DeeSpencer

It's silly there isn't 3rd and even 4th year club options for 1st and 2nd round draft picks, but it's still nice to sign them up. Gives the guys some financial security and locks in their price for 2020. That should come in handy now that the focus turns to some big deals for the McDonald's, Brayshaw, Harmes and Jetta.

Gawn wins a lot of hit outs to advantage, so any midfielder playing with him is going to get the ball, but Viney and Harmes are the two I've noticed far more than others who nail the timing and get the ball straight from the tap on the run bursting to goal. Harmes kicked a goal earlier in the year from a hit out that was beautiful to watch. All of the mids have improved their work with Gawn massively since the Hawthorn and Richmond games which were disasters in that regard.

Played all last year with injuries. The plantar fasciitis was hurting him from the early rounds all the way through to the surgery, and then he came back underdone from that. He wasn't healthy at any stage last season. Hopefully he can get back to 2016 form and even more. He also seems to have the best combination with Gawn, somehow with Harmes the other midfielder who reads Gawn well.

At this stage, no I don't think so. The AFL approved a Saints ruckman to play for Frankston not Sandringham to get him more game time and help Frankston out, so they might be willing to consider a proposal.

I think a guy who hasn't played an organised game of footy in over 3 years is a bit of a gamble, but drafting any rucks at 18 is and this has cost nothing in draft picks, doesn't take a legitimate list spot and his pedigree is first class. My biggest issue with it is how do we get game time in to him without the VFL development league? Do we make him the 3rd ruck next year? If he's 4th in line and there's not injuries that's a hard ask to see game time. Might be a test case to take to the AFL and see if he can play for a VAFA team.

I thought the cricketers were treated harshly but I was impressed by Nicho during the SA scandal. He forthright and spoke calmly early on in the piece when the drama was pretty fiery. By all reports a smart guy and cricket has been through a lot in his short time there. That he's even a candidate (as far as we know) is a good sign I think. Not sure in previous years we'd get someone in his position even interested.

If we promote Mahoney then we will need someone to take over the footy admin. If he's the best man for the job then so be it and footy is the core product so having a footy guy in charge makes sense, but they have to be ready to oversee the whole club and delegate the footy stuff. We've seen what goes wrong when a CEO overreaches in to football. If we promote this de crispy fellow then we better make sure our commercial staff are strong. The strength of the Roos-Goodwin handover was as much to do with having Mahoney, Jason Taylor, Toddles, Misson and Brendan McCartney in place. The new CEO is a big test for President Bartlett because he'll have to be more prominent.

I think our plan last year was Tommy Mc - CHB, with Oscar and Frost competing for FB. Garland was mature depth - he did play a very good practice game before injury. Keilty a developing option. Dunn was traded, probably with the knowledge he was going to improve with a new club but we had younger options to play and Garland contracted who we couldn't move on. Tom started well before being required forward/ruck and that left both Frost and Oscar carrying the load. They played pretty well, both were great against Adelaide in Adelaide, Oscar was nearly best on against the Dogs at Etihad. They fell away towards the end of the year and part of that was on them and part was because our midfield defensive work also disappeared with the Viney injury. I'd say Oscar never fell away to the levels that Frost did. I've been as negative as you on Oscar at times. It was his lack of physicality combined with only average speed that concerned me. But if you're talking up attributes then his marking and kicking have always shown promise, and he's fit and should only get stronger and translate gym strength to footy strength. But more than anything it's probably his coachability that inspires the most faith. In 2016 when experienced defenders couldn't get their heads around zone defending Oscar was noticeably getting to the positions the coaches wanted and I believe that's why he was getting games. Tom Lonergan was one of the best 5 or so key defenders for at least 5 years if not more and he didn't have a standout attribute. Part of scouting is sometimes just trusting the opinion of good coaches right?

Not buying that Hogan has moved quicker than all but 2 players we've played this year. I think that's a GPS error. Surely at some stage in a game someone like Kent, Harmes or Hannan ran quicker than Jesse's quickest. Oscar plays the full game time and often follows an opponent up to a contest then runs back to true CHB position. When we get the ball forward he often rests as the deepest defender. So it's logical that he does some of the most km's but it's far less intensity than the midfielders.

