Jaded No More

I haven't been this disappointed with our players since Round 22 last year. The effort today, particularly in the first and third quarters was unacceptable. Biggest letdowns were, as per usual, senior players. Whelan far too lose, Bruce making terrible decisions, Green did little of note, Junior can hardly get a touch these days, Robbo (despite some good defensive work) is screwing up easy shots at goal and playing for frees too much. Then you go to the next level and I thought Moloney was disappointing today, and let's not even get started on Paul "I love to give the ball to the opposition" Johnson!!! It's disappointing that on a big day, in front of a big crowd, we couldn't put in a better performance. The four points are irrelevant, but effort is what counts and today was unacceptably poor both in terms of effort and skills. Very very bad day. (Poor Jack Watts, what a [censored] introduction to AFL!)

Whether he is targeted physically, whether he starts on the bench, or whether he gets a touch, good luck to him! I hope he doesn't worry about the outcome tomorrow, and just goes out and enjoys every minute of it, because you only get to have your first goal/kick/mark/team run-through/win once. No matter how he performs, tomorrow is just one step in what is going to be a great and long career for him and hype aside, I think as supporters we know that his performance against the Pies will be completely irrelevant to his long term future. Having said that, I hope he kicks 10 and I get two weeks of blissful bragging rights about the best player to ever play the game

Hahaha, take it easy! You can have a great involvement in AFL, and be a terrible commentator (hello to just about everyone working at MMM). I have never commented on his involvement or indeed the impact he made to football at VFL level, I was just noting that he is a very very bad commentator IMO. His voice is grating, his comments are boring and his jokes are just lame. His interviewing techniques aren't much better. Would I do a better job? probably not. That's why I'm not in the media :D

Valenti wasn't returning from injury. There are always exceptions, but in general Bailey will play everyone for at least two weeks in a row, particularly if, like Bell, they are being tried in a new position. Bell showed promise as a midfielder in the pre-season, but missed 6 weeks with a broken thumb. To dump him after one game where he really wasn't too bad, is not going to tell us anything about his future and whether or not he can make it as a midfielder. We know Valenti, we know what we can do, where he fits into the list and what we'll get from him (give or take improvement/experience). Bailey doesn't know nearly as much about Bell, and he's been on our list a lot longer. Time to give him a run once and for all and see whether he can deliver the goods in the middle. Otherwise, he'll get cut (no room for him in the backline anymore).

From weather.com.au: No rain at all in the afternoon, and only 1mm of rain in the morning/evening, so TURN UP! http://www.weather.com.au/vic/melbourne/detailed

He got it because Phil Cleary was just dying to confirm that he is indeed turning 26 next month <_< Seriously, how can this man get a gig on TV? Not only is his voice annoying, but he is a complete moron. I would have given Dunn the BOG award, or McKenzie. Both had the most consistent influence on the game, and were the catalysts in the last quarter when they won a lot of the ball at ground level.

And if both Watts and Jurrah come on the way we expect, you would always leave one deep in attack if you choose to push the other further up field. Often Franklin might play up the ground if Roughead is having a really good patch, and Hawthorn might choose to clear the forwardline and make him the sole focus. They can only do that because Franklin is capable of pushing up, making them a hell of a lot more versatile and one of, if not the best forward line due in the competition. Same goes for Riewoldt/Kosi and Brown/Bradshaw (Bradshaw often plays down back, like last night, and we can have that flexibility with Martin too). The point is, that while I've loaded the forwardline with talls, they are flexible enough to give us enough options both in the air and at ground level. In fact, that forwardline is pretty similar to the Hawthorn structure. Roughead as a stay at home big forward (Martin- obviously not anywhere in the same league... yet ), Buddy as a roaming CHF (Watts), Williams who can play small or tall (Jurrah) and Moss (Aussie). Now they have Rioli as well except he pushes up into the midfield, and is not so much a stay at home crumber (far too good to waste in that position), which is something we can get from Sylvia/Maric on a rotational basis and obviously Davey as well. I included both Bate and Miller, because in 2-3 years time Watts and Jurrah won't be good enough to command the forwardline on their own, and will need the bulk and strength of the other two. But longer down the track we will most likely replace one or both with smaller forward flankers who might rotate between HFF and midfield amongst themselves (so Sylvia plays a quarter in the middle, then a quarter up forward, then Maric does the same, then Davey, and perhaps even Aussie if he develops his fitness). Bailey has spoken a lot about getting versatility out of our players, particularly out of our KPP, so it wouldn't surprise me if when Garland returns, we see him thrown up forward as well, possibly switching with Martin every once in a while. If there is something I don't want to do again, is become a one-dimensional, predictable side, like we often were under Daniher. We would be dominating for 10 weeks, and other teams would figure us out and shut down our game plan. And we, having little scope to move our players around, got beaten in consecutive weeks. The other alternative which I left out all together, is one where Morton (with an added 30kgs) takes the CHF position, with Watts at FF (again having added a lot of bulk), and Jurrah as a third tall. We've got options, we just need to use them wisely and be patient, because all of our potential KP forwards at the moment are way undersized (strength wise).

