DeeSpencer

If the all star combination of Fitzy and Pedersen with support from either Howe or Dunn are ever going to do something it would be against Frost, Haynes and Plowman. Devon Smith is a serious player and very dangerous, he's one to look out for the same as the 3 big guys they'll have down there. Hopefully whatever niggle that kept Cameron quiet against St Kilda persists. Callan Ward is a gun, I think we stick Cross on him at the contests. Coniglio and Treloar aren't kids anymore and are serious players and Toby Greene is great at finding the ball hopefully he's in a mood where he likes to give it back. Good test for Tyson, Jones, Viney, Vince and co to serve it up to that lot. Spencer has to use his fitness and speed to give Mumford something to chase to tire him out. Otherwise Mummy will maul the Pencil.

I don't think he has any more pace the Sellar. Nor do I think at his age he's likely to improve and be a reliable quality defender. But I do agree he is most suited to the backline. Seems to read the ball in the air better as a defender and can take a couple of grabs and isn't too bad at linking up and kicking long from the back half. At the same time last year he had goals kicked on him by Kosi, Grimley from Hawthorn, Q Lynch and other non AFL level forwards. Right now whilst Garland is out of the backline and we have so little to offer in tall forwards it seems the perfect time to shift one of the better defenders (McDonald, Dunn or both) and plug Pedersen in down back. Hopefully Jamar, Gawn, Garland are all back soon and that means no Pedersen in any position, yet alone when Dawes and Hogan are back.

They are surrounded by so many others of similar failings that they remain chances. Only have to follow the Lynden Dunn career plan of 10 good games in the last half a year of their contracts to get new deals. The real pain at the moment is the VFL season is yet to start. When it's up and running we will actually get proper reports of who is and isn't performing at the lower level and that way when we have these threads attempting to shuffle the side to get improved performance we can bring in guys with confidence and belief.

But by promoting loyalty you are punishing clubs who don't want to be loyal. It's not a solution.

Roos talking positional swaps instead of wholesale changes. I'd give this a try: FB: Georgiou Pedersen Terlich HB: Howe Frawley Grimes C: Watts Jones Vince HF: Bail McDonald Trengove FF: JKH Dunn Byrnes Foll: Spencer Cross Tyson Int: Fitzpatrick, Toumpas Viney Blease Out: M. Jones, Michie, In: Blease, Viney - Howe to the backline as flagged by Roos - Dunn forward - Pedersen to FB to play on Giles/Patton - McDonald to CHF so we have a high work rate and high energy guy forward - Toumpas to be the 7th defender in the rotation for some run and skills behind the ball - JKH in to the starting team

But botch a group of players like we have and we are really in trouble. Take Vince, Cross, Miche, Byrnes and Tyson out of the team on the weekend are we are even worse. Not to mention Dawes and Clark if they ever play will be handy. We are in trouble at the moment. Frawley leaving would be a blow. But we have to keep fighting and hoping things will turn around and when they do we can benefit from free agency. Making crazy rules like the above would just be a way to further hurt teams. Plus imagine how well GWS and Gold Coast will be under that system. At the moment the league is relying on some of those guys leaving due to salary cap pressure.

The issue at the moment is: - Big clubs are attracting the big name free agents - The salary cap isn't putting pressure back the other way Biggest named free agents so far (Goddard, Dal Santo, Thomas, Betts) mainly went to middle of the ladder teams trying to buy success. Franklin was the one that changed that but the salary cap kicked in and Carlton (Everett) and GWS (Mumford, Lamb) got bargains from it. If Frawley does leave for monstrous money then the salary cap should squeeze the team who got him and result in players forced out. The main problem is it's a half baked free agency due to the 8-10 year rule. That means if Frawley goes we have no one (Bryce Gibbs lol) to spend the salary cap space on. It's free agency in a highly restricted market. In the NFL if you lose a good player in one position there is a big market of other guys to buy (either in that position or another). You really get a lot of choice how to spend your cap. The one exception above all at the moment seems to be the Oakland Raiders who have got so miserable their best young and talented free agents left and they have only been able to sign old guys with only a few years left in them. Melbourne risk becoming the Oakland Raiders of the AFL.