The vision wasn't anything particularly special, if you didn't know Tracc was there you shouldn't be playing AFL. But the side step and kick out in to space was very classy. Right now I'm very happy with what Spargo does but also even more pleased with how he does things. He keeps his feet, bodies the ball, moves with great evasiveness and doesn't rush. In the forward line as long as you've got equal numbers or better - keep it moving, keep the defenders guessing. In the backline - take the ball, tuck it in close, take the tackle and stop play. The same thing applies with kicking off the ground. It's risk-reward.

No, no PS! Our midfield are all runners - of course. Our backline has runners and I'd expect Vince to be replaced by Hunt. Our forwards - well the 2 big guys in T Mc and Hoges are very good runners! As is ANB. Spargo, Melksham, Bull, Hannan, they are all in the side to chase and pressure and run! If there's selection changes it's surely based on form not conditions.

We went a little more direct in the 3rd quarter but mainly because Carlton were all over the shop to start the 3rd and then very flat in the last quarter. It also rained a bit more and the wind that was very strong in the first half had died down. Beside a series of stuff ups to concede a goal on the siren our first quarter was very good in to a stiff breeze and the second quarter was composed with the ball as well.

People we are playing in Alice Springs during the day not Darwin at night. Mid to low 20's for most of the week. Sunday is 27 degrees with 25% humidity. It won't be slippery. It should be pretty similar conditions to the Brisbane game last week. Very similar conditions to what the players were playing and training in every day only a couple of months ago. There's really no reason to pick different players based on the conditions.

Am I the only one who thought he had a few too many shaky moments today in the first half against pretty much no opposition? Cripps out marked him at one stage! Starting to hold some marks and certainly getting his hands on a lot more, smart ball user when afforded some time and space as well. I was hoping a lot of his problems were new team mates and a bit of an MCG hangover which should pass with time. Anyway, he's turned the corner and the good news is even if his form goes up and down it probably won't reach the stage where the criticism is scathing - except the media will be watching this week. A big game against the Crows will go a long way to restoring his reputation.

Who were the other emergencies? Pedersen has missed games and deserves a crack at getting back in the team, as do Garlett and Hunt, two guys close to the best 22 if not in it. I'd suggest they picked Tyson as he was the best emergency we had and if there was an injury pre game or coming in to next week to any of the midfielders he'd come straight back in. Belting Frankston would do little for Tyson, he needs the best quality opponents at VFL to play against. As long as they rotate the carry over players I really don't care how they structure it.

You don't turn down good players but wing/half back class and a gun small forward are probably still the priorities I'd think. Expect Carlton to put their first round pick on the table for Shiel or Kelly (or both), they are Sos' favourite players and they need to land a mature mid to kick start their rebuild before it massively flops. North will try the same as well. Anyway, unless ware linked to a player we don't need to be bringing up names. We have a team with a few weaknesses but also a few strengths as is right now.

If there's any contact to the head - and I think there was - then Bernie is done. Either way it's time he has a rest and/or some time at Casey to sharpen up. He started the year remarkably well but has trailed off recently. Hunt the obvious replacement and he'll give us a bit more overhead which is needed against the Crows - even without 2 of their usual forwards. No other changes. I'd be shocked if Smith or Spargo go anywhere, they did exactly what they needed to do. ANB back in better touch the last two weeks. Hannan probably the weakest link in the forwards - a bit too fumbly, slipping off tackles and some poor decisions but he got going in the 2nd half.

Started the year down on where he left off last year but turned the corner on ANZAC eve when sent to mind Rance. He's still frustrating to me because it's very hard to read what he is about to do with the ball and he gets blinkers on with his decision making. Not selfish, if anything he's unselfish, but he can miss clear options. There was one today where Tommy Mc had to call for an eternity to get a handball running through the middle of the ground that led to a goal. Really strong attacking work rate and good in a contest, then dual sided with the ball. I think if he gets a little sharper defensively and starts seeing the easy options he can go to another level again.

Oscar, Lever and Salem should steady the backline for a long time and hopefully Hibberd and Jetta have plenty left as well. Having both Vince and Lewis in the back 7 is a concern but I think if we get Hunt right he can take Bernie's place. If not him then Joel Smith this year and/or Petty sooner rather than later. In an ideal world Lever is the 3rd tall, he can be a 20+ touches aggressive ball user and we can find more ball use from talls as well if they are developed correctly. Half back flank is the easiest position on the ground to play, so it's about growing the midfield depth to able to have classy users from half back and making sure the lock down or two way defenders are the right players. Of the backline it's Jetta who I think is hardest to replace. Small lock down defender is still quite the specialist position so I hope at some stage in the next year or so we find a guy who is really suited to the job.

