rjay

I'm not so keen on outside runners...in the draft. Pace that can get there own ball is handy though. We probably screwed ourselves in the Hogan trade...a pick for May and something in the deal that brought Langdon would have been handy. We paid overs for Lever. Then the drafting of Spargo and Petty is a bit hard to understand. So I think we've wasted opportunities to add class to the list.

I have doubts either of these player will make it...Bedford a better chance than Baker but the odds are still slim...

Hardwick was a terrible game day coach... Buckley not much better... Both were inflexible, stuck to game plans that didn't seem conducive to good football. They were not versatile. Time on the job, experience and the right people around them has been key to their success as coaches. I hope we have the right person in Goodwin, time will tell. He's certainly making a lot of rookie errors at the moment.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing for the supporter... ...but we should expect an amount of foresight from the professionals at the club. Doesn't look like we pulled the right lever here.

I would prefer Tommy Mac...Lynch will be too strong in the air for Frost. Although the way Tommy is playing he would kick 10... That leaves Frost for Riewoldt...a smart footballer and that's not Frost's strength. Hibberd and Hore can share Caddy. Smith might also rotate through the midfield, so that's another string to his bow. He does run at times as a mid at Casey. I Know he's your brother 'Drunkn' but I think Keilty is one of those in between players...not quite a ruck, back or forward. A bit of a football bits and pieces man, competent at his role but not excelling at any...probably not his fault, be better if allowed to establish himself as a back. For your sake and his I hope he gets a game, if we don't turn the corner soon his time will come. Bit of a double edge sword there. The way Tommy has been playing a spot may open up sooner rather than later..

Neville Jetta | Knee – 10-12 “Nev had an issue with his lateral meniscus. There was an incident in the second quarter that exacerbated that. He pulled up really sore after the game and after some consultation with our doc’s and surgeon, we decided to go down the surgical track.” So Nev's injury was not a new one according to Misson...it just got worse. Go figure. We know that all players carry injuries into games but to me Nev looked sore before the 2nd Q incident. We're not handling these things well at the moment.

I just hope we try something different tomorrow. Tommy Mac back to Lynch. Fritsch forward. Viney forward/Salem in the middle. Hunt back or to a wing... Melk to HB, best field kick we have. Lewis forward, use his so called experience to sort out that mess... Brayshaw & Trac interchanging through the middle. Weid the only really tall forward giving Max the odd chop out. Be unpredictable, at the moment we are just so predictable... Unfortunately, I'm not sure we're that inventive. If we try something we could give it a shake ...the Tiges are men down and have been playing above themselves. The Rance/Kotch loss has to take effect at some stage, with luck it will be this game. Our luck hasn't been so good so it will probably be next week.

...but it wasn't the issue last year in the prelim. ...and if implementation of the game plan was an issue in the prelim why are the same players on the list. The only best 22 player we moved on was Hogan and he didn't play in the prelim. The same problems raised their heads in the pre season games and that tells me the problem is with the FD... Time for a good look... 'old dee', I don't know whether Goodwin can coach or not. I think unless a review turned up that he was a hopeless coach, which I doubt it would have then 3 years was probably ok. edit: or if Clarkson became available...then. A review might have turned up a need for change in the FD and those he has around him though. I think this is an issue... I do know that he is an inexperienced coach and shouldn't be calling the shots about the the personal in the FD. I think Mahoney is still an inexperienced head of football...I don't like that blend. With an inexperienced coach we need an experienced head. It's not Pert's fault re the review, it's just plain bad luck that the changeover happened when we couldn't really afford it. He was in no position to call a review and is probably doing what any good CEO should do, having a good look at how things work before stamping his authority/brand...

'Wise', sometimes you tow the company line like your mate 'sat'... I truly think the changeover period from Jackson to Pert left a vacuum. That performance, following like performances during the season should have set alarm bells ringing and a full review should have been done. Not just the game but of the list and entire FD. Now we've wasted a year and you can guarantee that review will take place at the end of this season if not before.

