deejammin'

Interesting, so you have Bedford coming out for Oliver? Tomlinson staying in as Medi-sub? Where’s Bowey? Emergency? I think Bedford probably stays in and Spargo goes out for what it’s worth, regardless, that’s a very strong VFL side with a lot of players pushing hard for seniors. Super keen to see Howes, coming into the season Gawny had him as mostly likely to debut this year. Huge wraps, hope he goes well!

Petty was confirmed as coming back in Selwyn’s injury update video. Makes it interesting. For me: In: Oliver, Petty Out: Melksham, Tomlinson Both outs are stiff, they were ok. I thought going small was looking good after the Brisbane game but with Max and Luke a bit down on their contested marking there might be a spot for Weid or JVR. Especially with the dogs backs not so great against tall forwards. I’d prefer JVR on form but Weid is experienced so might get the nod. If we go bigger I think Spargo goes out, his main asset, his kicking, is off, and Bedford is applying more pressure and x-factor.

I think this is our best 22 for now. With the possible exception of TMac returning this is a super strong side. Let’s get the job done!

True. But there’s something poetic about a Hawthorn vs GWS game being the most irrelevant game of the weekend. So irrelevant I won’t even bother watching. Watching WC Richmond hoping for the miracle upset, watched North hoping they would injure the cats, to no avail.

I think this is the main thing. He’s missed/not given off 3 easy snaps the last three weeks, if he kicks those and kicks straight with the first two shots against Brissie it’s 11-2 and no-ones complaining. I wish he would suddenly turn into Wayne Carey and mark everything and kick 10 a week but we won a flag with him playing a more accurate version of this current footy and he will stay in as a result. The only way he could’ve lost his spot is if Weid went to a new level but sadly, while he battled manfully yesterday his marking is way off. Those complaining about BBB’s hands should take a look at Sam’s (who I wish would take the spot by the scruff of the neck but hadn’t) 5 dropped marks, hands like rocks. BBB also suffers from what I would call ‘very big man syndrome’ any KPF/Ruck over 200cms gets monstered, tackled in marking contests, arms chopped, bashed in every pack, pushed in the back, no free, Gawny cops this the worst. There seems to be a sweet spot where if you are Hawkins/Walker/Tabener you get frees but if you get too big all of a sudden you’re fair game for every dog act available. The exceptions that prove this rule are Max King and Daniher who play for frees rather than go for the ball.

How does not one reporter in the postgame ask for an eta or info on Jackson’s injury? Did we really need the question about Dawson? Asked about Max but nothing on Luke, useless!

They play North, Adelaide and Essendon for their next three. I hope they don’t but it looks like they keep winning, I think you’re right though, it won’t continue being tight!

Brilliant gutsy win missing huge structurally important players. Oliver, Trac, Viney Huge! Lever and Langdon back to their best! Forwards needed to take their chances more but we looked more dangerous again. Bring back Gawny and Jacko(🤞🤞🤞) and it’s our best 22 for Geelong. Let’s get a win for the ages! Also that was the most flagrantly biased umpiring display I’ve ever seen, sie of the clear frees to us that we’re missed, or just basics like marks and out on the full were a joke. That’s the closest I’ve ever seen to requiring someone sort of inquiry for corruption. Ruined the spectacle of a great, tough game!

Confirmed: https://www.afl.com.au/news/790404 Mitch Brown in. JVR emergency (which also hurts Casey 😭😭😭) mods feel free to remove the question mark in the threads title.

It may be glass half full/half empty stuff but I think we’ve been lucky this year. Realistically we’ve had three real first ruck options all year, Gawn, Jackson and Daw the likelihood of them all getting injured was always high, particularly given the crash and bash of ruck and contested marking and the fact opposition seem to get away with belting Gawn at every opportunity. The club clearly though it was a risk we could afford to take this year, possibly due to lack of available quality ruckman or draft picks, faith in Daw’s ability or faith in the ability of Weid and TMac to step up or a combination. But this was always a risk and with Majak’s ill timed injury, unfortunate retirement and the lack of other true first ruck backup if it costs us a winnable game it’d be a real shame. I hope Weid tears it up, but this will be his first ever game as first ruck and Reilly O’Brien is no slouch.

