DeeSpencer

Should only get better as a forward in a better side. You know what you'll get with him in the ruck which is someone who will compete around the ground but its down back he looks the most comfortable. Big body who can spoil, pick up the ball really well and use the ball calmly. I still hold plans for Tom McDonald to go forward as his marking and work rate make him a good CHF option and if that's the case then Sellar can certainly be a nice CHB to play on big boys whilst Rivers and Frawley take the other talls. If they plan to use him as a ruck/forward option then he has a fair way to go but in reality he can bust a pack to bring the ball to ground and certainly will come up against worst back up ruck types. Its funny that one of his coaches is Leigh Brown and when you look at Collingwood now with Dawes hardly setting the world on fire as ruck/forward and Wood still struggling you think they wouldn't say no to Sellar as a Leroy Brown v2.0 Another AFL preseason should see him get that little bit fitter and stronger compared to an interrupted one which will hopefully give him a boost to his game.

Stress fractures are a long term stress related injury so doubt that is the concern. I think the concern would be some damage to ligaments that might be better off with time off rather than continue playing on them, but we'll wait and see. That he managed to walk all the way to the punt road end then back after the game without major discomfort is somewhat of a good sign.

I presume you'd do this anyway but if you don't get a response on here then contact the club

Definite: Spencer, Bate, Dunn, Green Possible: Bennell, Jetta, Bartram, Macdonald, Petterd, Morton (contracted), Evans ®, Lawrence ® I'd be thinking we'd want to clear about 6-8 main list spots for 4-5 draft picks, 1-2 rookie upgrades and possibly a mature age draft pick. We'd probably look for a few rookie selections as well with a balance like this year between young and old. It's not unreasonable to have 10 list changes with this group.

His centre bounce ruck work isn't horrible but it's his strength and it still isn't elite for VFL yet alone AFL level. If he won every hitout and dominated then I'd see the positives but he doesn't do that and his work around the ground and even at boundary throw ins is really poor for a guy who's been on an AFL list for years.

Spencer - Simply not AFL level, delist, the sooner the better. I'd rather Sandringham's ruckman. Martin - the good with the bad, if he stopped running under the ball he'd still make it regardless of disposal and other issues. It must be fixed before an AFL return Cook - some nice signs but now has to demand more ball at CHF Williams - Looks like a footy player but probably can't judge him until next year, seems to know how to use his body one on one Sheahan - Moves well and can kick, played like a half decent rookie, minimal impact on the game but you feel he has talent in the air Davis - Smashed by a reasonable forward, he has to improve his defensive work, but once the ball hits the deck he's handy. Maybe he's a forward? Gysberts - showed why he is too good for this level in a reasonable display, but now has to work very hard on his defensive game and also rounding out his game with more link up play and more versatility in his kicking. Bennell - class player at this level but showed little to say he's fixed his deficiencies Couch - Got shut down but still in close plays with the right attitude, hard at it and tough tackler. Nice winning goal Petterd - Next shuffle is him to half back at VFL level, very sad. Tynan - Not great game but hard at the contests and makes smart decisions, I think he'll be a player Strauss - A few errors but a few lovely kicks, certainly more composed than the average player out there In summary I wouldn't want any of the talls in the side at the moment but there is some talent there that won't mature for a few years yet. Martin was the best of them but also the most frustrating as he still has miles of work to do to become a serious AFL footballer. With the smalls I'm not sure there is much special there either, but Strauss and Tynan have traits that could see them find roles as consistent players, Couch is handy depth and Gysberts is certainly above this level. The problem with Gysberts is you can't have him as a regular player until he develops a body that allows him to bring his game from VFL level to AFL level.

Yeah it's harsh, but take the soft approach and in five years time Sam Blease is just another Aaron Davey or Colin Sylvia and we are talking about unfulfilled potential.Mick Malthouse's thoughts during the game were a lot more harsh than mine, he didn't even have to say anything you just heard him groan.

He's been pretty lively and shown a lot of encouraging signs but.... His game 2 weeks ago was one of the most selfish games of footy I've ever seen. He pretty much flat out refused to handball or spot up targets. If Neeld is seriously about putting in standards and building a culture then Blease needed to go back to the VFL and prove he's a team player.

Ablett's and Scully's footy suffered under this pressure, whats to think that Caddy's won't as well. I really like this guy, he's tough as nails and plays the right way, but at the same time I wouldn't be diving in after him. We really should be able to find similar types with the picks we have and keep them at our club not make a desperate ploy for a guy not keen on us. Thats said if we could get a good deal especially if it helped the Viney situation or allowed us to turf a battler in as stakeknives like Morton I'd be all for it. I'd still rate him as worth a top 10 pick, but in no way a top 5.

I'd give them Watts and Viney in a second. This guy is a freak.

Let's forget about the goal umpire, but I thought technically if you are touching the ball and the goal post at the same time it is ruled a point, therefore if your leg is touching the post and the ball hits your leg its a point, but that is really nitty gritty technical stuff and I think common sense says the ball got pushed back by gold sacks leg and a goal isn't a bad result. It's hard to say it made any impact to the result. Also the Nicholson one from the week before if reviewed must have been still awarded a point because you can't definitively say it was a goal so the goal umpires decision would have stood.

