DeeSpencer

I agree, but the midfield is no place for shrinking violets. Watts would be a major liability at clearances and around the ground because I'm yet to be impressed by his work rate. So that's why half back makes sense. Eventually down the track I think he'll prove a bit tall and cumbersome for inside mid unless he starts acting like Adam Goodes but I certainly think he could play the wing very well. The hunger for the contest and running has to be displayed.

What exactly did Tapscott, Toumpas, Bail and Jetta produce up forward in his absence? Davey obviously was good but the other 4 provided nothing. Of course none of them nor Byrnes are stars but you'd think in at least an average side that has some idea how to retain the footy you'd see much higher disposal counts and more goals.

"The 16 year old made his debut for the Glenelg reserves" And people gave us heat for playing Viney in the VFL last year when he was 18 and ready for it, whilst in the SANFL 16 year olds play reserves! Good stuff.

Geelong: Blicavs, West, Pods, Lonergan, Stokes, Guthrie - There's a few who did it the hard way or are in for defensive nature. And based on what I've seen from Terlich he looks as much a battler as Harry Taylor, has plenty of class was recruited at 21 ish age. Don't get me started on Freo with DeBoer, Pearce, Dawson, Spurr, Bradley the list goes on and on. If Grimes, Sylvia, Viney fit Trengove and Watts then all of a sudden there is no more Bail, Nicholson and McKenzie or Magner. Toumpas doesn't get injured and comes along strong and we get rid of another one. This is the where the GWS/Gold Coast have hurt us. They didn't take away our top picks but took a tonne of depth out of the draft and meant we had to go for Terlich, Matt Jones, Taggert and Tynan guys who would usually go further down in rounds of drafts. I hate taking positives from Richmond but they are at the stage where they should worry about carrying too many low ceiling players like Jackson and King who are clear best 22 but not with a huge potential. We can wait until we get to that stage.

Thus my statement one swallow doesn't make a summer. If I've learnt anything from footy I've learnt don't get a feeling about something after a player does it once! Otherwise my feelings about Juice Newton being a star and Dean Bailey a super coach might have come true by now!

One swallow doesn't make a summer. Was a nice effort but doesn't make up for all the ones he didn't go hard at. And its not contests in the air or at the ball mainly its things like tackles where he has to stick them and instead lets the player run straight past.

I would've thought about Stringer from the dogs if you wanted inside midfielder. When he gets fit enough he will be an absolute beast, make you ask Ollie who?

I can not agree more! Unfortunately with Toumpas out and Bail completely useless we must be scraping the bottom of the barrel which will likely mean Watts back in.And if we are going to play him we know it can't be forward he won't get a kick against any of Freo's decent defenders. For all those who think he's a forward they should look around the league and see how many 6'4'' 90kg forwards who are timid at the contest and can't take a strong overhead mark to save themselves get games in the AFL. Especially compared to how they go down in the backline when their opponent gives them somewhere to play from and they can use their height, speed and sumblime skills. If Watts has his head in the game and is attacking the ball and defending with desperation he will start to fulfill his potential down back and eventually build strength and even take more dangerous opponents.

Swap Lyon and Neeld and we aren't winning games overnight. Freo have a team of hard running, experienced and tough players. They have the team needed to p With Pav out they don't have the big forwards but in Mayne, Ballantyne and particularly Walters they have 3 dangerous forwards. Down back they have experienced quality players - McPharlin, Dawson, Ibbotson, Spurr, Duffield, Johnson - pretty much guys not only clearly as good as our guys but with the experience as well Then their midfield is so superior to ours you can't compare. Fyfe and Mundy are better than Jones and Barlow is as good then even if Hill is out they have guys like the Pearce's, Mzungu and others who are super hard workers. There is a reason Ross Lyon doesn't play many kids. It's because his game plan is hard to implement and not effectively if you don't have the fitness. At the end of the day Lyon would be getting much better results than Neeld because he makes players give 100% with him and is motivating, but I refuse to think we'd all of a sudden be anywhere near the top 8.

It's impossible to judge the drop mark being his fault or not. I was always taught that the guy behind either calls a player out of a contest or calls them back to take the mark. Davey puts a bit of zip on his kick so he might have thought it was too far for Howe and should've called him out or he might of thought Howe could get it and therefore should've called him back. As I said without being there you can't judge who was right or wrong.

1. Never had a high fitness base, this is due to a combination of three things 1.1 Not a natural aerobic athlete 1.2 Poor fitness training across the club and individually 1.3 Poor standards at the club set by coaches/players - ie. no Geelong Ablett/Stevie J moments 2. Knee injury - Davey has a degenerative knee injury that got worse around 2011 3. Davey not coming back in good shape at all following knee injury in 2012 preseason The reason Davey doesn't play more time up the ground is perfectly highlighted in the passage of play where Vlastuin runs off him and kicks a goal.

What's wrong with that kick? As long as its not under pressure and to a free man it then opens up both sides of the field. I always thought the classic Malthouse/Neeld game plan was the move the ball via the boundary when under pressure and to players leading towards the boundary so a missed kick goes out of bounds or over the back but it is also designed to open large chunks of room in the middle of the ground to take advantage of. From the CHB position the player should always be able to find someone back wide if there aren't any sensible safe options more directly towards goal. EDIT: That said if the options are a loose man on the wing or a slow kick to CHB I'd rather the long kick and get things moving.

