DeeSpencer

Got through 17 games this year, but only 1 at AFL level. Missed 4 games this year with an ankle. Missed a season and a half with an ACL up until late 2015 but played well in a couple of games late that year. Not sure either of those injuries will be long term though. The long term one was his hip. If the hip is fine then there's still the chance that he keeps getting injured based on just being one of those guys/based on one injury leading in to another, but as long as his hip is fine then I'd have no problem giving him a shot.

I think whatever value there was to take from Hird and Thompson's time at Essendon we've got covered with Goodwin and McCartney. That said, the small group of banned bombers have been training with Sean Wellman who coached our backline better than anyone I can remember and it's been a select group featuring some pretty classy players in Watson, Hurley, Heppell and Hooker.

I don't know about that. I'm cautiously optimistic, although I would've preferred him playing this year. There's a few reasons: 1. He was very promising in his first few years and then seemed to hit a snag the last couple. Who knows how much the ASADA stuff played on his mind. 2. Then there's the chance that like many players they hit a bit of a wall around the 60-80 game mark where expectations have overshot performances and they have to fight through a bit of a dry spell to really become fully formed players. Nath Jones the best example of that. 3. The change of role to half back might see a lift in output. He can run, he plays well overhead for his size and he has kicking penetration. In our game style that is based upon defenders coming up to win the ball back and then attacking out to space and overlapping he might be valuable.

What are they? 24 and 26, with 100 and 80 games experience respectively. They'd increase the average but hardly send it sky rocketing. The youth thing does get overplayed but in some regards it's right. The midfield starting to get some continuity with Gawn, Jones, Viney, Tyson, despite a young average age/games they are entering/in their prime. But up forward it was often Hogan, Petracca, Brayshaw, Kent with only Watts and Garlett/Pedda as experience and those last two aren't exactly Luke Hodge style leaders. Then down back it was Tommy Mc, Jetta and a bunch of kids. To have Frost, Oscar, Hunt, Harmes, Wagner all with 30 games and under 22 or whatever they are in the same side there's definitely an inexperience factor there. Especially if trying to play a zone defensive system that relies on players making aggressive decisions on when to come up, when to drop back, when to fly for marks etc. It might take some time to mesh but I'm sure the hope is that a couple of experienced players being added to the backline group solidifies the unit.

One of those rubbish trade rumour accounts has linked us with Nathan Vardy. No idea if it's true but if he's cheap he's well worth the gamble.

And hasn't even played well when used in a 2 ruck system at Brisbane. By far his best footy has been when playing lots of minutes in the ruck so he's able to run like another midfielder. Given we traded him away for nothing I'd like to still have him, but there's every chance he'd have been delisted if he was still at Melbourne. He only got a chance at Brisbane when they had a run of injuries.

Next year I think Pedda or other ruck/forward will compete with Weids for a spot and Watts could be rucking. But medium to long term as our midfield mature and rotate more we might be able to go taller. Depends on conditions and opponents as well. We certainly need to trade or draft someone as replacements for Dawes/Pedersen/Max King. I guess the question is how urgent that has to be. Jackson Trengove is out of contract next year and whilst I'm not sure if he can be effective as a forward (maybe a tall defensive forward?) he could be a nice back up ruck, especially as he'd give a change of pace to Gawn in there.

Ruck CHF FF 3rd tall Gawn: 70 % ruck, 20 % full forward, 10% bench Hogan: 65 % CHF, 20 % full forward, 15% bench Weids: 55 % full forward, 30 % CHF, 15 % bench Watts: 60 % third tall, 30 % wing and half back, 10% bench 2nd ruck: 30 % ruck, 40% 3rd tall, 5 % FF, 5% CHF, 20% bench I think there's room for a 2nd ruck who does a decent share of the ruck work. However they have to be able to contribute forward. The biggest impediment to playing another tall is the defensive efforts from Watts, Weids and Hogan are all pretty bad right now. Hogan doesn't tackle. Watts doesn't tackle nearly well enough for a player of his speed and game sense. Weid's is still a kid who couldn't move well enough to catch anyone at this stage. So those guys would have to develop and we'd have to add a ruck/forward with at least some mobility and defensive smarts. A speedy player like Josh Jenkins would be better than Vickery and I'm sure that's why we started Frost forward but he doesn't have the smarts and isn't really big enough to ruck. The other thing that would be necessary would be Watts being able to rotate on to the wing and behind the ball without ruining the improvement he made this year. Everything about his game says he should be able to handle rotating up to a wing but he's been shuffled around so many times that who knows if it will work. Similarly his contested work has improved a lot so he should be more confident in playing half back on an opponent if needed although I mainly see him going there as a spare late in quarters or when needed.

Usually the opposite of whatever Tony says is true. Goodwin is watching a lot of the finals footy games. Shrewd move. Not sure that means anything about trades. Given the majority of clubs, players and managers are based in Melbourne I don't really think flying around the country would achieve much.

