DeeSpencer

Terrible batting performance and the start with the ball not much better. We really have been stiff to lose the great Ryan Harris before this series. I don't know what the answers to our batting problems are but I'm pretty confident it's not S Marsh or Voges. We need young players who are committed to test cricket and the technique and mindset required. The hitting that works in limited overs cricket just isn't the same as proper test match batting.

Better in the 2nd half but terrible first half. Agree that we can't have Jetta, Cross and Garland in the same backline. Not the current Garland who can't run the ball out as he did in 2013. Injury and resultant lack of fitness have killed him. Would let him go for a 2nd rd compo pick. Would consider it for a 3rd rounder as well but the draft is shallow.

A speedy defensive forward with midfield potential sounds good to me but I get the feeling he'd be contracted and whilst we could offer him more money and opportunity to play games I doubt he'd leave his home city, the club his brother captains and such a successful club. Not at this stage when he's still young enough that being in the 2's wouldn't really deter him. I don't know the exact rules or if they still exist but I think his brother was eligible for game ambassador payments as well. Being the sons of a local rugby league legend I think the AFL are very keen to keep the Jack boys right where they are!

I agree. Although personally I'd class Ottens as a big fish. He was highly rated as a forward at the time and then became a gun ruck (which also highlights how nothing is for granted). But the cats had already made a prelim on the back of youth by the time he came. The last 3 flags have also been won on the back of significant trades - Kennedy, McGlynn, Gunston, Hale, Burgoyne etc. So as you've said trading to fill roles is certainly part of the list building package.

Terlich's player profile on the club website says 2 year deal. I know his 2013 was very good but it's staggering that after his drop off last year they felt necessary to give him 2 more years. In some ways the Matt Jones deal to the end of 2016 made more sense as it came in January 2014 so after a good first year they thought he'd still be around for 3 more. But it looked overly ambitious then and it certainly is now. 2 players who will now have to be paid out or will in all likelihood be battling away at Casey for most of next year. Hopefully Matt Jones takes some belief from his current ok patch of form and works hard to improve because dead wood on the list is a real downer for everyone else IMO.

Right now I wouldn't trade either of them. But they are 2 players who might have currency and might also want out for a fresh start. Toump is out of contract as well.

I'm a fan of both Howe and Garland. I'd prefer to keep both. I think versatile medium tall players are very valuable and you don't know how much so until they are gone. Delist: McKenzie, Bail Pay out: Terlich, Matt Jones Retire: Cross, Jamar (Neither are certain yet) Monitor: Trengove Watch: Spencer, Fitzy - not sold on either yet. Riley. Hunt. Potential trades: Toumpas, Watts, Grimes (not saying we should trade any of these guys). Rookie upgrade: vanders Rookie hold: King, Harmes, White The tall guys - Jamar, Spencer and Fitzy are all dependant on what we can find in a trade period and/or mature recruitment. It would be silly to axe any of them if you can't find worthy replacements. The same principle probably applies for the contracted Matt Jones and Terlich. It's expensive to move those guys on and doesn't achieve much if you're just adding different limited depth on longer contracts. Hunt and Trengove would both be candidates to move back to the rookie list due to injury. I like how up in the air it is at the moment. We've got plenty playing for their immediate future but at the same time there's not a lot of inevitability about anyone on our list right now. Bail and McKenzie might be the obvious ones but they've both had a shot in the team recently. There's 2 thirds of the year left and every player can provide at least some case for staying on. I think that's a key reason Casey are doing better this year.