FB: Garland Frawley Rivers HB: Grimes Sellar Watts Rivers and Frawley without spectacular still our 2 best tall defenders. It's a lottery after that but I think Sellar can edge out McDonald for the 3rd tall defender at this stage, he's got him covered for size and footskills. The small defenders are a lottery but I'd stick with Garland, Grimes is a no brainer if we can get him in the backline and Watts has had an impact on me with his work down back. C: Trengove Moloney Bail Foll: Jamar Jones McKenzie Major worry with this midfield especially the drop in form of Jamar and Moloney. Supposedly an A grade combo they haven't looked like it yet. Jones and McKenzie have been the shining lights. I'm hoping Bail can get back in favour and show his worth as a forward/midfield and defensive utility worth keeping in the side. HF: Sylvia Howe Tapscott FF: Davey Clark Jurrah Again some worries here, but Clark and Howe have led the way. The forward pocket and flanks have been a revolving door but I still think Davey and Jurrah are our best 2 pockets when up and about. Sylvia has showed his value once a month before resuming rubbish but is still easily our most dangerous flanker with midfield ability and I think after a slow start Tapscott was showing his ability to play forward or back and have a go. The door is starting to close on Bate, Dunn, Petterd and even Jurrah if he can't get his mind and body right. Bring on Lucas Cook I say. Int; Martin, Magner, Nicholson S: Blease Stef Martin retains the title of our best number 2 ruck in the absence of rolling Clark through the ruck and also due to Gawn's injury, but he needs to convince me he can get somewhere near his form of 2011. Magner is a reliable bench midfielder probably good enough to get a shot at most clubs. Despite the odd brain fade I really think we have to stick with Nicholson - he's got natural pace and a good work ethic. Blease is the ideal sub, but has to work on his unselfishness.

Pretty much he isn't at this stage as good as Kerr, Priddis or Scott Selwood for a starting midfield gig, he isn't as good outside as Gaff or Rosa and he doesn't have the ability as a forward that Masten and Shuey do which therefore makes him out of a spot in the team. They've played him as the sub a couple of times but you can understand why they don't want to use him in that role every week. I haven't followed him closely enough to tell you if I think his weaknesses of disposal and pace are in my opinion rectifiable or not. But then again I can't even tell with our own players. Oh and he isn't displacing any of those guys soon. His best hope is that he plays so well that he can fit into the midfield rotation or can develop an ability to play forward or back as well.

Can form count for nothing. He is playing in a bad side and still at least giving it a go. I'd give the young rucks a chance but Gawn, Martin and Fitzpatrick have all been injured and Spencer isn't a legitimate option.

I've done my research and I've worked out that Leigh Williams is our big liability. First he rocks up from a local comp, then he goes and gets a virus on the brain. I doubt we would have lost a game if had got rid of Leigh Williams. Oh and our other big liability is Tom Couch, he simply isn't playing well in the VFL. It's not good enough

If Neeld drops Blease for incredibly selfish football then I certainly wouldn't hold it against Neeld. Blease needs to get this out of his game pretty quick smart, but it comes from a lack of leaders setting the scene over the years - yes you Brad "chest mark on the goal line" or "won't handball to bloke in goal square" Green.

Dear Jack Trengove, please give Brock McLean his boots back. So slow!

What would Sylvia be suspended for? Did I miss something. I'm hoping Tappy gets off, does he have a bad record? I was late and not particular nice but I didn't think it was anything too bad. It was certainly in play and not head high and I'd argue more reckless than intentional.

FB: Garland Frawley Nicholson HB: Tapscott Sellar Rivers C: Bail Jones Couch HF: Trengove Cook Howe FF: Blease Clark Sylvia Foll: Jamar McKenzie Grimes Int: Martin, Watts Moloney S: Magner IN: Cook (Garland and Rivers forward! please! leave our backmen where they belong and develop this guy), Martin (get him back and in form), Bail (over his injury), Couch (deserves to play) OUT: McDonald (like the kid but we've got 3 better key defenders and I want to see him play CHF for Casey), Green (inj/finished), Morton (no commitment), Dunn (simply not worth the effort)

Terrible turnover, terrible player. He might find some more ball in the middle but he plays without pride for himself or for the jumper.

Why haven't we named some guys on the bench in the AFL side for the team in the VFL? Bate/Dunn/Morton etc? Some late changes for the dees I'm tipping, Frawley being the first one.

Frawley - gun, Jurrah - unique talent but not reliable. Bail - could of been handy. Gysberts, Davey, Martin, Petterd, Bartram - none of these guys were at all missed. The only benefit from a smaller injury list is that top line players feel the need to perform and the squeeze is on for a game, but with Sylvia, Davey and Green all dropped so far this year I hope no one who plays for Melbourne thinks they are safe

Lets be fairer here, Hurley could have kicked at least 4 pretty easily. McDonald saved a couple of goals with great efforts, but he could have leaked a few as well. Green came on and undeniably won a game, that gets the nod for me any day of the week.

Ugly - Brent Stanton's misses!!! End of thread

Recruiting technology officer = smart move having someone full time available to collate all the data. Think about how much data you get of potential recruits - hours of game film, interviews, statistics, profiles and so on. Oh and great news that Taylor's contract finishes on November 1. Note to the Melbourne footy club to make sure their recruiting contracts run until after the rookie draft so you don't have someone potentially working for you all year then leaving 3 weeks before the time all his work comes to fruition. Any lawyers capable of saying whether if Taylor doesn't get released until Nov 1 whether we can use his insight for our draft, considering all his knowledge will have been obtained from working at Collingwood. How would Collingwood prove he used IP anyway. Tough one. I hope common sense prevails and they release him ASAP, even if he can't impact this draft he's already got detailed knowledge about who Collingwood are keeping an eye on for next years draft and would be stockpiling knowledge about what Collingwood will be doing with their listed players for the next few years.