I tipped the Lions. Indy have some bad injuries and suspensions, so I thought Stafford could make plenty of plays. They tried to lose it with the missed extra point at the end but got the job done. I don't think either of those teams will be good, but I like the Lions more because they were bad last year and got better, where as Indy are a mess outside of Luck. It seems the Bears were good for a half, but against a decent Houston defense the offense just ground to a halt. They double teamed Jeffery and with no Forte or Bennett there's no one else to make a play. The defense dug in for a half but with a weak secondary they can't get too creative and get after the QB. The Texans rookie WR Fuller was great and scorched the Bears. And if the Bears can't run the ball this year they won't win many games. If they do establish the run then they have enough in other places to test teams

Fantastic player but I'm not sure he's the right fit. Dal Santo would be cheap, fills a need on the wing, is durable yet probably open to only playing 15 or so games and might be looking to stay on as a coach. Wells would be expensive and require a 2 year deal, he'd have to play on ball really, certainly isn't durable and there's no mention that he's looking to coach post footy. If he wants to come I'd certainly have a look, but I don't think Wells fits the role of an older depth/culture player. He should go to a team that's contending.

Fantastic burn from Del Rio. I know they might've had some momentum but with Drew Brees at home I think the Raiders win < 50 % in overtime. If you lose the coin toss then it's probably < 40%. By going for it you put the other team on the back foot and have a controlled situation. Given the Saints defensive weakness I think it was an inspired decision.

The Bulldogs AFL team will be playing in the Saturday prelim if the make it. They pulled out players from their VFL team on Sunday who were in line for selection next week. I get that I'd be arguing for the opposite if we were still playing in the AFL but I think the VFL should focus on their own comp, and give the Dogs VFL team a 7 day break instead of worrying about the what ifs from the AFL.

Nope. They MADE it 6 for one, 8 for the other! The only good reason they've done it appears to be to have both Casey teams playing on the same day. Cynically I'd suggest they've done it to have the way larger Collingwood v Bulldogs crowd in the Saturday time slot.

Oh cool, probably before my time in being an NFL fan, either way I think it's a fun topic. I don't like pumping huge hours in to fantasy sports each week, although I probably would in America given the NFL is mostly consigned to Sunday which is half the appeal. Looking at Simmons + friends groupings probability says at least a couple if not a few of the teams in the 2nd and 3rd column of picks end up winning 8 or even 10 games and making play offs. And maybe someone in the first 10 teams falls off a cliff and finishes with 6 wins.

Didn't get a clean run at it in preseason and neither his body nor his form have improved, I doubt we'd be hiding him for the purpose of keeping him as a rookie when we've got plenty of spots if we had to upgrade him. I think the one ruckman we might have been trying to hide at Casey is the big Oscar fella he's worked his way in to the senior side ahead of Max King. I like the way he moves and he's huge, not sure if he has the skills or mobility to play AFL but has been invited to the combine. I suspect we'll have a good look at him as a mature age recruit. Keen to see him play in the Prelim.

Cincinnati Green Bay Detroit

It might be too late to organise, maybe sometime next week before the 2nd round of games? But I wonder if we could get either 5 or 10 people to do this NFL wins pool that Bill Simmons has done. Could make it worth a point in the tipping Macca? Or just do it for fun. What do you think?

As a Bears fan I thought he was great as well. Quick and accurate release. Might only be a game manager but that's all you need with Denver's defense and their running game looked very good.

Silly that the Scorps aren't playing on the Saturday, the deserve to be. The 2's have to turn around a 92 point margin. Good luck. Hardly the ideal lead in for the seniors to play after that kind of result.

I think he tackles and competes well enough, yes it's not his strength, but if he's playing on the wing it doesn't have to be. It's on Tyson, Viney, Oliver, N Jones, Brayshaw etc to get the ball to him. My concern is pace and endurance. Dal Santo would still be a far better ball user than Bugg and Harmes and I don't care about the difference in hardness, but I do care if he can't run to nearly the same level.

Those 4 probably all go first round and almost certainly before our first pick unless we do some big time trading.

Matt Jones played 10 games on the wing. I'd rather give those 10 games and the spot on the list to NDS. If 2-3 of Stretch, Bugg, Harmes (Trengove, Ben Ken or ANB) out play him and take all those games then good luck to them. I doubt he'd play half back, Hibberd and Melksham hopefully give us more speed and defensive ability than he would so we can continue a more aggressive defensive system. But to have a wingmen with Dal Santo's class to fold back and help the defenders rebound the ball would be a big help.

Elliott Le Grice maybe? Longer's been wrecked by concussions this year. Was tracking better than Hickey last year before a drop in confidence this year. I'd have him as he showed a heap of talent when he was young but he might be a fair reclamation project right now.

A mans got to know his limitations. When Spencer signed a contract before his last extension earlier this year he was behind an ageing Jamar and either level or ahead of Gawn. He's now behind Gawn but he'd also be behind most other starting rucks. I don't think agreeing to be a back up means he's any less desperate for a game, probably means he just knows his talent isn't all that great and he thinks he can perform but would be 2nd choice at most places. Nothing wrong with a bit of loyalty either. That said, Spencer is definitely a short term 2nd ruck. We need someone to take his spot and offer more soon. An ideal 2nd ruck has improvement left in them so if/when they get a chance they can rise to another level. That's not Spencer.