DeeSpencer

I like it when Fitzy gets the ball 60m out and can race away in to an empty 50 with his speed and blast a goal with his high ball drop strangely effective kicking style. I'm not so keen on him getting the ball up on the wing and trying to kick it to a forward target. I'd be much more confident with Bernie Vince or Jack Watts! Either way if Dawes proves his fitness the next 2 weeks and Spencer is set in the ruck (almost by default considering Gawny is just warming in to his season and Jamar is MIA) then it probably leaves 2 spots for 3 talented guys in Hogan, Gawn and Fitzy. I can't remember the last time we had a confident best 22 to line up in round 1 (2013 we played Gillies, 2012 an outmatched Tynan debuted and maybe even Spencer himself played round 1 in 2010 or 2011) and this year we might still be guessing on the last forward or defender picked but at least in terms of big guys we might get a competition for spots. That's exciting. That's how you get better when good young players aren't improving in preseason just so they can say they got better or to keep their spot on the list but they are doing it because they desperately want a round 1 spot.

It's Jesse Hogan we are talking about here. He won the B+F at Casey last year. He looked more than capable of mixing it in the NAB cup last year. I don't care if he spends most of the year back in the VFL if that's deemed necessary but this is not a guy who needs cuddling and protecting psychologically. To be honest I don't think Watts ever needed that either he just needed to be supported physically and not ruined psychologically. As I've said before they made a lot of mistakes pumping up Watts' debut but maybe the bigger problem was they didn't work out how to send him back to Casey with specific goals and expectations and without feeling like a failure. Hogan will lose confidence if they chop and change his role and keep him in the team if he's underperforming or drop him and not set him specific targets. I'm 99% sure that debuting him even in round 1 wont hurt him at all. The young midfielders will be protected from heavy work loads as well of course. Viney wont be playing 80% game time in the centre square. Toumpas looks set to start at half forward. Salem will need dominant NAB challenge games to even get close to round 1.

By the way possibly the best look on track today was Todd Viney. He looks to have lost about 2 stone. Was looking good.

Spencer ruck is fine, He's got a bit edge in fitness and match play practice heading in to round 1. 2 decent games against Geelong and Hawthorn and the spot is his. Clark will almost certainly miss. Dawes as the lead up CHF yep. Hogan as a roaming forward wherever he needs to be. But no point playing Fitzy AND Gawn. It will be talls tripping over each other and no defensive pressure. If Dawes and Hogan make it to round 1 fit and showing enough form then I think we chose between Gawn and Fitzy for that remaining spot. I think they know it as well and were both keen to put their best foot forward today. I expect in Alice they'll both play majority forward and spell Spencer at various times and have a nice competition. Rhys Stanley is likely to be the saints second ruckman. Which means if we play Gawn we get an edge in ruck ability but also means we can play Fitzy and not be concerned that he'd get monstered in their by a team with 2 strong rucks.

God no. You'd be stupid to go near that moron not to mention he can't hit the side of a barn by foot. I'm talking about Jackson Macrae who was drafted after Toumpas but before wines. Left footer, grown to 191cm, predominantly outside but building his inside game and found a heap of the footy against the saints last night. I like Toumpas and I think he's got as much potential as anyone I'm just a big Macrae fan as well.

But Hogan does set a trend with hardness and contested footy. That's 2 of his best attributes. I'm all for treating him like a young inexperienced player but he's got the body to play now and I don't see the team potentially struggling as a reason to hold him back.

Yep but rookie list tall running last in the your time trial is probably how it's meant to work! And I don't think these days that ruck, forward or back are any less taxing. Maybe short spurts in the middle or forward could save him running the most but really he's VFL fitness at best and that's where he'll be just a matter of what position

I think that will see Salem miss. And JKH will still have to show in the next 2 games that his skill and talent makes him indisputably better than the competition for his spot. But Hogan is big, hard, plays angry. I don't want to waste him in the 2's lets just get him in.

