Dee-licious

He wasn’t on the field for the first half. St least I couldn’t see him! I didn’t watch the 3rd but seems like he came on.

Love that White is named, and kind of love that Mentha hasn't been?

Good questions. Laurie - absolutely got better as the game went on. Played the new Melbourne game style, looked for the centring kick and didn’t blaze away inside 50. jefferson - I wouldn’t say leading? That was also some bad delivery and also very Brown focused. Jefferson either played high getting that outlet kick from D50 or he was the deepest forward and it was on his head. He was playing on an AFL defender in Young, who is older, bigger and stronger but wasn’t beaten. kolt - white was the driving mid, Kolt still hangs back a little. There were a couple of times in the final quarter where Kolt let the play happen instead of attacking the ball, pushing through the contest and then going for goal - like Trac or Kozzie do. He’s young and I think he’ll get there, but I’d like to see him being more on the move.

His first half wasn’t great, but he was so important in the second half. Agree he’s probably going to Perth. Maybe with BBB

He did well in that role. He doesn’t really lose contests. He doesn’t really win them yet, but doesn’t lose them.

Jefferson playing behind the ball now. been ok - got to the right positions and spoiled every contest, but also hasn’t taken the 4 marks he had a chance to (they were all heavily contested).

I won’t name names, but someone’s older brother has just turned it over agains and again and again.

Hunter, Laurie, Hore, Brown above the level the longer the game goes on. the kids in Brown, Kolt, Woey, Verrell and Jefferson all getting better each week.

Ben Brown looked so good today (expect for finishing).

For those not watching, we have depth, but depth in the 18-23rd player. Most of them wouldn’t discrasie themselves in the 1s, but they aren’t going to be a difference maker. Woey looks so much better at this level than last time he was at VFL. You can See the afl experience. If we deliver the ball on a lead, Brown is great, but he isn’t a winter player. Keep him ready for September.

Very, very shallow entries. So shallow Kolt has to kick it from outside 50

Ruckmen take a while - so he can enjoy some US university time, and then come and play for the Dees when he is 22 via Cat B :)

Great questions being asked. I'll throw in my 5c where I can. Adams - he is developing. His kicking is quite good and can take a mark. Positioning has been good and I don't find myself thinking "he keeps being beaten". Sort of where Petty was at the same stage, you see glimpses and you trust him, but he doesn't look like he is May/Lever reincarnate. Tomlinson is the central force down there, that Adams is usually not the focal point behind the ball, hence the low disposal count. There is nothing to suggest he is not going to make it. Similarly, there is nothing to suggest he is going to be playing AFL this year. I think he has shown more than O Mac and Petty did at the same stage of their development. AMW - I am unsure what he role would be in the AFL. Supersub? He is playing across half back because of our injury list. He has played mid and he has played forward. I think he is good, but I don't think he is a good enough kick / decision maker off half back - think what Hunt used to do for us. He can break lines, he can defend, and he can be creative, but he is not Bowey / Rivers / McVee. He is developing well, but I'd say like Woey Jr, he screams role player, rather than potential AA at some stage in his career, which I'd argue the other three I mentioned could be. I don't know if he is going to play AFL this year, but I can see him making it, either at the Dees or somewhere else. Too much talent and work rate not to make it. Jefferson - I think collectively (demonland) we don't know what we want Jefferson to be doing / to be. Me included. I wanted him to be the key forward next to JVR, but the more I watch, the more I like him being a Fritch 3rd key sort of player. A Tim Membrey perhaps. Last year at Casey he kicked 23 from 20 games and had a pretty poor end to the season. But he kicked a few 3s and 4s. He is not strong enough against a traditional gorilla and perhaps he isn't agile enough against a mobile hybrid tall - but he is tall and has serious hands/leap - in a way that he plucks marks you think he has no right to / he has misjudged completely. He will be a low possession player - but the possessions have been high impact. I don't have score involvement stats - but he had 3.2 and I know he was involved in 3 other scores. So 8 / 12 possessions (at least) were score involvements. And for the focal question, if I'm a young midfielder who is trying to slam it on the boot going forward, I'm heading to Schache or Brown as they have both played in AFL Grand Finals and usually are in more dangerous positions because they have been doing this a long time. And what I like about Jefferson, is if he is there, he then steps out and guards the drop of the ball. You can see in his face he is thinking about positioning and what he is being told to do all the time. Very similar to how O Mac used to play - what have I been told and where do I need to stand. Jefferson has more skills and more strings to his bow, but that is the best way I can describe it. He does chase and does try and tackle - you can see why we signed him longer because he is working very hard and won't die wondering if he could be an AFL player or not. Again, not this year in the AFL, maybe mid-next year if we are resting some players, but he is a real slow burn. Kolt - He and Seaston are trying to learn the inside mid game. Kolt's clearance numbers and tackles have been good, albeit his disposal count has been lower the last 2 games since returning from AFL. At Casey we tend to use the wings quite a bit, so think Tomlinson to AMW to Hunter to forward. In the centre clearances, he seems very man focused rather than ball focused, playing a defensive mid sort of role. I'd love to see him get more of the ball, because we are a better team when he does, but it is not a high possession game in the middle. I am not concerned, but I would like to see him have the ball in his hands a little more in the next few weeks. Question about Darcy Wilson - oh yeah! I would've loved to have him at the Dees with Windsor and Wilson our wings for the next 15 years. Kolt's ceiling still remains much higher. Hope that helps.

