DeeSpencer

Our midfield can’t get even run with the ball to turn it over half the time and our backline could do with less turnovers. So I’m not sure why moving Rivers because his kicking is bad would be a ‘BIG NO’.

Tracc’s work rate as a mid and turnovers have made him somewhat a liability in a lot of games on ball. He’s a forward because we need run on the ball nearly as much as because we need a forward. We almost have to use Tracc and Kossie in centre bounces then swap them for around the ground mids, not that we really have any of those!

Still probably an improvement on 2022!

When Darren Burgess says you aren’t fit enough son - listen. I hope McAdam has more in him next year, the talent is clear. But we paid overs for a lemon right now

And next week JVR and Jefferson will be worst on and people will say bring back Turner and Petty We have to stop blaming our key forwards for not getting a kick. We’ve tried half the list and it’s abundantly clear no one can get a kick as a tall in this team.

He has size, speed, clean hands and the ability to kick even if he doesn’t hit targets as often as he should. I get the reluctance to rob from the backline but against this version of the Pies we have to try to own territory and live with the reality that they’ll get us on transition at times. Thats what the Dogs did

Persevered with Billings for as long as possible and BBB is just a shuffle with a lower ceiling than what Petty can actually do if he ever gets out of his own head fog, let’s not pretend there was some great option out there. All we can do is keep shuffling.

There’s no evidence that Oliver can get the ball yet alone do anything with it forward. We need to understand his limitations with ball in hand as a mid but recognise his legs and reading of the play still seem powerful - even if he’s not using them. In that respect, he should be given the responsibility of a team first tag on Daicos. Does he have the discipline and work ethic - I think he does if he’s coached how to do it.

Agree, but we have lost our edge. I hope we pick Kolt because he has some, and I’d love to see some of our players stop being scared to tackle or crunch a player in a contest.

Turner back.

FB: McVee May Bowey HB: Salem McDonald Turner C: Woey Oliver Windsor HF: ANB Tracc Langdon FF:Chandler JVR Pickett Foll: Gawn Rivers Viney Int: AMW Kolt Sparrow Brown S: Fritsch Out: Hunter - see ya Tomlinson - any pressure and he goes to water Petty - I still want to like him but no McAdam - come on now In: AMW Kolt BBB JVR

Casey were awful. Young backline and forwards struggled, hardly a surprise there. Down back Howes and AMW had moments but both were too loose too often. Adams is nowhere. Forwards weren’t terrible all things considered but couldn’t lock it in. Sestan spent the first half deep forward doing nothing. Jeffo ok I guess. Midfield got smacked. They were slightly more effective with Verrall, Fullarton rucked a lot and was awful. Kolt was fine, his willingness to run and tackle is much better than the rest of the Casey players. Laurie was very poor at the stoppages. Just no grunt in his game. And too many mistakes when he gets the ball in space. Kynan Brown also played his worst game playing a heap of midfield. Just offered no ball winning, no tackling and butchered it. Lost his talent with his hair! Hopefully he bounces back.

Gawn: he’s getting old, he doesn’t jump in the middle and pushed around at boundary, he has to be given proper help. We knew this, so we got Grundy, then traded Grundy for no one. Viney: playing injured? Looking slow. Struggling to adapt to the game plan of Oliver: he’s a mess, obviously not at peak fitness but just moving sloppy. Another who isn’t adapting to the game plan Tracc; defensive spread has been awful Sparrow: just a role player. Role players struggle when teams struggle. ANB: having a good go but lacks power to be a true mid

Nibbler stick a tackle please

The injury list is what is is. BBB - won us a flag Billings - desperate attempt to find a wing/forward with skills in the hope we could fix him Fullarton - no good Laurie, Howes - NQR draft picks who aren’t far off but just lacking enough to really be afl footballers at the moment Kolt, Brown, AMW, Jefferson, Adams, Sestan, Verrall - kids developing You got to get list management right and find contributors each year, especially when up the ladder as you can’t rely on the draft. Sadly. Since the flag our list management has been dreadful.

He should refuse to come. The only thing that can happen to him is he gets injured

Found himself in front for the first time ever and had no idea what to do!

T Mc and Tomlinson keep running to the same spots the big dumb oafs. Seriously, it cant be that hard to go man on man

In our defence handball and run in to the wind is smart but you got to know when to get numbers up and play percentages

Nah, this was a loading week, just overdid the training to make sure we’re good for the September we probably won’t be playing in.

He was playing in the WAFL 2’s 3 weeks ago. And is good for one mark a game so far in the seniors. I’d be shocked if he’s anywhere near an afl game this year. Obviously he has to show a bit to stay on the list and if he does well that’s great but this is a pick aimed for 2026 after 2 full preseasons at the earliest, not round 20

Rugby has been horrendously mismanaged but a lot of their issues come because they just don’t have the cash to invest everywhere. For junior development you need money, for money you need good teams and a broadcast deal, which needs viewers on a network people will pay for and watch. Just like soccer, Rugby has been a victim of Foxtel no longer being the choice for all sports and splitting off to Paramount or Stan for much needed short term dollars. Not sure it means much for afl which already dominates junior participation in Victoria. Rugby has always been a small niche sport. The winner is Rugby League with the Storm junior programs fighting for the same athletes.

No, I disagree entirely. We’ve looked slow and devoid of run with the Tracc, Oliver and Viney trio. They were smacked against Carlton early and for the full game against West Coast, and Sparrow hasn’t filled the void. You don’t move ANB and then have to move Langdon forward and bring in Hunter on the back of ordinary vfl form for the sake of experimenting. Not to mention playing Billings for 10 weeks with diminishing returns. I get the reasons for going with a young key forward that the recruiters believe in, we sure need as many of them as we can get! But I’d expect 2-3 mid or mid/forward reinforcements this offseason.

I'm a little disappointed because I thought Saad would be good fun and had some chance (even if a small one) to come in and give us something by the time finals started. I'm always a little skeptical on key forwards taken outside the first round because the hit rate seems incredibly low and if you are rolling the dice I'd generally prefer a super athletic option because they need less overall skill and have a higher margin for error. That said, this kid does seem to at least have a touch of athleticism and being comfortable using his body against men is a positive too. The other young talls we were linked too looked stiff as a board and didn't seem to use their bodies at all well..

Or no one was good enough given the challenge to relocate a player (even from Preston), acclimatise them to professional standards, teach them our structures and have them perform well enough to demand game time within 12 weeks is - whilst not impossible -really difficult. We didn't use the pick to plug holes anywhere, we used it on the best available long term option. Maybe there's no midfield option better than Laurie, Tholstrup, Billings or Howes/AMW on the back flank and rolling a midfielder up. That's not unreasonable, they are all good VFL players. But I suspect reinforcements will come over the end of year list period. I doubt losing Gus for no replacement after the loss of JJ and Harmes hasn't impacted the midfield options.