DeeSpencer

Yep happy for him, gives him something to build on for next year. I hope he backs himself to win the ball and show off his kicking.

Looked really good in his first season, he'd be one you'd hope would improve when in a settled environment like Polec did at Port. I think Brisbane really need to stop drafting South Australians.

I do have doubts on his ability. But I'm not a fan of replacing a C+ level player that Garland probably is with an F grader. Not when we have the list spots to keep Garland. For whatever reason since his bad ankle injury (or maybe before) Garland doesn't have great fitness. I've been told by a reliable source that his ability to play up the ground on resting midfielders and rebound off them is limited due to fitness. As would I, but I presume the FD has spoken to Garland's manager and assessed the interest in him and determined we aren't getting that level of compensation should he leave. .

We have a ruck coach for that. I've got no problem with keeping Jamar up to now, he wasn't too bad at the start of the year and allowed Gawn to do the time at Casey to set up a good end of the season. But now at age 32 there's little reason to keep him as the 3rd string ruckman. If we don't keep Cross who's in the best 22 we can't be keeping Jamar who's 3rd in line for a spot.

If you compare Garland's good games (and there have been a number) to Oscar McDonald on debut I think you'll find there still is a fair gap there. With Cross gone and Howe likely going I think Garland should be kept and the perfect structure would be a 2 year deal with the 2nd year based on a number (say 11) of games in the first year. This is all dependent on Garland getting some of fitness back over preseason of which the club would be well placed to judge. If he gets his fitness back his kicking and attacking output will improve.

It's all about development with the likes of Tyson, Salem, JKH, Harmes, Petracca, Brayshaw, Stretch, ANB and Vanders. On the back of Hogan, Viney, Toumpas, Kent. From their first games at the MFC they all looked like they could play AFL. All have great attributes and also weaknesses just as any player does. Development is not linear. Mitch Wallis at the dogs was 1 player I thought was heading for list clogger or tagger at best, now he's seriously underrated if you don't know who he is yet you will soon. JHK has the agility and smarts to find enough of the ball. A burst of speed combined with a tank will do more than having huge top end pace but never being in the game. He's suffering classic 2nd year blues right now and I think got a bit ahead of himelf but he was a really hard trainer and if he keeps doing that and building his defensive work he could come back hard next year and play some good footy. Tyson's struggling with a few injuries but nothing that seems too bad. He needs a huge preseason to build his tank to the elite midfield level. Once he does that I expect he'll improve as well. Training standards and development coaching will make players out of all of these guys. If we've got that right then Taylor's recruiting will look very good. Although it's about a half job so far IMO, still need the same injection of quality again. 2 more draft crops of 3 or 4 very good players with at least 1 elite prospect in each draft is needed.

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.

I love Crossy but I too think it's a good time to finish up. He couldn't play in the midfield any more and his lack of speed or skill at half back meant he really had to play very well to keep his spot, no matter how many numbers he racked up. Presuming we continue to persist with Garland, Grimes, Lumumba and McDonald as part of the backline mix it really is time to add more youth in those half back spots. That means Salem, Stretch, White, maybe Newton, Brayshaw or Neal Bullen could both have a year of development there and so on. I'm leaning to say I would've kept Crossy due to delisting enough room to hold a spot for an older player, but it would've been for more a 12 game contract and the reality that unless we were really struggling with injury that he might have to spend a lot of time at Casey.

I'm not convinced it is but I'm convinced it should be. We should be able to find a 3rd ruckman from a state league somewhere as depth who will be cheaper, as effective and with much more upside than Jamar.

Slowed down and can't kick over a jam jar. I'd rather be brave and go for Stevie J for a year.

Not the best photo but here is ANB and Langdon in the same image. Doesn't look much between them to me. Hardly a shock that Stretch or O Mc are skinny. That's how most 19 year olds are, especially outside runners or talls. Those 2 in particular are just getting a taste of AFL footy. Let's worry more about senior players with years in the system having the wrong body shapes than first year kids.

Overall I agree, but first option footy relies upon having the options. We are so short of players who spread, block and know each others tendencies that we can't get a lot of first option footy going. And sometimes the 5th options is best! http://gfycat.com/BlackandwhiteOrangeGoral

Every year he's come back a bit stronger and fitter and worked hard in the preseason. He's still only 21. How many 21 year olds in any sport (besides maybe gymnastics) compete against men? In US sport he'd be still in college. In European soccer leagues he'd be working his way up from lower league or lesser top team. He can run and kick and he's committed to improving. That alone is worth more time on our list compared to the alternatives.

Get some overall vision to the club in terms of a plan for: 1. A long term home base 2. A standalone reserves team in the VFL Set some standards for the playing group. With either: A) If you don't bust your absolute backside off and bring a physical intensity every time you play you don't play OR B) If you can't execute basic skills you don't play I'd like to do both at once but I don't think we have the depth. Either way it seems too many guys coast through getting regular or semi regular games despite never improving

Brett Burton who just got sacked from Brisbane after overseeing a terrible run of injuries? No thanks if it's him.

Who would you have played instead. Riley? Bail? There's really nothing.

