MATCH PREVIEW AND TEAM SELECTION - Round 12

[M C 221]

We will get smashed because we won't score enough goals, not because Geelong will score too many.

Let's be honest though a large amount of goals are going to be scored against us on Sunday

[old dee 23,560]

Jamar or Spencer have to play as a forward. Othwerwise we have raised the white flag before the game and the players will know it and not bother. As bad as that sounds, our list is like that. We gotta believe we can win.

Jamar as a forward? he is just passable as a ruck.

[rjay 24,689]

Melbourne team: round 12

B: Daniel Cross, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta
HB: Jeremy Howe, Lynden Dunn, Heritier Lumumba
C: Jimmy Toumpas, Dom Tyson, Jack Viney
HF: Jack Watts, Chris Dawes, Billy Stretch
F: Jeff Garlett, Jake Spencer, Angus Brayshaw
FOLL: Max Gawn, Nathan Jones, Bernie Vince
I/C: Aidan Riley, Alex Neal-Bullen, Rohan Bail, Matt Jones
EMG: Jordie McKenzie, Viv Michie, Dean Terlich
IN: Rohan Bail, Chris Dawes, Jake Spencer, Matt Jones
OUT: Jack Grimes (Hand), Viv Michie (Omitted), Cameron Pedersen (Hand), Jesse Hogan (Soreness)

[Moneider96 1,045]

Viv Michie out again?!? Give the kid a chance...He was sub last week.

[Bang Bang Bang 5,784]

Howe and Watts to play deep forward this week, surely? With Gawn resting down there too.

I can't see us kicking more than 8-10 goals for the game.

[Bang Bang Bang 5,784]

Viv Michie out again?!? Give the kid a chance...He was sub last week.

3 touches for 2 clangers when you come on halfway through the third quarter isn't going to get you a game the next week, ever.

[dazzledavey36 53,392]

The only positive il take out of this game is that its another game into the likes of Viney Toumpas Brayshaw Tyson Stretch ANB.

Theres our future right there.

[DemonOX 8,741]

Our odds of winning, sorry I mean not getting our arzes kicked just went from bad to worse.

God help us.

Edited June 19, 2015 by DemonOX

[Seraph 1,824]

I hope Brayshaw plays on Selwood at some point.

He tackles better than anyone else on the team, and Selwood hates it when he can't get free kicks.

[Deespicable 2,691]

While I'd rather Hoges to Dawes, I'm actually rapt that Spencer will get another go and we are now certain to win the majority of hitouts and with the way Gawn has been palming them, it's going to take Selwood's best work to stop us getting our fair share of clearances. It also means that if Gawny tires, he can be rested up without any issues as while Spencer is ungainly, he certainly is fit. It also means that Blicavs is going to have work extra hard to have an impact and will be relying on Walker to set him up. I'm assuming now that Watts will go to him in the third-man up situations, as I can see Crossy playing on Stevie J now.

Geelong are also missing heaps so don't get too pessimistic - it's not a cert that we'll get belted and we've certainly picked our best side for the big ground with quite a bit of run.

To me it gets down to whether we are intimidated by venue and history and the trash-talking and umpy pressure that Mackie, Selwood and Stevie J apply.

If we can negate their well-deserved arrogance then we can do some damage.

Don't forget we still have our core midfield group playing - sure we'd all love to see Kent, Hoges, Vanders, Frosty, Garland playing but ultimately most games are decided by clearance dominance.

And with Nat J, Tyson, Vince, Viney plus Riley manning Enright and Crossy on Stevie J, then we have a chance.

We just need Toump, Watts and Stretch to provide the run and carry at this ground and you just never know.

[beelzebub 23,254]

The only positive il take out of this game is that its another game into the likes of Viney Toumpas Brayshaw Tyson Stretch ANB.

Theres our future right there.

but wont they be 'scarred ' !!

[beelzebub 23,254]

My particular concern is that our lot have that unhappy knack of nurturing sluggish out of form teams back into competency.

Given its a milestone game for them i cant see much joy at all.

Not enough cattle of quality to do much im dreading.

What little hope at a noticeable improvement and lift up the ladder i feel is about to topple off the Cunningham Pier !!

[Moneider96 1,045]

Let's be honest though a large amount of goals are going to be scored against us on Sunday

We will see who is right on Sunday night then.

