DeeSpencer

I'm impressed you remember who the Daniher cheerleaders are. Sometimes I blame Daniher for the disaster we are in but I also think when he left after 2007 there was enough on the list that if we got some drafts right in 07/08/09 we would've been out of the major troubles by now. But when I look back I think it might not have been Daniher's coaching that was the problem or even the way he stocked the list in 2005/2006 with guys like Pickett for the pursuit of a flag. Really I think the problem (which Daniher is partly responsible for even though we were flat broke and couldn't afford it) is that we completely missed the mid 2000's football department arms race lead by teams like Collingwood, West Coast and Hawthorn. Only this year am I happy we have fitness guys in place, recruiters in place, development coaches in place etc. We still have to refine who those people are - I think our development coaches need reviewing and obviously our sports science and medical team are getting reviewed through this Dank problem. But we can't catch up on field with the rest of the teams if we haven't caught up off the field.

I keep thinking of how some of his most promising footy was a brief run of games off half back in 2011 I think. Pace and straight running is often easier from behind the ball. And you just can't give up in the backline. Besides that I agree deep forward might be a fairer start for him and let him build fitness in the seniors before playing him up the ground. I certainly agree with putting him right in the guts for Casey.

Disagree with Davis. There were a few (myself included) last year who questioned his retainment on the senior list but most were willing to keep him. He's put runs of decent VFL form together before and got close to games as an emergency. Last year was his second year so the equivalent players are Tynan and Taggert. Taggert is building VFL form and not getting negative press on here. Tynan is a bit off seemingly struggle to adjust his game with increased size he put on and he's copping plenty of heat. The problem with Davis is he has positive attributes but they aren't ones that coincide with being in the AFL team due to his negative attributes. Positive - Finds the footy - when played up the ground at Casey he can regularly get 20+ touches - Runs with the ball - Strong Negatives - Kicking - Defensive work still needs improving - Don't think the fitness is there, remember he had a thyroid condition at one stage We play him now and he looks like Gillies and gets belted. We fix his kicking we have a player. We continue to build his defending as his body improves and gets stronger and fitter and we have a player. I'd say really he just needs to show he's a better prospect than Gillies and he's on the list for next year and heading towards being able to compete at AFL level.

Only in the Australian cricket team and at Melbourne is dropping players a sign of messing with their confidence. I fully believe if McDonald has another bad game we drop him for Sellar and let him get confidence in the reserves playing for a strong Casey line up. Now in and out week after week screws with players but a drop, return to form in the reserves then back to the seniors to show off their improvements is only a good thing. Especially when a player is on a hiding to nothing playing off an interrupted preseason in a rubbish team!

Petrenko is Sando's favourite player and has no fitness at all. Comes on and off the field and could be career over with the rotations rule. Pitt has been advised to retire due to a heart condition. Is weighing up the advice currently. Mav Weller isn't good enough but I like him punching Campbell Brown at training Melksham was pick 10ish. Hasn't starred but done nothing to tell the bombers he still isn't worth that. We'd have to offer first round or top of second to even get a reply. We might be luckier with Travis Colyer who repeatedly gets dropped from the dons. Polec seems to be a curse of pick 4 victim (I think). I'd kick the tyres but Brisbane would still want something decent for him. I'd be wary on a first rounder or even top of second for him. At the end of the day you often have to gamble. Richmond did with Maric, Grigg and Houli and it paid off big time they got 3 good starters. Colyer for a third round pick might be worth a look but again he's outside midfield and we need in and under the most. Maybe Lonergan from Richmond (ex Ess) rookie list would be better on our rookie list than a Couch or Magner come end of season.

Nicholson for sub please!!! Strauss has earnt his spot as the small defender to take one of Garlett and Yarran and was top 3 in agility in his draft year. He doesn't have the speed of Nicho but he is quick enough if smart enough. No one can stop the two Carlton blokes through speed, has to be done through smarts. Liking Strauss, Evans and Tapscott on the bench, gives us someone to bring on for each segment of the ground and still have a number of forwards who are part of the midfield rotation. Dropping Peterson and going in without a recognised tall forward was a gutsy call. Let's hope Howe and Gawn can force contests when required.

Disposal efficiency doesn't include poor handballs which is a garland speciality of late. But his kicking is good. Id like to see him take the game on more with run.