Best corner in the draft. But it worries me when a player gets kicked off a college team. Especially such a good player who knows he has a lot at stake. And he had an experienced quality coach. Boom or bust I guess

1. TB - Winston (QB) 2. Tenn. Trade to the Eagles for pick 19 (acquired from Cleveland for Bradford), pick 20, Eagles 1st Rd 2016. Eagles pick Mariota (QB) 3. Jack - Dante Fowler (DE) 4. Oak - Leonard Williams (DT) 5. Wash - Vic Beasley (OLB) 6. Jets - Amari Cooper (WR) 7. Chic - Trae Waynes (CB) 8. Atl - Bud Dupree (OLB) 9. Giants - Brandon Scherff (OG) 10 St L - Kevin White (WR)

Next Aussies summer: Warner ?????? Smith Clarke ?????? M Marsh/Faulkner/Watson Nevill Johnson Starc/Cummings Hazlewood/Pattinson Fawad/Lyon Big chance for Shaun Marsh or Voges to secure the middle order spot now before next summer. The next opener is a fascinating proposition as well. Joe Burns is presumably still in the picture. Hopefully our man Peter Handscomb is as well.

For the West Indies: Rogers Warner Smith - still not sure on him at 3 with his technique, I'd prefer him at 4 Clarke S. Marsh - Voges has the form, but S Marsh has the incumbent spot. He made 99 in Melb and 73 in Sydney Watson - he's an allrounder at test level and should bat at 6 until (if ever) he proves he can bat at the top 5 Haddin Johnson Starc Hazlewood Lyon For the Ashes just swap either Hazlewood or Starc out for Harris. If Watson is bowling well enough to be the 3rd seamer or if M Marsh gets his spot at 6 for that same reason I hope we are brave enough at some stage to play the leg spinner. He's got the ability to win test matches that Lyon doesn't.

Batting: The Kiwi's rely on McCullum to fire up the innings. After that Williamson is the class. Guptill, Taylor, Elliott, Anderson, Ronchi and Vettori give them batting all the way down to 8. They probably don't have the huge hitting that we do, but Anderson can smack it. I certainly think there are 2 big wickets and from there it's a matter of restricting the rest. Obviously if McCullum goes berserk they could score anything, but really I think there are 320 team at best. Bowling: 3 absolute guns - Boult, Southee and Vettori. And they complement each other. Boult's a star up first. Southee is dangerous throughout and Vettori can put the brakes on whenever he's needed. Only saw this Henry guy v SA, but they had 2 class options on the bench and chose him instead. He looks solid and dependable. Anderson is decent for an all rounder, but hitable. They don't have a clear 6th option, Elliott or Williamson should both go if they get called upon. Aussie's advantage: Power hitting - Watson, Maxwell, Haddin, Faulkner, Johnson can all smack it better than probably anyone but Anderson 6th bowler - with 3 all rounders we have versatility and can bank Johnson, Faulkner and most importantly Starc for big moments, the Kiwi's bowl Boult out and keep on to Southee meaning the 4th and 5th bowler often play important roles Home ground advantage Kiwi's advantage World class spinner to tie us down More reliable big hitter from the top - McCullum has been better than Finch and Warner The Kiwi's have to win it in the first 10 overs of each innings I think. If they make 1-70 from 10 they can put up or chase a big score. Similarly if they bowl and get us 3-30 again they'll have a huge advantage. The longer innings go the more chance our flexible bowling options make a difference and the more likely our big hitting does more damage.

Goes hunting for wickets and is worried about economy. I think he's never been secure on a test team and hasn't played enough shield cricket to have full faith in his ability, either that or he gets guys out too easily the next level down. Wait until he's picked for the first test in a series and backed in the entire way. He'll find his confidence and bowl like he does in ODIs. Only problem is for now when Harris and Johnson are fit he's still going to be competing with Hazlewood for a test team and Hazlewood has bowled beautifully these last two games at least at the start of innings.

2 weeks and no reply might be enough to answer your question. Access to the NBA on TV has killed it. No point going to watch D graders when you can tune in to the worlds best on ESPN/league pass etc.

Let's also be honest, props are often the fat kids or to be more kind the beefy kids. From my days of school rugby it would usually take a very serious preseason of running to turn from a prop to a good footballer.