I think Salem just hasn't had enough game time at Casey due to the byes and so on. I expert him to play some good VFL footy sometime soon and then get a shot. Kent, Blease and Evans first though. Don Barry isn't a top 10 pick. He was rated somewhere between late second round and rookie draft. Because he was thrown in to the Hogan deal he will never have an exact draft position but that's not a bad thing. Either way from what I saw of him in the preseason he's still a kid. Doesn't find the footy at preseason level, panics under pressure etc. If he has a good season in the VFL then maybe we can think of a few games for him when he is in form but he's the perfect type to follow Roos' mantra of learning what it takes to be an AFL player.

Didn't notice it until today. Either way instead of potentially (and I use the word loosely) useful information for rival clubs they should spent the money and effort on a proper back drop to Misson's segment.

Watts, Toumpas, Dawes, Jamar, McKenzie, Grimes, Blease, Riley, McDonald, Bail, Cross, Spencer, N. Jones As seen in a list on the back wall in the MFC injury update on Misson's office. Professionalism. It's overrated.

Thanks anyway. Hope Viney is back this week and Garland in the VFL.

I wont get too upset about that because at least I know we have Roos coaching and PJ running the club but I do sometimes wonder about a lot of the people we have getting paid (not usually big bucks I will add) to do all the things like website, membership, promotion,logistics etc. I am hoping that PJ and Roos' level of excellence spreads throughout the club and all staff are happier but also working harder and smarter.

I think because the game opens up and defenders get tired (they have little rotations) a forward is the most dangerous fresh. A clearance winning midfield is great but he then has no one to kick it to. Ideally we'd add someone who can play forward, inside midfield and outside so we have impact in all 3 areas. The sub isn't the problem, but I think we should let JKH play! He's a competitor, that's more than some.

Not really. It's his job to play football. Goals are just a part of that. Well done for making decent position on his crumbed goal (but Pedersen you epic spud nearly stuffed it) and he got another on the lead at some stage. But he played the entire game forward, at some stage he's going to get opportunity. His two goals doesn't make his game twice as good as Toumps 1 goal. His constant errors after being in good position are what frustrate me. Not going on his right when a clear path to goal was on was a shocker today in the second quarter. Several other mistakes through complete lack of composure and he offers so little in any other regard. If JKH starts ahead of him is it not likely for him to get Byrnes' 2 cheap goals just from being out there (considering he got one today and had other chances at times). I get the need for experienced runners in the midfield as well as a guy like Bail at half forward who can motor all day. But a last legs veteran in the forward pocket? Surely Kent and Blease offer more.

Stretch them how exactly? Anyway we've suffered through too much losing to rush Garland or anyone else back. He'd hardly perform well anyway. VFL for him for a week. Pedersen and Fitzy were the two today who I thought were epic proportions of bad. The rest were just a team collective effort of abysmal. We can't replace both Pedo and Fitzy until Jamar is back which probably isn't for a fortnight. Or Gawn which is probably longer. Even then I don't expect too much from those guys. One of Fitzy or Pedo has to play next week to give Spencer a chop out.

A lot of time and effort but also a lot of good options for him to kick too. Tom McDonald has improved his kicking to an extent. We are capable of improving some players, we just have too many who don't. Or at least didn't under Neeld. Have to give Roos a chance to sort out a few blokes.

Bennell and Petterd had played decent AFL games for us. They showed they could mix it at AFL level hence the second chances. Cheney showed he dominated VFL and was hard as nails. Clarkson took a chance because he loved the way he played and thought if he taught him to kick he might make a player. Hasn't fixed his athletic limitations that make him a super short key defender or a slow lock down defender but I get the feeling he is a good culture guy even if he's about as talented as Georgiou or less. The hawks are in a position to give the 40th spot on the list to Cheney for the sake of it. Agree on Pedersen, Bail, Byrnes for sure and probably Matt Jones. All can get by in an AFL team as Byrnes showed for years but they add nothing positive. Given the strength of the other 18 they play with adding these 4 gives them nothing. It's where the problem is we need out top 7 better and our middle 7 better and our bottom 7 better. Spencer has kind of impressed me of late. Completely unco but he's a competitor. Looking around at the back up rucks at clubs (Cam Wood, Dan Currie, Tom Derickx, Robbie Warnock, John Ceglar, Angus Graham, Trent West, Stef Martin) I'm not upset we have Spencer. He took on Cox, Natanui and Sinclair today and didn't get embarrassed. Right now he's top 5 B+F I'd say.

