Young Blood

And we wonder why our backline look so disorganized........

I agree with you regarding over umpiring in game play, but I would have thought calling out cheap shots behind play or when play has stopped would benefit more as players will be less likely to continue the nastier ones like gut punches. I think the majority of players who niggle aren't too bothered knowing they're just going to cop a fine during the weeks if they give a cheap one to effect a players ability physically and psychologically as long as they don't give a free kick. I think its one of very few good reasons to add the extra umpires to stomp out the dirtier things that happen behind play and make players pay at the time of incident.

I think a fine is what it deserved. Players are shoving chests every game and Steele went a bit low and caught Clarry by surprise. Low impact blah blah move on. I am more interested in the fact that it was the easiest free kick for the umpires to call all day. Hits before the bounce like that are called often. The umpire at the centre bounce had his back turned but there were at least two other field umpires watching what occured. I watched them sort of flinch and then relax as the umpire bounced the ball but it felt like more then enough time. I'd like cheap hits before the bounce in the centre to be something umpires look at. Maybe it can be rule of the week.

I'm going to be beat down on here but I thought while he had a extremely average first half I thought Dom showed poise with ball in hand and was one of very few who got us back in the game with his ball use, he didn't blaze away he moved with confidence and made good decisions. No idea if that means he gets another chance this week. Just saying...

I don't think Pederson has had enough time down back to prove himself. I think he would go OK if he were to play on a lead up player who spends more time as a high forward. But he just didn't show much on the weekend for Casey. A work in Progress. Nice to have the luxury of trying him down back with us having a couple of developing forwards to choose from in Weids and T. Smith I liked Keilty's game on the weekend thought he was really steady and took marks playing with confidence overall. But I imagine Petty has been doing the same and unless our midfield put more pressure on the opposition then both are going to be very vulnerable when the ball enters the backline.

AgreedI personally was worried about adding him but obviously the FD were confident in him so there you go.. I'm split on whether to play Harry again. I guess it will depend on matchups. I don't mind the idea of backing him in and putting last weeks game behind him but also happy to give Keilty a go who has been super solid. Anyone know where Josh Wagner is up to? I thought he was decent for the first few games of the year and seemed to be edged out due to midfielders and forwards coming in/shifting things around. He competes well in the air for his size and give you another good user of the ball in the back half when he plays with confidence.

I think its incredibly difficult for a 19yr old to come in as a key backman lining up against oppositions key forwards. It's a lot easier for young midfielders or non key position players who can get their hand on the football or tackle more due to being around stoppages and more contests overall (ie.Spargo). It's hard to understand that he was filling Lever's role as he was pretty much in a one on one contest the whole game. Poor kid was in really venerable positions all afternoon due to St Kilda's run and carry through the corridor opening up the game.

I think Keilty deserves a go if we need to go tall again. From reports he's been pretty good all year and he was super steady in the game on the weekend. He was marking with ease and played with real confidence knowing when to compete in the air. I think the Lever injury has greatly upset the balance of our backline overall and its showing not only in unconfident team selection and on field we look far less organised.

I agree. Not sure if it was that he wasn't timing his runs properly or just poor forward entries (probably both) but if he is out of position I'd still like to see him trying to impact the contest. Whether bodying up someone or drifting across the marking contest as suggested by Cam Mooney.

Gain confidence from playing weaker sides? Yes and also played well against quality sides like Tigers, North and to a lesser extent Crows. Never mentioned Petracca's confidence but I agree thats one thing he never lacks which is great. But Jesse not flying for marks and waiting for the crumb doesn't seem like a particularly confident player in those moments by his standards. Jesse is prone to beating himself up and putting unnecessary pressure on himself. I could be wrong.

The FD won't even consider dropping him. He kicked 10 goals in two games then had a bad two weeks (happens to young key forwards often). It's clear where he needs to improve. Get some confidence up playing some weaker sides at AFL level to get himself ready for the last tough games.

