Match Preview and Team Selection - Round 23

[WhyAlwaysMe 237]

Are you comparing the dominant Fremantle team of last year to the up and down North team of this year???No way North leave these players out against a reasonable team and risk a confidence knock going into an elimination final. They know they've got us covered.

you don't get it, they couldn't care less about us,there next game is against Essendon not Melbourne

[Nasher 33,616]

OMG did you see those outs. We're a serious chance. And its not necessarily because they don't rate us...they have finals next week.

We're no chance at all. I don't normally like to be so negative, but good side + being their bitch + Etihad + stuffed team in awful form = grit our teeth and hope this doesn't hurt too much. And don't be fooled by the rested players: they will want to absolutely pulverize us in to dust.

Thank god this is the last round.

[dees189227 12,394]

We're no chance at all. I don't normally like to be so negative, but good side + being their [censored] + Etihad + stuffed team in awful form = grit our teeth and hope this doesn't hurt too much. And don't be fooled by the rested players: they will want to absolutely pulverize us in to dust.

Thank god this is the last round.

amen to that. I reckon roosy first thing monday will put a line through a whole heap of players.

[Tough Kent 2,137]

you don't get it, they couldn't care less about us,there next game is against Essendon not Melbourne

North are flirting with their form by resting all those players, a very dangerous thing to do at this time of the year. I'm saying that they wouldn't have left all those players out if they playing someone else. We'll agree to disagree.

[WhyAlwaysMe 237]

We're no chance at all. I don't normally like to be so negative, but good side + being their [censored] + Etihad + stuffed team in awful form = grit our teeth and hope this doesn't hurt too much. And don't be fooled by the rested players: they will want to absolutely pulverize us in to dust.

Thank god this is the last round.

i don't see it that way, i think they wouldn't have spent any time during the week looking into the opposition us, and will only have spent time on thing they want to work on, can't see their better player who don't need to try and secure a spot in the team getting out of 2nd gear, this will be bruise free footy at its best, we are a definite 60/40 chance

[FC Melbourne 108]

Bit ahead of themselves the Roos. Not as if they have been playing 25 round seasons for past 3 years ala the cats.

Would like the see us come out a bit angry, not hopeful.

Edited August 28, 2014 by FC Melbourne

[DemonOX 8,791]

Bit ahead of themselves the Roos. Not as if they have been playing 25 round seasons for past 3 years ala the cats.

Would like the see us come out a bit angry, not hopeful.

Would be nice to beat these plicks and show em that if u drop players to rest them then u pay the price.

But I don't think it will happen either unfortunately.

[Deespicable 2,726]

I'm going out on a limb here, but load up on the $9 we are for this game.

Yes, I know the last time we won at Etihad was when John Howard was PM, but selections have really dealt us kindly.

We all know how Boomer cuts us up so that was already a bonus, but on top of that they are resting Goldstein, who has smashed our rucks every time, even back when Stefan Martin lined up for us.

Lindsay Thomas is always a danger and he's out too, and for those of you not up with North, Levi Greenwood will finish top five in their B&F this year.

Then there's no Firrito - yes I know he's a chump, but he outbodies very Melbourne forward he's ever lined up on.

As a result we only have a few headaches for selectors.

Nick Dal (always cut us at Saints) and he'll almost certainly have Crossy.

Lachie Hansen for the past two seasons is a fantastic sweeper against us and hopefully Roosy will play six forwards and with Gawn, Dawes and Fitzy up there, Lachie will have to man one of them which will negate his intercept mark count.

Shaun Atley runs off us with ease, but I suspect we will try and manufacture the match-ups to have Bail or Viney marking him.

Daniel Wells is also class but I'm hoping his lack of match fitness means he spends a lot of time forward and that means he cop our Jetta Warrior.

Nat Jones will go head to head with Swallow which is an all-square match-up and that leaves us with Ziebell as the only big problem. I hope Jordie has his assignment and will be [censored] off if we go a less-tighter option.

The other guy who normally slaughters us is Nathan Thompson but with his sore ribs, I don't actually reckon he'll want to be getting too physical with Dawesy.

With Garland out I also reckon there's a real chance Salem may start back, which is where he dominated at the carnival for Vics last year and where he should have been playing all year. Roosy may well decide to go with Matt Jones or Vince down there, but either way, we'll have more run from down back than previous weeks.

Significantly Watts was named on the bench for the first time this year - could he be our dream sub to come on for Fitzy/Jamar or Gawn and show his class when the pressure goes off?

What's also great is that we went with Riley, who is the typical North kind of footballer and ideal for Cunnington - honest, hard at it, no frills and loves to tackle. I will be so disappointed if he's the sub, because this is his kind of game.

Yes, in the end we may show ourselves to be truly [censored] and start coughing up easy ball to allow Petrie, Black and Wells to convert easy chances, but I actually think the game is our's for the taking.

Load up!

[Fitz Fitzpatrick 886]

Remember a few years back when us and Nth were battling it out to be the next up and coming team and the footy world used to discuss which teams kids had the brightest future?

What the hell happened?!

Not really a discussion now hey....

