deeko

Handy game last night. Showed to me that any team, in form on the day and willing to go 100% can win against any opposition. Its how the Dogs did it two years back and the Tigs last year. I feel the flag this year is again anyone’s to win. People were silly to write off the crows after last week and people will be sillier again to write off an aging (or slow) swans for this year as well. Both teams have significantly more firepower than us at the moment.

He was better on the weekend but still not anything better than average. He put his body on the line a few times and got crunched. I’ll always support someone who does that for our club. Just hoping his skill gets back up to what made him so desirable at trade week. During his draft year, wasn’t there talk of him playing as a midfielder? I’m pretty sure there was a rage with tall mids (Cripps, Fyfe etc) and I thought we were going to grab him as P3 (after Brayshaw if Trac went to the Saints) but we would pick him as a mid. If so, just may be another string to his bow if Weed comes on and TMac goes back with his bro. Does anyone else recall this? Or did I read this here and taking it as fact.....

In: Tyson, Hunt, Hannan Out: Harmes, Lewis, Bugg Harmes is hard but plays like a headless chook. Continually smashes into team mates trying to win the ball and negatively impacts us. Tyson is a clear upgrade with his clean hands in close and a lot better footballer. Bugg is similar and continually hurts with a poor conversion. Hannan adds as much with pressure but is more accurate. I think the spell in the twos might be good for Hannan so he knows the 100% commitment he has to give for the 4 quarters. Lewis was awful again. Slow, unskilled and provided minimal rebound and no defensive efforts. Hunt to come in and will stay in. We will need his pace and his energy. Lewis needs to earn his super payments. No one deserves a free ride

He took a couple grabs today, put his body on the line and showed a couple nice moves but he still had some absolute howlers. He was better however. He and all our defenders (bar OMac) look continually confused. I think they are having to work overtime as the ball keeps coming in quickly over our putrid press and they keep getting beaten one on one. Omac seems to have a nice easy “punch and defend or mark if you can” strategy and doesn’t worry about rebound or intercepting. He did this role really well. Jake, along with Hibberd and Jetta, are looking lost and have all gone backwards from last year.

Please release Jones off the tag. We need to role the dice and get arguably our best mid and captain to lift us

Yes JJ has been very very poor as well. I forgot he was playing till he took a couple grabs that quarter. There whole forward line is in shambles. Last year it seemed so potent. Tonight we have 1 goal kicked and less than a handful of effective touches from Betts, JJ, Walker (just shanked a kick whilst I wrote this) and Lynch..... it’s beautiful ?

Well done Tex. Pump the fist like the great leader you are after getting a free kick from your team mate putting there head over the pill. He is just a moron and is so over rated imo. Does nothing when the game is hot

I’m just as excited to see what happens if the Weid keeps firing. I’m a fan of Pedo (more of the underdog story over the minimal output of a key forward) but hoping the Weid takes his chance this year and makes the forward role his. Would this see Tommy Mac go back? Would he take Frost/Lever/little bros spot?

I flicked over at half time for a quick look at the Power vs Lions game. Watts had two contests I saw. First was a smaller player bodied him off a high ball, Jack gives a half attempt and the ball bounces to him. He sends off a lazy handball toward goal to a player in the clear that falls short of his target by metres. Lions rebound the ball. A minute or so later he is in a high ball one on one and Harris-Andrews outmarks him easily and rebounds. Both reminded me why we made the decision to let him go.

I’m usually a bit harsh on Salem but he really was wonderful today. Was definitely more than “just a game” unless you have ridiculously high standards on him Tyson also very harsh. Had one shank early and everything else from him was great. Is no longer the gun inside mid he was in his first year with us as he’s been pushed way down but if he can pick up 25 clean touches a week on the wing like he did today I’ll be happy. I like the rest of your work however ?

Ok R&B I can’t remember exactly how it went with injuries but I do recall Smith going down. Not blaming that (and Spence) in the tiges game but I remember at the time wondering why Pedo wasn’t in. I was at that Casey rd 1 game. Pedo had a great match around the ground clunking some big grabs everywhere and had plenty of the pill. Smith played really well also and I recall now being stoked when he got his shot at it. I’m not trying to rewrite history here. I just get a tad touchy when we lose in a close game and subjective players do little.

