DeeSpencer

I tipped Denver 27, Carolina 24. I expected Denver's defense to be amazing, but surprised Carolina have the 2 turnovers and are so reliant on Newton. Why aren't they running it more with Steward? Draw the Denver defense up? I also expected Manning to throw at least 2 picks and be bad, with Denver's D and Special teams to bail them out. Which is happening. Probably thought they'd do a little better on offense though. The strip sack TD and the punt return have been the difference so far. Whoever can make the big plays in the 2nd half probably wins.

I'd limit some important and senior players to 1 of the first 2 games, probably splitting them between the 2 game half/half: Jones, Hogan, Vince, Viney, Gawn, Dunn, Garlett I'd probably play the next best 10 players for both games to get the core of the side really ready. And I doubt we will see Mitch King, Smith, Lumumba, Newton or Trengove in the NAB challenge. So that probably means there's another 10-20 who could be split between the 2 games to push their case. And then it comes together for a near best 22 for the 3rd game.

I'll temper expectations a bit. It's hard for mature age players in 2nd seasons because sometimes there isn't a lot of natural improvement left. His kicking and decision making need some work, he's very straight lined, which is a relief compared to so many of our past players but could be a weakness. I expect he'll have to get used to juggling time on the ball, wing and half forward as well. I'm super excited for his tackling, ball winning, bumps, and bursting runs, but elite might be a step too far. I'm hoping he can take more marks this year as well, both out in space and inside 50.

Meh, it's late night talk radio, save the conspiracies for the forums, no point discussing criticism of the AFL at 2am. I'd be more worried that the AFL isn't criticised by investigative journos at the big papers. In fact the way the peptides scandal broke in to Caro (AFL) and Robbo (Ess) was very disappointing.

I don't mind it if it's in control and routine, it helps open up the hips and kick through the ball. In pretty much any other kicking sport players run in on an arc around their dominant leg, it's really on Aussie Rules that I can think of (thinking soccer, rugby, NFL) where players run in straight.

Darren Parkin with special guest Daniel Cross. Not a bad listen if you've got 20 minutes. Starts with a best 22. Pretty standard team similar to most of the media ones floating around. Goes through some strengths and weaknesses and then Crossy gets on to talk Tracc and others. Overall Crossy seems positive about a lot of players, including Petracca, but cautions that he'll need a good block of preseason running before he plays.

Thanks for the great reports. We can't keep having injuries every time we have a big Friday session. Hope the guys are ok and that the trend doesn't continue.

Those places might be where all the kids are going, but what matters it the kids eligible. Asian and African migrant kids are probably still going to be in the same spots. If limited to Indigenous, Asian and African then if you look across the AFL it's: Maybe 10 or so Indigenous Victorian kids: Goodes the best but has since retired. JKH, Christensen, Jarman Impey, Jake Neade Koby Stevens, Eddie Betts, Andrew Walker, Paul Ahern. NT Indigenous players: Cyril Rioli (Tiwi), Steve Motlop (Darwin?), Nakia Cockatoo (Darwin?), Jake Long (tiwi ?where he grew up), Jed Anderson (Katherine), Curtly Hampton (Alice Springs), Steve May (Darwin) Asian: Lin Jong? African: Majak Daw, Gach Nyuon Once the club resources go in these numbers could boom, but as of right now I don't think anyone has really been given a treasure trove. Alice Springs represents a huge opportunity to nurture Indigenous talent and our zone in the SE of Melbourne should include a heap of African and Asian kids. Exactly what resources and how we should implement them I have no idea.

Josh Mahoney or PJ or both are a little wacky with the job titles but who cares? Her job will be to watch Casey games with players, provide a different voice and angle for development and no doubt work with the women's team. I bet the AFL will either cover the costs or look upon us favourably for incurring the cost. That's not a knock of Michelle, that's a reality of the industry. She's a mum. That's a greater education in welfare than any uni degree. The club has doctors, psychologists and sports psychologists on board for welfare as well. All they need to provide is coaches who have an eye for when something isn't right and a range of personalities. Shannon Byrnes is the former battling player who knows rejection, success and apparently is a decent bloke. Brendan McCartney is a country gent who treats the players like his sons. Michelle Cowan is a mum. Andrew Nichol is a school teacher. Fruity Allison is like a crazy uncle. Paul Roos if for nothing else is known as a players coach. His wife teaches the players meditation. If players are having troubles and not one of these individuals notices or the player doesn't open up to one of them I don't think any wellbeing expert will help.

It's a stupid idea, but if we can get the Sudanese and other immigrant communities in Dandenong plus Indigenous talent from Alice Springs we could find some good footballers. What I'm worried about is when SA and WA divide the entire Indigenous population over there between them. Imagine the 2 WA teams sharing Franklin, Ryder, the Jetta's, the Hill's, the Bennell's, Jack Martin and so on. Indigenous status is relatively easy to establish, but the multicultural aspect is going to be difficult. Every second Australian has a distant relative born somewhere. What counts? Is is just the African and Middle Eastern new arrivals? What about Eastern European, Pacific Islander, Asian? It's going to be a dogs breakfast of eligibility. Then there's the issue of players moving zones.

Dawes is in the rehab group. No taping that I could see. Moved pretty well, kicked and marked with Lumumba. Pedo was part of the main sessions, covered the ground decently, looks in as good a nick as I've seen him at the club, did still go in to his lumbering gait when approaching a couple of contests which cost him time. But he also laid a couple of really strong tackles. He appears like he needs match fitness to get used to game specific efforts, but that's true of a lot of big guys. Frost has a brilliant turn of speed, but flies for his marks without a hope in hell of holding them, the ball bursts off his hands and if he doesn't settle before he kicks it can go anywhere. He's a stronger, possibly faster version of Fitzy but with similar skills. Mitch King jogged laps. I suggest we forget all the hypothetical [censored] and see what happens.