He plays like that not unfrequently when up against gun rucks, gun key defenders and in a non functional forward line. Concussion might effect your movements and some of your thinking but if you're a lost player you are a lost player. Remember Fitzy didn't play v Richmond, got little of it against Geelong or Hawthorn and only played a quarter against Saints. He hasn't found his form for the season yet. I wouldn't blame his game today on him suffering effects on concussion, more suffering from missing game and training time and maybe some confidence due to the concussion. Same result but slight difference. If Pedo stays then Fitzy goes to the VFL. If not vice versa. There are no winners.

Nothing like some quality simpsons. The issue will be finding enough quality replacements. Cutting 10 players is fine but maybe a couple of free agents, 4 rounds of draft picks, promote Georgiou and you are still left with more spots to fill. The best possible situation in salvaging some from the wreck. I mean who from today gets delisted this year anyway? Byrnes and that's about it. Everyone else is either contracted or required. There's little of value to trade away unless someone wants to take one of our project kids and give us a decent serviceable player in return. Given the history of Melbourne players I doubt that anyone wants to trade for any of our guys who played today yet alone those who weren't in the 22.

Backline: AFL standard Frawley, Garland, Dunn, Grimes Maybe: McDonald, Georgiou, Terlich, Clisby Possibly: The rest Midfield AFL standard: Jones, Tyson, Vince, Cross, Viney Maybe: Watts, Trengove Possibly: The rest Forwards AFL Standard: Clark (?return), Dawes, Hogan Maybe: Howe, Bail (makes errors but endurance and run is needed, think he's ok), JKH Possibly: The rest Rucks: Maybe: Gawn, Spencer. I think Spencer is horrendous but at the same time has now beaten Hickey and then not being destroyed by Cox and Nic Nat. He's a competitor and has a go. Along with Georgiou and maybe Bail are the competitor types we need to set standards for other better players. If everyone tried as hard as guys like that we might get somewhere. The thing the irks me is that we are still in such a bad health and fitness list wise that we play guys like Pedersen and Byrnes who provide nothing in terms of effort or skill.

The problem with slow outside players is you never get them the ball unless you move it quickly and precisely to take advantage of the gaps they run to. Trengove is a victim of the team the same way Watts is. Not excusing them for poor performances but unless we know how to use Trengove he may as well not be out there. The main disappointment I have with him is that he's ordinary as an inside midfielder and he's slow to get up and down and move around not just slow in a straight line. We have to perservere with Trengove as we don't have much else but I think we need the team to improve to see a spike in his performance.

I think throwing Dunn forward means we can drop one of Pedersen or Fitzpatrick. Either one of them plus the Dunn and Howe show might get us somewhere. GWS have only 1 true tall defender in Frost, the rest of their key defenders are the same height as Howe and Dunn.

There's a lot of bad in Grimes. But LeCras only kicked 2 and Grimes is always looking to work for his team mates. Watching Grimes is killing me right now but I think he's worth persisting with. I'm hoping when we get some back from injuries we can free Grimes up more to his high half back controlling job and that he starts to trust his skills and take the game on more. I'd rather see him turn it over than be so incredibly slow and painful to watch as he is now. Still think he needs weights and power training to get some spark in him. Thought Bail was ok, he's prepared to run to get the ball and run with the ball. Fitzy was Fitzy. It's out of him or Pedersen. I'd rather go with the kid who may give you something than the slow, short old hack who almost certainly wont.

FB: Georgiou Frawley Terlich HB: Clisby McDonald Grimes C: Vince Jones Watts HF: Bail Howe Trengove FF: JKH Dunn Kent Foll: Spencer Cross Tyson Int: Fitzpatrick Evans Viney S: Byrnes Out: Pedersen, Toumpas, Matt Jones, Michie In: Kent, Evans, Viney, Clisby Time to try and get a big more speed involved even if it means giving up endurance or height. We don't need so many tall defenders, so send Dunn forward and bring Clisby in at half back for some attacking run (or Jetta not fussed). Dunn forward means no more Pedersen or Fitzpatrick. As Fitzpatrick has shown something in the past he gets the job. Get Howe up the ground, he's a much better player in space and leading up the ground, he simply can not play deep forward in a bad side, he can't win one on ones against players like Yeo or Ellis and I've been saying this about him for 18 months. JKH must start. Byrnes save himself by the skin of his teeth but not fussed if he goes.

Started really slowly but showed some fight I think. Not going to crucify him over one lacklustre performance against some good players. Just as worried about his dumb mistakes as his effort. Not just his kicking but his lack of clean fast footy.