bing181

It's called inexperience. Everyone can cite the "a young side" statistic, but when we play like "a young side", DL goes into meltdown.

Yes, of course it is. ANB, Stretch, Salem, Hunt and most of the young'uns have all gone up a notch this year, and have played their best games for the club. Same for Spencer. Jones has been great until today (injured? heavily tagged?). Vince had 30 disposals in Round 1, missed a round, was injured in Round 3 and played injured today apparently, though 25 disposals isn't too shoddy. As for Tyson, he had 28 disposals and 9 marks and yeah, shanked a few. 6 Clangers. The same number as Fyfe. A metre here or there on just one of those shots at goal or ball bounces and we wouldn't even be having these discussions.

Or not.

I'm not sure that a quote from Chomsky was what Picket was looking for.

You don't know that Smith would have got that goal, any more than you know if he would have even been in the position to have a shot in the first place. None of us know for certain "what would have happened", and if you think otherwise, you can give me the Tattslotto numbers for next week.

No, it didn't cost us the win. There are/were any number of factors across the whole game, some of them just down to luck (e.g. ball bounces) that cost us the win. The only reason you're singling out these two is that they occurred in the last quarter and are thus easier to remember. It's called availability bias.

We did not lose today because of selections. We lost because we let them get a run on, especially their mids, in one poor quarter. Perhaps we got ahead of ourselves. For all the bitching about Weideman and even the forward line, we still managed to kick a winning score - 15:14. But we let Mundy and Neale get 7 goals between them. That's where we lost it.

So Smith, who in his one game had 6 disposals, is your answer to why we lost? Step away from the keyboard OD.

Had a (really) good 2nd quarter. Took our foot off in the third, and they had enough ability to make sure we paid heavily. Did well to turn it around in the last, but not experienced or mature enough to pull off a close one. In the press conference, Goodman talked about composure with the ball. We still have too many players who don't have it, or have enough of it, which is dangerous around players like Fyfe. Not lost at the selection table, lost between the ears.

Hyperbole much?

Inexperience. Tends to do that. Harmes, ANB, Melksham ... will be interesting to see what changes come up for next week. Hogan, Trengove and Brayshaw in?

Too early for changes for next week?

OK, if he's got a corky ... perhaps more understandable.

In front, but not a lot of joy in this. Sloppy. Hard to know what's going on/wrong with Weideman, ball's been down there enough, 2 handballs? I'm all for development, but difficult to see what he's actually getting out of this or how it's helping him.

Weideman, one handball. On track to match his 4 possessions from last week. Watching on TV, hard to know what's really going on, he seems invisible.

You're implying that it's being accepted. I can't imagine that anyone at the club, or Weideman himself, think it's acceptable. Also, I know that he hardly managed a touch last week, but equally, we had 32 shots on goal, so something must be working in the forward line, and Weideman must be playing some kind of role in that.

For all those clamoring for Pedersen, what speaks realms isn't that he wasn't picked this week, but that he wasn't picked last week. That we preferred an untried first-gamer over him says something about where he sits in the pecking order. Whether it's fitness or capability, I have no idea.

Have to confess to being surprised by the Frost inclusion. Not because he's not up to it, I'm a fan, even though he has a long way to go. But he's coming off a long injury lay-off, and has only had, what, ½ and 3/4 of two practise matches at Casey. Still, presumably the selectors think he's ready. Smith a bit stiff, given that he wasn't the only forward who under-performed but so be it. With Hogan due back next week, Hannan and Weideman would need to do a bit better this match than last.

Woah, Oscar and Smith out. Frost and Bugg in. Go for it.

Hibberd has missed a lot of footy. If he ends up needing 3 or 4 rounds at Casey, it wouldn't surprise me - though it depends on what openings appear in the firsts.

Agree with the sentiment, but on the other hand, 3 of our main forwards had little impact on the game, or the scoreboard. Hannan, Weideman and Smith is perhaps one too many developing forwards in the same team, especially without Hogan there to steady the ship.

18:12 the first week and 13:8 the second. We're not short on skills, we're short on the experience necessary to consistently apply those skills.

Pedersen is coming off a major opp. Based on the absence of any real feedback to the contrary from Casey, not sure if he's ready. I could be wrong.

Hope no-one hurts themselves falling off these high horses.

Remembering that the game was shortened due to very bad weather: Ruckman Jake Spencer seems the most logical replacement for the injured Max Gawn, who sustained a right hamstring injury against Geelong. Spencer lined up in Casey's final pre-season practice game and had 30 hit-outs, 12 touches and kicked a goal in the 31-point win. Casey coach Justin Plapp told AFL.com.au on Sunday that Spencer dominated the hit-outs and "was able to mark the ball really well around the ground". Plapp said defender Sam Frost looked a lot more comfortable in his second game back from a toe injury, as he continues to build match fitness. The Casey coach added omitted midfielder Angus Brayshaw (25 disposals) was clean by hand at ground level and "showed signs of what we need him to be doing contest to contest".