DeeSpencer

I wouldn’t say great kick, and he’s not the smartest player. If we got him I think the aim would be to eventually have him replace Melk and have Jeffo take over from Fritsch. Kind of a swap of the current skillsets but you’ve got the athleticism of Brown and the class of Jeffo as your 3rd and 4th talls. Throw in a JVR/AJ or Petty type too. But still think we’re lacking the main man.

Midfield rivers is frustrating but there’s signs it might all click soon, I think it’s imperative not to change it. Similarly I’m a huge Howes skeptic but it seems like his manager is sniffing around for someone to give him a deal. If we have any desire to keep him he needs to play and earn a contract. If Lindsay needs a rest just flip him with to sub Caleb. Unless he’s in to tag Butters and Tracc, Koss and Langdon play forward more I just can’t see the need for an underdone Viney. That’s the kind of move that people hammer Goodwin for. In Jack’s prime - sure. But now - nah, let him go back to Casey.

It’s a free kick, even if Hill took a dive, but it’s not a dangerous tripping action worth even a minor fine.

Lindsay fine for a tackle that slipped down and a massive Dobby Hill dive is the icing on the officiating [censored] Storm. Nonsense

You don’t trade the only prime age key tall on your list for 2 late first round picks in a thin draft when you’re already taking a Windsor and Tholstrup with earlier picks. What were we going to do with those picks? We’ve had the picks and cash for a key forward and haven’t found one. Those crows picks have become Darcy Wilson who can’t get a game for St Kilda right now and Charlie Edwards who’s not doing a lot in the sanfl. Crows probably wanted a second rounder back too. So many bigger issues with our list management than hanging on to a tall who still helps us play a lot better as a forward (look at our scoring before and after he went forward this year) and is a decent defender too.

We were a goal away from being right in finals contention having beaten the top 2. It’s far too early to make selection calls on next year. Jeffo was likely covering someone sore like Melk. He’s had 5 and 4 touches, he can easily be worse than JVR, still 11 games to go, there’s heaps of time for him to get some experience

The issue with that backline is you’ve got 3 players who like to intercept more than they do really defend one on ones. And of the 3 only Disco is an above average kick or runs with the ball and even he probably needs to minimise aggressive kicks. I haven’t seen terrific defender in Petty since 21 or 22 maybe

When he first went forward he led at the ball, but eventually seeing the ball sail over his head or breaking his foot from a Sparrow hospital kick he’s now reluctant to lead. He puts in a decent aerial contest against lesser defenders but struggles to impact against good ones. Goal kicking is poor for a guy who kicked very straight when he first went forward too. Mentally doesn’t project any kind of confidence. His pressure and tackling are important tho, he genuinely puts in effort there. The real concern is he looked slow down back and is a reluctant rebounder and doesn’t like to stand under the footy as a defender either. Teams would’ve offered plenty for him as a defender in the past as we know when the crows did. Mind you I still think turning down those picks was the right call in that very shallow draft. A full preseason as a forward to see if he can get back to leading? Time in the vfl to really earn his position despite the replacements giving less than he does? Or we just go along knowing he does provide some contest but isn’t improving?

T Mc forward is a disaster, please, let it go. Jefferson will play when he demands a spot, we’ve seen him this year, he doesn’t offer more

They both played well the last couple of vfl games. Of course JVR was picked because he can fill a role in the side. Jeffo can’t so needs to bash the door down which he’s yet to do, hopefully he’s in the process of doing it right now.

The ceiling for Roo has only ever been a role player and whilst he’s a strong lad he’s still got plenty of physical development left - especially once he’s stopped adding bulk and then can trim him up and focus on refining his movements. Plus he clearly lost all confidence early this season, you can see he’s not playing with any instinct. And our expectations are high. Mihocek and McStay barely touched it at their end either. Mihocek is the player I want Roo to be too. They’re over similar stature and athleticism, the one thing Mihocek has is confidence to lead hard at the ball because he has a team that can kick. I thought he made a step forward on previous occasions in terms of actually jumping at the ball. We need to shop if we can. We need a main man up forward to take over from Melk but they’re nearly impossible to find.

