Older demon

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).

Agree but is there any risk if we bet a higher pick that some other club makes a bid for Nathan Browns son, who we may want as a father son?

I would have thought Kos, Bowser, Petty & Brown. It is either JVR or Brown and Petty or Tomlinson. Spargs is the only one I don't see coming in and you could make a case for Melksham maybe as sub. Not sure what the plan is and maybe concerned about GWS having a smaller forward line

Verrall was a top under 18 ruck prospect. he is very mobile and a good pick up. Pity he got injured but has all the attributes to develop into a solid AFL footballer

Agree, no Clayton means more mid-time for Trac who in the ideal world should be our Dusty. I put the inaccuracy down to Chandler and Nibbler missing set shots and lots of long shots. We have had very few lead up marks with a set shot from 30 metres out. I suspect JVR hasn't learnt to lead and tends to be the pack mark forward. Fritch occasionally leads but we bomb to a contest hoping the crumbs scout and snap. They keep missing snaps under pressure.

Thanks Whispering! The order may change but the impact on the points will still be in the same ball park. Our pick 8 & 15 is 2633 points which roughly is a bit more than pick 2 or 3 it may go down a little depending on Freoi

West Coast has picks 1, 19, 36 & 38 based on current ladder positions and unfortunately, many of the top players in the current state titles are high-end and will go early. Pick 1 is worth 3000 points Based on the current ladder position the only clubs with currency swap pick 1 for early picks are 1. North picks 2 & 17 worth 3542 points 2. GWS picks 5, 7 & 43 with picks 5 & 7 worth 2522 not enough to match pick 1. Throw in pick 43 @ 378 and you still don't get to 3000 3. Melbourne with current picks 8, 15, 27 & 34. 8 & 15 equates to 2663, throwing in pick 15 equates to 3366 points alternatively picks 8, 15 & 34 equates to 3205 so we would want something back Off course clubs could offer future draft picks but the Eagles need players here and now. GWS could offer their 2 1st rounders this year and a 1st round pick next year for pick 1. Personally, on points alone I would offer picks 8 & 15 for Norths 2nd or Hawthorns 3rd and something back and go to the draft with 2/3, 27 & 34

Thank you, Kev much appreciated.

Stats don't tell the whole story as they don't relate to structure. We are a very defence-minded club and carry 3 smalls in the forward line to keep the ball locked in. Spargo, Kossie & Chandler with Neil-Bullen there for the same reason. So who in that quartet is currently kicking goals? There is your answer to the drop off in scores. Neither wingman, Ed or Hunter is kicking goals. Max/Grundy go forward and contest and bring it to ground but only a few goals. Watching both Geelong and Freo kick to leading forwards quite efficiently and giving their forwards space to move highlights that up forward we are to slow, not creative enough and only have Fritch and JVR as targets who have it bombed into them. IMO plan A isn't working just as it didn't last year. Goody states that the forward line is a work in progress. I hope we are about to unleash plan B & C and change it up for the run home. Compare Brisbane with Cameron, Mccarthy, Bailey, Daniher, Hipwood & Rainer or Geelong Hawkins, Cameron, Rohan, Stengle, Myers & Henry and you can see how settled they are and we still haven't sorted ours out. Time for the coaching staff to pull a rabbit out of a hat.

A week in hospital bedridden on a drip isn't good for a hammy. He needs to regain lost ground from pre infection.

Clarry in the midfield allows us to play Trac as a high half forward resulting in goals and goal assists. Without Trac we have JVR and Fritter as the goal-kicking key forwards. Kossie kicks goals but the other forward's Max/Grundy, Nibbler, Chandler, JJ/Spargo don't. Smith did well to hit the scoreboard but there are too many role players and not enough classy forward targets. Melksham would have been a better bet on Stewart. That forward set-up really needs a stingy defence to assist in kicking a winning score.

Like everyone here I thought the last quarter was awful. Outreached again, how simple is it on a wet night to kick the ball off the ground to space and run onto the ball or move the ball forward and gain territory. We deliver the ball into the forward line the same slow way every week. Our key marking target is a 19 yo kid in his first season. So many goals came from breaking through our high press and they get us out the back. Not to mention turning it over or kicking to the intercept marking machine Tom Stewart. Sadly this team isn't good enough and has been beaten 3 times in the wet. The forward line is a mess and lacks some serious class when it comes to x-factor and kicking goals. As our coach puts it, the learnings are that we have too many average players, particularly up forward. The resting ruckman up forward isn't working. I hate naming players but the last 2 weeks Gus keeps turning it over, Nibbler Fumbles and doesn't kick goals, Chandler is off the boil and does not get enough of the pill for a small forward and Spargo is slow and gave us nothing. The evidence is plain to see that forward structure will not win any final. That was a horrible loss laying bare all our flaws

As we found last year depth is important in a marathon season. We have 2 first-year 19-year-olds making major contributions. In Brown, TMac, Bowey, Petty & Oliver we have 5 premiership players unavailable but we still manage to put a very classy team on the park. Their replacement are playing their role and contributing as much as the player they replace (except Oliver) Looking at Collingwood's seconds yesterday they wouldn't want too many injuries as they don't have the depth. Their best 6 in the seniors are very very good but I am not so sure about their bottom 6. The good news is we still have room for significant improvement and if we can start hitting targets and not turning it over as much in addition to hitting the post 4 times and missing 6 or more set shots we will scare any team. I am so pleased for Tomlinson he is showing signs of regaining his pre-knee reco form. I hope Smith can string some games together as he adds something different to the forward line. Finally I am not sure how much longer we can run with Nibbler, Spargo, Kozzie & Chandler all in the forward line. They apply pressure and lock it in but we need a more polished forward. I am not knocking any of them but my concern is their primary role is to tackle and lock it in. Do we need 4 to do this job?

All the sick and injured players were named and of their 4 emergencies, 2 of the 4 players played today. Only Markov and McInness realistically available just as JJ & Taj didn't play today. Doubt there will be any late changes.

Not to mention the emergencies required for the main game.

Out of the JVR interviews this week, last week was the first time he has taken a mark out in the open. All his marks so far have been contested. Evidence of the long bomb strategy. As Good says we are still learning maybe he is keeping the lower-your-eyes spread and hit a leading target strategy for the 2nd half of the season. I thought Casey did this really well last week with a small fast team on the park even more so when Bell was subbed out early.

5 days in hospital no doubt on a drip with a badly infected foot is way more serious than the hammy injury. Pleased that the club is managing him conservatively. Dunstan should return this week but isn't at 100% as the initial diagnosis of MCL missed the PCL injury also there. Would love him in but not this week.

Casey had an interesting team on the park, and it appeared we had many small, fast players. They moved the ball quickly and to advantage and lowering their eyes. Given the players missing it was a fantastic effort away from home.

It was an ugly game and both teams had over 70 clangers. Was it the pressure or poor skill. A lot of the turnovers weren't under pressure and sorry Sparg's do the first the ng and stop running around in circles. What has happened to our goal kicking. It cost us last week and tonight we should have buried Carlton Last but not least is there a new rule that says it is ok to push Max fair square in the back? Jackson got away with it last week and Young put both hands in Max's back and got paid the mark. Seriously

Looks like a substantial bit of bone. Not nice to have in ones ankle and may explain his lack of mobility.

Ankle surgery