DeeSpencer

Time and again Garlett ran to the front of the pack as he should and his man zipped around the back and time and again the forwards couldn't bring it to the front. You can blame Garlett, you can blame the coaches for not adapting. But really at what stage do we blame the forwards for not doing the job required and brining the ball down in front. Howe and Dawes need to [censored] off. Fitzy should come in down back, Tom McDonald can go forward and lead up and Hogan can then stay deep. He'll bring the ball to ground when not matched up against as good a player as Hurley and with no help to get one on one contests and kicks to advantage.

He had 50 or so hit outs. 11-5 from the centre square. A few very hand marks. Didn't butcher the ball when he had it. In no ways a great game and he wasn't up against much but at least he did his job. He was good but I wouldn't single him out for it if that makes any sense.

+1. Bloody embarrassment that a first year rookie keeps showing mature players how it's done.

Howe hasn't been chasing and hasn't been attacking the ball well in the air, but he did enough with a couple of mark and kicks against the saints and cats. He'll get that chance when not up against a true key defender v Ess. One more week. Dawes can't mark that's for sure but I think his mobility and chasing is good enough when up the ground. The MCG should suit him more than if it was a small ground like Etihad. I think it's a lot to expect from Harmes to be a marking player off a few good grabs at VFL level. Vanders is the one I want to see use his height to take more grabs and play as the 3rd tall, but besides round 1 he's been used as a midfielder/high half forward and I think he'd get that role again.

Positive injury update. So: In: Grimes, Vanders, Lumumba Out: Bail, Spencer, M Jones FB: Jetta Dunn Garland HB: Cross McDonald Grimes C: Lumumba Jones Watts HF: Brayshaw Hogan Vanders FF: Garlett Dawes Howe Foll: Gawn Vince Viney Int: Tyson ANB Stretch Toump E: Fitzy, Harmes, JKH Leaning towards giving Howe one more week back as a true mid sized forward. Hurley will go to Hogan more than likely as I think Hooker will stay forward. Then it's a matter of having a couple of good marking options to take advantage of Gwilt and Steinberg. I'm tempted to leave Spencer in (ahead of Howe) but I think the best balance against Essendon's lack of ruckman is to ask Dawes to do a bit of time in the ruck and to put the challenge on Gawny to run out the game. It's time he shows he can do it.

Watts did play all those good games after he was dropped/dropped himself, but I agree we keep Toumpas for at least another week if not longer. We have to build the notion of players going back to Casey to work on aspects of their game and not so much being dropped. Of course that comes with a level of performance that will produce that.

He's got neat skills but he isn't really a half forward and he doesn't cover enough ground as a wingman so for now he's a bit position less. In a good team that's fine because you can rotate guys between half back, wing, on the ball, half forward and they'll blend in and play well. But Newton certainly needs to build his tank and if possible work on his speed.

Fair question to ask and I think he'd obviously still have a loyalty to the Crows but I can't really see them asking. The Crows Chairman and CEO have both performed brilliantly in a tough situation, I don't think they'd be the types to send a coaching selection panel to scout out Goodwin when he's contract and committed to a job. And for Goodwin if he was willing to sign on last year then despite some ups and downs I would've thought he'd be pretty invested in taking on more responsibility next year and then the main gig the year after. Since he's come to the club he's seen: Hogan, Brayshaw, vandenBerg, Stretch and ANB debut and all play good footy. Had Garlett back to his best. Salem start really well at half back. Watts and Toumpas play the best 3 game stretches of their careers. And he has Petracca to unwrap next year. We are a long way from any kind of success but I imagine if Goodwin has faith in his ability to coach he's probably thinking of a fair few positives.

I'm hoping with increased endurance after his 3rd preseason that King becomes a viable option next year. Yes it's a huge hope but why not? He doesn't have to perform well every week to be best 22, he just has to get ahead of Dawes/Pedersen/Spencer etc. Cross had a slower start to the year as a midfielder. He'll be another year older (if) he goes around next year. He's done very well on a back flank but I prefer Salem and Lumumba as first choice options. Of course there's always a chance those 2 are redeployed (most likely to a wing) but if Toumpas can find the form he had a few games back and Stretch has a good preseason then it's not impossible that those 2 stay as part of the wing rotations. The aim is to make the 8 next year. If that is to happen then Crossy will be depth not best 22.

I think doing away with the sub will allow us to play Dawes and Pedersen in addition to Hogan and then give Pedersen a good rest before he runs around in the ruck (and Dawes a good rest as he plays as a lead up CHF). I can't quite see us wasting 1 bench spot on resting 2 legitimate rucks. If you can't do that with 3 spots on the bench I can't see us doing it with 4. We'll try it, but I think eventually we will get back to the same reality in that we need a player who can legitimately play forward and ruck.

