Sylvia in the backline?

Wow...we really are up [censored] creek.

There is no reason why it's good enough for talented guys like Tapscott and Grimes to do the hard yards down back, while also providing us with good run out of the defensive zone (which is one of the most important things to get right in the modern game), but it's not good enough for Sylvia.

He is hard, he is an excellent overhead mark, and it wouldn't kill him to play slightly more defensively in the absence of Grimes, Tappy, Garland, Trengove and so forth. Sylvia slicing through half back and streaming down the corridor to deliver the ball will give opposition coaches plenty of nightmare. He isn't easy to man up on either, because you need someone who can nullify him in the air, but who has the agility and strength to go with him at ground level.

And it sure beats the hell out of watching Davey squib contests down there!

The bloke is seriously talented but certainly isn't showing it.

If we're dropping him, we're doing it with the other injuries and without the facade of 'general soreness'.

Fast becoming yesterday's hero

Edited May 22, 201114 yr by spurs-r-us

How about we trade pathetic supporters like you instead. You are a disgrace to our club.

Davey is one of pur most important players. He had a bad game, live and learn. I wish be could trade supporters like you to GWS.

I cannot remember a good game this year.

Everyone now knows a close tag with eliminate him from the game.

Works every week now.

What we now have with Davey is another Trapper.

Lets get the best on offer.

Trading Trapper gave us Grimes

If we got someone half as good it would be worth it.

Edited May 22, 201114 yr by old dee

I have never seen a worse player overhead in the history of the AFL.

Fed up to the gills of this bloke's pissweak efforts. Bruce now Davey. The curse of getting paid half a mill every year. Poor babies.

I agree with someone else's suggestion in another thread that if he's not going to be dropped (due to severe lack of replacements with the loss of Tappy) then he should be the substitute. Might send enough of message and give him a shot at redemption.

However, I think he should be dropped regardless. Yesterday reminded me a little of the 2006 elimination final where Davey gave away a couple of frees and a fifty meter penalty that resulted in a goal. He was dragged (rightfully) and given a serve bu Daniher. Yet that time he managed to redeem himself somewhat with a classic Davey effort on the boundary line that ended up in a goal and contributed some spark helping us to run over the Saints in the last (note a game we should always have won). But yesterday a much more senior and experience Davey gave us nothing and didn't even want to be out there.

Edited May 22, 201114 yr by Ascobar

As bad as the squib was (and it was baaaaaaaaad), I thought the stupid 50 metre penalty he gave away was even worse. ..............

As bad as both of those were, his general body language was the worst aspect of all. It hurts me to say it, but it was disgraceful coming from one of our leaders. He needs to redeem himself big time.

Davey has a real impact with our indigenous boys. Davey is a leader for the brotherhood and the general side. It was no surprise to see Jurrah have a poor outing. Jurrah and the boys really feed off our indigenous leader, and Davey did little to inspire the boys today.

I hope this is a one off from Aaron, who is still a class player at this level. A week for him to cool his heels at Casey might be nice, but we are not in a position to demote with the monster injury list that we have.

With the season in the balance, we need our leaders to lead. Seems like the only leaders we have week in and week out are Sylvia and Moloney.

We have just watched this side drop 2 games to non-finals teams. This season is starting to look like it is going to be another embarrassment for the club.

That may be the problem, none have them have played with great intensity this year so far! Definitely needs a stint at Casey!

There is no reason why it's good enough for talented guys like Tapscott and Grimes to do the hard yards down back, while also providing us with good run out of the defensive zone (which is one of the most important things to get right in the modern game), but it's not good enough for Sylvia.

He is hard, he is an excellent overhead mark, and it wouldn't kill him to play slightly more defensively in the absence of Grimes, Tappy, Garland, Trengove and so forth. Sylvia slicing through half back and streaming down the corridor to deliver the ball will give opposition coaches plenty of nightmare. He isn't easy to man up on either, because you need someone who can nullify him in the air, but who has the agility and strength to go with him at ground level.

