DeeSpencer

One big positive today was getting to see Langford’s overhead marking. Was a huge part of his junior game and one of the reasons I was a fan on him on the wing. If he keeps developing it now he’s got a taste of what he can do he’s going to be a match up problem for mids. Hopefully he keeps it up.

Every time he’s been tagged he’s been absolutely slaughtered. Clarry tag helped him provide a defensive midfield balance that we needed around the stoppage and Rivers, Pickett, Tracc feasted. Good coaching.

Today was still a fair bit of long down the line but it came with some switching and prodding and creativity at times too. We were also playing the best outside running side, why would you try to take Hawthorn on at their own game? Adapting back to a more contest and skinnier style was logical. And we created enough scoring chances that we could’ve been up 75-50 at 3/4. The plan was good. The ball movement around the back and middle fine. The ball movement inside 50 was ugiy. The finishing diabolical.

I’d go a triple change of key forwards: JVR, Fritsch, Jeffo all out. AJ, Melk, Petty in. Don’t think either Sharp or Kolt are up for it right now. Maybe Kynan Brown as sub.

None of our permanent mids are hard fit, Oliver, Tracc, 2 kids on the wings. Combine that with a few old boys (May, McDonald, Gawn) and some young talls and there’s no secret why it drops away. Combine that with such a labour intensive style (not necessarily game plan but such lack of flow in our forward ball movement) and once there’s a little heaviness in the legs it gets very hard.

Very difficult selection this week because the question marks are on Oliver (big unknown) and Fritsch so it's players the coaches clearly have a lot of time for. I'm going to assume Clarry is right to go, in which case Rivers stays back, Turner stays forward. I'd have Disco in the Fritsch role, who gets demoted to sub. Send Sharp back to Casey for a full game. Then for the Petty replacement it's a choice of AJ and JVR. I don't have a big preference but I probably lean AJ for his tackling and better mobility across half forward if Disco is the deeper target. Kolt certainly attempted to get himself dropped but I think his physicality and positioning is just a clear edge to Sharp even if he stuffed up most of what he did against the Eagles. Put that down to some nerves playing at home, trying to do too much.

The good news is at Chamber of commerce he’s been exposed to many of Melbourne’s big business people and has a media profile/connections. Gill Mc was also long rumoured to join the RV board as Chairman before pulling out. Might be a connection there.

Footy boss is running the core component of a business. The footy department soft cap and players salary cap both account for the biggest chunks of club expenses. And that job has shifted to a much more managerial role over the last two decades. And since then the people doing those jobs have progressed to CEOs. I don’t mind having a CEO with a different background. It just means Green has to have a big say as Footy Director at least during the transition. And whilst the coach gets the headlines I think we need to really evaluate the role of the GM of footy.

Richmond - Shane Dunne - internal promotion from 10 years at Richmond, worked for their gyms and pools business, previous experience with London Olympics Geelong - Steve Hocking, AFL Head of footy, Geelong head of footy Collingwood - Craig Kelly, AFL Player manager Essendon - Craig Vozzo - West Coast head of football Hawthorn - Ashley Klein - Hawthorn/Aus GP/Coll Carl - Brian Cook - Geelong CEO, West Coast CEO. (Graham Wright incoming CEO - Coll, Haw) St KIlda - Carl Dilena - North CEO/Board WB - Ameet Bains - St Kilda list manager/COO North - Jenn Watt, MCC/MFC Freo - Garlick, Eagles - Pyke, Adel - Silvers (Hawks), Port - Richardson (internal promotion). GWS - Matthews (AFL), Sydney - Harley, GC - Evans (Haw), Bris - Swann (Carl, Coll). It's actually quite amazing that 17 other clubs have people with AFL industry experience. The AFL is certainly an unusual industry but I struggle to see that's it's so unique that you have to be in it to run a club. The big thing will be having him reliant on the footy experts on the Board as well as ideally finding him a mentor.

I wonder if there’s any link between the Beer Awards they have at the Showgrounds (he was CEO of the Show) and David Neitz? I didn’t love all his media appearances but he at least does get on the front foot and has media connections. RV board provides sports and how to deal with racing knowledge. Even if RV haven’t been going great to put it mildly. Anyway, we’ll see. He has to grow our revenue, build Caulfield and oversee some big footy decisions. Tough gig

Most known for going on the news and yapping relentlessly about people coming back to the CBD post Covid Uninspiring

He didn’t look out of place training with the group in Feb. Ok height and frame, seemed to cover the ground well. Probably fits in the Woey, Kynan Brown level that if he performs consistently and can show a bit of something we’ll give him a good look for a late or rookie pick.

