DeeSpencer

Scorps for the flag!

Not sure if we’re better off with little to no social coverage or the embarrassing nicknames and fanboying of Carlton Reserves

Did his hammy on the 26th so it’s nearly 5 weeks, will be just about 6 weeks by round 0. Maybe it was a 6 week hammy not an 8 week hammy? If he plays 3/4’s or so tomorrow that’s probably enough to declare him match fit.

Preseason results are unpredictable, gamble responsibly etc etc but Carlton $1.80 is tremendous value

Come back tomorrow

Total fire ban and predictions from authorities that it’s one of the biggest fire risk days in years

A 6:40pm start is crazy, will still be mid 30’s and possibly smoke haze, play the main game at 9:30am, play the vfl in the evening

If he makes it through a half or so tomorrow and looks even remotely fit and capable I’d expect Fullarton to be given the chance for round 0 or at least round 1. He’s not much different to Schache but at least has a bit of mobility on the ground and seemingly more confidence

The quality of cheap depth key forwards across the league is terrible. The Hawks backed the truck up for Mabior Chol for instance. That said, we didn’t even trial anyone over summer looking for an Anthony Caminiti type. Brisbane pounced in the Gunston deal on Brandon Ryan who I like. Clubs do find gems at times. Heck I’d probably rather have Mykelti Lefau! Our list management philosophy for the 3rd ruck/5th key forward in recent years has seemingly been ‘meh, whatever just get whoever you can’. Schache’s time now to prove that he’s at least worth a go.

FB: McVee May Tomlinson HB: Rivers Lever Bowey C; Langdon Salem Windsor HF: Billings JVR Pickett FF: Chandler Schache Fritsch Foll: Gawn Petracca Viney Int: Howes Sparrow ANB Laurie S: K Brown FB: Hore T Mc HB: Adams C: Woey HF: AMW Fullarton Tholstrup FF: Sestan Jefferson Foll: Verrall Oliver Int: KFW Big opportunities for Howes and Laurie to nail their spots. T Mc, Fullarton, Woey all chances to push their case returning from injuries in the VFL game as well as Clarry obviously.

FB: McVee May ???? HB: Rivers Lever Bowey C; Langdon Salem Windsor HF: Billings Petracca Spargo FF: Fritsch JVR Chandler Foll: Gawn Viney Sparrow Int: ANB, Woey (half back), Oliver/Laurie?, ???? S: ???? Plenty of question marks. Didn't like the look of Tomlinson or Howes down back, would see if a tall puts their name up and try Woey on a back flank. Midfield it's a matter if Clarry gets the approval or is made to wait. 2nd ruck/key forward is a big problem.

Gavrilo Princip vs Brayden Maynard. Similarities?

Are we sure Fullarton is still out until April? He seems to be advancing fairly quickly with talk he’d play some minutes on Wednesday? He could be a chance for round 1 or 2 (17 or 23 March). The other question is are we sure Verrall can’t play round 0? No expectations he’d play more than about 50% game time (30% ruck, 20% forward) but is he an option?

Apparently played well in todays scratch match. Could well be this years Bedford. Goody and co just haven’t been able to convince young fringe players to stay. They’ve been given contracts, opportunity and the chance to go to good clubs in a great city, but it’s disappointing. I don’t have any issues with the way guys weren’t picked for certain games. You can’t do selection via hindsight. JJ got a good run in 2022 and didn’t really do anything to suggest he had to stick in the side permanently last year. I have some issue that players weren’t convinced to stay with others moved out to accomodate them. And I guess in JJ’s case I’m not over the moon about Hunter taking his spot and being no better.

Harmes was done at Melb. Dunstan done in the afl before he even came to us. It would’ve been nice to keep JJ because he’s still a young improving player but would you really be feeling great about our midfield depth if JJ was still on the list? Loading up on small/medium forwards in which way? Laurie was pre the flag and I suspect bought in because Spargo and ANB were struggling in 19/20. I wouldn’t give up on Bill as a midfielder just yet Howes was picked as a versatile wing/flanker which is still a need. AMW is cat B so doesn’t count. Sestan was a late gamble. Tholstrup spent plenty of time on ball in the under 18 carnival. He’s about as close to a midfielder as you can get without being a midfielder just yet. But if the available mids are one paced, small or unskilled would you prefer them to a mid/forward who’s going to start forward? Im not thrilled by the lack of turnover of list spots. And it’s crazy that Gus retires the day or so after the SSP deadline. Whilst it’s not optimal from a depth perspective I’m actually excited that Salem, Billings, Laurie, Pickett, Rivers etc will get midfield opportunities.

