DeeSpencer

Agree with that. The Brayshaw tackle looked particularly like it had a lot of lift in it and was very close to getting him in a dangerous position. Very surprised it wasn't looked at (or not really).

There's a mixed bag and a team effort but Watts, Oliver, Kent, Jones, Tyson, Gawn and Viney certainly were heavily involved in the scores. The one that did surprise was how much the Weid was involved in the goals, particularly in the first quarter! He was in nearly every one of them. Mark and goal, clever handball, chest mark and moving the ball on and so on. Now it helped that the side seemed 'on' and were up and running through the corridor but the way the Weid got the ball on was great to see. Short attacking kicks and quick movement has been the way to beat the Hawks for a while now (even if most teams can't do it) so maybe that was the catalyst to get guys leading up more, but along the same lines I think the addition of Petracca and Vanders then now Weideman could give us a lot more movement around half forward. The Jeff out the back, Kent in to space (a new addition this year) and Watts (also new this year) and Hogan both carrying a big load forward line was far too predictable.

I saw him having work on what I thought was a hip at one stage but then looking closely on the replay it looked to me like he had a scratch going up towards the bandage that looked like he was studded. If so I doubt it will be an issue.

Seeing him in person (ie over the fence) I'm always shocked at how tall he is. I also think he's actually lost some size over the season - both in muscle and certainly trimming down and giving him more definition. If he does the work and we get the balance right he should hopefully go in to next year with a body that looks like a finely tuned machine and not the big oversized slow body that some of the young bull mids from other teams have carried in recent years. He moves so well through traffic and he tackles with fantastic desire and technique. He doesn't need to be 90+kg.

Worry about it then. There's 3 games left + whatever else of VFL finals. Terlich is probably the only sure thing. The rest of the names have all played at least 1 game this year. They might only have to show they are the best of 2 options to keep a spot. I really think Dawes and Pedda have between now and the end of the year to fight for 1 spot I'm hoping for a year in which we don't have anyone we want to keep leave. That will be a big step forward for the list and culture.

10 goals 8 for the year isn't exactly breaking the record books, but yeah he does seem to get forward for a goal more than others and hopefully he can keep bringing that up. Certainly I think he's now edging ahead of his 2014 season so that's good progress after injury hurt him last year. I still think he needs an uninterrupted preseason or 2. He put on size this year but I think he can back that up and increase his endurance and speed. He needs to kick the ball more when he's out in space and he needs to find a practical right foot kick to get the ball in to space when required. Just a safe chip on the right. Certainly his kicking has improved since the start of the year. His movement and hands around the contest have always been great and they are getting even better. His tackling needed work and he's improving in that regard.

They dropped Bugg, they dropped Matt Jones, they dropped Grimes. Doubt any of those guys were dropped for not playing their role without the ball. I thought Harmes was a necessity against the Hawks due to his speed and competitive nature and a few bad turnovers aside he did some very good things. But the turnovers are becoming a recurrent problem so I think they'll have to consider someone else - most likely Wagner, White or Michie. Given Port are a quick side and those 3 aren't as quick as Harmes he might stay for another week.

Against the Eagles he did. Against the Saints at Etihad he did (it worked last time we played them). But on so many occasions he plays as a fantastic leading CHF who then doubles back towards goal. Before he hurt his knee he was doing that wonderfully against Gold Coast last week. He's not so great at leading out of full forward because it's not his position and he wants to be there for the long kick inside 50. Some small part of that might be selfishness but I think it's mainly that he's mentally and physically tired and tired of seeing the ball kicked long to Dawes or smalls who can't mark it. The forward line looked better without Hogan playing badly stuck inside 50, but there's no way it was better than if Hogan was playing one of his great 10 mark games leading up around the ground and then doubling back inside 50!

1. Wrong - he was solid 2. True enough 3. Wrong - his handballs were great 4. That was true, struggled in the 2nd half 5. Super wrong - nailed both shots 6. Right!!!

I'd rather get his tank and mobility up first and worry about much of the bulk later. Just build him up enough to try and prevent injuries and give him core strength. Any more and he'll slow down like Tom Boyd.

Me neither. Not convinced he's a pure small forward though, not all that quick. Still like him as a half forward who has neat inside 50 kicking skills and a good step. Similar to Jetta but as a forward, I'd like to hang on to him like we did Nev.

Still loves a 1m handball to no one and some strange defensive efforts, but got to give him credit for his positioning, ability to find the ball and improving disposal. Not convinced dribbling it inside 50 is a great long term strategy but it the option was right. I'd love to find a young Josh Gibson instead of playing 3 talls, but I like the way Oscar is developing a two way game and with more size and strength you'd think he starts to impact contests. Not fully sold yet but some good steps in the right direction.

