Hoping for the following changes this week Out: Saad, Plow, Hewitt/Ed, Pitto or SOS In: Kemp, Cincotta, Dow, Gov Sub: Ed Honey loses his sub role
Think Hewy needs a rest to get over the hand, if he's ok to go I'd drop Ed. Dow needs another chance and we need the pace. I think we have to reassess whether we can play 2 rucks and SOS, especially as TDK needs to develop his forward work.
It was pointed out that there’s a 10 day gap between our game against the Crows next Thursday and the St Kilda game, so the selectors might be tempted to delay his return to the St Kilda game. I guess the interstate travel might not be ideal for his back. On the other hand, if he plays against the Crows, he has a full 10 day break to recover in preparation for the St Kilda game.
I think that's their plan, play him against the Crows and give him a 10 day break to back up against the Saints.
Think they'll go with LOB in for Acres, they have been pretty consistent going with three genuine wings this season and last, (Ed playing as the third at the moment). As for Owies replacement, will depend whether they want a small pressure forward, maybe Fogarty, or play another mid in which case Dow or Cincotta might get a run. Sub maybe Kemp for a bit of cover front and back.
I thought exactly the same thing, re Weiters, which was a worry. Pretty sure had Doc been down back he'd have been barking instructions.
Just another example of the waterfall effect injuries can have on a team. Train and play all year with Doc's as the defensive Captain only to have him up the ground after having to shuffle the side due to midfield injuries. Not and excuse, just an observation.
Love to see how blue chip forwards Harry and Charlie would be going now if they were getting smashed in the ruck for half a season. I suspect based on their fragile history they wouldn't be going.
You may well be right, he has done what he had to do for the team and is probably suffering a bit for it now. Love the bloke and hope he gets back.
As Mad indicated, we had all those talls in Round 1 against Richmond....AND played Silvagni and Martin. Silvagni was going at better a goal a game in those first half a dozen rounds until Pittonet went down. I still think he could come in and play in place of one of the smalls....probably Motlop. Silvagni might not be as quick but reckon his forward half pressure chasing and tackling is up there with anyone else in the F50.
It's hard to see where Martin now squeezes his way back into the side.
We had the 5 talls, (Pitto, TDK, Charlie,Harry, JSOS) for the first 3 rounds of the season, not since. I just think with TDK's development since Pitto went down has meant they think 4 talls are enough and we are better off playing an extra small, hence Durds, Owies, Motlop play
One of the big things I have noticed about this season under Voss is that players are given roles and the expectations are set for those roles and they are competing with others on the list for the team spots available for each role. Wings, small forwards, mid/tall backs, inside mids etc. They aren't playing players in the positions they aren't slated for, mids played as forwards, for example, like in previous years. That's one of the reasons I can see why Dow isn't getting a game. JSOS is a product of this, he is a tall forward competing with Charlie, McKay and now TDK, they just can't fit them all in the side and they won't play them out of position, unless by absolute necessity, (SOS rucking or Kemp as a tall back). Even if you categorise JSOS as a 3rd tall forward there is still only one place in the side for that position and they have gone with TDK this week.
I reckon their formula is 7 Backs, 2 tall 5 mix of lockdown/running/Intercept 3 Wings 7 Forwards 3 tall 4 small/Medium (Sometimes one of these will be a mid coming of Half Forwrd like Walsh has been doing) 1 Ruck (plus Backup from tall Fwd) 4 Mids (Mostly inside mids with run coming from wingers)
Just so brutal on JSOS. I love the guy for his efforts and what he has done while Pitto has been injured, but I must admit when I did my best 22 at the start of the season I struggled to find him a place. My heart says he must be in the side, but my head says where?
Interesting selection. I think the wings are still a problem in the minds of the selectors, haven't made their decision on who our best wingers are, think that's why Hayes was taken in the Supp draft. Seems like Newnes, Cottrell, LOB, Hayes, Setterfield and Cunningham, when, (if), he returns are all competing for those two wing spots.
At least at centre bounces, the only centre clearances are credited to those 4 (Cripps 5, Hewitt 2, Kennedy 1, Cerra 1) and our 2 rucks (Pittonet 3, TDK 2).
The best thing about all of this is, keeping in mind we have Walsh coming back too) that we don't need a team full of midfielders. We can actually have dedicated half-forwards (Martin, Fisher, Silvagni etc) and dedicated half backs (Docherty, Saad, Williams) and it means we can have genuine outside runners on the wings (Walsh, LOB, Setterfield?)
Yep was only talking Centre bounces, sure some others were running on the ball at different stages. I agree with with the other part of your post too Krud, was good to see no spare mids running around to try and be forwards, (apart from maybe Fish), everyone seemed to have a defined role.
On a lighter note, almost the best part of the game was watching the biggest whingers to umpires in the comp trying to hold their tongues due to the new dissent rule. Lynch, Riewoldt and co were almost exploding...
I can't remember a more dominant contested midfield win than last night, we only had 4 mids rotating through the centre bounces for the whole night and between them they had 121 possessions, 48 contested, 26 clearances and 6 goals. The way they played together was really something to watch, seemed to know where each other was, or supposed to be, no panicked disposals, held on to the ball and found the right outlet. Huge tick for the coaches. I know it's only round 1 but signs are there.