Phil Davis also thought he was fit to play in the 2019 grand final! The Giants are actually a great example of a super team that won nothing and have now retooled with arguably less overall talent but a team that’s in a great position to challenge again in the next few years.

Nothing, we were the ones that signed him on a long term deal knowing he could be done at any moment. Medical retirement should mean Gus is taken care of by the league and not salary cap. The only other thing we should’ve got / should get is access to a replacement player by the SSP. It’s crazy to have the deadline last week and Gus announced now. Provision should be made for medical retirements before the first bounce of the season proper.

Our list has been continuously overrated by anyone who thinks we are a super team. Great ruck and contested mids, great key backs, some other quality players but largely the rest has been closer to taped together than dominant. The key forwards are the obvious one but down back it was ageing Hibbo and kids in Rivers and Bowey. Langdon had a fine 2021 but he’s never been a superstar winger and the other wing has been a tape up job. Midfield and half forward rotations have been role players similar to most sides. The one emerging superstar that could’ve automatically upgraded the side last year and the next couple upped and left to Freo. Perhaps our best staffer in Burgo left to Adelaide through no fault of the mfc. The big mistake has been to think this super list will just win again rather than retool/reload which we are now been forced to do. St Kilda in the 00’s got none. GWS mid to late 10’s got none. Pies under Mick/Bucks got 1, that’s the side we are most similar too.

They had the best team just about ever in 00 and won 1 flag. We are half as good by comparison, that we haven’t made another prelim or granny doesn’t matter. It’s 1-1.

He has the easiest job in footy playing on second talls and gets dropped because he’s either no good or there’s no match up. And his body language is abysmal at times. He’s a depth player who somehow got elevated to a starter over summer.

That was surely the coaches plan but quite clearly it didn’t repeat itself

Tomlinson is 30 and has played 170 games, how much more game time does he need? Im not saying T Mc is going to be any better but I’m very keen to see if a move down back does unlock some form for him.

I definitely want him to be a more consistent centre bounce presence this year, but we need him in the forward line. There’s no one else with his speed and pressure. Has to be clear communication to work the swaps after clearances. And I agree he has to do more with linking up in centre clearances. You know who we underutilise after the first possession of a clearance? Big Maxy. He should be used as a basketball low post style distributor. Where every other player is spreading out and trying to run just handball up to big Maxy who’s impossible to tackle cleanly right away and have him dish handballs to the receivers.

The 2 Windsor kicks that hit targets were lucky shanks that wobbled on to chests, otherwise he missed pretty much every target on the run and some in slow play too. His role in the side is to take it on at pace and gain metres, plus he’s adapting to the pace of afl footy. In his career to date he’s almost always been able to gain a gap and then steady, he won’t have that luxury at afl level. He’ll adapt to the pace and hopefully get more cohesion with his team mates but everything I’ve seen at training has been a lot of missed kicks. Yet reports from Casey days has him lacing it out? A really good result for Windsor would be something like a less prolific version of Langdon’s 2020 season where his run was obvious but his radar and cohesion lacking. Or a bit of a Jayden Hunt season where there’s brilliance mixed in with some errors.

I’ve flirted with teams without him but I still think Chandler will play based on no Pickett and no McAdam. We need a small who can mark and contest in the air. The big change should be ANB and Spargo back on the half forward flanks. If either of those 2 miss then Brown is a chance potentially even ahead of one of Laurie/Billings who seem to me to be fighting for one spot. It’s hard to justify 2 attacking forward/mid types who aren’t at the level of pressure/run we’ve become accustomed to. The big thing we need to adapt is fast run from the backline isn’t a signal for 3 or 4 forwards to get deep, the plan should be for hit up leads at half forward to punish interceptors and yesterday it looked like JVR, Fritsch, Chandler, Schache all wanted to be inside 50. Too many leading back in to the same spot and a bunch of kicks just lobbing to intercept markers. Nibbler and Spargo change that balance, but still a big concern that without Petty there’s no tall or medium who’s a natural hit up player.