Because it makes us versatile and unpredictable. Same reason why Franklin, Brown, Pavlich etc... will often play further up the ground. My forward structure was based 2-3 years down the track, not 6. If you are looking at the forward structure for 2015, then of course Miller won't be there (or Green) , and in all likelihood neither will Bate. But it is impossible to predict something that is so far down the track, especially if you're going to base it on players that haven't even been drafted. Using what we have at our disposal, and taking into account the level of development we can expect in 2-3 years, I think my forwardline is reasonable both in terms of personnel and position. There is nothing to say that a tall forwardline is bad, it only becomes bad if your forwards are immobile and one-dimensional, which Miller and Bate are, but Jurrah, Watts and Martin aren't. Ideally I would actually play Miller closer to goal, push Jurrah to a half forward flank and actually play Green in Bate's role (I am not a Bate fan and don't think he has a long-term future). But I know it won't happen, so I went with probability rather than chance.

I love that he called Hutchy a "toe cutter" and then said "go easy on the Demons when things turn around". :lol:

Chris Connolly coming up on Ch.9 after the break too. Gees, talk about media exposure this week!

I disagree. The beauty of that forwardline is that both Watts and Jurrah can push up onto the wing (as can Bate), and have an impact, so you can always rotate someone like Maric through there or rest Davey, for more crumbing options. If you start to have more than one specialist crumber, you become too predictable. Crumbing is very much an opportunistic role, and you can't waste two or three spots on that sort of position on a permanent basis. Line them up as I suggested, and tell Maric, Davey etc... to push forward when we win possession (when Blease and Struss are ready to go they will become the play makers off half-back, meaning Davey can play true midfield/HF). If you've watched a bit of vision of Watts though, you'd realise that he is equally as good off the deck, so I reckon in years to come if someone like Martin creates a spillage, Watts will be there to swoop and kick one off the ground. He is just that awesome

I love Dean Bailey!!! He is one of the most focused, determined, strong coaches I have ever seen in my life and is definitely a great player developer. You wait until we start climbing up the ladder and I reckon he'll start going absolutely nuts. Looks like the type to tell you the honest truth to your face then slap you for good measure.

Great article, very interesting. I think I maintained for a very long time, even though I do not know Col personally, that he had issues relating to expectations. He himself admitted that everything was easy for him at Under 18 level. He was the star, he led the way, he did things on his terms. He simply didn't know how to cope with being on the bottom of the pecking order, and the more he tried to prove to himself that he was still a big star (not doing enough rehab, going out drinking and partying, picking up bar tabs, spending thousands of dollars at the casino and on clothes*), the worse it got. Do I think he can mature into the star his talent can enable him to be? no. But I do have some respect for him now, understanding where his head was for the last 5 years and what he is doing to make things right. To come out and put that on public record means he is serious about following through, and if he doesn't, the fallout for him will be enormous and will no doubt end his career prematurely. I hope he succeeds, because the talent is there, but more than anything I hope he gets himself right because to live a life full of regrets is not to live at all. *We can both be seen at Shopaholics Annonymous these days

The only gaping hole we have is at FF, and this is where I think we need to groom Martin. He is big, already is a good size but can obviously do with some muscle definition and strength. He has a good leap and can take a mark. Kicking is so-so, but the closer he plays to goal, the easier it will be to teach him a goal-kicking technique. He can surely learn to kick from 30m out! Having him develop into a FF, playing out of the square, virtually solves all of our forward issues (if it comes off that is). FF: Aussie Martin Jurrah CHF: Miller Watts Bate I would play Maric further up field personally, especially since Jurrah and Watts would be just as handy off the deck as they would be on the lead. In reality, we have a number of medium/small forward options available. I didn't even consider Green or Sylvia but both can play up forward (and will push Bate and Miller out of the side if they are struggling), and there is always Morton who, assuming he puts on a kilo or two (but hopefully 15) could certainly play a key attacking role.

So would I. Collingwood dropped Wood in the end, so in reality we really could have had Jamar vs. Fraser. Hopefully PJ does a great job outplaying Fraser around the ground, although if it was my choice, I would have dropped PJ and kept Martin in the side for that purpose. On the other hand, we might actually beat a side in the ruck for once! True. But I hate the [censored] and hope for the best :D

