DeeSpencer

Agree with that, don’t agree swapping Jeffo for a slow player just because they’re shorter would’ve made a big impact. Need Pickett, Spargo and Kolt back, just hard to fill gaps down 3 guys in one role

I don’t agree, I thought there was very little about Langford’s game that indicated we would’ve been better off with him playing from the start. The game got wetter than expected in the 3rd but otherwise wasn’t all that wet for large stints. We needed someone with speed, forward craft and pressure, ideally not a tall but I thought Jeffo did better than a shorter player for the sake of it. They were right not to rush Spargo again but hopefully he’s available soon. All the rest of the one paced options - Langford, Laurie, Billings wouldn’t have helped us. If there was anyone to pick it was probably Kynan Brown, at least as sub.

Yep, the challenge is knowing when to do that and when you have to take away the option to begin with. But I liked the look of his speed. There’s an afl player in there, just got to keep developing it

Throw much more than handball from Jones too

Where do you think their opponent will go if they ran away? If it were Melbourne then Jake Lever would ignore his opponent and go be 3rd man up. The only way to stop having mutiple talls contesting for the same footy is to move it fast.

The McAdam injury is so underrated because he was the path to playing just 2 talls. But I thought Jeffo’s defensive pressure was really solid for a young tall and has come along way. I think we’ll persist with him and 2 others but I think Turner will come back for AJ sooner than later. Contest wise I thought Jeffo exceeded expectations. The big challenge for him (and all our forwards) is to draw the footy in good spots by upping his work rate to lead and present. I really liked AJ’s game until the last quarter ruck spell where he was caught doing a long stint when he was knackered. My takeaway is he should be good depth this year but could be more than this with a full preseason.

Out: Howes In: Billings (Could be Adams, Sestan, Hore but doubt they’re ready. So Rivers back. Billings wing, Langdon mid/forward) Out: Langford In: Laurie (no point having the kid as sub, he needs full games in the VFL). Disco and Spargo should both be in contention to get forward spots but it mighttake another week unless AJ is suspended

Can’t remember the Chandler one, but AJ was a good hard tackle with only a bit of slam in it. Once the gws player was done milking their free they were fine, would be surprised if it’s more than a fine

Pickett will help, Disco has plenty to offer. But if we do anything in September it will be with a good backline and good inside and outside midfield with a forward line that does the job. Backline took a big step forward today I think. Midfield had dominant patches on the inside and tried more than last year but Langdon on the wing and Riv to half back after Howes subbed suggest we aren’t going to get different results.

11.8 in the wet against perhaps the leagues best backline. With Fritsch held goalless by the best back pocket in the league and Picket out. AJ a useful work horse. Jeffo plenty of promise. Henderson decent depth. For the talent available that’s about the best we can do.

Many of their best being Hogan and Briggs. Meanwhile we had Pickett and May and didn’t get to have a hit out last week. Plenty of promise in today’s performance. But the reality is we’ve got a stale midfield and added 6 debutants (5 afl debutants). Crazy to expect drastic changes until we make them to our midfield and give the new guys time to settle

If it’s bucketing down then yes. Although the other option is the sub (differing opinions on who that could be but I think Langford) starts and Jeffo is sub. He’d be an unusual sub but he’s mobile enough to come on fresh and we have the flexibility in this team to move guys around. If obviously different if it’s 6mm of rain across the day or 20mm dumped right during the game

Should only be 3 of them down there at any one time. Apart from the ruck advantage I think AJ’s ability on the deck is actually better than Disco, who for a really mobile tall and great tackler down back doesn’t seem to offer the pressure he should. He got walked around against Freo and not by the world’s quickest half backs. AJ won’t exactly catch many but he’s sneaky athletic moving laterally. The big question that we will seemingly never know is just how did Jeffo go at Casey v Sandy. I suspect he kicked a bag. And not only that I suspect he did some good ground level stuff. His defensive work at Casey last year went from complete zero to kind of promising, hopefully he’s taken it up a notch.

I think the Jeffo inclusion (in what would’ve been the McAdam role) is a sign that Fritsch will get a sustained trial in a new role pushing up the ground this year. He has the tank, smarts and skills, it would be great to see him as a dynamic half forward not just a deep goal kicker. Great achievement to come from nowhere (Coldstream) to Casey to 150 games. A premiership and of course the big one - the only 2 time AFLX champion. Now it’s time to go to a new level for 100 more!

With 3 talls and Fritsch forward and 5 mids (Viney, Tracc, Oliver, Riv, Langdon) I think we need to start both Sharp and Lindsay on the wings and Henderson across half forward. Langford is the sub for mine. You need a plan for Lachie Whitfield and co that isn’t serving up a one paced 19 year old midfielder at half forward on debut.