Hardly next level. Just pick the best 22 who will win you a game. It was the same last year losing games to Freo by a less than a kick (not sure if Weid got a kick) and then the next week vs Tigs losing by a couple kicks. I think Tim Smith played that one (May be wrong) and may have got injured. Pedo was dominating the twos and was clearly the better player and I’m sure we would have jagged at least one win from the two. Tyson is clearly a better footballer than Maynard and killed it in the VFL the week before. There was no reason for him not to play. Losing by less than a kick you have to wonder what the result could have been with him in over Maynard. If we miss out on finals by less than a game again it will be hard not to reflect on this again

I don’t mind the in’s. Kent can be dangerous and looks fitter this year. Also knows he’s playing for his career so deserves a look for a few weeks to see if he will get an extension. Frost and Omac to man the talls, Jetta the small and we get rebound from Hibberd, Lever and Lewis - along with run from Frost. So his inclusion is fine. The outs however I can’t have. Hunt had a mare last week but has runs on the board from last year. Can play forward (dangerous when tried last year), mid and back. Has X factor and we all love his pace. Pedo just plays a role. Not great but he competes. We have the worst plan going forward where we bomb it long all the time. We need another tall down there unless we finally lower our eyes. If we bomb it long to Hogan one on three all weekend and watch them easily rebound it out from uncontested intercept marks I’ll spew. Keep it simple Goody, you cost us finals last year playing Weid early on whilst Pedo killed it in the twos and you have already cost us 4pts round 1 not playing Tyson over Maynard. With these two ins it has to be Wags and Bugg out

We won’t drop the VC Lewis but he wasn’t great. Looked like an old man being on the ground all night. Bugg might need a week to get back into but didn’t inspire. With Kent firing again the pressure is on which is great. I think Frost will come in for Wagner although Hunt needs a kick up the backside!! Except for the one or two classy things he does a game, I really don’t share the love of Salem. Hardly noticed him. Very over rated imo. Probably out Wagner for Frost for the talls. Thin ice = Salem, Hunt, Bugg

I was thinking at selection that Tyson and Brayshaw out might cost a little. Well that little was probably enough to get us the 4 points (if they were fit to play) Not sure why we bothered the tag of Maynard on Selwood, he got an absolute bath. The last half when playing catch up we still leave a player behind the pill and keep pumping it long to no one up forward leaving us outnumbered. Roll the dice, don’t play a loose man and see how we go. We mind as well try win it!

Frustrating watching us bomb it continually in where we are always outnumbered. Its such a simple adjustment, why wasn’t it made earlier in the third/fourth when we were playing catch up? so upset at that loss!

I was thinking of Weid on Friday night watching Essendon as I was focused on James Stewart up forward. Is big, presents well and has some good hands. He didn’t show any more than Weid other than some flashes last year as a 23 year old. He is finally starting to make an impact but it’s taken a long time. He’s playing in a role which is exactly what we want from Sam imo. I still have faith but it’s going to take another two years and then he will be a goer!!

Lots of players have issues being tagged in the past, he isn’t the first and won’t be the last. I just struggle to fathom why we wouldn’t have a serious crack. He’s in the top 5 mids in the comp playing at a level we can only hope our young mids can get too. Over paying for a B grader might cause conflict amongst the group. However I think our boys are cluey enough to realise Sloane is a gun. Two B and F’s, all-Aus v/c, the players MVP for the first month last year ending fourth. Polled over 20 votes in the Brownlow for the last two years. Get him

I’d rather keep the second rounder and maybe throw in Dom Barry as the sweetener.

I think the comment relates to our multiple Friday night games we are scheduled for.... or not.

I don't think Nev Jetta could become any more perfect in my eyes but I think he'll jag an All-Aus guernsey if he plays 22. I'm thinking Hoges will repay the faith in him this season and have a wonderful year. But I'm backing in Frost to become a full time best 22 player. Not a champ, just a good solid fullback who does a job week in week out. That's enough of a break out for me

Last year was there for the taking. I wasn't upset as some at as not making it as we still have a lot of growing up to do but just disappointed in the fact that I think anyone would back themselves against won it. The thing about the Tigers list compared to ours is they do have: - A two time Coleman Medalist and two time All-Australian at full forward - Two Brownlow Medalists running through the midfield - A 4 time All Australian centre half back who I think is the best player in the game. They have plenty in the right age bracket around them and solid role players that they should have been better for longer and still should be up and about for a while. I like our list and confident in the talent we have but I can only hope we unleash some stars like the Tigers have produced. For us to go anywhere we need Jesse to become the star we think he is and our players who haven't really broken out yet with "potential" (ugliest word in AFL) in Salem, Brayshaw, Weid, Stretch to really go next level

Looks like a young boy in a mans XXL jumper. The crouching over part makes it look even odder. No one is beefing up anymore in the AFL. Everywhere I read people are discussing slimming down and focusing on the aerobic side. Will be interesting to watch how Watts reacts this year to change. I honestly don't think much will change. Will be some polished moments followed by lots of time going missing and minimal second efforts

Werrimul will be good this year Deezone, have recruited well. Don't mean to be rude against the Millewa mate, I have a lot of good mates there who are very handy but the depth isn't there unfortunately. Great pub there as well, did you ever get the chance to have a couple sharpies there? The Mildura Demons will struggle however. We're flag faves last year but choked. Have lost three of the best four. They'll still compete however.

Mrs Deeko is an Ouyen lady so I watched them a lot of weeks. He's one of the best I've seen in country footy. His speed and skills are amazing.