DeeSpencer

Yeah it's a fair point. But the thing that excites me about Kent is he's hard, he's fast, he's not perfect but has a solid left foot with the ability to kick long and also short and flat, he can take a mark, he can tackle. Of all the young players we've had in terms of all round game he has so many attributes to like. He's Tapscott but fast, Blease but hard, JKH with 10 extra cm's etc. And I love that he's not a high draft pick so he doesn't get media or fan pressure. He's clearly got areas to work on his game and his body so he might need to go back to Casey at times this year and I agree Roos will take him along slowly. I also like that Kent, Viney and Tyson are in the team and Salem is hopefully coming along well. That will make 4 left footers. If we can just get one or two good ones for the backline we'll be starting to learn the Hawthorn lesson on the value of having left footers to balance the side.

Not his best game but he kept Gibbs to no real damaging impact and got some ball himself. One Jordie moment where he set Jones up to fail with a one-two but also Jones' fault for calling for it back when it was telegraphed. Just needs more poise and understanding with his disposal more than anything. A nice mark 40m out from a kick in, wheel and hit up of Frawley who then went on to Dawes which was the play that kick started us in the game I believe. McKenzie in the side freed up Cross to hunt the ball which in turn let Jones play his role on Murphy. Not a bad plan. Ablett awaits and the week after taggers got put back in the spot light which doesn't help. Under 30 and 2 goals is a good job on Ablett. Hope a good blow out first game back in the side helps McKenzie's match fitness, he's always a guy who improves with more match fitness.

What's wrong with you? WJ has mentioned the teams but nothing on individuals. Obviously WJ will deliver a report as he sees fit but fair question to ask if he notices who's playing well.

Loved the classic Pedo goal after a dropped mark. But the Nathan Jones goal in the second quarter was the epitome of a Melbourne MCC members goal. Hopefully we put in a similar performance in weeks to come and at a home game can get a classic Melbourne Olympic/Northern stand piece of play to let the faithful erupt. The Members wing at the G is definitely Melbourne territory even if the crowd is low it can still get plenty loud and passionate.

Please Macca it's the Brad Miller effect! But yes Dunn and Dawes have always been smart forwards, but Frawley surprised with his leading patterns, his pace on a lead isn't a surprise at all! Pedersen down back we knew about, more suited than forward, he was full back at Box Hill - likely got some Hawthorn knowledge at that position. He was forward/ruck at Werribee with North. Georgiou is the pleasant surprise that what we heard about in SANFL translates to AFL. He is every bit the natural hard crafty defender. The one who's been an underrated improver given his form tailed off last year (likely injury related) is Tom McDonald. He's looking much more than composed one on one defender even when out positioned or left isolated deep. He was always very good at CHB defending leading players but he's added the ability of stopping guys inside 50 (besides Roughy who got him in a practice match at Casey!). Cameron last week and Henderson both got plenty of delivery and space inside 50 at times and McDonald stood up. Last year he was having bags kicked on him by Setanta O'Hailpin and Lewis Johnstone. If he has one weakness right now it's at ground level with a turning agile forward crumbing and snapping a goal on him but they are hard to stop.

That tells me he's on heavily modified minutes. If he was right to play something like 70% he'd be in the VFL seniors. I'd say next step for him is VFL seniors next week. Blease's best chance is sub surely. You can't drop JKH, Kent, Viney, Watts or Bail after their efforts and all are pacey and I'd rather give Evans another shot unless Blease really stands out.

I see it but I don't believe it. He sure went to the bench a lot then for a key forward even if the percentage on ground was high! Guess it's still nearly 10% off from what Dunn and Frawley did on ground. By the way Cross 94% of TOG reflects his value as a work horse. Allows for guys like Viney to just do 66% on the ground with a lot of time forward. Also shows me how hard Viney works when he's out there as to why he's always looking to the bench. Reminds me of Beams and Sidebottom when they came in to the Collingwood team in I think it was 2009 and were just everywhere as gun half forwards before they got a shot at the midfield.

No. Dawes was an extreme circumstance where both he and the footy department rolled the dice. He also spent a lot of time on the bench, not sure what his TOG% was but doubt it would be over 70%. Dawes came in because it was a choice between Dawes and Fitzy, that's an easy call. Garland stays out because we have Georgiou, McDonald, Pedo etc filling his role. Toumpas should be considered for the half back flank spot of Terlich's. Whilst Clisby would be the safer bet due to more hardness and less errors they should consider Toumpas as he has much more scope. If Jimmy plays a good game at half back today then I think they should consider him. I'd like to see Trengove back in the midfield/half forward mix but right now I think McKenzie, Kent, JKH, Watts, Bail and Evans all did enough to retain their spots. Plus I truly do think Trengove needs the extra games to really work on things like moving the ball faster and taking the game on. It will be nice to see no unforced changes.

I don't think Garland is playing for Casey today, even if he is I think having missed so much preseason he'd need 2 weeks at Casey. As good as Garland is we aren't really missing him structurally we are just missing his class. Jamar has to be considered to provide Spencer a back up. But that would mean playing either of the rucks deep forward for large parts of the game, probably alongside Dawes and either of Frawley or Dunn, which then means the other of those two has to go back to defense, which in turn means Pedersen gets dropped. Gold Coast's strength is not their talls, it's their running players. Therefore I'd probably continue with the current structure of Pedersen, McDonald and Georgiou down back and Frawley, Dunn and Dawes forward with a patchwork system to give Spencer a rest in the ruck. Ideal structures, use of talls and picking the most talented 22 players is nice in theory, but yesterday was proof if you pick guys who perform in the spots you put them you'll get a much better result.