The last I heard was that Dogga was travelling to Adelaide to test there. I imagine it’s hard to keep a football secret in Adelaide, particularly an opposition fitness test.

The DeeBrief is reporting that Dogga is out for the crows with a minor PCL strain. 😳😳😳 Mitch Brown in? The horror….

I agree with the ones you can’t stand and my appalling footy tipping in 2022 means that I appreciate how difficult an in the spot prediction can be. But both of Montagnas very, very wrong statements about us (that we would get smashed by the saints and that it was possible we would miss finals) were in early in the week articles, not pre-game stuff. He clearly dislikes us, like most of the football media it must be said, and always goes the negative narrative on Melbourne to his detriment.

This is the same Montagna that had the saints thrashing the dees in round 8 and only one week ago had us possibly missing finals? He has done good analysis but when it comes to us and his beloved saints he lets emotion get in the way and makes some very, VERY, stupid calls.

Some very exciting players coming in, I was sad to see Scotty and Parry go but overall we haven’t been pilfered by the expansion teams the way many others have, we’ve kept the core of our group together and added some quality. Duffy is a huge get! Small forwards were our weakness the last few seasons. Losing Colvin is the only big downside this year as she was stellar last season. Hopefully Browny or Wilson as the new recruit can step up. 23 existing, Wilson (Carlton), Ivey (Geelong), Mackin (rookie), Chaplin (pick 44), Johnson (pick 49), Gall (pick 72), Duffy. Out: Scott, Parry, Petrevski, Magee, Tarrant, Simmons Edit: I missed that Tarrant had left, that hurts particularly with Colvin’s injury as she had played some decent footy swinging back. Excited for the season ahead, go Dees!

So here’s the pitch. “Luke, you can stay at the team that drafted you, that developed you into the rising star, put together a team that helped you win a premiership and looks capable of more, gives you the best ruck mentor in the game in Gawny and has all of your best mates. You can lock in to play with Gawn, Oliver, Petracca, Viney, Salem for the next four to seven years OR you can go to a West Coast team just starting a rebuild or a Freo team that looks good, but hasn’t achieved anything yet” If he doesn’t extend for two years he’s pretty silly I reckon.

❤️💙❤️💙❤️💙

The OM lookalike is Jack Bell, I agree he looks worth a go. Many of the Casey watchers in the KC thread tend to agree. I had seen the other solidly built bloke but I hadn’t heard his name, nor do I think he is a great ruck option at the moment.

This weekend in the VFL vs Gold Coast. JVR played second ruck to Jack Bell as first, Mitch Brown as the stay at home forward. He took at least 5 centre bounces that I remember and quite a few boundary throw ins, did ok. Sam is the normal backup ruck option for the VFL if one of Majak and Jack hasn’t been there but obviously he was playing AFL this week. Sam will get a lot of backup ruck time in Majak and Gawny’s absence but I like the club taking the opportunity to add another string to JVR’s bow and give us another contingency in the case of a ruck emergency.

I think he may have, he looks taller, he was played as second ruck this weekend in the VFL and did pretty well. I’d say he’s more of a Weideman/TMac emergency backup ruck than a true ruck option.

Through a mixture of wisdom and necessity the club had Weid doing ruck work all pre-season and he’s been ok as 2nd ruck/forward in the two games he’s had to do it this year. But as a first ruck Sam would worry me, Brisbane got two goals directly from Oscar McInnerny muscling him out of forward boundary throw ins and taking the ball, or punching it 10 metres. We are one, two once Gawny gets back, injuries from Sam being number 1 ruck and that would be trouble for us. We are ok for backup ruck forward options, Luke is one of the best in the league as he is a pure ruck who can go forward, Sam does a decent job, TMac did it well in 2018, BBB takes occasional forward hit outs and does ok and the club has even started giving JVR time in the ruck to have him as another forward/ruck option. What we are light on for us pure rucks. The AFL average is four on a list, with Majak retiring we join Adelaide as the only two teams with only two pure rucks on our list. We need to draft at least one for the future and one for now this off-season. More if Luke leaves. Those are both great options, I rate Flynn, he was great against Max last year, what about Max Lynch from Hawthorn also?

