DeeSpencer

Some people just don't like the reality bus. In a few weeks they'll be wondering why it moves faster that Culley

I'd suggest there seems to be some positivity towards him from the footy club but a mature age pick up who took all year to crack a senior game doesn't seem like an automatic re-sign based on one solid AFL game. I have no idea what the club is really thinking with Culley or AMW, Spargo, Henderson, Woey, Kynan Brown, Sestan and Verrall or Tommy Campbell for that matter. The only thing Culley has shown that those guys haven't is beating up on a hapless West Coast team

He took a nice contested mark with a free run and jump at it against who knows and who cares from the Eagles, one other nice goal and otherwise had 13 touches that were largely unremarkable. If he doesn't show more over the next 3 weeks we shouldn't be seduced by this nice story and delist him too. Poor list management is adding Culley and costing ourselves a mid season draft pick slot. We could've had Archie May who looks a genuine key forward talent.

If he was quick he wouldn’t have been delisted from the worst list in the comp. Pump the brakes.

I wouldn’t mind having a look at him as a back up ruck option if he has some aerial ability competing against talls. That way we could pick Jeffo instead of JVR. It would also give him another string to his bow and give us a different look at stoppages.

Jay Z makes up 90% of his trade stories but is also our journo of choice. The club might be part of this story. The question is which key forward? Gunston clearly not. Dear they aren’t trading. Ramsden I’m not convinced is good. Mitch Lewis - nearly 8 years on a list. 72 games. 9 games a year. Chol - Will be 29 next year. Runs very hot and cold. I’d take either of them, but they’re stop gaps. If we’re trading Tracc and going for a deeper rebuild we need picks rather than overpaying just to claim we landed a tall forward.

It doesn’t really matter. Members paid for more than enough tickets even if the didn’t turn up. Crowd was big enough to pay for the food and drinks, toilets etc. No level 3 cleaning bill and probably about a 5 minute job to clean up level 2. All things considered probably a decent result for what is never going to be a profitable home game for us. Hopefully we can get 35-40k next week.

Brisbane have other plans and Sydney might do as well if you believe the JUH rumours. Even the bottom 6 have at least one quality veteran. It’s really only us. I’m sure the Pies know it and are going to only offer what they need.

16k, according to the North Korean stats bureau

Windsor looking comfortable on ball was the highlight to me. Ball use still shaky and hasn’t looked as quick or as clean as last year at any time this year but he made some great decisions out of traffic and was a defensive speed presence that we need in there. Backline is playing pretty solid footy, good both ways when they get some up field pressure. 22 tackles in forward 50, the eagles give you a chance but the boys rolled up their sleeves today

Culley was a step behind the play, positioned himself in strange spots and got in the way in the air most of the time. He was fighting a nil all draw with Clay Hall and losing to Chesser (who we’d have to be in to). But the ability to float forward and take one good and one great mark is a good tool in the bag. (Please take Langford to specsavers because he continues to get first hands on so many similar marks and then drops them). 3 more weeks to earn a contract extension for mine, I’m not there yet.

Disagree, he’s been excellent down back and Collingwood know how to improve players and slot them in to roles. Hes exactly what they need and they’ll spread money over the 4 years. They’re maximising their window. We might be able to get Mihocek with 2 but his body has been through the absolute wars. Assuming we can get Derksen and hopefully a back up ruck I’d rather back in our young guys. If that means living through more Melk and Petty then so be it but we don’t need short term stop gaps.

Never seen a bigger reach. We won a flag with the same set up.

Need height down back but not sure we’ve got any that will actually stop them. It would be Adams for Howes and he’d have to play on Naughton and let Disco intercept. We probably just go Disco on Naughton and hope Howes and Rivers can offer some chop out. Can’t do much for the midfield. Not sure there’s any need to swap the starting small forwards. JVR isn’t going well but not sure this is a Jeffo game. I’d go Lindsay sub again and have Sharp at Casey because he needs full games.

And how many have put together AFL level form in the VFL? Answer = 0. Adams is closest but he doesn't consistently intercept or insert himself in to play. There's time for him to earn a debut this year still but no rush to just give it to him when he needs to go up another gear to show he's really ready. Sestan got close, got injured. Mentha has some traits but isn't consistently impacting, no need to rush him. Kentfield has great traits, spent him summer in hospital, goes in and out of games as you'd expect from a teenager with no endurance base. Verrall isn't even a number 1 ruck at Casey yet, which is fine for a 21 year old.

