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Oh and some of Derms best comments: On Bugg's kicking lining up for goal, "he's usually a very good kick is Tom Bugg". After Watts kicked a goal, "he's not a renouned goal kicker, Jack Watts". Last time I checked Watts was predominantly a forward who last year kicked 38 goals, and Tom Bugg is one of the worst kicks in our team! Very special comments there!

I'm just watching the replay now and in the third quarter he had 2 consecutive disgusting kicks. These were totally unpressured direct turnover kicks. Defensively he has promise but his disposals are an absolute liability and he costs us goals. This must be a focus for our coaching staff if they are persist with him. I'm not asking him to be able to spot up a lead 55m away but he should be able to kick it 15m under no pressure.

I'd be interested to know where we rank from opponents converting forward entries. There seems to be a point for us where a forward entry from the opposition = a shot on goal. In terms of the other stats (the positive ones) I think that's reflective in the fact we've been in every game up until at least the last 10min. And the Geelong game we smashed them everywhere except the scoreboard for much of the game. I think it shows we're not far off but are missing that last bit of polish. Having your no 1 & 2 rucks and full forward out doesn't help either.

The only team I fear is Melbourne, we can beat anybody and lose to anybody.

Amazing, just amazing. Keep going Dees.

I turned off when they kicked that first goal, figures this would happen! Still not listening, I'm a very superstitious person! But there it is, that switch got flicked and they played footy. Big last quarter.

If we continue to lose this game, no more mollycoddling, swing the axe.

I've turned it off, thanks for wasting another their year Dees.

To say we needed that goal from Garlett is an understatement, it keeps the margin manageable but it sounds like GC are playing footy while our players are going through a training run. Not interested was the comment from one of the ABC commentators. I think they set themselves to be down by a bit at quarter time and assumed the second quarter would be all Melbourne with the breeze, someone forgot to tell them you still have to work for it! i laughed at everybody heralding TMac as a forward after Adelaide, he can swing there every now and then but he is a defender. There have been a lot of poor turnovers from senior players, Lewis sounds as though he's been the worst offender. He needs to stand up. The talls from GC are really top but it comes from midfield dominance, we had plenty of uncontested possession in the first quarter but did nothing with it. That has to change. 17 points can be realed in but it starts with commitment and ends with execution. Doesn't sound like we have either.

We have kicked ourselves out of this game, we've had the momentum and the breeze but fluffed our chances. This was the quarter we needed to stand up, Lewis sounds like he's having a mare, and our forwards can't kick straight. GC on top in the midfield, someone bloody stand up!!!!!

I tipped Melbourne after Ablett was omitted, never tipping us again this year.

From the sounds of it the second quarter will tell the tale for the day. While it sounded like GC were getting well on top by the end, the wind sounds like it's very strong. If we take advantage of the breeze and have a dominant quarter we could break this game open. But I'm only going on what I'm hearing, it also sounds like some poor decisions/execution has been costly and we are also lucky not to be down by more. Lack of a proper ruckman is also hurting us. Slightly off topic but anyone listening to the triple m commentary? I could not work out what was going on/ where the ball was from what they were saying, at one point a Melbourne player had the ball at the centre of the ground and they went off on a "chemist warehouse" plug and all of a sudden it was in the GC forward line. Pathetic.

Why do I have this feeling like we're back to shuffling deck chairs around? I like Harmes for Weids, only because Weids needs time in the VFL. I don't know that it'll be much of an upgrade. Kent needed to go, he's got to learn to commit more, he's been really disappointing of late. I know people don't like Melksham but he's solid and brings maturity to the team. I've tipped us with zero confidence, that said with GAblett out we should have the midfield dominance and the players should have been given a firecracker up their asses this week after their poor showing v North. This is a must win if we are to have any hope of glimpsing finals footy.

Well somebody really enjoyed The Book of Mormon! And sadly quite accurate, definitely gonna have the "Spooky Melbon Hell Dream" tonight!

The settlement came after the list lodgement, nothing we could do about it. At that stage I think it was the (professional) expectation that he would turn up to the first day of training to continue being an AFL football. Obviously that was incorrect. What I wasn't impressed about was that the AFL wouldn't let us upgrade a rookie for his then useless spot. Mind you it was a moot point given the injuries we've had this year.

