spirit of norm smith

Lever⭐️May⭐️, McVee👏

Rivers👏, McDonald🤨, Woey jnr🤞

Windsor☄️Trac⭐️⭐️ Langdon👏

Sparrow👍🏻, Turner🤞Neal-Bullen👏

 Fritsch👏 van Rooyen🤞Pickett👏

Gawn👑Oliver👏Viney👏

IC’:Howes🤞Petty🤞Chandler👍🏻Billings👍🏻

SUB: Laurie🥶

Brown. 3 weeks.  Chose to bump.  High impact. High contact.  That’s got to show a penalty for such stupid acts.  

Fine young man. Well spoken.
  Marginal player.  Needs to lift.   

James Jordon.  Nice goal.   Wish he was still at the Dees.  A free agent gift to the Swans.  
 

The bloke 23 Hogan for the Giants looks like a very good key forward.  😭😭

On 02/05/2024 at 14:58, Whispering_Jack said:

Vic Metro Under 18 squad announced

At least 8 draft first rounders likely from this team. Seriously strong once again.  

20 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Our bottom age NGA prospect for 2025 Tairon Ah-Mu is kicking on playing APS footy for Haileybury. This is from an online Herald Sun article on the APS standouts from last week:-

“Ah-Mu, a Year 11 student, was among Haileybury College's best performers in its win over Caulfield Grammar. Already standing over 200cm, there's still plenty of room for the ruck-key forward to develop.”

With the APS season under way, some of the stars of the Coates League will be missing over a number of rounds because they have to give priority to their schools. This gives others the opportunity to make their names at this level.

The way things are going, Ah-Mu is a potential “Mac Andrew” so here’s hoping that the promised review of the NGA rules allows the non Northern states some scope in nominating for players they nurtured over the years through the system.

Agree. Hes a big talent.  Ah-mu is already noted as a top 25 prospect in the 2025 cohort.  Another likely miss for the Dees NGA program. 

Williamstown are a seriously strong team. 7 ex AFL listed players. Some very good VFL players in the team.  Fordham is one of the best VFL (non AFL listed) players. McLaughlin is a big in for them. Very tough game.  Casey (and Dees) eroded midfield depth hurts our chances.  At home, Casey can still win it but it’s more likely a Williamstown win outcome. 

Huge.  Pies v Blues.  That was pressure.  Finals like. 89000 crowd.  Pies were huge in the contest.  Pressure.  Tackling.  Forward lines were open but the defenders swarmed.  No place for short steps. That was the standard.  Pies will get Mitchell and Degoeeeeeey back. Blues get plenty back in Saad, Marchbank and Martin.  Both will be stronger.  Both are contenders.  Can we match it? Can the Dees bring that intensity.  We did v the Power but not in other games.  We need to be the danger.  

Time to step up or shut up.  Time to deliver.  Cats are a top team.  Strengths across the park.  Genuine superstar in Cameron.   We need to show that we are still a serious contender.  All the recent news is about the Cats, Blues, Giants, Swans, Power, ‘Pies are back’, ‘Bombers are rising’ and we are forgotten.   We are not to be forgotten.  Lift.  Trac.  Clarry.  JV7.  This will be a pressure cooker. Finals like atmosphere.  A big game. Let’s show that we’re not a falling star and have plenty of talent and determination left. Go Dees. Fire up 🔥 

Lobb is an absolute NO NO NO

UNLESS …

Petty leaves for the Crows and

BBB retires (likely) and

we delist Schache and

delist Jefferson

and… JVR hurts his knee in season 2024 

Agree. ⭐️Love the background to the design and what it means to her family and her brother.  

I love the Suns recruiting.  They picked up Graham, Rogers, Walter and Read.  Inspired choices. 

wait , sorry,  what 

they are gift wrapped by the AFL as part of Academy priorities picks for the Lions, Swans, Giants and Suns equalization policy to pickup quality development youngsters without any other clubs having access. 
 

I’ve always been impressed with his skill and contested footy.  He’s a definite YES from me.  Can play lockdown or as a rebounding defender.  A 4 year contract is possibly a good appeal for him. 

