deelusions from afar

While I really like the idea of getting Saad to the club - especially for a second round pick, I wonder whether that is his real value or just the demonland board value. For example, he's probably in essendon's top 3 performers this year. Would we have thought our third best player last year (Jack Viney) would be worth a second round pick? If one of Viney / Brayshaw / Harmes (inside mids that are behind Oliver and Petracca) want to seek opportunities elsewhere at the end of the season, would we be expecting a second round pick for them. Maybe that's generous for Harmes right now as he is out of the team.... but he was 4th in our BnF last year and one of our best in 2018. If Salem wanted out would we expect to get a pick in the 20s for him? I might be wrong, but I think Saad has more currency than any of these players - or is that just me?

I don't watch a lot of the pies but my sense was that he would get a lot of his goals from using his pace to get clear on the lead and being a reliable set shot. Rather than someone that gets goals from crumbing and pressure acts? Is that fair? If so, I don't think that's what we want - if we can't deliver properly to our current forwards then he's not going to make a big difference. If we could, I'd go after pace and skill in centre square and wings.

Can we clone Langdon's football brain (and maybe endurance) and give it to Jayden? Could be a weapon on the wing

Would hate to see him leave but could live with it if was part of the deal to get papley in - i don't think that's likely though!

Agree but if everyone was fit I feel like they would like to give Hore or Petty a go in this role. Also think the Smith experiment is not over - this year is hard for players to learn structures / improve when they're not in the senior team. Another defender would be great.. but i think that pace and skills in the midfield are a far greater need.

I think Goody is coaching us to play a different style - a bit more keepings off, switch of play and less manic pressure. Maybe this plan B or maybe it's just about conserving our players energy - especially when there are short breaks. When we now have a bunch of good users in the back half (May, Hibberd, Salem and Rivers), it makes sense for them to chip it around until we get an opening.

I thought we were after lever as a big bodied midfielder - i think we were looking to take him with richmond's pick if trengove went to them?

Agree - I think Hannan (and Fritsch) are both worth trying in this role. I also wonder why Hunt hasn't been given a decent go at it. I know his kicking isn't great (but neither is Langdon's). I assume it is more about fitness. But if it's not a fitness issue, I feel like there's no reason why he couldn't do what Langdon's doing. When he started his career he showed not only his pace, but his ability to tackle, to win the ball in the air and to read the play. Even playing as a defensive winger to shut down their most dangerous one, he has the speed to hurt the opposition when we have the ball.

Agree 100% BR. I was very disappointed to hear we drafted Sparrow (not a knock on the kid but we had lots of players that play his role already when he was drafted) but the talk at the time was that he is very quick and able to accelerate away from congestion. Haven't seen this yet but he hasn't played a lot of senior footy so too early to know. Maybe the VFL watchers from last year might know better. Equally Jordan was picked as an outside mid / back flanker with good disposal skills. My understanding was that when he wasn't having much impact playing these roles at VFL last year they put him in the square and realised that's where he belongs.

Isn't Lockhart already playing this role?

I like the idea ... but I have a feeling that having one of Preuss or Gawn forward the whole game will have a detrimental impact on our forward pressure. Obviously TMac does not have great speed or agility but I feel he would do better than either of the ruckman at finding his man / running to the right spot in the zone etc. Potentially also messes with Weid's role because he's currently playing out of the goal square most of the match - can't imagine max or preuss playing CHF

I heard this exchange as well. My take is that Whateley is a big fan of Brayshaw and continues to ask these questions as he wants him at Geelong for when their star midfielders retire. What I found interesting was that Lewis said how much he thought of Jack... but went on to say he needs to find another position to pay (outside the centre square) as that's brayshaw's best position. But it was reported that he said to play Brayshaw on the wing. Anyone have a link to the audio?

Apparently we had a decent win - anyone know how we went? Pies 6.5 (41) Dees 12.8 (80)

Well with the rest of the fixture, I hope my theory of our game plan not stacking up on the wider grounds is proven wrong - The Gabba, Cazaly Stadium and TIO are 3 of the widest grounds going around outside of the MCG.