And it sure beats the hell out of watching Davey squib contests down there!

I was thinking the exact same thing today,

Played a game against Carlton in 09 there and from memory did quite well

Deadwood should be gone

I agree Jaded. I think his hand will be forced next week as there is no way that backline will be able to match up on Betts, Garlett and Walker. He will need to bite the bullet and bring in some smaller types.We will be expected to lose so the experience that such a game will bring to Blease, Nicholson or Struass will be invaluable.

I just dont think he has the balls to do it.

I agree also, however Casey coming off a bye could be a tough call! I'd be going with the likes of Gawn, Lawrence or Howe. Lead up marks around the midfield so they can kick the ball out of the back line rather than that atrocious handball we witness on Saturday. Watching that I could was just waiting for the Benny Hill music to come on!

Yes 36DD - deadwood should be gone, starting with the coach - have you seen the West Coast/Bulldogs massacre, good example of good coaching coming from bottom last year! Real leadership comes from the top level!

In two years time we won't be 'led' by Green, Davey, Rivers, Moloney, Jamar, and Sylvia.

But by Grimes, Scully, Trengove, Gysberts, McKenzie, Jones, Petterd, Frawley, Garland, Watts, and Jurrah.

Competitors with more talent that rarely put their head down and show a defeatist attitude like Green, Davey, and Rivers.

I mean, did anyone here really think that with Moloney, Green, Davey, Jamar, Sylvia, and Rivers as our established core group, that we would challenge with them doing the bulk of the work?

Most of those players will need to be playing predominantly periphery roles if we are to be a top 4 team.

Thank god Bailey tanked.

I thought the 'house' was just in need of major renovations when Daniher left...

Turns out the house was an illusion, there was nothing there but a mailbox being held up by an injured Beamer.

Two things:

1. Jamar, Sylvia and Moloney are great leaders, going in hard. green will show this in time as he has done in previous years.

2. You say the players have a defeatist attitude, and then are happy that Bailey tanked?

Couldn't believe all this hype about Davey "ducking" but just saw it on TV.

Geez that is just so embarrassment, as Effie would say.

Should have been dragged on the spot. Weak by Bailey and co.

All the younger players will think it is OK to hear footsteps occasionally, now!

Geez we lack gonads in the clutch. The coaching is not helping, we laconically continue to accept inept performances and effort.

Back to Casey for Davey and anyone else who thinks that is acceptable.

U r absolutely clueless, seriously how can you even justify that comment, the only person who should be deserving of our sympathy is DeaN bailey. He is coaching a side with no on field leadership. The soft underbelly of years gone past has finally been exposed. I have had no problems with the youngsters efforts to date this season...who has been below par, yep thats right the leadership group (pass marks to beamer and jonesy). As bad a Greeny has been thus far, Davey's effort today was just pathetic. I really do feel for Bailey when one of your most experience and senior players (VICE CAPTAIN) anybody??? not to mention on big coin, plays in the manner he did today.

How could he look his teammates in their eye today???

Two years down the track cannot come quick enough, hopefully the type of football that Davey played today does not permeate through the remainder of the playing group or else we are well and truly shagged

If that's the case and we have no on-field leadership, who should we blame?

The Coach should have stamped his authority on the group by imposing his choice as Captain and Vice Captain, then we wouldn't have a captain that is just popular with the players or perhaps someone that they feel deserves it because of seniority. It's as weak as [censored] letting the players choose the captain and then saying there's no on-field leadership.

We have still got too many players that are soft and if we drop Davey who do we replace him with, Bennell? Don't get me wrong I think he should go but the problem is we still have softies there and that's the Coach's problem, he should have completed the job, not stopped where he did.

Two things:

1. Jamar, Sylvia and Moloney are great leaders, going in hard. green will show this in time as he has done in previous years.

Please look at the context. I wasn't talking about leadership. I was alluding to the fact that our senior core of players are not near the top echelon of 'senior cores' in the AFL. Re-read it and you will understand.