Not necessarily a bad thing. Presumably he went through Auskick and learnt how to kick a footy with his old man. Probably got to high school age and was sick of everyone expecting him to be a gun at footy so turned to rugby. If he has the natural skills he could quickly play well at school or local level and make a shot at TAC for his under 18 year. With the new father son bidding proposal we don't really gain anything from a draft steal basis, but it's nice for the club and heritage to have father sons. With player movement becoming more common I think fans will appreciate the familiar names we hopefully run out with over the next few years.

I'd probably rather use pick 10 on him than not have a QB or to take a flier on anyone after the top 2 this year. The question for the Eagles is what would pick 10 plus their first pick get them? It's not getting them pick 1 or pick 2 either. They'll likely need to add next years first as well. Plus I don't think we've got a read on Mariota and Winston definitively being the first 2 picks.

This sums up my thoughts on the play: https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2015/02/02/analysis-notebook-super-bowl-xlix-that-play/ Not saying it was the right play. But I think it's ignorant of some of the top NFL minds if they feed the public with the idea that it was some kind of grossly stupid play that was always destined to fail. Smart preparation by the Pats, a super play the young corner and maybe even some luck made the play happen. Who knows, maybe the corner wasn't even meant to break on the slant so hard and got lucky that it wasn't a fake and the WR didn't catch the ball in 10m of space by himself after he faked in and ran out. That's one of the great things about the NFL and I think it applies to the AFL as well, particularly a Paul Roos team. Disciplined defense will only get you so far and some times it's the player who has the courage to commit to instinct who wins the day. I want to see more of that from our defenders this year.

He's managed to get his media company set up over there. Who knows what they are doing. But he's obviously found a media pass as well. It's ridiculous how many people they let on the field after the game and the presentation is just a mess. The grand final does it much better! Russell Wilson's pass was the 109th time a QB has passed from the 1 yard line this year and the first to be intercepted. Marshawn Lynch is 1 from 5 from the 1 yard line this year.

Offense difference makers: Russ Wilson, Lynch, Russ Okung (LT), Unger © Defense difference makers: Earl Thomas, Sherman, Bennett, Chancellor, Avril, Mebane, KJ Wright, Bobby Wagner Of that list they've signed most of the key defensive starters long term. It's at least half a defense of champions signed up. Bobby Wagner is the big one they'll need to get and will be hard to fit in. He's looming as the cap casualty. Wilson will get his 18-20 mil maybe with a little discount or flexibility at least. Lynch will probably get 1-2 mil extra tapped on for next year after he holds out. They'll be cool with that. But I don't expect he'll be back for the next year (ie 2016). He'll be the wrong side of 30. Their ability to stay as a good to great offense will depend on finding a superstar to replace Lynch, but it doesn't matter if it's a WR, TE or RB. The best QB's only need 1 star guy to take focus and perform and then they can work with a cast of bums if coached up efficiently. Edelman was the best WR out there today. I think that's a message that the smart guys in this league aren't overspending on receivers. The SeaHawks already spent a 2nd round pick on a good young guy last year to groom up. I think these teams proved that WR's are overrated. Heck a guy on debut had 100 yards on his first ever 3 catches! What they have is a luxury of young quality signed up for their prime. They'll have to keep drafting and developing to stay at the top once Wilson's contract comes in. But I think they already know that and they'll follow the Pats lead - pay the QB, pay the defensive superstars if you have them and pay at least 1 offensive superstar (Gronk v Lynch) and don't waste money on receivers and running backs otherwise.

I know. I'd have gone Lynch as well. But he's just had a run. You change it up, get them off guard and complete it and if not he's there for the 3rd and 4th down plays. An incomplete pass stops the clock as well so you can design your run play and communicate it. So it was silly, but I can do without the exaggeration. If it was a play in which Wilson was sacked and fumbled or threw it deep in the end zone through traffic and was picked then I'd say it was completely stupid, but watching it I could see why they went for it. They targeted the 3rd string undrafted corner and everything, wasn't 1 on 1 v Revis. Belichick is never going to say anything controversial so he avoided saying anything than it was a goal line play. I'll wait and see what Carroll says.