Using half the bench for tall forwards, great strategy that! Disco is settled down back, let’s stop this idea of moving him, he looks legit down back. Jeffo’s time will come when he demands a spot over the likes of Fritsch and Melk. Not some made up bench role that doesn’t exist

He was better than average against Preston, he took 13 marks across half forward. Yeah, he came in for AJ who was hardly setting the world on fire. So stick with him for a couple more weeks. Then make the change to Jeffo if he continues strong VFL form against better opponents

Doesn't fill me with confidence that he's ready to perform.

JVR had a rough first half but came in to it a bit more and looked more confident fighting for position and jumping at the ball. I'd give him another week. He only played 60% game time, so take out the stints in the ruck and he actually wasn't forward all that much. Where's the Viney was only a 1 week injury coming from? Official update is TBC. I wouldn't pick him until after the bye. He needs touch work after such a long time out, and I'm still not entirely sure how he fits in our midfield balance. I think the big question is whether they want to persevere with Howes and what they want to do with Windsor. Obviously the bye is coming up after next week but I'd probably go with Windsor on the wing and Lindsay as sub and then reassess after the bye.

A get out of jail left foot that goes into space alone would a game changer for him. And he’s half decent on it too. His panic handballing to avoid getting tackled is arguably a bigger issue tho.

In what game has he done that? JVR was fine in the ruck. I like big AJ, but he’s just a more enjoyable version of JVR. There’s no evidence he’s any better.

I get the desire to play him but he’s had 2 good weeks, he still has to show week to week, contest to contest that he’s too good for vfl. Then we have to decide who comes out. JVR needs a consistent run now that he’s come back to the team. He didn’t put it on the scoreboard but he showed he was too good for VFL. Can’t drop Melk. Don’t need an extra tall in for Fritsch. No one loves Petty form but he’s more reliable long down the line than anyone else we’ve got. Given our midfield doesn’t kick to leads we’ve probably got the best combination of talls available right now.

Do we have a senior player with any composure? Tracc’s a mess. Oliver’s worse. Pickett’s doing too much dumb stuff. Don’t get me started on Fritsch. Rivers is getting dumber by the minute. Maybe Melk? But he’s as prone as anyone to play on to a miracle kick. Gawn didn’t deserve a bake for his last minute kick but the one earlier in the game was horrendous. Hes a freaking ruckman, why won’t he play like it! We can rely on McVee, Salem and Bowey chipping it across half back when we need a goal to win

Insane inside 50’s and stupidity like the Fritsch play on were the issues not set shots. Going nowhere until we find some mids who pick out targets and give them a fighting chance to mark. Which also includes more forwards who actually do provide options. Goal kicking just a symptom of a bigger disease

its really not the goal kicking. Kozz no score and a Sharp snap aside we just take way too many low quality shots from wide and outside 40.

Thankyou. And I’m not suggesting May is the reason we lost but we used to be able to win playing like this because May and Lever would keep the opposition to low scores. Without our backline dominating nor our midfield dominating in tight we have to get our skills and decision making going forward of centre somewhere more like our ball movement from the backline which is generally pretty good. Yes we could’ve won just with some better goal kicking, but we didn’t play well enough elsewhere to set up goals to really deserve to win.

A few shockers no doubt. Pickett, Gawn (hardly a surprise), Melk didn’t have the kicking boots on. But the second half especially was a parade of bombing it in then taking awful shot after awful shot. The more we miss the more pressure builds on the next guy

We didn’t kick goals because we so rarely get quality set shots in good positions. How many of our misses were inside 30 in the corridor? A few, but not too many. How often do we take the ball from one wing or flank to get chances in the fat side pocket? Almost never - because our mids and half forwards don’t have the skills to move the ball under pressure. They had 140 marks!!! And anytime we did get a stronger hold on the game we let them go coast to coast with a backline that couldn’t defend the game in space. They didn’t score all that much because the game was played locked in to kicking points. We saw what happened in the first quarter when both teams had the ball in space. We should’ve kicked 4, but they walked into 6.

May’s first quarter was genuinely disgusting, along with Pickett’s rubbish play on he set the tone for the Saints getting in the game and a match winning lead with his complete disregard for Keeler. Watch the relays of several goals and it’s clear May is the one who’s either sagging off or sitting forward in no man’s land. He played a very good 3/4s after that but his work rate at times is just abysmal and he then blames everyone else.