News 2026 AAMI Community Series

[T2B_]

The flog former Demon or the cue ball off spinner?

Flog former Demon

 

[SwarlesBarkley]

Anyone with news on the reserves?

 

[Blue__Balls]

Just give us the Wizard Cup now...

Plenty of blokes who give us exactly what we've come to expect, so my thoughts here are more focused on the new guys and fringe types we need to see elevate.

Derksen was very impressive, and Young looked a lot more assured/decisive. Didn't have a real dominant KPF to contend with, so don't want to get carried away, but if we give Derksen a spot on the list I think this pair can cover us adequately should Weitering miss games. Dean has a bit of toe about him, no issues with him playing third tall for a good portion of the season. Gov's playing for his career and it shows, hopefully that means we get good service from him.

Florent slots in perfectly down back, will be important given I think Saad is going to struggle to play out the year. Boyd and Wilson do some good things but I expect they'll spend 90% of the year in the ressies.

Jagga is a freak, can't wait to see him continue to develop. He's a force multiplier type - not gonna win a game off his own boot, but he'll make half a dozen other guys look twice as dangerous as they ordinarily would.

I'm concerned about our ruckwork. Reidy looks more interested in picking a fight than winning a tap, was hoping for more from him but think he'll be a 2s player barring injury. Pitto will try, but the rules work against him at centre stoppages now so we're going to need to adapt. Is there a world where he starts forward with HOK or Harry sharing centre ball up duties, and then Pitto just takes over for all other ball ups/ins around the ground?

Hayward and Ainsworth will more than make up for Charlie. Like Jagga, they'll make others more damaging, but with the added bonus of probably combining for 3-4 goals on a regular basis. Kemp needs to go to work on his finishing. He'll get plenty of looks this year, but is a real danger of squandering the majority of them. We've seen the team collectively drop their bundle when good work goes unrewarded because of KPF Yips in the past, and I'm not sure the mental toughness of the group has improved enough to cope with more of that.

Liked some of what I saw from Chesser, but think he'll make way for Acres - ball in his court to force his way in, though he's probably competing with Carroll too. Ditto Lord, who was scrappy but untidy for the most part - Cripps back in will push him straight out to the VFL.

Lij should get a spot as well as Derksen - Motlop's feelings and motivation can suck it up, we need good ball users like Lij and we need KPP depth like Derksen.

Also...Talor Byrne. Holy shit....draft an actual small forward and suddenly we have someone crumbing exactly where they should be at the front of packs and stoppages. Expect him to be a lock by the middle of the season, already looks 10 times more natural up there than Fog, Mots and Durds ever did.

On the whole, I think Best 23 spots will be more competitive this year. Hope the match committee use selection as a performance driver more aggressively than they have in the past.

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

These commentators are terrible.

I missed the end of the game because of my son's basketball game, but just got home in time to see the last 15mins of the replay.
We went up 94 to 86 and one of them said we were up 11 points. Couldn't even get the basics like the margin right.

When we hit the lead for the 1st time earlier in the game, it took them a couple mins to even realise we'd hit the lead for the first time. Then when we hit the lead later for the 2nd time, they said it was the first time we'd led all game.

I'd bloody take BT over those two and that's saying something.

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

Still baffled by those who think cerra is better than hewett

I don't want to pile onto Cerra, because he is a decent player and had some bloody good games for us, but at this stage of their respective careers, I'd rather get games into Jagga, Lord and the Campos while they're surrounded by experienced players like Cripps, Hewett and Walsh.

 

[Uncle Fester]

That handball was Pendles like

Happened a bit tonight. The kicks were good but some of the handpasses wete something else

 

[Abers]

I don't want to pile onto Cerra, because he is a decent player and had some bloody good games for us, but at this stage of their respective careers, I'd rather get games into Jagga, Lord and the Campos while they're surrounded by experienced players like Cripps, Hewett and Walsh.

Unfortunately Austin gave Cerra a five year contract last year, so we can’t move on from him.

 

[FitzroyBlueBagger]

Just finished up watching, although it’s only a practice match there were some very positive things to like in shifting the way we play, after the second quarter…

First quarter we looked like, just another version of almost everything in the way we have been previously playing, by sheer incompetence method & ball use while giving the opposition far too much time and space…

From the second quarter we started to move away from slow movement and kicking down the lines to creating better positioning, started running to spread and creating better options by moving the ball far better by presenting spreading by hand a foot, controlling the ball byhitting teammates up by shorter options…

Defensively without the ball they were still allowed to move the ball very easily particularly from defence, future positioning and setups need to improve…

Good effort by all the players tonight shout out to Derkson and young Byrnes…

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

How good must it be for Harry that he not only doesn’t have to occupy the same space as Charlie, but also that Ainsworth, Hayward and Lij can find the goal.

And crumb.

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

Little Byrne.

I’m in love.

A little love Byrne? Might want to get that looked at.

