DeeSpencer

If we have to give out 4 year deals to attract mediocre players then I'd rather we kept Toumpas, Watts, Garland and Howe. There's no point having a bunch of 2nd or 3rd picks if you can't deal them for anyone and the draft isn't good.

Presumably Viney, the coaches and recruiting staff evaluate players. Mahoney helps grade the finances. 400k isn't excessive. The AFL player earns 340 and in 4 years time 400k with be basement rates. But someone has to be responsible for the 4 year deal and whatever we trade (likely overs) and they better realise they are putting their balls on the line.

So I watched his highlights. His TAC grand final highlights (in a game featuring Prestia, Wallace, Libba, Mega-head on his side and Parker, Casboult for Dandy). And the cut of his 2013 Essendon made for their B+F Pro's: Burst speed and cat like agility Solid left foot Seems to cover the ground Can leap at the ball and mark when out in space Cons: Bad decisions under pressure Kicking goes astray under heat Tentative in some contests I do think there's a role for him as part of the midfield mix, especially as he brings a burst of speed that some of our mids don't. But if we expect him to help our ball movement at all then we are kidding ourselves. He can win a bit of the ball, tag a speedy opponent and cover some ground. It's going to take drafting or some different trades to find more skilled players to move the footy.

If we are going to pay him so much maybe we can walk him in to the PSD. Would Carl/Bris/GC/Ess/StKilda give out the 4 year 1.6 mil deal for him? 3rd round pick or lets find out.

1/2 Bancroft and Burns 3 - Smith 4 - Khawaja 5 - Voges 6 - M Marsh 7 - Nevill 8 - O'Keefe 9 - Starc 10 - Siddle 11 - Lyon

AUSTRALIA SQUAD FOR QANTAS TOUR OF BANGLADESH Steve Smith ©, Adam Voges (vc), Cameron Bancroft, Joe Burns, Patrick Cummins, Andrew Fekete, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Peter Nevill, Stephen O’Keefe, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc Interesting squad. 10 thoughts: 1. Nathan Lyon stiff not to be VC 2. Just the one keeper, selectors seem confident in Nevill 3. Usman is back 4. Shaun Marsh never dies 5. Johnson rightfully rested 6. Maxwell and O'Keffe are both interesting players, batting allrounder, bowling allrounder 7. Bancroft and Burns the first youngsters to get a chance 8. Not sure what to make of Cummins, I really think he needs to play first class cricket before his next test cap 9. Shocked that Fekete gets the nod over Sandhu 10. No Agar, shame, still think he has a future as a test spinner, just in the long term not short

I can understand clock management mistakes from some players but they are inexcusable for coaches and for starting QB's on 20 mil a year. Didn't matter if they ran or passed, all Eli had to do was take a sack instead of throwing it away. I guess that's easier if you run the ball and takes out the problem. But feeding in 2 plays and allowing Eli to run the correct one based on the coverage and seeing if he gets an open receiver makes some sense to me. I have no idea how much they can communicate via the QB headsets but the coach really had to say 'if there's no one open then take the sack' and Eli had to know that anyway.

Forgot all about tipping! Damn. Would've certainly gone GB and liked Miami and Carolina as well. Oh well. Everyones an expert in hindsight. Better start remembering for next week. Watching the highlights now, Bears did enough to show they might at least be a physical football team this year. Definite rebuild on the cards needing to draft most of a new secondary and eventually make the big call on a QB. But hopefully in the mean time we win some games. That or finish dead last and get the first pick. The same old story shaping up in the AFC I think. NE, Denver, Ravens.... Steelers don't write off San Diego. Teams with the best QB's. The Colts still way too reliant on Luck but also still in the weakest division unless....Mariota can keep having 4 touch down games. Bucs fans wouldn't be happy right now. Fix that leaky run defense and the Packers will be favourites for the NFC but I feel it's probably more wide open than the AFC if Seattle's struggles, particularly with the O Line continue. Although if your O Line is your weakness the Rams aren't a fair guide.

If the bombers have offered him a 2 year deal then we'd have to do the same and I'm not too keen on that. If he gets delisted he'd probably be better than most and worth a shot at taking one of the last spots on the list. A benefit of having AFL level fit and semi skilled (ie he can kick a reliable drop punt) player finishing off the list compared to a late pick in a bad draft is probably reasonable. He's the kind of player you consider late in trade week not in early September.

He's very ordinary and doesn't have a fixed position. Too short for a 2nd ruck, too slow for a key defender, not agile enough for a midfielder.

FB: Garland Dunn Jetta HB: Salem McDonald Stretch C: Toumpas Jones Watts HF: Vanders Hogan Kent FF: Brayshaw Pedersen Garlett Foll: Gawn Vince Viney Int: Tyson Newton Lumumba Petracca Back: Frost, Grimes, O Mc Mids: Michie, ANB, M Jones, Trengove Fwds: Harmes, Dawes, JKH Ruck: Spencer Extend as Rookies; White, King Promote: Harmes, Vanders Delist: Jamar, McKenzie, Hunt, Bail, Riley, Fitzpatrick, Cross, Terlich Trade: Howe – pick 15-25 or equivalent player Out: 9 In: Draft: 1, 2, 2, 3, 4/PSD DLFA Rookie: 1, 2, 3 Matt Jones is very lucky, he could easily be delisted or dropped back to the rookie list. Hunt I think has to be delisted and should train on with the club in search of a rookie spot. We shouldn't be afraid to carry more than the 4 rookies this year, we should in fact aim for the 6. If the draft is weak then just use the valuable picks in the first 3 rounds and stock up on rookie spots. Especially if we are keen on guys as depth talls. I'd certainly explore the trade and free agency markets but I still think the draft is our best shot at finding the skillful hard running players we need whilst experience or role playing types can be brought cheaply.

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.