DeeSpencer

The simple fact is that if you have the ball and have it uncontested the opposition can't score and it also takes away from the the time they have to get it back and score. Therefore if you can move the ball from one end of the field to another with uncontested possession and have a shot on goal you will do very well. It's the basis behind the Hawthorn style of attack. Neeld was focussed on very quick ball movement with playing on quickly and going wide to counter quick turnovers. Unfortunately he didn't have the cattle and even if he did that game plan is still very hard to perfect. Craig has told the players to play on instinct more and use the ball as the feel is right at the same time to not panic and rush. It's more sharing of the ball and less frantic. But runs the risk of over possession. Personally I like the idea of our players actually getting the ball and using it. And would encourage the play to speed up when we have a raft of key forwards operating well and also hopefully some added midfield run to both create space and work defensively. Playing in Darwin this week favours a direct approach without over using the ball but at the same time we can't just bomb the ball around we'll get smashed by the Lions defense.

It appears that way but I'd argue it wasn't. He was already starting to head backwards at Freo. Sure he wasn't at the stage to get delisted but he took the cash because his Freo career wasn't heading to the heights he imagined.

His knee reco didn't end his career with us. In fact it probably nearly saved it as it's poor form in the AFL community to delist a guy off a knee generally. But I have more hope for him than Morton. When he started he was a dashing half back flanker capable of beating decent small flankers and then using the ball really cleverly. Did any else label him the next Andrew Mcleod or was that just me? Problem was poor Jamie seem to get worse and more timid every year!

Masten, Morton, Myers, Palmer all dominated for WA in their under 18 year. Come to AFL and Palmer looks like a star in his first season, Morton looks like a tall outside midfielder who can link up well and the other two look like spuds. Fast forward a few years and the 2 who started slowly are the best and the 2 others have new homes.

Take away Rodan, Byrnes, Gillies and Pedersen and the number of changes is a lot less last year. I think that will be reflected this year. We only have to look at results to see that this list does need multiple changes. But putting VFL level footballers with no scope on your list is a complete waste as well - See Magner, Sellar and Couch. For every player you delist you have to factor in who will be available to replace them. If Free Agency was stacked with talent heading for Melbourne and the draft was deep then I'd be all for big numbers. Hogan, Draft picks round 1-4, (+/- Priority Pick), PSD, Free Agent is 8 primary list changes. And I'm not convinced yet by Clisby that he warrant immediate rookie promotion. So I'd say 7-8 delistings from the primary list would max it out with potential for a couple of trades. 2 out of 3 if not 3/3 on Gillies, Sellar, Davis Rodan or Davey if not both Tynan Jetta Macdonald Nicholson Leading trade candidates remain Strauss, Tapscott, Blease and Watts.

The conditions leant to it but did I see we had 100+ tackles. That positive and I still think our tackling effort was ok but in terms of technique has a lot of improvement left.

His 4kg of added muscle as per HS not quite living up to expectation?

With his recent record you can't claim that! He's not Luke Hodge or Sam Mitchell! He put his knees into Jones's sternum and put his weight into it he didn't drop like an Embley. It's move on for mine.

sounds like a mini Jessie Hogan

Jones, Viney, I have faith in Trenners. Grimes is hard and can rack it up but is more of a defender same with Terlich. Dean Kent with a preseason might find more ball. But looks more of a half forward like Sylvia. McKenzie is hard and can find the footy but isn't a 25 touches man. Matt Jones, Toumpas and Evans should all develop into possession winners but I doubt they are really inside hard men. The reality is even with improvement that could come from all the above players we are in need of at least 2 more regular quality mids even if they aren't elite. Maybe our first pick this year might be ready to go and get in there early even in patches. Other than that I expect it to be a wait. I'd take another shot at a mature age player to see if we can get lucky and find a priddis or Barlow

did we go tall? Which tall would you have dropped. Watts wasn't needed as an extra tall forward but you'd hardly drop him on recent performances.I would've loved Magner and Rodan but that would've taken midfield experience for Grimes, Trengove and Matt Jones away. McKenzie over Nicho as well. I won't criticize Craig too much for picking a team for the future rather than to minimize a loss.

Should play for Casey next week. Even Rodan runs more

I don't think he'll ever be unstoppable as a forward. He just isn't quite natural enough at working players off the ball or getting to position and the very good defenders know where the drop of the ball will be and don't get their heads stood on as much as the bad ones! He's got a very good mix of speed, skills (when he doesn't rush) and fitness that make him hard to match up on either deep forward, half forward or through the midfield and I think that will be his role more than as a consistent star either forward or in the midfield. Grimes and Trengove were voted our best leaders so they must be important to have them around the mark as most important players. They fit similarly to guys like Dawes and Garland as vital in dragging the team up the ladder but they probably don't have the upside like Viney and Hogan as the stars we need.

