Ungarieboy

My fear, is the potential for the footy to easily, quickly and continually rebound ou of our fwd 50. Our pressure may be good, but our ability to win the ground ball is not. Melksam, BBB and a ruck will likely emphasise this further. Also Picket spends to much time behind the contest/pack rather than front n center (where more than 80% of spilled/spoiled marks end up).

We actually outplayed them everywhere on the field, so where does significant improvement come from (apart from Goal kicking). If we could have played better, we'd likely have kicked a few more behinds and out of bounds!!!! It's not so much about personnel but conversion. Smith to play Fritsch's role. JVR to come in to play 2nd tall. Backs are fine. Oliver hopefully in, likely for Harmes. * left field thought; Hunter to play fwd (at least he can get front n center); and Brayshaw to the wing.

Viney McVee Bowey May ANB Hunter

Sparrow and Jordan are the only true midfielders there. The others spend minimal time there and wouldn't really concern tne opposition Note we regularly lose tbe clearances which may be because our backup is not as strong as we think; or perhaps its our first string!!!! Note; Munro, White and Duncan are the preferred midfielders at Casey. Actually Brayshaw and Harmes are realistically our backup depth.

We need midfielders Just look at Casey's preferred midfield, to understand why. And if your still in doubt, look beyond our top 3 (Oliver, Trac, Viney) and it drops away quick.

You don't risk playing your good players into being out of form. That's what we are doing with Petty forward for marginal gains. Set Petty to play CHB and forget. Like May at FB. McVee May. Lever Salem. Petty. Bowey Langford Viney. Hunter ANB. JVR. Picket Fritsch. BBB. Chandler Gawn Trac Harmes Brayshaw. Rivers Sparrow Grundy Melksam/Smith Midfield rotations is the key, with Trac, Viney to play forward as part of this. Rivers play midfield. Harmes is defensive mid. Though If Dunstan is fit he plays instead of McVee and Rivers then goes to Greene

Thinking slightly outside the square though: Lever. May. Hibberd/Mcvee Salem. Gawn Bowey Hunter Oliver Langdon Brayshaw Petty Trac Fritsch. BBB. Picket Grundy Viney Harmes Sparrow Rivers Dunstan/Laurie Smith sub Woey When Gawn rucks Petty/Smith play CHB Harmes to be the defensive midfielder Get midfield time into Chandker/Spargo/ANB at Casey Teach Jordan to take the game on, to move the ball on quicker at Casey But importantly develop our midfield depth. Is Casey's best midfield Munro, White. Dunstan (that says something).

I'd try and address our midfield / small fwd mix by. Noting to many changes is disruptive to team systems. Lever. May. Hibberd/Mcvee Salem. Petty Bowey Hunter Oliver Langdon Brayshaw JVR. Pickett Fritsch. BBB. ANB Gawn Trac Viney Grundy Sparrow Rivers Harmes/Dunstan Sub Woey Teach Brayshaw to play ANB or Spargos role. Teach Rivers to be midfielder. Woey as sub OK this week swap Woey for Harmes So that he debuts in the team.

We are also getting regularly getting beaten at the clearances (and spilled marking contests). We actually don't have enough genuine midfielder. Spargo, Chandler, ANB, Picket, Rivers and even Jordan are not genuine (nor is Melksam, And at thos stage Woey).

Our forwards though need a change up. They may often find space, but then just wave their arm and wait for the ball to be kicked to them, rather than moving towards the balll. We have to many specialist small pressure forwards, that don't kick regular goals. Our talls allow to many intercept marks. The resting ruck forward becomes a predictable long kick where the opposition then floods the area with numbers, making crumbing goals considerably more difficult. Smith is veyter suited as the third tall, not full gorward - hes really a backup for Fritsch

The thing about dropping role players who are doing their role, is it encourages other players to chase stat's rather than stick to their role. ANB likely stays for that reason alone! Assuming he is doing his role.

Rivers Hunter Salem Grundy May Sparrow

Side note: should the Demons be considered (promoted) as a "big four" club? The demons, like the Magpies, feature in two blockbuster matches each year; the tigers do as well if you consider the opening game a blockbuster! That leaves the Blues and Bombers with one blockbuster (though they are trying to establish a match between each other, as another). We should also being looking to setup another blockbuster match with Geelong, where the two teams open Heritage round; and do a pre-match build up on tradition, heritage and legends!!!! Oh and the AFL should also look at a Sydney/Brisbane rivalry for during rugby league's state of origin; riding on their coattails!

Viney Rivers Salem Fritsch Hibberd Smith

Mcvee Fritsch Rivers Trac JVR Salem

Hoping for an ugly win, fear an ugly loss!

At least other results have gone our way

So had a go trying to pick a team to tweak the weaknesses while catering for fast movement modern footy. It was really hard. Obviously Oliver and Petty makes a difference. Backs: May, Lever, [someone tall and clean], Hibberd, Bradshaw, Rivers, Bowie Mids: Gawn, Trac, Viney, [someone not a contest mid] , Langdon, Hunter, Sparrow, [Picket/Spargo]. Grundy. Fwds: Fritsch, BBB, Smith, [a tall marking option], [a mobile marking mid/small], a [pressure fwd], spargo/Picket Oh and we are getting smashed I clearances because they are all in to come out the front of it; but not to defend or halve the contest!

McVee and Bowie are getting pushed around in the backline; we can only ay one of them against the stronger sides. Lever is not KPB, he's a third tall. Our midfield are getting smashed and are not getting front and centre. We have to many non-marking targets in the forwards; at least one has to go; when Gawn rests forward we have to many stationary talks. Importantly though the modern game requires speed of movement so any Ayers coming in need to also cater for this.

OK I see things differently, hard to give votes to a midfield that got beaten again! Then again the backs and forwards also got beaten. Still Grundy Sparrow Fritsch May Hibberd Brayshaw

May Fritsch Rivers Chandler Hunter Salem

Rivers Viney Lever Trac Spargo Petty

Gaiwn McVee Trac Sparrow Picket Oliver

Grundy Trac Chandlers Oliver Fritsch Rivers

Viney Gawn ANB Chandler Oliver May