I find Cooney one of the least insightful special comments men in the media and just very irritating. He takes talking s..... to a whole new level. I find myself switching off or turning the dial when I hear his voice.

Neither is 'Sat' 'A F'...he's a company man. Always will be... Barkin' up the wrong tree there mate.

Similar story did the rounds last year. Remember the one about Macca being banished to the bench. Smoke/Fire? Maybe. Goody is a young coach, they all pretty much come in headstrong with their own ideas. Often inflexible... The club plays a role & is responsible for putting the right people around the coach. It can't be solely the coach's call, the last thing we need is yes men... The coaches who make the grade learn to listen. The ones who don't listen fall by the wayside. Which will Goody be?

With Jetta out it gives us a chance to play Sparrow back, he is a strong kid, is not slow and good in the air. He's the closest to Jetta we have. Lets see if he can play... If Tmac is fit he can go back and help Frost... Viney is not fit enough to play as a mid, we struggle for defensive forwards and that's where I would put him with short bursts in the middle. I like Salem back but we need some smarts in the middle so I would rotate him through the guts. A starting midfield of Oliver, Brayshaw and Viney doesn't work. I would bring Fritsch forward as part of a more unpredictable and mobile forward half with Garlett coming in. That will give us Fritsch, Trac, Pruess if fit (maybe Keilty if not), Viney, Weid and Garlett...as the starting forward 6. Can't carry Tmac, Weed and Pruess in the same forward half... I would move Melk up the ground as he and Salem are our 2 best field kicks...probably rotating off wing or half back...no point wasting his kicking power to far forward. More midfield time for Trac, another point of difference in there. Who goes out. I wish it was Lewis but it won't be. Spargo, Jetta of course and I would bring in Billy for C.Wagner.

I'm glad you are speaking with certainty on this 'Wrecker'... The more we know, the less we know.

Not pessimistic, just a hard look at the list. You could find holes in all teams lists, no team is or ever will be complete. I have hopes for Weideman too but he really needs to get a wriggle on, he's not a kid any more... A bit of class around the ball, fix the forward situation and we're back in the running. The set up at centre bounces in the forward half is appalling to my way of thinking. We have 6 players bunched in a line down the centre as a starting position. We've just taken out any advantage we might get from 666 by creating a situation where all 6 defenders are bunched up with 6 forwards. Surely we spread the starting positions and give ourselves an opportunity to create one on ones with our key forwards making it impossible at least for the first 15/30 secs for defenders to double team us... It's a losers position...and we're losing.