That's a bit comforting... but I guess it will be more about the cumulative effect. Especially as some of these teams will presumably have a bye in this block - actually maybe it's just the saints?

Good posts here. I don't think our midfielders were necessarily flatfooted early in the season, but I feel like better midfields in the competition knew Gawn would win the tap and so scrag / tackle whoever the tap was going to even before they got the ball. It was prommising to see Oliver / Petracca running away with the ball in the last two weeks - but for me I don't think the likes of Port / Bris etc would have allowed them to do that. Hopefully I'm wrong.

Agree - obviously all depends on whether we can beat teams in the 6-12 range but I think St Kilda are vulnerable as they still have games against Bris, us and West Coast.

While I think TMac has lost a lot of his speed and agility, I felt he actually showed positive signs before getting injured and he was ok last week. I think if we're asking him to play a high half forward then that works for us - but I don't think he's suited to the deep forward role which is ok as Weid is doing that nicely at the moment! Mixed feelings on Preuss coming in. He's a man mountain but does he have the fitness to not be a liability? Regardless of Grundy's form and potential injuries, he plays as an extra midfielder. Not sure if Preuss is capable of countering that or forcing Grundy to be accountable for him the other way.

I wish - but never seen Goody play any games at selection

While its all very interesting... I think most team's numbers will stack up pretty well after playing the crows and roos back to back. The question is have we turned the corner or are we just putting away terrible teams. Next two weeks will tell a lot

I like the thinking - I'm sick of playing inside mids on wings and flanks whether it be Jones, Brayshaw or Harmes. Surely if they're prepared to play Trac and Oliver forward then Viney in this role is worth a chance. The alternative is that at least one (and maybe two) of Viney, Brayshaw and Harmes will not be at the club next year - the club would be negligent to not try to get value a the trade table for an area we have a surplus and the players themselves would be silly not to look for a team that will play them in their best position.

I don't think he is - but would love to be proven wrong. Players rarely improve their kicking over their careers - particularly after significant injury. My sense is that people think because he is a (mostly) reliable set shot for goal he has got better with his kicking. But kicking to people who are moving between an opposition zone is a different skill. I would actually feel safer if the ball was in his brother's hands in defence.

Agree re Tomlinson. I'm sceptical that TMac back will work - but I think i Gawn comes in then a tall has to go out (or at least in the case of TMac or Tomlinson be moved to a wing) as the Weid/Jackson/Tmac forward line was tried and failed v Port. It would be a great asset moving forward to have TMac in the team as a defender knowing that he could be switched forward if Weid / Jacko go down or are beaten by their opponent - but I think he's too slow, lost his agility and foot skills / decision making error are far more costly in defence than up forward. Will be interesting to see what happens v the pies - TMac did enough to stay in the team... but I'm not sure if they have enough tall forwards to warrant him, Lever and May all in defence. I think if not for injury, the answer would probably be Petty or Hore to support May and Lever.

Spot on - I'm wrapped with how he's been playing since being brought back... but from all reports he was not looking likely through the pre-season with TMac, Brown and Jackson all showing more. He's had to earn it and he is doing everything right now (aside from missing a few set shots)

Not a personal attack as I've seen many others call for this... but I'm trying to understand why anyone would think TMac in the backline would be a good idea. Can you help me out? In my view, TMac is a terrible field kick. Potentially this is more decision making. But when he used to play in defence, TMac used to take it upon himself to take the low percentage kick into the corridor that only our best kicks could pull off regularly. If he didn't do that, he try and run around someone and get caught regularly. The benefit of playing him forward was that he could use his endurance and he could kick straight and was a revelation in late 2017 and 2018 with his goal kicking. Since then he's had numerous injuries. He seems to still have the endurance but appears to have lost some speed and agility. His tackle count last night indicated his effort and desire but he will be a liability in defence at the moment with ball in hand and when defending. And finally I think our defence is functioning pretty well at the moment... don't see how he could improve it.