Maldonboy38

How great is to be able to say this name again in a Dees jumper!! And Taj has earned it with some great footy at Casey. The Saints can really lock a game down but I hope he gets a chance to show his link up play.

Melksham and Smith are both naturals for the horrible sub position because they are both fit and can kick straight. Smith is also athletic. I have liked most of what Smith has added, but I don't believe they should both be in the 23. I am one of the few James Jordon fans, and hope he holds his place. I would have him in ANB's place because he can do all the things ANB is loved for (gut running, tackling, defensive pressure) but he can actually kick and doesn't fumble as much. No JVR looks to be a selection howler. Unsure what to make of it. Spargo very lucky, and would prefer only 2 small forwards. Stoked to see another Woewodin at the Dees. I have watched about half the Casey games and he looks more than ready. His link up play could be a real point of difference, as long as he can kick straight.

Bennett was wonderful, so were Jakovich, Shwartz, Green, and Jurrah. Neitz and Robbo were not bad either. But I will place 1) Garry Lyon 2)Bayley Fritsch and 3) Jack Watts over most when it comes to kicking. Watts was a beautiful kick for goal.

So, apart from our forward play (which I ma exhausted by, and need to focus elsewhere for my own sanity), there were 2 late cases in point that suggest our woes have to do with intelligence and confidence. Gawn (our skipper) is unsure, waits too long, handballs off to someone who has to immediately handball back. Outcome - hurried, long, high kick to F50 which is a defence's delight. Less than 1 minute to go - Hunter gets the ball at half back and kicks sideways.

6. Viney 5. May 4. Petracca 3. Brayshaw 2. Bowey 1. Sparrow

I am so tired of watching the same error-riddled forward play.

So much of what we do is so good. Really good. And then we kick forward and lose all vision, all strategy, and basic skills. Our game plan, rotations, Gawn and Grundy, attack on the ball, tackling etc... all seem to work well, and our back half defence really is a wonderful thing to behold. So I just don't get our dreadful forward skills.

Aaaaaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhh! We can't even get a goal from the goal square. B****y furious watching this.

BBB, Melksham and Bowey showing how to kick. How was BBB's field kick? A thing of beauty!

Our sloggers having a good day - Harmes, Sparrow, ANB, Hunter. We hit 9/10 targets between full back and wing, and hit 1/10 targets when going inside 50. It is a mental thing on full display today. Hunter and Petracca - wow, just so bad by foot. This game will be won or lost on our F50 entries. Everywhere else we look strong.

Some game from Jordon.

If Jefferson's work off the ball was honoured by kicking to him when he is on his own, he would have 8 goals. JVR 2nd efforts and attack on the ground ball - very nice. Some are asking who else could do ANB's role? Jordon's gut running has been immense today. And he is a better kick, and fumbles less.

Casey players dominating, so a good opportunity to see the strengths of the Dees listed players. A lot to like from many. Steele (not Dees listed) is showing he has some ability to read the play, and be a link player. Jefferson does not get the ball enough, but boy I like what he shows. Very promising forward. I remain a big fan of Verrall. Turner and Howes are like May & Lever version 2.0. AMW, Jordon, Woewodin looking strong.

Starting to have a rethink about the state of things this season. It is a very tight season, Port look good but I reckon they will struggle on the MCG during pressure games. We showed the competition how to beat the Pies, and they now look a long way off the premium team in the comp. Basically, every game is up for grabs - apart from WCE games. All very close, very tight, very unpredictable. I reckon the Dees have sharpened up on some of the mid-year yips (handballing, intensity, defensive mistakes) but have yet to fix our kicking inside F50, and all-ground crumbing. Although I love Spargo when he is up and at it, we can only hold 2 active small forwards and Chandler and Kozzie do the defence and pressure stuff better than Spargo. I love the inclusion of Smith. He and Fritsch will cause major headaches if Smith can stay fit. I disagree with the club on both Tomlinson and Jordon. Bot that I can do anything about it, and the club probably (definitely) knows better than me. I maintain that we are a better team with BBB in it, but 2023 is his last. ANB is killing me this year.

Totally agree, Clint. 2 big, 2 athletic, 2 small is a great mix and great balance. It would be really menacing if our current small forwards could kick and crumb.

I see Rivers as our next captain. His growth this year has been off the charts, he is vocal, and his on-ground leadership is on display in big moments. I have to admit to surprise because he had a shocker last year. McVee Chandler JVR. I also see growth in Sparrow and can see him as a 200 gamer, but not enough to see him on this list yet.

Where do I start? Getting the ball is not our problem. It continues steady and stable. We have a good list, and a game plan that stacks up. But from here I can cut and paste the same three errors from across this season: Horrible field kicking, including dumb, blind kicking into F50 that favours the opposition, allows intercept marking, and makes our forwards look inept Over handballing in close leading to blind kicks forward, leading to ... see above. Fumbling. Tonight though, we gave it up in the last quarter in a way I have not often seen during Goodwin's tenure. And now for my rant. ANB is a momentum killing player, whose fumbling at critical times is team destroying. I am sick to the death of it and him. But he won't get dropped because there are 5 ahead of him on tonight's performance. And although we have a great list, we actually don't have good small players who can read the ball off a pack, or who can be first to a ground ball. Guthrie, De Koning and Blicsavs were better at ground level tonight than Chandler, Pickett, ANB and Fritsch.

6. Hibberd 5. Viney 4. Rivers 3. Salem 2. Lever 1. Smith Again, as hard as our main ball winners ran and tried, the field kicking from Brayshaw, Petracca, Sparrow, Hunter and Langdon means I simply cannot give them votes. It is either ineffective, or a long dumb stupid blind kick inside F50 to Stewart, Guthrie and co.

How many times tonight, has our forward entry been a long bomb to Kozzie v Stewart?

Game over. Repeated turnovers at half forward, Cats sprinting away.

3 players running goalward, another player free goal side, ANOTHER famous ANB unpressured fumble = turnover goal. My frustration level is going to make me throw something at our new TV.

I cannot remember a worse team that the current Melbourne team, for giving up goals/opportunities for goals in the last minute of a quarter. I turned to my wife and said, "watch this, mindless turnover coming up followed by shot on goal..." If we could kick, no-one would get anywhere near us. I know it is wet, but our kicking remains our biggest issue.

We are now very much on top. The wet ground and the poor excuse for an AFL standard oval kept Geeling in it. Stop the 3-4 small in close handballs. We don't crumb packs well at all. Bruhn, Close and Miers are a cut above our crumbing players. Salem, Hibberd, Grundy, Smith and Rivers playing well. Please stop kicking it straight to Stewart and Guthrie.

You know you are struggling when you are making Gary Rohan look good.

All allegiances aside, this is truly atrocious game of football. Apart from intercept marking, skills and intensity are absolute rubbish.