Round 3 - Collingwood vs Werribee at Victoria Park

[MagpieBat]

Game starts at 1:10PM on Saturday, April 16.

ABC1 TV broadcast starts at 1:00PM.

First game back at home in 2011! Looking forward to it.

[Daicos Mullets]

I'll have to get myself organised on Saturday & get to Vic Park.

[Presti35]

Cant wait!!

First game at Vic Park for the year!!

First visit to the VFL for the year!!

Will be an enjoyable day!

Just hope the weather holds!

[Dave The Man]

[MagpieBat]

Still no Josh Thomas...

Majak Daw up at full-forward for the Tigers. Should be an interesting duel to watch with Kris Pendlebury.

Good luck to Ceglar as No.1 ruck. Should be a good game to watch.

[Fire Up]

of course ceglar is the #1 ruck. he is the only player that can ruck. keefe is a backman

[melliot]

The Yank can ruck a bit.

[Pies4shaw]

I suppose many of you will have watched this on the TV today but I thought you might like a report about the progress of the developing players from someone who attended the match and could see the movement off the ball etc. My comments (based on the first half only) follow. Please note that I do not make "big calls" on players in their development stages, so you won't read anything to the effect that someone should be de-listed or someone else will play 200 games:

McCarthy was less effective this week than last. He was solid but not outstanding. That may be because the team was thrashed in the ruck but I expected to see a bit more from him. He probably hasn't advanced his case for a senior game. Personally, I think that's a shame because if he gets himself right and delivers consistently at VFL level, he would give MM an option to rest the human battering ram (Luke Ball) from time to time, as required.

Goldy is one of my favourite senior players but I saw little to suggest that he would force his way into the team next week.

Luke Rounds did little of note and I do not expect him to press for senior selection anytime soon.

Lachie Keefe is another of my favourites but he didn't look to me like he is quite yet capable of taking on a Ryder or a Hille close to the opposition goal. He contested well enough in the air but was beaten on the ground a few times - since his work below his knees was what first made me notice him last season, that was a bit surprising. He looks a likely sound senior footballer but may be a bit further away from senior footy than it looked during the pre-season.

Tom Young is a very fine player. He will make it at senior level if he keeps working hard and hits the weights for his upper body over the next pre-season. He has the skill to play at AFL level now, I think, but I don't think it would be wise to throw him in until he's a bit stronger.

John Ceglar is the right height for a ruckman but is, as yet, way too light. I expect the Club proposes to give him a couple of years, at least, to develop his game and build up his body. Don't have any illusions about him taking the heir-apparent position from Cam Wood anytime soon.

The Caff could play seniors, if required. He tackled well and looked to be the team's best player in traffic.

Brad Dick is a very fine footballer. I am very excited about the prospect of him playing in the seniors again. Having a look at his work rate (as an indication of his fitness, not his effort), he is probably still a month away. He will be better for the run. On the positive side, he does look to have put on some weight. There is no doubt at all that he can succeed (perhaps even be a star) at AFL level if he can withstand the knocks.

Fasolo took a very fine contested mark early and he uses the ball very well for a young player. He is a good size for a classic MM bigger-bodied mid-fielder. He looks to me like he needs to develop his fitness base in order to succeed at senior level. I expect that will come. He looks like a good enough footballer that, if the occasion presents itself, he could be brought up for a match as the Sub some time this year.

Kirk Ugle needs some development time.

Scott Reed hasn't come on the way it looked like he might a couple of years ago. I remember seeing him at Princes Park when Anthony Rocca played there with the 2s against Frankston in his last-ditch effort to play with the Seniors in 2010. Reed looked very classy then. He doesn't look to me to have developed much since then. He still looks too light.

Seedsman kicked a nice goal in the first but was beaten badly going the other way a couple of times early. He needs more time.

Jack Perham contests well in the air but some of his disposal by foot is hideous. I think he will improve steadily over the season.

Jye Bolton looked the most impressive of the young listed/rookie players. He couldn't play seniors this year, I don't think, but he may well earn elevation from the rookie list to the senior list during the year or before the next draft.

Much and all as I would love to see Shae succeed, I doubt that will happen.

Tom Sundberg is a VFL-listed player who could make it to an AFL list. He is a sound player and doesn't make mistakes. He kicked one very good goal in the 2nd qtr against the run of play. He impressed me a couple of times last year and looks to have improved substantially since then. He was probably the side's most effective player in the first half.

Thomas, Sinclair and Stubbs didn't play. Nor did Simon Buckley. I didn't notice any of the others (Farmer, Gordon, Cribbin), if they were playing.

[ItwasoutHarmes]

^
Was out there today and agree. Some complaints from the crew next to me about the backline.....
Midfield got hammered, the ball was coming to quick and too often for the backs to get organized.
Tom Sundberg = VG player

[jack_spain]

It's a worry! Pray for no injuries in the seniors.

Where's Simon Buckley?

[Fire Up]

^^^ bucks is still injured.

most likely play next week in vfl

[stui magpie]

My first impression of Ceglar was that he was nothing special, but as the game wore on and I watched him (I was there for the 4 quarters) I liked what i saw, potential wise. he can jump and is good below his knees. When we had a purple patch in the 3rd, he was winning the rucks.

Liked the look of Perham, looks a likely type.

Shae and Keefe tend to play small a bit for guys their size, Keefe in particular is becoming a monster when you see him close up, and don't catch enough ball in the air.

I may be biased but I do think that Shae has upside as a 3rd tall changing ruck. Basically the Leroy role. he doesn't have leroy's physical presence but with Cloke and Dawes gaining in strength and confidence he doesn't need it. he's very agile and loves a goal, i'd love to see a badkline try to match him up after covering our twin towers.

[Woods Of Ypres]

I give credit to Majak Daw for that goal.
The way he took off and went bang was Buddy-like

[stui magpie]

[Pies4shaw]