Northern Blues vs. Coburg Sunday 28th July Preston City Oval at 1:00 PM
Northern Blues
B Coulson* Dirago Joseph HB A. Gianfagna Davies Duigan CDale Cachia O'Keeffe HF Wilson Laidler Temay FBuckley Casboult Menzel RWarnock Graham Lambert Int Posar Meese Bransgrove Thomas Lincoln Currie Mitchell T. Bell Marcon
Coburg B: Batchelor Elton Astbury HB: Ellis Dea Tuck C: Conca Clifton Lonergan HF: Carnell Griffiths Nahas F: O'Hanlon A. Edwards McGuane R: Stephenson Arnot Helbig Int: Groves Thomas McDonough N. Maric Uysal A. Saad Venditti Darrou Brandt McBean Derickx Boyd* Verrier
Nice to see Tom Bell named. I wonder if he'll play? Coburg have had the wood over us recently. Aaron Edwards has had leather poisoning and kicked heaps. I hope there are a few Tigers who are going to play senior footy, as their team looks much better than usual. Stephenson also tends to play well against us. I hope we can show some of the spirit and endeavour we displayed last week.
With Cachia playing today at Metricon instead of Bootsma, there will be at least 1 change. I don't know if Boots can play, if he is ready to play. I hope Tom Bell is ready to play!
Rowe was very unconvincing today. He has no second effort, and if not on his terms, sometimes even no first effort. Can take a mark when he wants, but he is a bit too stand offish for mine.
Bottom line....
If Warnock's fit and available Rowe doesn't play.
Not for me...I'm still sticking with Rowe, we need a second ruckman but one who can take a mark and give us some options....Warnock is still a lampost who can only play ruck. Rowe wasnt great today, didnt take enough marks or get involved enough but i think we have to get away from rotating our KP/rucks when they have a ordinary game or two. You have to build confidence to build a structure and I think Rowe has to be educated and given a chance to settle.......if you did drop Rowe then I reckon it has to be Casboult who comes in...at least he can play more than one position. I dont see Warnock as an option unless Kruezer gets hurt.
re: Waite...happy to have him back in the team but he isnt a ruckman and you still need a backup for Kruezer wether it be Rowe or Casboult.
Rowe has got the nod because he can take a grab (even though he barely had a touch today) and his ruck work isn't bad. Casboult's best is better, but his worse is much worse. Similar to Hampson - when he is at his best, he is a great benefit to the team, but when he is down he is a real liability who turns gold into faeces. Warnock is still our best tap ruckman, but, while he is trying to improve the other aspects of his game, he hasn't convinced me he has made it yet. I hope he can: 206 cm guys who can run a long time don't grow on trees. However.....
Carlton vs. North Melbourne A win is a win is a win, and a 1 point thriller is enough to call for medical intervention, but in the end, we still won.
Votes: Simpson, Kade 386 Kreuzer, Matthew 338 Henderson, Lachie 226 Garlett, Jeff 164 Curnow, Edward 69 Walker, Andrew 57 Yarran, Chris 21 Murphy, Marc 15 Tuohy, Zac 13 Lucas, Kane 11 Jamison, Michael 6 Carrazzo, Andrew 4 Rowe, Sam 4 Watson, Matthew 4
Matty Watson garnered his first votes for the season, while most of the rewards went to Simmo and Kreuzer. Juddy failed to poll a vote, and we still won.
Progressives: 2464 - Judd, Chris (0) 2120 - Henderson, Lachie (0) 1989 - Walker, Andrew (0) 1605 - Garlett, Jeff (0) 1549 - Simpson, Kade (0) 1364 - Kreuzer, Matthew (0) 1239 - McLean, Brock (0) 1039 - Murphy, Marc (0) 989 - Gibbs, Bryce (0) 865 - Waite, Jarrad (0) 737 - Jamison, Michael (0) 647 - Yarran, Chris (0) 500 - Armfield, Dennis (0) 424 - Cachia, Jarryd (0) 392 - Lucas, Kane (0) 375 - Warnock, Robert (0) 349 - Tuohy, Zac (0) 304 - Robinson, Mitch (0) 303 - Scotland, Heath (0) 225 - Curnow, Edward (0) 211 - Carrazzo, Andrew (0) 206 - White, Simon (0) 185 - Betts, Eddie (0) 98 - Rowe, Sam (0) 80 - Hampson, Shaun (0) 62 - Casboult, Levi (0) 29 - McInnes, Andrew (0) 15 - Bell, Tom (0) 6 - Ellard, David (0) 5 - Menzel, Troy (0) 4 - Watson, Matthew (0) 4 - Buckley, Dylan (0) 3 - Duigan, Nicholas (0)
Hendo closes the gap on Judd while things bunch up again behind the 2 leaders. Bring on some more wins!
Northern Blues vs. Coburg Sunday 28th July Preston City Oval at 1:00 PM
Northern Blues
B Coulson* Dirago Joseph HB A. Gianfagna Davies Duigan CDale Cachia O'Keeffe HF Wilson Laidler Temay FBuckley Casboult Menzel RWarnock Graham Lambert Int Posar Meese Bransgrove Thomas Lincoln Currie Mitchell T. Bell Marcon
Coburg B: Batchelor Elton Astbury HB: Ellis Dea Tuck C: Conca Clifton Lonergan HF: Carnell Griffiths Nahas F: O'Hanlon A. Edwards McGuane R: Stephenson Arnot Helbig Int: Groves Thomas McDonough N. Maric Uysal A. Saad Venditti Darrou Brandt McBean Derickx Boyd* Verrier
Nice to see Tom Bell named. I wonder if he'll play? Coburg have had the wood over us recently. Aaron Edwards has had leather poisoning and kicked heaps. I hope there are a few Tigers who are going to play senior footy, as their team looks much better than usual. Stephenson also tends to play well against us. I hope we can show some of the spirit and endeavour we displayed last week.
