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1
The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by crashlander -
Quote from: DJC – on
I was only half listening to the wireless but I'm pretty sure that it was Stuart Clark who had a real crack at Marnus for his antics after he was nicked off.  Rather than carrying on like a pork chop, he should have marched straight off the ground and got to work addressing his poor technique.

If the pitch was so unpredictable, Alex Carey must have had a death wish in standing up to the stumps for the fast-medium bowlers. 
I don't think Carey was as brilliant about standing up this time as he was in the previous test, but I happen to agree with you: it couldn't have been that bad of standing up to the stumps would have been impossible,
I simply think that the modern player no longer sees these sort of conditions and doesn't have the mindset required to dig in and not get out.
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The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by DJC -
I was only half listening to the wireless but I'm pretty sure that it was Stuart Clark who had a real crack at Marnus for his antics after he was nicked off.  Rather than carrying on like a pork chop, he should have marched straight off the ground and got to work addressing his poor technique.

If the pitch was so unpredictable, Alex Carey must have had a death wish in standing up to the stumps for the fast-medium bowlers. 
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The Sports Desk / Re: God help me - the Test Cricket thread
Last post by LP -
Glad to read Greg Chappell agreeing with my assessment, and pissweak of the ICC to fall in behind the vested interests and opinions of the players.
Quote
MCG Pitch

The pitch, prepared by the diligent Matt Page, was perhaps a day shy of ideal, its early moisture and grass yielding unpredictable bounce and seam.

Batters from both sides crumpled like autumn leaves in a gale. Wickets tumbled in clusters, scores hovered in the low hundreds, and the crowd, that vast sea of 90,000 souls at the MCG, was left cheated of the epic they deserved. What shocked me most was not the conditions themselves, for cricket has always been a game at the mercy of the elements.

No, it was the batters’ reactions: gestures of disbelief, muttered oaths, wry smiles as they trudged off, as if they alone had been cursed by a rogue delivery in the sport’s long history. They behaved like novices encountering adversity for the first time, oblivious to the blood, sweat, and sheer willpower that have sustained Test cricket through far worse trials.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: Name your team for Opening Round
Last post by JonDorotich -
Quote from: Thryleon – on
Quote from: JonDorotich – on
Newman, Weitering McGovern
Saad Haynes Florent
Cottrell Cripps Chesser
Ainsworth McKay Motlop
Hayward Kemp Williams

Reidy Hewett Walsh

Cerra, Smith, Cowan, Carroll

Side looks well balanced however it’s clear that unless one of McGovern, Haynes, Dean or Kemp stands up as a key defender we’ll be exposed.  Other concerns are our ability to defend clever/strong small forwards & the durability of Cottrell & Chesser who could provide much needed pace.

All of Cripps, Weitering, Smith, Hewett, Walsh, Kemp, McKay, Cerra, Hayward, Saad and possibly McGovern have the ability to make the AA squad so let’s hope we see at least half of them get there.

Unlucky not to make the side  - Okeefe (could swap with Kemp), Dean (could swap with Haynes or McGovern), Lord, Pittonet, Acres, Boyd, Hollands, Moir & Evans

Hey dorotich you're short one on the interchange

Thanks I wasn’t across that - I’d add Okeefe in that case
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: Name your team for Opening Round
Last post by DJC -
My approach is to have at least three players capable of playing on the wing among my seven or eight midfielders.  They should have plenty of stamina, the ability to nullify their opponent, be able to break the lines, and hit targets inside 50.

On paper at least, we have plenty of candidates; Acres, the Camporeales, Chesser, Cottrell, O Hollands, and Smith, and Cerra, Haynes, Lord and Walsh all played on the wing last season as did Docherty and Binns.

Acres was hampered by a bulging disc last season and was way below his best.  He looks to be moving freely again and, if he can regain his previous form, should be a monty on one wing. 

The Camporeales have potential and I expect both to play in 2026.  They will need things to go their way if they get the nod over those ahead of them in the pecking order.

Chesser comes into our squad in place of Docherty/Binns and his injury history means that he’s a bit of an unknown quantity.  He was a very highly regarded junior and was taken as a first round draft pick despite suffering meniscus damage in his draft year.  His first pre-season crashed when he smashed his ankle and ongoing ankle issues, and another knee injury, restricted him to just 32 games in his first three seasons.  He had ankle surgery in the 2025 pre-season and missed the first half of the season before earning a place in the Eagles’ side for the last four games.  His form in those games was the best of his career and finally revealed his ability.  The point of difference with our other candidates for a role on the wing is his genuine foot speed.  However, that’s not going to get him a game by itself, and I’d have him just ahead of the Camporeales in the pecking order, unless he can show the form that demolished Ed Langdon in round 21.

Matty Cottrell really cemented his place in the team as a link up high half forward but there’s a lot more competition for spots in the forward line now and I suspect that his best chance of a senior recall will be on the wing.  Of course, there’s plenty of competition for winger roles too and Matty has to overcome his stress fracture issues.