Tmcd to play on Cameron. 

ummmm it’s a no from me 

Jake Lever 👏👏👏👏

He has been a great player and as a leader in the footy club.  

Well spoken and insightful.  No BS.  👏👏👏👏

Petty is only 24. He has 8-9 years of footy ahead of him.  Premiership winning defender at aged 21 (3/4). He is better as a key defender (that’s his best place for sure).  

May 2 votes.  Is that a joke !!! He was sensational all night and stopped countless Tiger attacks. 21 kicks ,12 marks ,7 rebound50s, 96% disposal efficiency.  Wow.  

3 hours ago, Redleg said:

But that choice was probably dictated by senior opportunities.

I suspect if he knew Brayshaw was retiring he would have stayed.

He has played every game for the Swans so far this year.

Bedford was probably the same, left for senior opportunities.

Has played every game for the Giants this year.

Agree. JJ would be getting more opportunities at the Dees now with the loss of Brayshaw as well as Harmes moving on.  We have to hope our key midfielders stay healthy as the midfield depth is very very thin.  

46 minutes ago, Demonland said:

I think Southport will move back to QAFL in 2025. Not sure why they are in this competition given it’s principally VFL ex standalone teams and then the AFL-or-aligned teams.  

4 hours ago, Neil Crompton said:

Yes you say this, yet you recommended a 179cm mid. What’s it to be?

The context of my post was the young guns match. In that game Tobyn Murray was the best mid & looked like he had the skill and smarts to develop further. Obviously the end of year National draft offers more young mids, and some around the 187-188cms physique.  

Yes that was my point.  We have lost our depth in mids (departures of Brayshaw, Harmes, Jordon and Dunstan) have left us in need our recruits to fill this void. I would like to us fix this, starting in the mid year draft. 

16 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Not sure if a 179cm midfielder in Murray is a need for us.

I wouldn't be surprised if we go for a developing talk ruckman/forward.

I like the prospect of Joe Pike from Geelong Falcons. 203cm ruckman who's a big lad that gets around the ground winning possessions and has got good follow up work. His ruck craft if also pretty impressive and certainly gives his mids first use.

Jasper Scaife is a 19 year old 198cm tall forward from West Perth who's kicked 8 goals in 3 senior games so far this year including a bag of 4 against Perth Demons.

Would be a good forward depth prospect especially with the uncertainty around Pettys future and Jefferson not coming on as we would have liked.

Dees have no young midfielders coming through. If you look at Casey, they got smashed in the midfield by Tigers last week in clearances and through the middle.  I think we lack any depth in the midfield especially after losing Brayshaw, Jordon and not getting young mids (aside from Windsor) in the last 3-4 drafts.  I’d like to see us look at young midfielder in this mid year draft and again with our first pick in November National draft. 

If we wanted a ruckman, in my view Coburg ruckman Cooper Keogh would be the one to strongly consider if available.

14 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Gee, that ****** we've found at CHF is a gun.

IMHO no team in the AFL has a flawless list or * power in every position.   It's about making what you've got work.

It was to be clear, we have not found a CHF or FF on a consistent basis.  
JVR is young and we will persist but he needs to take the simple marks (dropping most marks at the moment). Petty is not the answer.  Schache is not the answer. Tmcd is not the answer.  Turner was good v Tigers but likely is makeshift (he’s really a prototype Lever interceptor). Jefferson is young and not developing as we would like.  Brown is on last very last legs.  

We are competing against teams with quality key forwards Curnow-McKay, Daniher, Cameron-Hawkins, Hogan, Mihocek.  

it was Disco’s night 👏👏🤣🤣👏🤣👏

8 hours ago, deanox said:

I was just joking around.

It's an interesting exercise, I'/ think it is meant to be "what our best 22 is, based on past history and the first quarter of the season" but it could equally be interpreted as "our best 22 in 2024 so far".

If Bowey is there, we could also be making a case for Melksham and Brown if fit.

Brown has played and shown he’s a vital part of the team , then well dropped off and then nudda. He should be kept on ice until September