I pick my names after players who I am not concerned about jinxing, and I'm not really going to tell big Jake that. He did a couple of ok things today although I'm still hoping we don't see much of him, whilst also thinking if Gawny can take a few grabs up forward the extra bench spot might see 2 rucks back in fashion.

The photo is very generous. He's stronger than last year, but he's not massive.

I don't think we've got some special innovation like the Clarko Cluster or Weagles Web coming. Our game plan is similar just with a focus on being more aggressive. From deep in the backline it's hard to do anything but switch it around and eventually bomb it long to a tall. I mean you can try and run numbers back and handball it around but we won't do that. I think the coaches want to see faster movement and spread so that the open man presents, but McCartney is often emphasising to take the easy option. There isn't a desire to spear kicks in to tight windows from deep in the backline and I don't think there should be. If we play at a higher pace and with more aggressive pressing up the ground then we won't be hemmed in deep too often and the ball movement will be quicker. That's the secret of how Hawthorn move the ball so quickly out of the backline, they always have the options as soon as they turn it over.

Wouldn't have the foggiest. We've heard Dawes and Terlich were injured up on the GC and Max King before they went up. JKH had tape on a knee, Watts looked fine but I think he gets managed with his groins. Spencer has been in and out of rehab and then there's Petracca, Lumumba and Trenners. I get the feeling Oliver, Weideman and Mitch King were a case of first year players. Oliver did quite a few laps once in the rehab group, presumably they are building his tank whilst taking him out of the physical drills. Mitch King went over to the paddock with Trengove and did some sprint, mark, kick stuff with Crossy and Trengove.

I see it the same way. The only thing it achieves is starting 4 different players on the bench each quarter will allow a more even distribution of time on ground. Similarly you could be tactical and leave a burst player on the bench for a longer stint and then put them in the game for impact. A bit of a mini sub each quarter. The reality is I'd say maybe 30-50% of the time if not more of the time you'll be down to 3 on the bench by 3/4 time as well given how often injuries occur. I can think of several instances - Kent v GC (later back on), Kent v Rich, Brayshaw v WC, Frost v Adel, Salem v Haw just off the top of my head where we made the sub before 1/2 time last year.

In the short bit of kick to kick that I saw of him and Lumumba he was moving, marking and kicking quite nicely. I've said a few times I don't think he's hands are all that bad, but a lot of the issue is he just can't jump up at the ball and move with any freedom or confidence. Now another injury probably isn't a good sign but if it's not his knee or calf he might have a bit more confidence when he gets out there.

In the smaller group stuff he was often getting in to space on the wing, which meant he started from a half forward area, in the bigger group it was all very congested so he was pushing up all the way to defensive 50 to get involved. Given how they set it up there wasn't a lot of open running play in that drill.

The match simulation stuff was very scrappy. The coaches weren't overly impressed. Although I think it was Macca who said, hey, it's not great but at least they are fast and that was my opinion as well. At first it was 3 teams rotating, team defends, team attacks then comes off for a rest. There were good patches of quick kicks out of the backline, getting it back to the corridor, overlapping run in some of this. Then they went in to 2 teams blue v white with one team getting the ball deep in the backline and having to work it up the ground. The defending was pretty solid so I guess it's understandable it was a bit of switch it around then bomb it up the line. Once a turnover came or was set up the focus was very much on defending up the field instead of sagging back. It was a difficult exercise I guess as it was so often set up under pressure deep in the backline instead of being more a game style situation where you can counter attack more in to space. I got the feeling we'd still rely on the counter attacking more this year than being in control when under pressure, but I also think we've got a better ability to turn it over and to punish teams when we do. Tom McDonald stood out the match play and did run throughs, then had a kick with Hulett who had a leg complaint but was given the all clear. Salem came off after getting a high knock but was later back out there. Garlett got on the end of a few, Brayshaw was involved in some nice patches, Tyson is spreading hard, Ben Kennedy looks to play on and keep the ball moving, sometimes really well, occasionally when he shouldn't, but I like the mindset.

Really well. He was burning off Harmes' with ease in the set of run throughs they did, the boys tried to fire Harmesy up but he was no match. Involved a lot in match play as well. Just has to work out his disposal and decision making but I expect the way he's training he'll have some good moments as well.

In between drills the main group pair off for sprints around the centre square. Modern version of go do a 400. Vanders flying to match pace with Hunt. Looks like some full ground blue v green with a 3rd group waiting for some match simulation

Oliver and Mi King have joined rehab. Petracca done for the day. No signs of Bewton. Hogan, Frost and T Mc doing marking drills. Smith also in the rehab shirt. 2 different hard and fast handball drills happening. All about quick decisions under pressure and getting in to space

Boys are doing a drill that goes short kick to a f flank, square to chf, kick to a lead from the square. All kicks encouraged to be fast. 1 step, kick says the coach. Dunn and Gawn the most vocal. White stands out in his ability to spear a pass from this 1/3 of the team. Tyson kicking with more penetration. Oliver kicks the ball well when balanced, massages it a bit when under pressure. Not the best or worst

Track is running* *jogging trengove looks like he could play tomorrow, think he explained the timeline on the website recently.

Boys look great in the Indigenous jumpers. Kennedy-Harris and Watts have joined the rehab group for some hand balling. Max King's doing laps. The Congan ambassador is getting some physio. Tracc is enjoying getting on Goodwin's radio whilst walking. Dawes took a mark. Trenners is jumping and spinning over some 30cm high yellow hurdle