Edited August 28, 2014 by Munga

[Deespicable 2,726]

And just to show you that, unlike most of you, I am excited about our chances here's

Five reasons how we win:

1) Jamar and Gawn should smash Currie and Brown - if we don't clean up in the rucks then we really are VFL standard.

2) Howey lines up on first gamer Mason Wood which should be a huge win provided he doesn't get cocky.

3) Crossy is perfect for Dal Santo and Bail's chase is perfect for Atley. Two surprise wins for us.

4) Dawes, provided he is intense, makes Thompson cough it up a bit, because of his sore ribs.

5) Our midfield with Riley, Jones, Viney and Dom can match North for grunt (unlike the past 10 times we've played them) and we should win the clearances.

Five reasons why we lose
1) Jack Ziebell gets really hot and blows Jordie away.

2) Lynden Dunn kicks out to the right so many times that even Brad Scott's superior IQ means he figures out to camp Petrie over there.

3) Jack Fitzpatrick fails to realise that when Lachie Hansen is on him, his role is to be a decoy and drag him to the pocket.

4) We can't figure out how to score goals and the ball keeps falling to Matt Jones with space to run.

5) Jack Watts lines up at half forward, allowing Atley to line-up on him. That really is game over for us - just ask Jamie Bennell.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,799]

North has realised we play our best football against good teams and our worst football against weaker teams. Ergo, they've weakened their team so as to gain a bigger win.

[WhyAlwaysMe 237]

if our defensive players can limit the remaining class players North have, we become an even chance, otherwise we are stuffed. Good job by Roos to bring in McKenzie & Riley with Cross ,Viney & N Jones they become our most important players. Salem should be Sub, we won't need a player like him for this one but could give us a a spark late

[Deespicable 2,726]

if our defensive players can limit the remaining class players North have, we become an even chance, otherwise we are stuffed. Good job by Roos to bring in McKenzie & Riley with Cross ,Viney & N Jones they become our most important players. Salem should be Sub, we won't need a player like him for this one but could give us a a spark late

Thankfully Roos for once has listed Salem on the field.

Roos can still change his mind, but so far this year the sub has always come from the four listed interchange on Thursday night.

So thankfully Salem will get to play a full game and if he plays down back, we'll get a chance to see what he can do.

Would you rather Watts play down back, so he can do his lollipop man defensive press?

[WhyAlwaysMe 237]

Thankfully Roos for once has listed Salem on the field.

Roos can still change his mind, but so far this year the sub has always come from the four listed interchange on Thursday night.

So thankfully Salem will get to play a full game and if he plays down back, we'll get a chance to see what he can do.

Would you rather Watts play down back, so he can do his lollipop man defensive press?

don't get me wrong i like Salem, just didn't think we have a job for him in this game & have never seen him down back, I don't want to talk about Watts, he won't be our problem soon.

[boydie 655]

Prediction, Scott Thompson will kick as many goals as Dawes.

[Ethan Tremblay 30,861]

Prediction, Scott Thompson will kick as many goals as Dawes.

Zero or one?

[rjay 24,935]

Remember a few years back when us and Nth were battling it out to be the next up and coming team and the footy world used to discuss which teams kids had the brightest future?

What the hell happened?!

Not really a discussion now hey....

Yep, us and them and trailing behind were Richmond.

How to stuff a football club...

[Coq au vin 755]

If MFC played any if the VFL teams we'd lose.

[Chook 15,013]

If MFC played any if the VFL teams we'd lose.

Pretty sure we'd beat Casey.

[poita 3,902]

What a pathetic excuse for a football team that is. North could rest their entire best 22 and still win. Convincingly.

I assume Jamar will provide his customary 5 touches and 50 useless hitouts. Dawes will get 15 useless touches a mile from goal. Our midfielders will build their stats by conducting circle work until the inevitable turnover happens. Howe will play a mile off his opponent and have another bag kicked on him.

North by 60 plus.

[Maggot 1977 263]

IN: Jordie McKenzie

Interpretation

We are Rubbish !!

This bloke is a SPUD and IMO is in the top 3 for worst skilled players on an AFL list- behind Nicholson & Evans.

[DubDee 25,887]

In Riley and Mckenzie.

should bring some much needed pace and skill into the side.

God I couldnt care less about this game but for some reason im going to be there tomorrrow night.

will be good to see what Salem, Mitchie, Fitzy and Gawn can do esp up front. hopefully we can gt the ball up there more that 20 times

[beelzebub 23,378]

In Riley and Mckenzie.

should bring some much needed pace and skill into the side.

God I couldnt care less about this game but for some reason im going to be there tomorrrow night.

will be good to see what Salem, Mitchie, Fitzy and Gawn can do esp up front. hopefully we can gt the ball up there more that 20 times

Not bucket loads alas, but I dont mind Riley's inclusion. Not fussed with Mckenzie these days . He has a lot to atone for.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

why doesn't the media s--t all over North for this, this is tanking in a far more more blatant way than what we were accused of

oh sorry is it only a bad thing to do if you are a truly carp side

pathetic

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,845]

Watts to kick 5 goals and BOG.

The trade watts thread to be abandoned until round 2 next year.