spirit of norm smith

Don’t worry about stats. Some players are stats loading. Useless handballs. Put others under pressure. Ineffective kicks. Sideways kicks. I’d rather this be a development opportunity for players to take on the corridor. Instead they go slow and safe and boring. Southport flood back then got us on rebound. Sounds familiar ?

What a stinker So [censored] frustrated Part time team beating our full time professionals Culley ❌ Jefferson ❌ Billings ❌ All can go now !!! JVR … looking lost Hey Freo … Kolt might be available!! Kentfield. Adams. Howes. Sestan. They are just ok. Just !!! Still in the game if they are half interested Stop kicking sideways and run through the corridor.

Should be 4 goals up. Dees need to nail their chances. Sound familiar???.

Laurie and Fullarton are travelling emergencies. Dees always take two extra passengers on the interstate trips.

Lever 👍🏻 (and JV7) back next week.

Just to confirm. JVR was omitted (dropped) from the team for round 7, recalled for round 9, then now omitted for our round 10 game. Hardly given a chance to regain form in any format. Really hope we get him back in form and back in the team as a key forward is crucial to any future.

Interesting now that JVR seems to have actually gone backwards. Dropped again for the second time in 3 weeks. Not sure how our development program goes. 2022 he looked good as a 19 year old at Casey. The next big thing was being forecast by some. 2023 debut v Swans (just turned 20) … he was very good with 3 goals and big strong marks. The star is born forecasting went into overdrive !! 28 goals (9 behinds) He was ok in 2024 but his marking was a problem. He failed to grab easy marks. Trampoline hands !! Oven mitts !! But he got 30 goals & still seen as a key forward locked in Now start of 2025, he couldn’t catch a cold (his inability to mark or hold the footy is really really poor) … oven mitts phrase is now a common comments. He looks hesitant to lead up. When he does, well yes he has had to wait whilst the midfield overuses or kicks it “on his head” !! I think JVR is definitely part of our future. He needs guidance. He needs to move more and actually practice practice practice the one grab of the footy. A more accurate delivery from the mids might also help. But now back at Casey, he needs to really re-energise his game. I think he will get there. MFC needs to support him on and off field. He’s a ripping young man and let’s get him back where he belongs

Bryce and Cross were very good last week. No stats padding like a few AFL listed others. Best last week were K.Brown, Bryce, Laurie, Campbell, Hardie, Kentfield & Cross. Definitely like to see Bryce given more games as he shows he could be a draftee chance at years end.

Dees likely to have 2 travelling emergencies as seems to be our MFC peculiarity. Still agree it’s an AFL player listed team this week.

SO AFL FOOTBALLERS HAVE TO BE AEROBIC, STRONG, FAST, DETERMINED, AGGRESSIVE, PASSIONATE, BRAVE, DISCIPLINED AND SUPPORTIVE. RIV IS A PROTOTYPE THERES PLENTY IN OTHER TEAMS DEES NEED TO FIND 2 IN THIS TRADE OR DRAFT PERIOD

Agree no way he ran straight. Umps just have no idea !!!

Amartey - shoulder bump to the head after the player disposes of the footy Chose TO BUMP That’s 2 or 3 weeks !!

Cooper Lord missed out unbelievably in the 2023 draft. Unbelievable!! Probably best on ground in the Under18s Grand Final alongside Will Ashcroft & Ryley Sanders … but belatedly was picked up in the 2024 mid season draft. He’s starting to become a regular in the Blues line up. Good build. Good pace. Skills. He’s a ballwinner.

Dees selection meeting Spargo? Fritsch ? How are they still in ???

Suns. Noah Anderson the concession pick … A gift from the AFL. Suns. Lots of Academy picks. A gift. Which will keep on giving Suns. Mac Andrew. Stolen from the Dees NGA academy A gift Suns. Touk Miller. 200 games 👏👏Pick 29 in 2014 draft. Standout captain of Vic metro under 18s. St.kevins APS star. Still amazes me how he was ignored by clubs Suns. Boosted by smart recruiting of Noble and Rioli. Suns. Look like they are finally going to make finals. Finally. They are exciting. Tough. Smart. Skilled. No soft half hearted efforts from anyone of their team.

If only … McVee. May. Turner. Salem. Tmcd. Bowey. Langdon. Rivers. Windsor. Chandler. Petty. Langford. Kozzzzzy. AJ. Melksham. Gawn. Petracca. Oliver. Sparrow. Sharp. Lindsay. Howes Sub. Laurie. Ins. Petty. Melksham. Howes. AJ. Laurie. Outs. JVR. Jeffo. Kolt. Spargo. Fritsch.

Dees got shafted with the fixture, and these timeslots just put the dagger further into our back. But given our performances so far this year, we don’t deserve any prime time slots.

I have to say that Fritsch and Spargo are now being gifted matches. Fritsch missed crucial shots last week. He is defensively very weak. Zero tackles. Zero chasing. Spargo is below average in most categories. He’s not wasteful because he only kicks it 15 metres. For a small forward, one goal for the year is a very sub standard performance. He’s been very very low on player ratings for weeks. He misses too many tackles.

Just listened to 35 minutes of so of the Deebrief podcast on the Dees v Hawks games. I think the passion shines through, but I think the boys might have been on the beers before the pod. It’s like being in the pub talking about the footy with mates. I think Naughtsie had a run sheet but it went off course quickly when the umpiring was raised. They were actually a little restrained. The umpiring was a [censored] [censored] [censored] disgrace !!!

I knew him briefly through a mutual friend. A true gentleman. Always spoke clearly about footy, the game, the strategies… and his insights through media TV and newspaper was well thought and constructive. Never like today’s sensational dirt grabbing media circus talk shows. 💔a true footballer and a gentleman

Yea I was hopeful of informative insightful footy talk - you live in hope - but again these mud scrapers failed to deliver

💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩💩 KANE CORNES ☠️ CAROLINE WILSON☠️ NICK RIEWOLDT ☠️ CRAIG HUTCHISON ☠️ THE AGENDA SETTERS ☠️☠️☠️☠️ The rant about Goody talking about Clarry and Trac and our coach’s obsession. Pathetic media wrap up of selected comments from Goody. The media always asks about Clarry & Trac so low hanging sledge by the gutter media. And smartarse comments about the “million dollar” tagger and belittling Clarry’s stats. Absolute gutter stuff !!!

Update. LJ and Freo will work out their challenges and he’ll stay there! Just wait a few weeks and it will be a media circus once again.

Great news on some potential future recruits. I was watching Kalani over the last few weeks, and noted it’s actually scary how good some of the Suns Academy players are. Suns Academy have three likely top 15 players (with Zeke Uwland definitely being top 5). Others are very very good. I saw a youngster Max Hudson kick a bagful v Stingrays and noted his name. He reminded me of Daniel Turner. He’s only 6’3 ish but his marking judgement, sure hands and kicking was elite. He’s now kicked 12 goals across his 3 games. One to watch.

Really hate the Pies !! Not only do they seem to be the destination club for many players, but their father son alignment has netted them so very very good players (Daicos x2, Moore). This year Thomas McGuane had played 3 Coates league matches for 3 x Best On Ground performances. Averages 34 possessions and 5 marks as a classy left foot midfielder. Seems to have the “Pendlebury” time when using the footy. Should be a first round pick and Pues will nab him in a heartbeat. God we hate the Pies ☠️