I'd only watched draft highlights at the one MCG game pre draft, so I'm going off characterises there, but seen a few Casey games, training as well as the match simulation session at the start of the year. I'll back my ability to sum up a player pretty well, where I go wrong is predicting which players can or will improve, which has also been Melbourne's problem!

Harmes is a willing tackler, if he's not laying a tackle either he might've missed one or two or he just wasn't in position to do it. Wagner is tiring, I think he'll be left out this week and rightfully so. Newton and Michie are the other options, both are slow and Viv is hardly perfect by foot. Neither is Bernie Vince when played back or Matt Jones on a wing. Bugg could be a chance, but the same issues of disposal and he probably doesn't break the lines from half back as well as Harmes. He's far from irreplaceable but I see him as the better choice.

Nah Daniher is a very good player with a terrible weakness. If the Weid can mark and move like Daniher then he'll be a star. Unfortunately Daniher's kicking takes him from nearly the best young key forward to often a waste of space.

Yeah because of all those other quick defenders we have to face the Hawthorn forward line? Or other defenders at all! Harmes can butcher the ball, but at least he's got the speed and no how to go get it. If we replaced him it would be with a player of similar skills without the speed or ball winning.

Not as athletic, or as wayward a kick. He moves in a similar way to Pav but without the mobility at this stage (or with the mobility of 35 year old Pav). He's smart on the lead and can take a good mark. Won't have the defensive game just yet but I think of any of the top forwards right now he probably compares most to Josh Kennedy.

This isn't meant to negative but let's be realistic: He's not going to be great at ground level. He's not going to be able to out body opponents to take easy marks. If he gets the ball in traffic the speed of the game might mean his skills by hand or foot aren't great. His defensive effort probably isn't going to be fantastic. Every chance is the pressure of the game means any set shots he gets will be hard to finish But what I will look forward and am excited about is his reading of the play and leading patters and his ability to contest in the air when given a run and jump at the ball - which might only happen once or twice in the game. If he can get up on the lead and have a jump at a few high balls he could end up with 4 or 5 marks and maybe slot a goal or two. Add in a few more possessions from general play and it will be a nice debut. All the best Sam.

I'm saying it's [censored] that all teams do with their best players just in the hope that the other team then wastes the time preparing for them. I can't see Hogan playing. In fact I'd be annoyed if he did play.

Because it's the done thing, not because it will happen. Can't play Saturday if you can't train Thursday. Not this late in the year anyway.

Juice out. Ben in. By the way, just as I post this they announce the Weid will play and Oliver will as well.

Swung by training for a little bit this morning. Fairly decent crowd of school kids in a couple of groups. Looked like an Indigenous school group who Nev and Jeff talked to after training and another group from which one kid slotted a goal and had a hug from a pumped up Wattsy. No Hogan on track. No Spencer either I don't think. Mitch King and Lumumba the others missing. Everyone else including Max King was on deck. Usual kind of drills divided in to different groups and focuses. Ball movement for the backs, slick hands for the mids, goal kicking for the forwards and mixed groups doing a range of things. A group designated for Casey did some extra ball movement drills at the end (presumably taking advantage of the longer break?) with a focus on spreading from a stoppage/contested area. With the Casey group: Wagner, Matt Jones With the senior group: Weideman, Oliver and I think Ben Newton. So it wouldn't surprise me if it's: Weideman, Oliver, Newton in for Hogan, Matt Jones, Wagner

Those numbers seem fine for the role played. Viv mopped up across half back. If he played on ball he would've had 15 contested touches, he's as good as any VFL midfielder at that role. Newton's pretty solid at the contest as well, and would've played wing and half back as well. I watched a bit of the replay at Coburg did ok at contested footy, they have a few solid body VFL types. It was the weight of numbers and overwhelming possessions that really undid them.

Daw's better than Holmes, but he might actually cost something. You'd think we take someone as ruck depth and they are hard to find. So no great options there. Vickery is a forward who can pinch hit in the ruck. As a free agent he's going to cost nothing in draft picks but something decent in salary. I wouldn't take him as I think Hulett and Weid should come on pretty quickly and one of Dawes/Pedo can be kept for depth. Certainly both ruck and forward/ruck are positions where we need someone and there might not be a lot of good alternatives. If the Bombers cut him I'd take a look at McKernan as a very cheap 1 year deal player.

Getting way off topic but I didn't have a problem with that kick. We needed to open it up instead of bombing it inside 50. I thought it was a good decision and reasonably well executed. I know Watts is the man of the hour and rightfully so but he should've marked that. Had he gone a little harder it would've been an uncontested mark and given our best kick in Watts open space to hit a target inside 50.