DeeSpencer

Much more than Juice Newton/Cam Bruce (wtf). He's got dark hair and a strong jaw, Jolly isn't the worst look a like

I disagree. I don't rate most of those players but I think you can win games with 4 or 5 of them in the team. I'm pretty sure Spencer and McKenzie are best 22 right now because we've seen so little from the other rucks or midfield depth. I think a lot of our problems stem from depth of quality players who beat their opponent not from depth of guys who can play a role. Take the backline - Dunn, McDonald, Grimes, Terlich all decent enough footballers who can contribute to winning games. But Frawley and Garland are the only 2 who I trust to really impact most weeks. Without Garland to go with Frawley we start seeing more cracks appearing. Same in the midfield - Cross, Tyson, Vince, N Jones, Viney, they can all have claims as legitimate AFL midfielders. But where's the difference making players? The other overriding problem is a lack of belief and a lack of playing and training time together. Without that system and confidence as soon as you start getting thrashed it's hard to get in games. Pretty much I think we can win games with a bunch of really VFL players getting games. Hawthorn have had big wins with Kyle Cheney and a few others in the team over the years as an example. Our top end isn't good enough, our mid level players who we think are good only perform at an average level. That's just as much as a problem.

One thing I'd like to do with Toumpas is try and teach him how to run without looking like a girl. Stop waddling Toumpas. Run like a man with intent.

I think it's time we take note of the lesson of Watts and apply it to Toumpas. Ie. it's time for Jimmy to play a stretch of VFL and become and inside and out VFL midfielder who wins contested ball, tackles etc. He did a few nice things but also a lot of running up and down on the spot unable to get in to the game (as most forwards can't in a team like the one yesterday). It's going to suck seeing Bail and Byrnes play over Toumpas when they butcher the ball but come the second half of the year Toumpas will be much better for it. Watts. I'm at a loss with him. I just don't understand where his head is at. He picked up the ball and got slammed in tackles a few times yesterday. Yet he never seems to respond with what I think is the natural response and the one I always have playing footy. Ie. If I get caught and bumped around a bit I start going harder and more direct. I'm a rubbish footballer playing in the reserves but at least when things aren't working I try and have a dip.

Think you've got the team pretty right or the squad at least. The last defender/forward/midfield spot is the hardest to pick. And I reckon I can name the guys you are talking about, Terlich, Watts, Blease, Byrnes, Pedersen, Fitzpatrick, McKenzie, JKH (youth), Viney (lack of match fitness). Plus the emergencies. And maybe Spencer in most teams. Either way Roos has to mainly work on the players minds before round 1 now. Every one of them should feel confident they can beat their individual opponents against the saints and from there it should at least be a close game. Key position wise yes we are missing our forward line but the saints key defenders are also not proven AFL performers. Our defenders should feel confident that they did well against Richmond and Geelong and they wont have a swarming Hawthorn forward line with A+ delivery. I'm hoping we got beat by the class of Hawthorn as much as their relentless pressure. The saints might bring some pressure but as long as we stand up and give some back to them they can't bring the class of play Hawthorn did.

Certainly if we are fair dinkum we dont play in Darwin without a bye after the game. Alice shouldn't be as bad as a night game in the middle of dry season. Should be warm without causing major physical changes compared to a usual week.

I know the club always says it's not a big deal but our recent history is starting to show it might be. That said Alice wasn't that hot and we played with 8 on the bench. 2 games in NT this year so we might start seeing if there is a pattern or not. Personally I just think it's a bit crazy to play in a place with no real fan base growth and no other benefit besides the cash. I'm annoyed we didn't take the Hobart opportunity that North did. If anyone ever takes on Alice Springs it should probably be the crows or port. Darwin probably makes sense for Brisbane rather than a Victorian team. Casey, Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo. We can get 15,000 tho one of these spots and spin a significant profit whilst getting a home game advantage and not adding additional travel and physical stress,