The arrival of Ollie Florent probably means that Ollie Hollands won’t be required in defence this season and wing is probably his best position.  Ollie rarely loses a one on one contest and he has an ability to create contests when the opposition seems likely to break away.  Ollie’s not quick though and his kicking can lack penetration and accuracy.

I’m not sure where Jagga Smith will play in 2026, but he could line up on the wing.  He is fast, elusive, reads the play well, makes good decisions and is a good user of the ball.  I don’t know about his defensive work but, if he’s the one with the pill, he doesn’t need to defend.

My pecking order for a spot on the wing in Opening Round is Acres (subject to fitness), O Hollands, Smith, Cottrell (subject to fitness), Chesser, L Camporeale and B Camporeale.  Walsh, Cerra and Lord could be in the mix too, if required.

Then there’s Nick Haynes.  The experiment of playing him on the wing in the last two rounds was a success and he could provide us with a different look and more marking power in our midfield.  McGovern has been training with the defenders and I don’t think we’d necessarily go with both him and Haynes in defence.  If Haynes is training with the midfielders, I won’t be surprised if he’s on the wing in Opening Round.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: Name your team for Opening Round
Last post by Baggers -
I'll play. (Nice format, David).

B:     Newman   Weitering   Dean

HB:  Florent   Haynes   Cowan

C:    F. Young   Lord   Acres

HF:  Motlop  Harry   Evans

FF:   Hayward   Kemp   Williams

R:   Pitto   Crippa   J Smith

I:   Walsh   Saad   Cerra   Cottrell   Moir

E:  Wilson, Ainsworth, O'Keefe (sorry David, snuck in emergencies  ;D )
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: Name your team for Opening Round
Last post by Lods -
You're right Kruds
It looks like he's been recruited to add a bit of run and pace.
Things we lack...
But how he fits into the side is yet to be determined.
Obviously we're looking at a wing position so his challenge will be against the likes of Acres and Ollie Hollands
Lucas Camporeale with a season and pre-season under his belt may also be in the mix
I personally don't see him playing round 1 and it will depend on how he goes in the VFL as to when he eventually plays.
The bottom line is we've recruited him for a need.
We see aspects we like.
We've given him an opportunity.
The rest is up to him.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: Name your team for Opening Round
Last post by kruddler -
Re recruits, just because we get them, didn't mean we think they are best 23 starters.

Eg look at the ruck. Tdk left, we needed someone to come in. Obviously we try and get someone with great talent but had we not been able to trade for one, we would've got one another way (draft, ssp)

So with that in mind, a ruck was coming one way or another.  So does that make Reidy a starter? I don't think so. Will he play some games? IMO absolutely.

Another way of looking at recruits is this.
What did it cost us?
What could we get with that same value elsewhere?

Eg chesser. He cost us pick 41. Could we get a ready made player with pick 41 at the draft?  Unlikely. So he was recruited as it was better than we could expect to get otherwise. Sure, he would have some desirable attributes and fills a position of need etc (debatable, but i digress).
But ultimately, it's simply about value.

That doesn't mean automatic best 23 though.
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Robert Heatley Stand / Re: Name your team for Opening Round
Last post by Thryleon -
I reckon when you perform this exercise, you are probably better off trying to work out the following:

At all clubs I have been involved at, there is a "pecking order".

Irrespective of where the relative talent and ability, capability lies, you will usually find that players sit in different categories.  Accomplished, promising or an unknown quantity. 

The promising players usually have to earn their stripes to get a game, but usually dont have too hard a time. 

The unknown players could be anywhere from a walk up start, to having to jump categories to get a game.  They are unknowns.  Chesser and Reiddy fit into this bucket from the new acquisitions.

The promising players are more you Jagga Smiths and Harry Dean types.  Talented kids who have yet to really test their mettle at AFL level.

The rest are accomplished AFL players.  Been in the system for years, notched up 50+ games, and you generally know what you are going to get.  Fans tend to ignore these types because they tend to think we need better than that.

Expect the accomplished AFL players to be at the top of the pecking order initially with the others trying to knock them off or jump the order. 

So in saying that, where are our acquisitions fitting into the team (note, they may have more accomplished performers ahead of them and have to earn their stripes accordingly)?

IMHO, Haywood, Florent and Ainsworth being walk up starts or there abouts.  From the rest, Chesser will need to be better than Acres to get a game unless its on the opposing wing and all our other options are out, which I dont think will happen as I anticipate Ollie Hollands being there too.  The draftees will likely be in the latter category of promising without having to get a game, and unless they are outstanding talents, probably wont get a game unless they prove they are of superiour quality to the rest.  Reiddy only has pittonet to contend with so is most likely to play ahead of time.  Chesser is a bit of a wildcard.  I dont think he was a priority signing, and was more opportunistic in he wanted to come home, and we need another winger with Cotters foot issue looking to drag on.