There's 4 games left, more than enough time for him to impress if he's good enough. For most of the VFL season he's looked average.

The ball spent most of the time locked in either forward line and the far wing. Deliberately running a player off the ground either leaves a free man in a really dangerous spot or provides one less in the congestion which means an easy clearance. Either way that’s not good. Mids/forwards don’t rotate off at specific times, it’s up to the players to come off for fresh legs when tired either after goals, at set shots or when the ball comes near the bench. That never happened. We let Kossie come off at a time when there was a chance for him to come back on with 2-3 minutes. Unfortunately we didn’t get a shot at goal and the Saints didn’t either until there was 20 seconds left or whatever it was.

Spargo was fine at Casey. Woey is injured, Laurie’s just going at Casey and has never done anything at AFL level in his entire career which leaves Billings, who is playing decent footy in the midfield at Casey. If we knew our midfield was going to fall apart he would’ve been more use, but fresh legs to play half forward to mitigate the Saints run was still the logical choice. As is picking a guy who we need to make a contract call on in Spargo than a random Billings game.

Take note of what? Sharp’s proven to be a very ordinary footballer who’s had multiple goes as the sub and rarely done anything. He’s got some speed but it’s only useful on the very rare times he’s got a clear run to goal and he has no smarts in traffic. He also needs to play some full games. He’s been subbed off 7 times and the sub twice. If we had a genuinely quick forward capable of winning the pill and making an impact they’d be playing in the best 22. I’m not sure why you’re focussed on our weakest position with tall forwards and flankers. Our 5 million dollar midfield fell apart and there’s nothing at Casey. He ran out of puff after half time so subbing him was totally reasonable but at least they finally had a look at Windsor in the guts.

Defensive forward is a reasonable sub, he got that tackle that could’ve saved the game with just a fraction more smart play from the other clowns. Doesn’t matter who gets injured week in and week out we and most other clubs bring on a half forward. Spargo looked flat when he first came on tho. I think he’s as checked out as most of the rest of them.

Jefferson dropped chest marks in miles of space and nearly missed the ball on set shots last week. He had to be dropped for his own sake. Petty was his usual poor self but did a role and allowed Fritsch and Melk to play deeper. Heaven knows why Fritsch was the spare back and not Petty tho. That’s a howler. But this loss was overwhelmingly on our midfield - who are also our leaders and most expensive players - just having zero stamina, smarts, composure or skills.

The coach can’t do it for the players, at most they can do is send the runner out. It’s our senior players who are the problem. Oliver is a flat out embarrassment. Gawn’s had stuff all leadership for 2 years. Where was his awareness to make sure we had 4 in the square? Viney is dumb as a post. Tracc has zero defensive running. If Gawn stands the mark and the 3 mids man up the Saints have one chance to win with a bombed kick. If our last quarter involved just a fraction more composure we win. No moment more than Oliver just hacking it around the forward 50 when any score extends the margin to at least 7.

lol, there’s not going to be a big enough crowd to worry about a boycott

Jackson is playing alongside Darcy playing pure mid as much as ruck. There was never any mention of him wanting to be a permanent ruck. Grundy and Gawn didn’t work but they’re both top notch pure number 1 rucks. No team plays 2 genuine rucks in their best side. Max didn’t tell them to choose Fullarton. Nor is it his fault we haven’t got a high 190’s forward/ruck on the list. I also don’t know where JVR is expected to thrive if he’s not rucking? He ain’t much good as a forward, the ruck time is good for him.

I’m a Jeffo fan but I think the moment was too big for him and I’ve got no issues sending him back to Casey before he gets more in his head. Still plenty of games to get him more chances. I’m a firm no on Kentfield because he just doesn’t have the endurance base. He’s a talent, let’s get him a preseason. So May and Jeffo out, Petty back and AJ or Petty forward and Adams. Don’t have a strong opinion either way. As for the smalls: some combination for Sparrow, Spargo perhaps Laurie for Kolt, Sharp maybe Lindsay for a full game at Casey. Howes for Salo, McVee. Maybe but unlikely.