DeeSpencer

Much like last night it’s ‘free kick North’ time

Bill Laurie giveth, Bill Laurie taketh

That time might be another summer, but they’re both promising. Verrall’s decision making is bugging me, does too many dumb ruck things for a shorter mobile ruck who needs to be another mid to be useful. But he is a competitor.

Correct. Jeffo might have a taste this year if his Casey form is more consistent. But it will just be a taste and it won’t be against Brisbane at the Gabba KB has so far only had a taste and I’d be surprised if he plays too often unless there’s more injuries.

He’s out there, but the Casey coach would be asking the same question

Poor Biggie Talls is getting such a bath you’d almost think Casey will sign him Woey putting in some better efforts this quarter

To me the must tag for ANB is McCluggage. Rotate half forwards through Zorko and get them to hit him at every chance

Petty just played his best game in weeks and I’m nowhere near as down on him as most but I genuinely wonder if you just sit him out and throw BBB to the wolves against Harris. We know Petty v Brisbane doesn’t end well. Windsor needs a rest, but watching Woey and Billings it’s hard to know if either are worth picking. Fritsch absolutely needs a run at Casey, but McAdam is doing little to inspire confidence. I’d probably make the swap tho, Fritsch needs the rocket up him so badly. Honestly I expect Lever for Tomlinson and that’s about it.

Started the quarter playing great footy then ended up hopeless. Awful down field free by McAdam to concede a goal, a few dreadful Schache moments and Laurie invisible in the middle. Should’ve dug in and had a lead or at least be right with North

A couple of dropped marks in prime position that could’ve resulted in more scores. But it’s a familiar tale of getting smashed in the midfield and a very porous backline. The ball did seem to be holding up in to the Casey goals so they might have an advantage in the second term

Nibbler played 11 games in his first year! He was made to work in year 2 but I suspect a lot of coaches are happy to give first year guys a taste and then make them work to tidy up parts of their game that don’t stack up. Sesto and AMW haven’t had that taste yet but unless we shift a half back on ball there’s no backline spot and Fritsch and McAdam are both way ahead of Sestan. Brown’s also been in the Oakleigh system, Vic Metro system, father son system, has a coach/former player as a dad. I can see a case that he’s more ready than we might think.

Sestan hasn’t shown he’s got the tank for afl footy. That’s why Brown has played more midfield at Casey than he has. AMW might be the same thing, but they also seem very keen to leave him at half back. I’d have played him last week, but I understand this week they’re going tall again in the back half. Kolt wasn’t ready but he was picked for a certain role. I’m sure Kynan is in for the same. None of the young guys have really shown they are ready for any AFL role

He’s been consistently solid until a poor game against Coburg, but I think more than anything he’s probably getting picked to do a role with his tackling, pace and possibly his ability to rotate on a wing. Ie. The job he did in preseason games where he looked surprisingly decent for a first year rookie. If the plan is back to doing basics I can see why they’ve picked him.

Interesting, Brown played his worst vfl game against Coburg and then was the holdover emergency before the bye. I guess they want him for a specific role but I’d be surprised if he’s in ahead of Kolt.

Fullarton? 7 goals? He’s kicked 6 goals in 18 career games. He’s getting closer to a game on merit and certainly on the basis of having nothing to lose but has been mostly been underwhelming and awful in the ruck.

You think the correct technique to elevate in the air, hold balance and spoil is wrong and makes it harder to spoil? And instead players should throw themselves in to the air like salmon and not only will they spoil better but they’ll prevent injuries to themselves and others? Get that info down to the Demons urgently because we keep training with coaches with bags on their back and our players leap and put knees in to the bag. Including the games best contested mark and some of the best key defenders. Actually email that to all clubs and the AFL because they’ll be very keen on this new and improved way to fly in marking contests. Given it will be supposedly be more effective and won’t result in guys busting knees on landing or crashing in to heads and necks as they fly with no balance or protection

I barely no what that means but all I see is Moore jumping to get height and reach over the top of Tracc and potentially Gawn and executing a textbook spoil. Something Lever, May, McDonald do all the time. You can go watch netball or basketball if you want non contact sports.

