DeeSpencer

I agree with that and maybe I should just want Pickett, Laurie and Spargo to come on really quickly. Expecting our young players to all play well isn’t realistic though. I look at Richmond with Castagna, Rioli and Lambert and just how important those elite running and pressure players are. They all offer more than ANB but Rioli and Castagna particularly don’t have much more skill. Lesser players than ANB have come good before, certainly if he discovers some physicality it will make a huge difference.

1. Oliver - it's vital that he returns to a multiple AA trajectory and he'll do that by panicking less with the ball, absorbing contact to release team mates and knowing when to use his legs. 2. Petty - the CHB role is vacant and ready for him if he's physically ready and is trained in proper defensive techniques. Needs some Burgo time and then May to coach him up in defensive skills (May not Chaplin). 3. Weid. Could take the improvements made in 2020 to a new level and own the forward line 4. ANB. It will be easy to see him overtaken by Koz, Spargo and Laurie but I get the sense he's got another level that he might just be ready to go to now it's finally been made clear he has to play with more skill and composure. And be an aggressive tackler not just a prolific one. He's not a fashionable player and I've been as down on him as most but we aren't going to achieve consistent defensive pressure unless we've got someone with his physical capabilities in the side. 5. Hunt. He's never had the tank to be a legitimate wing option before. More of a hope than anything but maybe that changes this year.

I'm on the record as supporting what Goody did up until 2018 as a job pretty well done. I don't think he really was provided with a huge chance to mold the list, he added Melk, Hibbo and Lewis to bring in some skill and then went out and won games. If anything I think he was the victim of being a first time head coach surrounded by this club mantra of winning contested ball and being hard at it. The Roos, McCartney, Viney even Jason Taylor mantra was flowing full bore and we were winning more than we had previously, it's pretty easy to see where we fell in to a trap. How much should've been changed faster than the end of 2018 and how much of that is on Goody? I'm not confident to say one way or the other. Our draft picks for a long time had a skill/speed/run component, way back to Hannan and Johnstone, Spargo, Fritsch, Baker, Jordon, Bedford, Chandler. Plus key defenders with Lever, May, Petty. Bringing in KK. We had Langdon pretty much locked in a year before he came too. I'll give him some benefit of the doubt with the list, there's too many others responsible for the failings too. Changes to game plan - we should've seen more in 2019 but the whole year was a dumpster fire, 2020 was better at least with the defensive zone and after a bad start with the tempo coming under control. Positional changes - meh, we've had so many one dimensional players for so long it's hard to move them around. The big faults are failing to turn over assistants and failing to create the right processes that prevent issues building up. We've needed a skills coach for a long time. We've needed a fresh voice for the midfield. We've needed to train more on MCG sized ovals. Etc etc. Those kind of little details that add up to important things on the ground are where he's lacking. Attention to details is one of the most vital things for a coach in any sport and I don't think Goody really has it

Buckley, Hardwick, Goodwin?

Maybe some marking advice for the forwards?

I actually think Goodwin from 16-18 did a heck of a job and should've been regarded as a top 6 coach in the comp at that time. Outside of the round 23 disaster costing us finals in 2017 he got the most out of that list with an innovative and aggressive game plan. Yes it had it's flaws, but most sides do. Geelong this year were dominating the grand final and after the game you look at them and think how the heck did they even get close with that side and that plan. Obviously 2019 was a disaster and last year a mixed bag and yes there's a case that some of the issues that led to 19/20 should've been addressed ahead of time rather than waiting until they became abundantly clear. But going in to 2021 we've got: Backline: should be decent but lacks mature depth unless Lever finally hits his potential and a number of Hore/Smith/Petty/Lockhart/Rivers lock down spots. Midfield: needs a massive retune to stop the issues of 19/20 for good, Yze has a huge task Forwards: dramatically overhauled since 2018 with a mix of young players and now the addition of B Brown. And all of that personnel change means establishing a new plan which takes time. If we're bad, then Goody goes, that's pretty clear cut. But if we're somewhere between 6-10th on the ladder then assessing if we're actually on the right path or not is very difficult and we could actually be heading in the right direction and needing a bit more patience.

Pert has been a player and a CEO, never a coach or football manager as far as I know, so I am concerned when he gets involved in footy his opinions will be framed by his playing experience. And he played when key forwards were vital which is different to how footy is played now. When you add in the misadventures of the Collingwood football department during his time there it doesn't fill me with confidence. I guess he has picked Richo and given him the chance to take the reigns now. Demonland opinion has soured on him but he's an experienced football person who did far better than others would've with what he was given at the Saints, let's hope he's making the right calls.

The issue I have with Brown and Weid is about fit. 2 big talls who don’t offer a lot of possessions and defensive effort. Jackson complements either of them individually. But alone they have value. Brown’s value is obvious as a 60 goal forward. Weid’s 2020 apart from Cairns he crashed packs, kicked goals at a decent clip and took strong marks. He was a solid afl player and the best and fairest reflected that, with a couple more touches he’d be a very good afl player. After that it’s a matter of fit with Brown as above.

I think positioning and not getting enough easy ball are far bigger problems for Weid than toughness or presence. The lack of reliable second option meant he had to be up the ground, and the game plan to get goal side for long bombs to the square left him sprinting deep. The Jackson - Weid combo worked briefly before Jacko went down. Personally I’d rather stick with that but the Brown-Weid combo should be able to produce similar results. But part of that is Weid finding easy ball when he’s up the ground or even leading inside 50. Add a couple of uncontested marks each game and another half a goal a week and he’s right up with the best forwards.