Leadership is a problem that we've tried to address without success. Years of consistent failure have left us with no senior players apart from Jones who has battled manfully for a long time with little assistance. We brought in Lewis, he's had some good games but his leadership really has been lacking with silly reports, free kicks, 50 metre penalties etc not setting a great example. Clarko let him go for a reason and he's well and truly cooked now. Viney was made captain too early and at the moment the co captains are starting to sound a lot like Grimes and Trengove in their media appearances...more & more excuses and talk of next week we can turn it around. I think Viney plays too much as an individual to the detriment of himself and team to be captain. I'm concerned with his foot injury. If he has to go on a fad diet to lose weight for his foot to stand up to the demands of the game then that's not a good sign. The midfield...Oliver is a gun, Brayshaw needs to hit targets more consistently backs his dodgy left foot too much, Viney tries to do too much, is not big enough to do it and often gets in Oliver's way. Harmes is ok but again over does it at times, he needs to learn his limitations. We don't have anyone capable of playing wing, that's a big hole in the list. Maybe Harmes, Fritsch (looks class but needs to do a lot more) perhaps but still a long way off. There's no one at Casey that can play it at AFL level. Sorry guys but Baker's not going to make it... In defence we miss May and Lever no doubt. Hibberd may well be on the way out, he will be 30 next season and he hasn't been kind to his body. Jetta is a similar age with injury taking its toll, plus he's not overly quick. Hore looks like he could be a player, his early games were poor but he's settled and can play a bit. May be good depth, maybe more... Salem and Lever will be the generals but we need someone to take Hibberd's and Nev's positions...plus Lever will need to step up and not expect to just be a floater. I don't like what I've seen of Petty, unfortunately looks a bit slow for the modern game...Don't know where Sparrow will play, doesn't get a lot of the ball but could be a lock down small defender...he's got some leg speed, strength and not bad in the air. Omac, nup...Frosty, have been negative on him but his leg speed is an advantage some times. Forward is a real problem...Tommy Mac has had his run and he's not a natural forward, Weid is a worry, we have no small forwards apart from Jeffy who is flaky as hell. I would say Trac is the only legit forward we have and he's a confidence player. Melk will give us some good games.. No one really at Casey either, we're clutching at straws with Chandler and Bedford... The forward set up is all wrong...this is not just a list problem but game plan. It's not working. I'm not seeing the Jennings genius by the way.... Forget Kielty and both the Smith's, again clutching at straws...plus Vanders may well be cooked. Rambling a bit but we need some good ball users off half back and wing/mid..a real target up forward (not sure it will be Weid) , a good small forward, a couple of good defensive forwards with some pace and goal sense plus May and Lever back in the team. We also lack real depth.

Yep, I'm serious about Carlton 'A F'...I think their midfield is only going to get better with Walsh and I really rate Petrevski-Seton...they need to get a quality ruck, that's the only hole they have. Kruz is old and injury prone, can't rely on him. As you say their spine looks pretty good. The future is bright for the Blues... Will give you my thoughts on our list later this eve when I have some time to put into it.

Don't tell anyone 'Macca' but I think that Carlton may have a better balanced list than ours...just between you and me. Once they learn to win and maybe change coach they are well positioned going forward. I'm going to have to lay low, could be strung up for this one.

How are the drugs looking now 'RTG'???

...and I still say the drop off happened last year in the Prelim. Nothing has been done to change the obvious short comings that blind Freddie could see in that game. I must credit Geelong with using their loss against us in the final as a huge wake up call. They reviewed, took no prisoners and worked hard in the off season to change their game plan, positioning and personal and now have a crack at another flag. We on the other hand just excused the performance as not being the real us. Problem is, it was the real us...and now we're repeating the same mistakes. Maybe it was a bad time for a changeover of CEO, with Jackson leaving, Mahoney applying for the job and Pert yet to come on board...the prelim performance fell between the cracks. We dropped the ball... Now we know that CEO's shouldn't meddle too much with the FD but either the head of football, Mahoney or the CEO should have seen that a thorough review was taken after that loss. That is in their job descriptions. Then of course the warning signs were there for all to see in the preseason competition but most couldn't see them. Those who questioned the performances were said to be over reacting, or told don't worry we got this it's just the JLT games. Wrong... Time for a thorough review and a turnover of the FD...

Yep, saw a player in the last Q totally disregard a lead out the back from him. Looked at him and said to himself no cheap kick for you sunshine. Went back and had his kick to position...

Looks like it might be time for a review and clean out of the FD. Not just Chapman... With Misson already moving on it's time for a few more to go.

Looking at Petty yesterday, and in the few times I've seen him he takes a nice intercept mark but is slow. I know he was a later pick but I fear he will be a one game bust...

Looks like they managed his game time (72%) and he also spent some time back. I think his job is done at the club, it's time to put the cue in the rack. Salem is going to have to take the organising/leadership role down back and share it with Lever whenever he gets on the park... As for Spargo, as I said last week his problem is not when he has the ball in hand (apart from a massive clanger this week), it's that he doesn't get it enough and he provides zero defensive pressure. ...the opposition just disregard him when they have the ball, they know he can't do any damage even if he chased and could catch them. They just brush him aside.

2 to go and looking worse...let's see.