Stop trading away our backline. It is the only solid thing we have going for us, and the one area we can actually build around. Garland and Frawley can both play small, Rivers is more suited to a third man up role, leaving Warnock and Martin as big key defenders. What is so wrong with having 5 defensive options to pick from, when in reality, one is likely to be out injured at any one time, and two of the five can possibly be played up forward? There is no way we are trading Warnock or Martin or Rivers, especially if we get picks 1 & 2. Other clubs can shove their under-valued draft picks. If you want to trade, look at trading someone like Dunn. An early draft pick, can play midfield or forward and might attract some value. Buckley is another one that may attract interest. You won't get much for either player, but you probably won't get a whole lot more for Martin or Warnock either. So lets get rid of those who can't break into the 22, as opposed to those who have the talent to play in a premiership side. Or we can always trade Juice

You would be crazy trading him unless someone offered you a first round pick. He is 22 with virtually one pre-season under him, 196cm, agile, a great contested mark and the potential for growth is enormous. The scope for development in Martin is hard to measure in value, and even though we might be lucky with our plethora of defenders now, injuries happen, form drops, and keep in mind that Warnock and Rivers are both 25, and Rivers has a long history of injuries. You trade surplus players if you have a few who are all the same, but Martin is the only truly big defender capable of playing on someone like a resting ruckman, he is the only one who can potentially develop into a secondary ruckman himself, he is one of the few talls who can be played both down back and up forward if given time to learn. Of course if a club came to you said and "we'll give you pick 18 for Martin" you would seriously consider it, but I would not be actively putting him on the table, when in reality we won't get what he is worth to us on the open market (which means you only get him upset, and the entire exercise is pointless). People forget that Martin has played as much football as Watts has, in fact, maybe even less. He never played in a proper under 18 side, he has completed one pre-season and before playing an AFL game spent probably 9 or 10 weeks learning to be a defender with Sandy. That is pretty remarkable when you think how far he has come. Think of him as a second year recruit, and not as a 22 year old. Now would you trade a KPP in his second season? No you wouldn't. To summarise, no f'ing way! Edit: Can we for once enjoy having a decent backline where the problem is having too many, as opposed to no options? Why trade them away... so we can pick up yet another small HBF/HFF? No thanks.

Nobody deserves that final spot on the bench more than Cheney, so I'm very happy that he is in. One player cannot possibly be so close to selection and miss out that many weeks in a row (particularly when he didn't deserve to get dropped). And Bailey never drops players after a single game in the seniors, particularly if they are returning from injury. Still a strong chance Bennell will play if Junior doesn't pull up. Thank god Medhurst isn't playing.

It's because Watts is almost a dead certainty to become a star and fast tracking his career is only going to help our club. Newton has done nothing at AFL level, despite numerous chances. There is no doubt that Newton's attitude is a lot better these days and his work off the ball is very good. But at the end of the day he is one of the most experienced forwards at Casey but still can't really impose himself as a key forward, and he still can't kick. He will definitely get another chance in the seniors this year, but let us never compare him to Watts. It's like comparing Scarlett to Nicholson! By the way, Newton had a chance earlier this year to really cement a spot when Robbo was out injured and Bate was struggling. He didn't. The blame lies with him, and Jack Watts has absolutely nothing to do with where he is now.

Phil Cleary really is an idiot... Phil to Brad Miller: "you're a month off your 26th birthday" *hands the microphone to Miller* Miller: "ummm yeah" It's a fact you moron, it does not require a response (nor does it have any relevance to your interview if you're not going to ask him about being dropped)! Miller only played deep in the last quarter, so no wonder he only kicked 1 until 3/4 time. He was pushing up the ground taking marks in the middle for most of the game. Going to study for exams now. I think I've procrastinated sufficiently up till now.

I just spent two minutes giving you an update and now you've decided to turn it back on?! Well it's all over Casey 17.18.120 Coburg 9.16.70

You think? He was good in the first half but has barely touched it since. Works hard off the ball, but Miller is dominating our forward 50 (he is [censored] all over Coburg now). For a 4th year KPP he should be having an influence on the score board at this level. Forgot to mention that Bartram has been good and got plenty of it, while the umps are just shocking. Some truly pathetic frees being payed to both sides. Newton just got awarded a non-goal... but he celebrated the ball bouncing off his knee after Jurrah nearly took a great mark, and sucked the goal umpire in! :D

Pfft studying <_< Nothing good happened in the third, but we're dominating the last. Miller is just way too good for this level, and has kicked 3 good long goals. Newton has disappeared. Jurrah doesn't get a lot of it but when he does, things just happen. He is a superb user of the ball. McKenzie is fantastic, continues to win the ball and Dunn is probably BOG for us. Strauss getting more of the ball and using it well. Martin playing in the backline in the second half and letting nothing past him. He is definitely more of a natural defender, but I don't get why we drop him only to give up the forward experiment at half time. Interviewed CC before, but he didn't say anything interesting. I still want to kill Phil Cleary

Yeah but how awesome was his kick to Miller?! He reminds me of Sandilands.

GET JURRAH INTO THE SENIORS! :D Martin doing well up forward, now time to start taking your chances and kicking those goals. Spencer is the single most hilarious player I have ever seen, but he is an absolute gem (and is injured for the third time this quarter )