2. You say the players have a defeatist attitude, and then are happy that Bailey tanked?

Bailey did what he had to do - and nearly effed it up against Richmond. I don't see how I had a defeatist attitude when the reason why I applauded the 'experimentation' was to get the players necessary to win a flag.

Yes 36DD - deadwood should be gone, starting with the coach - have you seen the West Coast/Bulldogs massacre, good example of good coaching coming from bottom last year! Real leadership comes from the top level!

Their senior players are up and firing.

Where is our Cox? Or our Glass, Priddis, Selwood, Lynch, Kerr, Embley, LeCras, and Kennedy?

Nearly half the side. Experienced, seasoned pros, playing consistent footy.

We have Jamar, Moloney, Jones, and Sylvia up and about of our senior core, and one of them is injured.

WCE 2010 was an aberration, they are way ahead of us.

Their senior players are up and firing.

Where is our Cox? Or our Glass, Priddis, Selwood, Lynch, Kerr, Embley, LeCras, and Kennedy?

Nearly half the side. Experienced, seasoned pros, playing consistent footy.

We have Jamar, Moloney, Jones, and Sylvia up and about of our senior core, and one of them is injured.

WCE 2010 was an aberration, they are way ahead of us.

snoozing...or in denial...or berating others for the temerity to utter the truth...or espousing repetitive rhetoric about needing to stand up ( whilst lying down )

snoozing...or in denial...or berating others for the temerity to utter the truth...or espousing repetitive rhetoric about needing to stand up ( whilst lying down )

That may be (and is).

But we cannot equate Davey, Green, et al. to WCE senior players.

They are far better.

That may be (and is).

But we cannot equate Davey, Green, et al. to WCE senior players.

They are far better.

Absolute garbage. There is something seriously wrong at the club. Smells like festering discontent from a carcass full of maggots.

Absolute garbage. There is something seriously wrong at the club. Smells like festering discontent from a carcass full of maggots.

How the hell is that absolute garbage?

Kerr, Embley, Cox, Glass are premiership winning, multiple AA awarded A grade players.

Green and Davey are a significant step below that. Rivers is about 4 steps below that, and they are half of our leadership group. Moloney is good, but he is no Kerr, Jones is average and Grimes has 30 games to his name and a heap of injuries.

The only thing that absolutely stinks here is your profound lack of comprehension and your complete panic stations attitude towards the club. If all you can see is black negativity stop supporting the club and GTFO. It's getting extremely tiresome reading your doom and gloom, with absolutely zero hard evidence and no credibility whatsoever.

Must be a warm fuzzy feeling keeping your head snuggly buried in the sand.

Wasn't it Aaron Davey who ran backwards into a marking contest in the first quarter? It was on the Saints' forward line and I think it happened before Tapscott was hurt.

Davey got crunched; the ball spilled free and Melbourne cleared the ball out of the backline. That took some courage.

Warnock has been good, and he can take the resting ruckman, Rivers I see no real match up for, but he will probably get Walker. I want Frawley on Garlett and Bartram on Betts.

Bartram (Simpson) Rivers (Walker) Warnock (O'Hailpin)

Sylvia (Betts) Frawley (Waite) Jetta (Garlett)

Jones (Gibbs) Watts (Ellard) Morton (Laidler)

Gysberts Jurrah Maric

Petterd Green Newton

Followers: Martin Moloney Evans

Interchange: McKenzie Bate Macdonald

Sub: Bennell (Could use his leg speed)

In: Morton, Bennell

Out: Davey, Tapscott

Must be dropped regardless of availability.

Cannot accept supposed leaders letting this club down.

Sub.

He'll be embarrassed, not to mention livid.

Will come on in the third/last and destroy; will find some small amount of redemption.

The entire playing group, but more importantly the youth will understand this move without any explanation necessary - nobody is safe.

Edited May 22, 201114 yr by Chopper Lovell