Maybe Disco is being held back for a heavy training phase and managing his loads

I mean, it wasn’t shining all that brightly! Couple of cameos aside from the Suns game. But the footy department did like what they found. And I really thought he looked the best of our tall forwards this summer. Certainly moves the best. At the same time I never liked the idea of AJ, Disco and JVR. Had to have one of the talls (if we played 3) with some mobility and goal kicking nouse. I still think Jeffo is going to fill the role McAdam was going to play. Fritsch was always going to be tried more up the ground at times. AJ’s outplayed Disco for the CHF role and JVR’s demanded the full forward role is how I see it. With GWS rucking Keefe we should also ruck AJ a lot and chuck Max forward far more than he usually would as a lone ruck.

Jvr for 5 minutes a quarter doesn’t hurt him, the Giants don’t have a second ruck so if JVR is hot and Disco is cold then it can be Disco Better question is who gives us the best impact forward especially working around the 2 bigs, Fritsch and Tracc

The struggled in the 3rd quarter and then Sicily went forward and they got their balance back. Not opposed to a tall sub but you need flexibility in the team and the right weather

We deliberately haven’t named wings to keep GWS guessing so I expect Billings and Lindsay are first picked out of that 7. Leaves 2 more spots at the sub. Probably change my mind 10 more times between now and Sunday but as of right now I’d probably go Jeffo and Henderson. Not sure Harvey is ready. AJ’s too much bulk and I just don’t want Sharp turning it over in dangerous spots (he’d be sub).

Are you basing that of this? This happened last week. Casey play on Sunday

Don't think Riv plays back. Don't think we change plans and suddenly start Langdon wing. Doubt we'll see any total shocks like Jed Adams over Howes. Still not sure on 3 talls (AJ or Jeffo), Langford or neither. Woey, Jack Henderson and perhaps would we pick Spargo out of the blue again (surely not right? right?). FB: Howes May Petty HB: Salem Lever Windsor C; Billings Rivers Lindsay HF: Sparrow Turner Tracc FF: Fritsch JVR Chandler Foll: Gawn Oliver Langdon Int: Bowey, Viney, Sharp, AJ/Langford S: Woey E: Henderson, Jeffo, AJ/Langford That might be the 26 man squad and we won't know exactly who's in until we see conditions on Sunday.

I would never have recruited Billings because I do somewhat agree that every player in a good side should have pressure and physicality. But hard runners on the wing present options for your backline to clear the ball quickly and avoid the negative outcomes that come when your backline are dump kicking or indecisive. Windsor had some excellent games mixed with very quiet games where he looked tired. Battled through for nearly the whole year which was a great effort. But you don't have a plan for speed off half back if he's not back there. And we need that to break down zones and create attacking opportunities. This is nonsense. Nothing beats unselfish team footy. There's moments for superstars to step up and do special things but passing inside 50 has been a really poor part of our game in recent years and it's well and truly time we see more players dish it off to guys in better spots. Billings will be on the wing if he's in the side, it will be rare that he'll be the one receiving these passes. Bayley Fritsch - known competitive beast. That's a new one. If you don't like Billings' intensity wait til you watch Fritsch play when there's not a goal on offer. Spargo cooks his team mates more than anyone inside 40 and spits the dummy when he isn't used when open (which I actually don't mind). Complete nonsense if you think he's not goal happy and shuts his mouth. No idea what Chandler did to get this criticism. If nothing else he's excellent at the role player aspects of his position.

Jeffo and Langford in white jumpers. Sharp and Taj in blue, from the clips shown on Instagram Not that it necessarily means anything

Can you dial down the font size and desperation? 1. We need fresh wings. a)We have no raw speed down back and if we want to speed up our game plan it requires it. Windsor is also a repeat burst speed player more than pure endurance. Half back suits him. b) we absolute need fresh run in the midfield. Sparrow has just about failed as a mid, doesn’t accumulate the footy and uses it terribly. Viney is getting old and slowing down. Clarry isn’t at full fitness. Tracc is hardly a gut runner. Someone has to provide the run if we want to run the ball through the middle. 2. We definitely need speed in the forward line especially without Pickett. Hence Sharp starting there. Sharp is also a bad decision making and ball user, plus a relatively low possession player. He’s more use trying to kick a goal than making decisions up the field. 3. Billings IS noticeably fitter and stronger this preseason. Plus is coming off a full year of footy where as he’d had a stack of set backs at St Kilda the 2 years prior. I share you concerns about his lack of physicality in his game but he’s playing wing not CHF. And you’re totally right he can’t kick for goal to save himself. Mostly the other options for the wing are Lindsay and Taj. I hope they both claim the spots but I’m fine with accepting Billings has a better tank and more experience in the role so might start the year.