binman

How about these aspirational names (aspirational in the sense that Jackson has no impact whatsoever for Freo): Inaction Jackson Not in action Jackson

What I really like is the way he squares himself to the goal face up a split second before kicking. That's a pure footy skill.

McClure has always left me cold. But that is an excellent interview. Great questions and richo found a nice balance between cliche and honesty. Asked about game plan, richo said no wholesale changes, but philosophicaly more aggressive. Which gels with observations from track watchers.

Simple. Get fitter.

Nominated for muliple Oscars I believe

Great minds.

Prior to the start of last season I predicted freo as the bolter, and possible top 4 chance. They looked rhe goods too before falling away. Part of my confidence was based on a sense Longmuire was following goody's template in terms of development and game plan (with some tweaks eg switch and outside run) - and he also has a similar temperament and approach I still think they are on the right track. They should make the 8 - they have an ok draw, and have a pretty easy opening 6 or so games, which gives them a chance of banking critical early wins. But one divergence from the goody template is the recruitment or Jackson. The golden rule is you draft for premierships - and only add star recruits to address a specific gap in order to go to the next level. Lynch to tbe tigers is a good example. Our equivalent is Lever and May. We were no chance of winning a flag without sorting our defence, which meant their recruitment made perfect sense and would have ruffled zero feathers within the team - and only minor ruffling with fans. What rarely happens however, is a team building towards being a genuine contender adding a really high priced recruit part way through the development phase who doesn't fill a a specific, and obvious gap that needs to be filled to win a flag. Doing so risks team cohesion as a new superstar salary impacts every other player on the list come contract negotiation time. And also plays havoc with tbe overall balancing of the salary cap. Recruiting a star also raises fan expectations - and if they are not met pressure builds. I wonder if Jackson is just such a recruit. I really don't see him being a massive game changer for them this season. Don't get me wrong, I think he will be a star. And may end up being a big factor in a premiership win. But freo aren't desperate for a ruck. To win a flag tbey need at least one elite big forward and at least one big bodied mid. Jackson's contract is going to make it hard to trade any such players. And if freo lose early games, his teammates and freo fans might start questioning the decision to put so many eggs in the Jackson basket. And if that happens angst can infect the club and Jackson risks becoming the loci of that angst. Which heaps note pressure on him. And grumbles about how much he is being paid and his performance start feeding in creating a mutant version of tbe virtuos cycle - the dreaded angst cycle. Jackson is now in the ultimate footy fiah bowl. If the wheels start wobbling the pressure on him will be immense. Bring it round one sainters.

100% agree. We played the roos in the corresponding game last season. And smashed them. But the roos were a rabble - and super young to boot. Men against boys. We were pretty wound up for that 2021 practice match against the tigers, who had near their best 22 IIRC. It was a willing contest that the dees looked intent on winning.

Yep, Fritter could def play that role. And may well do. But it might be a rob Peter to pay Paul scenario. Fritter has been our leading goal kicker in the last couple of seasons, and with Tmac is our most reliable set shot. If he were to play higher, we would have to find another player to kick those goals. Would JVR offer the same goal scoring ability?

And no combining live training reports and COVID vaccinations

That deescalated quickly.

I agree with this - if they are being asked to play the same role. To be honest i thought it was worth trying Tomo in that role last season. Unfortunately Weed wasn't up to it and i would have considered giving tomo a crack at it, such is the structural importance for us of that role. But as i said, Tomo is little undersized i think to be true KPF. Which is why i think a mobile forward role might be his best option. And to play that role he has to almost change body shape from previous years, become lighter and more like a 800 metre runner than a 100 metre sprinter (who are generally strong, power athletes). Or more like say Grundy than say hawkins - tall but lean. And he definitely has to improve his lateral movement and agility, something he has, like most players (eg Lever) struggled with post ACL. He doesn't look much different in this photo from training the other day, so perhaps I'm of the mark. But I'd be interested in the views of regular track watchers whether he is more agile and moving better this preseason - and what role he has been playing in match sims and in drills.

