Demon Dynasty

Excellent post PSD. The trouble is we have not recruited all that wisely IMO. Had we done so then surely having our regular 22 tested for the first time in a while we would not have dropped so far (landslide!) off our better form in 2018. Could this also be a price we are paying for having an aligned club in the VFL instead of our own? Surely the Casey list players aren't exactly on the same page as the MFC ones playing there from a care factor / "play the MFC" way point of view!? The Hawks were clearly mostly on the same page on Sunday, well drilled, committed at the contest. Fleet of foot, running on top of the ground, baulking around our boys like witches hat's. Hitting targets regularly and had burst speed/power off the mark from a half dozen or so on their list. In comparison we looked ploddy, disorganised, not much burst speed / power off the mark and couldn't hit a barn door (in most cases) and just bombed away inside 50, not dissimilar to the seniors. One could not help but be astonished at the difference in the finishing skill levels, the power & burst speed and general agility / speed with which the Hawks were able to link up and overlap off HB into forward 50 to find targets between the 2 clubs. Was like watching a VFL team play an under 18 Junior club sprinkled with a few VFL level players and one or 2 from AFL. The Hawks are clearly recruiting for power/burst speed (athletic types that can play a little) and some reasonable football skills then training them intensily with skills skills and drills to turn them into highly skilled professional powerful players (at VFL level) and under a specific Hawthorn method/system, with the idea some will eventually make the grade after a few years in the system and slot nicely into the senior system and way. On the other hand Casey looks like a disorganised lottery with little power/burst speed (athleticism lacking) and pretty ordinary skills/footy smarts also, with a couple of individual exceptions doing their own good work (mostly alone). We then rush players in who haven't been in OUR dissorganised amaturish system very long, assuming their is one at VFL level that resembles somethung similar to the seniors, and expect them to step up and perform, probably not completely understanding the manor and way in which they are expected to play at senior level until they've been in the system for a good block (if they survive that long!). No wonder we are where we are with a few injuries etc in the off season.

With the return of Lever & a match fit May, MacFrost can be sent back to Casey for some finishing time Steve. We need to follow the likes of the Hawks here and see rookies spending at least 2 years or so honing their craft (disposal/kicking efficiency and decision making a major part of that), getting plenty of real match time under their belts and learning the MFC defensive system down to a tee (if there is such a thing under Goody) prior to any return to AFL level (if they make it back).

Can recommend a very smooth option to lighten the outlook a little or ease the agony, whichever is the case OD. I'm not a huge whisky officiado but highly recommend "Hibiki Masters Select". Never thought I'd enjoy a Japanese model but it's very refined and easy on the palate. Bottle a bit of a keeper and impressive genuine cork stopper also if you're into aesthetics!

Now now Chook...be nice!

Only 3 rounds in and not much to go on but out of the 26 players used so far i have him ranked 23rd (on composite averages). His worst game was against the Bombers ranked 22nd just below ANB with a weighted score of 0.550 Average this season is 1.333 To put that in some perspective his average weighted score for the entire 2018 home & away was 2.861 and he ranked 15th out of 37 players that took the field.

That's as good as we've got returning at this point. Stretch and Fritschkrieg/Salem to play the main wingman roles pls with a bit of Harmes / Hunt thrown in until Mitch returns. Chunk as a run with on their best mid sharing this role with Harmes (in small doses). Gus, Clarry Viney as the main mids with a fair chunk from Tracc and also a decent % of Jeffy from time to time at the center bounce to take advantage of the extra 666 space. Should help open things up a little on the spread (Jeffy) and improve the disposal skills coming i50 (more time/space in theory!). When we play both Chunk & Viney in main roles through the middle (at the same time at stages in a match) we look pedestrian slow and often 2nd to the ball. The opp knows this and they will make sure they have at least one mid in with some toe if both are on the ground to take advantage as per Shiel on Friday night. Chunk & / or Viney have little chance of catching anyone with a bit of pace once they're out the back if they're playing off the back of the contest a little.

You're easily pleased LDC! I prefer toast

Anything's possible. I've seen a few on a leash!

Try about 20% Pates! A stack of work to do plus the need for return of our better stock as you say.

It's a bloody tough comp Praha obviously. Made all that tougher when you get off to a start like ours. We need a circuit breaker at some point and a turn of luck. Very hard to see it at this stage although great clubs tend to make their own. At the end of the day, as OD mentioned somewhere, we probably just have to be patient and wait for the better players to get back on the park AND for them and others to find some form. Can't make a silk purse our of a sow's ear.

You mean it gets better!

