Just got back from training. Nice day outside. I turned up just for the scratch match.
Absent/Didn't see: Riewoldt, RCD, Lynch.
Rehab: Lambert, Graham, Grimes, Clarke, Banks, Ralphsmith.
Worried about Kane. He's still moving gingerly. Doubtful he will play round 1 as it stands.
Grimes did some jogging. I'm guessing he'll be a week or two before he gets back to main training.
The others were doing 200m runs. They don't look too far away.
The main squad was split into black and white jumpers and had a 4-quarter scratch match of 13 min quarters.
Black Fwds: Balta#, Baker#, Caddy#, Stack.
White Backs: Vlastuin, Short, Broad, Miller, Biggie.
Black mids: Dusty, Aarts, McIntosh, Sonsie, Soldo*, Cotch*, Edwards*, Dow (1st half)
White mids: Ross, Bolton, Martyn, Parker*, Pickett, Nank*, Dow (2nd half), Prestia (played first half).
Black backs: Tarrant, Gibcus, D.Rioli, Brown, Mansell.
White Fwds: Castagna, Cumberland, Ryan#, M.Rioli.
* - played mostly midfield but also spent time in the forward line.
# - played mostly forward but also spent time in the midfield.
Score (goals only): Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Black 1 5 6 9
White 2 2 4 6
Goals:
Black - Stack 3, Baker 2, Soldo 2, Dusty, Kmac?
White - Castagna 2, Parker, Pickett, Broad, Cumberland?.
? - up the other end of the ground so I couldn't know for sure.
Bests:
Black - Dusty (he's baaaaack! or should that be he's quarterback*!
), Baker, Soldo, McIntosh, D.Rioli.
White - Bolton, Floss, Prestia, Castagna.
* I don't like using Americanisms in Aussie Rules but it's the only way I can explain a certain structure the Blacks used at times today. We're working on something forward of centre but it isn't perfected yet. Our forward entries when numbers are behind the ball still needs work. Not yet nailing our options as much as we will need to in the real stuff. It didn't help obviously that both Jack and Lynch were absent. Both sides didn't have two tall forward targets today. It was more 2017 forward lines if that makes sense. Across HB and midfield we are clearly trying to continually play on and move the ball quickly exploiting the stupid stand rule.
All up it was a good hit out for an early Feb scratch match. A bit sloppy to begin with (dropping simple overhead marks) but got better as they got into it. Whites kicked the first two goals in the first quarter. Cleaner and more efficient to begin with. Blacks then started to get on top. Whites were still having enough F50 entries but the Black defence kept them goal-less compared to the Blacks who kicked 6 goals in a row (forward pressure was very good by Bakes). George kicked two goals just before 3/4 time to bring the margin back to two goals. Blacks then kicked the first two of the last so won comfortably.
ps. I didn't have him in the bests as he didn't dominate but Stack was dangerous. Worked between HB and the forward line catching whoever was on him running back to goal. Kicked a great set shot from a tight angle from a mark, one joe the goose from Baker and the 3rd was getting out the back and running 50m into an open goal.
Parker could have been in the bests for the whites as he got a fair bit of it across HF but he only kicked one goal when he could have had more. Some of the whites' forward play was odd at times. Either too unselfish or just dumb handballing to a teammate in no better position or worse when they could have taken the shot (hello Maurice!)
That's what I can remember for now. Any questions just fire away?