I was down that end. The kick to Blease would've been in to the breeze slowing it down. Not to mention the Hawks expertly guard (ie. cheat) on the mark. And Trengove isn't the fastest getting back off his mark, steadying and drilling the kick (as a floated kick would've been cut off). Not to mention Blease isn't a great player to have sitting under a high ball. To me it was a case of a limited player in Trengove weighing up the option and taking the one he thought was right in the circumstance. Definitely didn't think it was selfish. One thing our players will struggle with is doing what is safe under the game plan and doing what is right. Sydney under Roos were great at getting the ball just outside 50 and hitting up short leads to get a reasonable shot on goal. So Trengove marking at 50 would be told to be patient. But that's obviously overruled if you have a quick attacking option. Same with down back. Working the ball methodically is obviously plan A. But at times a linking handball to a runner would be much better. Hawthorn's ability to take an intercept mark and give a handball to move play on was amazing today. Pretty much after an ok first quarter we lost confidence today. Which is probably why it's best to have Paul Roos coaching who will work hard to build confidence back for round 1. If I was coaching I would've blasted them all by now.

Not saying the move was wrong at all but at this stage it seems Dunstan will likely line up round 1 and may well play on Tyson. Kelly also a shot to play round 1. Classic Melbourne luck really. Can't wait to see Salem actually play some games. Did he play for Casey today?

I know his turnovers would've frustrated as well but I think we are a better side with Bail than with Byrnes or Toumpas at half forward. Didn't stay for the last quarter to see much of JKH but I'd take a shot on his clean skills and smart footy brain as well. Blease didn't get much of the ball but he actually laid a few tackles today, looked improved in that area at least. I'd probably go with Blease, JKH and Bail with one of them as the sub in the round 1 side. Down back Terlich seemed to get stuck on better forwards after turnovers (so did Grimes). Georgiou came on after half time and was at the far end to me but maybe looked a little surer around the ball. Strauss didn't have many opportunities by foot, was ok by hand, one on one spoiled ok but never seems to intercept mark or attack the ball and win clear possession where that's Terlich's strength. If I'm picking the best 6 defenders I'm not sure. Matt Jones and Michie both spend time at half back as rotations in to the back 6. Tommy McDonald got beat on the deck more than in the air (although it did happen) by Roughy. Riewoldt is a much better fit for Tom as he's not nearly as dangerous when the ball hits the deck (nor does he have the rampant attacking fleet of forwards around him like the Hawks guys). At this stage I'd probably just go for McDonald on Riewoldt although I'd be feeling a lot more confident about it on the MCG than Etihad where he'll be inside 50 more.

Yep it will be Pedersen, Fitzpatrick and Howe come round 1. Although now I'm considering if we will be better just with Fitzpatrick and Howe and the extra small running target like Bail.

Trengove had little impact. Viney came on in the third and played forward, saw him in and under but didn't see a lot of result. Toumpas runs to space and no one gets him the ball. Doesn't have any power in or out of a contest. Watts had a couple of ok possessions but a lot of time just spend standing in space watching the world go by. Didn't see any speed or much running to space to get the ball. Got the ball under pressure and got tackled hard and got up was maybe his only positive. A few times he had a chance to run hard at the ball and do something with it but instead waltzed towards it spun around a bit and coughed it up. One ok spoil and free kick in the first quarter. But really nothing defensively. Same with Toumpas. Not commitment in tackling.

To be honest I wouldn't be opposed to giving him a few more rounds of the Brock McLean treatment.

Brisbane were missing many more than we were today as well. We are right to be disappointed by the margin and ease of the loss. It's 22 men on 22 men. We had arguably the best key defender on the field in Frawley. We had the better ruckman I thought. We had a range of reasonably talented players. Yet we got walked over. These are the blow out losses we feel we don't deserve anymore. It was a practice match. Experimenting with some things etc. You can't blame Roos and you can't hold it against the players in preseason. But everyone should feel disappointed about the result regardless of the oppositions talent.

