and Laurie on ball rather than so much of Munro and the 3 experienced guys.

Would like a bag but it needs to come with 3+ tackles and a few crashed packs as well.

Played just 50%, went at 100%, had 5 tackles and kicked a clutch goal. Until Viney gets fully match fit and unless the pressure across the ground lifts he stays. Eventually his spot is vulnerable but it requires someone putting their hand up and until we see Casey tomorrow it’s hard to say anyone is.

Pickett’s main issue was he’s not stupid and doesn’t blast long to no one, so he’s tried to engineer some more creative ball use and bring team mates in to it but they don’t run with him. He has to run to space more first but the idea is fine. I doubt we’re dropping Viney. Madness that he played tho, was a mile off it. Zero chance ANB gets dropped, as poor as he was with the ball Hind had no impact the other way. Ben Brown’s clearly a watch and see but he has to be dominant at Casey in all facets of the game for me to be keen on bringing him back. The 3 players I’m most interested in are the 3 who play mid/forward and can kick: - Melksham - Laurie - Declase Take Sparrow out, shuffle JJ around and bring one of those 3 in to get some skill, especially if it comes with some overhead marking in Declase or Melk, is what we need. But that means our pressure has to lift and the ins have to be up to the grade.

Got spoiled by his own team mates a couple of times. Dropped that one crucial mark in the late 3rd but it was beautiful body work to get front position. His primary opponent in Jones barely touched it. Roved that one freakish goal then got his other when not on Petty when Petty dropped the aforementioned mark. Otherwise Wright got him for size once. Overall I though he held space to allow May and Lever free run without giving away free kicks. A solid game for mine.

Round 1 last year against the Eagles- uncompetitive Round 15 v Sydney last year - uncompetitive The first 3 quarters the week before against St Kilda before a strong last quarter - as above The first 3 quarters against Hawthorn before we opened it up late - the same He's a good lead up player with nice skills, but he offers very little in the contest - he doesn't jump or extent his arms, and almost nothing defensively. He can be a back up for Fritsch or Tommy Mc but either we get one of the big boys up and going or we go smaller I think.

The first choice Richmond mids have our guys covered easily. Dusty alone does, but Cotchin, Prestia, Edwards might not be perfect but they can find targets. The intensity and work rate was a long way down but Goodwin mentioned skill execution for a reason, because when you keep giving up easy intercepts against an organised defence you start panicking in to bad choices rather than sticking to the plan. We knew Collingwood are highly organised and drilled, the aim had to be to move them around more than just ram in to a wall. We need to study the tape of how the Pies got so many uncontested marks and the errors made by our defensive press. But then we really need to study the tempo footy of Geelong and West Coast and the way Richmond use short kicks from their backline before getting a favourable match up for more attacking run or longer kicks. We can't rely on the long bomb to Gawn every single time.

He’s often behind because he’s still running back to make sure we have a deep target when a midfielder plays on for no reason. It’s certainly a weakness of his game but a big problem is he team mates just don’t time it up with any of our forwards. Nor do they kick with the right weight to drop a ball for a forward. It’s either bomb it high or try to lace it through 4 defenders.

Neither Oliver nor Petracca have any kind of left foot. Nor do we have a left footer at the moment in the centre bounce set up or the entire midfield. That's certainly one thing that hurts us. Similarly our lack of forward marking ability hurts the way we want to play because the mids lose confidence in getting it in quick. The centre square should prioritise quick entry rather than lace out entry when the other side is putting on great pressure. If you can't get a good clear handball then bang it forward and deep. But we also couldn't get our mids on the move and attacking because Gawn was getting nullified by a young kid and Jackson sadly doesn't seem to have enough of a leap to get over the top. He's a brilliant athlete but he just isn't Nic Nat. He's 198cm and with a limited jump off 3 steps, he doesn't have the big turbo leap that only Nic Nat really has. As he matures he'll add more bulk and be able to jump in to guys to win the hit outs but he can't do that yet. It's also a cricket pitch so our big body mids that need steady footing to change direction and our lumbering ruck aren't favoured on that kind of surface. Not an excuse but it wasn't ideal.