He has to kick on his left so much because he lacks pace, can't evade or break tackles and has no idea how to link up. I won't be too disappointed that he's the sub because I don't see him part of the long term future. It worked out ok but for him to call for a handball from Salem instead of shepherd was just indicative of his issues. Even his goal came from getting way too close to Hogan instead of providing some width and being able to get a clear kick or handball.

Wouldn't be the first player to take until his 4th or 5th year to come on. If he had trade value then I'd say trade him, but the reality is he likely doesn't. Let's back the kid in

Game time is certainly needed for a lot of these guys and I think Roos has been measured and Goodwin is probably pushing him to get the game time in to some of these guys but there's only so much you can do if they aren't fit or in some level of form at Casey. I'm hoping that Frost and/or Oscar McDonald can play a decent number of games down back next year. Similarly I'd love Max King to jump up a grade but if not some other young tall to show something forward or as a 2nd ruck. Although we're already pretty young with Hogan and Gawn there. We will always be getting games in to young midfielders and forwards, we don't really have anyone of talent keeping them out of a game. Small/medium defenders and wingers is probably the spot where I think we desperately need to get games in to Salem and Stretch and keep drafting and developing. The most important thing is to develop guys to consistently good footballers as part of a good team. Otherwise it's 1 step forward, 1 step back.

Happy for him to choose. The players should rally around him and he can leave it all out there. If he wants to play Casey finals then leave him there, if he wants a farewell game then he comes in and Spencer might give more at Casey anyway.

Terrible kicks: Grimes, McDonald, Lumumba, Bail, Matt Jones, Spencer....I could go on Great kicks: ??? I'm not too worried about our inside mids and half forwards kicking. Yeah I'd rather a few more who can accurately spear it like Watts, Jones and Garlett, but I'll take speed and grunt of Vanders, Kent and Brayshaw and the ball winning ability of the likes of Tyson and Viney. But the backline and outside midfield is where you need guys who can hit targets under pressure. We've got Dunn and Salem, that's about it. Jetta doesn't burn the ball too much but isn't a high possession winner. Stretch looks solid. Newton can seriously kick a footy he just can't get in the team regularly from what I've seen so far. I'm keen to see Oscar McDonald because the pre draft talk was that he could kick much better than his brother. And I so desire for Tom to keep improving because he keeps finding so much of the ball he just desperately needs to use it better.

Team from our signature win over Sydney 2010 (rough guess on positions) FB: Bartram Frawley Garland HB: Bruce Rivers Macdonald C: Scully Sylvia Jones HF: Wona Dunn Watts FF: Jurrah Green Maric Foll: Jamar Davey Morton Int: P Johnson, Bennell, Bail, McKenzie That team was up and about and playing good footy. But I really don't think it was sustainable even with great coaching. It wasn't built on great foundations and had a lot of players hit trouble over the next 24 months. The skill level just wasn't there under pressure. Teams starting pressing up so much more at that time and there wasn't a good ball user in that backline. The midfield didn't move with the times. Scully left. Morton lost all confidence. Sylvia and Davey reverted to being bit part midfielders. The forward line didn't have a proper tall forward who could take contested marks or bring the ball to the ground. It became Jurrah or Green or bust. Bailey might've had the team playing exciting footy but I don't think he was developing players the right way. Maybe the directive for that came in over his head but I really think we needed a fitness, recruiting and list overhaul in 2012 regardless of who was coaching. If Bailey staid on it might not have been as bad as Neeld but I doubt he would've lasted 2012 or 2013 either. I like to think we could've salvaged at least 1 of Jurrah or Wona, but both had a lot going on in their personal lives. Davey could've ended his career with more grace. He might just be a fringe player but Bennell would still be handy at the club IMO. Rivers could've finished out at the Dees as well. Watts might have got to his current stage a little quicker, although I still think he needs tough love more than cuddling. Keeping Bailey could've saved us from Neeld and from the 'mental scars'. We might have plucked someone like Adam Simpson to coach if Bailey went in 2013 but in some ways it might be better that we hit rock bottom and cleaned out the board, CEO and a lot of the rest of the club.

I think he'll most likely play back on young Pearce from Freo, but he if he's not going well then he could go forward and just use his run to provide another target. He's played enough decent games forward and the club obviously think he's a long term prospect so a bit of a soft debut never hurt. There's really no one else at Casey who's fit, in form and part of the future.

Harmes has been sub a few times but he's had 7 straight games since his debut, as a second year player I might've sent him back to the VFL or kept him as sub but I can understand the thinking with a rest. Brayshaw effectively had the week off when hit in the opening seconds against West Coast but for the last 3 weeks he's looked particularly tired. I'm relieved they are resting him no matter how many games left. If you keep going to the well with a young guy who looks clearly tired you're asking for an injury.

He did very little, but it seems to be more a chronic injury than anything new. Spencer or Jamar can come in and attempt to give us something forward and also give Gawn a rest in the ruck. The issue then is making sure Hogan doesn't run himself ragged at CHF. Although I think the ball will be in Freo's forward line most of the game anyway.