My highlight of the day. Parking along the nature strip outside some crazy housing development (who buys these things) whilst some nuffy from a private security or something waved his finger and shook his head at everyone. No ticket and got out of there in no time as well. A much improved parking situation for the unplanned Casey fields, good job! Low light of the day. Seeing so many overweight, unwashed, tattooed and plain ugly Hawthorn supporters. Clearly not the genteel people of Hawthorn but some part of the overfed masses. A saw a few women wearing Hawthorn jumpers that were modeled on Stewie Dew early 2008.

If he can actually get some proper training and development working on his fitness, spread, speed off the mark, kicking and marking outside he could be something. Right now he's a very promising kid and we have to accept some good and bad games. But he's probably already the most natural clearance winner we've in a long long time. He hasn't at all looked out of place against Richmond and Geelong and now add Hawthorn. Didn't really influence the game much today but he's one that can actually learn something from the game.

I'll say one thing. Umpires are reluctant to pay frees for holding the ball when players get the ball and try to escape congestion even with incorrect disposal - happened a lot today for the hawks. Compare that to getting the ball under pressure and getting trapped, the ump naturally wants to ping you. Umpires are also unlikely to pay free kicks against forwards in marking contests but are always looking to ping defenders. If you give your forwards a lot more chances they'll get more free kicks. Thirdly getting in the right position to get the ball - leading up at it in front, first to the contest, escaping pressure is also makes you more likely to get a free.

Fitz was Fitz. 30m out directly infront set shot - behind. Marking contest, fails to get his hands out and on the ball, spoiled by Kyle Cheney. But it's very hard to be a forward in a game like this and he was deep forward. He actually seemed to go ok when in the ruck and took a couple of grabs around the ground. No exciting runs or anything. Maybe some of the biggest worries again today were the high draft picks expected to improve under Roos. Trengove, Toumpas and Grimes. And probably most concerning Watts. Under hard physical pressure he offers nothing.

I bet you didn't say that half way through 2012. Seriously [censored] off with your mindless drivel.

It was a moderate breeze at least at nearly a 45 angle towards a wing and slightly favouring the end we kicked to 1st and 3rd. Was strong but pretty consistent and not blustery. The Hawks didn't have any trouble with it.

Wouldn't have changed the result obviously. At worst would've padded the scoreboard but probably would've given some more confidence to the ball movement as well. For example when someone kicked to Pedersen who slid for the ball, had the ball deflect from his legs after dropping the mark and rebounded for a Hawthorn goal. There were plenty of times where a kick towards Fitzy or Pedersen resulted in a turnover and shot on goal at the other end.

What was he thinking putting McDonald on Roughead when we had Frawley available. Oh wait it was a practice match.

Thought before the game - who would get a game from Hawthorn from our team today. Backline - Frawley, maybe Dunn in from. Midfield - Consider Spencer v McEvoy, Vince, Tyson. Forward line - only Howe. And it showed. The players fought it out in close for the first quarter when assisted with the wind. But the second quarter the Hawks just opened us up and from then on it was a procession. We just have too many players with glaring gaps in their game that will take a long time to fix. Issues: - Midfield spread was shot - Backline didn't have confidence to attack and defend - Forward line couldn't work out how to get to the right spots - The handballs around the pack broke down due to pressure - The kicking from half back broke down due to lack of work rate to run from all 22. Positives - Few and far between. Spencer, Dunn, Frawley, Howe probably beat their opponents. Vince plays at a higher speed than most of our mids. Tyson wasn't physically intimidated in close.

You're wrong. As he was ineligible to play in his first year due to the mini draft status he's signed for next year as well. Ideally we get him extended by the end of the year so we don't go through Frawley all over again with Hogan. But this injury shouldn't stop him from getting a run of games at some stage. I hope his agent advises him if he's happy in Melbourne it's better for his footy to just sign on and not have to deal with contract speculation as a 20 year old key forward next year.

Cause you don't go booking expensive MRI's after every player has a bit of a sore back from copping a knee into it. You let him rest and wait a few days and then if it doesn't settle you get a scan. It's not like he hasn't been able to walk, he's just had some persistent soreness.