Pates

Poor from Jetta for that first goal, could’ve rushed it. And poor from Salem for the second, they seem to be rushing things.

I was feeling ok about this match a day ago but as it gets closer I’m getting nervous again. This is a really big test for our maturity, a chance to go 3-0 and set ourselves up for the year, it’s a situation that has my MFCSS going nuts. I really want to see if our pressure from last week continues into this week, GWS will be feeling their season slip away if they go 0-3 so it’s huge for them. Would love to see a statement similar to last weeks opening bounce from us. Oh and accurate kicking for goal please!!!

I wonder, I’m glad they’ve sent Baker back to Casey. No need to keep him with the sun with no match practice (though I think there’s no matches this weekend!). Either way it’s good to get someone else in the sub role, I reckon Hibberd or Melksham should go in there. No change is the best thing for the team.

They had a successful 90’s (though could argue not as successful as it should’ve been with the team they had). Since then they’ve been a team that’s always sat middle table trying to push for finals but never doing much more, too afraid to bottom out. Now they have and reaped what they’ve sowed for the last decade. Even that run of wins they had a few years back were clearly flukes against lowly opposition, we were awful and only just lost to them (BBB got some of the softest free kicks ever that day).

Looked good with his two shots last week, very fluid and much more the like the Tommy of old. But you’re right, without him kicking a footy once for us BBB would be the only one I’d want having a shot after the siren.

I will say that towards us North fans had a ridiculous amount of arrogance for a team that has achieved exactly nothing in the last 20 years.

Did Kozzie win? I can’t see any announcement.

What’s the reason for later squad announcements? I know last year it was a lot to do with the craziness of COVID but surely now we can return to squad announcements on Thursday.

Ouch, I just opened the AFL app to see what happened. This could be the beginning of the end for North if they aren’t careful. They’ve almost certainly lost the Good Friday game for next year, they will be a terrible team for at least the next couple of years and after pushing so hard for it you can’t put up such an insipid performance. We’ve been there, it really sucks.

The conversations around Gus are interesting, on the one hand he’s one of my favourite players and it actually frustrates me seeing him played in a position I know isn’t natural to him. But here’s the thing, if we need him playing that role and for the team it’s creating the right balance to allow us to win matches then so be it. If it means every week he’s getting around 18-22 touch’s and playing in a supporting role then so be it. Whatever gets us into the best position to be in contention.

“The Club would like to take the unusual step to clarify his current circumstances, in the hope Darren will be afforded the appropriate level of privacy by the industry.” I love this dig at the media, basically saying the conversations are ongoing and respectful on both sides, allow them to be carried out with respect for privacy. Sounds like Darren is just trying to do right by his family while continuing to have the career he would like.

I think to say “Kozzie turned the game” is a very simplistic way for putting it. But fact is we were DESPERATE for a goal and he managed to create it almost out of nothing. Those are team-lifting moments (which we have sourly lacked for a while).

Big loss, no doubt. I really hope he's grooming a successor that's going to be able to use all his tricks.

Can I just say how awesome it was to see Kozzie starting in the middle against at the Saints. Having that speed and excitement in the middle of the ground helped create that first goal to Viney.

Maybe they'll create some just for Dangerfield to play in ?.

I think we could find Jackson playing a little more on the ball as Brown and Weiderman get fit (and hopefully firing). If we're looking at playing them all (big if), it could look something like this: TMac Weid Spargo Pickett Brown Fritta Jackson starts on the bench and plays a more on the ball role, Melksham, Fritta, and Tmac take turns playing the opposite wing to Langdon. The tricky part then becomes who loses their place in the line up, Jordon and Sparrow have been playing well, while we may also look at trying to squeeze Hibberd into the line up. It's rare to have a close to full compliment of players available anyway so other injuries will likely start to open some doors.

We could look at the flexibility of the players as well, look at positions that they can rotate into. While I like Fritta in the forward line I could also see him be used in a wing role as he's a good mark and pretty well paced, as well as a good field kick. Likewise I think TMac could be used as a high forward half/wing role (it's kind of how he's been playing already). I pretty much only see Brown and Wied as the two players that are less flexible. Weid can pinch hit in the ruck, but Brown we recruited to be our lead up FF so that's where he stays. As @DeeSpencer said it's unlikely we can find a way to have all of them in, makes competition for spots even stronger.

Given Melky’s poor 2020 I have no hesitation about keeping him at Casey until he puts in multiple performances that indicate that he is back to his best and willing to do the team requirements.

I wanna say it was around 2001 with Sandy. I vaguely remember there were players that really wanted to play in the finals series for Sandringham but were prevented from doing so by the club. At the very least it should have been the players choice, and really finals experience in finals experience no matter if it's the big leagues or VFL. I don't think many clubs have done that since, and now I think we have a very good working relationship with Casey (mainly because they've become apart of our organisation). But precisely because the VFL didn't start before round 2, and because they would have byes that don't match with the AFL team, it just seems like such a poor substitute for a reserves competition.

It's getting better, would really love to see Brown getting closer to footy action. Clearly the round 3-4 estimates were very optimistic for both him and Weid.

Gary cops a lot of crap from people but you can't deny his passion for the Dees. He is Melbourne through and through.

Really sounds like this new second tier competition is already proving to be a mistake, or at least in the early days a total mess. How can you have a second tier competition start so much later than the main league. It's a joke. COVID has caused a lot of issues with money but this really underscores that the AFL needs to create a reserves competition with each team represented by their own club (or a likewise affiliate). 18 teams that play each other from within the competition. I know it would take a lot to organise but it has to be the way forward to create a proper reserves comp. (FWIW I would have our 2nds operate as the "Casey Demons")

How good is it to see Dees in the finals, and this year I think on our day we can beat all comers. Shame for Daisy, get to the Granny for her!!!

I think that sums it up for me, if we were judging him purely as a forward then you would have him out. I'm judging him as a 2nd ruck/forward/utility and for me he is just doing enough, every game into him assists his development so for that reason I think the bar is also set lower. That said as you've pointed out bing once we have a full compliment of Weid/Brown/TMac the headache will come on how we use them all the to the best of their ability. Jackson will certainly move out of being a forward and probably go to being more of a utility/onballer/2nd ruck. We also shouldn't be afraid to drop him, send him to Casey for stints as their number one ruckman so that he can get a taste of what it's like to ruck all day for multiple weeks.

It’s a hard thing to say but I really think until one of the players puts in a performance that says “they need a week at Casey” I really just want to see a settled side. Maybe, MAYBE Melk comes in for Jones with Nate being medical sub but really I say no change. The current team is gelling so well, everyone contributed.