Training reports suggest we have been practicing a set up similar to the Cats model of leaving space inside 50 with the ball kicked over the head of forwards who run back into that space to mark and have a shot on goal. In that set up Cameron essentially plays as a high half forward, not the KPP role he has played for most his career. That leaves Hawkins inside 50 - and any other tall marking target, such as Blicavs who might have pushed forward. Cameron suits the role super well because he is athletic, moves well, marks well on the lead out into space (which is the critical link up kick we employ too - ie long leads from players like Tmac from the half forward flank into space on the wing) and is a penetrating and accurate field kick who creates scoring opportunities. And importantly he can still compete, for example in pack marking situations, as a key position forward, when necessary (though that is clearly not a strength). Cameron is critical for the Cats in terms of how they transition the ball from their back half and enter their 50. That is the role i suspect they have Schache in mind for. He has the athletic profile and skill set for the role - and like Cameron, marks well on the lead, likes to have space and is a beautiful left foot kick. And i hope for Schache's sake i'm right. Otherwise, his chances of cementing a spot in the ones are minimal, as as you point out he is competing with TMac, Brown, JVR and the resting ruck for a spot as a key forward. He could certainly slot into Fritter's role as a medium leading forward, but would only ever do so as a fill in. And really, he'll never be a one on one key position forward (like JVR so obviously is for example), so it doesn't make much sense that they would have traded him to play a role he is, one, unlikely to get many opportunities to play and two is no good at.

I agree. He played CHF for a few games with the giants. I don't think he set the world on fire, but he's a bit small for a true CHF. He's struggled with agility and lateral movement since coming back from his knee. But is looking in great shape and seems to have trimmed down. If he can get a bit more agile, high half forward is perfect for hom. He's big enough to almost be a key position player, and not bad one on one so he'd be a tricky match up. Good field kick too, which can't hurt. A high half forward role is probably his best chance of getting a regular game in the ones. We are pretty well set for key defenders. If he were to focus on that role he'd probably be competing with melksham and Schache.

Under loaded?

Could not agree more. I really missed the regular, multiple training reports last season (props though to PF for the amazing effort he went to)

ta

Presser streaming live anywhere do we know?

Agree totally with all of the above. Except, I'm not sure hunger is the right word. Implies a psychological issue, whereas I reckon it was physical - they were fatigued.

It's hard to get a handle on his specific role, which appeared to be almost a defensive high half forward role. So its a hard to assess sparg's form in 2022. But I totally agree Chandler and Laurie will be competitors for his spot I have a feeling Laurie might be the main competitor as he has tbe kicking skills to match spargo's kicks inside 50 (a kpi for him no doubt). And they played him back at Casey a bit I sdsume to sharpen up his defensive skills. I hope they use Chandler in a more pure small forward, offensive role. He would work well in tandem with kossie. Like kozzie, super hard at it, a neat enough kick and good pace.

All good points. I think i recall a comment from someone at the club that JVR was close to selection for the finals. But really Chandler, who i tgought seserved a shot on form, and Bedford were really the only players that could have come up. Maybe Tomlinson too I guess. But who would of those 3 players replaced? Bedford and Chandler would have been fighting for much the same roles - nibbler and spargo, neither of whom needed a chop out to freshen up. As nibblers finish in tbe bluey suggests he was zero risk of being dropped. Spargs perhaps more of a chance of being dropped, but swapping him for Bedford or Chandler wouldn't have moved the needle much. Tomlinson would have had to replace a tall defender at the bisiness end and even though Lever looked hampered at times that wasnt going go happen - though I do wonder if he could have been played forward. As you say, disco got a shot, and was injured. Laurie never made a compelling case and noone else was banging the door down. And to be fair to goody, he dropped rivers and bowey and stuck with Hunt, and then later in the year selected melksham.

It shapes as an interesting year for bowser. From a good luck charm best 22 lock who only knew winning. To getting dropped in the back of his second season. He didn't appear injured - did he miss a game? - so perhaps it was a classic case of second year blues. However, I have little doubt Salem either out injured or not at his best had a big impact. Bowey was suddenly the main distributor off half back and other teams put work into him. He is a super important player for us, Salem even more so. But almost as important is both playing regularly together. They compliment each other really well and if Salem is fit and firing the opposition is more likely to give him more focus than bowey . Which helps bowey get off the chain a bit more and set up some scoring chains. If Hunter can cement a spot in the best 22, suddenly we have three elite kicks distibuting the ball in that critical half back, wing zone. That's a big improvement from 2022 right there. A question for the track watchers (loving the reports) - how are bowey and salo looking?

Yep. Judd would find it alot harder to get out the front of a contest now. I also wonder it is more common for teams just to look to negate maxy rather than trying to win the ruck contest than was the case for cox.

IN THE SENIORS NOT AT CASEY!

Even if freo don't use him predominately as a forward, surely, as was the case at the dees, that is where he plays when not in the ruck. And given they have Darcy, best case scenario for Jackson is a 50 \50 ruck and forward split (though i guess they could play him as a mid at times). But given Darcy is arguably the best young ruck in the AFL (and is def not a genuine forward - though a much better mark than Jackson), he and Jackson are unlikely to evenly split ruck duties. So Freo fans will have to get used to Jackon as a middling forward who doesn't clunk marks or kick many goals. They might even start pining for Lobb!