Yeah I’d like to get Disco in for that and just to get him in because he needs games too. But Riv has been very good down back and feels like our ball movement is starting to click with 5 good flankers back there. Tracc and Pickett look better on ball. Kolt has added some defensive grunt. Rivers goes on ball and suddenly the balance is off.

Out: Fullarton, Sharp In: AJ (probably JVR), Melk (sub) Have to think about Disco if he’s right, play him 3rd tall back, Rivers goes back in to the midfield, Tracc and Kosi forward? Kolt out? Maybe. maybe not? Does May need a rest?

Can’t play Oscar McDoanld every week. Back to big AJ or JVR next week please.

Sharp did one cool thing coming on completely fresh but otherwise looked like his usual not clever football. Spargo had great work rate consistently in the right spots defensively and in attack. Agree he probably did a bit too much and had one classic example of that with the kick to Pickett that went wrong. But thinking Sparp is better than Spargo is fundamentally not understanding what you’re watching.

There was lots of talk about it with the Gaff incident. Including a local kid charged by police. 'He should be charged': Why a co...Why a country football assault could be bad news for Andr...A legal expert says a country footballer charged by police after an off-the-ball incident, in which a teenager's jaw was broken, could serve as a test case for West Coast midfielder Andrew Gaff.I think the Gaff incident is right on the borderline and we've had several similar incidents that are somewhere between footy accident gone wrong and actual assault. Players don't want to be seen going to the police against a rival. But to me the Barry Hall one was clear cut and if that happened in todays climate I'd be shocked if police were involved in some way.

You sign up for a violent game you have to accept there will be incidents where players get it wrong in the context of the game. Miers' injury looked shocking but in reality to me is more like akin to Bolton kneeing Disco in the head in a marking contest than an assault. Barry Hall on Staker off the ball - now that's entirely different. If Staker went to the police they would've been duty bound to investigate it as an assault.

I think the way the game is heading with ball movement being more important than contested ball that we have a very good foursome and they complement each other really well. Langford will be the main extractor but also has a really strong outside game (I like that they are settling him on the wing for now). Kolt will be the defensive power. Windsor the speed. Lindsay the skill. I expect them all to head towards the centre once they get 3 preseasons and 70 games. And team balance is a factor too, might need one of them off half back or wing and another forward. I hope we develop the versatility in these guys that our last core with Oliver, Viney, Harmes even Tracc (plays forward or mid but only in one style) have lacked.

Yes, thought he was good in the first half playing on smalls and then it was a bold call from the coaches to trust him on Amiss and he did the job. I like his work rate and defensive discipline to stick with opponents, it’s just well and truly time to start winning some more contests.

Yeah, nah. Panics with the footy, has zero presence at the contest. Height and athleticism isn’t enough, has to develop some ability to win or use the ball sometime soon.

I reckon our half backs have been on an upwards trajectory all year with their ability to share the ball, switch and generate some footy through the corridor. Langdon as a 4th mid from the half forward line, Tracc on ball and Kossie finally gave us some midfield speed and run so when the backs did take it on they had options. Combine that with Petty providing a target and good energy from the smalls (best game Spargo has played in yonks, Kolt and Sparrow) across half forward everything was much more cohesive. Midfield defensive transition and some parts of the defensive zone still scare me but Freo have waltzed through us for years so it was a big step forward.

What’s his usual? Tom had a good 2021 but despite constant attempts by the coaches to make him a midfielder or wingman he just isn’t one. Ball use and awareness are both too poor. Did an ok job tagging Holmes, got killed by Merrett last week because he just isn’t smart enough to stick with a clever mid. Today they made Viney tag Serong and limited Sparrow to purely half forward and despite some usual fumbles and decision errors he did a great team job and took some strong marks which is a key part of his game. But he’s a limited role player, he is what he is by now.

Oscar and an underdone Darcy probably the easiest back up ruck combination in the league but he was better than expected there (some of his Casey efforts in the ruck have been diabolically bad). Definitely gets at least 1 more week. Agree that his leading at the ball (and height that draws free kicks) both offer more than JVR. Although I feel for JVR because Melk and Petty are our best tall forwards to play alongside. Whoever we picked in that role had way more of a chance than some of our earlier combinations

Lumping JJ and Bedford (who both played a fair bit of footy) in with 2 non afl standard players. Fullarton is more like the latter