rjay

Playing AFL footy at his size would show that he's definitely not soft. In his first few seasons he struggled to stick a tackle and opposition players took advantage. To his credit he's improved this area of his game. I think he's a good natural footballer but at his size you need to be exceptional and I don't see him being this. That's why I see him as a depth player.

Come on 'Steve', where's the Oscar love...

Funny, but I was listening to some clips of that Amazon Prime thing they've been plugging lately where they followed different people in football last season. It's probably good viewing but one thing that really annoyed the hell out of me was the incessant need to swear by the coaches...it was pretty juvenile really. It was like I'm a real man, I'm grown up and I really mean what I say and you've really got to listen to me because I'm using the F... word. Leon Cameron and Adam Simpson were the ones I heard in the clips... It's so embarrassing and more so because I used to do it when I was coaching...I cringed listening to this stuff. It's exactly the male agro rubbish you're talking about and I did it. Surely a coach can express his message clearly without...listen here, you know what they f...ing think about you, they think you are f...ing weak, just look at the f...ing s... in the media...are we going to f...ing take this or are we going to f...ing do something about it. It's really childish and pathetic...surely we they can do better.

The concussion sub is the AFL sucking up to coaches for taking away some of their precious rotations. I don't like it at all but it's par for the course in a Gill administration.

I'm not expecting anything, just saying if the club wants to build the base they have to do the work, not the other way around. I actually don't have a lot of faith in the current management... That's precisely what I'm getting at...

I'm not sure that maybe sending an email, putting something up on the website and reporting on the game is being spoon-fed but if it is then I would think members & future members should expect to be spoon-fed. If you want to involve fans & build a membership base then you have to put in the work...it's shouldn't be the members/fans job to go searching.

Same, if it's at City Oval in Box Hill. I was just around the corner from there around 7pm.

I would say he was ok at times but there were some glaring problems that are still there... I don't see him being much more than fringe.

Quite honestly I wish they would SFA and just play. They didn't look particularly angry on the weekend.

If doesn't kick goals.... ...and if doesn't win games of footy.

Been saying this for a long time now 'Dee', but he isn't a mid. He's not a natural ball winner...needs to be tried in defence if he's going to make it.

I think Gawn is only dangerous floating forward 'Macca'...he's been tried forward before and found wanting. Trac will need to put in more forward time ala dusty & danger... I've been pushing for the Viney forward move for a while now but we do need to find another mid, Harmes would need to find form and Brayshaw back to the form of a few seasons back and it will work. Might even help Brayshaw with more pure mid time. Spot on with this 'Macca', yesterday sure proved that...our depth is poor.

Forget about them having to park their egos...how about they get on the park.

I think that's what we've been doing 'Ethan'. Maybe time for a different approach whatever that is...

I will rule Baker out, doesn't run through the footy...runs around it, that's why he's poor at the contest. Totally lost in traffic and not a natural ball winner out of it says a big no for me. Tommy Mac, just not a smart enough player to play there. That and his disposal make him a liability.

I think Bowey could do it...I like what I saw of him. He gets to the right positions, his first few spoils showed even at his height he is pretty good in the air and can get up. Nice user and good thinker, already puts him ahead of anyone else we've tried there. ...but would it be asking too much for him to cover the amount of ground a wingman needs to cover these days as a first year player.

Well, at least it will be obvious. On a wing there's nowhere to hide. If he doesn't tackle/chase/run etc...it would probably be a premature end to his career. I agree with 'Polly', we have to at least try him there. Baker is certainly not the answer and I'm not sure we have anyone else.

He doesn't straight line the ball and is useless in a contest...that's just one issue. That also...

...and by the way. Does anyone else hate G Lyon commenting on our games? I find him insufferable at the best of times but doubly so when it's us.

Tommy's reaction time is too slow and his field kicking a liability...If he's not holding his grabs then he hasn't much else going for him. I'm with you on Bedford, just not clean enough to be a small forward...his pressure & pace is ok but he offers nothing else.

For those who doubt the value of Oliver...well, Trac for one plays a lot better footy when he's around. Trac might be the glory boy, but Oliver is the engine room.

Positives...May, Lever, Bowey (the kid can play), quality players to come back...not many others. Negatives...Baker isn't an AFL player (positive, at least we've proven it before the real stuff starts). Sparrow is not an AFL mid. Fringe player Tommy Mac back to his worst when we need him and he needs to stand up. Still have big doubts re Spargo...depth Chandler..depth Think JJ is depth only. Bedford, no. Vanders is done and was a few years back. Nev is cooked unfortunately. Jones is on the cusp of cooked...in reality I could probably call it...he's cooked. We lack good depth...our list management has left us in a difficult position. With Vanders, Nev and Jones plus long term injuries added to a bunch of kids who are fringe at best. We better hope the worst of our injuries are behind us because we don't have much outside a best 22. ...and before anyone asks how I can make these judgements on one practice game??? they're not. They are judgements made over the last year (some over a couple of years), last week and confirmed today.

I still think we made a big mistake not going after Phillips...especially as the Pies virtually gave him away.

Greenvale to Moorabbin is not too great either 'daisy'...it's a pretty fair hike in traffic.

Yes 'Rob', I'm very interested to hear about that...