Can't see Frost being ditched just yet AM. As you say who replaces him? Or Oscar? I agree re sticking fat but i think you are seeing a different picture re improvement. There is some improvement but we are talking improvement vs say Round 1 & 2 which were both super ordinary performances. So improvement yes but off a very low base. Vs the rest of the comp we are where we are on the ladder for good reason. As a team we are obviously under performing, severely so compared to 2018. No doubt injuries and surgeries have impacted. But let's not kid ourselves, some are terribly off from where they were at last season. You mention Tracc was way better. Whilst he did ok i must be seeing things differently. To me he has dropped away a little with each match so far and didn't start off all that impressively (vs last year in general) in the first match to start with (yes i realise he had many mates but Tracc's a little symptomatic of where we are at generally IMO). Complacency ...bit of Hollywood happening? Not the first time i've seen this with our mob! I think Gus hit it on the head in his post match interview when he said... "we need to get everyone to buy in to the whole team defence" or something to that effect. Without being silly we have to make some sort of statement and shake the tree a little at the selection table this week to try and turn around some attitudes and what seems to me like a bit of complacency... Out: T-Mac (inj / rested), ANB, KK In: Pruess - takes the T-Mac role "DEEP" and switches on the relief ruck role up forward with Big M. Gives the opponent a diff look and might at least take the odd grab which has been badly missing inside 50 (and generally) in the first 3 rounds. Keeping the ball inside 50 is critical vs seeing it sling shot straight back out as we've seen so many times way too easily this year. Also suits our "bomb to hot spot" obsession better...crumbers might be able to impact IF the other forwards don't all go to the hot spot time and time again like clockwork! Keeps Big M a little fresher allowing him to maybe do some better work and damage around the ground and push back a little more also, helping out our abominable back 6, especially on the smaller ground, and taking the space in front of Lance. Stretch - Comes in for ANB who, along with others, has regressed badly from last year and off about 50% on his 2018 season. We can't afford to keep carrying that form and he adds nothing atm. Jeffy (if ready from yesterday's outing) - Comes in for KK....who probably needs more time at Casey. KK should be ok with time but right now we need a genuine crumber/goal kicker and genuine speed, and at this point KK offers none of that.

AVB had runs on the board and his ability to get to the right places, his general decision making and finish is (or was) a fair way ahead of Maynard. Would like to see a few more games to see where Maynard is truly at, especially in a better performing team vs yesterday's shimozal

If our defensive structures and systems are that easily ruined (ie; with the removal of the main Marshall for a while in Lewis for a few weeks) then we either have many defenders with a learning problem or a very poor line coach. Maybe a bit of both? Someone on here also mentioned that numbers at the ball to overwhelm the opponent is a Goody coaching preference. 3 up in a marking contest, extra numbers attacking the loose ground ball (ie, more than one player contesting / going to ground etc). Surely not!? The other alternative ...not enough homework and prep being done on the Opp or the new 666 arrangement vs other clubs. I find that hard to believe however, especially given the amount of resources available now.

This ☝?

I don't think we can afford any trials at this point 56. If we were sitting 2 or 3 games clear at the top and coming into a short turnaround with some insiders needing a rest....a possibility. A potential replacement for Jones, Viney or Clarry if injured 56 but he'll have to perform at a level of consistency at VFL if the powers that be are to sit up and take notice again and slot him straight in. On the few occasions i watched him at VFL level last year, i recall my concerns were pace, disposal efficiency and decision making. Having said that i'm still hopeful he can turn those aspects around and make a fist of it. Has shown something in patches and certainly far from the worst player at Casey right now.

If he is able to clean up his disposal and build a decent tank he won't be Elegt. Bit of a ball magnet and extractor in close. Give him a bit more time....you just never know.

He's a big lump of a lad BD. Looks a bit off the pace but not alone...some pretty ordinary stuff going on generally

Probably a reflection of the quality of opposition.

Constantly bombing to the Hot spot. So easy for teams to defend. System is horrid. Chandler very good so far. Maynard, Stretch & Jeffy going ok. Petty's disposal isn't even VFL standard. No way he's getting another call up in the foreseeable future.

Hawks run & carry (able to link up more often with quick ball movement) and have more players capable of side stepping / baulking or turning their opponents to run into space or switch play. They are more fleet of foot also. We have mostly slow/pedestrian plodders in comparison. They are also hitting so many more targets by foot and finishing in front of goal beautifully.

Box Hill DE% 73 Casey 62

Just worked it out...Can listen on the 7 plus app

No radio coverage?

R&M that is a supurb piece of analysis but if correct (re Goody actually coaching this way and wanting numbers at the contest at the cost of structure and outside set ups etc) we are in dire straits and will return to being the AFL's easy beats and once again the laughing stock of the comp. Can only hope you are wrong and it's a bit of a "thicky" issue with some of the players