poita

At they very least they should be able to give some updates as to the progress of players on the injury list. Once again it seems as though (a) this club doesn't care about its members or (b) the club is staffed by amateurs.

We knew in October that Oliver and Brayshaw were both massive risks coming into this season, and yet we allowed all of Jordon, Harmes and Dunstan to depart for nothing. Now we are left with the only midfield options being Petracca, Oliver and Viney (all admittedly guns, although Oliver is still a clear risk), plus Sparrow who has clearly plateaued since 2021. We're completely stuffed if any of those four misses games this year. I'm sure the rose-coloured glasses brigade can list another 10 players who can roll through the midfield if required, but the reality is that most of these either (a) take quality players from other areas (Pickett, Rivers, Salem, Neal-Bullen) or (b) are well off AFL standard at this time (Laurie, Woewodin, Tholstrup). The reality is that the cupboard is completely empty when it comes to midfield depth. It's bad enough that we have no ruck depth and are struggling to find a fit key forward, but to neglect the midfield so badly in recent years is almost criminal. We haven't drafted a genuine onballer with a top 20 pick since Oliver 8 years ago. Yet Taylor and Lamb are happy to load up on multiple small-medium sized forwards year after year. The way our list has been managed since the 2021 grand final is just appalling.

We love you and will deeply miss you Gus. This off season can go and get forked.

I had us down to finish around 6th until 2-3 weeks ago. Our injury list, lack of depth in key positions and the ongoing off field dramas have dented my confidence, and I now think we'll miss finals. I also don't think that would be the worst thing in the world. A year to reset, clean up the list and work out whether some of our fringe players can actually play could be the best thing for us long term. T

I really hope that we don't gift games to Langdon and Hunter again this year. If the likes of Brown, Windsor and Woewodin outperform Langdon and Hunter during the pre season games, they absolutely should be selected for the Sydney game.

An obvious tick for our AFLW program, but presumably losing a senior assistant coach leaves a significant hole to be filled. Hopefully we can find a quality person to come in and support the group, because it is clear that things went well off script in the last month of last season. https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1076473/dogs-appoint-former-dees-assistant-tamara-hyett-as-aflw-coach

With Richmond playing there should be a decent crowd, so expect a fair walk if you arrive after the start time. This will be interesting. I'm guessing many of our top players will do their work early and be showered and dressed before the end of the match. Will they stick around, or sneak out the back? No. Expect to stand at the back of the hill, particularly if you arrive late. Limited seating is usually taken by players, staff, families, etc.

Bad luck for anyone in the Seymour region (or anyone else for that matter) who might be hoping for some news regarding the community camp. Are people just meant to guess what is going on?

I see the two Sydney teams are playing games in the VFLW competition this year. Who the hell is funding the costs for sending teams to and from Sydney, and who is compensating part time, amateur footballers for time away from work and study? Imagine if this money was put towards supporting local football clubs.

Another reason to get our own facility, so we can (a) have our shop located somewhere that is reasonably accessible and (b) not be forced to shut down by international musicians.

How hard would it be for each of the line coaches to write a piece for the website once a fortnight telling us how the players in their group are progressing? And if they don't want to do it, surely they can get some year 10 work experience kids to do it. Ditto for the Casey coach after each game. Do a pocket profile for each of the players like they used to have in the footy record, and release 1 or 2 each week during the pre season. I'd be interested in learning more about some of the off field staff we have as well, and what their jobs entail. Give us some regular, accurate injury and fitness updates. Not everything is a state secret that has to be kept away from opposition clubs. Put some posters and other downloadable materials on the website. Run some competitions on there as well. Update the team pages on the website so that the AFLW players drafted two months ago appear and those we traded out are removed.

Obviously a tough gig being opposed to Max, but are there any indications that KFW has made any progress over the off season? We haven't had a great record developing young ruckmen since Max came of age, and Kyah is coming from a long way back.

I'm really not seeing what the club saw in McAdam - regularly injured, lacks fitness and turns 29 in a few months. Hope he comes cheap. Disappointing to hear that Petty is still miles off.

We can't expect Max to keep carrying such a huge load on and off the field forever. The guy turns 33 this year and has a young family to think about. I desperately want to see him lift the premiership cup on the MCG this year but, whether or not that happens, this has to be his last year as captain. I'm happy to be the contrary voice on Lever. I think there are significant issues with the way he plays that will see his career come to an end quicker than most expect. He may be a good captain for a year or two, but I don't see him as a sensible choice in the longer term. Clearly Brayshaw has some issues that make him a risky choice as well. Petracca seems to be the clear next in line, presumably with Viney staying on as vice captain.

Imagine if a team was dumb enough to give a contract to a 32 year old who will miss most of the season with a serious knee injury, instead of giving its 32 year old star ruckman the experienced backup that he needs and deserves.

Anyone criticising Tom McDonald's spot on the list in 2024 needs to direct their anger / frustration to the club. Don't blame the player for taking a pay cut whilst extending contract length to help the club out. It is simply woeful list management to have all of Brown, McDonald and Schache coming out of contract next year, and all likely to be spending much of their time impeding Jefferson's potential development at Casey. Don't be surprised if at least one of those three plays on in 2025, because we're unlikely to delist / retire three similar players at the same time. That said, I'm one of McDonald's biggest fans and will back him in to have a significant impact if he is anywhere near full fitness.

Taj showed enough in 2023 to maintain my confidence that he can play at this level. Hopefully he can take a McVee-level leap forward in 2024 with his fitness and confidence.

Again I wonder where are his opportunities come from. I assume Pickett, Neal-Bullen, Fritsch and two talls are locks in the forward line. That leaves him fighting against McAdam, Melksham (when fit), Tholstrup, Billings, Chandler, Spargo and others for 1 - 2 spots. Tough gig, especially with a body that doesn't look ready for AFL level yet.

If he can't get his fitness up to the required level in the next month or so, it is hard to see where his opportunities will come from. There is very significant depth in his position, so it is really tough to see where he fits.

Laurie is another who doesn't win enough of his own football, and who isn't tall or quick enough to compensate for that. I honestly don't see a single AFL standard trait in his kitbag, and for that reason I don't think he'll make it.

I've said it before, but we are doing Kyah absolutely no favours playing him against men in a (very) part time ruck role in the VFL, as opposed to him playing games against players at a similar stage of their physical and football development. The chances of him playing a single AFL game are currently about 100/1.

I understand the initial decision to recruit Schache, and unfortunately he probably hurt his chances of playing more regular football with some fairly underwhelming efforts in round 7. Why you would select a guy in a final, then not use him, is completely beyond me. But even that is less puzzling than giving him a new contract before the end of the trade & draft period. I'm guessing our injury list would need to have at least 15 names on it before he is considered for senior games in 2024.

Showed some good signs early in the season, then reverted to the same inconsistency that he showed in previous seasons. Another who is going to need to lift in a big way to play senior football in 2024 given our recruiting.

Ordinary footballer who would have been well advised to look for another club in the off season given the ridiculous number of small & medium forwards we currently have on our list. Doesn't win enough of his own football, doesn't kick enough goals, doesn't apply enough defensive pressure - it's a bad combination for a guy who is coming into his 7th season.

Harry is already a super defender, and he looks capable of becoming a very good forward as well. That is potentially a great problem for the club to have if (a) he can get his body right and (b) he is prepared to sign a long term contract to stay here.