That was a goal. Watch the goals video this week, they are worth it.

Jefferson had a good patch there in the third after not much of him for the game. He is reminding more of Fritch than a JVR key forward. He is not a natural pressure player but you can see he is thinking about it. He is a natural mark and kick player and I haven’t seen him lose too many contests. It’s a marathon with him. Let’s see where we are in 18 months time. We are in no rush. He, Verrall and Adams all show signs. They don’t need to dominate (yet). Just compete.

It really does….

Could be. Doesn’t look like his fitness is near afl level, but the skills And hustle is there. I thought hustwait and subzowki would be the ones we are looking at, but if it’s from our VFL team, he’s looked the most likely.

And for the Jeffo haters - he delivered both to George - one by hand, one by foot. And both through contests.

He wasn’t the only key forward for Melbourne who didn’t turn up this week. And probably contributed more to goals than others we had. I get the frustration that he’s not involved more and that he has a timid nature off the field. I also get the frustration from people who have seen his good games and go “far out, the ceiling is so high on this kid”. We have 44 spots on the list and his ceiling is as high as any of them. What does it matter that we are giving him a base wage, getting him up to speed with the game, and see what he can do. For those “draft bust” people, we did all we could in that draft to move up. Maybe you are Josh Weddle fans, but there is no one picked after Jeffo that screams we made a mistake. Even with revisionist history. Let’s enjoy the ride and see where we are in 2026. Till then, we should have enough key forwards that are meant to be in that spot.

"Coach, I don't need to play midfield minutes today, put me at half back" - Hunter, Seaston, Laurie and Brown say in unison while AMW pencils his name in there..... Yep, we are not batting experienced this year at Casey, but there is a lot of young talent. We still have enough good players to be winning games in the 1s and the 2s are just going to struggle sadly.

It reminded me of Petty's debut against the Saints. You could see that he has all the AFL qualities, but a little too small against a top-tier opponent and he was required to be a match winner every time he went near the ball, rather than play a role, which Windsor / Howes got to do at the start of this year, and McVee last year. I have no worries about him long term. It's much easier to fend and run when you have lots to kick to and support around you. We didn't have that at all last night. We might not get a chance to persist with him because with Kozzie back and Salem then out, we probably need a full time mid (Hunter or Laurie) or a half back (if Riv goes in there). None of which is on Kolt. He'll be right.

You are correct - he had a bit of injury trouble, but he was U16 All Australian and one of WAs best players. He went to half back in his under 18 year and went into the year in 2nd round conversations. It’s not so much a out of nowhere pick, as a player who had dominated at times at the state level and at colts who had a bad under 18 year. and I also think it suits the narrative of our backline being unheralded or low picks. Howes was predicted to be 1st round, Rivers predicted first round (including as high as 10), Bowey went first round, same with Salem. And May and Lever. They just dropped a little lower than expected but there was no question on their talent or application.

And I like that when Selwood gets something wrong, he goes back and corrects himself rather than shrugging it off. What made him a good player - wants to work hard and get better each time.

On a positive note, 8/12 players today are eligible for the rising star award, so we are very young. The four that aren’t - Laurie (still young), Scache, Tomlinson and Fullerton are back ups. But, that was pretty ordinary. It could be a long year at Casey if we don’t get on top of our injuries. Tomlinson is fine to come in and do his thing. Fullerton can come in and add something. There is enough to like about the 8 youngsters that they can develop into AFL players. Most role players though based on today. But they’ve got time. worrying for Casey is that Hustwaite and our young players seem to be what we’ve got and not much else. Steele and Freeman were fine, White not well sighted, but not much else on any line. if I was giving votes, Hustwaite, and then maybe Tomlinson, and then Kolt. Laurie did well, AMW had 1, 9, 1, 8 in his possessions across quarters and Woey and Brown ok.

The inside 50s this quarter have been horrid and haven’t helped any of the forwards. And we don’t seem to be kicking it to anyone. Just kicking…. At least when we didn’t have the ball we were under pressure and it was understandable.