The way I see it is that bad kicks still have to kick especially half backs or midfielders. McKenzie is going to get the ball in space or running in to space and hit targets by foot. He can't just wait and slow down the play and handball sideways or backwards. That doesn't mean he should be trying to kick all the time of course he should try and handball, but McKenzie is more than enough of a kick that he can use his boot when needed. He should learn a lot from Cross who usually plays it safe but kicks when required. Plus hey we wont win the flag this year and we will still have games where we are down by a significant margin. No better time for the likes of McKenzie, Spencer and Tommy McDonald to practice kicking as much as they can. Nicholson is a different to me because he's a small defender and that means kicking is a huge part of his game. It's defensive work then kicking that's about it. It's why I don't see a future for him in that role and think he may as well compete with the half forwards.

I think that was only about list balance and trying to work out a way to keep draft picks whilst bring in experienced talent. But if by some miracle Clark, Dawes and Hogan all played the entire year and Fitzy didn't get a look in he'd probably be asking for a trade himself so it's not crazy. Personally I don't think you trade your depth in the one area of the ground you actually have some in. That's crazy. My only concern about Fitzy is now that he's brought his unique style of game to the AFL is he going to iron out the weaknesses. This goal kicking action with a ball drop from about 1m high is unacceptable. He looks thicker framed this year to help his body but can he get to that really good body shape with the right combination of speed, strength and endurance especially given his health issues. And will he learn enough ruck work to be a competent back up. Last year when he went in to the ruck it was like oh well we may as well concede the hit outs lets hope he can use his speed around the ground.

Dont know if I said that but it's borderline. Think most teams will go for a ruck 205+ or 200cm with a big leap. That's a role more suited for Spencer and Gawn. King is coming along with Clark and Fitzy as that 200cm ruck/forward. Or as I think they should investigate as a key defender

OD was Dawes actually injured or even tight in the calf or is it a preventative thing. I suppose time will tell but surely the Journos picked up on him icing his calf and asked the question?

Jayden Hunt went on a blistering run. 22 for the Casey player in blue kicks a well weighted footy and Jake Best in 9 for blue didn't do a heap but looked classy and tough. Still surprised someone didn't rookie him

By the way I don't neccessarily agree on this notion of needing a 200cm defender for new age forwards. I think McDonald and Fralwey are big enough. But with the way he moves and kicks the ball plus a natural overhead ability we should seriously consider Max King as a backman. 12 months as a defender never hurt anyone plus he can build endurance that way. Poor Kingy got smashed in the ruck by guys with height and significant weight on him but still impressed around the ground with some nice marks and a lovely weighted kick to a leading forward.

Bit of a nothing hit out. 3 short quarters. Lots of Casey guys Negatives - No real differentiation between the small defenders gained with Georgiou, Strauss, Terlich but they did look better than the fresh Jetta and Clisby - No real differentiation in the small forwards with Blease, Byrnes, JKH, Kent or Salem - Tappy injured Positives - good to have Viney and Watts back both played to their strengths - Michie, Matt Jones and Tyson looked a cut above - Kent and Salem both involved - the big boys out there with Gawn and Fitzy impressive (in battle for round 1?) - minimal injuries - game style was still on display

EFA.

Yep, mostly on a wing where he pushed back and got involved in the chip around. Very hard to make any real comment on his talent from what I observed as I was focusing more on the guys I think are in contention for round 1.

Agree on the leading with the head thing but more so what I think is good player is going after the footy hard (even if it's low) and then turning to protect yourself. There's a way to do both. It's like flying for a mark where at some stage you are vulnerable with your body open getting up in the air but then if you are smart you stick a knee out and turn your hips. Again my take on the rule is. Attack the ball head on and then turn sideways once in possession = play on Slide in at the contest with your hips facing towards the opponent or slide in on your legs (Adam Goodes special) = free kick and possible report for a dangerous soccer tackle If you look at the Rohan injury you see Lindsay Thomas really slides through him with his legs and hips making contact and he doesn't ever try to pick up the ball just paddles it away from Rohan.

Yeah or we could continue playing footy how it had been for years in which Rohans and maybe one or two others were the only slide rule broken legs. Goose Maguire got his broken by a team mate running back with the flight, so did Barlow didn't he? Blease broke his at school. Matty Whelan ended Nathan Brown's career with a textbook smother. James Strauss just landed the wrong way on his after a spoil. The slide rule might end up with more players injured when they leave their legs in the way compared to having some awareness and getting out of harms way like Martin did. Either way the best thing about that whole episode was big Spencer backing up his team mates.