I am surprised that Cachia is out, unless he is getting a 'rest'. But funnier things have happened. I still have my worries about the sanity of the MC, but I thought last week that we'd lost it at the selection table.
You guys had a dream last night while I had a night mare. Essenscum get off with a small warning and still win a flag this year and next season too. Why didn't someone wake me up to save me so much pain ??
You just need an alarm clock, or a little less alcohol.
For me Robbo was the stand out - he will come back in for sure. I would also give Graham a run too. Must not go up there with one iota of complacency, this is definitely "a danger game".
The day was one that fit Robbo, and he delivered. Good chance of a call up. Interesting to see if Waite is available this week....
Team: B I wasn't super - impressed, but we did win against a side who usually beats us at a venue that hasn't suited us. I am pleased, as we have played fairly ordinarily against North in recent times.
Explanations: [3] Simpson: Simmo's best game of the season to date and an excellent one it was. He not only got possessions, he beat his man in one on one contests, managed to clean up across defence and show a lot of endeavour and courage in the way he approached the ball. Very pleasing. [2.5] Kreuzer: Not as good in the ruck, but he did control the North ruckmen (who usually pound us). His work around the ground and at the stoppages was excellent. He took some excellent marks and was the most effective big man on the ground. Pity about his kicking at goal.... [2] Henderson: An excellent target up forward, especially early. [1.5] Tuohy: Took on the North small forwards and did well. Managed 2 goals going the other way, which was excellent. [1] Walker: Lots of the ball, but not as good at quietening his opponents as he can be. [1] Carrazzo: Good job in the middle controlling the North mids. Not yet at his best, but steadily improving. [1] Murphy: Not as much of the ball as he (and I) would like, but his effectiveness once he got it was excellent. His tackling was brilliant: North didn't respect him and he managed frees and goals because he really put in. [1] Garlett: Not a heap of the ball, but very effective with it and always dangerous. His goals were telling. [1] Curnow: Very good at minimizing the effects of the North midfield. His goals were invaluable. [0.5] Yarran: Not his biggest night, but he did some really good team things: including 8 tackles. he also took 2 excellent marks by really putting his body in. Not 100%, but a significant improvement. [0.5] Jamison: Not at his best either, but he did control Petrie well.
Honourable Mentions: Judd: Like Murphy and Yarran, his possessions were more telling by their results than by their number, except his kicking for goal, which remains ordinary. Gibbs: Worked hard and did a negative job well, but his kicking was well off and his confidence appeared to be down. Lucas: OK. Not as timid as he can be. Watson: After a very quiet start, he managed to get on top of his man and provided some drive when it was really needed.
There will be a few boys from the NBs who'd be presenting a good case to be included. Few blokes in the midfield should be nervous. Murph must rest... he's obviously carrying an injury. Juddy will make up for his soft game against the Kangabies. Blokes in consideration would have to be Robbo, Levi, Graham and White.
Fair enough. Looking at the team on Friday night and we have a few guys who are struggling physically at the moment: Murphy and Yarran to name but 2. Murphy is definitely struggling with this butt injury of his. He played, and did OK, but he wasn't 100%. I guess it will depend on how he pulls up this week. I didn't expect him to play against the 'Roos. Yarran also looked quite restricted and didn't have the burning pace that is one of his hallmarks. I remember 2 moments when he needed his pace to break contact and it just wasn't there. Also he limped quite clearly when approaching the bench. Mind you, I was impressed by the way he put his body on the line for 2 very nice marks, and his 8 tackles was a significant improvement over what he can be like. Carrots looked a bit better on Friday: he must be getting some of his match fitness back. Eddie Betts was also one who looked less than 100%, but an improvement on what he has been recently.
Graham did his chances of getting a game no harm at all. He plonked himself at the front of the pack and managed a significant portion of our clearances on Saturday. Unfortunately he wasn't as successful at the centre bounce. But his 4 games at VFL level have been very promising. Robbo showed some real G & D and was excellent for the Baby Blues: very effective in the conditions. Buckley also showed a bit, but he went off with a shoulder injury that suggested to me that he probably won't be fit enough for next week.
I hate going to Box Hill - crap venue to watch football - today was crapper than usual because of the weather but I did go along to see the early game because I wanted to see Mitchell and I finally saw something of why we drafted him.
I don't think he was our best player by any stretch of the imagination but, despite the conditions, he took overhead contested marks and was able to out-body the slighter players at the lower level. Also, unlike other days when he has kicked multiple goals with minimal kicks, he could have finished with 8 to 10 today with the opportunities he created.
I didn't get a chance to ask him but I was wondering whether his demotion could have been at his request (similar to the decision Hampson made a few years back when he wasn't getting enough ground time in the Bullants' senior team). He is still as slow as a glacier but so were lots of others in the conditions.
Still to be convinced he can perform at the higher levels on a fast track but at least I saw something.
As for the senior game, in even worse conditions, I was completely satisfied with the efforts of ALL players in contributing to a team performance.
I am really happy to read that, especially considering the lack of spirit and endeavour in recent weeks.
With Gold Coast smashing Collingwood last night, next week's game ay Metricon Stadium is looking ... interesting. Last year we experienced a disaster at Carrarra. What is going to happen this time?