I didn't go this week but I went last week. Surprised there wasn't a thread because the turnout was pretty good being ANZAC day. Anyway last week was probably the worst training session I've ever seen. So far below AFL level. They started with a switching from the backline drill that resulted in several balls being kicked clear over players heads. Just when they fixed it and kicked one actually to Strauss at the insistence of Nath Jones to get Straussy the ball he did one of the worst shanks of all time. They then did a fast moving spread drill that was again pretty poor. Sam Blease actually lit it up with some runs through the middle. Jack Grimes then brought the group in to tell them to lift. After that it was on to smaller drills with handball practice mainly. Brian Royal invented an absolutely pointless drill where players would handball to and fro to a guy in the middle whilst another team stood in a circle around them. He'd blow the whistle and then the handballing team would work the ball around and kick a goal. Due to the structure of the drill the defending team had no chance which made it pointless. Neil Craig oversaw most of the training. Apparently Mark Neeld was there but he just isn't active in training enough for a senior coach. He needs to be out there supervising, getting his hand on the ball with players, grabbing blokes and pulling them aside. Pretty much asserting himself. It's a small thing but if he doesn't do it the players won't play for him. They won't listen or respect him on match day. Mitch Clisby didn't train - we now know he was shin sore. And Clarky came out to watch 10 minutes before jumping in the back of the golf cart. With their trusty public toilet now too far away the players have taken to pissing on the old Collingwood advertising boards down near the punt road freeway exit end behind the goals. There's my retrospective training report for ANZAC day.

This is Hogan family tribal law

talent wise he might not improve but in terms of output I don't think his injury free now and hasn't had a good start to the year. Having him fit will at least create competition. Same for blease, trengove, Viney. We know Evans is a player now. Toumpas better with a preseason.

Dunn's coming back from injury to play and hopefully cement the half back flank third tall spot that he was sent to play when rivers went forward last year. He likes to take the game on and is a raking kick. Has all physical tools needed.I think Neeld would love to have Gawn starting ruck if he had a decent forward available. With Dawes and Fitzy judged not ready it's Spencer in as only option. Spencer is bad as a forward so the need comes for him to ruck and Gawn to play forward. Next week presuming Jamar isn't fit and Spencer doesn't play really well it should be Dawes in, pedersen back up ruck and Gawn first ruck. The club also don't want to kill Gawn by making him ruck 90% of a game

im ever the optimist as we much be but Cotchin was the face and Martin the X factor but really Richmond midfield improved due to weight of numbers. Tuck got good, grigg, Jackson and other lesser names contributed as much.But on weight of numbers I really see Trengove, Evans, Viney, Blease, Toumpas, Matt Jones and Mckenzie getting better next year than the interrupted starts to this year. I don't see them getting worse. Find a bargain somewhere else and we might have enough just to compete in the midfield. We compete in the midfield and the fortunes of this team change I really believe it. We've got too much talent forward and back to not be a decent team.

Well judging from the Casey team and that we know Dunn, Kent and Spencer are playing AFL this week we can also work out Tapscott and Nicholson won't be playing VFL. AFL Bench - Evans, Pedersen, Tapscott, Nicholson, Strauss, Davey, Blease We know the first 4 wont play for Casey. Our game is Sunday the question is who else doesn't play for Casey because you'd think we'd hold 2 emergencies out. I'd say Blease or Davey plays for Casey whilst Strauss and the other of Blease or Davey forms part of Melbourne's side or the held out emergencies. For the point of this thread I say Blease plays Casey and Davey stays in the squad. Moral of the story is that VFL on a Saturday when you aren't on TV is a real pain. At least 1 but probably 2 guys don't get a game of footy this week. Sometimes you might get lucky and give it to the guy who needs a rest but then you are running the dice. I'd say this week 2 guys who really needed games won't get them and that's a real shame. I want Davey and Blease getting fitness, Strauss continuing his form and Nicholson getting back in form. More accurate Casey side: Backs Gillies Panozza Best Half backs Clisby Sellar ***** Centreline Blease ****** ****** Half forwards Rodan Fitzpatrick L Tynan Forwards Taggert Dawes Page Followers ****** Magner Couch Interchange (from) Barry Cashman* ***** Davis Hill Hughes Gent Matthews Pollard Nicholls Riseley Toumpas J Tynan

I think I saw Collingwood or Essendon on the ABC the other day I don't remember anyway as the ABC broadcast the VFL as an alternative to the AFL I think they should largely aim to broadcast traditional VFA teams in preference to Essendon/Coll/Geel (and WB next year). To me the VFA clubs deserve the exposure more than the reserves teams. Of course Bendigo Gold v Frankston isn't going to rate as well as an Ess v Coll reserves but within reason I think the clubs propping up this competition by keeping alignments alive should be rewarded. If the 10 Victorian teams field reserves no way can Port, Box Hill, Casey, Bendigo, Frankston, North Ballarat, Coburg, Weribee, Willy and whatever Preston are called survive. Well not in a respected second tier system like we have now.