If there was a way that Seattle lost the game (besides from the execution of one play) I think it was they took Green Bay's offensive attitude from last week and used it as their defensive game plan. They played deep coverage bend and don't break and sat back whilst Brady went 3-7 yards at a time with underneath throws and then completions to Gronk v a linebacker. I know losing the corner hurt, but it's still the legion of boom out there. If your secondary and pass rush are your strengths then you can't just sit there whilst the other team picks off small gains on quick throws over and over against your linebackers. Brady is 37. He hasn't thrown an accurate deep ball in years and doesn't have a deep ball receiver of quality anyway. Surely at some stage you have to press up and try to stop these small passes. Seattle had the opportunity when up 10 points to go hard on defense. Big quarterback pressures and hits. Jam the receivers at the line. If they conceded a big deep play or a clever catch and run from Gronk or Edelman then so be it. Instead they just sat back time and again. Really annoyed me. You could see them playing in to Brady's hands. Whilst he was good and is a special player it doesn't make sense.

I don't hate it too much. It's a game of chess out there. Everyone will be teeing off on the Lynch run, so you throw what is usually a safe quick slant that most times is either caught or deflected down. A clean slant like that, how often is it picked off? An amazing play by the corner. Lynch is human, so possibly against a stacked box he fumbles or is tackled for a loss of 2 yards and then you have 3rd and 3 and can't run it with confidence.

1) Yes. He's had a poor season but such is the nature of t20. No qualms on his leadership and his a solid tactician. 2) Yes. The big bash stepped up a long way. He isn't a regular international and we have one batting international already. Spend the spot on an elite bowler if possible 3) Who knows. I don't know how the salary cap situation works with guys likely to play ODI's. As long as you know what you're getting I'd still be keen to keep them. 4) Probably not. Particularly Quiney and Huss, they are solid veterans who likely don't break the bank. David Hussey can be the finisher, rebuilder and bowl handy overs, they missed him tonight. Quiney is probably a depth batter I'd suggest. Had he won them the game in Brisbane that he nearly did with tremendous finishing I think we'd have hosted the semi and likely won it. McKay seems to have lost a yard of pace and deception with his stock ball that never looked great but was very effective. But his slower balls worked well tonight. Really I'd get an elite bowler in to go with Hastings/Bird/Beer so that you've got 4 very good bowlers who all offer something different. Then I'd have more competition for the 4th bowling option and all rounders. It would leave you skinny with batting but I'd expect White, Stoinis, Handscomb, Hussey and Quiney to offer more next year with uninterrupted campaigns. Next years line up: White Stoinis Pietersen Hussey Maxwell/Quiney Handscomb Falkner/Boland/McKay/extra batsmen/Triffit keeping depending on circumstances Hastings International bowler Bird Beer

Amazing win. Love the way he feeds off the crowd and expresses his emotions. Got to keep going for it even when it doesn't work. His serve looks world class. Particularly for a 19 year old. So when he fills out and gets the body fine tuned it will be a weapon. And he's strong enough on backhand, forehand and volleys with both the power needed and the athleticism. But it's not skills that make champions it's heart and mindset. Experience helps as well and he got so much tonight! Watching Murray v Dimitrov those guys are probably a step too far for Kyrgios to beat regularly right now. But the definitive list of guys I wouldn't give Kyrgios a serious show against probably stretches to about the top 10 and that's it. With a few more results he'll push in to the top 30 which means seedings and regular grand slam draws to get through to the 3rd and 4th rounds and the more of them you stay in the more you get used to competing with the guys at the pointy end. I'm certainly along for the ride. And I still expect Tomic to produce some good tournaments at some stage. Don't mind Kokkinakis either! Keen to see Sam Groth at Wimbledon serving bullets on the grass!