1. Jones 2. Frawley 3. Dawes 4. Viney 5. Trengove Your most important players on a footy ground are your midfielders who play in at the centre square and fight it out for clearances as well as around the ground. Every week that's where the majority of the best players in the comp play. In that regard Jones is our best midfielder and I think fully fit Viney is probably our best. I have hopes that Trengove can step up a level and as captain he'd be our third most important mid. I'd have Grimes but I think he's really more of a flanker but he might prove me wrong. Similarly you need a gun defense to win anything and the centre piece of any good defense is the best tall defender. Frawley is a great one on one defender who can rebound the ball. I'm still backing him in as our second best player on our list behind Jones as well as most important. The other aspect to any good side is a key forward. I was tempted to go with Hogan or Clark but it's too much to ask for them to be our most important players. You might not be top 4 without superior talents but you can undoubtedly play finals with a CHF like Dawes who provides leadership and work rate on the field. So in that regard he's top 5 as well.

The director father son rule? The only question must be is he really a Melbourne supporter considering his toes to West Coast? An therefore if he isn't is he just a highly regarded unpaid legal consultant? I suppose the flip side is not to worry about his motivations and just look at his record. All in all a very good addition to the board Id say

His spread from the contest is amazing. Sometimes it's much too aggressive and frot running but it's often really good. The speed he reads the play at is amazing

Along with Dalziell expect them to have a genuine edge in outside possession getting helicopter kicking players. But in all seriousness you wouldn't put him on a tall or Mayne or Ballantyne so he'll likely play half back flank on a resting mid or defensive forward. He has the physical attributes to be an intercept marking attacking half back flanker if he can just take the game by the scruff For his own sake I hope he isn't still soft because the west coast fans will stick it to him.

No Victorian should get the job. Eade is Tasmanian and Roos is Victorian by birth does that change his mind?

Max 15 games. Rested from a couple and maybe back to Casey for a few 5 games with multiple goals, 5 games with 1 goal, 5 games with no goals. 2-3 games where he's top 5 on the ground and you really take notice. 6 or so games were he does ok and you are pleased with the signs and another 6 or so games where he's quiet and can't impact games at all. He's going to lose a degree of his athletic advantage against AFL players. He won't find space on the lead against top defenders or be able to push them around. When the midfield is winning or breaking even and he's on a weak defender I expect him to do well. Up against a quality side like the cats with good defenders he'll find it hard. The jump from VFL to AFL is huge

Rumor he's a dees fan. I'm voting him in for president. Bowled a handy over before. He's going to have some ups and downs but lets stick by him

That isn't a like for like comparison though. Byrnes is in a battle with Kent, Davey and Tapscott amongst others for forwards who rotate into the midfield.Rodan has been ineffectual when rested forward. He really is an around the ball midfielder who specializes with clearances. Against Syndey we were destroyed in clearances and also many Sydney midfielders including Jack racked up big numbers when opposed to Rodan. It's no surprise the coaches had a preference to go with Sylvia, Jones, Grimes and Trengove for the main centre square mids than a guy on his last legs as an AFL player. Especially with Viney and McKenzie hopefully due to resume soon.

I really hope he's done enough to get in. The heat of a derby sounds like the perfect place for him to demonstrate his skills and hardness. Also from West Coast this piece of memorabilia puts Channel 9 cricket to shame. Who would buy this crap - https://shopdesq.imgstg.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Product&CategoryID=572&ProductID=36267&OrgID=1753

Would you feel any better if it was Sellar or Davis? I wouldn't! Here's hoping Chip is right to go and gets through the game You dream of a loss? Because those 3 in one side is a big liability! Although I'd like to see the Spencer/Fitzy combo get a run just to see awkward giraffes moving at breakneck speed. I think Byrnes is in because he's got something to prove. No that Geelong are at all doubting themselves - you only have to look at Motlop, Caddy, Murdoch, Stringer etc.... to see they have younger and better options at his position but still Byrnes will feel like he's got a point to prove. He started to season ok showing his run and ball use was possibly better than a lot of our players but since he's really starting to look like a guy incapable of impacting AFL. I'd like to see him impact this game in someway either with a big tackle or courageous piece of play.

Rodan just doesn't work hard enough around the ground for my likings despite his ability at the clearances - which is good but still got smashed by Sydney in that regard. I think it's time we go in with Jones, Sylvia, Grimes, Trengove, M. Jones, Toumpas, Blease and Nicholson tagging (or a sneaky inclusion of McKenzie from the emerg list) as our midfielders. They are the guys who we hope are around for the future so let's see how they go. This is also a seriously quick Geelong line up. Probably quicker they even need because they'll look to introduce Rivers, Christensen, Enright and maybe a couple of others in for finals who aren't in the side but it's important to have the speed and run to keep up. We don't have the difference makers in the midfield and up forward to win this game but if we really work as hard as we can to turn it into a pressure game and slog for Geelong with the ball and if we can string some patches of play like the last couple of weeks together at least we can make it a game that at the end of the day we have got something from.

I fully expect Chris Dawes by the end of his career to rival Garry in his step ladder ability! I think it was the nature of Garry coming back to the club that gets people off side. The first time with Bailey (who by the way I think wasn't too bad a coach at teaching the game he just lacked anyone around him to help him run professional fitness and training standards) saw Lyon come in as the expert hand and think he was right. The second time he really didn't want to come and do it but he couldn't say no to Jim but the whole time he prattled on about how busy he was and so forth. I mean there are 24 hours in a day Garry and besides the footy show and a paper column could you really not find time to do it with conviction? And if he couldn't then surely he should've told Jim that and gone out there and found the right person to do it. It was a half hearted effort.