I agree with that much. And I think Neeld is hoping work rate and courage comes from lesser lights as well. I think a lot of that was behind his list management decisions at the start of the year.

like the confidence but I see one of our biggest problems is we have no star to help the competitive guys. It's one reason I think eventually we can get better really quickly once we get Clark, Dawes and Hogan firing up forward. It gives us weapons that will inspire everyone else. Bit like how Richmond rose up from rubbish on the back of riewiodt starring, a bit of Martin brilliance and Cotchin being the worker.Failing that we find 5 freaks and start up version 2 of phi slama jama

yes yes yes. Best twitter account ever!Seriously would like to see Neeld take a week off to freshen himself up!

Warnock is a fair fight as well. Bean pole v bean pole both guys getting good back up.

Im pretty confident after a good rest Viney plays. The common trend so far is to tag Murphy. I'd say we'd go for that with mckenzie. If carrazzo tags jones then we get to see Viney up against McLean and Judd for times as part of the rotation. I like it!

so far, but there is something a little dodgy about him being named at CHF and pedersen on the bench. All of a sudden pedersen is CHF and Sylvia has a rest. That if there's any truth to this Sylvia rumour

I've been branded a Watts hater but at least we've got Dunn coming into his HBF spot which is half the reason I wanted Watts out because I think we've got more deserving guys to come in. I'm certainly not a Jamar hater because I know him going out results in Spencer in! Or at least until we've got Fitzpatrick and Clark at full fitness to back up big Gawno!

Can't the LTI player even play VFL before week 8? That's silly? If so then I guess I agree with the decision. If not I was thinking Clark will be 2 weeks off feet, 2 weeks light duty, 2 weeks proper training and then 1 week at Casey we are already at 7 may as well put him on the LTI. I'm hoping this isn't a financial decision regarding upgrading Magner because he seems to have earnt his chance well and truly. Lucky we get one upgrade at week 11 I guess.

Maybe. But we've established Jamar isn't playing great so even though he's completely uncoordinated how bad can Spencer be! He's at least winning hit outs at Casey! Then if they decide to drop Pedersen and play with the worlds tallest small forward line with a giant ruck and Jeremy Howe as the marking options good luck but it says a lot for Pedersen! Unfortunately this is the team we've got. And realistically I'm not convinced Clark, Dawes and Jamar in for Spencer, Gawn and Pedersen makes us miles better. Although it looks much better!

I know he's been up and down but surely Tapscott stays, same for Evans, you'd think Strauss gets a chance and then it would come down to go extra small without Pedersen or keeping him and having the emergencies of Blease/Davey/Nicholson. Personally I'd keep the big body to have someone able to come up the ground and make a contest besides Gawn and Howe. But we will see I guess. The biggest problem with Pedersen last week was he was a complete no impact. The ball just went round him it was pretty much 17 on 17. My team lined up properly: FB: Garland Frawley Terlich HB: Grimes McDonald Dunn C: Evans Jones M. Jones HF: Sylvia Pedersen Bail FF: Howe Gawn Kent Foll: Spencer McKenzie Trengove INT: Viney, Strauss, Byrnes S: Tapscott Emerg: Blease, Davey, Nicholson I hope they don't make Kent sub. I'm stoked he's got a chance its not really fair just to make him sub. Lets see what he can do, after that we can use him as a super sub through the year but I want him to have a shot now! I look at this team and I say ok reasonable back line, best of a bad bunch in the midfield, so options up forward with smalls but where the hell are the tall forwards or establish ruckman. Except I know where they are - injured. Spencer must be on his last chance in the ruck. We know he tries as hard as he can but this is his big chance against a fellow bean pole with another ruck in Gawn for cover to go out and get in there and do something. I'll be cheering the Spence on proudly at the start of the match, not sure he'll deliver for me unfortunately!

We will see in an hours time. Fitzpatrick/Spencer or Sellar for a replacement. I think I like Gawn in the ruck more than Spencer and therefore I'd look at a forward as a replacement rather than Spencer. Sellar the safer player but Fitzpatrick for mine, let him have a good run around in the ruck as well as forward and just see what he can do with his unexpected pace. We are stuffed either way.