Clisby for Terlich for form regardless of injury. I'm not convinced by the current talls set up as the lack of 2nd ruck and needing Pedersen to play back and second ruck is a risk.

Possibly got a little ahead of himself with the play on in the middle of the ground but he looks so much faster in the backline. Runs to the right spots to man up and retrieve the ball and is so much more use down there. The big concern is team balance trying to find a way for him to back up ruck whilst still playing predominantly in defense but he might provide something.

Agree of Grimes. A game of two halves. Credit for a strong second half though. Hopefully he turns it around. Is going to ground easily and still not nearly as clean as he should be by hand under pressure. But he's defending well, nailed young Menzel and is attacking the ball like a skipper. Disagree on Bail. He's always running to present. It's that running along with Dawes that allowed space for all the other forwards. I think he gets tired because he actually goes both ways. Same thing happened with Toumpas early in the year. It's much easier to not get tired at half forward if you never run to present! How many times was Bail the man open on the far side of the ground for the switch or next kick? That's how I judge a good half forward flanker. We saw how tired the guys got at the end of the second half today because how effort it took to attack and win! I was never so happy to actually see a team burning through energy!

Judd sure. But I'd take out Simpson (shocked he isn't their captain and doesn't get more of a run in the guts) and Henderson (better than Waite) next and even though they are much maligned Murphy and Gibbs. Robinson and Bell butcher the ball, they wouldn't have helped much. Waite and Garlett were a nice help from Mick, but we might have beat them regardless. As good as Frawley and Dunn were forward I'd love them back along with Garland. And to have Gawn, a fit Dawes (played minimal minutes), Hogan and Howe forward. We would've scored more and they would've been lucky to even score against a first choice backline of Frawley, McDonald, Dunn and Garland patrolling half back.

Well done for Jake Spencer, Jones, Cross and Viney plus others (Kent, Georgiou, Grimes, Frawley) for line in the sanding with attack on the ball. Turns out we didn't need the brawl as we had the skills. But Spencer brawled as well anyway!

Was actually too many this week! Still need to win more contested ball, but then again had both Jones and Vince out of the guts a lot and no second ruck. A good second ruck (plus improvement to Spencer) and cycling through of Cross, Tyson, Viney, Jones and Vince should hopefully see that improve. Very good at around the ground contesting. Stoppage contesting is next.

(was Yarran). But Spencer kicking lace out to Frawley and Spencer taking a pack mark were also nice to see. Of course my favourite was Spencer punching on with Warnock!

Tom McDonald (one on one contests), Matty Jones (run), Bail (run and hardness), JKH (smarts), Kent (oomph), Dawes, Frawley, Spencer, Georgiou and Pedersen, so many lesser lights stood up today. Finally got some rewards for effort and the skills will improve so that we can match it with some better teams if we keep at this level.

6 N. Jones - 28 touches whilst blanketing Murphy. Huge 5 Spencer - fought (literally and figuratively). Plays for the jumper more than any other 4 Frawley - involved in everything going forward 3 Dawes - Gave the rest of the side hope, how much he touched it is irrelevant 2 McDonald - Blanketed Henderson when one on one several times 1 Viney - sensation, set the tone Honourable mention to M. Jones and Bail both of who's run were amazing. If all our players ran to receive like these guys we'd be a good side. Each of these were the tone setters so to say.

I don't think he's in the elite batch with Ablett and Watson and several others but you saw today what difference some wins make I think. Also how much easier it is to play well in a team with help. Maybe not elite but he deserves a place in Mike's top 50 ahead of plenty of others who often bob up in those lists.

It will be a cold day in hell before I look forward to a drive to Casey to watch us play an intestate team (and get smashed) rather than go the G. I truly hope we can improve and get crowd numbers around 25k or more to even or lowest drawing games so that we can have them all at the G.

I'd use Frawley in that role at first, maybe try Pedersen if it's not working out. The blues are likely to use Rowe or Casboult as the second ruck. Whoever goes head to head with them is unlikely to lose much and if it's a wet low scoring game there wont be many crucial centre bounces that don't involve Spencer. The reason not for Pedersen is because I'd leave him and let him settle in to full back for a second week. I'd be keen on Frawley because Dawes and Dunn should be the main forward targets so the point of getting Frawley away from the backline is to let him attack the ball and create some play. The ruck would be a perfect place for him to try that.

You like Nicholson's disposal? You really are a sucker for punishment! Wet weather footy, hard physical stuff, it really is a day for Watts to hang out on a wing and watch the minutes go past. I hope we see something different from him.

I'd go with: FB: Georgiou Pedersen Grimes HB: Terlich McDonald Howe C: Watts N. Jones Cross HF: Viney Dawes Vince FF: Frawley Dunn Bail Foll: Spencer McKenzie Tyson Int: Evans, JKH, M Jones S: Kent I'd be wary of the weather. If Carlton look to take out one of Rowe or Casboult as a late change I'd think of doing the same and consider one of the emergencies in and either Pedo or Georgiou to sit the game out. Frawley to back up ruck I say. Give it a try. If it's not working put Pedersen in and Frawley back to full back.

Thing is he's allowed to look like a VFL player, he hasn't played enough AFL games yet to be expected to look a cut above. All signs point that as he regains his fitness he'll start racking up touches like 30+ a week easily which means the more times he gets it the more practice he'll have of doing something with it. I'd be looking just as much at his skills and athleticism. But his athleticism is likely to improve with a preseason where he can actually run as well. Anything we get from Riley this year is a bonus. Anything we get full stop is pretty good considering he was a free pick up.

Jamar hasn't taken those marks since 2011. The difference compared to Spencer is at least he gets his hands on them to start. Then again Spencer has better speed and follow up work so no ones perfect.