spirit of norm smith

TAYLA is a star. Loves what she brings both on and off the field. The trolls were disgusting and I’m glad she has had the strength to fight back. Kick like TAYLA - that’s 18.11 in AFLW 2021(part1) . Dees mens team needs her goalkicking accuracy and range on occasions. I’d back in from 40metres out, even ahead of some of the mens team.

Hopefully a revitalized Petracca returns this week. We missed his beast mode in the contests last week. He certainly wasn’t 100% imv.

Why we lost ? x injuries - Salem Langdon Tmcd Harmes out of best 22 x injuries part 2 - during the game - May going down so early in the first quarter and left us exposed to Lobb and Taberner. May is our defensive leader. Lever had to go across and robbed us of our advantage. Petty clearly was then not 100% in 2nd half. x Trac was not 100% at all. He didn’t have his intensity and energy and lost many contests. There was no burst. x bad kicking for goal - yes we’ve called it out that it would eventually cost us and it did. Definitely we were in top in the 2nd quarter and missed so many chances to be 7 or 8 goals up (not 4). Could have applied the jugular but we left ourselves exposed. Conversion has to be improved. Fritsch had some chances as did Trac. Start of the 4th, we could have got back but missed chances. x key forwards were very poor. Simply out marked or out bodied. Brown has had a poor few weeks and needs to lead up more. He’s still in our best 22 alongside Tmcd. Weid has exhausted his opportunities imv and was very poor last night and eventually tried moving back. x In the 2nd half, Freo simply out “Melbourned” us. Sure there was pressure but we created our own with fumbles and missed tackles. Running into trouble didn’t help and examples like Lever and Hunt directly leaked goals x we lost in the contested footy , especially in the 3rd quarter. Lost Clearances-and-lost stoppages. x contested marking all around the ground favoured Freo. Many reasons and I’m sure the diagnosis will be thorough. But remember we are 10-1 and on top of the ladder. That’s the goal and there will be speed bumps along the way. We have 4-5 players to bring back and add a fit Trac and the leadership of May. I will take Dees v Freo in the GF in September. We can take them !!

I’m still laughing

0.6 Viney daylight 0.5 Oliver 0.4 Jordon 0.3 … no more horrific performance in 1st qtr and 2nd half

Trac - clearly not 100% (he looked slow, almost disinterested in some contests). Definitely not 100%

Outs. May (inj) Weid. Dunstan Melksham Ben Brown ins. Tomlinson Langdon Harmes Mitch.Brown tmcd Hunt Tomlinson Lever Rivers Petty Bowey Langdon Viney Jordon Sparrow Mitch Brown Spargo Fritsch Tmcd Pickett Gawn oliver Trac Harmes Brayshaw Anb Jackson sub Bedford

It’s a good question. Fair to ask. Don’t just judge on tonight. Ben Brown is okay but needs to lift Tmcd back in as desperately needed. Weid. I’m now thinking he is better off elsewhere. JVR - a yes please. The kid has talent. But let him develop in Casey in 2022. Mitch Brown - it’s a shame that Weideman has been preferred. He’s now on Casey duty for rest of 2022

No vacancy

I thought JVR might actually be able to push for senior selection. Definitely better option than Weideman in my view.

Hmmm Dees v Freo. Weid 1st half was crap.

We are all living In optimism that the Weid will take the anger and intensity pills and take his opportunity. He has all the tools. His height and athleticism and goalkicking are key assets. But his marking (sure handling) and intensity need to lift on a consistent basis. Hopefully today he can show us something that rewards the Dees faith in him.

Congrats Jake on 200 games. This might be his last year so good to see him being recognized. He moved to the Dees when we were just starting to build. Also brought across his mate Hibbo the following year. Certainly loves a goal (and was accurate more than most) and has kicked some very good goals in the red and blue. Especially loved his sealer v Hawks in the 2018 finals. Left foot on the run from outside 50. Hawks were coming in the last and his goal stopped their momentum.

Love it … go Dees.

It’s amazing. What a start to his footy career.

Taj Campbell-Farrell. He’s one to watch out for. Stingrays boy. From Rye on the peninsula.

Maybe 13 or 14 Dees AFL listed probably in Casey team. Hope to see Hibbo get a run and back on the park. Mitch Brown probably the key to winning this one.

From the premiership 22 Outs. Salem Langdon Harmes Tmcd. Hibberd ins. Hunt. Jordon Melksham Weid Bedford

Yes it wasn’t meant to be a serious option. I have been to Darwin for the footy on 3 occasions and a permanent team there wouldn’t work.

The Northern Kangaroos. Surely. Play 6 games in NT and 5 in Vic.

Yes on a one year contract at average wage circa $350k We don’t need him as I think his best is in the past. But again he’s got the skill and experience to be valuable. If I was Simon Goodwin, I would still pickup the phone if his manager rang.

he knows his capabilities that’s his strength. He won’t be a strong mid or a electric kosssy like forward he’s a smart thinker who sets up scoring opportunities (“assists” is the statistical term)

Kane Cornes. Channel 9. He loves being a critic sometimes, well mostly. But his comment was “ the Dees are very good but they don’t blow you away. They keep you in the game but can flick a switch and score quickly. The Lions would be capable of getting them”. I think we dominate but aren’t ruthless enough. Maybe that’s what Cornes was referring to. I’m still looking for retribution from all the years of hidings from the Kangas and Eagles and Hawks and Tigers and Bombers and Cats etc. Perhaps I’m still scarred. I want us to really demoralize teams now we are the king in the jungle. I want us to really put some hurt on the opposition and nail out A game for the whole 4 quarters.

Yes great to see Sparrow recognized. Had a good game and his physical style gives us another edge in contested footy.

Some great names here …especially Steely Green. I love it. But no “Jack”s. 🤦🏻‍♂️