[rjay 24,689]

While I'd rather Hoges to Dawes, I'm actually rapt that Spencer will get another go and we are now certain to win the majority of hitouts and with the way Gawn has been palming them, it's going to take Selwood's best work to stop us getting our fair share of clearances. It also means that if Gawny tires, he can be rested up without any issues as while Spencer is ungainly, he certainly is fit. It also means that Blicavs is going to have work extra hard to have an impact and will be relying on Walker to set him up. I'm assuming now that Watts will go to him in the third-man up situations, as I can see Crossy playing on Stevie J now.

Geelong are also missing heaps so don't get too pessimistic - it's not a cert that we'll get belted and we've certainly picked our best side for the big ground with quite a bit of run.

To me it gets down to whether we are intimidated by venue and history and the trash-talking and umpy pressure that Mackie, Selwood and Stevie J apply.

If we can negate their well-deserved arrogance then we can do some damage.

Don't forget we still have our core midfield group playing - sure we'd all love to see Kent, Hoges, Vanders, Frosty, Garland playing but ultimately most games are decided by clearance dominance.

And with Nat J, Tyson, Vince, Viney plus Riley manning Enright and Crossy on Stevie J, then we have a chance.

We just need Toump, Watts and Stretch to provide the run and carry at this ground and you just never know.

I sure hope Riley is not manning up Enright.

[Adam The God 29,682]

Jordie McKenzie...

Remarkable.

It makes my faith, which I so want to be firm, feel very shaky.

So we're just going in with Dawes up forward, or is it Spencer as first ruck and Gawn at FF. I guess I wouldn't mind that, Dawes/Gawn was okay last year as a combo IIRC.

They were a horrible combo. We got smashed every time. Gawn cannot play forward. Defenses rebound off him like nobody's business.

[DemonOX 8,741]

My particular concern is that our lot have that unhappy knack of nurturing sluggish out of form teams back into competency.

Given its a milestone game for them i cant see much joy at all.

Not enough cattle of quality to do much im dreading.

What little hope at a noticeable improvement and lift up the ladder i feel is about to topple off the Cunningham Pier !!

Could have said it better beelz by can't be stuffed!

I agree with u.

It's gunna get ugly.

Edited June 19, 2015 by DemonOX

[What 18,810]

Big Maxy to kick 6

jesse who?

[rjay 24,689]

They were a horrible combo. We got smashed every time. Gawn cannot play forward. Defenses rebound off him like nobody's business.

Yep, Max is a ruck who can rest for minimal time forward. Spencer is the same...not sure how we will hide them.

[M C 221]

They were a horrible combo. We got smashed every time. Gawn cannot play forward. Defenses rebound off him like nobody's business.

Surely Gawn is a better forward than Spencer though?

[bing181 9,154]

Gonna be what it's gonna be. I don't get all the doom and gloom. Looking forward to the odd cameo, and hopefully, some more signs of progress from the future.

It's about winning the battle in the longer term, not getting too hung up on the odd skirmish.

[Moneider96 1,045]

Hope ANB plays in the middle this time...

[Nasher 33,607]

Surely Gawn is a better forward than Spencer though?

He's also a better ruck, though.

Tricky situation. I understand the need for more talls, but there's a big chance we're going to carry one or both of them.

I'd be inclined to use Spencer in the forward line more than Gawn - firstly because Gawn has really added something in the ruck for the last few weeks, secondly because Gawn's biggest weakness is his marking, but mostly just because it's an arrangement we haven't tried before. Spencer as chief ruck with Gawn as the forward is a strategy that we've tried before and it has sucked. This way will probably suck too, but we've got to try something new to make the combination work.

[Young Dee 1,303]

Surely Gawn is a better forward than Spencer though?

Would have thought Jamar is the best forward option out of the three so interesting to see they didn't bring him in (must think getting games into the younger ruckman is more important)

[Je Roos Salem 661]

Or what run him into the ground.

Give him around 75% game time, maybe sub him out. I'd rather we keep our supporters interested rather than just pull out life support for a game in Geelong. Of course, this is just me speculating this soreness is very minor

[rjay 24,689]

Give him around 75% game time, maybe sub him out. I'd rather we keep our supporters interested rather than just pull out life support for a game in Geelong. Of course, this is just me speculating this soreness is very minor

Hamstring tightness.

I would rest him...we keep our supporters interested for the rest of the season rather than just one game.