bing181

If you lose x% of your best 22, by definition you're going to underperform, and that's true even if you win. Whether that underperforming team will be enough, time will tell.

I have his enthusiasm - but I'm also a realist. With the key injuries and other interruptions over the pre-season, I'll be pleasantly surprised if we win one of the first three.

It's Demonland, we don't need no ******' evidence.

All a bit weird this. The Casey site has info on the Casey v Bulldogs practise match from Monday, but not this one.

Anyone know if Petty played? (No team sheet anywhere for example?)

Surely it hasn’t been publicized because they don’t want anyone there?

Jesus.

I'd take Spargo over Chandler any day, though I like what Chandler showed against Richmond.

A thread where lots of people use words to say that words don't matter.

They're not an excuse, they're a reason. Events have consequences.

Getting them on the field is only half of it.

I'll get this out here now: think we're going to really struggle in at least the first part of this year. We've got our two main talls out of the forward line, so not only will they miss a lot of training, the crucial point is that the rest of the team will have missed a LOT of training with them. Systems? Mid-Forward connection? Forget it. Add to that, similar comments for the absence of Kozzie, Brayshaw and Viney, where the lack of training time together will have consequences on the whole team, regardless of how the individuals can get back into shape. Finally, throw a few others into a similar basket: Melksham and Hibberd, but also players like Salem. Sure, we can eventually get these players back on the field. But we can never make up for the lost training TOGETHER.

Bad coaching?

Agree with most of the above. Biggest issue for me is still disposal and decision making - or lack of. Really missed Salem, and to a lesser extent, Hibberd: no drive off half back. Feel like we have to play Bowey. He'll get beaten more often than not, but he needs to be fast-tracked.

Not just missing our entire key position forward line, plus first choice mids (Viney, Oliver, Brayshaw), but the clean disposal that is Salem. Just too many out there who can't hit a target, and worse, too few who can.

23 disposals and 3 goals. Handy.

Comments on one of the Carlton boards (he was with their VFL team, Northern Blues) refer to him as having plenty of talent, but lacking in application. Take with a grain of salt, as much as anything because that's from a couple of years ago, before he joined Werribee.

AFL site: Demons midfielder Jack Viney is facing an uphill battle to return from foot surgery for round one, but Angus Brayshaw will play in a VFL practice match this weekend as he makes his bid to play in the season opener. Kysaiah Pickett should also be in the frame, with the exciting forward to return to Victoria on Sunday after being allowed to travel to Perth for personal reasons due to a family bereavement. Jake Melksham is another that has his eyes set on a round one return, having dealt with a hamstring complaint. Key forward duo Ben Brown (knee) and Sam Weideman (leg) will both miss the opening stages of the season and could still be around two months away in their recoveries. Meanwhile, youngster Aaron Nietschke is set to miss the entire season after cruelly rupturing his ACL for the third time. – Riley Beveridge

I'm a Rivers fan, but thought he was pretty horrible actually defending on Friday. He seemed to be on Aarts, who got away on a number of occasions and ended up being the Tige's highest goal-scorer (3).

Not to mention Europe. 11.30 p.m. start here, might get the first quarter in.

Perhaps not a surprise that it comes from an American.

Yes, though I suspect that the plans are to play them further up the field, delivering into the forward line. (Though what would I know ...)

I think the point here is that if we need cover, he has the AFL experience to just come in and play. He mightn't play brilliantly, but if he can hold down a position reasonably well, it'll be enough. It also means that if we lose another key position player (lord forbid), we won't have to rob Peter to pay Paul by shuffling existing KP's.

Because there's a whole glut of above-average rucks just sitting round waiting for the phone to ring. Of course he's average. Average is fine, and he's at least as good/better ruck alternative than anyone else we have.

Apart from Hunt, whose two high-scoring games skewed the stats, Weidemann had the highest goals/game average last year.