I'm not so much anti Weid. I'd love to play him and get games in to him and I think he'd earn them in a lot of sides. I'm just not keen on 3 tall forwards when we have a plethora of good mid sized players as well. I'm not really convinced playing as the 3rd tall option helps Weid's development as much as we think anyway. At Casey he'd be the number 1 or equal number 1 target. In the senior team as he is the ball probably should go to Hogan and Tommy Mc more often. He's really looking more impressive when he goes in the ruck and gets around the ball.

Can't see Vince being dropped, the back 7 will stay as is unless/until Hunt or someone else demands a spot. Viney is not a Vince replacement! Can't see Gawn, Jones, Oliver, Brayshaw, Harmes, Tyson, Fritsch being moved out of the midfield. Viney comes back in to that group and Fritsch/Harmes play more forward. Spargo was quiet but he was so impressive the two weeks prior he has to keep his spot. ANB much better and I think he stays as well, his work rate - whilst sometimes indiscriminate - is vital. So with Fritsch and Harmes spending more time in the forward line it's really one of the talls or mediums who should make way. I think it should be Weid's but not convinced. I just think it's not easy being a third tall, he's had more influence in the ruck but T Mc can do that. Petracca not as his best but I wouldn't drop him. Hannan had a bad 6 quarters before a good second half. Melksham is making terrible decisions - he's forgot he can kick 55 easily and is looking for stupid passes - but he's winning the ball. Weid's or Hannan I think.

He's made some silly errors the last two weeks but some of the time he's handballed to in huge pressure and his burst or power gets the ball to a team mate in free space and there's probably only Oliver, Jones or Viney who can do that in the team. Without Garlett we also need his pressure as a forward. Not always the most reliable in that regard but he can close 3 steps in no time and create havoc. Forward is where we need him now. Midfield is where we'll need him eventually but not in a rush.

There was a moment early in the Richmond game where Jeff had a clear path to goal inside 50, Melksham called him through a put on a shepherd and Jeff just had to run on to the ball, gather and goal. He fumbled the gather under perceived pressure of a defender who was still 10m away and stuffed up a clear scoring chance. That was just one moment but it was a clear one after many fumbles and poor efforts not bodying the ball under only medium pressure. I don't expect him to be like a big body mid over a loose ball but he has to play at Casey for long enough to prove he'll reliable gather the ball under pressure to get back in the team.

Watching in preseason Baker doesn't have AFL midfield endurance just yet. If he is to play it would be either forward or back flank. Balic was the least fit player on the list when preseason started. Fitter now, but that's how you end up with plantar fasciitis. He has agility and can find the ball in space, but he'd be far more suited to half forward and rotating on ball than wing. Hunt's not a wingman either. Half back allows him to use his speed and height to defend and to flip the field and turn defending to attack with pace. I'm pretty sure he hasn't been fully fit all year but I still can't see moving to the wing ever helping that.

We definitely need some outside skill and pace but more than anything to play on the wing we need guys who can run all day. At some stage in finals - if we ever make it - we'll come up against Isaac Smith, Kamdyn McIntosh or Scully and we need someone who can match them. Harmes and Jones are our best options this year. If Viney is back at peak form and we can find the right players in the inside mid and forward mix then those 2 can at least do the running on the wing. That said, I think they are more ball hunters than outside receivers so I'm skeptical long term. Fritsch has a lot of traits that would make a good wingman. From preseason he's probably not quite there ready yet to do it week in week out especially on bigger grounds and he's not a noted endurance machine. He's more the second wingman who can move around on the ground not the old fashioned lock a guy in for the far wing type. Tommy Mc on bigger crowds should be considered to do it more than just for a rotation. To have a reliable mark like Tom leading to the open side would really encourage switching and opening up the ground. It's also a long year and we shouldn't completely write off Billy Stretch. He's struggled in contests when given a chance the last two years but sometimes guys just start to click and be more confident. He wasn't timid when he first played as an 18 year old so I think he has something to offer. A natural outside runner and whilst his skills are limited he's pretty reliable. I hope he gets in from at Casey that gives him another go.