 

[Blue__Balls]

Just finished up watching, although it’s only a practice match there were some very positive things to like in shifting the way we play, after the second quarter…

First quarter we looked like, just another version of almost everything in the way we have been previously playing, by sheer incompetence method & ball use while giving the opposition far too much time and space…

From the second quarter we started to move away from slow movement and kicking down the lines to creating better positioning, started running to spread and creating better options by moving the ball far better by presenting spreading by hand a foot, controlling the ball byhitting teammates up by shorter options…

Defensively without the ball they were still allowed to move the ball very easily particularly from defence, future positioning and setups need to improve…

Good effort by all the players tonight shout out to Derkson and young Byrnes…

Some big overreactions early in this thread re: our ball use. Brisbane were also messy and missed a lot of easy uncontested targets. First hit out against genuine oppositiom for both clubs and it showed.

I'm not hugely worried about the ease with which they moved the ball at times. They're the reigning premiers and they've carved up some of the best sides in the comp over the last few years - it's one of their biggest strengths, and the reality is that in any game of footy the other mob are gonna have it their way sometimes. The positive was that we were able to arrest their momentum within 5 minutes in most cases, limiting the damage and allowing us to get back into the game.

 

[ETET]

Again we are all effort, we must go at maximum effort all the time as our skills from a large portion of this team are terrible.

Handballs behind, at the feet, consistently.

We have half a team that can play the other half kill us every game.

I can see why we took the picks for Charlie, we need to go past about 10 players.

p.s.Walsh felt like he again hit zero teamates with a kick.

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

Score please

We did.

 

[4flagsin5yrs]

We played well. Ainsworth and Hayward combined for 6 (?) goals, Jagga looked good in his game time, Lij played well and Talor Byrne kicked 3 goals. There were other players that stepped up too. It was a good hit out tonight.

Byrne kicked 3 in one quarter... Frankie, watch out!

 

[4flagsin5yrs]

those oxygen thieves were horrendous.

Once the tide wasn't going the Lions way, they literally struggled for words....

We could have capitulated after that shocker of a start...

 

[Benaly28]

Again we are all effort, we must go at maximum effort all the time as our skills from a large portion of this team are terrible.

Handballs behind, at the feet, consistently.

We have half a team that can play the other half kill us every game.

I can see why we took the picks for Charlie, we need to go past about 10 players.

p.s.Walsh felt like he again hit zero teamates with a kick.

Yes we lack the skills that the top 6 sides have but if we play with effort and intensity that alone will keep us in most games.

We’re a blue collar side.

 

[ETET]

Williams, Gov, Cerra are for me too unreliable. Every second kick falls short. They look like they have class but they are unable to do the basics consistently. Turnover goal.

Nathan Buckley nailed it when he said they are too inconsistent to be relied on. One moment they are 9 and the next a 2.

 

[ETET]

Yes we lack the skills that the top 6 sides have but if we play with effort and intensity that alone will keep us in most games.

We’re a blue collar side.

For me, we need to move those players on....they kills us.

 

[4flagsin5yrs]

Williams, Gov, Cerra are for me too unreliable. Every second kick falls short. They look like they have class but they are unable to do the basics consistently. Turnover goal.

Nathan Buckley nailed it when he said they are too inconsistent to be relied on. One moment they are 9 and the next a 2.

Can't imagine why you'd single those three out...

 

[Benaly28]

What’s people’s impressions on Moir?

Best 23?

 

[Crippa#9]

Weitering can't keep up with Charlie on a lead. Way too slow

lol. When does Charlie ever lead?!

Charlie likes to wrestle. Weiters all day.

 

[Cripps 'n' Blue Bloods]

Gee Harry Dean looked tall out there, might be nudging 202cm.

I liked that he stood up for himself after he got slung over the boundary. Don't care that he gave away the free kick. Happy to give away the odd free kick to show oppo that we aren't pushovers and that a rookie ain't taking no shit.

 

[Blue By Blood]

Unfortunately Austin gave Cerra a five year contract last year, so we can’t move on from him.

I wonder if we can find a new role for him outside of CBAs. As a midfielder he seems to be rushed and can't use his clean disposal. Voss has said this preseason is all about using players to their strengths. Well we aren't getting Cerra's best assets on field lately.

Only other position where he has a chance is half back where he could potentially set up play with nice kicking if he can get a bit more time and space. We have a few half backs who are getting on in age and likely will be off the list in a year or two (Newman, Saad) and a few relatively untried ones. There's possibly a spot for him back there.

It's a bit of a problem at the moment how much he's breaking down with injury and how rushed his disposal is in the midfield.

 

[Crippa#9]

Williams, Gov, Cerra are for me too unreliable. Every second kick falls short. They look like they have class but they are unable to do the basics consistently. Turnover goal.

Nathan Buckley nailed it when he said they are too inconsistent to be relied on. One moment they are 9 and the next a 2.

Turn it up!
The hate on Williams is simply mind blowing. Zac is a gun and showed again tonight some of his weaponry.

 

[Pablito]

What’s people’s impressions on Moir?

Best 23?

Not for me. Plays the Hayward role basically.

Id go first game with..
Lij Hayward Fog
Evans Mckay Ainsworth

Byrne on the bench.

Kemps not a forward either. Id play and train him down back now that we're a bit thin without Haynes, Cowan, JSOS and now Weiters potentially. Just looks a bit lost up there.