With Majak Daw retiring and us going into this season light on for developing rucks on our list (with the great development of Taj, Bedford, the excitement around Howes, Disco and JVR in the VFL I think the formerly thin wing and KP stocks now look ok, leaving back-up ruck our biggest weakness). Regardless of LJ’s decision, which would leave us even lighter obviously should he opt to leave. I think we need to draft in two possibly 3 rucks regardless. I would be getting a ruck through the national draft, a developing speculative rookie (Jack Bell has looked good at VFL level perhaps he sneaks through as a rookie or gets drafted?). And importantly, an AFL level backup, like a Majak, who is starved for opportunity or a bit speculative but will play well at Casey, I’m not sure who this would be, any ideas? This is our greatest area of need, thought I’d get the ball rolling on who might be available?

This is where the rating system gets bizarre, back in the good old days they would at least consider a player’s intention with the action, now it’s a meaningless grading that very rarely gets trotted out. The only question should be, “what was Stewart’s ACTUAL intention?” Was it to get the ball? No Did Prestia have the ball? No it’s well gone when Stewart opts to bump. EDIT: Thinking more about this if Prestia took possession Stewart would’ve tackled, a bump would be stupid and if Prestia missed the ball most likely Stewart would’ve changed direction to get the ball. Prestia tapping the ball away and leaving himself vulnerable is the only course of action that gets this response from Stewart, I think this makes it far worse. Was he blocking or shepparding for one of his players? No, Prestia is airborne, out of the play having passed the ball not pressuring. Was it too late for Stewart to not make contact? No, he clearly could’ve stopped, changed direction or at the least not jumped with his shoulder. So what was Stewart trying to do? He was clearly trying to hit Dion Prestia, hard, behind the play. Did he mean to knock him out in a VERY dangerous way. Probably not, I doubt any AFL player truly wants to damage a player like that. But this is as close to that as it gets, his only intention is front-on contact on a defenceless player, it’s not something that has been acceptable in AFL footy for quite a while. Scott and co can talk about how remorseful and apologetic Stewart was, but actions define the man, if you genuinely care for your opposition players, don’t intentionally jump into them behind the play. Even if genuine the Scott description and Stewart being apologetic could be more about the penalty than the action itself, Chris Scott’s Cats are guilty of more of these kind of actions than most teams from what I can see, they certainly don’t like getting suspended, but do they genuinely show care for the opposition? Even if Stewart doesn’t hit the head there’s potential for broken ribs, internal damage and Prestia has no way to brace while Stewart has no reason to hit him hard. And he did hit the head, there were some truly horrific potential consequences here, some in the media (Geelong types) say Stewart is unlucky Prestia was knocked out, I’d say he’s lucky Prestia doesn’t have severe ongoing, life changing spinal or brain injury. This is not embellishment, this wasn’t an accident, Stewart is totally and wholly responsible and didn’t take any action to protect Prestia. I think a statement must be made. 6+ weeks. Any less is inviting this kind of thuggery to creep back in. As others have said Gawn or Oliver are in Prestia’s position in the GF, is 3-4 weeks enough to discourage this happening again? It’s Geelong, so the penalty will be shockingly mild. But if the AFL is serious about protecting players playing the ball and stamping out thuggery, they have to go hard. This is far worse than Toby Greene’s umpire contact.

You’re right Dazzle, listening to anything Hutchy says is a bad idea. I certainly don’t believe it, I was just commenting on how bizarre his choice of scuttlebutt is in this instance. It’s very easy to make believable “Jackson is leaving stories” with this dragging out so long, but going straight to “walk to PSD” is really incredibly stupid, even by Hutchy’s low standards.

That PSD thing is totally bizarre. We paid PICK 2 for the guy 3 years ago! We’ve developed him with the best modern ruckman in the game, had him play in a premiership, given him a great environment with the Brayshaw’s and his teammates, the club deserves compensation if he leaves. I doubt Luke would want what Hutchy describes that for Melbourne, he’s given us a lot and we have given him a lot. I’d be shocked if he wanted to leave, but if he does there’s no way he’s screwing the club that has been so good to him out of a pick or player in trade. Hutchy talks total rubbish. I hope Luke stays, I think staying at least another two years makes the most sense.