Just thinking forward to our clash with the Hawks and wondering how our backs will match up on their gun forwards:

Franklin - Rivers

Roughead - Frawley

Boyle - Carroll

Williams - Garland

Rioli - Bartram

Dew - Bell

I actually think Roughead is the toughest match-up as Rivers is the obvious opponent for Franklin. We don't have a quick, big-bodied defender who can play on Roughead and we are CERTAINLY NOT going to put Miller back there. I've given the job to Frawley, a big test but he certainly can match Roughead's speed and he has shown that he is deceptively strong. I have also noticed that Roughead seems to take most of his marks on the lead which may negate the importance of size.

Garland on Williams is a bit of a smoky, but he is quick and agile and he held his own against Farmer on Sunday.

Thoughts??

Whelan will hopefully be in the team by then, probably replacing Bell or Bartram.

Carroll should go on Franklin imo. Rivers will be most useful playing off his man and blocking up space or being third man in. I can't remember him being too effective playing on the best forward, but we all know how good he is helping out.

I like your match-ups for Frawley and Garland. Great tests for them.

All these are pretty irrelevant though if we can't show something in the midfield. If Hawthorn control the midfield we will be in trouble wherever our defenders play.

It will be interesting to see how the backline goes this time with a forwardline that does not allow the ball to springboard away so quickly.

I think that was our biggest problem in round one, with Newton, Robertson and Neitz unable to lock the ball in the forwardline/slow it's movement downfield.

With Davey, Aussie, Miller leading hard, Bate moving back and forth with Green up there as well, i think our backline will be helped immeasurably by slower ball movement to the Hawks' forwards

Dew has been spending plenty of time on the back flank for the Hawks. And Boyle hasn't been playing lately has he?

Osborne, Ladson and some resting mids spend a bit of time up there.

Just thinking forward to our clash with the Hawks and wondering how our backs will match up on their gun forwards:

Franklin - Rivers Roughead - Frawley Boyle - Carroll Williams - Garland Rioli - Bartram Dew - Bell

I actually think Roughead is the toughest match-up as Rivers is the obvious opponent for Franklin. We don't have a quick, big-bodied defender who can play on Roughead and we are CERTAINLY NOT going to put Miller back there. I've given the job to Frawley, a big test but he certainly can match Roughead's speed and he has shown that he is deceptively strong. I have also noticed that Roughead seems to take most of his marks on the lead which may negate the importance of size.

Garland on Williams is a bit of a smoky, but he is quick and agile and he held his own against Farmer on Sunday.

Thoughts??

Franklin - Warnock

Roughead - Carroll

Boyle - Frawley

Williams - Garland

Rioli - Bartram

Dew - Bell/Sylvia

Rivers (peeling off to assist against Franklin)

We'll need our mids to push back hard to chokeup the Hawks forward half.

It will be interesting to see how the backline goes this time with a forwardline that does not allow the ball to springboard away so quickly.

I think that was our biggest problem in round one, with Newton, Robertson and Neitz unable to lock the ball in the forwardline/slow it's movement downfield.

With Davey, Aussie, Miller leading hard, Bate moving back and forth with Green up there as well, i think our backline will be helped immeasurably by slower ball movement to the Hawks' forwards

I think you make a great point about our slow forward line in Round 1. I'd expect a much closer result given the different dimension our forward line is beginning to take. Defensive pressure up forward is definitely the key.

I would love Warnock to get a crack at Franklin. I remember Franklin kicked 5 goals on him in the last quarter of an NAB cup game 2 years ago.

Give Warnock a chance to redeem himself!!! if he breaks even or BEATS Frfanklin, we have found our new key back.

I will do cartwheels

Tough gig...got to beat them in the air and on the ground and it's...its a nightmare!

We might have to play a 7 man defence, a negative tactic but probably a realistic one considering the Dorks form.

The key would be Rivers as the loose man pushing back to cut off Franklin's & Roughhead's space to lead [similar to the job he did on Pavlich]

The smoky is Martin to stand Franklin and to punch the ball to far far away land. Frawley's speed to counter Roughhead's leads, Whelan to counter Williams, Warnock to take Boyle, Bartram or Bell on Rioli and see if Col Sylvia can match up on Dew.

Franklin 196 cm - Stefan Martin 198 cm

Roughhead 193 cm - Chip Frawley 193 cm

Williams 180 cm - Matty Whelan 180 cm

Boyle - 193 cm - Warnock 192 cm

Rioli - 177 cm - Either Bartram 181 cm or Bell 186 cm

Dew - 183 cm - Col Sylvia 186 cm

Apologies to Disco Carroll who I don't feel matches up well against the expected Dork forward set up...Garland pipped by Warnock for a spot

I would love Warnock to get a crack at Franklin. I remember Franklin kicked 5 goals on him in the last quarter of an NAB cup game 2 years ago.

Give Warnock a chance to redeem himself!!! if he breaks even or BEATS Frfanklin, we have found our new key back.

I will do cartwheels

Yeh, after Sunday's game my first thought of Warnock is that he could play on buddy. Josh Gibson isn't the world's greatest defender but he was tried and succeeded, so i would throw him in the deep end

I dunno about Whelan on Williams, we've tried this one many times over the years and never seems to work (though I have no better ideas except maybe Bell). Even if we quell Franklin and Roughead, Williams could easily chip in with 5.

Williams would be too fast on a lead and too good over head for Whelan.

Same height but Williams is basically a FF and has a massive leap