Diamond_Jim

When watching Casey I look for both team system and individual brilliance. Moreover I look for players who can find time and space on their opponents. The latter is essential to AFL success. There were flashes of all three yesterday but in the main it was sledgehammer tactics against a much weaker team. The first quarter with a stiff breeze was apposite. Shots on the run from beyond 50 and forwards leading to the pocket. Our exits from the backline were slow and often indecisive. Handballs were rarely used to benefit open players. In respect of the forwards. Sure they took marks against a beleaguered opposition but how many were taken by smart leads and running patterns that saw them make a break on their opponent. It's those skills that you need at AFL level as the defender will be miles better. That being said it was an enjoyable day on the grass verges watching youngsters playing gleefully in the waning Autumn sun.

Left at 3/4 time. Overall not a great spectacle. Too much crowded scrambly play with Casey far too powerful but rarely able to get clear. Casey now has too many tall forwards and then you add in Verrall and TC. A complete absence of any organised crumbing from any small/medium. In a game made for Tholstrup he didn't excel. Sat at half forward so didn't really see the back players. Suffice to say they took lots of marks. Casey did a lot of switching of play but it was often too slow and without real purpose. Jefferson may well have shone but JVR is going backwards based on today's opposition. One other thing given our surplus number of talls he didn't appear to get any chance to practice his ruck craft.

If you mean Preston Railway station it's just across the road.

close OD but we're at Preston it's just off Bell Street though

Woewodin has certainly bulked up

The Blues when they took over the bullants did them no favours. Strange competition the vfl as we've discussed many times. Given the game in Sydney and the location of today's game we should have a couple of thousand supporters here. Lucky to be a couple of hundred

oval condition is almost perfect. Great day for football We are allowing Preston to crowd the ball. Would like to see a more aggressive spread and perhaps a few players hanging back in an attempt to reduce the numbers around the ball carrier. on skills and marking ability we are streets ahead

getting scrappy given the domination. Jvr behind Jefferson on performance this half. Bullants first goal More of a stiff breeze than a wind

where are the bullants on the ladder. This could get ugly

against the wind may be better. A bit too much of the blazing away in Q1 Keeping their eyes down this quarter

at the ground. Not many here Casey way on top but no real decent forward connection. Max and Ed Langdon are here Decent wind favouring Casey

Why not lodge a support ticket with Kayo They are reasonably responsive

It's rather good these days. I've found since 4k that it takes maybe 30 seconds of buffering before the stream starts but once it does no problem. Could be short drops on the wifi signal. With other streams you don't notice it because they cache 5 minutes or so ahead. With Sports streams the cache is only seconds

My AFL site is showing 12:35 for the start of Blues v GWS at Docklands. Any reason for the early start?

Seems to be some backlash over the Saturday night FTA blackout. Strangely enough it centres on interstate markets suggesting to me that Melbourne audiences are simply bunnies. There's a few nuggets in the Age article below. One was the viewing audience in Sydney on Kayo for Essendon v Sydney on a Saturday night. It was 10k. So much for almost fifty years of AFL investment into the Sydney market. The other is the frank admission that if they were negotiating the media rights deal today the AFL would need to take a price cut. (Have we see maximum AFL revenue?) https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/the-true-cost-of-the-afl-abandoning-free-to-air-saturdays-in-its-4-5-billion-tv-deal-20250523-p5m1lr.html

The NRL match is even worse 9 v 17

Interesting debate on that one. TMac hasn't rucked for a few years but as the season goes on I think that could be TMac's niche unless AJ flourishes

agree

Combine the VFL with a pre match lunch at Preston market or at one of the many great Asian eateries in nearby High Street. Yum Cha at the Golden Leaf is top notch as is the various choices of pho and roast ducks that adorn the restaurant windows. The market offers a wide choice including gozleme and other Eastern delights. The ground itself has lost any form of old world charm so it's hard to picture the days when Preston was an absolute powerhouse in the VFA. Free parking at the market but being a Saturday it can be hard to find. Always parking at the back of Preston Library from which it's only a few minutes walk.

Lot of optimism in this thread. Hoping it's justified

Viney out for another week. Not great news Culley is slow at Casey and in recent weeks has not impressed. Is he better than Sharp as a sub. Maybe That would allow lever in moving Turner forward and Fritsch back in Viney has taken the pressure off the selection group but will it work?

According to Mr Google this was perhaps one of those urban myths but I do agree that unlike some other lines it can have a little give and take

Need to capture the oral history. Six years time and it's ten years since that night in the West. I want to hear every player's perspective on every minute. So let it be said... Let it be done

I think people forget that "corridor" football is a different game from boundary football which in turn is different from 45 degree football (Collingwood). Of the three corridor is the easiest to defend but because it's also the easiest to score from you often see them winning. I think corridor football (Adelaide) can get you into the final 8 but I doubt it takes you all the way. If a team could play both boundary and corridor style ( the latter in the second half when the opponent tires) that might work

There are 3 potential ins.... Viney, Fritsch and Lever Of those 3 Viney is the only definite with Fritsch potentially again as sub. If Viney comes in you have to wonder who goes out. Sharp perhaps. If Lever comes in Turner goes forward which probably means AJ out (who relieves Gawn) but it's even more complicated if Fritsch also comes in. Would not be adverse to AJ taking a lot of the ruck in the first half and then being subbed for Fritsch thus allowing a relatively fresh Gawn to be the sole ruck in the second half. Can AJ be trusted though as a primary ruck? Other than Sharp I don't see anyone immediately pressing for Spargo's spot. Assuming we have a mid season opening I can see Bonner joining the AFL list. At VFL level he's a connection machine. Not sure about his defensive work but he's deserving of a chance. We would then have Bonner, Spargo Sharp Woey and Brown pushing for one spot Scoring via Melksham was smart and reminded me of how Collingwood score so often from ordinary forwards. It's all in the delivery. Incredibly difficult selection week and if we're good enough to win the following week will be even harder