FB: Dunn Frost Jetta HB: Salem McDonald Lumumba C: Toumpas Jones Watts HF: Brayshaw Hogan Kent FF: Petracca King Garlett Foll: Gawn Vince Viney Int: Vanders Tyson Stretch S: ANB Unlucky: Cross, Garland, Pedersen, Dawes, JKH, Grimes, Newton Traded: Howe I'm obviously banking on improvement from the young guys but I think at some stage we need to look in to: - Frost as a genuine tall sized key defender. Dunn does a good job but he's not suited to the big forwards - More rebound and skill at half back by using Salem, Stretch and Lumumba instead of Cross and Garland - A proper sized and skilled 2nd ruckman - Utilising medium forwards with goal kicking ability (Petracca, Vanders, Watts) instead of carrying a 2nd tall forward who can't get the job done (see Hawthorn with Gunston and Breust) The reality is Dawes and Pedersen will either both be in or fighting for a spot and if he signs on Garland will be in the team. But I don't think there's any harm in hoping that the young players who have impressed for most of this year can improve and stay in the side next year. Likewise that Frost can get fit and fight for a key back spot. King is certainly the biggest hope/prayer of the team but Dawes and Pedersen are only stop gaps, at some stage you have to hope a legitimate option comes along.

That kick wasn't too difficult though. It was a medium risk kick for anyone other than McDonald or Jake Spencer. Whoever it was in the corridor had room all around them and all the kick needed to do was clear Nic Nat. You can't play in the backline without attempting those kicks. Not unless you are some kind of defensive stopper made out of a combination of Scarlett, Silvagni and Glass. Burning that option kills momentum which in turn discourages team mates from running to receive the ball and eventually all you do is chip the ball nowhere or bomb it down the line. As Clarko likes to say 'If you can't kick you can't play". So McDonald has to keep trying kicks when it's that combination of risk and reward but he has to make them. It was a bread and butter switch not exactly some kind of thread of the needle. My biggest concern is he doesn't even see the field of play well enough to know what is risky and what isn't and where he has to miss the kick if he is to miss safely.

They both had no prior. They both spat the ball out. I don't get how you can draw a line between the two. Ok so Dunn dropped it more obviously than Darling dropped it but neither was a handball. I'm all for calling a throw a throw but if a player hasn't had prior and gets the ball out then you may as well call play on otherwise you'll be splitting hairs all night long.

Derm was going to Derm. Presumably Watts pushed his man in. Heard the umpire called it a push. It was baffling, but of little consequence. The ones against us to WC infront of goal really hurt us when we needed to keep grinding in to the game (as is our style).

Positive tweet from Brayshaw. XRays all clear. Don't want to risk him if there's any doubt but if he's good to go he'll certainly stay in. He'll have fresh legs that's for sure.

2 wrong's don't make a right. Nic Nat had first bite of it. Watts came down with it. That's play on. The most troubling umpiring decision of the night was the holding the ball against Dunn when he was tackled without prior right after Darling was dispossessed in an almost identical manner.

The only problem is what to do with Dawes! McDonald 2nd ruck against Essendon would be a winner as well. Tire out their ruck until Gawn comes back and all he can cover the ground like an extra midfielder.

Not silly at all. Think he could 2nd ruck as well. After all that was the role BP recruited him for! Might not even have to wait for Frost to come back. Fitzy, Dunn and Garland might be enough to take the Dons forwards. We could use Tom forward this week.

Just staggering that you can be an AFL footballer and keep missing simple kicks but 20 or so metres. He picked the right option clear in the middle of the ground and left it 20m short and straight to Nic Nat. It's staggering that it keeps happening and eventually it will finish Tom's career. His defensive work rate is great but his defensive body work is sadly lacking still.

4 outs are pretty simple, Brayshaw injured, Spencer, Bail, Matt Jones. Howe as well if we can find a replacement. Finding 4 or 5 ins is harder. JKH. Lumumba if fit. Harmes. Fitzy. Grimes if fit. FB: Dunn Fitzy Jetta HB: Garland McDonald Lumumba C: Watts Jones Toumpas HF: ANB Dawes Tyson FF: Garlett Hogan JKH Foll: Gawn Viney Vince Int: Stretch Cross Grimes/Howe S: Harmes Might be the week to try one of McDonald, Garland or Dunn forward as well if we can get Fitzy, Lumumba and Grimes in the side.

Maybe I was right.

My real whinge will always be that we play it after the bye not before.

I see why divide the money as such: Michael Evans (2015) - 200k Dean Terlich (2016) - 200k Matt Jones (2016) - 200k

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.