DeeSpencer

He had a back spasm because he got a hip or knee to the back trying to hold off his defender on a lead after Sparrow kicked a moon ball to no one on the first inside 50. He was just about immediately subbed off for AJ so we weren't one short and didn't have to restructure. Freo subbed on a defender at half time then 2 impact subs (Voss and Erasmus) for the last. We subbed on Kossie and Taj for the last.

Sandy at least have proof it happened. https://www.sandringhamfc.com.au/match-report-vfl-practice-match-2-vs-casey-demons?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2MkNn_KZJLRAgWNX1CNtJRPA8Jrf3v4QJGZOr-n5j6VYpZfHY6XAO4ezc_aem_R-_CmjnB5cgJ90DZ8V3JGA

JVR just got injured playing forward and you’ve decided ruck is more dangerous with no stats? Disco would’ve rucked if not for Aj and we’d have been very small up forward, that’s a risk, but not a risk compared with known outcome of being too slow if we go in too tall. Max will never stop going back with the flight. It’s up to the other players to protect him by blocking their forwards from getting a clean run and jump.

So Fritsch as sub? Don’t mind it.

17 of 30 yesterday. Club are screaming from the rooftop that Langdon is playing mid. Not sure why people are ignoring it. More likely to rotate forward for much needed pace than wing at least until Pickett is back.

What purpose we he fill up forward alongside Fritsch, Turner and JVR? I like him, but the answer is he’ll be a big witches hat.

It’s tricky to assess because he might be forced to play deeper due to injuries/suspensions, in which case he has to get open for goal scoring chances, but of course he can’t kick it to himself. At half forward it’s far more about being in the right spots than how many times you get the ball. No half forward in the league scores more than the damage that gets done if they aren’t getting in the right spots. Look across the league, purely attacking forward flankers don’t really exist. Week in week out last year he’d consistently get to the right spots as an outlet and defensively to cut off counter attacks. What I know for certain is that disposals and goals are a really poor guide for measuring that role. But also, Kade had a shocker against Freo. If it’s fitness or a run of poor form I hope we send him back to Casey and let him get 20+ touches, kick some goals and bring him back with some belief. We’ve been too reluctant to drop good role players out of touch. Which only leads to further poor form. You need the circuit breaker some times and it’s not easy to find in Melbourne’s forward line.

Viney spent a good chunk forward (As did Clarry). His hunt for the contest inside 50 was noticeable. Totally agree on small forwards. They are learning a new game plan to give them some outs. We’re going to miss what McAdam could’ve given us even if it was 12 games. At anything like his best he’s the combo of aerial and pressure we need. Sharp is somewhat handy when he makes a straight line for the footy, even more so if that line continues direct to goal. Having to fill in as the third winger didn’t help his game. I’d be inclined to try Chandler for some wing minutes and see if Sharp can just focus on providing the half forward speed we badly need. Hopefully Kolt is fit sooner than later. And we’ll see it Jack Henderson has something to offer. Spargo of course as well.

He’s an excellent pressure forward when up and running. Competes overhead, gets first to the ball, seals off his man from attacking. Smart player and accurate kick for goal when up and going. One of the worst games he’s played in a long time today. He was tripped and had a sore ankle early but didn’t seem too badly hampered. Hopefully he was just getting the rust off! Still can’t believe in something that didn’t happen?

Can’t really make that proclamation until he’s made the 4.5 hour flight home and trained a few times. Hopefully just a cork but a bit early to be sure even with the extra weeks rest.

There was no Fritsch (or McAdam or Tracc for that matter) last week, so they needed someone to play the Fritsch role. Jeffo looked every bit to be covering Fritsch’s role last week. Every training I’ve seen has been Disco, JvR and Fritsch as the A team with Jeffo and AJ on the B team. If they had any inclination to run the 3 big bodied talls together surely they would’ve done it by now. I also disagree that Disco was missing against North, he did a role throughout most of that game.

Rivers is an A grade defender? When? And are we sure we don’t need him? At least until Kossie is back we need more than just Langdon to provide midfield run. Sparrow excellent? He’s killed JVR with his first lob inside 50. Frequently beat to the ball by defenders. He found a lot of the ball and seems to be moving well but he has to start being cleaner with it. Assuming we stick with the smaller forward line I’d have him start deeper forward just to get out of the way especially early in games.

AJ didn’t start either practice game. 2 talls and Fritsch/Jeffo as a medium seems the plan and I can’t imagine that will change. Even if they replace Langford with another smaller flanker. No way they drop Fritsch off a practice game. I’d be shocked if they drop Disco after a good preseason. So if JVR gets up it will Casey for the big fella. He’s looking like a smart pick up but we need agility and speed in this forward line, we can just bomb it to 3 big blokes

FB: Howes May Petty HB: Salem Lever Windsor C; Lindsay Rivers Billings HF: Tracc Turner Sharp FF: Fritsch JVR Chandler Foll: Gawn Oliver Langdon Int: Bowey Viney Sparrow Langford S: Woey Backline: Where's Petty? Could Rivers take Bowey's spot and add a midfield rethink? Maybe, but I doubt it. Can't imagine Howes is in real jeopardy, he's no good at all on talls but we rested May, Lever and Adams more than 3 talls usually would and otherwise I thought he tracked Walters and Bolton reasonably well, they did their damage on others. Midfield: Will the real Riv step up? No one loves Billings but I guess he gets that 2nd wing spot for now? Forward: Is JVR right to go? I can't see Sparrow, Sharp or Chandler getting dropped even if the results aren't great. Langford....low minutes and low impact today, playing the trickiest role on the field. Back him in or go for a more mature body? Others: AJ - clearly can do a job filling in for JVR if needed T Mc - back up if Petty isn't good to go Henderson and Culley - who knows how they went in the mystery Casey game but they've got to be around the mark. My prediction is as above but I think Henderson will be right in the frame given how our half forwards just lacked any polish against Freo.

2nd whatever looked bad but when it was a 5 goal wind the real damage was done in the first quarter with really poor inside 50’s and coversion and sloppy transition work. Scores followed the wind in the middle quarters and we fought it out more in the last and were aided by a fresh Pickett being worth a lot more than a fresh Erasmus

He’s not the player he was in year 1, a little muddled in the head still after a bad injury last year? Or from Steve May barking at our backline to chip it sideways and bomb it long for 3 years? Whatever it is he has to do better than this

8 in the first half then none, ran out of steam

It’s not so much lack of goal sense as a psychological illness.

A Lever decisive switch sets up a goal (even if it goes messy on the wing)

Just not sure what we are doing with our backline structure but Lever has to be played to his strengths or he’s just not good. He has to trust his skills to provide something in attack too. Dirty day for anyone deep forward but 2 poor outings for Chin and he hasn’t looked fully fit. The dribbling kicks around the body that don’t get off the ground are very confusing. I’d like to see Chandler at half forward more and Sparrow deeper.

I’d play 10 minutes more then leave

Have we taken 25 rather than 26 to Perth and now have no one to cover Gawn? Seems like smart Melbourne is back again for a 4th straight year

Our players still look scared to give away sling tackle free kicks/suspensions. Guys, when it comes to the real stuff just dump them.

Nice Lindsay aerial contest down back there and not sure it was his fault Tommy no skills hammering a handball back at him. He’s ticked a few boxes today

Good non advantage call. Thanks guys