Pates

Every week the Media likes to paint the season on the line picture with us. Fact is we’ve dug ourselves a hole so every game matters now. I’m not expecting a miracle today, but I am hopefull the Baker will show something to give us a bit of something different.

I was thinking about that when I read others were interested. We are definitely in need of a small forward with some excitement and spark, unless Garlett is able to recapture some of his old magic.

I want to see us push Tom McDonald further up the ground (assuming he’s fit to do it) get him playing mor of a CHF role and trying to use his mobility. In the 50 go different, we have Hunt, Smith, Garlett, and Petracca, in theory we should have better players at ground level with pace. I wonder if we’ve become to predictable with Tom being our key forward and trying to pop it on his head. Get him out of the 50 and leading hard, hopefully being more in the game will build on his confidence. We have to make sure they don’t get easy intercept marks.

As much as I'm inclined to laugh at this I could kind of see this happening. If he gets his hands working again I feel like he could kick a bag. That said I don't think it matters if he kicks a bag I think we'll still lose, we're missing too many key players and the ones we've got aren't in good form.

I honestly haven't seen enough to suggest otherwise, there really doesn't seem to be and discernible plan with our forward entries. Now that said TMac is woefully out of form with his marking, and presumably his leading patterns are not providing assistance to the midfield. But still there appears to be very little lowering of the eyes to spot up targets.

Completely agree, he’s not alone in this but 4 out of 45 inside 50s is horrible. I really feel like the players are being told to just get it in there without an actual plan. There is very little lowering of the eyes and even when we do it’s usually a poor kick. Fix it Goody!

We surely can’t play Lewis on a 6 day break with him barely doing anything on the track. He’s slow enough as it is, I can’t imagine him doing much better after coming off looking very sore vs GC. I think all three outs should be the walking wounded (Hibberd, Melksham, Lewis) + Keilty out for ANB, Pruess, Smith, and Petty.

That is a bit rich coming from Hardwick, as you said they basically won a premiership off the back of one of the best injury runs I've ever seen.

This is where the reprimand system was actually a good thing in my books because twice in two weeks he’s gone for deliberate high contact but both very low impact. A reprimand last week and this week would see him suspended fairly in my books, warning and result for repeated infringement.

I've said this so much I can't possibly believe the coaching staff are allowing it to continue without trying to fix it, but the kicking for goal from Petracca is so,e of the worst I've seen at the club. He kicked that fantastic goal from outside 50 while completely shanking one from 30m out on a slight angle. Devote one day of training to him just kicking for goal, get repetition and muscle memory into his kicking action because right now it is pathetically bad. And worst of all it's becoming a liability to the team.

Have to laugh at the Hawks getting such a shocking crowd vs GWS at the G, especially since they've got such a monster membership! I wonder whether those same people that gave Melbourne [censored] for low attendances on Mother's Day will give it to the Hawks as well. Meanwhile Hawks beating GWS should give us confidence in a couple of weeks, unless of course we get (likely) murdered by the Eagles next week.

Shocking win but you always take it. Well done to Marty Hore for having the composure that seemed to elude every one of his teammates in the forward line. TMac didn't have a great night but he did somethings that I think will give him confidence, though his last set shot was terrible. Still 3 goals is a step ahead. I can't work out why our efficiency is so god awful, it has to be sorted out. That was an incredibly bizarre win.

Horrible handball from Oliver there.

Wagner was shocking at the contest.

Frost with composure and Petracca with a good kick. What the hell!

We are not a good team this year, we honestly look like a bottom 4 team that is trying to remember how to win. Both teams appear to be void of clear rational thinkers, so much blazing away when calm good ball use is needed. I feel like we’re watching two of the worst current teams in the AFL.

Hawks dropping Roughy is a big call given his stature at the club, would give me so much pleasure to see them topple down the ladder this year.

I'm not blaming Neeld for all of the club's woes and certainly not the currently predicament. The captaincy and the stresses put on such a young body must've played their part. Trengove and others have admitted that despite there being concerns he continued to be played and pushed way too hard. The mental weight is a completely different story, I actually don't necessarily blame the club for going to down that direction. It was a gamble and Jones was no more ready than either Grimes or Trenners, fact was at that time we were actually void of any true leaders. But the club (and as the coach of the time Neeld) played a part in Jack's mismanagement, to ignore this is to not learn form your mistakes. Unfortunately I don't think we did because we pushed Viney back too soon in 2017 for a last ditch push at the finals, ultimately it was a mistake and it cost us in 2018 with limited matches. Like Neeld, Goodwin should shoulder a portion of that blame as well.

Trenner's story is definitely not a happy one, started so bloody well and looked like he was going to be a 200+ game player for our club and a gun to boot. Then that foot problem (with a little help from the club and Neeld) ruined him. Another one for the the "what could've been" book.

There's been lots of talk recently about our medical staff and the choices they'd made. I really hope they are 100% sure about Jack's shoulder, Jack himself has admitted that he hasn't been the greatest judge of his own body in the past. As for Nibbler out for him, I'd say it's pretty stiff as well, but clearly they have match ups in mind. Still giving up leg speed for grunt in the middle.

Garlett - Hamstring - Available Tim Smith - Back - Available Preuss - Shoulder - Test Viney - Shoulder - 1 week May - Groin - 3-4 weeks Lever - Knee - 1 week Hannan - Knee - 2 weeks JKH - Knee - 2 weeks Maynard - Hip - 1 week AVB - Foot - 6-8 weeks Joel Smith - Groin - 6-8 weeks KK - Concussion - TBA Good to see Lever is almost set for a return, there’s no point in rushing him so I would be giving him half a game at the VFL reserves then up his game time in VFLseniors and assess if match fitness wise when he’s ready. Pruess is a chance, but I’m not sure if the Suns are a team we would bring him in for.

Right now we are a one week at a time prospect, we have only showed our best in small bits with zero consistency. In our two wins I would say at best we’ve done half match efforts. Until we put in a 4 quarter (or at least a dominant 3 quarter) effort we have no right to be thinking about finals. I’m actually glad that GC showed some scrap against WC because the coaches should be highlighting it to the players that both teams are very different in ‘19. We've at least got our contested confidence back, next we need to get our ball use and inside 50 efficiency much better.

It’s difficult to drop him at this stage only because our defence appears more organised with him back, but boy he is looking slow and unskilled. Those dinky kicks that used to be his bread and butter that would get us out of trouble are now becoming a liability. I think he’s got one last chance with no one able to directly come in for him at this stage.

He should be talking to Daniel Cross about recovery techniques to get him back as quickly as possible, I highly doubt sinking mutiple pints on a Sunday arvo would be a part of it. I’m not necessarily saying footy players shouldn’t be allowed to drink a beer every now and then but when you’ve had an inauspicious start to your career at a new club and already had your professionalism called into question I’d imagine you’d want to do everything in your power to put your best foot forward. If he really wants to buy into the club he should be at Casey supporting his teammates. I’m hoping that will be one of the first directives that his teammates say to him, if he’s not going to be home recovering he should be supporting his teammates at Casey. And he should be ditching the booze for the foreseeable future. Get some bloody professionalism Steve.

Sounds like this guy is a serial pest, I have read elsewhere that he was belligerent towards two female saints fans the other week. That said the Melbourne guy needs to know when to walk away or simply point to the scoreboard. I seriously doubt the Hawks fan is innocent in this whole scenario and he should be put on notice as well but the Dees fan has embarrassed himself and unfortunately the club as well. Minimum year long ban from the footy and cancelling his membership (if he has one) would be the way I’d go.