A defender spoiling - necessary Jumping - necessary Raising the knee to jump - necessary Keeping the knee in a natural position so you don’t just fall in to the back or head of an opponent - necessary Retroactively analysing a normal part of the game - junk

Load of junk. Moore spoils the ball. He’s jumped to spoil the ball. He can’t detach his knee from his body. It’s always going to go up as he jumps and stay up for protection. More injuries don’t happen because afl footballers do a heap of weights to build strength and protection. And generally the rounded knees go to the muscles and around the spine and don’t cause any trouble. Sometimes it will be the ribs and usually that’s either no injury or a week or so out. This kind of injury is rare and that’s all there is too it.

Because there’s no trust in the AFL, it was seen as just a normal AFL giving something a tick, like they do with missed free kicks.

I think we’ve mishandled this and left space for rumours and innuendo whilst also now having football people (the coach, the GM) out over their skis. What I’d have done: Appoint Dr Peter Brukner (or similar) in the days after the game for a review to show the clubs total commitment to getting things spot on. Announce the review (late last week buried in with the footy news cycle) found no significant errors, correct clinical judgment but maybe something like room for process improvement. As well as commend doctors for getting him to hospital. Back the doctors with the evidence above.

Assuming Geelong stick with Conway who's very promising and English signs at the Dogs I can't see a Victorian team where big ROB would be the starting ruck. Maybe the Hawks but they'll stick with Meek/Reeves I'd imagine given they suit their timeline. So if the rumour is true that he's keen to come back to Victoria to continue his medical degree he'd be signing as a back up somewhere. If he costs nothing in a trade and takes genuine back up ruck money he'd certainly be the easiest solution, but the question is do we invest in a younger option who can take over from Max seamlessly, that's obviously the better solution if possible.

Back pocket: Ben Paton? Sean Lemmens? Wing: Brayden Cook, Curtis Taylor, Caleb Mitchell, Ethan Stanley, Angwin?, Hugo Ralph-Smith? Half forward: Ted Closehy, Sam Wicks Mid: Will Phillips?, Brandan Parfitt?, Cooper Craig-Peters, James Peatling Medium forward: McInnes (would also try him back). Ruck: Moyle, Max Ramsden, Max Heath, Henry Smith Key forward: Corey Ellison! Some lesser names, most out of contract, a couple of state league guys tossed in. I hope we can go out and land a big name, particular a tall or a gun on baller but they aren’t cheap nor easy to find. What we do have for the first time in 4 years is the ability to offer playing time on pretty much every line of the team. A back pocket would free up Judd. A bigger bodied wing would compliment Windsor, especially one who can go forward so there’s a rotation with Langdon. Speed in the forward line is badly needed. And a couple of quality tackling players would correct the midfield imbalance and add some overall competitiveness back in to the side.

Correct. The only way Gawn/Grundy was going to work was if Gawn - by far the better mark and reader of the play - was the forward and Grundy played at least 65% ruck. And Grundy was half fit and routinely out of position around the ground, so there was little incentive for Max to give up the position. Plus Gawn forward was somewhat flawed because we didn't have the right mobile talls to play alongside him. The Dogs have used Darcy in way we could use Gawn, but that's because JUH and Naughton are both super athletes and Naughton especially has played way up the ground.

- Kolt to play and look comfortable - AMW debut - Laurie to hopefully start to show something and get some midfield time - JVR to have a purple patch - The entire team to begin to embrace/understand flowing ball movement and the basic concept of the fat side - Fritsch to sub or Casey Oliver, Viney, ANB, Pickett, Salem, Rivers, Kolt, Laurie, Chandler all to see centre bounce time.