We have competed with the best. There is strong evidence. We performed really well in three quarters against Geelong, Richmond and Port putting ourselves in positions to win those games. I thought we were really unlucky against Port with a few things not going our way in the last quarter (injuries/bad calls in crucial moments). I definitely think this team has competed with the best and has put them selves in line to beat the better teams. The small sample this season is enough proof I think. This team is in no way polished or settled. There's still so much room to improve which is exciting as a supporter. The areas in which we need to improve are clear and in front of us.

Pretty good analysis and suggestions to get himself more involved.

I agree with others Billy Stretch hasn't performed well consistently at the higher level. Billy had a solid start to last season. His form since then hasn't been inconsistent in the seniors. He's 21 and only now starting to build a better frame for AFL. Clearly he drives standards in our young players in training and has a lot to offer there. I think we saw the FD persevere with playing him more the first few years due to Roos wanting to get AFL games into young players wherever possible while we were building. I think its now a deeper team and the opportunities aren't as easy for Billy. I truly believe he has the ability to be best 22 as he matures. I feel he's the type of player who could build into a really reliable player who doesn't star but you know what you get from him every week playing on a wing or HB/HF.

I don't know if Lewis is god. But he is pretty great with the ball when he has time and space yes.

I thought he was easily the most influential player in the first quarter. There was a general panic which we got the ball to him in a one on one situation. He was using his big body so well in the stoppages just making room for himself and others. Adelaide then got more numbers at the contest in the backline and he got lost trying to play up the ground.

Yes to this. Only changes I can see being made for next week unless we have injuries. Whilst Tim Smith and Pederson might probably give you a bit more consistency I think Weid has the most potential and I've liked his attack on the contest in the air and on the ground when he's been in. The role that those three play is really clear as a lead up tall who can help in the ruck. They're pretty much in to contest in the air and tackle and attack each contest. I think Tim Smith has shown this at AFL level, but I don't know if its just me but he seems to get injured or battered almost every game he plays. Wonder if he's not approaching contests protecting himself well enough....

Is this really that much more of an issue than it has ever been? I would be surprised if its a talking point this week. Don't get me wrong I think it should be. But interstate crowds with a full house of loud passionate one eyed supporters have and will continue to have an effect on the game and umpire decisions. I really feel for the poor bastards sometimes. It really is a hostile environment. Maybe we could give them blinkers and earmuffs

I thought two of the leaders in Vince and Lewis actually kept us alive with consistent efforts setting up across mid/half forward to give us multiple forward entries. Thought they were for the most part composed and gave us a pulse.

It's on the AFL website in highlights from the game section. Sorry I'm no good at embedding videos or whatever it is.

I can tell you he is an OK basketball player too. Watched him play before my game out at Coburg Monday night. Had a good chat with him afterwards. Can confirm a very pleasant likable character as his reputation suggests.

I really don't understand the knock against Harmes. He's not the cleanest with the ball and is probably still defining his role but I think he is one of our most consistent performers. He's definitely one of our most physical players and uses his body well around the contest as well as terrific tackling. As we saw yesterday Richmonds bottom six players were just far better then Geelongs. I think we need more like James Harmes who performs consistently without starring.

Very surprising. Spargo besides marking gives you so much more around the stoppages and general contest.

I think the idea is to start him further up the field on an undersized player and drift back in as a marking option. Not only does he have the potential advantage in a marking contest but it also messes with the oppositions backline structures. Ie. Do we send a tall back to run with him further up the ground in case he does the same?? But I do agree with Roos as well that starting him forward is much more of a threat. He's one of those players who doesn't need a lot of the ball or play to get going, hence why he doesn't need to start around the ball. I would definitely be swapping him with Hogan to start.

Agreed. He was OK against Crows and Bulldogs and managed to get on the end of some goals by slipping out the back. I thought he was very ordinary against Collingwood. Only reason I can see him being kept in is as a marking option outside of Tmac/Hogan/Trac especially with Pederson and Bayley playing further up the ground now. But he certainly hasn't been performing well in the air.