Quarter by quarter analysis - is fitness our problem?

[DeeZee 7,445]

Fitness and our midfield are the problem.

Sylvia, Trenners and Beamer are badly out of form.

These boys would normally be our top 3 midfielders.

We only really have one in form and thats Jones

Mckenzies a tagger and Magner a little slow

Nowonder we are getting smashed at stoppagess.

Blease's pace stood out like the proverbial dogs b...s in a slow team

We need to change it up in the middle....Id try Grimes, and maybe a bail or a blease in there with Jones.

Maybe put Moloney and Sylvia on the wings as go to players who can kick long.

Magner forward pocket, mckenzie back pocket, where the likes of Milne and Betts kill us every time.

[rpfc 28,729]

Would love to see Grimes in the guts DZ. We should get some solid HBFs in FA and get Grimes into the guts.

[DeeZee 7,445]

I'd probably give grimes role to trengove, he is a good mark and can rebound for us...also help him get into the game more.

Morton as the other half back sweeper and McKenzie tagging the small forward.

Even Bartram in the middle with Gromes and jones might go ok.

Blease and Bail as the runners who spread just outside the packs and Moloney and Sylvia wider to kick it forward.

[DeeSpencer 26,070]

How are we going to run out a 4th quarter against Carlton when we've barely been in a game at 3/4 time this year. Even if you have the training fitness it counts for little until you do it in the real thing.

But fitness is still an issue, and Neeld's game plan is one that both rewards and revolves around having fit players. At the end of the day we need ever player who plays between half back and half forward to have strong fitness bases. I look at guys like Sylvia, Davey, Blease and Tapscott who should have top line fitness to play on flanks and go into the midfield but who just don't for whatever reason be they injury or otherwise. McKenzie and Grimes are 2 others who would seem to get up and play despite interrupted preseasons but I'm sure they'd be better with a big preseason.

[The Chazz 4,077]

I'd probably give grimes role to trengove, he is a good mark and can rebound for us...also help him get into the game more.

Morton as the other half back sweeper and McKenzie tagging the small forward.

Even Bartram in the middle with Gromes and jones might go ok.

Blease and Bail as the runners who spread just outside the packs and Moloney and Sylvia wider to kick it forward.

Fitness and our midfield are the problem.

Sylvia, Trenners and Beamer are badly out of form.

These boys would normally be our top 3 midfielders.

We only really have one in form and thats Jones

Mckenzies a tagger and Magner a little slow

Nowonder we are getting smashed at stoppagess.

Blease's pace stood out like the proverbial dogs b...s in a slow team

We need to change it up in the middle....Id try Grimes, and maybe a bail or a blease in there with Jones.

Maybe put Moloney and Sylvia on the wings as go to players who can kick long.

Magner forward pocket, mckenzie back pocket, where the likes of Milne and Betts kill us every time.

Some smart ideas there DeeZee. I would love to see Grimes start in the guts, with Blease and McKenzie. Have Jones and Magner on each wing and Moloney coming in hard from the HFF. At some stage having Howe in the middle at the bounce won't hurt at all either. JT playing the "Grimes" role in the backline is a genius idea - I'm sure he'd hit a target better than Grimes could! Getting him to take kick-outs, etc, just getting his hands on the pill will help.

On reply to the OP - of course fitness is our issue. Have you not listened to anything that has come out of Misson's mouth since his arrival? Would've been a lot quicker to do that than try and work our quarters won, which quarters they were, the percentage down at each querter, etc, etc, etc.

[DeeZee 7,445]

Thanks Billy, thought it would be a good way to get the ball into his hands more often and play him into form.