Sellar was good, but.... Vickery still had quite a few reasonable shots on goal that he missed. Now with the delivery he was getting he was always going to get some but I'd say it was a good average performance from Sellar. He needs to get involved in moving the play out from the backline more as well. He should be a target from the kick outs when he's playing tall defender because whilst he struggles to mark he can bring the ball to ground. I don't think you can play Tom McDonald and Sellar. At the moment Sellar has that position. McDonald's defensive work and kicking undid all his hard running to create and therefore I think he should earn his spot back at Casey. Dunn is looking good in the third tall spot with Garland the versatile tall/small. Watts is fighting against Terlich (who is playing super footy) and Strauss who is doing well defensively and using the ball when he gets it just not getting involved enough. You can throw Watts in as the 7th defender and either drop Nicholson or play him entirely on a wing - ie. he takes Toumpas' spot. But in that case one of the 7 defenders has to play more midfield time. I'm not sure whether you'd use Watts on a wing or Strauss/Terlich or Garland even. You could actually play 7 defenders are give all 4 I just mentioned some time on the wing depending on their opponents. I'd be interested to see if Strauss can get more ball if playing up on a wing. He's just not finding space when he's doing a good job of defending but then staying very central and not bursting out for the ball. Then again he also doesn't call for it in bad situations like Nicholson does and isn't afraid of playing building slowly not at a million miles a minute. Terlich is the one who looks ready made for some time in the midfield but I don't want to ruin what is a good thing down back.

Find me the strategies that work, the skilled and hard players able to carry them out and the disciplined players able to do the running needed to do the running to make it work and you'll fix the problem. I just don't understand why kicks out are some magic thing we can train and get better at when we can't even hold the ball in uncontested possession for a decent switch or kick it anywhere near our leading forwards (if we have any leading forwards). In fact most weeks this year we haven't even got step one right which is run and pick up your opponents and if the ball comes near you put your head over it and win it. To me wondering why we are so bad at kick outs is like wondering why the number 100 ranked player in tennis can't win a tough tiebreaker against a top 30 opponent. When Aaron Davey plays like he did yesterday you realise how bad the real skill level of our team is. When Chris Dawes comes in and gets chest marks on the lead you wonder where the other forwards are leading. When Dean Terlich looks by far our best run and carry player from our back half you wonder who on earth is coaching our defenders to run and spread and take the game on.

Personally I wouldn't do it because I think we need a fit and firing McDonald back at CHB as our future so if fit I'd get him back to Casey and dominating his opponent whilst racking up plenty of touches and using the wisely. That said I do understand your theory behind it. Although with Freo playing a heavy numbers to the contest brand of footy I'm not sure how well Tom will be able to impact contests and clearances. We also have very little AFL ready players to bring in left in the VFL. So I see why you'd want McDonald in the team and trying rather than a Blease, Kent, Taggert who haven't put the run on the board for games. For me Toumpas has to be replaced and Bail should be replaced because I think he's reached the stage where he even knows he isn't contributing and therefore isn't really trying to find the ball or do anything with it. When a player gets to that stage I think they are better in the VFL to get confidence back.

He can't win the ball under pressure or apply forward pressure so he doesn't suit the modern game as a forward. His kicking skills and height and speed make him a prototype half back flanker.The question is which defender do you drop for him. Frawley, Sellar, Dunn, Garland, Terlich, Strauss have been going ok. Maybe with Freo's lack of tall forwards you drop Sellar. Who is showing something but at the same time or saved by Vickery's poor goal kicking. Alternatively Dunn or Terlich spend more time in the midfield?

he had f all impact at Collingwood as he was second fiddle to Cloke.He's the main man now and has every chance to lead like he did today. Even with Clark back I can see it going Dawes as the bread and butter leading forward who sets things up whilst Clark provides the X factor.

Nicho was 7th defender today. Down to play more midfield than half back. Toumpas was probably due to play 50/50 wing forward.It's still strong runners for not strong runners

Come on stuie who of Fyfe, Mundy etc are you presuming Blease attempts to tag and for how long will it last? He'll be completely stuffed at half time!!! Blease couldn't even get close to laying a tackle at Casey Can't drop 3 mids for 3 flankers and even if you do why not Bail.

Is that the same Miller who was a handy work horse and foil for Riewoldt at Richmond as they went from basket case to verge of finals?That doesn't sound too bad.

Out: Nicholson, mckenzie In: jordie and nicho Anyone else think that doesn't make us ten goals better? Also we should bring in the other top 5 runners at the club we've been hiding at Casey

Yep. I like it. Sure he might not be the real power forward J Brown like leader but what we need now is uncompromising repeat effort in running and attacking the ball and chasing. Key forwards draw the ball from their size but as much as that its their work rate. Dawes today seemed to run and lead as much as any forward we have besides Clark. We desperately need both of them but for now Chris will do. Neeld and the jacks should learn we don't want any more excuses.

Garland - no! What did he do, stop Jake King! Howe! Double no! He couldn't buy a kick forward and wasn't great as loose man down back.

Not at all what I'm saying! I bet they are working super hard on tactics. But they are a symptom of a bad side. You work and work and work at them but notice what happens when Terlich gets involved with run then kids to a hard running Evans etc. Compared to a Dunn shank to no one. Or we go long to Jamar and have the numbers at the feet with smart clearance winning footballers. I don't see how we lose by 10 goals each week and will be a good kick out team

Kick ins are a sign of the team. I'm not too bothered. The better you are at these means you have a good team, there is no strategy that says bad team but good at kick outs. If you are full of smart, skilled and hard running footballers you wouldn't be bad at kick outs in the first place!!!