Older demon

These 2 injuries will have a significant flow-on effect. I would think Harmes has to stay. The loss of 2 mids in Melk & Dunstan isn't going to see them replaced with 2 kids. Not sure we saw those vacancies on the list next season (maybe Dunstan out of contract)

I think this all changed today with the season and maybe career ending g injuries to Melksham & Dunstan. Spots open up

If not mentioned earlier the bun fight starts at 9 am with MCC members tickets going online. 1 visitors ticket per member

Depth or development. I love the way we have bought players in and developed them. What other premiership contender has 2 first year players in key role ie JVR & McVee? In addition they have introduced Laurie, Woewodin, Chandler & Turner from last years Casey premiership team. They aren't like for like replacing Brown, Oliver or TMac but they are our future. Likewise Verral, Jefferson & Adams aren't depth but I like they way they are progressing and will be the replacements for those premiership players. Petty I hope is going to be a revelation up forward if he can get his feet right. Think David Neits moving from CHB to forward.

Peter Larkin spoke on SEN today. From the vision, he thought the Lisfranc was bad as Petty's foot rotated badly. He said that there are various options depending on the degree of instability and then calmly said he won't play this season.

Over the last 3 weeks we have lost Howes, Sestan & Petty all to end-of-the-season injuries. This will seriously test our depth and impact Casey a lot.

Very true, however my mail is LIsfranc which is just awful.

I hope Clayton is back and he replaces Harmes. Carlton run with Pittonet and De Koenig rucking so I think we need to leave Roo down forward and bring in another 2nd ruck/forward and go with either Grundy or Schache. Petty won't be back for a long time and we need to work out who plays finals and I strongly believe we cannot go in with Max as our solo ruck as good as he is. Not having a VFL game this week rather complicates things.

If it is mid foot it is either a fracture or a Lisfranc. Goody was very clear it isn't ankle and given the injury he had mid season which was a ligament I reckon Harrison has a fair idea of the severity. I doubt we will see him again this season.

Back on track to Harley Reid. Up till now, I wasn't in favour of selling the house to get him but after today when North's midfield brigade gave us a scare for a half I would be all for getting him. Harmes, battles but is slipping backwards and Jordon is too one-paced. We need another class midfielder. North have Thomas who showed he can play, Uniake, Simpkin, with Wardlaw and George along with whoever they get this season. They will fill their midfield with class. Max, Clarrie Viney and Trac are hard but not good finishers.

My preference is for us to keep our picks and get the best young high-end talent. If it is an all-out assault on pick 1 and Harley Reid the in Taylor I trust. History is interesting way back when we took Scully and Trengove at 1 & 2 and Richmond took a kid at 3 who like Reid was labelled as a man-child, stronger than his peers and his stock standard move of the fend-off wouldn't stand up to the rough and tough of AFL against me. Well, I reckon Dustin Martin has been pretty damn good and has certainly been a generational talent. Richmond got the better end of that deal, didn't they?

McKercher, Duursma & Nate Caddy would be the ones I would try for with our picks. No 1 draft picks aren't always the goods.

It was very blustery today and we made a number of inexplicable turnovers, missed targets and kicked to their intercept marker. At times the ball movement was sublime and we looked a way better team. Their forward tackled well and often managed to lock it in their forward 50 and we just could not clear it. Consider if you will we are the only top 4 team with 3 first-year players, Joey, JVR & McVee with Chandler having played 5 forgettable games prior to this season. We have done extraordinarily well to cover some significant outs and blood the next generation who show they can play their role. Let me remind you we have 2 nominations for Rising Star

As stated elsewhere Zane Duursma is sleeping in his Casey jumper tonight. Forget Reid if we have pick 4 Duursma will be the name announced. Watched him on today's live stream from Coburg he is tall, moves well and oozes class. He has trained with us, played 2 Casey games that I can remember and stood out for Vic metro and knows how to kick goals.

May have been mentioned earlier but with Casey having a bye Grundy does have a week off as will Hibberd

For what it is worth I had a chat with a recent powerbroker at MFC who when asked about a home base, just said keep your eyes on Caulfield racecourse. I was surprised but further discussion was about the height of any structure in the middle and not obstructing the view so clearly some work has been done and will unite the whole club AFL & AFLW. The mayor of Glen Eira council has been all in for years about the centre of C Caulfield racecourse becoming a sports precinct. He may well get his wish with state govt backing. Watch this space but keep your eyes on Caulfield

Not unusual to rest someone with minor niggles on a 6 day break. The plan may be deeper than we thinks. JVR stood out of the last quarter on Sunday possibly with the plan to play Friday. Scache played the whole game

The stand-out forward for Casey today was Schache and the gun midfielders were Harmes and Dunstan. Hibbo was NO contact for 3 weeks minimum after Geelong which is barely 3 weeks ago. I don't expect him to be playing this week.

SEN reporter said something similar. Media were allowed to attend warm-up only where there was extra goal-kicking practice and Clayton was doing run-throughs and pulled up and went straight in side. No follow-up report or whether Clayton re appeared but doesn't look good.

Sorry but look at the opponent he was supposed to mind in the last 2 weeks. Tom Stewart after half time cut him up and this week Nick Haynes figured in the coach's votes. He isn't kicking goals and hasn't been able to quell the intercepting marker for the opposition. What other role am I not recognising?

Interesting take by the coaches. Pleased Bowey was recognised and Viney was our standout. I thought Haines played a great game as did the coaches. 2nd week in a row the Intercept defender in the opposition backline has thwarted us. There is one glaring hole in our so-called super-defensive forward line. The plan isn't working

Well, I cannot add anything to what has already been said about that unwatchable performance. The forward line is as dysfunctional as it has ever been and I don't see a solution. I applaud Viney as his form in the last month has made me appreciate just how good he is. I hate to say it but Toby manages to create goals out of nothing and the sheer class and poise of Kelly and the footy smarts to bomb that winning goal in from 60 knowing it would slide in just embarrasses our lame efforts to try and kick a goal. Surely you cannot coach a team to have such a dysfunctional forward system. Football is no longer fun to watch.

Thanks, WCW when I saw the ice on his left foot I was hoping it wasn't the same injury he had pre-season. Assume from your post it is. I fear he may be missing for an extended period as it looked bad. Send him my best wishes and hope we see him back soon.

ON AFL website final teams there is no Spargo or Melksham. 2 emergencies still in Alice I hope milk is sub.

Whilst I admire our desire to bring in new talent: right here and now we have the most talented list in my long memory. I want us to contend this year win it. Agree in a fair world we can hope Freo fail and get us a more deserving pick, but that wont help us this year and I don't expect a top 10 draft pick to make the difference to our flag hopes over the next 2 seasons (unless his name is Josh Daicos).