They won 10 or 8 more than us. Did you watch him tear Geelong new one in the final term of their big come back. Or smash us. There's a difference between a limited footballer and a crap one. Daniel Cross is a limited footballer. He'll turn the ball over or chip is so slowly at times this year that you'll tear your hair out. When you have 1 legitimate senior midfielder in Nathan Jones then you work with your limited player in Moloney to get the best out of him instead of losing him for nothing. I also agree with you that Rivers will struggle to get a game at Geelong. I think if they are winning they'll keep him in the team but the heat will be on him if they lose games. But the main point is we had a percentage of 54% last year. Two state league players finished 3rd and 4th in our B+F. It's a joke how bad our list was and how devoid of players capable of making some impact at AFL level regardless of the limit their talents had. Col Garland played games on a sore ankle late last year. He's now out after having a clean up a few weeks ago. Jack Viney battled like a beast in games right in the guts. He's behind the 8 ball this year after starting in rehab to not over do him. James Frawley missed games last year and we were forced to play Cam Pedestal at full back who had Kosi kick 3 goals on him. My point is there are plenty of negatives for losing experienced half decent players if you don't replace them. It's why I was pretty excited when I saw the direct correlation between Vince and Sylvia.

Funny how all the talk centres around Wines when maybe the mistake was not overlooking his primary school team mate but over looking his high school team mate.

By the way Gawn is my answer as to who will emerge as the number 1 ruck obviously. But Spencer is my answer as to who will ruck in round 1 and I think he's a really important back up. I think you are risking fate playing a ruck for all 22 games and Jamar is getting the boot at some stage so we will need both Spencer and Gawn over the next 2 years. I'm really hoping big Spence can keep working on his game. He's come so far not to develop his hit out work to be really good and not to improve his skills to competent. It would be such a shame if he gets so close to being a really good better than average back up at least who we can rely on and then doesn't get there.

I don't understand the lack of love for Gawny. Ok he's not healthy right now (but not far off) and yes he's building his fitness that last year was a bit short of the required standard. But he's a skilled mark and not a hopeless kick. He provides an option around the ground by getting in the right spot. He follows up his work. He chases and tackles, not that he has the speed of Spencer but he makes an effort. And he's getting more and more competitive in the ruck. And guess what he's just turned 22 so he's 2 years from his peak at least. Do people not remember his game against Sydney last year when he clearly bested Mumford and Pyke as a duo with only some minor back up from Fitzy. All Gawn needs is a second guy who can legitimately take 25% of the ruck and a decent key forward so he can rest on the pine or truly in the goal square not chase around in circles when rested forward. I'm truly excited about a fit Gawn when backed up by Clark and supported forward by one or two of Dawes, Hogan or Fitzy. Depending on the game that also lets us sub out Gawn, play Clark in the ruck (like Hawks do with Hale) and then get a few minutes relief by one of the key forwards just around the ground. Clark is the perfect second ruck. It's best to keep him fresh by minimizing his ruck numbers and letting him be dangerous forward that way he can really impact in the ruck when needed.

Initial offer of 450 revised to around 400 was the talk. Best thing was he wanted 600 and even GWS sneezed at that. Wish they paid him though and he left Richmond in a screaming mess going out in the PSD. Would've been a huge blow up.

Have you ever seen a more conclusive statement that he's full of BS. Anyone who actually knows how to lead may well make a lot of decisions on intuition but they will usually base them on sound principles. In 2006 when the cats were underperforming what did Frank Costa and Brian Cook do? They risked their relationship with Mark Thompson by conducting a sweeping review of the footy department based on sound knowledge. They then backed Thompson whilst he undertook improvements that came from the review. End result was the 3 premierships. I've got no doubt senior coaches need to be pulled aside some times and asked to reassess what they are doing. It's why I think you need strong football knowledge on the board or in the administration of a footy club especially when you have an inexperienced coach. But public threats of sacking and private threats of demotion are not the way to do it. Did Jeff have any plan who would coach the side if Clarko was at Box Hill and what the players would do with mixed messages? Not to mention isn't demoting a senior coach who has a contract to do that job a breach of their contract? So many issues.