Shall we get someone to punch you in the guts and see how you react? It's a reaction from the body the same way someone gets knocked out with concussion.

I was watching on the TV and saw it happening, Salem had got down to get the ball and was dragged off it (and above the shoulder) and when the whistle went I thought "great a free kick in a good position", was utterly baffling the umpire somehow awarded it as a free to North. I only saw half of the the game, and it's close to one of the worst umpiring displays going one way I've seen for a long time.

This would be my choice, Melksham instead of Harmes would be a chance. Melksham played well for Casey and he will be back in the team at some stage.

I think the club had faith that if injuries (or other factors) were to occurre it would be even across the ground. Unfortunately that hasn't been the case with our club being decimated with injuries (and circumstances) to our talls brigade. If Garland hadn't done his knee that keeps pressure on OMac and we have a mature player to step in as a KPP. If we hadn't lost BOTH our ruckman and back up ruckman we wouldn't be cobbling together a makeshift ruck division taking players away from their natural position. And if Hogan hadn't somehow [censored] off the gods so much as to not only have his father pass away but also contract testicular cancer than we could've sent Weiderman back to develop as he should, in the VFL. We actually had a fairly even list when it came to back ups and such, it's just one area has been badly hit. I look at the ladder and shake my head, with a bit of luck and composure we could be top 4. The first part you can't control, the second is all us.

It may depend on him, he's a competitive beast but he might not want much fanfair for him getting back out on a footy field. A quiet introduction at Casey could be something he'd want instead. Personally I just want him back when he and the doctors feel he's good to go.

Are people so quickly forgetting that at the start of the year it was Jones that was putting in the "captains performance" while in the same breath saying Viney had been ruined? This co-captaincy is a transition and I doubt it's a transition over one year. Jones had a mare on the weekend, particularly in the last quarter when the game was up for grabs, but he is still our captain and he played very well against Adelaide last week when people were claiming us to be contenders. I feel almost every club is going through a roller coaster this year (us more than others it seems). The team choked over the weekend, as we seem to do all too often, but there's improvement in most areas and the game in Adelaide showed what happens when it clicks. I said it somewhere else but I've stopped thinking finals because A) this season is so unpredictable, and B) I can't seem to get a handle on any form line for us. I'm just going to ride it out this year.

One week for Salem is fair, the punch on Vince given it had him dry retching on the sidelines isn't a good look though. It's a cowardly cheap shot. Should've been reversed by the umpire but there were a lot of things thing umpires should've done that they didn't.

I'm no longer thinking finals, not saying we can't get there and I'm hoping against everything we can turn it around but we are such a week to week team. There's zero consistency in our performances. Some of that is down to youth, some of it is down to injuries to key players, but a lot of it for me is attitude with handling expectation. Last week, zero expectation except for a big loss but we pull out of best performance for years. This week, expectation of not only winning but putting one of the "hoodoos" to bed. But we come out flat. I don't know how you break this cycle. One thing I am doing from now on is always tipping against us. I have correctly tipped us I twice this year, Essendon and Carlton. I'm going back to the attitude I had as a kid, if I get the tip wrong I'm happy and we lose at least I get the tip.

Out - Kent, Wagner In - Harmes, Melksham I don't think Melksham is as bad as what people believe here, not saying he's a walk up start best 22 but I feel he's a serviceable player. Wagner needs more time at Casey, I don't rate him yet, not saying he won't make it but he still needs time. I only watched the second half but of the match but Kent seemed to squib a few key contests. I like him and I think he can be good for us but he's got to commit more. I would be tempted to drop Bugg for his horrendous kicking today but he had a good game last week and 4 shots on goal. He had an off day, it hurt us. Ideally I'd like Weiderman to get some time at Casey but we have no choice but to persevere with him. He looked lost out there today.

We don't play the MCG well. Our best MCG performance was probably vs the Tigers but we don't seem to spread well enough to take advantage of the space. This is a serious concern as it's our home ground!