The major factors for whether a kid can play early are whether they are physically and mentally prepared for the intensity and whether they can run. Rosman looks more of a project so I don’t expect him to play but there’s no concern over his athleticism and hopefully his size protects him from the heat. Bowey and Laurie are strong runners too. If you can run you can do a job. It’s a big ask of a coach to start a small light body in Bowey on a back flank but I think he’ll get his chance. They didn’t rush Rivers in so much so my guess is coaches are more conservative when it comes to defenders. Laurie should certainly get chances if the likes of Spargo and Pickett are a guide from their first years. Is he going to be a better option than ANB who’s rock hard fit and a super worker? My guess is not straight in to round 1 but pretty early in to the year he’ll put good vfl from on the board.

Rivers would do very well to be in AA contention yet not finish in the top 2 in the Rising Star.

We're going to get smashed, then they'll be an overreaction, then in a months time everyone will realise Freo were actually good so it's not that bad a loss. We can't score against a Longmuir defensive set up and we'll get frustrated, make mistakes and leak goals because that's what we do. Unless....... The forward pressure is spicy and dialed right up to start a season AND The midfield learn to work together and use the ball smartly.

They’re both tall athletic left footed wingmen. Obviously a lot of differences too but I’m fine with people daring to dream.

I believe you mean the VFL/East Coast Second-Tier Men’s Competition! 15 games against half decent opposition might be optimistic

If we’re aiming for Isaac Smith why not aim a little higher? And a big physical wingman who took time to learn his craft (as Rosman will) with 99 games in the reserves? Let’s see if we can make him the next Dipper

Q: Who finished second behind Dusty in the 2017, 2019 and 2020 Norm Smith medals? A: Houli, Houli, Short. If he can handle afl pressure and get a dozen kicks across half back then he’ll prove his worth.

Jetta is a unique player, so strong one on one and in the air for his height. I don’t think we should be looking for nor expecting his role to be taken by a small in the future. A medium type with pace is the most likely to take over the lockdown jobs, whilst also providing some aerial value and versatility in the zone. Short term that should be Hibberd, longer term it could be Joel Smith. Otherwise we need to recruit for that role. 3 talls, 1 lock down medium, 3 runners is how I’d set up. I see Lockhart, Bowey and Chandler fighting for a spot to add to Rivers and Salem. If they’re good enough we can play a 3rd running flanker. Rivers’ size and Salem been good enough one on one allows it. Lockhart short term, Bowey long term if it works out. The 3rd tall battle is between Tomlinson, Hore and Petty. I’d like Petty to nail that spot, if not I think Hore will push for it, we’d lose some height but a competent all round defender like Hore provides more than shaky talls. All that said, Hore, Smith and Hibberd could all switch between roles and then the depth and make up of the backline changes entirely. I’d be recruiting a key defender and be on the look out for quick 187-192 lock down type to develop.

Hibberd took most of the lock down jobs and on a couple of occasions Smith. Lockhart and even Jetta were played as pretty standard back flankers in a lot of games and restricted to limited minutes to protect against their lack of fitness. Rivers took over Lockhart's spot in the side and averaged 13.3 which is significantly more of the ball than Lockhart's 8.8.

Can I have that again in English?

Simply doesn’t get enough of the ball at this stage and if you’re a small back flanker who doesn’t rack up disposals you better be elite at everything else and he’s not. He’ll have his chance to get his spot back over summer and I really like him but the coaches haven’t done anything wrong with him.

It's an easy decision from a depth perspective and maybe that's the most important consideration. I liked Petty at Casey as a defender, he's a very talented mark but I'm worried his lack of speed could be costly at AFL level. And his forward play was a really pleasant surprise late in 2019. The most important thing is to get him fit and healthy, but after that we need to do develop him well because his size, marking and reading of the play are valuable tools.

European migrants took up Aussie Rules because it was the only thing going at lunch time in the playground. These days African, Middle Eastern, Asian and even white kids are more likely to play basketball or soccer at lunch, and can watch Liverpool, the Lakers and the Mumbai Indians on tv just as easily as watching the AFL. Just like music, tv and other hobbies sport is going to be more fractured and less of a monoculture as society becomes more global and connected by the internet. Houli and Saad might be the only practising Muslim’s in the AFL. Aliir and Chol only Sudanese guys getting a game. 3 recent recruits in this draft in Davies, McInnes and Downie who are half asian but given 12% of the Australian population is Asian that’s a tiny fraction. Lin Jong and Peter Bell still come to mind as Asian afl players. It’s increasingly difficult for the afl to capture these audiences.

We typically haven’t had a lot of players training on. I’m not sure we’d try to fill all 6 potential spots. And I’m not sure Taj counts. Clubs usually get father son / academy players in for a look the summer before their draft, that’s different to train on players. Smith might still be cat B eligible. Farmer is obviously a special case. Otherwise I’d expect only guys they are serious about adding to the list rather than a trial group

The most interesting parts for me: - Bowey is going to start with the defenders. Which I like. Confirms what I saw in his footage that his best attribute is his ability to change angles and kick quickly and accurately. - Laurie will be with the forwards but has midfield potential. Great spacial awareness and ability to release a team mate in space - Petty resuming training with the defenders - Nietschke always finding the ball at training (which I’ve witnessed). Will be with the wingers - Sparrow made good progress last year Is Deakyn Smith still eligible to be added as a cat B rookie? If he is I’d imagine he’s a decent chance to get a year if he trains well.

I don’t think I need to apologise to Jason specifically. I still think there was way too much smoke about a bolter with no form at all. But if he wasn’t so high on our board I’ll say I was overly critical of the football department staff and I’d withdraw some of those comments.