DeeSpencer

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.

The light at the end of the tunnel team: FB: Terlich HB: Grimes C: Evans M. Jones HF: Byrnes Hogan FF: Tapscott Howe Kent Foll: Gawn Jones Viney Coach: Position available CEO: Position available The still have some faith team: FB: Garland Frawley HB: Jetta McDonald Dunn C: Trengove Toumpas HF: Dawes FF: Clark Foll: Jamar Sylvia Coach: Neil Craig President: Don McLardy The lost confidence team: FB: Nicholson HB: Watts Sellar C: McKenzie HF: Pedersen FF: Davey Foll: Rodan Coach: Mark Neeld CEO: Cam Schwab Lets see if by the end of the season we get some more players in the top team.

Yep I think we should've looked into the Hobart deal. It's not as profitable as the Darwin or Hawthorn's deal but I think it would've been easier to win games and please the main supporters.

Here's what I'd take from it Guys coming back from injury too good for VFL - Dawes, Dunn Gun youngster ineligble for AFL - Hogan Very promising young players developing their games - Kent, Taggert, Toumpas Mid level player trying to prove himself - Strauss Dominant at VFL but probably not AFL level - Spencer Young talls establishing themselves - Fitzy, Davis Dominant at VFL but ineligible for AFL midfielder - Couch, Magner Plus the actual Casey guys are better than average VFL players. But mainly we've got talent on all the lines, very good structural players in Hogan/Fitzpatrick/Dawes but more than anything a dominant midfield formed by Spencer/Magner/Couch and supplemented with others. Moral of the story is we've got something to come through and guys who are learning to be successful and play a good style of footy. Here's the flip side though. Spencer, Magner and Couch form the bones of this team and I'm not convinced they are good AFL players. So our youngsters are supported by playing in a side which will get first hands to the ball and win the midfield battle. I'd be over the moon if the Casey midfield was Gawn/Fitzpatrick with Toumpas, Taggert and Kent. However we've got Gawn/Viney/Trengove in the AFL learning already to be parts of our midfield comibination. So we just need these peripheral guys to learn how to play Neeld's brand of footy and an AFL brand of footy.

By we I mean the club, and don't we? Started as a forward. Neeld arrives, plays him on the wing with mixed results. Around May last year trials him as a defender, mainly as the loose man again with up and down results. He gets injured then comes straight back into the team as a defender and is poor. Starts this year with a promising NAB cup as a defender then struggles in early games. Goes forward against Essendon then out of the game. Again starts the Brisbane game with a nice mark going back with the flight, after that he seems way off his man until he moves forward and leads up a couple of times but really doesn't do anything spectacular then is injured and out of the team. Moral of the story have we actually established what position this guy can play? Is it back or forward? Has he ever put a dominate stretch in the reserves in one position that will show us he will own that position in the AFL with development.

No signing up this forum does unless I break the rules. And maybe we won't be a poorly performing team when we stop handing out special treatment letting a number 1 draft pick bounce around positions and never establish himself as a player.

No one is celebrating. Other like myself just don't think Watts is best 22. I bet everyone would rather him playing either in the VFL or AFL than injured. FFS the quicker everyone sees Watts as just another player rather than a special case the better.