Interesting! A tall defender and a small forward out and a midfielder/flanker and a tallish forward in. I hope we can lock the ball in our forward 50 for a significant part of the game
Is that actually a rule whereby if a player is named on the ground in an extended line up he cannot be an emergency?
It's more of a convention than a rule. All of the extended interchange bench could end up in the 22. In practice, the players who miss out generally come from those named on the bench.
White is actually named in the 18 on field so I'd be very surprised if he is left out, whereas Rowe is named as one of the 7 potential interchanges. That was my reason to think Sam may get left out.
Good point Cookie. That indicates White will be in the 22 but I suspect Rowe will be too. We'd have a seriously undermanned defence against one of the most potent forward lines in the business.
Daisy is definitely playing if Bolton's comments today are any guide (and he's named in the 18) so I suspect Buckley or Lamb will go out.
Actually think Rowe might miss. We already have Jamison, Weitering and White in defence. A 4th tall is a little overkill. C.Curnow might get a run and go forward. Reckon Byrne will come in.
I'd be surprised if Rowe misses out. White is in an between defender rather than a tall defender and a Sydney tall would have a picnic if they only had White to contend with. Rowe had a pretty good NAB game against Sydney and he's been our most effective spoiler since Jamison's shoulder problems.
White and Buckley seem most likely to miss out but it's hard to predict what the new MC will do.
On his preseason form I would not have named Thomas. I would have brought him back through the NBs. However, I was not consulted.
Nor me
I thought Thomas was in reasonable form but his kicking let him down. Bolton virtually guaranteed him a game so his selection is not really a surprise.
Charlie Curnow was an emergency last week and didn't play in the NBs. I will be very surprised if he doesn't play two weeks in a row so he'll either be in the 22 or dropped from the squad on Friday.
PS Thomas had 6 tackles against the Swans, equal with Gibbs and behind Ed Curnow with 8. Perhaps Bolts likes that aspect of his game.
Seems no-one ever watches the Footy Show yet it's seems to rate very well and been going 22 years.
Interesting.
I imagine lots of folk still watch the footy show. The same folk who watch the other moronic programs that seem to rate very well and provide avenues for has beens, or never haves in some cases, to get their faces on TV.
There's no accounting for taste
By the way, has anyone ever taken part in the ratings survey? My family did back in the 1960s when you had to write down what you were watching every hour.
Cripps is taller at 1.94 but Kennedy is two axe handles wide across the shoulders. He's had years of weight training and has clearly made the most of it. I don't think anyone on our list has a physique like Kennedy.
Now, if they replaced Newman, Brayshaw and Brownless, changed the format, and brought back Trevor Marmalade I might even think about watching the show.
Kennedy is a monster in comparison to Cripps. However, looks can be deceiving and I suspect Cripps has similar strength.
Curnow ran with Kennedy in the NAB game and shut him down quite well. At stoppages Kennedy was going to Cripps and Curnow would pick up another Swan. Once Cripps got the clearance, Curnow would pick up Kennedy again.
It's a big test for Bolton and the list this week. Sydney are in red hot form and have been able to get a look at how we are likely to set up for most of this season excluding injuries.
Sydney have the numbers to counter Gibbs and Murphy in the midfield, it will be interesting to see what Bolton does when these players get sat on by an opposition. Also what Bolton does to deal with the likes of Franklin and Tippett.
I thought that we had quite an edge over Sydney's midfield in the NAB game. Both were below full strength but I don't think that's the part of the game that will be giving Bolton headaches. A lot will depend on whether we can lock the ball inside forward 50.
